Breaking Boundaries (5th in Breaking Series)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Nick hoisted two fifty pounds sacks of flour over his shoulder and strode toward the cellar, berating himself every moment for the way the sight of the newcomer had gotten to him.

Contrary to what most folks seemed to believe, being a man that was attracted to men did not mean you were attracted to every man you saw. To think that would be ridiculous but for some reason ordinary folks seemed to think it was the truth. Men would panic, believing that you wanted to tear their clothes off and have your way with them just because they had a pecker. Or they feared that an 'infected' man's sexuality was somehow contagious and would spread to them if they were too near.

Nick snorted, as he walked down the cellar steps and tossed the sacks down in the corner. Nick had only ever had one lover, and while he could acknowledge that other men looked good, most of the time it didn't mean he wanted to have his way with them—that was until this morning when Aiden had run smack into him outside the mercantile.

While Nick hadn't ever given much thought to what his type was he knew that if he had a type it would be Aiden. Under six foot, slender yet lean build, boyish face, charming smile and dark eyes the color of that fancy imported Spanish chocolate that the mercantile sold for five dollars a bar. Aiden had looked so awkward and unsure and it had awoken every protective urge that Nick possessed; urges that had been lying dormant for six long years since the night that had changed his life forever...

Nick wasted no time in headed back to the cart and grabbing two sacks of feed. As he carried them into the barn he met Brody who was on his way out, "Ya trying to prove something?" Brody asked with that classic brow raise that he was better at than any other person Nick had ever met. When Brody raised that brow he was able to portray a wide variety of emotions such as amusement, irritation, curiosity, disbelief, arrogance and anger.

Just now he seemed amused as he glanced at the two heavy sacks of feed on Nick's shoulder. "Naw, I'm just too lazy to make two trips," Nick assured him.

Brody nodded, "A real man never makes two trips."

Nick grunted in agreement. Truth was he liked Brody and had a lot of respect for the man. Nick never let anyone get close enough to consider them friends but Brody would be the closest thing he had to one.

Nick tossed the two sacks of feed into the tack stall and wiped his hands on his pants as he walked back out into the sun beside Brody. Brody pulled a rolled cigarette from his shirt pocket and offered it to Nick who shook his head.

Brody shrugged, ignited the match in his hand by swiping it across his rough, stubble covered jaw and lit the cigarette. He took a long draw off of it as he squinted into the sun, "That must be the new hire," Brody said unexpectedly. Nick looked in the direction Brody was looking but all he saw was the bright sun and the horizon. "Not there," Brody grunted, "He's coming out of the bunkhouse and looking around like a lost little chick."

Nick didn't want to look but found his gaze drawn in that direction anyhow. Brody was right. Aiden looked more than a little lost. Nick clenched his fists, fighting the urge to go to the other man, while struggling to appear uninterested.

"Wait here, Nick. I gotta have a chat with that boy and then I gotta run out and check a line of fences at the northern edge of the land. I'm really hoping there's a hole cuz several of our cattle were caught on McIntyre land."

Nick's own temper edged up just as he could hear Brody's doing at the same time. Cattle rustling was no slap on the wrist offense but Nick figured there had to be a hole in the fence. Only a man with more balls than brains would steal cattle from Brody Atkinson.