The Boy Who Cried Sapphire Tears

My thank you list is as it always is, short, but very meaningful. The proofreaders, George and Meg, thank you guys for your time and suggestions. They help a lot and I do appreciate it. Also, congratulations, Meg, for graduating!!! I knew you could do it, girl!!! LOL

To my readers, thank you for hanging on through my spell of writer's block. I know where to story is going, it's just trying to get there, without skipping too much time or making it boring--that's the hard part! I hope you guys and gals enjoy this chapter. Chapter 15 won't be too far behind, I hope.

Check out the fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/QBWTEE/ It's not just book stuff, although people do discuss the story. It's a bit of everything from helping one another out, to posting weird things, just because. I'd love to have you as a member, if you have the time come by.

For those of you who are interested, Quarterback with the Emerald Eyes is up for sale at a discounted price at Amazon.com and Barnesandnobles.com. If you do, thanks, and I hope you enjoy your own copy.

And now, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

The Boy Who Cried Sapphire Tears –- Part 14

When Blake and Todd emerged from the taxi at the base of the Blythmoore building, Todd paid the driver as Blake looked up to the top of the glass cover structure. He looked up the forty five floors and couldn't believe how tall it was. As he was looking, Todd came up behind him and put a hand on Blake's lower back and started leading him toward the front door. After entering the building, Todd received a greeting from the doorman.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Blyth," the doorman said.

"Hey, Nico, how ya doin' today?" Todd asked, shaking Nico's hand.

"Doin' good, doin' good," Nico answered.

"And that baby girl of yours?" Todd inquired.

"Most beautiful baby ever. Lookin' more like her mama every day. But she's daddy's little girl, through and through."

"How old is she now?" Todd asked.

"Seven months, next week."

"Wow, she sounds adorable. Remember, next time she's over this way, you gotta let me know," Todd said. He saw Nico glance over at Blake. "Nico, I'd like you to meet the other half of the Blythmoore namesake: this is my boyfriend, Blake Moore. Blake, this is Nico Spirelli. He's been here since the summer."

Nico reach out to shake Blake's hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Please, call me Blake," Blake said.

"It won't work," Todd said, cutting in. "I've been telling him to call me Todd since day one, but he won't do it," Todd said, smiling at Nico.

"It's not professional," Nico explained, amused.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Nico," Blake said.

"Nico, we need to put him in the system to use the doors and elevators, please," Todd said.

"Sure thing, Mr. Blyth. Mr. Moore, if I could please ask you to step around the counter."

Blake walked to the end of the counter and pushed open the swinging counter door and walked through. He walked up to Nico, who was busy working on a keyboard, and then stood facing the back wall. "Gonna get your picture to add to your name and fingerprints," Nico explained.

"Great, more pictures," Blake said, teasingly looking at Todd. Todd just smiled.

After the flash of the camera, Nico instructed Blake to put his right and left thumb on the pad to be scanned for the security plates. Once all the information was in the system, Nico hit a button and announced, "He should be in the system. If it doesn't work, it should be up and working in about thirty minutes, Mr. Blyth."

"Thanks, Nico. You take care of that baby," Todd said.

"Of course, sir," Nico responded.

"We'll see you later tonight when we head out for dinner,"

"Enjoy your afternoon, Mr. Blyth. Mr. Moore," Nico said, giving a slight bow.

To test the system, Todd instructed Blake to use his thumb to call the elevator. He tried both, but they didn't work. Todd used his and the elevator came back to the lobby. Once they were inside, Blake asked more about Nico.

"Well, his real name is Nicostrato--a real Italian name from the old country as he explained it. His mom's parents came to America when she was around ten and his father came to America when he was nineteen. They were both born in Italy, one from the north and the other from the south. His mom lived in Queens and his dad was in the Bronx. One day, they met and it was love at first sight. A year later, Nico was born. First in his family to be born in America, right here in New York City."

"Cool," Blake said as the elevator doors opened to the small foyer.

When Todd opened the doors, Blake wasn't quite impressed. He liked the décor, as Pax had always had good taste when it comes to decorating, but it was just a hallway he emerged to. After the ten cent tour was complete, Blake was officially impressed, especially with the kitchen--the stainless steel everything, and the hibachi grill... He couldn't wait to try and cook something, even though he didn't know how to cook anything but cereal, and that only because there wasn't any cooking involved.

During the tour, Blake also met the roommates. From the short time he spent with them, he generally seemed to like them all. Although, when he met Nicky, he got a vibe from him. It didn't seem like a friendly vibe, although he was very nice to Blake. After turning from Nicky, while walking with Todd, Blake could have sworn he felt Nicky's eyes boring into the back of his head. When he turned around to see, Blake just saw Nicky's arm as he turned into the rec room.

When they finally got to the master bedroom, Todd opened the doors and watched Blake for his reaction. It was worth waiting for. When Blake saw the glass walls, he didn't even notice Robert sitting at his desk, working on some class work. He made a beeline to the wall that over looked the park and couldn't get enough of the view.

"This is amazing," he said to the window.

"I know," Todd answered, walking to him and wrapping his arms around Blake from behind.

Blake continued to scan over the view, as it was much higher than the dorm room, and after ten minutes, Todd asked, "How do you like it?"

"Like what?" Blake asked, turning his attention back to his boyfriend.

"Everything: the apartment, the view?"

"Everything is amazing. The apartment is awesome and the view is unbelievable."

"Wait until tonight. All the lights make it more impressive," Robert said, walking up to them.

"Where've you been?" Blake asked.

"I was sitting at my desk, working, when you came in," Robert explained, giving a small laugh.

"Sorry," Blake said, sheepishly.

"No worries. How'd the shoot go?" Robert asked, sitting on the bed.

Todd and Blake turned toward him and Todd asked, "Do you wanna tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Robert asked.

"The model didn't show up. Some guy named Ashleigh," Blake explained.

"Damn. What happened?" Robert asked, visibly disappointed for Todd.

"Well, we got the shoot done. Blake stepped in as my model partner," Todd explained, proud.

"No shit!" Robert said, showing a big smile.

"Yeah. I'm kinda glad you didn't come up. They probably would have picked you over me," Blake said, teasing Robert while sitting next to him.

"Yeah, right. I'm not model material," Robert said.

"That's bullshit, and you know it," Blake said. "You're a hot guy. You would've done great if you were in those pictures."

"Thanks," Robert said, shyly.

Blake leaned over and gave Robert a hug. "It really is great to see you again."

"You, too, Bro," Robert said, smiling at Blake.

"Lucky, I don't mean to be rude, here, but the shoot kinda got us worked up. Would you mind letting us have the room for a bit?" Todd asked.

Robert had a blank look for all of a split second before recognition hit him. "Oh, yeah. Sure. I'll go to the office to finish up."

Robert headed over to his desk and grabbed his items before heading to the door.

"Thanks, Lucky," Blake said.

Robert smiled and gave a wink before he closed the door behind him.

Todd and Blake got a quick shower and Blake prepared himself for what was about to happen. When they were ready, they made love for about an hour. For both of them, it felt like the first time again. And their love was just as strong as it had ever been.

Todd collapsed on top of Blake after their orgasms subsided. They were both breathing hard, when Blake looked over to the other glass wall, toward the apartment building next door. He was startled to find a guy watching them, completely nude, jerking off.

"Uh, Todd," Blake asked.

"Yeah, baby," Todd said, not moving.

"I don't want to alarm you, but there's a guy in the next building, jerking off, watching us."

"Sorry. I thought he was at work. That's Weirdy. He watches us all the time."

"Weirdy?" Blake asked. "What kinda name is that?"

"One that Robert and I gave him. We caught him watching us one night, and then tested things again a couple days later and he was there both times. Just a weird older guy who, I guess, can't get any, so he watches us."

Todd turned over and looked at the man and gave a wave. At that moment, Weirdy put his head back and Blake could just barely see his orgasm hit the glass of the window he was standing in front of. When he was done, he looked back at the boys and gave a smile and thumbs up and mouthed the words `thank you.'" A moment later, he was gone.

"That doesn't creep you out?" Blake asked.

"It's just like the campground, only it's one guy, not a lot of them," Todd answered. "Like I said, he's harmless."

"Yeah, well, I guess you're right. I didn't think of it that way," Blake said.

Todd leaned over and planted a big, wet kiss on Blake, and Blake, in turn, wrapped his arms around Todd's back and pulled him close.

Twenty minutes later, and another shower, they emerged from the bedroom and headed to the rec room. Upon entering, Todd asked, "What's up, fellas?"

"Not a whole lot," Robert said. "Some new guy just announced he was running for President. Some guy named Jesse Wright."

"Another one?" Todd groaned.

"Yeah," Keith said, confirming. "He's a senator from California or something. Said he thinks he'd be the best man to go up against Obama because his credentials are much better than the others, as he's been in politics for about ten years, and he's a true conservative, unlike some of the other candidates. Arrogant prick, if you want my opinion."

"I'll agree to that," Nicky said.

The afternoon went by quick and as the guys hung out in the rec room, they asked Blake questions and teased Todd a bit as they did. When it was time for dinner, Todd announced a guy's night in and suggested stir fry steak and veggies and fried rice. He didn't feel like going out and Blake agreed. Everyone agreed and Todd offered to go for the necessary items with Blake. Everyone pitched in ten to twenty bucks for dinner and Todd and Blake headed out.

Before getting in the elevator, Todd called out, "Nicky?"

A moment later, Nicky's head popped around the corner. "Yeah?"

"Think you can use that ID of yours and grab some beer while we're gone?" Todd asked.

"Sure thing. Bud or Corona?"

"Either is cool with me," Todd said.

"What about you, Blake?" Nicky asked as polite as he could.

"Honestly, I don't know. I've never had beer before."

"It's cool. I'll get some of both; let you give `em a try," Nicky said, then pulled himself back into the rec room.

"When did you start drinking beer?" Blake asked once the elevator doors closed.

"Just since Nicky arrived. He's got a fake ID. We only drink on Friday's and Saturday's, so tonight, we're gonna enjoy ourselves."

Todd hooked his arm around Blake's shoulders and pulled him close.

After they returned from the market with the ingredients for dinner, Robert came in the kitchen and fired up the hibachi then headed to the fridge to grab the things he needed.

"I thought we were gonna cook," Blake said, looking at Todd.

"Not when it comes to stir fry and fried rice. Robert's the shit. Don't know how, but he is. Everything will melt in your mouth, it'll be so good when he's done," Todd explained.

"Suck up," Robert said, smiling.

Blake grabbed a stool on the other side of the grill and watched while Robert started cooking. He was impressed that Robert knew what he was doing. He never figured him for the cooking type. He seemed more the jock type, like Todd, but his handling of the food proved that he enjoyed cooking too.

Todd grabbed a beer and opened it and gave it to Blake who took a sip and gave a small smile and nodded. Todd grabbed two more and popped one for Robert and the other for himself. The conversation among the three guys jumped from topic to topic with Todd and Robert carrying most of the conversation, as Blake was too busy watching Robert to get too involved. But sure enough, once dinner was ready, Todd was right. The flavors and textures of the foods before Blake were magnificent. The steak was so tender that it almost did melt in Blake's mouth.

Blake didn't really like squash or zucchini, but the way Robert made them, he actually liked it. He was surprised with the entire meal, and how great it was, that he didn't want to stop eating. It only happened when they ran out of food, which Blake was thankful for--he was about to pop.

When it was time for bed, Todd and Blake excused themselves and headed to the bedroom. They undressed and slid under the covers as the door opened and Robert walked in. After he got undressed, he was heading for his bed when Blake lifted the covers and asked, "You wanna join us?"

"Not tonight, guys. Thanks, but I need to get some sleep."

"We're not going to have sex, just going to bed," Blake said.

Robert looked at the two boys and asked, "You really don't mind?"

"Get your ass over here so we can get some sleep," Todd said in a playful manner.

Robert walked over and climbed under the covers and backed up into Blake.

Todd wrapped his arms around Blake's chest as Blake did the same to Robert. "Night, you two," Blake said.

"Night, Blake," Robert and Todd said in unison.

Sunday came and went by being a lazy day. Todd and Blake hung out at the apartment and down at the park, enjoying coffee. They caught up on everything they've already talked about on the phone and inquired about the things that had already been discussed. Aside for Todd going to class, that's about how the rest of the week went.

On Wednesday, Todd came home and finished his homework then he and Blake headed down to De-Briefs to look at the proofs of their photos. They arrived just as the office was almost empty. They passed Allison, the receptionist, on the way in.

"What are you doing here, handsome?" She asked of Todd.

"Melony said we could come and see the pictures from the shoot. Is she here?" Todd inquired.

"Yeah. You know where her office is, right?" She asked.

"Yup. You leaving?" Todd asked.

"Yeah. This day has been hell. I wish that phone would stop ringing. I didn't have time to finish one crossword today. But, I guess the time did go faster. Anyway, I'm outta here," Allison said, putting her purse strap over her shoulder.

"Be careful getting home," Todd called to her.

"Will do, Handsome." Looking at Blake, he said, "See ya later, sweet cheeks," then gave a wink and backed out of the door.

Todd grabbed Blake's hand and led him down the hall to Melony's office. When they got there, she was behind her desk, working on something that looked like an ad layout. Todd softly knocked on the door to get her attention.

"Todd? What are you doing here?" She asked, looking up.

"Blake and I are here to see the pictures, if that's still okay," Todd said.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you were coming. Yeah, that's great. Let's go next door to Julie's office. Y'all can use her computer," she said, standing and walking to them.

"Whatcha working on?" Todd inquired of Melony.

"An ad layout, full page, for some of the magazines. We've already bought a full page in Out and The Advocate. As soon as people open the magazine, they'll see you two in our underwear. Front, inside cover," she explained.

"Oh, wow," Blake said, surprised.

"Just those two magazines?" Todd asked.

"Nah, but those are the two largest. The rest are local rags in the major cities around the country. Looking into a few international markets, too."

"Sweet!" Todd said, excited.

Melony sat at Julie's computer and pulled up the file with the pictures and clicked on the folder. A moment later, the first picture popped up.

"Here ya go, fellas. This first picture is the one we've decided on for the magazine layouts. I hope you like it," she said, stepping out from behind the desk.

"Thanks, Melony," Todd said.

"When you're done, just close out the open windows, but leave the computer on," Melony said as she left. Out the door, Todd and Blake could here Roger ask her where she's been.

On the screen was the picture that Melony said they were using for the ad layouts. It was one of the pictures from the kitchen. In it, Todd was facing the stove with his head turned to Blake, standing at the table, pouring some orange juice for both of them. Todd was smiling and Blake looked like he was concentrating, setting the juice glasses in the right place.

"I love that one," Blake said. "You're so handsome and your ass is delicious." He laughed as he said it.

"Thanks, and your crotch is awesome, as usual. I'm getting horny just looking at it," Todd said, adjusting himself.

"We've got a lot to look through, so don't go getting too excited. When we get back, I'll take care of you. I'm sure I'll be worked up, too."

Todd gave Blake a big smile before turning his attention back to the monitor. Blake was standing behind Todd and leaned down and put his chin on Todd's shoulder with his arms draped over Todd's chest. As Todd clicked through the pictures, they gave comments on the ones they liked and criticisms on the ones they didn't--which wasn't many. It took them about an hour to go through all the photos and when they were done, they each had about ten favorites. Blake's were mainly the photos from the bedroom, with a couple from the bathroom. Todd's were from all three settings, but they both fell in love with the pictures of Blake's thumb pulling down Todd's underwear, showing the top half of Todd's right butt cheek, with Blake looking directly at the camera. That one turned Todd on more than any of the others.

When they were done, Todd closed out the windows and they both headed back to Melony's office. When they arrived, Roger was there, helping Melony with the layout.

"Melony, we're heading out. Thanks for letting us see the pictures," Todd said.

"No problem. Glad you guys could come by," Melony said.

"Did you like them?" Roger asked.

"Most of them were great, just a couple we didn't like. Strange faces or something like that. D did a great job, though," Todd explained.

"What do you think of the one we've chosen for the magazines?" Roger asked Blake.

"It's good," Blake said, honestly.

"But it's not your favorite," Roger stated, sensing something.

"No, it's not my favorite, but I do like it," Blake said.

"Which was your favorite?" Melony asked.

"I loved the one with my head on Todd's stomach with my knee up and his arm across my chest. But my absolute favorite, and I think it's Todd's as well, was the one in the bathroom with me pulling down his underwear with my thumb, staring at the camera," Blake explained.

"I told you we should have gone with that one," Roger said, turning to look at Melony.

"I know. But we want to use that one for one of the billboards in San Francisco. We all agreed..."

"Reluctantly," Roger said, butting in. Looking back at Todd and Blake, he said, "As a gay man, that one really turned me on and I tried to tell them that we needed that one for the gay ads. Get those guys attention who read those magazines." Glancing at Melony, he turned back and lowered his voice and said, "Personally, I think they, the higher ups," he said, pointing to the ceiling, "are afraid to push the envelope a little too hard. Melony and I agree that they would be crazy not to, but they won't listen."

Melony looked exasperated, like Roger just gave away a secret, but looked at the boys and said, "He's right. I guess they," she said pointing to the ceiling, too, "think this won't cause too much of a stir. Like I said, we're gonna use the one of you taking off his underwear on a billboard in San Francisco. The one of you lying on Todd's stomach, we're looking at Atlanta for that one."

"What about one of the ones with the cowboy hat?" Todd asked.

"Funny enough, we're thinking of Dallas with that one. Kinda fitting if you ask me," Melony said.

"And sexy," Roger added.

Blake and Todd, both, blushed.

"So, y'all are happy with how they turned out?" Blake asked.

"Extremely. Thank you again for stepping in at the last minute. We couldn't have found a better replacement. The contrast turned out so much better than we hoped.

"That makes me feel so much better," Blake said. "I was kinda worried that I might be the reason they wouldn't come out very good."

"Honey," Roger said, standing. "You were fantastic. Really, we could not have found anyone better."

Blake gave him a smile and turned to Melony and said, "Thanks for giving me a chance."

"If you're interested in doing this full time, next year, we'll be hiring more models if things go well for the company," Roger said with Melony nodding her head in agreement.

"Thanks, guys. I'll think about that," Blake said, smiling big.

"Well, we're gonna head outta here. Grab some dinner then head home. Thanks again for letting us see the pictures," Todd said.

"Anytime," Melony said. "Glad you could stop by."

"Have a good night, boys," Roger said.

"Thanks. See ya later," Todd said.

"Bye," Blake said, giving a wave.

Back out on the street, Todd put his arm over Blake's shoulders and asked, "So, how does it feel to know you're gonna be in magazines around the world and on billboards in some of the biggest cities in the country?"

Blake turned his head to Todd with a smile he couldn't seem to lose. "It feels kinda awesome. What do you think Mom and Dad'll say?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine and they'll love it. Mom finally got used to the idea of me in my underwear. Now, she'll have to get use to both of us showing off. But let's let it be a surprise. Dad'll love it--Mom'll get used to it," Todd said, laughing. "What about everyone else?" Todd added.

"Whatcha mean?" Blake asked.

"Kelly. Mitchell. Barbara and Charles...the rest of your family," Todd stated, a little concerned.

"If Barbara and Charles see it, I hope they choke on my happiness...and sexiness."

"Damn, right," Todd said, pulling Todd to him, smiling big.

"As for everyone else, they probably won't even notice it's me, until someone points it out. I think they'll like it," Blake explained.

On the way back to the apartment, they decided on Japanese food, with Todd opting for sushi, while Blake went with a chicken and steak combo dinner.

When they arrived back home, Blake grabbed Todd's hand and lead him straight to the bedroom. After closing the door behind them, Blake attacked Todd's lips with his own and started slowly walking them back toward the bed. When they got there, Blake broke the kiss and pushed Todd down on the bed.

"Whoa!" Todd said, not expecting the fall.

"I told you I'd take care of you when we got home. Now, lay back and enjoy," Blake said, unbuttoning Todd's jeans.

"Yes, sir," Todd said, reaching up and grabbing a pillow to place under his head while he watched Blake do his magic. His hands made it to Blake's head a couple of times, but he would pull them away, not wanting Blake to think he was being forced. On the third time, Blake grabbed Todd's wrists and pulled down on his head to let Todd know it was what he wanted.

About ten minutes into one of the best blowjobs Todd's ever received, the door opened and they both looked up to see Robert about to step inside, but instead, he froze.

"I'm so sorry, guys. I didn't know what you were doing. I'll come back later."

"You wanna play?" Blake asked.

Again, Robert froze and asked, "Huh?"

"Come in and shut the door," Todd said, chuckling.

Robert did as instructed and Blake repeated his question.

"I asked if you wanted to play. I'm about ready for him to put this someplace to make me feel really good. My mouth'll be empty. You wanna great blowjob?" Blake winked at Robert.

Robert grew a smile and looked at Todd. "Do you care?"

"Nope. Not a bit." Todd reached down and pulled Blake up and started unbuttoning his jeans and lowered them and his underwear down. Blake stepped out of his shoes and his clothes as Todd pulled his shirt off, then reached over and did the same to Blake's shirt.

Robert turned and locked the door, then walked over to the two boys. Before he could remove any clothing, Blake pulled Robert into him and planted a big, wet kiss on Robert's lips.

Pulling back, Robert said, "God, I forgot how great your kisses are."

"Yours, too," Blake said, smiling at Robert.

Todd started kissing on Blake's neck as Blake reached down and unbuckled Robert's belt and then finally attacking his button and zipper. A moment later, all three of them were as naked as the day they were born. Breaking a kiss with Robert, Blake turned his head and said, "Let's get a quick shower. All of us," then looked back at Robert, who nodded his agreement.

About ten minutes later, after plenty of touching, groping, sucking and even a bit of rimming, not to mention the cleaning, they emerged from the bathroom and got on the bed. Todd put Blake on his hands and knees and got behind him and started rimming his boyfriend, while Blake instructed Robert to kneel in front of him so he could suck his cock.

Robert and Todd played between two and five times a week, depending on their level of horniness. They did it all, except, as Blake stated, Todd being a bottom. Robert loved getting a blowjob from Todd, but he forgot how great Blake was at giving them, too. The last time he got one from Blake was last year during Blake's visit. Robert couldn't figure out what was different between Todd's and Blake's blowjobs, but he definitely knew that Blake did it much better. He would go to his grave never telling Todd this, but he knew in both his heads that it was true.

After ten minutes of rimming and fondling Blake, Todd reached over and grabbed the lube from the bedside table and moved in behind Blake and lathered himself up and pushed himself against Blake's entrance. Blake, in turn, shivered from head to foot, ready to take his boyfriend. A moment later, he felt Todd's pubes against his ass and Todd's chest against his back.

"Oh, God, baby, you feel so good," Todd breathed in his ear.

"So do you, Puppy," Blake breathed, falling off Robert's erection.

"Bring that over there for a minute," Todd said to Robert.

Robert moved over to Blake's left shoulder so Todd could get at him while Blake lowered his torso to the bed to enjoy the pleasure Todd was giving him. A few minutes later, Robert stood astride Blake to give Todd better access, who never lost the rhythm of his thrusts.

Five more minutes had passed and Blake wanted to be on his back, so he pulled off Todd, who, in turn, pulled off Robert.

"Something wrong?" Todd asked of Blake.

"No, just turning over," Blake said, acting out his words.

When he was back in place, he reached down and grabbed Todd and pointed him back to his hole. Blake pushed back until he sank down upon Todd and gave a moan of pleasure. Todd reached down and grabbed Blake's legs and held them up with his shoulders as he went back to servicing Robert. Blake's hands were holding onto Todd's thighs, pulling Todd into him as far as he could to get as much pleasure as he could. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked up and saw the perfect view from below of Todd giving Robert a blowjob. Also, Robert's perfect ass, lightly hairy, with his hefty balls hanging below.

Blake reached up and started to play with Robert's low hangers as Todd's mouth continued the pleasure on Robert's hardon. Blake started to explore Robert's taint and before he knew it, he was kneading Robert's round, meaty ass. The weight Robert lost around his midsection didn't touch his ass. It was just as meaty and juicy as ever, and Blake wanted to play with it, and then as soon as he could, wanted to rim that beautiful butt.

Blake brought his right hand back to his mouth and sucked on his middle finger to get it as wet as possible, then moved back to Robert's butt and started rubbing around the hole. After eliciting a moan from Robert, that was the queue that Blake was waiting for. He pulled Robert's butt cheeks apart and started to slowly insert his middle finger. When the first knuckle was in, Robert threw his head back with pleasure. Knowing Robert was loose enough to take a finger, Blake pushed all the way in, touching Robert's button in the process.

"Oh, fuck, Blake!" Robert said, lowering his ass a bit for better access to Blake's hand.

To find out what Blake did, Todd moved his hand along the underside of Robert's balls until he felt Blake's hand with a finger inside Robert. He gave a small smile, with Robert still in his mouth, and moved his own hand down to massage Blake's dick, to give him more stimulation. Blake put his focus on Robert's prostate and was rubbing it, putting pressure on it (which made Robert really moan), and flicking it, all getting Robert close to losing his marbles.

A few minutes later, Robert reached back and grabbed Blake's hand while pushing Todd off his dick. Breathing heavily, Robert said, "Sorry guys, but you two were making me feel awesome. I was starting to get close and I don't wanna cum yet."

"Then lower down so I can get my tongue on that ass of yours," Blake said, grabbing Robert by this thighs, pulling down, slightly.

Robert moved and then lowered himself down over Blake's face with his knees under Blake's arms. Blake moved his hands to pull Robert's ass cheeks apart to get at the prize. As he did, Robert's eyes started rolling around in his head with pleasure. A moment later, he felt Todd put a hand on the back of his head and met him halfway so they could kiss between Blake's still lifted legs.

About ten minutes later, Robert broke the kiss and said, to nobody in particular, "I need to get fucked by one of you. Please, will one of you fuck me?"

Todd smiled and said, "Blake? You wanna do the honors?"

Since Robert was still sitting on his face, all they could hear was a moan in the affirmative, which in turn, made Robert shudder from the vibrations.

Once the positions were switched and the condom was on Blake, Robert got on all fours and positioned himself in front of Blake. A moment later, Blake was sliding into the tight hole of Robert, making him moan with Blake's thickness.

"Oh, God, yes!" Robert hissed.

As he found his rhythm in Robert, Blake leaned over and started making out with Todd while his hand was on Todd's erection, keeping it hard. A few minutes later, he started to pull on Todd's cock and broke the kiss and told Todd to stand up. When he did, Blake took Todd to the hilt, causing Todd to suck air through his teeth.

With all the excitement that was running through his body, Blake started to reach climax faster than expected and before he could stop it, he crossed that all important barrier. Pulling off Todd, he called out, "I'm about to blow."

Faster than he thought possible, Robert pulled off Blake, whipped around and pulled the condom off and started to suck the orgasm out of Blake. Blake closed his eyes, tight, and leaned back slightly while moaning through his orgasm. A moment later, he felt the hot wetness of Todd's first orgasm hit him in the face. He quickly replaced his mouth to finish off his boyfriend. It had been a long while since he had tasted Todd's orgasm and it was just as tasty as ever. When Todd started to shudder, Blake slackened his suction power and allowed Todd to pull from between his lips.

Todd held onto Blake's shoulders to keep his balance as Robert allowed Blake to finally fall from his mouth. When he looked up to Blake's face, he saw some of Todd's cum slowly falling down Blake's cheek. As he came up to Blake, Robert said, "Hold still." A moment later, Robert was licking the cum from Blake's cheek, savoring the flavor.

"He's become sort of a cum whore," Todd said, smiling, as he stared down at the two boys.

"What can I say? Both you guys taste delicious," Robert explained, smiling big.

Blake reached over and pulled Robert into a deep, and what could easily be mistaken for a passionate kiss, to the outside observer. Todd got down on his knees and put his face between Blake and Robert and the three tongues fought to play with the other two at once. This was their first time sharing a group kiss.

Without saying a word, Blake and Todd looked at each other and immediately knew what the other was thinking. They both smiled and pushed Robert so that he fell back on the bed.

Laughing, he asked, "What was that for?"

"You're about to find out," Blake said as he and Todd moved down to start to work on Robert's dick with one goal in mind--make it empty the load in his nuts.

Blake grabbed Robert's flaccid penis in his hand and held it up so that his and Todd's mouths and tongues could work the sensitive flesh. Twenty seconds later, Blake's hand was no longer needed, as it was standing up on its own. Blake and Todd would take turns sucking Robert's dick, and when they were playing together, Todd would lick and suck on his side of the shaft, as Blake took care of his side. As one would take over and suck on Robert, the other would be tonguing his balls.

Todd looked over into Blake's eyes and saw him stick a finger in his mouth and knew what he was about to do. Todd mimicked Blake's actions and they moved together toward Robert's asshole. When they found it, they slowly started to push in, which caused Robert to start moaning. After burying their fingers inside Robert, they started moving around, each playing with his prostate, and then attacking it together. Robert couldn't stand this for too long and a few minutes later, announced he was about to cum. When he did, Blake and Todd touched and rubbed on Robert's prostate and used their mouths on either side of his cock until the first explosion from his slit jumped about a foot in the air, landing on Todd's cheek. Fighting for superiority of Robert's cock, his cum landed on both of their faces, until Blake finally took Robert's dick down his throat, getting the last remaining squirts of Robert's orgasm.

After his orgasm had completely passed, Blake and Todd slowly withdrew their fingers from Robert's ass and moved up to look Robert in the eyes. As Blake stared at Robert with a smile, Todd leaned over and licked Robert's cum from Blake's face. When he was done, he leaned down and kissed Robert, deeply, letting him taste his own flavor. When that kiss was broken, Robert grabbed Todd's head and turned it so he could lick his cum from Todd's face. When he was done cleaning up the mess, he leaned over and kissed Blake, allowing Blake to taste more of the orgasm he finished off.

After the kissing and caressing was over, Blake and Todd settled down and placed their heads on Robert's chest as their breathing got back to normal. Blake couldn't help but play with Robert's deflating penis in the process as Todd fingered Robert's scrotum. After fifteen minutes of quite time, Todd lifted his head and turned it to see both guys and asked, "Who's ready for round two?" then gave a big smile to go with it. Neither boy rejected the idea and so round two started. After round three, they agreed on a quick shower, then they got in bed, this time with Todd in the middle and Blake spooning his back as Robert covered his front.

Saturday arrived way too fast and it was time for Blake to leave. Blake and Todd spent the morning in bed, kissing and cuddling and talking, until Robert brought them breakfast. After he dropped off the bacon, eggs, grits, toast, coffee and juice, he retreated to give them more alone time. They sat up and ate their breakfast as they talked about the upcoming future and especially Christmas break, the next time they would see each other. Once they were done with breakfast, they moved the tray to the other bed and made love one last time, slowly and with passion, before it was time to get a shower and get ready to leave to the airport.

There were no tears or unpleasant feelings of their parting, for they knew it was only going be two months before they were back in each other's arms. And their online dates and phone calls were enough to hold them through until that time came. They gave a passionate kiss goodbye before Blake headed to the security line. As usual, Todd waited until Blake was on the other side, just a speck in the distance, before he turned to leave.

Like always, Blake's major flight ended in Billings and from there, he took a puddle-jumper over to Missoula. When he arrived, as promised, Jackson was there to greet him. When they spotted each other, Blake walked up and grabbed Jackson in a hug as a greeting.

"How are you?" Blake asked.

Jackson lost his smile and said, "I'm good, but things on the farm aren't good at all."

"Why? What happened?" Blake asked, concerned.

"While you were gone, we had a lot of heat lightning, and the hay field caught on fire," Jackson started.

"Oh, no," Blake said, covering his mouth.

"Yeah. Lost over half of the hay for the winter."

"How'd y'all put it out?" Blake asked, grabbing his suitcase from the conveyer belt before heading to the car.

"We grabbed two of the water tankers we had, while Dwight and Amy filled the third and Mama ended up calling Mr. Parsons in town. He's got a 1000 gallon tanker truck that's used to spray dirt roads during construction. He got up there about twenty minutes later. Our three four hundred gallon tanks and his 1000 gallon tank wasn't enough to put it out, but thank God, it started raining, finally. Ten minutes after the storm hit, the fire was out."

"Why didn't y'all call the fire department?" Blake asked.

"Their engines would've gotten stuck in the fields, especially if they got caught after it started raining. Nothing but the hay was in danger of burning. Mama and Papa are really upset."

"I would expect so," Blake said. "What's Papa gonna do for the winter?"

"He's already started shopping around for five truckloads of hay to be brought in. It's gonna cost more and he's not really wanting to spend it, but he doesn't have a choice. He's gonna see if the insurance company can help him out with the cost, but so far, I haven't heard anything."

"Is everybody okay?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, we're all fine. Papa's just pissed," Jackson said.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around to help," Blake said, feeling bad.

"Nothing you could've done. Like I said, if it hadn't rained, we would have lost it all. We did everything we could, but nothing worked. The fire spread too fast," Jackson explained.

Changing the subject, Blake asked, "Well, any new adventures with you, sexually?"

Immediately, Jackson smiled. "Twice more with bitch boy."

"No way!" Blake said, smiling just as big.

"Yeah. That boy is no more a top that I am a girl. I don't know what he was thinking that night he wrote to me. I use that hole of his good, and he's screaming for more every time."

By the time they got to the car, Blake was crying, he was laughing so hard.

Over the next month, nothing really exciting happened to anyone, Blake, Todd or even Jackson. Blake did his work, as he usually did. The field got plowed to gather the remaining hay that was salvageable, and Jackson went about his normal routine of work as well. He got together with Bitch Boy' about once a week, sometimes twice, if BB' called saying he was really horny, but not much else happened. That is, until the week before Thanksgiving rolled around.

Papa announced that the first load of hay was coming in on Tuesday of the following week--two days before the holiday. There wasn't anything unusual about a hay delivery, but the man he usually used had retired and he had a time trying to find someone else. He eventually had to go through a broker and when the price for the load and delivery hit his ears, he just about had an aneurism. He threw a fit and cussed up a storm until he got the price down to $3500 per load. He still thought it was highway robbery, but being so late in the season, he didn't have much of a choice. At least he got a thousand dollars off the starting price.

Tuesday finally rolled around and close to three in the afternoon, the entire ranch heard the blowing of the horn of the delivery truck. Charles jumped on one of the ATV's and headed to the delivery gate. This entrance didn't have the iron arch over it, allowing a big truck to enter without problems. Once he came in, he maneuvered the 18-wheeler around and backed down close to the hay barn until Amy called for him to stop. When the driver got out in his tight blue jeans, plaid green shirt and cowboy hat and boots, Jackson elbowed Blake in his ribs and said, under his breath, "Holy shit!"

Blake gave a chuckle and asked, "You like?"

"I think I'm in love," Jackson said, keeping his eyes glued to the driver.

Blake couldn't help but smile.

A few minutes later, Papa came out and yelled that there was work that needed to be done. Everyone but Jackson scrambled back to their post. Jackson was stuck in his spot, keeping his eyes on every curve of the driver's body. Papa noticed that Jackson wasn't moving and walked over to him.

"What's keeping you?" Papa bellowed.

"Papa, please, I'll get back to work soon, but he's just too beautiful not to watch. Please, give me a few more minutes," Jackson begged.

Papa glanced over at the driver and then back to Jackson and gave a small smile. "Take your time, son, just don't let your work fall behind."

Jackson was so occupied by the driver; he didn't even thank Papa as he walked away. This driver was the most handsome man Jackson had ever seen and something in his chest told him that he needed to get to know this man, in one fashion or another. About ten minutes later, Blake came up to the house to use the bathroom. When he was done, he came out and as he was crossing the front of the big truck, something caught his eye. Immediately, he smiled and walked around until he saw Jackson.

"Hey, Jackson?" he called.

Jackson looked, reluctantly, at Blake and called back.

"C'mere for a minute. I need some help with something."

As Jackson slowly walked past the driver, the driver looked at Jackson, gave a smile and grabbed the rim of his cowboy hat and gave a slight pull down, then went back to unhooking the bungees holding his tarp on the hay.

"What is it? You're interrupting my view," Jackson said, a little annoyed.

"You think this man is hot, right?"

"Fuck yeah," Jackson said.

Look up at the windshield," Blake instructed.

As soon as he did, Jackson instantly recognized the connection.

"You mean..." Jackson couldn't finish his words. He stepped back to glance at the driver again, then back at Blake.

"Can it really be true?" Jackson asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Well, straight men don't usually have a rainbow sticker on their window, now do they?" Blake asked as he smiled. A moment later, he patted Jackson on the back and headed back to his post. When he passed by the driver, he called out, "How ya doin'?"

"Not bad, thanks," the driver called back.

Blake kept walking, smiling the entire way.

A few minutes later, the driver grabbed a corner of one of his tarps and began to pull so that it slipped off the hay load. When it landed, Jackson knew this was his time to talk to the man in front of him.

"Can I help you with that?" Jackson asked, hoping to sound cool and nonchalant.

The driver stood up straight, looked Jackson up and down and said, "Thanks, guy. That'd be great."

Jackson got at the other end of the tarp and mimicked the actions of the driver until the tarp was a huge square on the ground. Following the driver's lead, they folded the sides a few times each, until the tarp was one long strip, to which the driver grabbed his end and folded up to Jackson's end. As he walked back, Jackson couldn't take his eyes off the driver's ass. The way his butt moved in those very tight jeans was giving Jackson a very uncomfortable crotch. Before the driver turned around, he had to adjust himself.

"Where'd you come from?" Jackson asked, trying to think of something to say to get the driver talking.

"Minnesota," the driver said.

"Cool." There was an uncomfortable silence, but Jackson tried again. "Is it nice over there?"

"Yup," the driver said, glancing up at Jackson with a sly smile.

"Is that where you're from?" Jackson asked.

"Nope," the driver answered.

Jackson was starting to get a little annoyed. This man was beautiful, but he won't talk. He had always heard that truckers were friendly, but this guy was giving one word answers.

"Well, I'm Jackson, from Ohio," Jackson offered.

The driver hooked two bungees around his tarp and lifted it up on end before lifting it to his shoulder. "Name's Buddy. Everybody calls me Bud." Buddy took a step, then stopped and turned back and said, "And I know who you are...only I know you by a different name." He gave a smile and a very suggestive wink to Jackson before he turned toward his truck.

Holy shit,' Jackson thought. He's seen my movies. What the fuck do I do now?' he asked himself. He's never come across a man he thought was this hot who ever knew about his past. Before he could think of anything more, Buddy grabbed the corner of his other tarp and started to pull. Jackson jogged to the other end and grabbed that corner and pulled the tarp with Buddy until it slipped off the hay. They repeated the same process until it was folded and put away.

As Buddy was unloosing the straps holding the hay in place, he got closer to Jackson as he walked down the trailer, and when Jackson was close enough, he asked, "You still make movies?"

Jackson blushed and looked away for a moment before looking back. "Nah. Haven't made one in a few years now. Figured it wasn't for me anymore."

"What made you change your mind?" Buddy asked.

"One day, after getting back to my apartment, I realized I wanted one man to be at home with me, not a thousand of them to fuck. I quit the next day. That was the day that Craig Longin died for good." Jackson got a little nervous and leaned in and said, "Nobody else here knows I did that. Can you please not say anything?"

"Yeah, no problem," Buddy said.

"So, you liked the movies?" Jackson asked, blushing.

"To tell you the truth," Buddy said, getting a little nervous himself. "You're my favorite porn actor of all time. I got all your movies on DVD in my truck, and my favorite movie is in my computer right now. I watch it every night before bed." Buddy gave a sly smile and added, "It helps me relieve the tension of the day."

Jackson blushed a deep red and looked down at the ground. Without looking up, he asked, "Which one is it?"

"Night Boys," Buddy answered.

"Ahh, yeah. That was one of my favorites to make. A lot of hot guys," Jackson answered.

"Not as hot as you. I always had fantasies that it was me that picked you up on that street corner for a night of fun." Buddy said this, then turned around the end of the truck like he was trying to escape. In reality, he couldn't believe his favorite porn star of all time was working on a ranch in Montana and he was nervous as hell. He wasn't even thinking of the sex he saw Jackson perform, over and over again. He was thinking of that smile. That million dollar smile that always made him melt after his jerk off session was over. He would get off, then fast forward to the point where Jackson gets the money from the John and says, `Drive by again, sometime. You were fun. Might even give you a discount next time,' then he would smile that smile and Buddy would pause the movie and stare. He even found a way to capture that image and make it his backdrop on his computer. And now, he was actually talking to Craig. He couldn't believe his luck.

Jackson, on the other hand, was nervous, excited, and scared all at once. In the looks department, Buddy was everything he ever dreamed. An older cowboy, about early to mid-thirties, in tight jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat with an amazing body. And from what he can see, Buddy fits that to a T. His nervousness has him almost frozen, because he wants to get to know Buddy, but knows the possibility of him ever coming back are slim to none. He's not wanting sex, although if it was offered, he definitely wouldn't turn it down. Jackson really wants to see if the personality he's always dreamed this type of guy to have, really does have it. He wants sweet, yet manly. Gentle, yet rough. Tough, yet caring and most of all, a real man's man. In looks, Buddy has it. In personality, Jackson was dying to know if Buddy was all those things.

Jackson figured he would peek under the bed of the truck to get another glimpse of Buddy, but when he did, he found Buddy doing the same thing. They both stood up, fast, and blushed.

`Why the fuck did I do that?' Buddy thought.

`Oh, God, he thinks I'm weird,' Jackson thought to himself.

"Ahh, looks like he's ready," Papa's voice boomed from behind Jackson. "Can you go and let Joan know she can start unloading the truck?" He asked of Jackson.

"Yeah. Sure, Papa," Jackson said, thankful for a chance to gather his thoughts.

A few minutes later, Joan came up with the tractor with a pitch fork attachment to grab the hay. As all this was happening, Mama was loading up the table with the food for the night's meal. Right as Joan grabbed the last bale of hay; Mama rang the bell and called for dinner. After, he walked up to Buddy and asked him to stay for dinner.

"Thank you, sir, but there's a truck stop down the way I was planning on stopping at tonight. I do appreciate the invite, though," Buddy said, disappointing Jackson in the process.

"Are you talking about Bonner, young man?" Mama asked.

"Yes, sir. There's a Pilot over there," Buddy answered.

"They closed it down two weeks ago. I don't know if it's for good or just renovations. Closest truck stop, that I can recall, is about eighty miles east, in Deer Lodge. Or going west, I'd say it's in Superior. About sixty miles, I guess," Mama said.

"Well, ain't that somethin'? I was already looking forward to a shower tonight. Gotta get a reset on my hours, too. This is just great," Buddy said, a little aggravated.

"What's a reset?" Mama asked.

"We truckers have to take 34 consecutive hours off to reset our 70 hour clock. D.O.T. rules," Buddy explained.

"That means you can't star driving until Thanksgiving Day," Mama pointed out.

"Yes, sir. Don't have no family, so I work all the time," Buddy said.

"Where do you have to pick up your next load?" Mama asked.

"Don't have one yet. Gotta call the broker on Friday. Maybe he'll have somethin' for me then."

"What's your name?" Mama asked, just as sweet as ever.

"Buddy. Buddy Klein."

"Well, Buddy, I insist that you stay here. You can park your truck over near the fence. We got a shower and kitchen over in that house. And I insist you be our guest for Thanksgiving. You don't need to be alone when there is so much to be thankful for."

Buddy studied Mama for a minute before answering. "Thank you, sir. That's mighty fine of you to invite me to stay."

"So, you'll join us for dinner, then?" Mama asked.

"Yes, sir. Thank you," Buddy said to Mama.

"Great. I'll set up another setting while you move your truck, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be back in a minute," Buddy said.

After the truck moved away and Mama was at the table, Jackson came up to Mama and kissed him hard on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Mama," Jackson said, smiling from ear to ear.

"For what, dear?" Mama asked.

"For being the southern gentleman that you are and asking a stranger to stay with us," Jackson said.

"I saw how you two were looking at each other from the kitchen window. Why do you think I asked him to stay, Jackie?" Mama, who is the only one who can get away with calling him that, gave a big smile and a wink to let Jackson know he understood.

Papa was warned, about five minutes before he came to the table, about the visitor so he wouldn't explode with confusion at the table. Papa didn't care too much for Mama's hospitality of inviting strangers to stay for dinner or even overnight, but he knew that Mama had him wrapped around his finger, so he never argued. What Mama said was always law in their house and on that farm.

As Blake took his regular seat next to Jackson, Jackson leaned over and said, "I love you, you know that, but if you don't move your ass, I will kick it later."

Blake recognized that there wasn't a playful look in his eye, but he also knew that Jackson wouldn't hurt him. Instead he gave a small laugh and moved down to sit next to Mama. When Buddy returned, he saw the only place to sit was next to Jackson, which made him smile.

All during dinner, Jackson was lost in the eyes and conversation of Buddy. When Blake glanced down the table and saw them, he couldn't help but smile. Maybe this could finally be the guy for Jackson,' Blake thought. Maybe his prince is really a truck driver.'

Once dinner was over, the rest of the crew got up and thanked Mama for a great meal, then headed off to get their showers. When Buddy was finally done, he stood up and thanked Mama and asked where the shower was located.

"I'm sure that Jackson, here, can show you," Mama said just as straight faced as he could muster, although on the inside, he knew what might be happening with Jackson later that night.

"Uh, yeah. It's in here," Jackson said, then stopped and turned back to Buddy. "It's an open shower, though. You know, like high school gym type shower."

"I'm not used to those. Probably best if I wait until everyone else is done. Don't want to go and embarrass myself," he said, then glanced down, letting Jackson know what he was talking about.

"Oh, right," Jackson said, picking up on the glance. "We'll all be done in about half an hour, if that's alright."

"That's fine," Buddy said, and before he could stop himself, he added, "You wanna wait for half an hour, too?"

Again, Jackson blushed, and smiled. "Sure."

When it was time for bed, Blake was just about to get into bed when he heard Jackson's door open. He walked to his own door and opened it and saw Jackson walking down the hall to the front door.

"Where're you off to?" Blake said, giving a sly, knowing smile.

"I've never seen the inside of a big truck before. Gonna ask if he can give me a tour," Jackson said with a smile.

"Just make sure that tour includes condoms and lube, otherwise, you'll be out of luck," Blake said, teasing.

By way of an answer, Jackson pulled out a string of condoms from the right hip pocket of his jeans and a small bottle of lube from the left.

"Sleep well," Jackson said, then turned and headed to the door.

Blake closed his door, turned off all the lights and went to the window and just barely moved one of the slats of the blinds so he could watch Jackson. A moment later, he saw Jackson knock on the door and a minute after that, the door opened and Jackson entered. Another minute later, Blake saw Buddy pulling the curtains closed and all the light was extinguished from the outside.

After his thirty minute call to Todd, who fell asleep early, but refused to let Blake go until they talked, he hung up the phone. Before falling asleep, he peeked out the window one last time. When he did, he saw the big truck rocking on its springs. He smiled to himself as he got in bed.

The following morning, everyone got to work on time, except Jackson. He had overslept. When he finally woke up, he looked at the clock on the truck wall and popped straight up, cursing.

"What's up?" A sleepy voice asked behind him asked.

"I'm so late for work. Papa's gonna kill me," Jackson said, reaching for his clothes and putting them on.

"I'm sorry I didn't set an alarm," Buddy said, putting a hand on Jackson's back.

Jackson froze at the feeling and actually smiled. He turned around and bent over and locked his lips to Buddy's. After about thirty seconds, he broke the kiss and said, "Breakfast is at 8. Please be there."

"I wouldn't miss it," Buddy said, resting his head on his left hand, smiling up at Jackson. Jackson forced his last shoe on his foot and then leaned over again to kiss Buddy. He knew that if he didn't leave, Papa was gonna tear him a new asshole, and not in a good way. But Buddy's kisses were magnetic. He didn't want to let go. After a few seconds, tongues started to get involved and Jackson broke away, fast, before he lost his nerve to leave.

"I don't want to stop kissing you, but I gotta go. I can feel that Papa's already mad."

"Go. I'll see you at breakfast," Buddy said, still smiling.

After he emerged from the truck, Jackson peeked around the hood and saw the coast was clear. About halfway across the yard, though, he heard Papa and froze.

"You're late!" Papa called.

Turning, Jackson gave the most apologetic face he could and said, "I know, Papa. I over slept. It won't happen again, I promise."

"You know I hate tardiness," Papa said.

"Go on, Jackson. This is your one free pass. Don't let it happen again," they both heard Mama say from behind Papa.

Grateful for the reprieve, Jackson said, "Thanks, Mama. Sorry, again, Papa. I promise it won't happen again." Then he ran to his post and started telling Blake about every bit of last night.

Turning to Oliver, Papa started. "Damnit, Mama. Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Mama asked, in a light and airy voice.

"Undermine me in front of the workers." Papa wasn't happy and Mama could see it.

"Come over and sit down, Norman. I need to explain something to you."

Papa was a little apprehensive at hearing his real name, but followed Mama and they sat at the breakfast table.

"You run a tight ship. Everyone knows that, and they never want to disappoint you. Your problem is, you're blind when it comes to everything else but this ranch."

"Whadda mean, blind?" Papa boomed.

"Who was Jackson talking to last night at dinner?" Mama asked to put him on the spot.

"Blake, like always," Papa answered.

"Blake was sitting next to me last night. Jackson was sitting next to Buddy, the truck driver. He never spoke a word to anyone else last night. Norman," Mama started, then grabbed Papa's hand. "I don't know about you, but I found the love of my life that night you walked into the club in Atlanta those many years ago."

"So did I," Papa said, giving Mama's hand a squeeze.

"Maybe that's why you're blind. Out of all our workers on this farm, every one of them, except Jackson, has a partner. Even though he doesn't live here but over the summer, even Blake has Todd. Jackson is the only single guy we have. And the last time he was in love was when Blake showed up."

"Jackson was in love with Blake?" Papa asked, never knowing this fact.

"See? Blind. It was obvious to everyone but you, because you worry about this ranch and the rest of us too much. Yes, Jackson was in love with Blake and things got worse because it became sexual. When Todd got here, Jackson felt left out, then after Todd left, they would go back to their usual routine. But Jackson never felt love from Blake, because Blake's heart belonged to Todd. Blake and Jackson are fine now--they worked through their differences. But now, here comes Buddy. He's someone that Jackson is extremely attracted to, and from what I can gather, Buddy likes him just as much.

"Last night, Jackson stayed with Buddy in his truck, hence, no alarm to wake him up. Buddy might be the one for Jackson, and with you yelling at him about work, he might not find out if Buddy is the one." There was a pause between them, then Mama added, "If it wasn't for the fire, Jackson and Buddy would never had met. You know how I'm always telling you that God has a plan?" Papa nodded. "Maybe this was it. Maybe the field had to burn to get Buddy over here to meet Jackson. Maybe this is what Jackson has been waiting for."

"Okay, now I got all that," Papa said after a short pause. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Go easy on Jackson for a bit, okay? I don't expect him to be late again, but if he is, you'll know why and just don't give him a hard time."

"Okay," Papa said, reluctantly to appease Mama.

Though he knew Mama was right, he didn't pay enough attention to the hands because the ranch and Oliver were his life. As he watched Mama go back to the kitchen, he promised that he would get better about knowing the goings on around the ranch and with the workers.

"So, how would you describe it with one word?" Blake asked, after hearing the details of Jackson's adventures.

"Incredible," he said with a big goofy grin on his face after a few moments of thought. Leaning in closer, he added, "I was actually a bottom last night, too."

A little apprehensive, Blake asked, "How'd that go?"

"Beautifully. I didn't have a panic attack. It actually felt...perfect. I never thought I'd ever get to be a bottom, but last night..."

He couldn't finish, as he was remembering all the feelings of the night before with Buddy.

"I'm so happy for you, Jackson. I really am. But what now?" Blake asked.

"I don't know. After we were done with sex, we turned over and he held me until we woke up this morning. I know he's gonna have to leave soon, but I don't want him to." He paused for a moment and Blake waited. "I know it's really early, but my heart doesn't want him to."

"Well, take it day by day. You know he'll be here until at least Friday morning. Get to know him more and go from there."

"That's my plan, so please forgive me if I ignore you this week," Jackson said with pleading eyes.

"Please, by all means, ignore me. Have fun while he's here," Blake said, smiling.

When dinner rolled around, Papa started in on his promise and noticed Buddy sitting next to Jackson. He decided to start a little small talk. Little did he know, he was about to almost blow an aneurism again.

"Buddy," Papa called.

Buddy cut off his conversation with Jackson and turned to Papa. "Yes, sir?"

"Where you hail from?"

"Texas, sir. Little town called Edinburg. It's down near the Mexico border."

"Oh, right. I know where Edinburg is. I'm from Texas myself," Papa said.

"Oh, yeah? Whereabouts?" Buddy asked.

"Little town called Stinnett. In the panhandle, north of Amarillo."

"Is that off highway 207?" Buddy asked.

"Yeah, that's it," Papa agreed, impressed.

"I've been through it. Got a grain mill I used to go to every once in a while back with a different company. Been there a few times. Nice little town."

"It sure was. Hadn't been there in years."

Things got quiet for a moment, but Papa asked a question that wasn't really standard for dinner conversation. "Buddy, I've always been curious about something, and if it's too personal, tell me to butt out."

Smiling, Buddy said, "Okay."

"You a company truck driver?" Papa asked.

"No, sir. Independent owner operator. I work for whatever company wants to hire me."

"How much do you make as a driver? For instance, how much you get paid for this load?"

Buddy gave a quick look around, then back at Papa and said, "I made a thousand on this run."

Papa's anger was rising, and rising fast.

"A thousand?" he bellowed. "That rotten, greedy bastard. That broker guy I talked to quoted me $4500 bucks. I talked him down to $3500, but he's only giving you a thousand?" Papa asked, irritated.

"He told me it only paid $2000. I get fifty percent. You aren't the only one he cheated," Buddy said, angry now, himself.

"I'm gonna call him up on Friday and give him a piece of my mind. I ain't gonna use him for the other four loads I need."

"Papa, why don't you hire on Buddy here for the other four loads. He said he works for whoever needs him. Right now, you need him," Jackson said, having a glimmer of hope of Buddy's return.

Like Jackson, Buddy and the rest of the table were waiting for Papa's decision. They all saw Papa's features soften from anger to thought and finally, Papa said, "Why don't you and I have a talk after dinner, Buddy?"

"Sounds great, sir," Buddy said, smiling at Papa.

Jackson looked at Mama and saw him give a wink that told him he did the right thing.

After dinner Buddy stepped into Papa's office and they agreed on a price that both were happy with. Papa got Buddy's cell number and told him he'd let him know where to go for the first load on Sunday.

For the remainder of Buddy's visit, he and Jackson were inseparable. They only time they spent with the other workers was at Thanksgiving dinner. They were off in their own little world and Blake couldn't be happier for Jackson.

On Sunday, Papa told Buddy that he was gonna use the same guy for the other four loads and added, "If you can finish this up within a month, I'll give you a two thousand dollar bonus."

Buddy smiled and shook Papa's hand, saying, "You got a deal."

Buddy was planning on heading out that afternoon, but before he did, he and Jackson spent every moment they could together--even in the bed. When it was time for Buddy to leave, their lips were locked together a full five minutes before Jackson finally walked away, telling Buddy he'd see him soon. After watching Buddy drive away, Jackson closed the gates and headed back to his room. Immediately, his phone rang and it was Buddy, hoping to continue their conversation while he drove.

Over the next three weeks, Buddy's eventual return brought with it a smile that Jackson, no matter how hard he tried, could not get rid of. As soon as Buddy stepped out of his truck, they attacked each other with a kiss and big bear hug. As Blake watched them, he couldn't help but wonder if that's how he and Todd acted when they got together. Before he even finished the thought, he knew the answer was yes. He smiled big for his friend and was never happier for anyone than he was for Jackson.

Two days later, Buddy had to leave and Jackson's spirits fell until Buddy showed up again. They talked every night and Jackson looked forward to it every day they were apart. On his third trip back to the ranch, Buddy and Jackson were talking and Buddy asked if he thought Papa would allow Jackson to come with him for the final load.

"You really mean it?" Jackson asked.

"Well, if this thing between us is going to go anywhere, we might as well see if we can fit in the truck together for long hauls."

"Well, every time we've been in that truck, we've fit pretty well," Jackson said, teasing.

"That's not what I was talking about. Damn, now you've gone and made me excited," Buddy said.

"Don't worry. When you get here, I'll take care of it for you," Jackson said.

"How did I get so lucky as to get that first load of hay? Without it, I wouldn't have met you," Buddy said.

"Thank God for that field fire, otherwise, we wouldn't have needed the hay," Jackson said. Getting serious, Jackson asked, "Are you sure about me coming with you? You really want to?"

There was a pause from the other end of the phone and Jackson knew it was just something Buddy was saying to make him feel good. The response he got, however, made him sit on his bed with disbelief.

"Jackson, I've been all over this country and Canada. I've had my fun along the way; played with a fair few guys, always for fun, but never for anything serious. I've literally got a guy in almost every town I visit."

Jackson knew he was about to be dumped. He could just feel it.

"Right now, I never want to see one of their faces again. I have a certain feeling for you that I've never had for anyone before." There was silence and Jackson sat on his bed. "Jackson, I'm falling in love with you--not Craig Longin. Not the boy with the sad childhood. I' falling for you--Jackson Wright, a man who is more than his past."

Jackson's eyes started filling with water and his mouth couldn't make a sound.

"Now, don't think I'm a sissy, but whenever I leave you, my eyes start to water, for fear you might not be there when I get back. Then I make myself laugh, wipe my eyes dry and pick up the phone to call you. The farther I get from you, the more I want to be with you. The closer I get on my way back, I can't stop smiling. And when I see you, all I want to do is grab you and never let go." Again, there was another small silence, then he said it. "Jackson, I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anything in my life. I want to take a test run with you to see if we can be in this truck together and not get bored, or not fight, or whatever. I want you with me."

Jackson sat in silence, stunned at what he just heard. For the first time in his life, he finally heard the genuine declaration of love he had always craved. And he couldn't believe they were coming from the man of his dreams. He sat there, replaying the words that came from Buddy's mouth, so long that Buddy thought he hung up. Fear soaring through him, he asked with a shaky voice, "Jackson, you still there?"

Sniffling, Jackson said with a smile, "Yeah, I'm here."

There was a pause.

"Well? What's your reaction?" Buddy asked, thinking he just made the biggest mistake of his life.

"I've waited all my life to hear those words. I can't be happier to hear them from you. Buddy, I think I fell in love with you the first day I saw you. I just can't believe this. I love you, too. I really do. I feel the same way you just described about me. Yes, I want to go with you, but I need to ask Papa. He has the final word on this."

"Then go and ask him and call me back," Buddy said.

"Yeah, okay," Jackson said, giving a laugh. "And Buddy?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"I really do love you," Jackson said, a tear falling down his cheek in happiness.

"I love you, too, Jackson," Buddy said, smiling as big as he could.

A moment later, they hung up and Jackson knocked on Blake's door. When he opened it, Blake thought something had happened.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked, grabbing Jackson and pulling him in the room. Jackson's face was still wet with tears.

"Nothing. Everything's perfect," Jackson said, smiling.

"Then why've you been crying?" Blake asked, still skeptical.

"Buddy just told me he loved me...and I said it back,"

"Did you really mean it? He didn't rush you, did he?" Blake asked.

"No. It was really perfect. I really am in love," Jackson said.

Blake grabbed him in a hug and said, "I am so happy for you. I knew you'd find a great guy, and you did. And if I may say, he's lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Blake," Jackson said, wrapping his arms around his friend.

Breaking the hug, Blake said, "Well, tell me everything."

"I will in a few minutes. Right now, I need to talk to Papa. Buddy's asked me to come with him on his last run. He wants me with him as a test run to see if we can get along in the truck."

"That's awesome. Go talk to Papa. Don't let me keep you," Blake said, opening the door for Jackson.

At the kitchen door, Jackson knocked and Mama came around the corner to answer it.

"Hay, Jackie. What's up?" Mama asked, opening the door for him to enter.

"I need to talk to Papa for a minute, if he's not busy."

"Sure. He's in his office," Mama said, pointing.

"Thanks," he said, giving Mama a smile.

At the door to Papa's office, Jackson knocked to get Papa's attention.

Papa looked up. "Yeah, Jackson. What can I do for ya?"

"I need to ask a favor of you, Papa," Jackson said, walking into the office.

"What is it?" Papa asked, a bit uncertain.

"I'd like to know if I can take a week off? Buddy's asked me to ride with him for the last load." Jackson waited, holding his breath.

"Why would he ask you to come with him?" Papa asked.

"Well, he told me tonight that he loves me. He wants to see if we can get along in the truck."

Papa sat back in his chair and looked at the floor, then back up at Jackson.

"Are you thinking about leaving me?" Papa asked in the softest voice that Jackson had ever heard.

"Not right away, no, sir. It's just, I feel that same way about Buddy. We want to see if this is real or if it was a fling or something. We wanna test it out," Jackson said.

"My boy, if it's lasted this long, it's definitely not a fling." Jackson saw Papa flick his eyes over Jackson's shoulder, and he had the strangest feeling Mama was standing at the door.

"So, I take it, you'll be leaving on Sunday?" Papa asked.

"With your permission," Jackson said, hopefully.

"Go on. Have fun and be safe," Papa said.

Jackson was so happy that he ran around Papa's desk and grabbed him in a hug. To his surprise, Papa actually hugged him back.

"Now," Papa said, slightly pushing Jackson away. "If you're serious about Buddy, you better make sure he really loves you. I don't want to have go and kick his ass for hurting one of my boys."

"Papa, I really think he does," Jackson said with a big smile.

Papa stood and placed a hand on Jackson's cheek. "You're like a son to me. He better treat you right. But you better respect him as well. Don't go and cheat on him or anything. I'll chew you a new one if you do."

Jackson laughed and put his hand on top of Papa's and said, "Yes, sir. Thanks, again, Papa."

Papa reached over and pulled Jackson into another bone crushing hug. "Now, go on to bed. I got work to finish up."

Jackson walked out of the office with a smile on his face and into the kitchen.

"I'm proud of you, Jackie." That's all Mama said, then Jackson was gone.

Sunday came around and instead of the feelings of loss, both Jackson and Buddy were as happy as could be. Blake hugged Jackson goodbye and told him he'd see him after Christmas. Their trip to and from Minnesota was a great adventure for both of them, with lots of sexual exploits, too. They would sneak into one shower, instead of using two, as was proper, and have fun, knowing they were getting away with something they shouldn't. They did, however, get caught by a woman who was cleaning the showers once they were done being used.

As Buddy walked out, he looked back into the shower right as Jackson was walking out and the cleaning lady walked around the corner. All three of them froze. Jackson and Buddy had a look of fear on their face while the lady had a look of mischief. As Buddy and Jackson finally had to courage to move, they passed the lady who said, so no one but the two of them could hear, "Hot!" Jackson and Buddy smiled and headed out to their truck, laughing about the situation.

Jackson loved life on the road with the guy he loved. Buddy was glad he finally found someone with whom he could share his lonely life. He knew that once Jackson finally agreed to be with him full time, they would get along fine. They even discussed putting Jackson into a truck driving school so he could help out with the work. But that would be after a while. They wanted to be together for a bit, first. They discussed about possibly starting this transition in February, maybe March. But first, they just wanted to get through Christmas and spend as much time as possible together.

When they finally got home, it was Christmas Eve and Blake had already left for Atlanta and wasn't able to wish Jackson and Buddy a Merry Christmas in person. Instead, he called them as they were on the road. Papa decided, if it was okay with Buddy, to leave the truck until after the holiday. Buddy didn't have any problems with this. The entire time he was there, the truck was never used. Instead, Buddy stayed in Jackson's room. Every night, everyone in the house knew they were having sex, because they could hear moaning coming from their room. They overlooked this because they knew that Jackson was finally happy, and they were happy for him. In fact, their activity started to spread and eventually, everyone was having sex on a nightly basis over the holiday.

Todd and Blake had a great Christmas as well. They spent every moment they could together and in the evenings, they made love until late into the night. They slept in every morning, having neither Mom nor Dad bother them. Christmas was the only day that Dad came up to wake them, and that was because Pax and Tristian had already shown up. Surrounded by family and friends, this holiday was just as good as ever.

Their week and a half visit seemed too short, as all their visits do. Todd had to get back to school and Blake had to brave the wintery ranch. As they said goodbye, they thought it would be the last time they would see each other until the summer, when Todd came to stay for the summer.

Blake arrived home on New Year's Eve, the day after the first big snow fall in Montana, and Todd was planning on leaving the following day to head back to New York, which had already seen a mini blizzard. They went about their daily lives, saving the evenings for their phone calls or online dates. It was the only thing they looked forward to that kept them going through out their day. Blake would keep Todd abreast of Jackson and Buddy, who Todd was happy for as well, while Todd would tell Blake of anything new with Robert or the other roommates. When their daily stories were caught up, they would talk about how much they missed each other and sometimes, their call would turn sexual--helping each other relieve the tension before saying goodnight.

With all the snow fall they had seen recently, the ranch hadn't gotten many visitors, but that didn't stop them from having to do their job in grooming the horses. They had to add a few more to their daily routine, as their owners didn't want to get out in this weather. Blake didn't mind, really. This was his job after all. Most of his day was spent in the heated barn, grooming the horses. The only time he had to go out was when he was letting out one of the horses or pulling them in to put back in their pen. Meal times were moved to the formal dining room in the main house like always when the weather was bad. It was nice a cozy, but nothing like sitting outdoors. But the food tasted great, either way.

The evening of the eighteenth was Amy's birthday. During all the hustle and bustle of the day, Mama forgot to go to the store to get the cake. After dinner that night, Mama grabbed to first two that were done and pulled them aside. It happened to be Blake and Bruce. Pulling them into the kitchen, he asked if they could go to the store and grab the cake.

"Sure, Mama. Got nothing else to do," Bruce explained.

Reaching in his pocket, Mama pulled out fifty bucks and handed it to Blake.

"I'm not sure how much it is. If it's more than fifty, I'll pay you back," Mama said.

"We got it, Mama," Blake said.

"If anybody asks about you two, I'll make something up," Mama assured them, giving them a wink.

After donning their jackets, they walked outside and jumped into Bruce's car and headed down to the grocery store. While they were there, Blake played it safe and called to ask if Mama needed anything else. Mama said he had everything else, but thanked him for the call. Five minutes later, they were back in the car.

Coming back from the supermarket, Bruce and Blake started up the windy road leading to the ranch. With ice and snow on the ground, Bruce didn't want to take any chances and didn't remove the chains while in town. The ledge to their left was enough of a precaution to make sure that the car stayed on the narrow road. As they were talking, Blake was interrupted when Bruce cursed. Looking at Bruce, Blake asked what was wrong.

Using his finger, he pointed further up the road and said, "Some fucking trucker didn't get the memo that the road was closed, or he's being a total dick. This road is too small and too dangerous to take in the winter."

Blake looked forward and saw the tanker slowly making its way down the hill. He passed the entrance to the ranch about five minutes ago, and it was only another five minutes before the boys were back at the ranch to celebrate Amy's birthday. A moment later, Blake looked at his phone and saw it was 7:58, and knew that the party was about to start.

"I'll pull over so we can let the fucker pass," Bruce said, frustrated, easing the car over towards the cliff wall on the right.

The truck slowly crept down the hill, but soon reached a spot where the grade got steeper. When he started gaining speed, he hit the brakes, but they didn't seem to work. The driver didn't panic, knowing he was taught how to handle the situation, and because he'd been driving for almost 15 years. He let go of the brakes and tried again, only to have his wheels lock up. He released the brakes and pumped the peddle, to no avail. His speed was critical now and knew that if he couldn't slow himself, something bad was going to happen.

Forgetting his training and all his years of experience, he hit the brakes and his tanker started to drift around to his left and eventually started dragging its ass end along the wall against which Bruce and Blake were sitting. He did everything he could to slow the rig and to keep the truck on the road, but he was starting to really panic and for a moment thought this road wasn't the best idea anymore.

"Oh, shit," Bruce said, noticing the problem before them.

"Why is his tank in our lane?" Blake asked, feeling of dread starting to fill him.

"No fucking clue. This isn't good. He's gonna hit us," Bruce said, looking all around trying to figure out what to do.

Blake didn't wait. He opened his door and was about to step out when Bruce reached over and grabbed his arm. "Where're you going?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to get hit," he said, panic clearly audible in his voice.

"Get back in here and put on your belt," Bruce yelled, pulling Blake's torso back in the car. As he did, Blake lost his grip and the phone fell to the ground.

Blake pulled the car door shut and grabbed his belt and tried his best to lock it, but he couldn't take his eyes off the truck coming at them. Bruce was looking around, and in the darkness, he couldn't remember the contour of the road. Panic took over his brain and he didn't remember if the road turned to his left or right back behind them. He knew if he went the wrong way, they could easily go over the cliff and fall to their deaths. At around a 750 foot drop, there would be no surviving that.

The driver couldn't stop or even slow the rig. The roads were too icy and he didn't have any chains on. Since he only had about ten miles left to the interstate, he felt as if he hadn't needed them. Sadly, his confidence would be the reason to blame him for what was about to happen. He pumped and stabbed the brakes again, but the trailer only kept on its path. Full of fuel, the tank had a mind of its own and it wanted to go faster than the rig itself.

Bruce knew it was just a matter of seconds before they were going to collide. His mind was frantically trying to figure out what to do, but his body was frozen in fear. He heard a clicking to his right and looked over at Blake who was still, frantically, trying to buckle his belt, while keeping his eyes on the truck ahead.

"Damnit, Blake, buckle up!" Bruce shouted.

"I'm trying!" Blake shouted back, keeping his eyes forward.

"Look at what you're doing," Bruce told Blake, and when Blake took his eyes away from the impending collision to see the belt and the buckle, that's when the inevitable happened.

The truck sped alongside the car and the tanker hit the car head on with such force, Blake was thrown forward, hitting his head on the windshield, breaking the glass and knocking him out. Bruce, who was buckled, was screaming with fear, not knowing where the edge of the cliff was.

The driver of the rig saw the road turn to his left but he had lost all steering control because of the icy road. He saw the edge of the cliff approaching and turned his wheels as far as they would go to the left, but it was no use. He knew that he was going over. He opened his door, but it wouldn't budge. It was lodged against the car he was now dragging. A moment later, his rig's right tire left the ground as it dangled and dragged over the cliff. He frantically started hitting the window to try and break it, but it didn't give away at his elbow's assault. Two seconds later, with the speed at which he was going, the left tire left asphalt and he knew the end was near.

Bruce was trying his best to steer the car, to get some kind of maneuverability, but he couldn't. As much as he tried, the car was pinned under the bottom of the tanker and he knew it was going to drag them both to their deaths. He calmed himself for a moment and started to pray. He first prayed as hard as he could and told Dwight that he loved him and hoped that deep in Dwight's heart, he'd heard him. Then he prayed to God, asking that if this was the end, that He please make it as fast and painless as possible. He closed his eyes and grabbed the steering wheel as tight as he could and waited.

Blake, still unbuckled, was flat against the back of his seat with blood covering his face from where he hit the windshield--a three inch splinter of glass had cut his skin and lodged itself in Blake's forehead If Bruce had seen, he surely would have thanked God for allowing Blake to miss the final few moments of terror that he was going through.

For what seemed like eternity, Bruce felt the car being dragged backwards until he finally felt the car's back wheels leave the road and find the cliff's edge. He knew it was a matter of seconds before it was all over with. Another eternity, which only lasted maybe two seconds, and he felt the car going over the cliff and his body being pushed back into his seat by gravity. If his eye were opened, he would have been looking at the sky. The rear of the car was below him and the front, above.

Bruce prayed for a quick, painless end one last time. He let go; there was nothing--no sound, no road, no snow or ice, no pain. Just a thousand glowing Dwights, with large, brown eyes, smiling at him, reaching for him.

No one but God could prevent what would happen next.

To Be Continued...