The Wild Bunch 1 Stace Read online

  THE WILD BUNCH: STACE

  by

  DEIRDRE O'DARE

  Amber Quill Press, LLC

  http://www.amberquill.com

  The Wild Bunch: Stace

  An Amber Quill Press Book

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

  Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Amber Quill Press, LLC

  http://www.AmberQuill.com

  http://www.AmberHeat.com

  http://www.AmberAllure.com

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

  Copyright © 2010 by Deirdre O'Dare

  ISBN 978-1-61124-003-0

  Cover Art © 2010 Trace Edward Zaber

  Layout and Formatting

  Provided by: Elemental Alchemy

  Published in the United States of America

  Also by Deirdre O'Dare

  Armed And Amorous

  Beyond The Shadows

  The Canine Cupid Series

  The Chap In Chaps

  Daring Desires

  Fire On Ice

  Jesse's Girl

  Journal Of A Timid Temptress

  Muscle Car Man

  Special Delivery

  Treading Dangerous Ground

  Wings Of Love

  Workin' On The Railroad

  You Were Always On My Mind

  Dedication

  Gotta love those cowboys. Willie and Julio sang one for "all the girls" so this is for "all the boys" going waaay back to the good-old, bad-old days when this cowgirl was still chasing cowboys. Most of them might not have expected to become a model for a gay analog, but hey, fame is fame. Just as cowboys are cowboys. And my heroes have always been cowboys, at least most of them, so cowboy up and let's ride.

  Thanks to the Amber Quill crew as always. Your support helps me stay inspired and makes my efforts the best they can be. Sunsets and happy endings to each and all!

  Chapter 1

  Burbank, California

  Early fall

  "You need a vacation, boss man."

  Jared Langford turned a surly glare on his assistant. "And how do I manage that with all hell breaking loose around here?"

  The fact they were a long-term team gave Marty Carlstrand license to presume, to be more personal and open with Jared than he allowed most people to be. Still there was a distinct line, which Marty knew better than to cross. At the moment, he'd stopped just short of it. Jared's personal life remained decidedly off limits.

  "Just do it." Marty offered an insouciant grin. "You're the boss. Delegate and disappear. If you don't take a break soon, you're either going to have a nervous breakdown or piss off a key backer who'll jerk the purse strings up tight and cut our cash flow in a serious way. So...what's it gonna be? Here, look at this."

  Marty slapped a magazine down on Jared's cluttered desk, scattering papers and notes, covering his three mobile phones, and almost tipping the docking station for his mini-laptop off the edge.

  "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You break it, you buy it, dipshit!"

  Marty continued to grin. "On the pittance you pay me? I don't think so. Anyway take a look." He circled a colorful half-page ad with a fingertip. "Read and drool. Don't those three cowboys look delish?"

  Jared perused the ad. "Rainbow Ranch. We cater to over-stressed executives in serious need of a break. Relax, recharge and re-create in some of the Southwest's most invigorating scenery. Enjoy the companionship of our top-notch cowboys and wranglers while you savor your choice of adventures. We have the right package for everyone. Text, email or call."

  A series of numbers and addresses followed. The largest photo showed three smiling tanned young men in western attire, all well built and revealing enticing glimpses of prime beefcake physiques with open shirts and skintight jeans. Despite himself, Jared felt a stir of interest.

  Sometimes he got tired of forever being the man in charge, assuming responsibility for everything that happened at Montague Productions. Even worse was the way people fawned over him, hung on every word, and expected him to make each and every decision. What would it be like to allow someone else to take charge for a change? Even in the bedroom; especially in the bedroom, or the hot tub, or wherever inclination might lead.

  Could the subtle wording possibly mean what he thought it did? Did Rainbow Ranch really cater to quietly gay men in high places who wanted to get away from it all and put both their person and their pleasure in someone else's hands?

  He'd grown so tired of the pretty boys who constantly dogged him, seeking favors. They all carefully maintained a youthful look and spent more on their appearance than many women did. They all seemed so compliant, almost obsequious to the point it disgusted him. He wasn't that rich, that powerful or that influential. Just good looking and maybe a bit notorious...

  Under his direction, Montague Productions had become a very successful firm in the developing multi-media industry. They'd ridden the new wave of edu-tainment with deft mixtures of downloadable video and audio products for people to watch and listen to on almost any platform or device they chose. Business had been going well until challengers began to spring out of the bushes, and the tight economy narrowed both the market and the investment pipeline enough to become worrisome. He'd been pitching to some new investors with limited success. And on top of that, his personal life sucked!

  Even the club where he'd expected a chance to submit and forget, at least for an evening, had proved a disappointment. The so-called "doms" and "masters" on the staff were patently play-acting. Their juvenile games gave him no pleasure. He really didn't want furry handcuffs and silken bonds, black pleather and masks on make-believe vampires, executioners and demons.

  What a fucking bunch of shit!

  After Marty left the office, Jared, as if moved by some force outside of himself, dialed the first number in the ad. He waited while it rang three times. The person who answered could have done a voiceover for John Wayne or some other classic cowboy hero. The deep, drawling tones sent shivers down his spine. Before he hung up, he'd booked a long week at Rainbow Ranch beginning Saturday--just three days away.

  I'm certifiable, nutso, utterly insane. The company's gonna fall apart. Montague will be off the map before I get back, but, damn it, Marty's right. I really need to get away for a while...I'm about two breaths from totally losing it. I fill that client picture to a T. Let's hope they live up to their hype.

  * * * *

  Rainbow Ranch, NM

  The next day

  Eustace "Stace" Jones followed his two buddies into their boss's studiedly rustic office, spurs jingling. They'd been summoned for an early morning staff meeting. That usually meant some important clients were coming, guests Jason Longford wanted to be sure received the very best Rainbow Ranch could offer.

  Stace and his best friends, Joshua "Spark" Diamond and Carlos "Casanova"--Casa for short--Casanueva were among the best at finding exactly what a guest desired and fulfilling those wishes to the letter. The three cowboys settled into the red-and-white, hair-on leather upholstered chairs circled around Jason's desk and looked at their employer expectantly.

  "There's a very special client coming in day after tomorrow," Jason said, "and for this one, I've got to stay invisible. I can't let him see me. In time, the reasons will be clear, but for now all you need to know is I'm putting his care and entertainment in your hands. They're very capable
hands. I trust the three of you a hundred and ten percent. Give this guy your best."

  Stace glanced at Spark, who nodded, his blue eyes sparkling like azure gems.

  "You've got it, boss. You know our best is damn good."

  Casa agreed. "We've been taking care of your special customers for quite a while and doing a top notch job, haven't we?"

  "Yes, you have. That's why I'm willing to risk being away while this guy is here." Jason smiled at each of them in turn. "I know you'll find out exactly what he wants in the way of adventures of all kinds and see that he gets every fantasy satisfied."

  "You bet, boss," Stace said. "With the three of us to take care of him, you can bet he'll have anything and everything he could desire."

  Even though there would be other guests, they'd juggle things to keep all of them happy. Marcus Melendez, a well to do Texan who'd visited before, would arrive first, followed by someone called Louie Garbona and then this unnamed mystery man on Saturday. Usually each cowboy took a guest as his special charge, but they collaborated when something beyond one-on-one activities came up and, of course, managed the regular guest ranch-type excursions and events as a team.

  Curiosity nibbled in the back of Stace's mind. It sure wasn't normal for Jason to leave the three of them in charge this way. Ordinarily, he was right there, overseeing and taking part in everything. What could there be about this particular client that would require him to remain hidden and anonymous? Jason had said it would be clear in time, but Stace was not a patient man. He wished they knew right now.

  The three rose and filed out together. Spark turned first to Stace and then to Casa. "Well, bros, what do you think?"

  The three of them had been partners and best friends since they'd started doing high school rodeo together some twelve years ago. Then they'd done their stint with the PRCA until they all decided to quit while they were still ahead financially and each in one piece. Rodeo could be one rough game. If you walked away with a few bucks in your jeans before you ended up a basket case, you were a lucky sucker. They all recognized when it was time to find another gig.

  By coincidence, they'd met Jason more or less by accident about the time they decided to leave the circuit. They'd all taken to the older man at once, and he to them. So they were the first hands he'd hired when he started his guest ranch--one with a special focus. The "Rainbow" name honored both their racial and ethnic mix and Jason's plan to cater to a mostly gay clientele.

  He had a couple of cowgirls on the staff and occasionally hosted lesbian clients and a few bisexuals, but most of the people who came were gay men, seeking something different from the partners they found in their upscale high-roller lives. They wanted outdoor Wild West action plus some amorous adventures on the side--with real cowboys. Rainbow provided both--in spades.

  The three cowboys found their pay exceptional, the work more fun than labor and the situation one that allowed them to stick together and indulge their whims, whatever those might be. In between clients, they took pleasure with each other and then singly and in combination with the guests.

  Heaven could not be much better, Stace decided. I'm for sure one lucky motha! In slightly different terms, Spark and Casa would say the same thing.

  Even before the latest batch of guests arrived, they'd portioned them out. Spark would take the Texan, Casa would host Louie and the mystery man was left to Stace. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or dismayed, but he had grown accustomed to representing Rainbow Ranch to a new guest, even some special ones. This man was coming in on a private jet owned by an outfit called Montague Productions. Stace would meet him on the general aviation side of the Las Cruces, NM International Airport.

  He pulled the ranch pickup in beside the designated hanger about ten minutes early. For mid-September, the day had turned unusually hot. He managed to get the truck in a strip of shade on the hangar's north side. After rolling down the windows, he strolled around to the office area at the front to wait.

  Within a few minutes, the sleek Learjet rolled in. A tall, slender man alighted...a man with sandy hair lightly touched with gray and keen gray eyes--a totally familiar looking man, except he wore crisp chinos and a striped golf shirt instead of Wrangler shirt and jeans.

  Stace gulped. What kind of fuckin' game is this? Why's Jason pretending to be a client? Then he noticed a few subtle differences between the stranger and his boss, just enough to prove they weren't identical twins or mirror images of one another. Some weird coincidence, anyway.

  The man strode over to him. "You from Rainbow Ranch?"

  Stace nodded. "Yes, sir, I am. Show me where your bags are, and I'll get them loaded so we can head on out. It's about a two-hour drive to the ranch."

  Instead, the man extended a hand to him. "Jared Langford. This is my first time here, really my first time at a ranch of any kind. I'm not sure what I'm in for, but I do expect an exceptional vacation."

  Stace gave him a big smile. "Mr. Langford, seeing that you get exactly what you want is part of my job. You can bet I'll do my best to meet your every expectation."

  By then a crewman had a couple of duffle bags unloaded from the plane. Stace slung them into the pickup and then opened the passenger door for Mr. Langford. The man climbed in, glanced around the luxurious interior of the new Dodge Ram and smiled. "Looks like you folks are a class act all the way if this is an example."

  Stace nodded. "Yes, sir. We want our clients to feel comfortable and right at home." He still had to school his features whenever he looked at the other man. The resemblance to his boss was uncanny. They've gotta be related. Having almost the same last name made it seem even more likely. But Jason had told them not to mention him at all, so Stace knew he'd have to hold his curiosity at bay for now.

  He suspected he'd have plenty to keep him busy anyway. Something told him this client would be a challenge and one who could require all three of them to take care of him. Fortunately, Jason never accepted more than two or three special clients in at a time. Individual attention had become a Rainbow Ranch trademark.

  * * * *

  As the handsome African American cowboy steered the big Dodge up the highway, first west on Interstate 10 and then north on an old-fashioned two-lane road, Jared looked around. A dark bulk of mountains loomed to the north, the direction Jared felt they'd headed. From the literature about Rainbow Ranch, he suspected those hulking mountains were the Gilas and the ranch was located in the southern edges just outside the Gila and Leopold Wilderness Areas. Great location--hunting in season, pack trips, fishing and scenic photography were just some of the offerings, he knew, having read up on the region on the net before he left home.

  Meanwhile, the road passed between fenced areas with grass and a few shrubs and small trees, an arid but not desolate landscape. Certainly California's Mojave Desert had less in the way of foliage and visual interest. In the distance, he saw a few herds of cattle, some black, a few white or cream-colored, and others the traditional Hereford red-and-white.

  He might as well learn what he could. Turning to the cowboy, he studied the man's classic profile and the breadth of shoulders that strained the fabric of a brightly striped cowboy shirt.

  "Have you worked here long?"

  "About three years, Mr. Langford. Me and a couple of buddies were among the first hands the boss-man hired. We really enjoy our work."

  Jared smiled to himself. Now how do I ask this most important question? "So does the name Rainbow Ranch have a special meaning?"

  "Oh, yes, sir. It's kind of for the three of us, the head wranglers 'cause we're a rainbow trio. Spark is white, a big, blond guy born in Texas. Casa is Latino and, as you can guess, I'm mostly Africa American. We've been best friends since we all got into high school rodeo together. It means a lot to be working together this way. Then, of course, it's no secret, most of the guests at the ranch are gay. We--well, our boss--figured that family-type places might not appeal to gay men, but they'd likely enjoy some authentic Wild West fun as much as anyone,
so that's part of the rainbow, too."

  "I hoped that was the case, but even if it wasn't, I needed to get away and be so occupied I forget all about my normal life and business for a few days. All my people were pushing me to take a break. I guess I'd become damn near unbearable."

  The cowboy slid a glance his way and grinned. "Why, you seem like a mighty nice man, Mr. Langford. I bet all the folks who work for you love you. Our boss is a nice guy, too, but he's away for a while on some other business. He trusts us to run things in his absence, and we're planning to show you a fine time."

  By now, the road had begun to wind its way up into higher country. Soon they turned off onto a gravel road and then passed beneath a rustic arch with a hanging plank sign. In old west script it read "Rainbow Ranch" and featured a brand with an arc over two twined Rs. A couple more miles and they pulled up beside a huge, rambling stone-and-log lodge, not quite a replica of the Ponderosa, but a structure with the same atmosphere and old western charm. A scattering of cabins nestled in niches around the woodsy perimeter.

  Jared already felt more relaxed than he had in weeks. This was going to be a memorable vacation. He just knew it.

  * * * *

  "So this new guy looks enough like the boss to be his brother, almost his twin. My question is what the fuck's going on?" Stace looked at Spark and Casa, measuring their reaction to his surprising tale by their expressions.

  The three lounged in the main living area of the bunkhouse for the daily short siesta period after lunch. Soon they'd have to get to back to work. They knew they had three special and a few ordinary guests to entertain. They'd already decided a short horseback ride and a chuck wagon supper beside the Mimbres River would be a good place to start. Dough-boy Bennett, the ranch cook, was already getting preparations underway for his part of the event. All the three cowboys had to do was round up the guests, match them to suitable horses from the stable and then lead the hour-long ride to the favored location along the stream.