Justin dropped the last of the hay into the stall, then leaned the pitchfork against the wood slats. He went to horse standing by the door. “Hey, Zeus,” he said to the gelding. “Ready to go back?” The horse snuffled Justin’s shoulder. “Let’s go, boy.” He untied the horse and led him back to his stall. He reached to pull the door closed, feeling his muscles protest. He was sore and achy, feeling muscles he’d never felt before. Justin figured he’d worked harder this last week than he ever had before. JC, as Justin had been instructed to call the older man, didn’t have a huge place, but it was too much for JC to handle everything alone. Justin had spent the week hoeing and replanting the garden, fixing the fence, whitewashing the outside and repairing the screens on the windows, little things that JC hadn’t had time for. He wondered how long he’d be allowed to stay. He pushed the horse into the stall, closing the door behind it. Justin felt a nip on his arm. “Hey,” he protested to the horse. “Is that the thanks I get?” He filled the feed trough and changed the water. Zeus snuffled his thanks, dropping his snout into the feed with gusto. Justin looked at the empty stall next to Zeus. “Guess your stable mate is still out with him, huh?” Zeus ignored the question, continuing to eat his feed. Justin made short work of the other stall, cleaning and laying in new bedding for the horse JC was training. JC had told him that’s how he earned cash money, by breaking and training horses for homesteaders and ranchers. He said he was just about finished with this particular horse, a sweet mare that belonged to a neighboring rancher’s daughter. Justin heard the approach of horses’ hooves, and walked to the door of the stable. He saw JC return from a ride on the mare. Justin had never seen a man more in tune with a horse…they moved as one being, fluid motion of muscle and strength. Justin stood staring, watching as JC reigned in the mare, slipping lightly down from the saddle. Justin felt something start to burn in his gut while watching JC…something he knew he shouldn’t feel. He owed JC so much. He couldn’t…he wouldn’t do this. He wondered how long he’d be allowed to stay if JC knew about him. ********************* JC heard the screen door close as Justin joined him on the porch. The boy hovered in the doorway, as if afraid to disturb JC’s solitude. “Come out if you want, Justin,” he said, indicating the porch with a wave. “The dishes are all done,” Justin said, standing next to JC at the railing. “You do too much, Justin,” JC scolded. He saw the boy shake his head. “No, I don’t mind helping out,” he said. “You could have turned me over to the sheriff and…” “I don’t want your gratitude, Justin,” JC interrupted. “You’ve worked like a dog these past few days…and have certainly earned whatever I did to keep you from jail.” “But I still…” JC held up a hand. “No. No more gratitude. From here on out, you’ll be paid for the work you do here.” Justin blinked, unable to see JC’s face in the shadowy moonlight. “Paid…I’m…you want me to stay on?” “If you want to,” JC said. “I can’t force you to stay, but as you can see, I need the help. I just don’t want you to stay out of guilt or thinking you owe me something.” He sighed. “Or you can leave.” Justin shook his head, then realized that JC probably couldn’t see him. “No,” he whispered. “I’d like to stay.” “Good.” They two men were silent for a moment. Justin stepped a bit closer to JC, seeing the other man observing the night sky. JC felt Justin’s gaze on him, and turned to the younger man, smiling slightly. “You’re wondering what I’m doing?” “A bit, yes.” JC lifted a hand. “That’s Orion,” he said, pointing at the stars. “He’s called The Hunter.” JC moved his hand a bit. “That’s Venus,” he said, indicating a bright spot in the sky. “It’s not a star, but a planet.” He saw the confused expression on Justin’s face and chuckled a bit. “I thought the same thing when I was taught the stars, Justin. ‘What is this lunatic talking about?’ I wondered.” “Who taught you about the stars?” Justin asked. JC’s blue eyes were bright in the starlight. “Stanley Wilkes,” he said simply. JC looked back at the stars. “We shared a cell for two years at Leavenworth.” He shifted a bit, leaning against the rail. “Stanley was convinced that the answer to every question was written in the stars,” he explained. Justin scooted a bit closer to JC and looked up at the stars. “Do you think that’s true?” JC looked at Justin. The boy was standing in a shaft of moonlight, his face illuminated by the soft light. JC’s heart beat a bit faster as his gaze took in Justin’s wide eyes and pink lips. These past days had been…difficult, to say the least. JC knew what he was, knew what he wanted. Justin, though. He was just a kid. And probably not like JC at all. Very few were, he realized. But the younger man was so…he looked over at Justin, his stomach clenching as Justin licked his lips. Justin was…Justin was… “I think sometimes, you don’t want the answer,” he said shortly. He shook his head, and backed up a bit. “We leave for the Anderson place early, Justin,” JC said shortly. “You’d better get to bed.” He looked out at the stars, his mouth a grim line. Justin looked at JC’s set face. He’d gone too far, Justin realized. He backed away quietly, leaving the other man alone. *************** They rode in silence to the Anderson place, Zeus pulling the wagon, and the freshly trained mare trailing behind. The Anderson’s were only a few miles from JC to the west, so the two men were there before midday. The house rose like a white giant from the ground, so bright with paint it hurt Justin’s eyes too look at it. Justin whistled softly at the size of the house. “Yeah, I felt the same way,” JC said. “But they’re good people, for all their wealth.” They pulled up to the house just as a young girl came flying out of thru the screen door. “JC!” she yelled, jumping down off the porch and into JC’s arms. JC’s own arms encircled the girl as he swung her around in a circle. “Kati, my girl,” he said, holding the young woman close. He lowered her to the ground, smiling. “You’re getting too pretty, Kati.” The girl batted her eyelashes at JC. “Now, now…can a girl ever be too pretty?” she asked coquettishly. Justin cleared his throat. “Sorry,” JC said. “Kati, this is Justin.” The girl blinked. “Hello.” Her attention returned to JC. “Show me my mare, you wonderful man!” She grabbed JC’s hand and dragged him to the back of the wagon where the mare waited. Justin leapt down from the wagon, his eyes narrowed at JC and the girl. He watched them untie the mare and walk toward the huge stable off of the house. Justin patted Zeus as the walked the horse to the well for some water. “Can a girl ever be too pretty?” he mocked, throwing the bucket down the well. “Show me my mare.” He pulled the bucket over to Zeus. “You wonderful man!” “Hello.” Justin turned swiftly as the voice sounded behind him. A woman stood behind him. She had grayish blond hair and soft brown eyes. “Hee…hello,” Justin stuttered. “I’m Mrs. Anderson,” the woman said. “Justin, ma’am,” he said, touching his non-existent hat. “You came with JC?” she asked, turning to watch the man in question helping her daughter with her horse. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, looking over at JC as well. “I’m helping him…working for him, I mean.” Mrs. Anderson smiled. “He needed some help, that’s for sure,” she agreed. “Of course, what I’ve always told him is that he really needs a wife.” A wife. Justin watched JC and the girl. A sick feeling rose in his throat at the thought of JC with her. He turned away, placing the water bucket back on the well. It might be a good idea for him to be moving on after all, Justin thought.