Family
Rusty arrived promptly at eight o'clock Tuesday morning and drove his tractor into the field where I was waiting. Nate was behind him on a four-wheeler. As Nate passed the barn project, he and Aiden waved to each other.
Nate got off his four-wheeler and gave me a big hug. "Thanks for includin' me."
I hugged him back. "Thanks for helpin' us."
Rusty turned off the tractor engine and stepped down. "Mornin, Toby. Are ya ready to build some fence?"
I smiled happily. "Yup, and yer in charge. Tell us what to do."
"We'll start at the end of the fenceline here. I'll drill the holes. That's the easy part. I brought a second manual post hole digger. You and Nate will need them to bring up the last of the loose dirt. I think you should have about sixty posts to put in. It will probably take us the whole morning to get the holes dug. I suggest ya get yer four-wheeler and trailer, fill it with posts, and drop one in each hole when yer done pullin' the dirt out."
It was a warm day. I was happy this was a task that didn't require long pants and a shirt. By mid-morning I was perspiring heavily. Nate and I paused for a water break.
I took a drink of water. "I saw ya wavin' to Aiden this morning'. How well do ya know him?"
I knew the answer, but I hoped to hear it from Nate.
"I'm not supposed to tell, but you probably already know anyway. He's in the support group I told you and Rusty about. And he's the good friend I mentioned . And if I had to make a bet, yer probably the friend who's helpin' him with his aggression issue."
I paused, thinking of what to say. "Well, I haven't told anyone about what you and I've done together, and I wanna treat all confidences the same way. I'll have to let you ask Aiden or decide for yerself."
Nate grinned. "I've already decided, and thank you for helpin' him, too. He's a cool guy. He and I are becoming very good friends. I can't thank you enough for bein' the friend that you are to me. You've helped me a lot, but he's helpin' me more now because of our shared experience. He's nice, caring, and good-lookin' - a lot like Logan seemed at first, if ya know what I mean."
I smiled at him. "I know exactly what you mean. And you've helped me, too. You understand what I'm goin' through too, not bein' able to talk about stuff. We're all in this together. Whatever works is what we gotta do."
At the next hole, as I dug out the last of the dirt and he dropped in the post, Nate took up another subject that was on his mind.
"About the other night. It was a lot of fun. I hope we can do that again. But I don't think I can handle the threesome idea. I love Rusty a lot, as a best friend. I love you too - yer kind and understanding..." He paused and grinned. "... not to mention hotter than hell, and very good at fuckin'. But it's not the same as romantic love. I want us to be friends and have lots of fun together, but I'm not in love the way you and Rusty might want it to be. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. And you don't need to say anything to Rusty. I'll do that."
I was glad he was willing to talk about it. "You don't need to feel sorry, Nate. We all gotta find our own way with love. I love you too, and while I could see the idea of the three of us workin' out, it doesn't have to be that way, and it doesn't have to interfere with our friendship. I'm glad you said something, though. And I'm glad you talked about Aiden, too. Be sure to talk to Rusty. He'll understand."
Nate and I were keeping up with Rusty. We finished with the holes about eleven thirty.
Rusty was an encouraging crew boss. "That was damn good work, guys. Yer posthole diggin' studs."
I grinned. "Thanks, boss. Now, on to setting the posts, I presume? I have shovels, and some two-by-twos that we were usin' to tamp concrete. Will that work for tamping dirt around the posts?"
"It should work fine. Let's start at this end and work the other way. Do you have a level?"
"In the trailer."
"Good. We'll need to do some extra bracing on the end posts and maybe some additional reinforcement to put in the gate. But that will come later. Let's get on with the posts."
We only got about five posts in place by noon. Rusty and Nate had to leave, and I was going back to work with the barn project.
"We've got cold fried chicken and coleslaw for lunch. It isn't up to Rusty's mom's field-delivered harvest lunches, but it's there if ya want it." They both wanted it.
While we ate, we planned the next three days. With luck, we would have the fence installed, except for the gates, by the end of the week.
At dinner, I had some questions for Dad.
"I would like to pay Nate the same as Jason, and Rusty a little more than I got for driving truck. Putting in fence is more work, and he's providing the knowledge. There's also the matter of tractor time."
Dad thought for a minute. "What do you say we up the wage to sixteen dollars for Rusty. I don't want to cause inflation in the farm labor industry. As to the tractor time, I'll check with Pete. He'll give me an honest answer."
"Thanks a lot, Dad. Getting the actual work done seems easy compared to the planning and finances. Thanks a lot for helping me with that."
Dad put down his fork and put on his serious look. "Toby, your mom and I need to thank you for taking on a project like this. You're doing an excellent job of organizing the tasks and finding the right help. We are very proud of the way you've adapted to the lifestyle here. I've often thought that bringing you from the city to the country would go to one of two extremes - either you would love it or hate it. We're grateful that you love it because we think it's a lot better than city life, all the way around."
I beamed with happiness. "Thanks a lot Dad. I really like it here, even if it was somewhat of a rough start."
Mom joined the conversation. "That wasn't your fault, Toby." Then she smiled. "Well, maybe a little of it was, but you've handled all of that well, too. Now, let's have dessert which is not apple pie for a change."
It was cherry pie, my favorite.
The projects progressed rapidly. By the end of the week, the trusses were on the roof and the purlins in place. I wasn't allowed above ladder-level for safety reasons, but I spent the week delivering the needed lumber to the right place, and handing it up to the workers above.
Each night after work, Aiden grabbed two beers from a cooler in his truck, and we went down by the creek to have casual sex. Although he was still rough sometimes, he no longer deliberately inflicted pain. If he and Nate chose to have sex, I thought it would be okay because Aiden had settled down a lot, was becoming more sensitive, and knew Nate's history.
On Friday, Bob let me know they would be using the next two weeks to finish some other projects and to participate in fair activities. The county fair was a big deal to the community, and everyone did their best to support it.
Friday noon, Rusty, Nate and I finished our planned fence tasks. Rusty and I would put in the gates the next Monday, a job for which Rusty had the necessary knowledge. Besides the fun of working with my boyfriend, I was very happy to have a friend and co-worker who could help me so much.
It was Saturday afternoon. Mom and Dad had driven to the University of Idaho in Moscow for the weekend to attend a seminar on the legal ramifications of child abuse. Besides attending some of the sessions, Dad was making a presentation based on his recent experiences. Mom was increasing her knowledge by attending some of the paralegal presentations.
Rusty and I were on our way to help Nate get ready for the county fair. I wasn't sure how much help we would be, but Rusty thought he needed moral support. I reviewed our conversation in my mind.
"Do you remember his reaction a couple of weeks ago when you innocently asked him whether his heifer had a name? He's attached to that animal, and it's not gonna turn out well, mark my words."
"Explain the sequence of events for me so I'm sure I understand."
"Nate will enter the heifer at the fair on Tuesday. Wednesday, the judging happens. He'll probably get a blue ribbon - she's a fine animal. Then on Friday, he'll show the heifer, which is more a matter of judging him than the animal. Then on Saturday afternoon, she'll be sold at an auction for steaks. The local businesses tend to buy the animals at high prices as community support. End of heifer."
"So what can we do? Maybe he oughta keep her. Abuse victims become attached to their pets."
"She's not a fuckin' pet, Toby. She's a market animal. All we can do is hold his hand."
I didn't agree. I thought Nate should keep the heifer, but I realized there was a lot of ranch-boy peer pressure over issues like this, and for now I was deferring to Rusty's ranch experience.
We were carpooling, which meant I was riding behind Rusty on his four-wheeler, my boner pressed firmly against his lower back. We hadn't ridden double for a long time, and I was remembering how much fun it was. More than once in the past, I'd quietly creamed my shorts doing this. And then of course, Rusty had given me a hand job while I was driving one time, and that had made a hell of a mess.
We pulled up in front of Nate's home, dismounted, and removed our helmets. Nate came out to meet us, apparently in good spirits.
Rusty made the conversation while I watched. "Ya ready for the fair, Nate?"
He was immediately subdued. "Yeah, I guess I am."
"When do ya take yer heifer in?"
"Tuesday morning. Judging is Wednesday, and showing is Friday." He didn't mention the auction on Saturday.
"Anything we can do to help?"
"Well, maybe when we get there. I gotta keep her stall clean and stuff like that."
"Do we get another look at her?"
"Well, I guess so."
We went out to the barn where the heifer was being kept clean and groomed in anticipation of the fair. She came over to the gate and licked Nate with her tongue like she had the first time I saw her. If he wasn't attached, she was. I felt sorry for him. It might be a rough week - one he really didn't need.
I had a suggestion. "Do you have time for a swim at the quarry this afternoon?"
"No thanks, not today. There's paperwork I gotta do for this, and Dad has some things he needs help with."
"Okay, we'll see ya later."
Rusty and I headed for home. At the intersection with the road to the quarry he stopped.
"How about if you and I go for a dip anyway?"
"Sure, if ya wanna. I got nothin' else to do."
Since it was Saturday, a lot of the guys were working, so the crowd wasn't quite as big, about a dozen or so. A few were swimming, the others stood around talking, laughing and drinking beer. The music was quieter too, and the pot was missing. The age spread was a little wider too, from about thirteen to twenty.
Austin and Andy were there, and they'd provided the music system this time. Probably by coincidence, Steve Grand's album, "All-American Boy", was playing again. The more I listened to it, the better I liked it. It was great music for the group and the setting.
The lower end of the age group consisted of thirteen-year-old twins. I nodded towards them and asked Rusty. "Classmates of yers?"
He grinned. "Yeah, Rick and Eric, and they wanna lose their virginity."
Rick and Eric seemed new to the environment. They knew everybody, but they seemed a little nervous, and their exaggerated laughs spoke of insecurity. Some of the older guys were evaluating them as if they were cattle available for purchase. Rick and Eric were doing their own evaluation, as if they were looking for stud service.
I was reminded of things that Logan had said about being first to score on the younger guys. It also reminded me of how Rusty had picked me to be his first. I hadn't liked the meat market atmosphere at first, but now I felt that if both parties wanted to fuck, let them do it. I was doing a lot of that myself.
Shago represented the upper age boundary. He was talking with Austin and Andy and a good-looking blond stud about his age. The blond stud had a barbed wire tattoo around his right bicep, similar to Logan's braided rope tattoo, which gave him that same western tough-guy look.
Rusty and I stripped and dove into the water to wash off the travel dust. When we came out, Shago noticed us.
"Hey, Nuka, come on over here. I know you and Rusty know Austin and Andy. This here blond cowboy is Robert's new ranch hand, Colton. Colton, this is my friend Toby."
I shook hands with Colton, and then I made sure Rusty was included.
"Colton, I think you know my boyfriend, Rusty. Shago, I don't think you do though." It didn't hurt to establish the relationship with both of them.
Shago responded. "I've heard about Rusty from Jace, but I haven't met him yet. Nice to meet you Rusty." They shook hands cordially.
Rusty and I were provided with a beer each. Rick and Eric, standing nearby, added us to their potential stud service candidates with their eyes. They also took the opportunity to get naked like we were.
We talked for a while, and then Rusty and I went for a swim and a dive or two. When we came back, Rusty sat down with Colton on his blanket to talk. Austin and Andy were talking with Rick and Eric now. Shago and I sat on the diving rock looking out at the water.
Shago broke the silence. "So, have you recovered from our fun in your bedroom?"
I grinned happily. "It was great. I'd do it again if ya wanna sometime. But I think ya gotta go a little easier on me. I could explain the scratches as related to fence and brush work, but that work is done. I'm glad I didn't have any bruises on my ankles or wrists because that would have been harder to explain."
Shago frowned slightly. "You're right about being too rough. I got shit from Tom for scratching you. Doing that is a part of my personality that I can't explain to you right now, but it won't happen in the future. And I think we better back off on the bondage stuff, too. What do you think?"
I thought for a moment. "I agree, mostly. Don't feel bad about any of what we did because I was doin' a good job of encouraging you. I still wanna be tied up because it's exciting for me. But maybe only my wrists so I have more freedom to move. And maybe something softer than the ropes we used."
Shago smiled. "I like tying you up too. You're fun to play with that way. I've got some soft wrist restraints that we can use another time."
After a few moments, Shago had another topic. "Tom said he had an interesting conversation with you. You must have shit a brick when you found out we were brothers."
I grinned reminiscently. "You might say that. Did he tell you about the rest of that afternoon?"
"No, but Jace did. I hope you realize how that little guy loves you, not that he's that little any more, really."
"I love him, too. He's the best little bro a guy could have."
"He loves all of you guys, but you're his favorite, never doubt it. He adores you. He'd do anything for you."
I looked around. Rusty and Colton had disappeared. I knew what that meant. Austin and Andy, now naked and sporting boners, were sitting on a blanket talking with Rick and Eric, apparently marketing their stud service virtues.
I changed the topic. "So, how many siblings do you have besides Coach?"
"He's the only one, now. Our sister, who was four years older than Tom, passed away a year ago. That's how Tom came to adopt Jace. How about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
I was quiet for a moment. "No, and I wish I did. I've always missed havin' a little bro, but Jace takes care of that."
"Well, now you've got a little bro and a big bro, Nuka. You're part of the family whether you realize it or not."
He looked over and saw the tears on my cheeks. "I bet those are happy tears, so I won't tell you not to cry." He ruffled my hair like a big brother would.
"Yeah, yer right. And after the conversation with Coach, he seems like a big brother, too. James too. Thanks for makin' me part of yer family."
I looked around again, and grinned. If "scoring" meant "penetration", Austin and Andy had scored. If it meant shooting their sperm inside, that would happen very soon. A rite of passage was taking place, and Rick and Eric being initiated by twins would soon be part of quarry swimming hole legend. My pole was rising rapidly.
Shago smiled. "I think you like what you see over there. So do I. You got any plans for tonight?"
My asshole tingled slightly. "Nope. My parents are out of town, so it's just me and the TV."
"Maybe we could make it a little more exciting than that."
My pulse rate had gone up. "That would work for me."
"How about if I take you out to dinner, and then take you home with me."
I gave him my best little bro grin. "I'd love that. But I'm not really dressed to go out for dinner. I don't even have a shirt with me."
Shago smiled. "Don't worry about that. We're gonna go to this little roadhouse run by a couple of friends of mine. Their outdoor seating is very casual, and they won't care what you're wearing or not wearing. I think most of their customers will enjoy the scenery - I just have to make sure they don't have you for an appetizer. And in the morning, we're gonna have breakfast with Tom, James and Jace. I'm invited, and I'll let them know you're staying overnight and coming, too."
I woke up in the morning on my side with Shago spooned behind me, his strong arms wrapped around me, and his boner pressed hard against my back. The sun was streaming through the window of the one-bedroom bunkhouse he lived in. I lay there replaying a night of the greatest sex I'd ever experienced. I didn't want to move, but I had to relieve myself.
When I returned to the bedroom, Shago was awake, lying on his back and grinning at me. I leaned against the door frame, taking in his magnificent body and the porn-star-size pole I loved to have inside me.
"Good morning, Nuka. Yer looking cheerful and just as hot as always this morning. Did you sleep well?"
I smiled happily. "After everything you did to me, it would have been hard not to. And I checked for scratches. It looks like you got that under control."
"Yeah, I made an effort. If we showed up at my brother's place with you looking like you'd been in a catfight again, it would not go down well."
I flopped down beside him. "So when are we supposed to be there for breakfast?"
"If you look at the clock, it's going to be more like lunch. They're expecting us when we get there, a trait known to the white man as 'Indian time'. It makes life much nicer not to be bound to a clock. So let's take a shower and get under way."
I crawled on top of him. "Not so fast. I want more Indian time before we go."
Smothering him with kisses, I reached back and positioned his pole where I wanted it to go. Then, slowly sliding downward, I guided it all the way inside. Leaning up a little, I rode him cowboy style, smiling at the look of surprise on his face.
As I ground my ass against his crotch, he began to push up against me. I'd never tried this before, and the pleasure of being in control was intoxicating. My own boner began to leak as his pole pressed against my prostate. Moving forward and back as well as up and down, I did my best to sexually excite him. Waves of pleasure passed across his face as I continued my experiment.
Waves of pleasure were passing through my body, too. I was going to cum soon. Applying one of the tricks Shago had used on me, I reached out and pinched his nipples hard. With a sharp cry of pleasure, he shot his load up inside me, as I drained myself onto his chest.
I leaned over and kissed him. "Now we can go take a shower."
It was almost noon when we arrived at Coach's place. Coach knew his brother well, and the tardiness was not a surprise. What was now lunch consisted of a lot of things that were served cold, and a few others that could be heated up quickly.
This was an informal household. The rooms were lived-in but clean and orderly, with the exception of Jason's room. Littered with video games, comic books, and assorted sports equipment, there were paths to critical places like the bed, closet, and computer. Otherwise, all surfaces were covered with evidence of Jason's lifestyle, including walls plastered with pictures of his favorite athletic and fashion model, Ron Levi.
Coach and James were wearing athletic shorts. Jason was wearing his white speedo. That Shago and I were shirtless wasn't noticed and fit in well with the house standards.
The lunch conversation was provided mostly by Jason, who regaled his uncle with tales of working, playing, and having sex with his big bro Toby the previous week. There were no constraints on conversation in this household.
Then Jason inquired. "So, Toby, did you and Shago do it last night?"
I didn't hesitate. "Yeah, we did, and it was the best night of sex I've ever had."
"Even with Rusty?"
I paused, thinking about how to explain it. "It's different. Rusty is gentle, romantic and loving. With Shago, it's rougher, more playful, and just fun. Both are awesome. I never thought I would like rough sex, but Shago has shown me how fantastic it can be, with the right person."
Shago was grinning ear to ear. "I see you've learned there are no taboos in this family when it comes to talking about sex."
I wondered if there were taboos about doing it. Like whether Jason would ever think of doing it with Shago. I suspected there were boundaries even in the most liberal of families.
Jason had an armband that he'd been wearing ever since I first met him. I noticed now that his armband was similar to Shago's tattoo, except that the design was different.
"Jace, would ya tell me about yer armband? And I suppose Shago's tattoo has a similar explanation?"
Jason was happy to inform me. "Shago used to wear an armband like mine, but he got the tattoo instead. They represent our spirit guides. Mine is the otter. The armband shows its face alternating with its body. It means I'm playful, trusting, inquisitive, happy, and loyal. Shago's is the ghost cat, the cougar or mountain lion. Supposedly it means he's a leader, loyal, courageous, takes responsibility, and senses danger, but I'm not sure about all of those."
I reflected for a moment about tattoos and armbands. It seemed that many of the country boys I knew wore their identity on their right bicep. Logan and Colton had cowboy tattoos. Shago had a Native American tattoo; Jason had a similar armband.
So what was my own identity? I had once wanted a tattoo just like Logan's, a bad-boy ranch-hand tattoo. But I wasn't Logan, and while I might be a bad boy and a ranch hand, I was more than that.
Lost in thought, I'd completely spaced out. When I looked up, Shago was grinning at me as if he knew what I'd been thinking. "I'm glad to see you're back with us. Jace has something for you."
Jason smiled happily. "Shago determined that yer spirit guide is the raven. The raven is associated with healing, courage, creation, knowledge, and an interest in sex. So Shago and I made you a raven armband."
He put the armband on the table in front of me. Like Jason's, it was made of black and white beads. It featured ten ravens, in pairs facing each other, with a round symbol of the sun between each pair. I looked at it and then around the table with tears in my eyes. "That is so cool. I'll always wear it, like Jace does."
Coach added one thing. "It also means you're a member of our family, Toby. Never forget that."
I gave Shago and Jason kisses, and hugged Coach and James. It seemed unusual to be hugging my school teachers, but a lot of things had been unusual lately. I was just going with it.
When we sat down again, Shago had a question. "Do you have any Native American ancestors?"
I thought for a moment. "Not that I know of, but I'm not close to my grandparents, and Mom and Dad don't talk about them a lot."
"Well, you might want to ask your parents about it. I suspect you might find one or two a couple of generations back."
"What makes you think that."
Shago smiled. "See if I'm right first. If I am, I'll tell you more."
As Shago and I were leaving, Coach had some information. "Toby, our first swim team practice will be a week from Monday at two o'clock. We won't have a diving program this year because the state high school activities association hasn't sanctioned diving. We'll be practicing at the quarry as long as the weather permits."
"I'll be there, Coach. I'm lookin' forward to participating, even if I can't dive this year."
Coach smiled. "Excellent. It will be a small team this year, but we'll do our best."
Shago dropped me off on his way home. I'd learned the night before that he lived on the ranch just beyond Austin and Andy. That meant he was accessible by four-wheeler, an important fact for me, because I hoped to spend more time with him in the future.
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