Heat Flash Ebooks - Diablo

“Look, I’m sorry Blaine got you into trouble. He started that pissing contest and it’s not fair that you almost lost your job over it. For the record, I argued against you being fired, so I’m on your side okay? Just relax.”
He did, but only enough to bend down and grab a wet sponge from a pail. Ty started sluicing soapy water over Diablo’s haunches, wiping away the mud.
“Why are you here?” he asked, his mouth set in a grim line.
“I just thought I’d check on Diablo before I headed out for the day, maybe offer to help with the saddles.” The frayed waistband of Ty’s jeans hung loose, offering me a tantalizing glimpse of his backside. I eased closer for a better look. “I guess we left quite a mess for you.”
“Why are you here?” he demanded again.
“Christ, Ty. How about a little conversation? I’m just trying to be nice here.”
He flinched. “My apologies, Mr. Evans. What did you want to talk about?”
“I told you, call me Randall. As for talking...” I scratched my head. “We can talk about whatever you like. The horses, the weather, school. You going to the community college, Ty?”
“No,” he said flatly.
“Why not?”
“No money.” He stepped away as I moved closer, putting Diablo between us. The damn horse bared his teeth at me.
“Why aren’t you in school?” Ty asked.
“I flunked out. Philip got kicked out for drinking, and Blaine just doesn’t care enough to bother going.”
The stable hand shook his head in disgust. “What a waste. If I had your money, I’d go to the best school I could get into and bust my ass to make good grades.”
I walked around Diablo, giving his hind quarters a wide berth. I wanted to get a nice close up view of Ty’s chest without getting kicked. “What would you study? No wait, let me guess. You want to be a large animal vet. You’d be good at it. You know, they give scholarships for that sort of thing. You ought to get one.”
“I had one!” he snapped. He threw his sponge at the bucket, almost knocking it over. “Your friend Blaine screwed me out of that too.”
“Oh.” I had forgotten; Blaine’s daddy sat on the board of advisors at the community college.
Ty wiped his arm across his face. “Look, I don’t need any help here. Just go party with your friends and leave me alone.”
“Why can’t you and I be friends?”
Diablo snorted and tossed his head as I moved closer. Soap suds coated Ty’s forearms. Sweat streaked down his face. I put my hand on his chest and felt the startled trip hammer of his heart.
“What? No, I don’t-!” Red faced, he backpedaled away from me, clutching at Diablo for support. I glanced at his crotch and gave him a lopsided grin.
“Come on. I know I’m not the only queer around here. Unless that hard-on you’re sporting is for my horse instead of me?”
He held onto Diablo’s halter, shaking. The horse glared at me and then butted his head against Ty’s shoulder as though to offer reassurance.
“No,” Ty said, breathing hard. “Mr. Polk would fire me.”
“No, he won’t. I don’t want you fired. I just want to be friends.”
“Be friends with someone else then.” He hurried Diablo back into the stable where they both disappeared in the darkness.