He patted them on their soft noses and then went on to check the blind colt.
A plaque hung on the colt’s door, matching the others in all the barns. Blindman’s Bluff was etched on the brass. The black colt eased up to the door, his hot breath bathing Tony’s cheek. Those milk white eyes stared out into the aisle way. Tony fed Bluff a piece of carrot he’d grabbed from the kitchen. After eating the treat, the colt moved off out of the stall into his paddock. Bluff would never be a saddle horse because of his blindness, but with his conformation, he might make a good stud. Tony smiled. Les was a good horseman and knew that a handicap didn’t mean the colt was useless. There would always be things Bluff could do.
Tony went to the small tack room. Turning the light on, he sat down on one of the trunks that held Les’ extra tack. The letter crunched in his pocket. He tugged it out and stared down at it. With a sense of foreboding, he tore open the envelope.
He pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, he scanned down to the signature.
Maria. Why the hell was his oldest sister writing him? His hand dropped, hanging between his knees.
He hadn’t heard from any of his sisters since he ran away. He’d never even returned for his other sister’s wedding. Of course, Angelina had married the one man Tony never wanted to see again.
He held the letter up to the light and read.
“Dear Antonio,
I would like you to come to Austin and talk to my oldest son, Juan. He is about to make the worst mistake of his life. You are the only one who can stop him.
Your sister,
Maria”
Tony crushed the paper in his hand. He could only imagine what kind of mistake Juan was about to make and he wasn’t inclined to go be an example of what evil can befall young men. Should have known she had a selfish reason to want to see him. He tossed the letter in a trashcan and stood.
He left the barn, but didn’t go inside. His friends were silhouetted in the kitchen window, kissing. He didn’t want to interrupt them. A neigh came from the training barn.
Heading over to it, he went inside and decided to go for a ride. Maybe it would help clear his head.
Leading a sturdy gelding from its stall, Tony saddled him and moved the horse out into the sunlight before mounting. He headed off to ride along the fence.
Later that night, Tony sat on the porch, staring off at the shadows of the Rockies. He took a drag on his cigarette. It still amazed him how much Les’ ranch felt like home to him.
The sound of the front door shutting made him look over his shoulder.
Les stood, doing a visual check of the paddocks and yard. When Les seemed satisfied everything was right in his world, he turned to pin Tony with a speculative stare.
“I brought you a beer.” Les handed him the bottle before settling in the chair beside him.
Twisting the cap off, he took a swig. “Thanks. Where’s Randy?”
“In bed. He’s taking off in the morning with Jackson for a show in Nevada.” Les rested his head on the back of the chair.
“Head hurt?” Tony knew Les’ injury seven years ago made the older man susceptible to headaches.
“No. Just tired. All the last minute stuff for the show and Randy’s dad has been causing problems again.” Les grimaced.
“In a fair world, that asshole would be run over by a semi and put out of our misery.”
Tony shook his head.
“Thank God, life isn’t fair. I’d have never met Randy if his father hadn’t been a complete bastard.”
“I guess there’s an upside to everything.”
They laughed. Silence fell between them and Tony was comfortable with it. He’d never really felt that level of comfort before.
“So, get good news in the letter?” Les’ question was deceptively casual.
Tony chuckled. “I should have known you’d get around to asking.”
“Be happy I waited until Randy went to bed. He’d badger you until you told us. I have more patience.” Les tilted his head and winked at him.
Tony stood, wandering over to lean on the porch railing. He pushed his hat back on his head and stared up at the night sky. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you guys, but I needed time to work my mind around it.”
Les stayed quiet, yet his presence gave Tony the courage to continue.
“I ran away from home when I was fifteen.”
“So young,” Les murmured.
“Maybe, but I didn’t feel like it. My parents gave all their attention to my sisters.
They were the golden children.” For the most part, he’d gotten over the jealousy and anger. “I spent a lot of time on my own. Then I figured out I liked boys and I no longer existed in their eyes. They acted as if I’d seduce all the boys in the town.”
“Did you?” Laughter rang in Les’ voice.
Tony shot a smug grin at Les. “I’d have tried, but in the end it wasn’t worth trying to convince them being gay wasn’t an illness.”
“Don’t blame them. It’s hard to be different when there’s no one to support you.”
Les shifted in his chair.
Tony put out his cigarette in the ashtray Margaret, Les’ housekeeper, kept out for him. He took another drink. Did he blame those boys for doing what society said was right? Not anymore. The only one he remembered was Luis, his first boyfriend, and the scars from that relationship hadn’t faded.
“I don’t blame them. It was hard, especially in my neighborhood where everyone knew each other and being different was considered a sin.” He heard the bitterness in his words. “I couldn’t take it
