Chapter 12

Dan listened to each horse’s heart and lungs and checked their eyes, teeth, and general condition. He did flexion tests on all the leg joints and trotted the horses in circles on a lunge line to check for soundness. Then he checked their hearts and lungs again after exercise.

Dan drew blood, explaining that it would be kept on file at the clinic for at least sixty days after the exam, so that if the horses’ behavior or soundness changed dramatically after purchase, the blood sample could be tested for drugs.

“Sometimes even reputable sellers can do things to make horses appear what they aren’t,” Dan told Scott.

Because of their ages, Dan recommended X-rays as both horses had shown signs of minimal arthritis. By the time this was finished, over two hours had gone by.

As they began putting the horses back in their stalls, Scott asked, “Well, what do you think, doc? Should I buy ‘em?”

“Normally we don’t pass or fail a horse in a pre-purchase exam. We just provide you with information about the horse’s condition, and it’s up to you to decide whether to purchase the animal. These guys aren’t spring chickens and they both are mildly arthritic, but all in all they are in very good shape. With careful management they should do fine for your girls. You might want to have their teeth checked in a month or two.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Scott said.

Dan began to retrieve his equipment when a pretty young woman came into the barn.

“Hey, Rachel,” Scott said in greeting.

“Hi, Scott,” she replied.

“Rachel, this is Dr. Parker. He just did the vet check on Shadow and Sugar. Looks like this is gonna be their new home.”

Rachel beamed. “That’s good news. I was hoping they’d pass. The girls will be so excited.”

“Dr. Parker, Rachel will take care of the horses for us. I sometimes work pretty long hours, and until the family moves into the house we need someone to look after them.”

The horses were both nickering.

“Speaking of that, I better feed these guys before they bust down the stall doors. It was nice to meet you, Dr. Parker,” Rachel said.

Scott helped Dan carry his equipment out to his truck. For some reason, despite the late hour and the long drive he had ahead of him, Dan was reluctant to bring his time with Scott to an end. Dan was therefore only mildly surprised to find himself asking, “On the phone you said you were wallowing in something. Care to tell me what that was?”

Scott laughed. “I’m an environmental engineer. I study the environmental impact humans have on the planet. There’s a rare species of salamander that’s being threatened by industrial waste from a plant upriver. I was slogging around, balls deep in the marshes, trying to figure out a way to contain the waste and save these little guys.”

Dan was impressed—not only with Scott’s profession, but with the man himself. He was hesitant to say goodbye. On the drive home he realized that for the entire time he’d been at the farm with Scott, he hadn’t thought of Rocky once, despite the fact that Rocky had occupied his thoughts all week. 4

The end of the week came and Dan had still not heard from Rocky. Disappointed and confused, he decided he’d go into town in hopes he would see Rocky at the bar again. As Dan drove into the city he tried to convince himself there was a reasonable explanation for why Rocky hadn’t called. After all they’d shared and said to one another, there just had to be.

Dan walked into The Flame. He stood for a moment just inside the door, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light. He slowly made his way toward the bar looking right and left.

“If you’re looking for Rocky you just missed him,” someone said sitting at a table near the hardwood dance floor.

Dan turned to see who it was, and saw the young man that Rocky had introduced him to last week. “Uh…Wesley, right?” Dan asked.

“Yes.”

“Rocky was here?”

Wesley sighed. “Yep, he found his gar?on de jourand left.”

Dan felt like he’d been punched in the stomach.

Wesley must have noticed it because he said, “Sit down.”

Dan did.

“So, you fell for it, too,” Wesley said.

“What do you mean?”

“Rocky’s famous one-liners.” Wesley then ticked off the words that had meant so much to Dan just a week ago in a voice of mock emotion. “Do you want me to just fuck you or make love to you? I care about you. You’re special. I’ve never felt like this about anyone, I can’t wait until we don’t need a condom, then nothing will separate us.”

Dan closed his eyes. He suddenly felt stupid. How could he have been such a fool? Well, he knew the answer to that. It had been his first foray into the world of gay sex. With it had come his realization that men were where his heart lay. It was his naiveté as to how things in the gay world worked. He looked at Wesley.