Page 30 of The Grumpy Vet
"It was," I agree with a sigh, not wanting it to be over already.
Linus pulls back, a wicked smirk curling the corner of his mouth, and as if he was inside my head, he says, "There is actually something else we can do."
8
Linus
I crouch down near the coop, clicking my tongue as my pride and joy struts over. "He’s a beauty, isn’t he?" I say proudly, giving Cluck Norris a scratch under his chin as he lets out a contented cluck.
Some blokes out here show off their utes, or their dogs, or their collections of beer cans—for me, it's my roosters. Everyone warned me I’d never be able to breed a winner, that the heat was too much, or that the foxes would get ’em. But looking at Cluck Norris—standing tall and proud, his feathers glossy and shimmering with hints of green and blue in the late afternoon sun, I take great satisfaction in having proved everyone wrong. He's won The Great Scuttlebutt Strut & Crow-Off the last three years in a row, thank you very much.
"He's a beauty," Dario says, and Ryde nods in agreement. "Look at the size of him."
"You should hear his bloody crow, too. Good thing the next-door neighbour is a good distance away."
I stand up and point out the rest of my brood by name—Cracker, Sunny, Elvis, The Man, and James.
"You should be very proud of yourself," Ryde says, smiling warmly at me before turning his gaze to the setup I've got out here.
"It's not much," I say, getting self-conscious as he takes in the space. I wish I had the funds to give my brood the royal castle they deserve, but unfortunately I don't. The pen leans slightly to one side, its old wire patched up with whatever scraps of fencing were handy at the time. The tin sheets on the roof clatter when it gets windy, but it keeps the worst of the heat off the roosters. "But it gets the job done."
"Don't be so modest." Dario walks up next to me, flicking me across the chest. "That's like saying you sucking both of our cocks at oncegot the job done." There's a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "You did more than get the job done on that front, believe me."
"Believeus." Ryde steps in closer as well. "Best blowjob of my life."
I can't help the cocky grin that springs to life on my lips or the way my chest naturally puffs out a little. "You serious?"
"Yeah. I'm serious. You've gotskills."
I chuckle and swipe a hand through my hair. "Thanks for saying that. It's, uh, been a while. Was worried I might be a bit rusty."
"You weren't," Ryde assures me, flicking his blue eyes up to me. "You were fantastic."
"How long is a while?" Dario asks, about to lean against the fence but, after taking a closer look at it, deciding against it. Smart move.
"Gee…" I scratch my chin, thinking back to the last time I got laid. "A few…years, I suppose."
"Years?!" they bellow in unison.
"Well, yeah. Look around. Scuttlebutt isn't exactly teeming with eligible gay bachelors. My social circle consists of the guys at the clinic, and they're all taken."
"Have you ever done anything with any of them?" Dario asks. He doesn't have a filter, this one. I admire that about him.
I shake my head. "No way. The crew are more like brothers. Annoying brothers who don't ever shut up."
Dario persists. "Is thereanyoneat the clinic you've had an eye on, for, oh, I don't know, say the last two years?"
There's absolutely nothing subtle about what he's implying. I peer over at Ryde who meets my gaze for a brief moment before quickly turning away, suddenly fascinated by Cracker snatchinga bite from James even though there's plenty of grain to go around.
The truth of the matter isn't very complicated at all. Yes, I've had my eye on someone, and I'm pretty sure that certain someone has had his eye on me, too. But I've downplayed my attraction to my best mate's son for a number of reasons, starting with…oh, I don't know, how about the fact that he's my best mate's son.
Not to mention my employee.
Not to mention fourteen years younger than me.
So while the truth may be a simple one—yes, Ryde has caught my eye—the reality around it is complex.
Fraught with danger.
