Spark, Stace, and Casa have been best buddies since their high school rodeo days. Now they work for a very special guest ranch that caters to gay men who need a break and escape from their high stress fast lane lives. Rainbow Ranch has a reputation for providing precisely the Wild West adventures each guest needs and desires with the cowboys of their hottest dreams. Casa is worried when he sees Stace and Spark have found special partners in guests who’ve visited the ranch the past few months. He hates to be the only one left, but he doesn’t think that will work for him. He’s carried a secret torch for his boss way too long to change now. When Jason is hurt in a rodeo accident, Casa is the one who steps in to help and keep things going while Jason recovers. Having dealt life long with prejudice because he is Latino, Casa is afraid to let the other man know. Will matters be taken out of his hands? Jason has realized his dream of a dude ranch for gays. Will this end when his head wranglers hook up with guests, leaving him alone? But Casa, who has always been his secret favorite, steps in to help when Jason is injured and shows no inclination to hook up with a guest and withdraw. Instead, he makes himself almost indispensible. Does he have a hidden motive? Unbeknownst to Jason, Stace’s new partner Jared bears a striking resemblance to him, which makes the three cowboys wonder. Is there some connection and maybe bad blood between the two men? In an effort to bring the two face to face, the cowboys engineer a barbeque, unsure whether the result will be terrific or terrible.

The Wild Bunch: Casa

Santa Madre, por favor, I may only be a dumb cowboy and a sinner, but I’m askin’ this for more than just myself. Please do it for us all, especially Jason.


The day of the barbeque dawned clear and warm. Since the festivities did not get underway until noon, Stace and Spark had slipped off to Las Cruces and the Double-D to collect their new partners, trying to make things look as if there was nothing unusual about the day. Of course, Dough Boy’s kitchen hummed with activity, but then he often fixed a special meal on Sunday or made up dishes to freeze or save for later in the week. If Jason noticed, he chose not to say anything. Casa went through his chores on pins and needles, wanting badly to say something, but scared he’d mess things up. Damn Stace anyway for this ass-dumb idea!


Chapter 12