Pardo looked at the spent boy, curled up at the feet of the rank horse Thunder. This boy did what cowboys couldn't do and a few wouldn't do.

Now Thunder stood next to the boy, almost protectively. He knew he'd been ridden. He knew who rode him, but Pardo was certain he was dreaming about the kid and his exploits. He'd wake up soon.

A tenderfoot didn't ride the likes of Thunder, not on his best day. It had to be a dream, but he'd play his role.

Pardo picked up the kid and carried him into the chow hall. Cookie came out of the kitchen when he heard the door close. He walked up to Pardo as he was putting Potee on the couch next to the wall at the front of the room.

He felt even lighter than the day he let him ride behind him on Topper. It seemed like that was ages ago. Time has little meaning on a ranch where the work never stops.

"He dead?" Cookie asked.

"No, I think he's had enough horse back riding for today. I wouldn't want to be him tomorrow. He'll be lucky if he can walk."

"I knew that sidewinder Wrangler was up to no good," Cookie said. "What's Del going to say when you tell him the black stallion belongs to his dish washer."

"Those cowboys aren't going to let Wrangler welch on the deal he made with Potee. What makes you think I'm going to tell him?"

"Rowdy sure ain't going to tell him when he finds out. You do his dirty work. You'll tell Del Wrangler gave the stallion to the kid."

"My name is Potee," Potee mumbled to no one in particular.

"Yeah, I see your point. Del won't let Wrangler welch either. He was aiming on selling Thunder last I heard."

"Was is the key word in that sentence, Pardo."

*****

Cows need tending. Cowboys do the tending. It's a good idea to have your cowboys keeping an eye on his cows, and Del, owner of the Lazy R, kept an eye on his cowboys, which was an even better idea.

When Del was away doing business, and he had been for several weeks, he knew he had some catching up to do on the ranch. If he did pay attention, cows and cowboys could get out of hand.

The first thing to do when he got back, was see what Cookie needed, wanted, and what he had tell him about what went on in his absence.

Naturally, once he got to the house, he took a walk to the chow hall.

That's the first time Del saw the kid. He looked around for Cookie, but only the kid was in the kitchen.

Who was he? He hadn't been gone that long.

"I'm Del. Who are you, and where's Cookie?"

"He said he needed to visit the shitter," Potee said. "Who the hell are you? A bit old for a cowboy, ain't you?"

"I like to think not. I'm Del Champion, owner of the Lazy R, and you are?"

"I are screwed. I meant no disrespect, Sir. Cowboys seem to be rude, and I give as good as I get. I meant no disrespect. I am Potee, I used to be Cookie's dishwasher," Potee said, not bothering to take his hands out of the soapy water to shake on it.

"No, kid, you're all right."

"The name is Potee," Potee said.

"Yeah, are you on the payroll? I don't recall no Potee."

"I don't know. I get fed. I got a bunk in the bunkhouse. Way more an I had when I got here," Potee explained. "I'd take pay if you was to give me some, but eating regular is keeps me working."

"Well, Potee, this is a cattle ranch and cowboys are rude. I'll give you that. Just call me Del, everyone does. When Cookie gets back from the business he's attending to, tell him I'm back and I'll be over at the house. I'd like a word with him. We'll need to decide what I'm paying you. Food is one thing. A man works for me, he gets fair pay."

"Yes, Sir," Potee said. "I'll tell Cookie what you said."

"Just Del, Son. My father's been dead for years. He was sir."

Potee passed the hurdles put in front of him. He may have looked scrawny, but he had balls big enough to operate around cowboys. They'd seen him operate, and few didn't approve of the kid after seeing him in action.

It took a few weeks or so for cowboys to get around to making him the punch line in one of their less than practical joke for their amusement. A new man always got some kind of trick played on him. His reaction was key to if he'd be accepted or ignored by the rest of the cowboys on the Lazy R.

Del was powerless to stop such activity. He forbid it. He'd threatened to fire any man engaged in such activities, and in the end, he let it go for fear of running more cowboys off than the new guy, who might not work out.

Cookie told Del about Thunder a week after Del met the kid.

"That skinny kid of yours did what my cowboys couldn't do?"

"Pardo knows more about it than I do. I saw him after the ride. Wrangler and Slip were behind it. The kid rode Thunder and it's his horse now. That was the deal they made if he rode Thunder."

"Aren't they aware that I own Thunder and giving him to that kid is a kin to horse theft. Didn't they once hang horse thieves? You think I could get away with hanging Wrangler and Slip? They're more trouble than they're worth."

"You could, but then there's the law to consider. At one time you might could have gotten a commendation for hanging two sidewinders like those, but this ain't that time. They're worthless, but in a pinch, they fill the gaps and hold the line. They're both good cowboys, if a little slow on the thinking end."

"Yeah, I guess your right. I'd have liked it a lot better if you said, I'll get you a rope."

Cookie laughed.

"Getting a rope would make me an accessory, Del."

"I guess I'll let them off one more time. Have Pardo speak to me about Thunder. He knows the players better than I do. If the deal was that the kid got the horse if he rode him, it's his horse now, but I need to take it out of someone's pay. I sold that horse to the rodeo on account no one could ride him. They give me $500.00 for a suitable bucking bronco. From what you tell me, the kid took the buck out of that bronco, and the bucks will come out of Wrangler's pay. He's the one who leads Slip around. I know that much."

Everyone knew what Del would say, and Wrangler knew he'd end up paying for the practical joke that went off the rails. He didn't expect the price to be so high, and that might make him think twice before pulling another joke on someone.

While what Potee did was no fun to watch for Pardo, it did one thing no one expected. Potee won the respect of every man on the Lazy R. The kid was cowboy tough. He wouldn't quit, and that's something cowboys respect. The kid might have been a kid, but he stood pretty tall in the eyes of the Lazy R cowboys.

Cookie was the one who worried about Potee the next day, when he could hardly walk. Leaning over the sink gave him something to hang onto, but he looked pathetic.

"I couldn't climb up into my bunk last night. I slept on the floor. Made me a bit stiff this morning," Potee said, holding onto the sink.

"You let that horse kick you in the head, Potee," Pardo said. "You'd be lucky to be able to walk today."

"Walk isn't what I'd call it. More like a crawl I do on my feet. It hurts when I blink."

"Can't help you with that. I got some lineament I'll have Pardo apply whenever he comes in to go up to his room. You going to be OK or do you need to go lie down in the bunkhouse."

"I'll work. I'd rather stand here and do something rather than go over there and do nothing," Potee said.

*****

Potee owned his own horse. He'd ride it as a dishwasher. He'd ride once he became a cowboy. He'd ride it for two decades to come. After that the road became unclear. Potee was his own man and he had his own plan. At the time he took possession of Thunder, it was the only thing he had but the clothes on his back.

He now owned a rather expensive cow pony. He'd take time to go see his horse every day and he'd ride him on most days, after he got the hang of walking again. That was a problem and Cookie had the solution. It wasn't a cure but it would help his sore muscles.

One of the cowboys came into the chow hall looking for a sandwich, a donut, anything to hold him over to lunch.

"Roscoe, I'll make you a beautiful ham sandwich, but once you leave here, you got to go get Pardo. Tell him I need him at the chow hall right away," Cookie said.

Roscoe left with a sandwich, while trying to remember what he was to tell Pardo.

"Cookie said he needs you at the chow hall," Roscoe said.

"What is it? He knows we're busy out here. Is it the kid?"

"Yeah, it's something about the kid. Don't remember what."

Pardo was sure Potee had something wrong from the day before. He wanted to run him into Doc Sanders, but Potee just wanted to get off his feet. Pardo let him. He said he was OK.

Topper skidded to a stop in front of the chow hall and Pardo went running inside. Cookie was standing by the coffee pot at the front of the dining area.

"Where is he?" Pardo asked.

"He who? Oh, the kid. He's back there washing dishes."

"What's the emergency?" Pardo said.

"Emergency. No emergency. You need to put some lineament on that boy. He's a miserable mess, Pardo."

"That's why you called me in?" Pardo asked.

"Yeah, you got all those cowboys out there. You need to let them do a little of the work. I got to do dishes if he collapses on me. It was your cowboys got him in the shape he's in. I expect you to help."

Pardo calmed down. There wasn't anything to do that couldn't be done tomorrow, and since he'd ridden all the way back to the chow hall, he may as well attend to Potee, and maybe he'd be fit for duty in a day or two.

I got the bottle of Lineament I used to put on Gunner after he spent a day breaking horses. He had the good sense to stay on one until it was broke. Take the kid upstairs, put him in your shower. As hot as he can stand it. Once he's done that for ten minutes, put this here lineament on him. All the places it hurts, and by the sound of him, it hurts every place."

"And you ain't doing it why?"

"Gunner was a growed man. He knew what was coming, and he knew it was the best thing for him. The kid ain't growed and I got lunch and dinner to fix. I never saw Gunner until after dinner. This should have been done last night. He's your kid. You do it. Tell him it's for his own good if it gets to hurting him too much. I like to have him back tonight to wash pots and pans if possible."

"Kid, come on upstairs with me. We got work to do," Pardo said.

"My name is Potee."

"Oh, come on. The sooner we get started the sooner I can get back to attending the business I'm paid to do."

"You sure have it tough," Potee said, wiping his hands off and drying them on a dishtowel.

"I'll be back," Potee said.

"Where have I heard that before?" Cookie said.

Potee followed Pardo up the back stairs and into his room.

"Get in the shower. Hot as you can take it," Pardo said, while reading the label on the lineament bottle.

When he turned around Potee stood naked beside him.

"No, my mama didn't give me any toys and that's not the half of it if someone whistles Dixie on it," Potee said.

"You're the shy type I see," Pardo said with a chuckle.

"Being shy don't feed the bulldog," Potee said.

"The bulldog?" Pardo asked.

"My dick is the bulldog. I can do it myself. I prefer help."

"I can see you have led a sheltered life. Be careful with that thing, you could put someone's eye out with it."

"It ain't bit no one yet," Potee remembered to say.

Pardo laughed. The kid had balls. The kid had very big balls. His body wasn't as scrawny as he looked. He wasn't muscular but all the right lines were in the right places.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," Potee said. "Am I taking a shower or is this show and tell time?"

"Cookie says hot as you can stand it. Bottle doesn't say, but Cookie used to put this stuff on Gunner. He broke horses for us."

"Where's Gunner?" Potee asked.

"Broke his arm. He's been out of commission for a while. You want to try out for his job. He ain't got no more sense than you got. You'd probably enjoy breaking your arm."

"In the case of breaking horses, one's enough for me. I ain't that stupid. Can he go wild again? If I don't ride him, can he go wild again? Go back to bucking me off?"

"Nah, once one is broke, unless you put him out with other wild horses, it pretty much sticks. Once they got a cowboy of their own, a horse will do pretty much anything for you," Pardo said.

"Can I get him to make me feel like I'm not a walking boil."

"He'll do pretty much anything but that. Get in the shower. We can be up here all day," Pardo says.

"What happens if we are up here all day?" Potee asked.

"Nothing happens. What's that mean?"

"You worry a lot, Pardo. Other than that, you're OK."

"I know, I ain't your mama," Pardo said in the kids voice.

"I said that to you?" Potee asked.

"Among other things."

"Sorry, I was under duress."

"You're forgiven. I was only trying to look out for you, kid."

"I know, Pardo. I had to do that and you'd have stopped me."

"Yeah, probably would have, but you did what you had to do, and I don't got much to say about what anyone else decides to do."

Potee left the door of the bathroom open. He leaned over the faucet and adjusted the water. Pardo didn't miss the shape of his ass and the little twinge of guilt for thinking what he was thinking. Just how reckless is Potee. He couldn't be that reckless. He was a kid. A very nice looking kid who was sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen if he just had a birthday.

Potee stayed in the shower for longer than ten minutes. Pardo sat on the bed watching the shower curtain, until he stepped out. He dried himself off, tossing the towel in the corner, and he came out to stand beside Pardo.

"Where, what, how?"

"Face down. Stay on this side of the bed. This stuff is potent if the smell tells you anything," Pardo said.

He started at the shoulders and Potee moaned and groaned as he used his strong cowboy fingers to dig into Potee's limited muscle. Once he got to his lower back, making him moan louder. He skipped over what was a shapely butt, to message the back of his legs, working his way down to the feet.

"I fell on my butt a few times. It hurts too," Potee said. "Sorry. May as well take care of it while you're back there."

"You could get yourself in trouble telling a cowboy that."

"I been in trouble before. It's usually no big deal," Potee said.

It was tempting to linger behind the lad for longer than it actually took. He did try to be careful not to get the lineament anywhere near vital parts that would react badly to the liquid.

"OK, turn over. Let's do the front," Potee turned over and Pardo immediately saw the kid was telling the truth. Without whistling Dixie he dick was hard as rock and stood out from his thin frame."

"It don't bite. I've had more than one guy put lotion on me there. Usually after a nice long lingering rubdown."

"You are full of surprises. I put some of this stuff on your dick, and you'd be out of commission for I don't know how long."

"You ain't got no other lotion. Now that it's standing up there, be ashamed not to fire it."

Potee now watched Pardo's eyes. He'd seen guys look at him the way Pardo did. It meant they wouldn't mind giving him a try."

As sore as he was. He wasn't sure he shouldn't take a rain check on it and come back another day for the full Monty, but when you got to go, you got to go. He hadn't been down this road in a while. He liked Pardo. He'd like to go down any road he could with him. He'd been nice, worried about him, and now he was doing something that he never thought he'd do, and there were other things to do that Potee thought he might not mind doing.

His dick made a slapping sound as Pardo moved him in a way that had his dick make sudden moves. It was thick, red, and just short of passing the point of no return. He could hold back. He would, because he still wasn't sure Pardo was going to go for the bait. Potee really didn't know Pardo that well. He'd like to change it.

"I used to hitchhike to the movies and back on Saturday afternoon. One day a man picked me up and he asked me where I was going. I told him and he was kind of quiet for a time. I saw him taking glances at me out of the corner of his eye.

He finally said, 'I live close by. If you want to stop over. We can go to my place."

"I'd already looked him over and I decided, when he asked, I'd go home with him to see how it would turn out. He said he liked massaging young men, and would I like a massage. I would, I said. I did want a massage, and inevitably my dick stood out from all my other muscles, and he couldn't take his eyes off of it. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't say, 'Go ahead. You can massage it.'"

"You are a bold boy," Pardo said. "I used to hitchhike. When I was in junior high, I got in with a kid I recognized from around the neighborhood. He went to the high school. He joked and we laughed and we were talking sports when he said, "Can I blow you?"

"I didn't know what to say. It came as a surprise, but it didn't bother me that he wanted to do that to me. I'd heard about boys who did. Usually they didn't belong with regular guys, but this guy was a regular guy, you know. Looked just like he should."

"What happened?"

"He showed me where he lived. It was two blocks away. I used to go to his house two or three times a week. I was always horny. It was a very direct thing. He'd take me to his room no matter who was in the house. He'd blow me and I'd go home. He wasn't that good at it at first. He had too many teeth, but I guess he was practicing, and it seemed to get better and better as I grew up."

"You've been around, Pardo," Potee said. "I been there too. You are my hero, you know, Pardo?"

"I didn't. Glad you told me. I don't feel that heroic most days."

Pardo's hands were between Potee's legs, up near his shiny balls. He let the back of his hand brush the sack. Potee made a soft sound.

"Got that other lotion? I can do it on myself. I've got to cum."

"Almost done here. I'll get it for you in a minute."

Potee didn't know where it was going. He hoped for a hand, but he would do it himself now that Pardo had his hands all over him. It wouldn't take much to get off. He didn't want Pardo to think he was a bit quick on the trigger. It's just that there were times he had to cum more than he ever needed anything, and he came quick, but he came often, as one fellow said.

Pardo was in the bathroom for a few minutes. He washed his hands and carried a bottle of hand lotion back to the bed. He sat down beside Potee, looking into his eyes.

"I haven't done anything like this in a while. Don't expect a lot. You're young, and that's a bother. There's a point when I guy is ready to become sexual, like you and me, there are plenty of people out there who are more than happy to help us out, but you are young."

"I been sexual since I was twelve. Nothing you can do I haven't already done, Pardo. I want to do this more than I wanted to do anything. Do you understand that? I like you. I want you."

"Let's take it slow. I'm not as sure as you seem to be."

"Give me the lotion. I'll get it started. It's not going to take long."

Potee began with the well shaped head and his fingers circled its tip. The pinkish prouder became reddish as he worked it in slow motion. It responded as though the stimulation had aroused its deepest desires that grew with the motion of his hand.

Potee needed to let up. He didn't want to cum right away. It might ruin the mood, as Pardo watched him bring himself closer to a satisfying outcome.

With his free hand, Potee took Pardo's wrist and brought it toward the prize. Pardo relaxed. He could do this. He wanted to do this. He hadn't seen this coming as a possibility, but he was glad it did. It had been too long since he'd been sexual with anyone but himself. It was fine, but the way his heart was beating and his dick was throbbing, few things made him feel this aroused.

He copied Potee's motion. The dick was soft and hard. It thickened and lengthened with the aid of Pardo's stimulating hand. Each swirl around the shaft got a throb out of Potee's dick. His hips began to roll as he pushed and eased it in and out of Pardo's hand. He used his free hand to cradle his balls that were the size of hen's eggs. They moved easily in the sac. The first sign of fluid appeared at the tip of Potee's dick in two or three minutes. His motion increased. The sound in his throat was husky and low like a man ready to blow his brains out.

Pardo bent to lick the pearl of liquid from the wide open slit on Potee's dick head. The boy moaned and he put his hand on Pardo's. He wanted to feel the man feeling him.

As Potee reached the edge of ecstasy, with Pardo now standing beside the bed, the boys hand slid down Pardo's zipper and brought out a too stiff dick that was as close to firing as his was. His mouth took the head and sank down on the shaft as Pardo began to cum. Potee sucked and he was cumming, and the hand with magic fingers had him releasing all the pent up frustration and uncertainty he'd been fighting to overcome forever.

Pardo was his hero and what Potee wanted to do to him all along was being done. It was more glorious than anything he'd ever done. The cowboy was a stud and he gave as good as he got, because that's what cowboys did, and they did it together.

Pardo lay close to Potee. He couldn't possibly stand after being taken to the moon and back. He wanted to go to the stars, but he'd pumped out all the energy and desire he had for the time being.

Potee kissed his neck, his cheeks, his mouth, and the kisses lingered. Pardo was swept away in a building river of love. They flowed together in the currents of desire that rarely ran this hot. Kissing, touching, loving, and the feel of having a man in his arms.

"Are you OK. I'm not hurting you," Pardo said with alarm. "I forgot about why we came up here in the first place."

"I didn't forget why I came up here. I came for you, Pardo. The hurt is nothing compared to what I feel for you. I'm fine. How are you Pardo?" Potee asked.

"Sorry I waited so long to do this," Pardo confessed.

"I waited just the right length of time to do this with you," Potee said, kissing Pardo again. "When I came up here. I didn't have anywhere to go. Riding behind you on Topper was a thrill of a lifetime. It has gotten better every day. I want to be a cowboy, Pardo. I want to be your cowboy."

How could being handed a bottle of lineament end up like this? Life had thrown Pardo a lot of curves. He settled for a lot less than he started out wanting. His life was good. Potee made it better.

Potee finally dressed and left Pardo naked on the bed when it was time for Cookie to be finishing with dinner. Pardo watched him dress. He felt as good as he ever felt. It wasn't his idea, and he should have said no, but he couldn't think of a good reason why.

When Pardo appeared in the chow hall, he thought all the cowboys who looked up knew what he'd been up to. He went to the table where he usually sat, and Potee was there in a minute with his dinner.

Potee didn't bring a plate, because he had work to do for Cookie. Then, Potee and Pardo stayed late. They were loading the chuck wagon. They'd be out with the cowboys for the next four days.

It was roundup and the food had to come to the cowboys. Roundup went a lot better that way. Potee found out a lot more about serving meals to cowboys who brought their tin plates and tin cups with them. It was part of their equipment, only used during roundup.

Pardo was suffering from the opposite problem. Del had him running errands to get the supplies other cowboys took out to the roundup. He didn't see Potee all week. He wanted to see him. Even at the roundup, there were plenty of places to find a few minutes of privacy. At this point, it would only take a minute, but he had no reason to go out. Del went out once he sent Pardo on his way.

It was dark when he got back to the ranch. He checked the kitchen. All the lights were out and the kitchen was empty. Pardo was miserable. He wanted to see Potee, even at a distance would be nice.

He finally fell asleep, only to be woke by someone knocking on his door. He staggered to the door without waking up, but once he arrived there, his wake up call came.

As quick as he started to open the door, Potee pushed threw it and he grabbed Potee and began kissing him. They made love in front of the door Pardo kicked shut with his foot.

"I came over earlier. You weren't here. I browbeat Cookie into letting me come back tonight. He'll come in after breakfast tomorrow. He said he didn't really need me for breakfast. I'll be busy for two days cleaning up all the dirty pots and pans. I wanted to get to you before Cookie gets back."

"Del has been running me all over God's Little Acre. I went to bed as soon as I came in. I ate at Taco Bell on the way back."

"Don't make me go sleep in the bunkhouse. Do you know what it sounds like with ten guys snoring and five guys talking in their sleep?"

"I've only had a room of my own for a few years. I slept over there. I know what it sounds like."

"Get your stuff tomorrow. You can live here with me."

"Do you mean it? I'll do your laundry, make your bed, and clean the bathroom," Potee promised.

"I've got a lot bigger plans for you, Potee. You're going to be too busy to clean anything," Pardo said, kissing the boy who had become a man right in front of his eyes.