"It came online okay yesterday and there's nothing to indicate there's a break anywhere. An alarm would have sounded on the panel," Wendy assured.
"I know, but still. It's new to me and I don’t know if I trust it yet."
"How many acres do you have?" Luke asked.
"Two hundred and sixty thousand divided into eleven pastures."
Luke whistled low. "You electrified it all? Must have cost a fortune."
"We only did the perimeter fences and had a special monitoring panel put in, but yeah, it was a small fortune. It took a team of twenty-five men two and a half months to install. We finished yesterday and did all the testing."
"Why? Why go to all that trouble?" Luke had a puzzled expression on his face.
"Feral cats or foxes, they've been picking off the younger cattle. Didn't matter where I moved them to, the cats or foxes got them. It was either electrify or build the world's biggest fucking barn."
Luke burst into laughter and the sound sent a message straight to my cock, causing it to jump around in my jeans. Fuck, I was going to have to learn how to keep the damn rod under control.
"I couldn't risk Dufus being loose so he's been holed up in the barn at night and in the small house yard during the day. He's been grumbling like his best friend died. He has an eye for the ladies, and when he's turned out, there's only the fence separating him from them. He spends his time parading up and down showing off to them. He misses not being able to do that," I explained.
"Poor Dufus, it's not easy when the object of your obsession is out of sight."
Hmm, again with the innuendo. Luke's eyes were riveted on mine, I swallowed hard and glanced away. "Yeah, well, Dufus is a very expensive prized bull and I can't risk him. More than half the cows and heifers we put to him last year bore twins."
"Nice way to increase the herd," Luke said.
"It is, but tell me…How is it a lawyer, and the son of a lawyer, is suddenly interested in farms and horse breeding?"
"I read a lot, the lifestyle appeals to me." Luke's eyes became hooded. "Blue skies which go on forever, peace and quiet, fresh air." He opened them wide. "And, the kind of people I like to be around."
"Not so quiet when the cattle get grumpy over something, but for the most part what you say is true. I can't imagine doing anything else."
"One day I'll have my own place," Luke mused. "I'll be able to stay away from the towns, the cities, people, and have the solitude I crave."
What are you running from Luke? Why do you have a need to hide from the rest of the world? I had no right to criticise, wasn't it what I was doing…Hiding?
CHAPTER THREE
LUKE
The evening spent with Kyle and Wendy was both informative and pleasant. They made me feel welcome, and by the end of the night, I felt more relaxed and happier than I had in years. Wendy was naturally curious, and someone I would have to be careful around. She seemed very protective of her boss and I wasn't ready to open up to her and Kyle yet.
After dinner we'd sat around chatting over a glass of port and it was still early for me when they called it a night. I'd never been a cowboy, I was used to long days of work and even longer nights of partying. I was happy knowing those days were now behind me.
After wishing Wendy goodnight, Kyle accompanied me upstairs to the door of my room. It was difficult to stand there and watch the man I wanted so badly walk away. There were some positives though. I got a good view of his arse which was nicely molded by his jeans. It caused my cock to dance with excitement.
I spent the night reflecting on how my life was finally going in a direction I wanted, at least I hoped it was. Being under the same roof as Kyle was certainly a good start.
It was 5am when the sun poked its head over the horizon and rays peeked through the gap in the curtains, warming my face. I gave up all hope of sleeping and climbed from the bed. Standing naked, I stretched as far as my injuries would allow and worked the kinks from my muscles. Despite only having had a couple of hours sleep, I didn't feel at all tired. I padded to the bathroom door and listened for any sound from the other side. A clue that Kyle could be in there. It was silent so I pushed on the handle and stepped inside. I turned on the taps and while the water warmed, took the time to relieve myself.