Kaiser's Rodeo
by Bensiamin
Chapter 7
After lunch the next day they drove into town and headed to the rodeo grounds. Stew had told them where the personnel office was located, and it wasn't hard to find. The lady in charge was very pleasant, recognized Michael, and gave them both applications to complete. When they turned them back in, they all talked briefly, and she said that they were in luck. There were still three of four positions open, so they should have no problem. "Do you boys have any questions?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Michael said, "we know it's part time, two days a week, right?"
She nodded. "It is, Monday and Friday. During the summer we regularly have small, local rodeo events, like Future Farmers of America, the high school rodeo clubs from around the area, groups like that. They all have one type of summer rodeo or another. They're on Saturdays, so Friday is mainly setting up for those rodeos the next day. Then Monday is mainly cleaning up from the rodeo on Saturday. There's also general maintenance thrown in all summer, to get the place painted and spruced up for the County Rodeo in late August, and then the Round Up over Labor Day." She looked them over and grinned. "You boys think you're up for it?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Michael said.
"Well, leave it to me. I know your mother from school. I'm on the school board so I think I can count on her son and his friend being as dependable and responsible as she is. I'll talk to the crew manager about your applications, and probably be giving you boys a call tomorrow. That sound alright?"
They nodded, shook her hand and left.
"Wow! That sounds pretty positive," Nate said as they walked to the Scout.
"I've never met her before, but if she knows mom, then great! I guess this is what comes from living in a small town. Let's go see Stew and clue him in and see what's happening."
They found him at the western store, and he took his afternoon break early and he asked what they were doing in the evening.
They looked at each other and then back at Stew and Michael said, "I don't know. Probably nothing."
"What? Are you kidding me! "You've got wheels now, so there's no excuse. Shit, man, it's Friday night! Why don't you guys come back into town after dinner. If your folks are like mine, you've got to be home for dinner unless you arrange it in advance. Then we'll meet up and hang out, cruise around and see what's happening. I'll try and get this guy I've gone out with a couple of times to come along."
Michael and Nate quickly glanced at each other and smiled, and they all agreed to meet at the Dairy Queen at eight o'clock.
"How comfortable is the back seat in that Scout?"
"I don't know, Stew. I've never sat back there. It should probably be okay. We cleaned the interior a few days ago. You'll get to break it in."
"Alright, well, maybe we'll drag State Street in it. It'll be cooler than my car because it doesn't have a top. You know, it's open and looks way cool."
They all grinned at each other, and Stew went back to work.
Over dinner they explained their plans for the evening. Michael's parents looked at each other and smiled, then his dad looked back at them and said, "Now that you've got wheels, I guess you'll be out and about. You know the rules, though, right?"
Michael smiled back. "Pretty much. No speeding, seat belts all the time and drive carefully. No drinking or drugs. Am I missing anything?"
His dad shook his head, and just said, "Mainly it's driving carefully. You're responsible, so I'm not worrying about the other stuff."
Grandpa added, "Keep your eyes on the gauges, especially the gas gauge. Nothing more embarrassing than running out of gas in town on a Friday night!" He laughed and they grinned back at him.
When they got to the Dairy Queen, Stew was already there sitting outside with another boy Michael didn't know but recognized from school. When they sat down Stew introduced them both to Todd. "We've gone out a couple of times, and I've told him you two are together and Nate's out here for the summer from Portland."
Todd smiled at them and nodded, and then said to Nate, "You don't look like a Portland city boy. Stew told me you fill those Wranglers pretty well, and he's right!"
Nate grinned back at him and said, "The mechanic who's been working on the Scout with us told me the other day I look normal for being out here. That felt pretty good."
Michael asked him how come they'd never met and why he didn't know him from GSA?
"That's easy. My parents put up with me being gay, but don't support it. Meaning they don't want me out, and going to GSA means people would know… and that would look bad for them. Dad's a banker and mom's a real estate agent, so you know… appearances. It's screwed up, but what can I do as long as I live at home. Now, if I was lucky and had parents like you and Stew, things would be different."
They agreed about how different parents' attitudes could be and what that meant, then Michael said, "Let's take a cruise. This is a first for us with the Scout, so we'll have to see how it goes. I mean, it's no hot rod, so we're not burning rubber, and we may get laughed at by the dudes with hot cars."
"Fuck them! Who cares," Stew replied. "They're just out to show off and pick up chicks. We've got each other, even if we have to be careful about showing it. Let's go."
Instead of tipping the passenger seat forward, Stew and Todd clambered over the side into the back of the Scout and settled into the rear seat.
"Well, this is pretty cozy and basic."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the arm rests barely qualify as having any cushioning, and the seat is pretty narrow being squeezed between the wheel wells. Not that I'm complaining, 'cause that means Todd has to sit real close to me and I can make him hold hands even if we are out in public. Maybe I can even get him to loosen up a little—you know, romantically, I mean."
Michael and Nate looked at each other and grinned as they pulled out of the parking lot. They hadn't gone a block before Stew said something about how their hats weren't blowing off. Michael laughed and said, "There's just enough protection from the windshield. You guys will have to put up with the wind rustling through your hair. I get to watch in the rearview mirror…and maybe more. When does the first kiss happen?"
Stew gave him the eye, and then said, "Does that radio work? How about some tunes?"
Michael looked at him in the rearview mirror. "You know, we haven't even tried it." He turned it on, and they heard static. "It's only AM. What's a good station?"
"Out here there's not a lot of choices. Probably the best at night is KTIX, the local AM station at 1240. They play classic hits at night. You should think about upgrading the radio to FM to get more stations and better quality sound!"
Nate turned on the radio and found KTIX and a Kansas song came on, but it was hard to hear with no top on the Scout. Nate grinned at Michael and turned the volume up. "We'll need to look into a better radio now that we've got jobs."
They turned onto State Street and joined the traffic and cruised the length of it twice. They saw a number of students that they knew, and were waved at by some. They weren't laughed at or heckled by any of them, even those in hot cars. "I guess it means we're different enough and they think they've got nothing to worry about," Nate said.
"If only they knew about the different part," Stew added, giggling from the rear seat! Nate grinned and said, "Let's go back to the Dairy Queen and get something to drink. I'm drying out."
"Then let's head over to Pioneer Park," Stew said. "We can park by the bandstand and walk down to the river and hang out."
They did, but when they came out with their drinks, they walked past a table with four girls that Michael and Stew knew from school. The girls all said 'hi' and they felt obligated to stop. The conversation quickly turned to what was going on and who was the new guy? Michael introduced Nate as his friend from Portland who was spending the summer and then added, "My grandpa just gave me his 1970 Scout. We've been working to get it running and we've got it out for the first time tonight, so we're doing a little cruising and putting it through its paces."
"Does it have room for more than four?" one of the girls, a peroxide blonde asked?
"Sorry, no. It's kind of small and that's all it'll carry."
The blonde looked at Nate and said, "You can stay here with me, cowboy, if you want."
Nate was momentarily surprised, then blushed and said, "Well, you know… like Michael said, we've been working on the Scout all week, and this is the first night out. We're kind of signed up to do this, you know."
She smiled at him and said, "You're even cuter when you blush. Do your Scout thing tonight, but remember, I'm Susan and I can be your scout if you want!" Her friends all giggled at the boldness of it, and then Michael said they had to go.
When they settled in the Scout, Stew was the first to say anything. "I told you so!"
"What?"
"I told you that once you got that bubble butt into those Wranglers you'd have some hearts a fluttering. Remember? I don't think it'll stop with the girls either, right Todd?"
Todd was silent.
"Right, Todd?"
"I don't want to sound like an ass, so I'm not saying anything."
"I'm just saying he's way cute. I can see it. Michael certainly can see it. You have to be able to as well, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"Okay, that's all. And Nate, watch out for Susan. She's one of those chicks always looking for new conquests. And she's pushy and doesn't take no for an answer."
When they got to the park they settled on a grassy area by the river as it was starting to get dark. There were a couple of families still having picnics, and a number of adults walking the paths with their dogs, but otherwise they had the riverbank to themselves. They settled down in front of a couple of large cottonwood trees, sipped their drinks and got to know each other.
After they talked about everything else, Todd finally said, "So, Stew told me that you guys get to be together for the summer and share a room… I mean a bed. And sorry, I'm not trying to be nosy, but I can't hardly imagine that parents are so hip they'd let that happen. At least not with mine!"
Michael squeezed Nate's hand and then said, "We were kind of surprised that Nate's mom and my folks agreed to it without a lot of hassle. Did Stew tell you that David Ayers was out here spring quarter four times to talk to the GSA and did one session for the parents?"
Todd nodded.
"I think that's what did it. He talked to them about the reality that some kids are LGB and really connected with them. My folks attitude changed after that and so did Stew's." He looked at Stew. "Right?"
"Oh yeah. Todd knows that. I think he's just struggling with how different the scene is at his house compared to mine… or yours." He laughed softly.
Todd added, "Totally. I mean if they're letting you guys share a room and a bed then they know you're getting it on, and are cool with that, too?"
It was a leading question, but Michael understood what was behind it. "They are. We've got rules about being healthy, not embarrassing them and being quiet and stuff, but they're also realists. I mean we live on a ranch, and they see cattle getting it on all the time, so they can't act like it doesn't happen."
Todd giggled and said, "I hadn't thought of that." He put his arm around Stew and gave him a hug. "What a deal, right?"
Nate had been listening and not saying anything, worried somehow about being too involved, but he found himself liking them both and said, "So, is it hard for you guys to get time alone together, you know, to be affectionate and stuff?"
"You mean really get it on?" Todd and Stew both laughed, and Michael and Nate burst out giggling, too. "It's hard 'cause my parents will let Todd come over, but no hanky panky, if you know what I mean. That's what they actually say, too! And over at Todd's house it's like a no physical contact zone!"
They all mulled that over for a minute and then Michael said, "Do either of you have a tent? Why don't we go camping next weekend? We've got the Scout and my folks will say yes. They'll talk to yours if they have to. You know, four guys going camping in a four-wheel drive! What's suspicious about that?"
Todd and Stew looked at each other and smiled. "That sounds like a plan. I've got a two-man tent my dad and I have used on fishing trips," Stew said. "I'm sure they'll be fine with it." He looked at Todd.
"If it comes off as a manly and macho thing, they'll probably go along with it. One of you guy's parents will probably have to talk to them." Then he looked at Michael and Nate and added, "Were you guys planning on doing this, or just doing it for us?"
Michael smiled softly at him. "Todd, I've been thinking about all the stuff that Nate and I can do now we've got the Scout. Camping was one of them. All of us talking just made it seem like a good thing to do together. It won't be a big production. We can just drive to one of the campgrounds in the Umatilla Forest, find a campground on Saturday afternoon, cook some food, hang out… and you know… see where it goes from there. What'a ya think?"
"I'm in." He looked at Stew, "you may have to help me get my parents to say yes."
"Cool. We can do that." Stew looked at Nate and Michael. "What are you guys doing tomorrow night? Want to go to a flick? The Matrix finally opened here last week. It's supposed to be an outrageous sci-fi movie."
"That sounds like a great idea. What'a ya think, Nate?" He squeezed Nate's hand and saw the smile flash across his face. "What time are the showings?"
"First one's at 7:30. Can you make that one? The later one won't get us home before midnight, and that might be pushing it with the parents."
"I'm sure my parents will be okay with it because we're mucking cow shit at the water tanks in the morning, so they'll kind of owe us when we get that done."
They all laughed and lay back enjoying the evening, their time together, and the company of their partner in this peaceful setting.
Both couples were being couples together in each other's arms, but also paying attention to their surroundings. Twenty minutes later they heard the sound of two or three cars with loud mufflers pull into the parking area. Michael looked at Stew, a questioning look on his face. Stew nodded back and then said, "We oughta get moving. It'll be dark before long."
They all got up and Stew said, "Come on this way, we'll take the long way around to the parking lot. When they got there five minutes later, they not only saw three of the hot cars they'd seen earlier on State Street parked in the lot, but the guys that had been in them walking away and down towards the river. Two of them had paper bags in their arms with square contents.
"It's the football guys with the cars. They've got a couple of six packs somehow, so not being around while they're drinking their beer and getting loose is a good thing," Stew remarked.
Nate looked at him and asked, "You mean there's stuff like happened in Laramie that goes on here?"
"No. Nothing that crazy. But some of those guys are bullies and they don't just harass the gay kids, then also harass the Latino kids. They're just pricks, and we don't need to have anything to do with them. It's safer that way."
They all climbed in the Scout and quietly drove out of the parking lot. On the way back to the Dairy Queen where Stew had left his car, they talked about what they'd encountered. "You know about Matthew Shepard and what happened in Laramie. In a way a lot of people here think the same way they do in Wyoming. But we're in a state that's mainly progressive thanks to Portland and Eugene and Corvallis. People may resent that, but it kind of cools things down a little. Oregon is a big ag state, so that means lots of farm and ranch labor, and that means lots of Latinos, so they're easy to pick on. When it comes to gay kids like us, we've got it way better than in Wyoming, but we've got to be careful. I mean, you guys best friends are a couple in Portland. Have they ever been bullied or hassled?"
Michael grinned and looked at Nate. He smiled back and turned in his seat and said, "Only by my older brother and his football buddies!"
Stew and Todd's eyes widened. "What?"
"Yeah, it's true. My brother was one of the football bullies and he and his buddies hassled Jerrod and Roger. He and Jerrod were on the ski team and then one day Matt had an accident and almost died. Jerrod was the one who figured out what happened to him and made his gay friends go back and save hiss ass." He paused. "So you know, I'm not gay, but I'm bi. Still, I know what the deal is. I watched Matt get angrier and angrier and lucky for him, Jerrod and Roger saved his ass, and I don't just mean saved his life. They became friends because they wouldn't give up on him, and that changed him."
"Wow! That's an amazing story," Stew said. "Still, I wouldn't have wanted those dudes to drink their two six packs and then find us cuddling on the grass by the river."
"Oh, no way," Nate replied. "I get it. I'm just telling you two that even though I'm not one of the gay kids at school, I know what goes on."
"And you're good with it?" Todd leaned forward as he asked the question.
"No, I'm not good with bullying or any of that shit. People can get hurt… or die. I'm just telling you I understand and I'm glad we bailed out of the park when we did."
Todd nodded, then added, "I meant even though you understand it all and you're not gay, you're still good with being with Michael… even though it looks like you're gay."
Nate paused, then slowly said, "Yes…" as he reached for Michael's hand. "We both had pretty major medical problems, remember. After that you figure out life isn't fair, and shit happens… whether you deserve it or not. I've never felt like I do when I'm with him." He squeezed Michael's hand and got a squeeze back.
"That is so romantic… and I mean seriously romantic," Stew said excitedly. "I don't mean just like in some chick flick kind of way either. I mean seriously as in tested by fire. You know what I mean?"
Nate was still turned in his seat looking back at Stew and Todd. He felt something well up within him, but he didn't know what it was. It was emotion, but that's all he could understand about it. "I do know what you mean. He tries not to say I'm his boyfriend because I'm still figuring my stuff out, but I told him the other night when he says that he loves me it makes my heart swell. So, yeah… I guess that's seriously romantic."
He reached up with his free hand and stroked Michael's cheek. "Is that what you think, too?"
Michael smiled demurely as he turned to look at Nate and blow him a kiss. "That's definitely what I think. I just want you to get there in your own time with no pressure."
They were all silent for a few seconds, then as they pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot Stew said, "You guys are too much. I mean really great, so mature about all this."
Michael entered the conversation as he parked the Scout and said, "My grandpa told us the other day that there's nothing like being really sick or almost dying to make you grow up and help you figure out what matters. I guess that's what's different about us."
Stew reached forward and put his hands on Michael's shoulders. "You guys are the best, and you're a great friend." He turned to Nate and squeezed his arm and said, "You too, man, you too."
Todd had been silent, just listening as they drove back to the Dairy Queen, then he said, "If we weren't out in public like this, I'd make you guys get out and give me a hug. Thanks for letting me be part of tonight. I didn't know what to expect, really, but I really like and respect you guys."
They clambered out of the rear seat and Stew said, "Call me tomorrow to let me know about the movie, okay?"
"Will do. I'll call you after we're done mucking out the cow shit at the water tanks." He laughed as he said it, and as Stew and Todd walked away, he backed out the Scout and they started driving home.
Michael was quiet, and finally Nate said, "What are you thinking about?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you. Not just that you're cute and sexy, and funny and humble, and look damn good in those Wranglers, but that you're more serious and mature than I understood."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that I didn't understand that being bi and being with a gay boy like me makes it look to the outside world like you're gay. You know, the assholes who don't care about details. You're with a gay boy, so you're seen as one too. That kind of thing. But you understand a lot of that, and you're still here with me, and so I'm even more impressed… and love you even more."
"Are you trying to make my heart swell up in my chest again?"
"That'd be okay with me."
"It's okay with me, too." Nate placed his hand over Michael's on the gear shift as they turned off State Street onto the highway out of town and toward home.
After a minute Michael said, "You know, now that it's almost dark, I'm thinking these headlights aren't all that bright. You see what I mean, they're kind of orange and don't shine that far ahead?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it, I do. Should we call Jerry and ask him or just go to the auto parts store and see what we can find out?"
"Let's start by asking dad when we get home. He's no mechanic, but he knows a lot. He may have a simple answer." They drove on in silence, then Nate eventually said, "What do you think about replacing the radio with an FM one?"
"That'd be an upgrade, for sure, but to do it right I bet we'd need to replace the speaker." He pointed to the slots in the dashboard. "I remember seeing the speaker when we were cleaning the inside, and there's only one… and it's old. We'll probably need two for stereo, and then need to figure out where to put them."
He fell silent, and then Nate said, "Yeah, and we need to start work at the rodeo and get a paycheck so we've got the money for this stuff!"
When they got home it was after 10:00 and Michael's parents were getting ready to head to bed. "Thanks for being home early so we didn't have to worry," his mom said as she hugged them both.
Michael's dad smiled and said, "Good night, boys. Sleep well. You'll need some extra energy for the mucking job in the morning."
"We'll be fine, Dad. I'll drive the tractor over and then give Nate a lesson when we're done. Where do you want the manure spread?"
"I think in that kind of low grass patch south of the tanks. It's pretty well dried out now for the summer, but it'll freshen up real quick with fertilizer on it come the fall rains."
They all said goodnight and headed to their rooms.
Michael slipped out of all his clothes except his briefs and sat on the end of the bed. Nate did likewise and sat next to him with an arm around his shoulder. "What ya thinking?"
Michael turned and kissed him and said, "I'm thinking about you, what else?"
"Meaning?"
"Meaning I'm a year older than you and going to be a senior and all, but you continue to blow my mind."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, like tonight. It's almost like you've as old as me and have already mapped out in your mind that there can be risks being a gay kid's boyfriend, but it's not an issue for you, or something. Does that make sense?"
"Hey! You keep telling me that I'm your boyfriend and you love me. Have I said no to any of that?"
"No, but you haven't said it back."
"I know. I'm working on my stuff." Nate took Michael's chin with his other hand and turned it toward him and kissed his lips softly. "I'm just not there yet in terms of me, but I know where you are and how you feel. I told you already no one ever told me they loved me and showed me like you have. There's no place I'd rather be, and no one I'd rather be with than here with you."
Michael's smiled widened as he turned to fully kiss Nate, pull him close and next they were laying on the bed in each other's arms. Within a minute they had pushed down each other's briefs and were enjoying the feel of each other's hardness.
"You know that after saying something like that I'm going to want to make you see stars again, don't you," Michael finally said as they came up for air.
"I can go with that."
"Then let's get clean. I want it to be the best for you."
Within a few minutes they were back in each other's arms at the end of the bed. "See, I'm still pretty hard. Just thinking about having your cock in my mouth is all it takes."
Nate kissed him and said, "I'm right behind you."
"Is that behind me, or behind you… or your behind?" Michael asked as he pushed Nate down on the bed and slipped his hands under him to squeeze his buttocks. Nate just groaned.
A minute later Michael released Nate from his embrace and slid down, so he was kneeling between his legs that were draped off the end of the bed. He reached up and stroked and then tweaked Nate's nipples, then softly ran his fingertips down his chest and over his abs and into the top of his pubes, loving the sight of his now fully hard cock standing proud beginning to leak precum. With one hand he softly held the base of Nate's cock, moving it just so slightly up and down. Nate, anticipating what was about to happen had raised his feet off the floor, bringing his heels up to the mattress and exposing his pucker. Michael looked at it, deeply responding to the sight, and brought his other hand to his mouth and wet his middle fingertip. He softly touched Nate's anus with it, moving in slow circles. Then he pushed softly and felt it yield. Michael leaned forward and in one motion put his hands under Nate's knees, further lifting his legs in the air as he leaned forward and placed his tongue against it.
He felt his boyfriend shudder, but not resist or withdraw, so he began to circle it with his tongue, then push softly against it, feeling it finally yielding so that the tip of his tongue could slip in. He heard Nate groaning and felt his hips rock on the bed as he pushed and wiggled his tongue. Then as he heard the groans deepen, he withdrew, lowered Nate's legs and wet his middle finger again before he slipped it in and then took all of Nate's cock into his mouth.
The groan deepened yet again, this time accompanied by Nate's hands reaching out to slide into Michael's hair, stroke around and then pull him forward and down onto his cock. He suddenly realized something new. Nate wanted to be inside him. Yes, he was going with the blowjob, but he was pulling him onto himself in a new way, a way that Michael understood to be about depth and connection. He forced himself to focus on how to take all of him in, then to lick and suck Nate's cock as he drew back. He continued to massage his prostate and it was only a couple of minutes later that he felt Nate's knees come up in the air as he tensed to cum. When he came moments later, it was intense… five spurts that Michael consciously made sure he swallowed as he worked to highlight Nate's experience.
A minute later when he knew Nate was too sensitive for him to continue, he softly withdrew and lowered Nate's feet to the floor, and then moved up beside him, pulling him into a close embrace. Nate's breathing had slowed and a couple of minutes later when he was back to normal, he pulled Michael to him and whispered softly in his ear, "What was that?"
"Was it good?"
"It was amazing. What did you do?"
"I kissed and licked your pucker. It's called rimming. Did it feel good?"
"It blew my mind. How did you know?"
"I've read the book a couple of times. I've been studying up just for you."
"Jesus! That was something else. I had no idea it could feel like that, and then when I came, wow!"
"There was a lot tonight. It was great."
"You like my cum?"
"I love it. It's you. It tastes like you. It's you inside of me."
"You're an amazing lover, you know?"
"You seem satisfied with my work."
"If only you knew! You're going to have to give me a minute or two. I have plans for you, too."
"I can wait. I'm perfectly happy right now looking at your blissed out face."
Later after Nate had slowly blown Michael to a terrific climax and they'd cleaned up, they were laying in each other's arms under the sheet, slowly falling asleep together.
"You read ahead in the book just for me?" Nate whispered in Michael's ear.
"Well, yeah. I love you. You deserve it."
"I can't believe the way you make me feel, how much you care."
Michael softly kissed his cheek. As Nate nodded off, he found himself remembering what Michael had said. "It's you inside of me." He was initially impressed by the immensity of the statement but as he began to wonder about the implications, he was asleep before he could go any further.
Michael woke first the next morning and pulled Nate close into a warm spooning position. "Time to wake up, sunshine. There's shit to shovel."
Nate turned in his arms as was becoming his habit, accepted a hug and kissed Michael's neck.
"Okay. You first. I'm right behind you."
Michael's mom was cooking French toast and bacon when they walked into the kitchen. The aromas were overpowering and brought a smile to their faces. "I figured you'd need some extra energy this morning," she said.
They walked to the barn with Michael's dad who helped them hook the manure spreader to the three point hitch and connect the PTO drive shaft.
"Do you want me to drive Nate down in the truck?"
"No dad, we're good. We'll share the seat and Nate can get a sense of how it all works before he gets to drive it."
"Okay, but be careful. You know about farm equipment accidents." He paused and then looked at them both, finally resting his gaze on Nate. "I want you to promise me there won't be any heroics. Your hip has only had a few months to heal, so I don't want you doing lots of the mucking, do you understand?"
Nate smiled, "Yes, sir. I hear you. We talked about it, and Michael's up for doing most of the shoveling. I just want to do my share. You know, earn my keep."
"I can't argue with that, but I do not want to have a conversation with your mother about how you hurt yourself, understood?"
Nate nodded, and then Michael said, "No worries, Dad. If he hurts himself then we won't be able to go see The Matrix with Stew and Todd tonight."
"Why do I feel like I'm being set up?"
"You're not. We're just being responsible. You know, playing by the house rules and keeping you informed."
Michael's dad rolled his eyes and just said, "Okay. You should be back by lunch time. If not, I'm coming out to look for you."
The ride out was kind of a lark. They tried to straddle half of the seat on the tractor, but that didn't work, so Nate ended up sitting between Michael's legs on the little bit of seat that was available. The John Deere tractor was large enough that there was plenty of leg room, and Michael explained the shift pattern, the hi/low range shift and how to engage the power take off. They followed the route they normally did each day, with Michael explaining how fourth gear in high range allowed the tractor to roll along on the paved road in high gear, and then downshifted as they pulled into the pasture. Michael pulled up next to the biggest pile of cow manure and first they went to drain and refill the water tanks.
As they walked back to the tractor, Michael said, "Okay, boyfriend. Here's where you learn how to use a pitchfork!" Michael reached into the manure spreader and pulled out the two manure forks he'd place there and said, "The free-standing shit is in cow pies, like this." He slid the fork under a round pile the size of a dinner plate, lifted it up and then tossed it into the spreader. "I'm figuring you should do the cow pies, 'cause they'll be less stress to lift and throw. The harder stuff is what has to be mucked out where the cows have trampled it all into that sea of shit… like over there." He walked a few steps to what looked like a large carpet of manure nearer the water tank and inserted the fork, pulled a chunk loose, and then lifted it and tossed it into the spreader. "See what I mean? I'm good with doing this, and I don't want to hear any 'I've got to do my share' crap, alright? You heard dad… no injuries."
"I'm not going to argue. I'll go slow and make sure I'm lifting the weight on the leg that didn't have the surgery, like my PT told me, okay?"
They went to work and half an hour later had the spreader half full and the area around it cleared. "Okay, we need to pull the tractor forward thirty feet or so to do the rest. You're going to drive." He boosted Nate up to the seat and walked him through starting the tractor as he stood on the side step. "Now, first thing put in in low range. It'll be going so slow that literally nothing can go wrong." He grinned at Nate and watched him do it, then said, "Now shift the gear lever into 1 st , and then ease out the clutch and pull her forward."
Nate did with no problem and Michael said, "See, you've got it down after driving the Scout."
They went to work on the rest of the manure and then Michael said, "Okay, we're done with the first tank and it's time to spread. I'll drive it down and do the spreading and you drive it back." He got in the seat and gave Nate a hand up so he was sitting between his legs on the front of the seat. They pulled away slowly heading for the spreading area about half a mile away. It wasn't long before the throttle was set and there was nothing more to do but steer the tractor where they were heading. That's when Michael leaned forward and kissed the back of Nate's neck as he slipped his right hand under the front of his T-shirt and stroked his abdomen.
"Ohh! That feels nice. Is this always part of mucking manure?"
"Only when there's a good looking wrangler between my legs," was whispered softly into his ear and followed by a soft kiss.
Michael got serious when it was time to spread and explained how the spreader worked with a chain feed that moved down the bed and pushed the manure into the rotating blades at the rear that spread it out the back. "Don't be surprised if you get some on you."
"What?"
"Oh, yeah! The shit flies in all directions, but most goes out the back. Some will come this away, but it's all part of the program. If you get too shitty, I may make you take your smelly clothes off and ride home naked between my legs. What'a ya think?"
"I think you're a perv."
"Okay, but a perv that loves you. Can't beat that, right?"
He engaged the power take off and let out the clutch and simultaneously the tractor started moving forward and a thunking, whirling sound started in the spreader as the blades started to rotate. Nate turned to look and saw the manure start to be blown in a wside swath behind the spreader.
"You keep looking back at it and you'll get hit in the face when a chunk comes this way."
"You mean it's safer to look forward and rub my ass against your cock while you stroke my belly?"
"Yeah. That's exactly what I mean." Michael hugged him and shortly after reached down and disengaged the power take off, saying, "we need to turn around and spread the rest in the other direction. We'll probably have one more load from the other tank and we'll do the section off to the side with that."
When they got back to the tank, they pulled up to go to work and Michael asked how Nate's hip was feeling." It's fine. I've been careful like I told you I would."
"Good boy. You take instruction well! I'm going to dump this T-shirt. It's getting hot." They both did and admired each other's glistening torsos and then mucked the manure around the second tank.
When they got back to the barn, after parking and disconnecting the spreader, Michael pulled the tractor inside and they walked out to the water hydrant with a short hose. "Gotta wash off the boots, or mom won't let us near the house. See where that boot grease pays off?" Then when they got to the back porch he said, "Now, gotta dump all the clothes except your briefs." He grinned. "No shitty clothes in the house. Mom puts them straight into the washing machine." They stripped and then walked into the kitchen to see it was 11:30 and that Michael's mom was at work at the stove.
"I hear from your dad that you two are going to the movies tonight?"
"Yeah, we're going with Stew and Todd. He's gone out with Todd a couple of times, but he's not in GSA so I don't know if you know who he is."
"I think I'll need a last name, Michael." She looked at both of them. "Do I suppose you got a good workout and presume that Nate didn't do himself an injury."
"You presume correctly," Nate said. "I learned how to drive the tractor and muck manure. That's more than anyone else in my class at school can say about what they learned today."
"Good for you. By the way, the lady from the rodeo office called and you both got the jobs you were after. You start at 11:00 am on Monday, but you've got to be there early to fill out the forms since it's your first day. Now, you boys go get cleaned up and dressed, and I'll have lunch ready for you in twenty minutes."
After lunch Michael called Stew about the movie and then asked what Nate wanted to do for the afternoon. "We've got some money, so I'd say it's something for the Scout. Think we could find an FM radio at the auto parts store?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I'll split the cost with you. Let's go see. Maybe we can get it in this afternoon."
So, they did, and they were lucky to find an AM/FM radio that would fit the dashboard space in the Scout. Installing the radio was straight forward, but mounting the two speakers became a challenge, and they settled for temporarily mounting them under the dash on either side of the transmission hump after deciding that removing the door panels and wiring into the doors would be more than they could do in an afternoon.
Grandpa was pleased to learn about the upgrade to the radio over dinner, and then asked, "Since you got the manure spreading done today, are you two willing to help me next weekend? We need to put new planking on those small calf loafing sheds out behind my place. I'll order the planks from the sawmill if you're up for it."
Michael and Nate looked at each other and then Michael said, "Can you get the planks delivered on Wednesday so we can do it on Thursday? We're working on Friday and we're planning on going camping over Saturday with Stew and Todd."
Grandpa grinned. "Spreading your wings in the Scout, is that the idea?"
"Well, yeah! You gave us the rig, so it wouldn't be right not to use it, don't you think?"
"I'm not disagreeing, just commenting. I think you boys going camping is a swell idea. I'll call the mill Monday and see about a Wednesday delivery."
They met Stew and Todd at the theater, and all thought The Matrix was a totally cool sci-fi movie, exploring a completely new dimension of what could be. As they walked out of the theatre Michael said to Stew and Todd, "Want to take a ride to the Dairy Queen and get something to drink? We'll bring you back to your car afterwards."
They agreed and after they were all in the Scout Michael asked, "What's your favorite FM rock station?"
"What?"
"We've got a new radio. It was Nate's idea and we got it installed this afternoon. The speaker mounting is kind of funky for now, but it sounds a lot better than the AM and the old speaker.
They checked out different stations and settled on KINK 102.9 out of Portland, and headed to the drive in.
"Much better sounds," from Todd in the back seat. He went on, "I tested the waters with my parents about camping next Saturday, and they seemed okay with the idea because it was your idea, Michael."
"Far out. We haven't brought it up yet, but my parents will be cool. Stew, have you?"
"No, that's on the list for tomorrow. I did pull out the tent and sleeping pads, though, and they're in good shape. I'm sure it'll be cool."
They were all home before midnight, and Michael and Nate felt the physical exertion of the morning catching up with them on the drive home. They happily fell asleep in each other's arms, sex not being a requirement.
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