COMPASSION
Chapter 13
Jake quizzed the boys when they got back to the bunk house and Andy, blushing scarlet admitted that they had taken a long lunch break and worked late to make up for it. Looking at the two self satisfied grins on their faces he guessed why so he said nothing until he had a chance to talk to John. He had been a party to the story of Andy's beating. No smoke without fire was his thinking so he thought Andy probably was a little faggot. Not something to worry about on this ranch with the boss's son living openly with his gay lover.
"John, I don't see it as a problem if they are discreet, but I think Andy and the new boy Raul are into a sexual liaison. I thought you should know."
John, like Jake had wondered. He knew Andy was very close to his two boys and wondered if the reason was that he empathised with them, now he knew.
"Thanks Jake, we'll just monitor their behaviour. If it starts to show and affect the other guys in the bunkhouse I'll have to do something about it, but Andy is off to college next year, if we can keep a top on that little bomb for that long I'd appreciate it."
John talked to Jack about it, and Jack talked to Darren. Down the line it went and Darren pulled Andy out of the bunkhouse one evening for a talk.
"I guess our talk about boyfriends really worked Andy."
Beaming all over his face Andy replied.
"Oh yes Darren, big time, I think I'm in love."
Then it hit him, "How did you know?"
"You aren't being discrete enough. Jake knows and thinks others in the bunkhouse do as well. Don't fuck up the deal here. John will have to pull you out of the bunkhouse and fire Raul. He won't tolerate disruption of the boys."
Andy realised then that his happiness carried a price tag.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Darren. I guess I was so happy to have a lover I didn't think."
"Ok, we're cool at the moment but you and Raul have to cool it in company. Jake has been ordered to separate you for work details, don't make him take the next step."
Andy knew then that he and Raul would have to limit their contact to out of work time. He had his Jeep so they could take off in that, but they would still have to be very careful, particularly if they went off the ranch.
Darren and Jack both kept an eye on Andy and Raul, a little like mother hens. They wanted these two boys to be as happy as they had been. In the event, Andy's dad solved the problem. It was made quite clear to both boys that they could spend their off duty time at Andy's home where their privacy would be respected. That worked for the holidays and even better when Andy returned to school. Raul used his money to buy a 4x4 and was able to finish work some days and drive into town to see Andy. Andy continued to spend time at the ranch gaining the respect of the other cowhands. Yes they knew he and Raul were a pair, but it wasn't thrown in their faces so they accepted it because both boys were so likeable. Two years of that routine convinced everyone that these two were serious about one another. Then the crunch came when Andy went off to college, there was going to be three years of only holiday contact. Juliet's goodnight to Romeo came true for these two, `parting is such sweet sorrow.' Andy and Raul had to say that so many times before Andy came home for good to be taken on by John as a trainee ranch manager. He worked under Jake a lot of the time and Gavin the remainder. Jake showed him the practical side of ranch management and Gavin the book side. Gavin was married and had a house in town so the ranch manager's cottage was empty. John discussed his idea with Jake, not wanting to sideline him.
"Jake, with Gavin living in town the manager's cottage should be yours, instead of just a room in the bunkhouse. You can have first refusal on it but if you don't want it I'm going to put Andy in there."
"Put Andy in Boss, but it must be made clear that Raul remains in the bunkhouse to sleep, otherwise it's going to cause resentment with the hands."
"Fair enough, but my guess is that he will only sleep there."
"I know, John, we can live with that, everyone knows him and Andy are pretty tight."
Both men laughed. That was an understatement; they were almost as tight as Jack and Darren. John thought about it and could hardly believe that Jack and Darren were fast approaching forty. Where on earth had the years gone? Jack now had a fully fledged animal hospital with several staff. Darren had the finest Paediatric Clinic in the County, with three other doctors working for him. What was more amazing was their love for each other was as strong as ever. They were a fine example for other gay men, and Andy and Raul were following in their footsteps.
By the time Andy graduated college and took up his management position at the ranch, John was about ready to retire. He and Sheila had decided to buy a house in town and do some serious travelling. Gavin agreed to stay on as ranch manager for one year taking Andy as his assistant. Jake was also looking at taking life easier and had agreed to take over as John's livestock agent, responsible for selling the beef from the Texas long horns and an increasingly large herd of crossbreed Angus and Texas beef. Cowboys tended to move around quite a bit so that the only long term hand available to take over as foreman was Raul.
To John's mind life had panned out perfectly for the three young men he had sponsored from the time his own son was sixteen. It had started with a timid little guy called Darren, now a top flight Paediatrician and still his son's lover. Next came Andy, a semi invalid after being almost beaten to death by a homophobic gang. Now the best ranch hand John had ever seen, but still too small to rope and brand steers. A ranch manager now, living in the manager's house with his lover, the third of his protégés, Raul, a mixed race lad who had come to him far from his home to get away from other homophobes. Now he was ranch foreman and lover of Andy.
He walked round the ranch with Jack on his last day before moving to town.
"I reckon Son, that between us we've done a load of good for three young men on this ranch."
Jack hadn't thought about it and lifted an eyebrow at his Dad.
"Darren, Andy and Raul."
Jack laughed. "Yeah, perhaps we should rename the ranch after you leave Dad. How does `The Multiple Gay Ranch' sound?"
Both men burst out laughing, it was so corny. Through his laughter John replied.
"I don't think so, your great grandfather would turn in his grave if you changed it to anything other than the Double M. Michael and Mary Hancock built this ranch from nothing and handed over 20,000 acres to my father.
Jack got all serious now.
"You've never told me very much about the history of the ranch Dad and I've never been curious enough to ask. How did it all start?"
John thought about this.
"You know what Son, when your mother and I aren't travelling, I'll sit down and write the history of the Double M Ranch. I have a load of papers in a folder that date from your great grandfather's time and I even have Mary Hancock's diary. I know there aren't going to be any Hancock's to follow you and I don't know what you will do with the ranch but I guess it might be fun to do it."
For the first time in his life, Jack felt guilty about being gay.
"I'm sorry Dad, I guess I must be quite a disappointment to you and Mum."
John laughed and did something, almost alien to him. He spun his son round and hugged him.
"Don't ever think that. Your mother and I couldn't be more proud of our two sons if we tried."
Forty years old wasn't too old to cry. Jack's tears summed up the years he felt he had let his parents down.
"I'm sorry Dad, I'll try to make it all come right."
John couldn't understand what Jack meant, and for now, all he thought about was consoling this man who had been, and still was his pride and joy. **************************************************************************** Shocks for the parents in the next part.