Cowboys 03 - My Cowboy Homecoming by Z.A. Maxfield

believed that, I think he’d have come to me, but I’m going to ask him anyway.” He clenched his hand into a fist. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you, for your sake as much as Fausto’s. Plenty of folks around here are just waiting to make an accusation like that against one of us.”
    “I understand.”
    His lips thinned. “I so do not need this.”
    “I’m sorry, sir.”
    “I thought I told you to call me ‘boss’ or ‘Malloy.’” He relaxed, fractionally. “If something gets under your skin, I need you to let me know.”
    “It’s just a new take on the same old, same old. My dad did a lot of damage. He’s not around, so I’ll be the one that catches the fallout.”
    Malloy nodded slowly. “I’d hate to be tried for my parents’ crimes.”
    Without thinking, I turned to look at the ranch house. If Crandall and Emma ever committed any crimes, I’d never heard of it.
    “Not the Jenkinses.” He followed my gaze. “They took me in when I was in my teens. My mother was an addict. She caused a lot of pain. She stole. Cheated. Manipulated. I never knew my dad, but I can’t help but believe he was no better.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    He shrugged. “The past isn’t as important as what you learn from it.”
    I agreed, in principal. “I thought a full-on escape would be my best bet, so I enlisted as soon as I was old enough. Now I’m back and I have to face the past all over again.”
    “It’ll take time to win people over, but if you’re a decent guy, it will happen.”
    “I wonder . . .”
    “About what?” he waited.
    “Whether I’m a decent guy. Deep down I doubt I’m as decent as I’d like to be.”
    His smile made him look younger. Handsome. A light breeze ruffled his straight brown hair before he put his hat back on. “The fact you doubt you are is one reason I don’t.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yes.” He grinned at me. “Plus, the animals like you. You can’t fake out a smart horse.”
    “I hope that’s true,” I said. “About animals. They seem to like me.”
    “Go home.” He urged. “Get some sleep.”
    I nodded. I needed to clean up if I was going to visit Lucho in the hospital. Unfortunately, if I went to the bunkhouse I’d run into Lucho’s demon brother. “I need to wash up a bit. My mother—” Unhappily, I glanced back at the bunkhouse.
    “No mother wants a man tracking horseshit on her floor. You’re welcome to keep clothes and toiletries in the bunkhouse. That way, you can shower before you go home.”
    “It’s not that. Ma gave me a casserole for Lucho’s family. I’m not even sure they’ll take it, but I promised. And I think I should let Fausto cool off before we run into each other again.”
    Malloy nodded. “Come on up to the ranch house and clean up. I think Crispin has been cooking. You can take Lucho some supper too.”
    “Thank you.” I grabbed my duffel from the truck and followed him.
    I felt like an ass running from Lucho’s surly little brother, but I didn’t want to make waves at the J-Bar. The job was too important.
    That ride with Jimmy and Eddie gave me a glimpse of the kind of life I could have, especially since the J-Bar was having trouble with some of the hands because Crispin and Malloy were gay.
    If they could only hire me seasonally, I would do construction work, fix plumbing, or paint houses, so that in the spring I could look forward to long days with the limitless sky, those big, gentle beasts, and the life of a cowboy. I wanted that like nothing ever.
    “Thank you for everything,” I said.
    The boss looked at me funny, but held the door to the mudroom open for me. “You’re welcome, Tripp.”
    Inside, Crispin seemed to reign over steamy fruit-scented clouds. “Hey,” he said when we walked in. “Dinner’s ready, and I decided to put up strawberry jam.”
    “Smells good.” Malloy leaned down and kissed him on the lips. They took an extra moment to enjoy it while I found something fascinating to look at on the floor.