It had been a while since Chaz had been able to ride, but since he’d learned when he
was three, the things he needed to do came back to him. After mounting June, he settled into the saddle. Peter swung up onto Rosanne, and Chaz zeroed in on how Peter’s ass looked in
the faded jeans he wore.
He swore silently as his cock stiffened. He’d discovered in his teen years that it was
uncomfortable to ride any distance with a hard-on, but he got the feeling he was going to have to get used to it.
“Lead on, my friend. Show me your land, and try to make me see how beautiful it is.”
Chaz waved his hand at Peter.
“I’ll show you, but you’ll have to decide for yourself whether it’s as pretty as your
desert.”
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Chaz nudged June with his heels, and she obediently walked off. He stayed close to
Peter as they made their way through a series of gates. Peter let him know when they’d
reached the actual ranch land by clicking softly to Rosanne, urging the mare into a canter.
Biting his lip, Chaz sighed as he encouraged June to follow the other mare. Thank
goodness he’d taken a hit, or his back would be screaming by the time they were done.
“I like coming up here at this time of the day. If we make it in time, we’ll be able to
watch the sun go down.” Peter’s words drifted back to Chaz.
“Is it safe for us to be out after dark?”
Not that Chaz was worried or anything. He’d spent more than one night outside under
the stars, but he wasn’t completely sure if riding back to the house in the dark was a good idea.
“Sure. I’ve ridden this way several times. Also, if for some reason we get lost, all we
have to do is give the horses their heads, and they’ll go straight home.”
Chaz caught up to Peter to ride beside him as they made their way along a faint trail.
Chaz looked around him, noting the green of the grass and the trees that were in the
distance. There weren’t many close to them, but he knew the farther they rode, the closer to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains they’d get.
He didn’t have a problem not talking while they rode. He enjoyed just being outside
with Peter, which seemed odd to him—he’d never really liked having another person around
while he was spending time outdoors.
After climbing a small hill, Peter brought Rosanne to a standstill, and Chaz dismounted
when Peter did. He let the reins drop, figuring that June had been trained to ground hitch, or not to move when her reins were loose and touching the ground.
Peter took his hand, escorting him up to the crest of the hill. There was a large fallen
tree lying there, and Chaz straddled it. Peter joined him as the fading sunlight painted the sky softened pinks, oranges and yellows. In many ways the sunset reminded him of the ones he’d seen in Arizona, yet there seemed to be a different feel to it.
He kept hold of Peter’s hand, rubbing his thumb over Peter’s knuckles. Peter leaned
against him, and Chaz encircled Peter’s waist with his arms, drawing him as close as he
could. The entire world seemed hushed as the sun slowly slid behind the horizon. He
nuzzled Peter’s temple, wishing he’d thought to bring lube and condoms with him, because
he would’ve loved to fuck Peter under the emerging stars.
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LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 72
Chapter Seven
Peter swallowed the sigh threatening to burst from his chest. How long had he dreamt
of something like this? Being held in his lover’s arms while watching the sun set on a perfect Wyoming night. Too many nights he’d sat up on the hill alone, wondering if there would
ever be someone for him to do that with.
Oh, he wasn’t expecting Chaz to stick around once he had to get back onto the circuit.
Maybe the experience would help him gain some confidence, though, and he’d be able to
find a serious relationship.
“When did you first know you were gay?”
He hadn’t expected a question like that from Chaz. He thought about it for a moment
before answering. “I think I always knew I was different. I never liked the same things the rest of the boys I went to school with did. I don’t like hunting, and I’m not a big fan of many sports.”
“That wouldn’t necessarily lead one to think they were gay,” Chaz pointed out.
Peter poked Chaz in the side. “I know that, Chaz. But it made me start thinking about
all the ways I was different, and one of those was the fact that I got excited when I thought about boys instead of girls. To be honest, I never truly admitted to myself about my sexual orientation until I met Les and saw the relationship he had with Randy.”
Chaz hummed, but didn’t say anything. Peter eased a few inches away, so he could
look up at Chaz.
“What about you? When did you figure it out for yourself?”
“I confessed it to myself when I was fifteen. It was on one of my solitary camping trips
out in the desert. I sat there, staring into my fire, and analysed all the experiences I’d had. A major one being having sex with Cassidy, the head cheerleader. It didn’t excite me as much as it seemed to have done for the other guys. And believe me, there were other guys.” Chaz stared at the sky and Peter thought he was smiling by the tone of his voice.
“Cassidy got around, huh?” Peter chuckled. “I’ve never had sex with a girl. Never
wanted to either. That probably was my first clue that I might be gay. Girls were nice enough
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LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 73
as friends, but I had no urge to kiss or touch them. Not like I wanted to do with the boys I spent my time around.”
“I had sex with Cassidy because that’s what I was supposed to do. I don’t think either
one of us enjoyed it that
