The Wild Bunch 2 Spark Page 3

  Change was in the spring wind, no question about it.

  * * * *

  Lou yawned and stretched, coming awake to realize he didn't have any major issues to deal with today. That felt incredibly good. He glanced to his side before he remembered he'd come to bed alone, despite an insistent urge to bring Spark here to continue through the night. They'd parted, and maybe that was the right thing to do, at least for now.

  But he had today and two weeks of tomorrows--and no doubts they'd be spending the greater part of those hours together. He shook his head, feeling boyish and eager, like it was Christmas morning.

  All of his arguments about how a cowboy was not what he needed for a long-term partnership were losing air fast. He'd hoped after he got here and spent a little time with the blond Texan that the magic would fade. Surely he'd created a mental image more dream and idealized vision than reality during the winter's long months in Chicago. It had been a bleak and miserable season, no question.

  His mother and two older sisters simply could not let it go, accept he was probably never going to get married or have children. The family name was not going to go on, with more generations of Vetranos to run Vetrano Enterprises and build an even larger empire. Bullshit. What good did that do in the long run? Existing investments would keep his mother and his sisters and their families in good style as long as they lived.

  Ultimately, the company would split up or perhaps Catherine's son or Angela's two kids would take it over in time or divide it among them. True, they were not Vetranos, but what the fuck did that matter?

  He could hear his mother right now, going on as she did almost every time he saw her.

  "Louis, what would your father say? He worked so hard to leave you a fine heritage, building on the foundation his father had left for him. How can you allow it to vanish as if their work never was?"

  Cathie and Angie were almost as bad. The three of them were about to drive him crazy.

  Maybe that was why the calm, quiet, clear air of New Mexico seemed so wonderful. For sure, one blond, blue-eyed cowboy did not have a single nag, question or demand, which made him great company. That and a few other matters.

  An eager expectation skittered along his nerves. He got up, showered, shaved and dressed. Time to get some coffee anyway and maybe breakfast. Spark had mentioned the possibility of a ride up into the lower foothills of the Gila today. That sounded almost as good as a couple more hours in the hot tub. The tub could wait for tonight if they didn't find something else equally or even more delicious to do.

  They might explore an old ghost town near a long-abandoned mine or visit a hidden hot spring. The possibilities were myriad and all enticing, partly because of the company, but also because they all had a western flair. Adding Spark to the mixture was simply frosting on the cake. Louis still enjoyed experiencing his boyhood Wild West dreams. For those activities, he could not imagine a better companion than Spark Diamond. Even if the Texan didn't know a mutual fund from an inside trade or a short sale...

  Lou was perilously close to convincing himself an off-and-on relationship could work. Now he needed to convince the cowboy, although he sensed Spark's loyalty to the ranch and its owner were strong and his ties to his two friends were, too. Question was then, could he share a special person with others, others who'd known him longer and shared a past in which Lou had no part? Would the differences in their lifestyles, backgrounds and almost everything prove too broad to span? And how about Spark entertaining other customers, sharing his body and skills with them? That could become unbearable. Lou was, in some ways, a selfish and jealous man and he knew it.

  Before wondering about such deep matters undermined his euphoria at being here, he stepped out into the brilliant morning sunshine. He looked around at the budding cottonwood trees, the neat but rustic setting and the blue ranges of mountains to the north as he strode across to the main lodge. There he knew from his previous visit that breakfast from a full cowboy-style steak-and-hash-browns meal to juice and a Danish could be had, and plenty of good strong coffee. Once he ate, if Spark hadn't shown up, he'd hunt the other man down.

  * * * *

  True to his word, Spark did not let his worries impinge on his responsibilities. He made sure the two young men who seemed only to have eyes for each other set off on a morning ride under the watchful eyes of one of the younger wranglers. He checked that the ranch truck was gassed and ready to go so Casa could pick up an incoming visitor at the airport later in the day, and made sure all the stock was cared for.

  Casa was taking Mr. Spencer out on a ride this morning. Spark watched them mount up and start off. He saw Stace puttering around, but Spark sensed Stace's mind wasn't totally on work today, although the other cowboy also followed his routine and did the necessary tasks with efficiency. He could sympathize with Stace's preoccupation, even knowing the two of them had worried their boss, which nagged at him. Jason had been good to them, probably better than they deserved. He remained somewhere between a big brother and a father figure for all of them. Whatever happened, he vowed Jason would not be left in the lurch here. He'd built a unique business and it needed to go on.

  Finally, there was no more busywork to take care of. Torn between eagerness and reluctance, he went looking for Lou. He met him coming out of the big dining room. Lou in Levi's and a casual shirt looked as good as Lou in a business suit or the neat preppy clothes he wore to travel. In short, enough to speed Spark's heartbeat and set his cock to aching inside his own Levi's.

  "Ought to be a law against looking so damn good first thing in the morning."

  Lou grinned. "You think? Well, you're in the same spot. Guess we both plead guilty together. What's on the agenda for today?"

  "That depends on what you want to do. You're a special guest, which means your wish is my command. That's the way it works here, and you'll get what you've paid for, but I kinda hope it involves getting out and enjoying what promises to be a totally fine day."

  Lou swept his gaze around the area, stretched and rolled his shoulders, and then looked back at Spark. "How about we go for a ride? Maybe up to that ghost town you mentioned and come back by way of the hot spring. I'm thinking that could be even better than the hot tub. Private and secluded, isn't it?"

  Spark nodded. "Yep. Okay. I'll go get the horses ready. Why don't you hit Dough Boy up for a lunch we can take along?"

  Dough Boy was the ranch cook, an absolute genius at both outdoor chuck wagon style and more cosmopolitan cooking. He'd whip up some burritos and other packable treats in no time--and give a guest less flack about it than he would one of the staff. The old man pretended to be grumpy but it was mostly a façade. He enjoyed his work as much as the cowboys did, Spark felt sure.

  Half an hour later, they were in the saddle and heading north from the ranch headquarters. Spark's big sorrel pranced, eager to go as always. He'd picked an even-tempered bay gelding for Lou, a horse with spirit, but also plenty of cowpony steadiness and sure-footed ways on the trail. Spark got down to open the gate, then close it behind them as they rode into the Forest Service land. Once past that, they would not come to another fence for more miles than he planned to go today.

  The two horses set a steady pace, moving up a long grassy ridge side by side. Spark glanced at Lou. The other man might not be a real cowboy, but he was quickly picking up the tricks. He sat the bay easily and managed the horse with confidence. As if he felt Spark's scrutiny, he turned toward the cowboy.

  "Nickel for your thoughts."

  "I was just noticing how well you've picked up horsemanship. You said you'd never ridden except one summer in camp as a kid. You sure you weren't a cowboy in a past life?"

  Lou laughed. "Come on, don't give me that new age shit. What past life?"

  "Just a figure of speech," Spark said, "but what the fuck, I don't rule out the possibility we've all lived before. I sure don't buy that heaven and hell junk."

  "Me either," Lou admitted. "I dunno--maybe I got my cowboy skills from wat
ching TV and movies as a kid. I sure saw every western I could. My heroes have always been cowboys." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  "Mine too," Spark replied. "And now I are one."

  "Aw, shucks," Lou said. "I hoped maybe you had a thing about Mafioso types."

  "Those bad guys with the fedoras and a bag of cement in their back pocket and that funny accent? Nah, I'll take Butch Cassidy or Billy the Kid."

  They continued to joke as they rode along side by side, until the trail become so steep and rocky they had to go single file. Spark made sure they stopped regularly to let the horses breathe. The pauses also gave Lou a chance to take pictures. When Lou promised to keep the phone turned off, Spark had let him bring it along for the camera, even though no cells phones was a firm ranch rule. However, Lou also carried a good quality digital camera that was nothing but a camera and he used that more.

  By noon, they were well up in the mountains where the juniper and piñon pine gave way to ponderosa and thickets of Gambel oak. Here, banks of snow remained in north-facing and shaded spots and melting snow made sparking rivulets run down every small canyon. The air went from chilly to almost cold. They both put on the heavy jackets Spark had suggested they tie behind their saddles. Half an hour more led them to a sunny west-facing ridge that looked out over a vast expanse of New Mexico and Arizona spreading beneath them.

  "Let's have some of that lunch."

  Chapter 4

  Spark loosened both saddles, slipped the bridles and hobbled the horses so they could nibble the last dry sprigs of the previous summer's grass. He spread a tarp to insulate him and Lou from the damp ground. Then they sat down and dug into well-stuffed burritos washed down with coffee from a Thermos and chased with crisp apples and some fresh cookies made right in Dough Boy's modern kitchen.

  After they ate, Spark sat with his arms clasped around his knees and gazed across the vast expanse of land spread before them. "You could almost pretend its a hundred years ago. Ignore that jet trail and I bet the rest hasn't changed too much. That's what I love, why I'm here. Yeah, I could've gone to college and be in my dad's company now with a fancy title makin' big bucks, but a life like that would kill me. I'm a wild mustang; don't belong in a fancy barn with padded stalls and no time or way to run free."

  Lou looked at the younger man, recognized the sincerity in his words, and felt an iron fist clench on his heart. There's no way I can ask him to leave this for me. No way we can work as a couple, a team. Fuck it! I should never have come out here in the first place, much less come back for more. It'll be five times worse when I leave again.

  When he did not respond, Spark shot him a sharp look. "You okay? Something wrong?"

  Lou shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Finally, he found his voice. "No, I-- It's kind of overwhelming, though. So many miles, mostly empty. Distance, solitude, silence. I never realized it really existed, really was still like this."

  A hawk soared by, barely higher than where they sat as it hunted along the slope falling away to the north. Lou followed its glide until it faded into the distance. "Like that bird. It hunts alone. Doesn't need anyone else or anything else. Not many of us are raised to live that way now. Everyone is interdependent. We need all the experts and workers and tradesmen to keep our life running for us."

  Spark nodded. "It's an illusion now, mostly. There are damn few people who really exist out here on their own. I know that. Hell, the ranch has all kinds of newfangled modern shit and we couldn't run without it, at least not the way we do. I still need to remember or see the way it was now and then, though. In the city, you can't pretend anymore. It's not quiet enough and you can't ever be really alone."

  "Yeah, you can. You can be lonelier in a crowd than we are right here. Trust me. I've been there. People all around, but you might as well be inside a glass wall a hundred feet high. No one listens. No one cares." He heard the sadness in his own voice. I probably said too much. Shit, I'm not trying to make him feel sorry for me. That was stupid.

  He cut his gaze to Spark again, but the cowboy was still staring out across the distance as if he were counting the ridges and ranges that faded to blend with the sky at the far horizon.

  Finally, Spark shook himself and stood. "Not rushin' you, but if you want to go by the hot spring, we'd best be moving along. It's about halfway back to the ranch by this other trail I'm going to take. If we get there by about three, we can take a dip before we go on back."

  * * * *

  They reached the hot spring about three o'clock. Although the shadow of the ridge to the north edged close to the pool, Spark knew the water would be warm. Even if darkness had fallen, the water would still be warm. In fact, if you got into it too close to where the stream first broke out of the rock, you'd risk being scalded. About fifty yards downstream, where the water pooled behind a natural rock dyke, the temperature would be just right.

  He led Lou to that spot, swung off his horse, and reached to take the reins of Lou's mount. "Here we are. Let me hitch up the ponies and then we'll go skinny dipping. It'll be chilly when we get out, but it's worth it."

  Wasting no time undressing, they walked into the water side by side. Standing hip-deep in the gently swirling pool, they turned to face each other. Spark grinned. "What do you think?"

  "I think I died and went to heaven. If you'll come a step closer, I'll know it."

  "That's not hard to do." Spark moved, stopping only when they stood chest to chest. Lou wrapped both arms around Spark's body. Spark waited until Lou seemed to be lost in the kiss they shared. Then he pushed him, exerting just enough pressure the other man had to take a long, fast step back. Spark knew exactly where the bottom of the pool suddenly dropped away to the depth of about ten feet where falling water had gouged a deep basin in the rocky bottom. All at once, as Lou moved, his feet found nothing but water. He gave a whoop as he fell, splashing into the deeper section of the pool.

  Spark followed him in and waited, treading water just enough to stay afloat.

  Lou spluttered as he came to the surface. "That was a mean trick, Spark! I'll get you for it, too. The black hand will be after you."

  Spark laughed, totally unrepentant. "No harm done, was there? We said we were going skinny dipping and hip deep is not dipped."

  Lou had to laugh then, too. "No, you're right. The water feels great, warm and somehow almost slick. It must be mineralized."

  Spark nodded. "I'm sure it is. I don't know if anyone ever did an analysis, but all these mountains are full of a variety of minerals. I expect quite a few leach into the water here since it's near boiling where it breaks out of the hill."

  They paddled around for a few minutes and then edged back to a shallower spot where they could stand, roughly chest-deep in the water, and again wrapped their arms around each other. The contrast of the warm water, warm bodies and the keen bite of the breeze coming down the canyon raised goose bumps and enhanced the erotic friction of skin on skin. They were both hard in seconds, needing and wanting more than a simple embrace and a shared kiss.

  They twined together. Lou wrapped one leg around Spark's hips as his cock slid between the cowboy's thighs. As they pressed together from shoulders to knees, the Texan's dick ended up trapped between their lower bodies. Half floating, they moved into a slow dance, rubbing and shifting, back and forth, in and out. Before long they both erupted, almost at once. For a few seconds, they held each other and let the tension drain from their muscles.

  The sun had dropped much closer to the blue rim of the distant mountains across in Arizona and the breeze grew even cooler. Spark pulled free. "I hate to bring this to an end, but we need to get going. It'll be dark by the time we get back to the ranch, even if we lope a few stretches. I think it was worth the time, though, don't you?"

  "Hell, yes. It's been fun. Good, although different from the hot tub. Even if you did dunk me."

  Spark had a couple of towels stuffed in his saddle bag. He got them out and tossed Lou one. They dried off
before they scrambled back into their clothes. Once they mounted and started off, he set a brisk pace, alternately trotting and loping as they headed down the trail toward the ranch. For the most part, the track was smooth and not too steep, almost good enough for a four-wheel drive or ATV road, so the horses had no problem with the faster gaits.

  At one point, though, the route went through a rougher spot where a bunch of big boulders littered the canyon floor, fallen years ago from the cliffs edging the north rim. The trail meandered among them, some only a yard or so high, but others even higher than a man on horseback. The sun had now slipped below the horizon, leaving a few brilliant streaks of a sunset and a deepening dusk to settle in the confined area.

  Spark led on his big sorrel, about half a length ahead of Lou and his mount. It all happened so fast he hardly had time to react. The horse shied from one big rock just as a shadowy shape launched off the top. The animal lit on the horse's rump with its hind feet, front claws digging into Spark's back. It hit with such an impact the horse staggered, while Spark struggled to stay in the saddle. Searing pain raked from his left shoulder down across his back. His shirt and Levi's jacket seemed to offer no protection at all. The horse gave a shrill scream as it began to pitch, bucking and twisting in desperate terror.

  It took Spark a moment to realize what had happened. The attacker was a cougar, likely either a young one not yet too skilled at hunting or an old one, unable to kill wild animals. Ridden by hunger, the beast took a risky chance. Such an attack was a rare event as a puma would seldom take on a human and a horse at once, especially just a few miles from an area with regular human traffic and activity.

  Spark grabbed for his revolver with his right hand, trying to hang onto the reins with the last strength in his left. That arm was going numb fast between the cat's weight clinging to him and the tearing force of its claws.

  As if from far away, he heard Lou holler. Then he realized the other man had ridden up alongside him. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Lou shove the ends of the reins into his mouth and clench his teeth to grip them tightly. Then, with a lucky grab, he jerked the rifle from Spark's scabbard. He could only use the weapon like a club. They were too close together and moving around too much to allow for a safe, accurate shot. Clenching his hands on the barrel, Lou slammed the gun across the cougar, hitting it like he was trying to score a bases-loaded homerun.