Brian finds something else exciting besides a certain blond. An unexpected visitor surprises Brian and Justin.

One Hour Later - Stables...

Brian wiped the perspiration off his brow as he and Justin finally reached the spot they wanted, allowing them to release the metal contraption down onto the ground near the stables. Even though the apparatus was fairly lightweight, the day was unusually warm for early summer, and the air was hot and stagnant. "Why did I agree to do this again?" he groused, peering over at the younger boy. "And why am I sweating like Niagara Falls, while you look fresh as a fucking daisy?" Feeling like an oven, he unbuttoned his cotton shirt and hurriedly removed it, using it to wipe his brow. He stopped before he threw it down on the ground as he noticed the look of admiration on Justin's face; if not an outright leer. He smirked as the blond's eyes immediately averted downward, and an attractive, rosy hue appeared on his cheeks. He grinned. Perhaps there were some perks to being hot after all - in more ways than one, he thought. "Maybe I like being hot after all," he murmured out loud, verbalizing his thoughts as Justin finally lifted his eyes to peer over at him, turning even redder in the face as he realized he had been caught. "But it still doesn't explain why you apparently don't sweat at all."

Justin rolled his eyes then. "You know that's not true," he stated. "I just...perspire more slowly," he decided as Brian snorted. He peered down at their cargo. "You sure you can fix this?"

Brian huffed in indignation. "This isn't a prototype of an Apollo rocket," he told his companion. "It's just needs a wheel."

Justin nodded as he studied the left wheel of what used to be Dale's sulky. He couldn't help shuddering as he realized he now knew exactly what had happened that day. It hadn't been some unfortunate twist of fate or an accident that had caused his friend's deadly fall. No, it had been something much more sinister. Something that not only reminded him of that awful day, but also what happened recently to him at Red Mill. He could have wound up just like Dale instead of temporarily injured if things had been different.

"Justin?" Brian frowned with concern as he noticed the expression on the other boy's face. He knew precisely what he was thinking about. "Justin!" he said a little more forcefully, as finally he received an answering look in response. "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," he told him. When Justin had first suggested that he try to learn how to ride a sulky and even attempt to hitch True Blue to it, he had thought at last he might see some sort of excitement here (present company excepted, of course). But now he wasn't so sure.

Justin shook his head firmly as he forced himself away from his maudlin thoughts. "No, I'm okay," he assured him, knowing why Brian had just said what he did. "I'm fine," he added more firmly, as the older boy gave him a skeptical look. "I'm not sure what kind of tools you're going to need," he stated, trying to steer the conversation somewhere else. "But we can probably find them in the barn."

"You said you had an extra sulky wheel?" Brian asked as he squatted down to examine the frame where the wheel would connect.

Justin nodded. "Yeah. In the barn, up in the loft."

"In the loft? Why up there?"

Justin shrugged. "That's where we keep all the stuff that's not needed."

Brian nodded. "You think your father's in the barn? I'm not sure how he's going to react to what we're planning on doing. It's hard to be inconspicuous when you're carrying a wheel around."

Justin grinned. "Yeah, I see your point. I'll go check." He was gone a few minutes before he rounded the corner and waved at Brian to follow him.

"Is the coast clear, Sherlock?" he asked as Justin huffed indignantly.

"Come on and quit yacking!" Justin demanded, hands on hips. "He must be in the house for lunch."

"I don't yack," he complained. "I'm eloquent."

"Well, get your silver tongue and the rest of your body in the barn, and get the tools! I'll climb up in the loft for the wheel."

"So bossy," Brian responded as he walked up to Justin and slid his arms around his back, playfully biting the bottom of Justin's earlobe. "And hot," he whispered in the other boy's ear, feeling him tremble in response. Reluctantly letting Justin go, he kissed him on the cheek before he nodded his head toward the corner. "Lead the way, then, Hot Stuff." Justin grinned, Brian following along behind him as they walked into the barn, the blond pointing out the tools hanging on the far wall. "Over there," he directed him. "I'll go get the wheel," he told him, as he turned to head toward the wooden stairs heading to the storage area above.

Brian's mouth hung open as he openly ogled the tight jeans Justin was wearing - and the round but firm ass encased in them. He swallowed hard as he watched Justin walk over to the ladder and deftly begin to climb upstairs. His common sense warred with his intense desire as he divided his attention between the ass - and other parts of Justin's body - and the tools hanging up on the far wall before he grinned. Was there really any choice to make?

Walking over to the wheel, Justin bent over to pick it up, only to drop it with a thump onto the wooden floor, his heart thumping furiously as he felt a pair of arms wind around his body as soon as he stood back up. It could only be one person, he told himself, as he tried to take calming breaths to return his heartrate back to normal. He had just enough leeway to turn in Brian's arms and peer into his eyes. "Brian! Shit, you scared me! What are you doing up here?"

Brian pulled the other boy closer, his eyes darkening with desire and making Justin's face flush. "I would think that's pretty obvious. What do you think?" he murmured, before he placed his hands on both sides of Justin's face and plundered his mouth, sliding his tongue inside and kissing him with passion but also surprising gentleness before finally breaking off their kiss to stare into the crystal blue eyes. "Justin...Damn, I want you," he whispered huskily in his ear as he nuzzled his neck and jaw with his lips, making Justin shiver. "Do you know what you fucking do to me?"

Justin sucked in a breath over the thick tone of Brian's voice, full of need and arousal. He could feel Brian's cock, encased in his denim jeans, straining against the fabric, much like his own. He couldn't help the whimper that escaped his lips as Brian brought his knee up between his legs to press it against his crotch suggestively. He was finding it hard to speak. "Brian...it's broad daylight...and my father...my father could be back any second," he reminded him breathlessly, his own body thrumming with electricity in response to the other boy's ministrations. He tilted his neck to allow Brian to brush his lips across the sensitive, pale skin. He placed his hands, palms down, on the other boy's chest, feeling like he was being burned as he gasped at the sensation of Brian's bare, taut skin under his touch. He groaned with repressed desire. "Brian...God...You're driving me crazy." He sighed heavily. "But we can't..." He bit his lip. "Not now...He's just now accepting us together. Do you want to risk that?"

Brian's lips continued to slide down Justin's neck, winding up nestling in the open 'V' of his shirt before he finally sighed himself, realizing he was right. His face lay against Justin's neck a few moments more before he finally lifted his head to peer into his lover's eyes. "You really know how to spoil a moment," he murmured as Justin half-smiled back at him wistfully.

"Later. I promise," he whispered. "You know I want you as much as you want me."

Brian nodded. "Not even time for a quickie?" he asked hopefully.

Justin laughed softly. "No! Now go before my father finds us up here together and jumps to conclusions."

Brian groaned. "Wish there was a conclusion to jump TO," he lamented.

"Brian..."

"Okay, okay, you grab the tire and I'll meet you out back." He couldn't help impulsively pulling Justin closer to plaster one more kiss on his lips before letting him go; it was short but passionate, leaving Justin with swollen lips and a slightly dazed look on his face. "But don't take too long."

Justin grinned with a nod as he watched Brian head over to the ladder and begin to descend. Grabbing the tire that was leaning against the nearest wall, he moved quickly to follow him, holding his breath that his father wouldn't choose this moment to return.

A few minutes later in back of the stables...

"Hand me the wrench."

Justin did as Brian asked, watching in rapt attention as the other boy deftly attached the wheel to the back of the sulky before securing it with some bolts, ratcheting the wrench to tighten it up.

"There," Brian commented as he stood up to examine his handiwork, briskly rubbing his dusty hands across the thighs of his jeans to wipe them off. Dale's former sulky looked to be in remarkably good shape, despite it being years since it had been used. The tarp that had been covering it had served as a makeshift cocoon, preserving the paint that was surprisingly intact and still vivid. "Good as new," he added in satisfaction.

Justin squatted down to brush his fingers over the new wheel, checking the bolts to make sure they were fastened tightly. Convinced they were attached securely, he slowly stood back up, soberly gazing down at the structure that Dale had been riding in when he was thrown onto the ground and killed. He closed his eyes briefly at the thought.

"Justin?" Brian walked over to slide his arms around the slender body and pull him close against his back. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?" he asked quietly.

Justin leaned into the taller body as he nodded. "Yeah...Dale was a really nice guy. I'm glad my brother didn't have anything to do with his death. Or my injury. But why, Brian? He had to die because of someone's greed? I will never understand that."

"That's because there is no sense in it," Brian whispered. "I'm so sorry, Justin." He slowly turned the other boy around in his arms as he reached to place the fingers of his right hand under Justin's chin. "But I'm so fucking glad that you're okay." He leaned down to softly kiss his lips; a kiss that slowly escalated into something more heated. The sound of True Blue emitting a loud whinny nearby eventually broke them apart, Brian pecking Justin briefly on the lips once more before he asked, "Now...what next? We attach this to him? Do I whistle and say, "Here, boy, here boy?"

Unexpectedly a furry figure rounded the corner and rushed over to the two boys at the sound of Brian's voice, beginning to yap as Brian scowled with displeasure and Justin laughed. Brian winced as Solomon jumped up and down excitedly on his hind legs and barked as True Blue turned his large head to merely blink in disinterest. To his credit, the dog seemed unafraid of him as well, perhaps because the two of them had long become accustomed to each other.

Or perhaps it's stupidity, Brian thought, as he muttered, "Sure. He comes to me NOW. Any other time and he totally ignores me." Justin giggled as Brian tried to pull the overeager, barking canine away from him. "Shoo, dog! Go find a nice, fat rabbit and chase it! I wasn't calling YOU!"

But the dog was undeterred until Justin reached to grab him by the collar and gently pull him away. "Solomon, down!" he commanded firmly. "Go home, boy!" he urged, as he gave the dog a pat on the head. The dog promptly flopped over onto his stomach in obvious invitation to give him a belly rub.

"Oh, brother," Brian groused. "I'M not scratching your furry stomach, you flea-bitten pooch! Who knows where it's been?"

Justin grinned as he stooped down and obliged the dog by scratching his underbelly for a few seconds. "That's a good boy," he told him, as he stood up. "No go on," he coached him gently. "We have work to do." The dog stood and peered up at him with his deep brown eyes before he finally appeared to give up, his ears perking up as he heard another dog barking somewhere in the distance. A few seconds later, his attention was diverted to a movement several yards away, and off he went to do some more exploring.

"Thank goodness," Brian muttered. "Now show me how we get this contraption hooked up to True Blue."

But Justin shook his head. "Not yet. You need to do some practicing first."

"But I thought that's what we were about to do," he pointed out. "You said we would do some practice racing around the track."

"We will," Justin assured him. "But not with that. Not to begin with. That's what the jog cart is for. That's what Vic used to train ME."

"A jog cart? What, are you going to jog along beside me while I race around the track? This I have to see." Brian curled his lips under in amusement.

Justin grinned. "Not exactly. It's a sulky specifically meant for training purposes, and has room for two drivers, where a racing sulky is only made for one. We'll start out with Headstrong to get you used to it, and then try to hitch up True Blue. That way, I can give you some pointers as you're riding around the track."

"Either that, or you're going to distract the fuck out of me."

Justin boldly reached over to briefly squeeze Brian's crotch area as the brunet gasped. "Would that be a complaint?" he asked innocently.

"Justin!" Brian reprimanded him. "Fuck."

Justin grinned. "I didn't think so. Come on, let's go get the jog cart. We'll also need some helmets."

"Yeah. Right. Well, you just keep your hands on the reins and not on my dick, okay? Uh...until we're done practicing, anyway," he hastily amended.

Justin grabbed his hand. "Come on!" he commanded as he began to tug him toward the side of the stables. "We've got a lot of work to do."

Fifteen Minutes Later...

Brian had a gigantic smile on his face as he and Justin rode around the track seated side by side; he hated having to wear a helmet, because he would love to feel the wind blowing on his face right now. But just the sheer exhilaration of trotting at top speed around the track was amazing, and set his heart pumping with excitement. As much as he was growing used to the slower pace of this life he was now leading, he had still missed the rush he felt with speed. Justin had been right. This was fucking fantastic! He could feel every movement of the horse in front of him, admiring Headstrong's strength and agility as the animal raced at top speed around the oval.

"Now YOU take the reins," Justin instructed next to him, having to speak up in order to be heard above the rapid clop-clop-clop of Headstrong's hooves while he traveled around the track in a regular, rapid rhythm.

Brian suddenly felt unsure of himself, a feeling he never used to experience before back in the city. "Are you sure?" he asked tentatively, wondering if somehow the horse would sense a difference in driver.

Justin nodded, knowing Headstrong would be accepting, especially as long as he was in the driver's seat as well. "Yeah...go ahead," he urged him.

Brian nodded as he reached with gloved hands to take the well-used, leather reins from Justin's hands. He could feel every bump and ridge of the dirt track under his ass as he grasped them firmly - the seats were not made for comfort, but for speed - while Justin's horse continued to trot around the track, slowly picking up speed now that he was fully engaged in race mode. Brian couldn't help smiling again as he realized he was doing it...he was really doing it. And it felt fucking spectacular.

He turned to share his smile with Justin, who grinned back at him, knowing completely how he felt. It was the way HE always felt whenever he was racing, the wind rushing past him, Headstrong's mane flying in the air with his nostrils flaring as he competed. It was extremely exhilarating. Brian wasn't saying anything to him, but his emotions could be read all over his face. Brian had the same passion within him, just as he knew he would. He watched, entranced, as Brian's eyes lit up with amazement as they raced around the track, his lips pressed closely together in concentration. Right then, it was as if nothing else existed for him but him and the horse. They were one. Justin smiled; yes, Brian was in 'the zone.'

Normally, riders were smaller and more petite than Brian, Justin knew. But he also knew that Brian's lean, lanky, long-legged frame would serve him well as a competitor. He would be in a different category than he; after all, he had had numerous races by now, and had won a large majority of them. But Brian seemed to have a natural affinity for how to sit on the seat, and how to hold the reins - firmly but not too constrictively. And his horse sensed that. Headstrong would know if someone was tentative or unsure in the driver's seat, even if he WAS sitting next to him. So far, so good. But how would True Blue react to him? How would he react to even having a sulky hitched up to him after all these years? He knew if Headstrong had been in the same situation, his ears would perk up with excitement and he would restlessly paw the ground in anticipation, yearning to be back out on the racetrack and 'earning his keep.' After all, Vic had already told him, once a racehorse, always a racehorse. But was that also true for the willful, domineering horse that Dale had ridden that was now relegated to a much more tranquil spot in the Taylor's paddock and pastures? They were about to find out.

"Now pull back on the reins," Justin instructed loudly as they neared the stables, deciding that was enough practice with Headstrong. "Slowly."

Brian nodded, biting his lower lip to focus on his task as he did as Justin asked. "Do I yell whoa?"

Justin grinned. Brian had been watching too many Westerns, he decided. "No...he knows what you're doing. But you can also call out 'stop.' He has been taught to respond more to that."

Brian nodded again, taking a deep breath as he slowly pulled the reins toward his body, gradually increasing the pressure until he observed the horse slowing his gait as they approached the back of the stables. He called out the 'stop' command, as, finally, the horse came to a chuffing halt in front of the stables, pawing the ground slightly and breathing heavily as he stood there, waiting for Justin to disengage the sulky from him.

Brian, too, let out a deep breath of relief as he pulled the helmet off his head, his hair plastered to his skull with sweat, the adrenalin still pumping through his veins like a wildfire. "Wow," was all he could say, his own ragged breathing echoing the horse's. "That was intense! So how'd I do?" he asked curiously as he turned to face his companion.

Justin pulled his helmet off and placed it on the floor of the sulky as he turned to smile at Brian smugly with an I told you so sort of look.

"What?" Brian prodded with a raising of his eyebrows.

Justin grinned. "Nothing." As Brian continued to stare at him, he finally explained, "You have that look."

Brian smirked. "What? That incredibly hot, come fuck me look? I come by it naturally."

Justin smacked him on the arm with a laugh as Brian rolled his tongue into his cheek. "No, you doofus! It's the same look I have whenever I'm racing. It's already in your blood, just like me. You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Brian didn't see any reason to lie to him. He smiled. "Yeah, I did. A lot. Thanks," he told him softly, as he leaned over to kiss Justin on the cheek in gratitude.

Justin blushed. "That was the easy part," he told him, as he deftly dropped down onto the ground and waited for Brian to do the same. "Now comes the challenging part."

"You mean getting True Blue hitched up and back on the track."

Justin nodded as he walked over and gave Headstrong a couple of companionable pats on his flank before starting to detach him from the sulky. "Exactly." He gave his horse an affectionate pat as he loosened the straps and murmured, "There you go, boy," removing the equipment and watching as his horse ambled a few feet away, bending his neck down to poke at a patch of grass. He was grateful that Headstrong had been so cooperative with him. He figured there wouldn't be a problem with using the jogging cart to help Brian learn how to properly hold the reins and practice around the track. He slowly led Headstrong over to the connecting pasture area, and closed the gate afterward as the horse ambled over to a patch of clover and began to graze. True Blue was nearby, oblivious to what was about to occur. What would be his response?

"You're worried about this, aren't you?" was the soft question, as he turned around to see Brian standing next to him.

Justin didn't see any reason to lie, so he nodded his head. "Somewhat," he admitted. "It's been a few years since Dale's horse has been hooked up to a sulky. Vic tried once or twice, just to see how he would react." He grinned. "He took off before Vic could even attach the first part of it. He was lucky the horse didn't kick him in the face, and this is with someone he's relatively calm with." His expression turned more serious as he explained, "I'm not sure how he's going to react this time. But we'll have to be very careful, and watch him closely. If he shows the slightest sign that he's uncomfortable or restless or unhappy with being hooked back up to the sulky, we'll have to forget it. You realize that, right?"

Brian nodded in understanding, biting back the disappointment he would feel if he wasn't able to practice with True Blue. It had given him an incredible feeling of power and strength to practice with Headstrong, but Justin had been next to him the entire way; this would be completely different. He would be dependent upon only himself and Dale's horse. Would they have the bond that was needed to successfully work together? He wasn't sure. But he felt something, some sort of inexplicable pull toward this proud, independent animal that in a way reminded him of himself. He couldn't quite explain it - and he knew it wouldn't be as simple as he was making it out to be - but nonetheless he was sure somehow that it would, indeed, work out. "I'm ready to find out," he told Justin at last with determination.

Justin nodded. "Okay, then. I'm going to go get Vic. Don't do anything until I get back!" he sternly warned him, not wanting any sort of injury to befall the boy he cared so deeply about. There had been enough mishaps and heartache already; he wasn't sure, too, how Brian's aunt and uncle were going to react if they found out what they were doing. He supposed it was inevitable, but for now it was probably best they not know. Besides, they didn't even know if it was going to work, so there was no point in putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.

"What's so funny?" Brian asked curiously, noticing the smile that appeared all of a sudden on his lover's face.

Justin grinned. "Nothing," he assured him, as he leaned up on his tiptoes and placed his hands on Brian's upper arms to give him a brief kiss. "I'll be right back. And you stay put!"

"Yes, boss," Brian quipped with a salute as he stayed behind to enjoy the view, watching as Justin walked away to go find Vic. Justin had assured him that Vic wouldn't say anything for now; he had told Brian he was a little concerned about his own parents' reaction over teaching him to drive. They would know soon enough if they were successful, anyway, he had told him, so it didn't do any good to worry about it at the moment.

Ten Minutes Later...Practice Track

"Let me go first," Vic suggested, as they stood just inside the dirt oval, a wary True Blue watching them from several feet away. He had been led there several minutes ago by the older man from his nearby grazing spot. "He's used to me, and I sometimes helped Dale with hooking him up to the sulky before his races."

"Good idea," Justin agreed, reaching out to grab Brian by the arm to hold him back as he moved to follow Vic.

Brian huffed in protest, thinking his younger lover was coddling him unnecessarily. "Justin..."

"Brian, don't you remember what I said? We have to ease into this." When Brian crossed his arms over his chest in defiance, he added softly, "I don't want you to get hurt, okay?"

Brian glared at him briefly before he sighed, the irritation melting away as he rubbed his face with his hand before agreeing. "Okay."

Justin nodded with a relieved smile as the two of them watched Vic slowly approaching the horse. Justin chewed on his thumbnail between his teeth, a little apprehensive. His heart was thumping as he watched Vic speak softly to the horse, who scuffed at the ground with one of his front hoofs. That could be a sign of agitation, wariness, or restlessness; Justin wasn't sure which. But he knew that Vic was a seasoned handler of horses, and had a bond with True Blue that went back years. If anyone could persuade him to cooperate, it would be him.

Brian watched in rapt attention as Vic reached over slowly after several seconds and successfully grasped the side of True Blue's bridle as he murmured reassurances to the horse, carefully turning the animal's head slightly around so he could observe him and Justin. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until he blew out a burst of air between his lips, feeling Justin grab his wrist as they both watched Vic and the horse approaching. "This is it," he heard Justin say beside him as Vic and True Blue came closer and closer. The horse's sheer power and strength were clearly evident as his muscles rippled while he walked; he finally stood a few feet away from them, towering over even Brian who was taller than any of the three. The horse's voluminous, dark eyes peered over at both boys curiously, Brian meeting his stare unflinchingly. But inside his heart was pounding both with excitement as well as a little anxiety. He had been within close proximity to the horse before and hadn't felt afraid, but there had been a fence separating them then. Would True Blue be totally different with him now? He had certainly heard enough stories about his strength and willful temperament by now to be at least a little cautious.

Vic stood a few feet away, still clutching True Blue's bridle as the horse continued to eye both boys intently as if he were sizing them up.

"Why does he look like he wants us for lunch?" Brian replied a little apprehensively. Now that they were standing so close to him, the horse's sheer size was a little overwhelming.

"You can still back out," Justin reminded him, but Brian firmly shook his head.

"No way. I'm in this for the long haul," he vowed.

Justin nodded as Vic told Brian, "This is where we find out how comfortable he feels with you, Brian. Walk over slowly to the side of him. We'll see what his reaction is. But no sudden moves! We don't want to spook him. And don't walk behind him; he doesn't like that."

"No worries there," Brian promised, not wanting to have an eye missing if he took a misstep; he did as Vic directed, walking slowly toward the horse as he explained, "I'm not going anywhere near those back hoofs, trust me. Easy, boy," he crooned soothingly as he crept closer and closer to him, until he was standing to the horse's immediate left. "That's it," Brian continued. "Good boy. Everything's going to be okay." He turned to Vic. "Hand me the harness," he asked; Vic hesitated for a moment before he held it out to him. Justin had gone over the proper procedure to use when hitching up True Blue to the sulky, starting with slipping the harness around the horse's belly, and attaching it underneath. The well-worn leather apparatus - one of Justin's spares for his own horse - felt slippery in Brian's sweaty hands as he held it out in front of him. It was one thing to speak to this impressive horse from the relative confines of a fence separating them; it was quite another for the horse to trust him enough to allow him to slip a harness over him without any barrier between them.

"Brian..." Justin began, a little fearful as True Blue began to paw the ground impatiently. He was beginning to regret suggesting this, but Brian had been eager to try it, and he had seemed bonded somehow with Dale's horse before. He liked to think he had a good intuition when it came to things like this, but there was always a first time to be wrong. He just didn't want Brian's physical wellbeing to be the target. "Be careful."

"It's okay," Brian replied; Justin wasn't sure if he was speaking to him or the horse. He watched as Brian held the harness in his hand for a moment longer, continuing to talk quietly to True Blue, until he smoothly hefted it up and over the horse's back. True Blue shuffled slightly as it slapped against his body - his back protected by a blanket to prevent chafing or irritation - before the harness settled in place, the buckles hanging loosely on either side.

So far, so good, Justin thought as he and Vic exchanged a meaningful glance between them; no doubt the older man was thinking the same thing as he. Vic had often commented what a shame it was that such a majestic animal like True Blue had been relegated to living out the rest of his years grazing mindlessly in a pasture, instead of working off some nervous energy in a race. True Blue used to live for the weekends when Dale was alive; he would practically hook himself up to the sulky as soon as Dale led him over to it. The horse instantly knew it was race day, and was as excited about it as Dale had been. When Dale had died, it was as if the light and drive had gone out of True Blue, also. Would Brian be the one who helped to bring the spark back to this magnificent creature?

"Easy, boy," Vic urged the horse as the animal turned his broad head to stare over at him. Vic peered back at him unafraid; at least, outwardly. He knew it was important to not show any obvious fear, or True Blue would immediately pick up on it. "Brian...see if you can reach over and attach the buckles underneath him," Vic told him. "But stay to the side of him, and remember; do not make any abrupt or sudden movements."

Brian nodded, his heart in his throat, as he reached over to grab one of the buckles, thinking mentally of the instructions Justin had given him earlier when they had been practicing with Headstrong. "That's good, boy," he quietly praised the horse as he connected a buckle; two more to go now. "Yes. That's it," Brian murmured soothingly as he reached over with slightly trembling hands to attach the second buckle, stopping momentarily as the horse shifted beside him. "You know I won't hurt you," he told him softly as he patted the horse's side lightly in a comforting gesture. He reached over then to successfully attach the last buckle underneath the horse's belly before letting out a relieved breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He smiled in triumph. "Good boy," he praised True Blue, his voice gentle and soothing. "I knew you could do it. We're going to do some flying now," he told him, wondering if True Blue knew what he was trying to say. Somehow, he suspected that he did. He exchanged a grin of triumph with Vic and Justin as they nodded back at him encouragingly; both were surprised in a way by how cooperative Dale's horse was being, but in a way they also weren't surprised at all. There was something about Brian that spoke to this proud stallion; something that neither of them seemed to possess. Whether it was a physical similarity to Dale or what, all they knew was that Brian was accomplishing something that no one else had been able to do since his cousin had died.

"Amazing," Justin commented, shaking his head in awe. "Now we need to see how he's going to react to being hitched to the sulky. You stay with him while Vic and I pull the sulky over. Just keep alert, though, okay?" He was still a little concerned over how unpredictable the horse could be. So far, he seemed to be accepting whatever Brian was doing. But would it last? The final piece of the puzzle was about to be set into place that would answer that all-important question.

Brian nodded, reaching over to lightly hold onto the bridle as he watched Vic and Justin walk over to the sulky; Dale's sulky - at the time one of the most innovative models - was mainly constructed of aluminum, making it fairly easy mobile. As Justin and Vic picked up the end of the sulky and began to wheel it toward Brian and True Blue, something magical happened: The horse began to back up, straight toward the sulky.

"Holy shit," Vic whispered as the horse continued to back up, just like he used to do for Dale whenever he was about to race or practice. It had been some time since True Blue had done either, but he had obviously not forgotten what to do. "Would you look at that!" he exclaimed softly. He and Justin stood to either side of the sulky, continuing to hold onto the two ends of the apparatus' front as the horse approached - until True Blue was standing between the two posts. Before Dale's horse changed his mind, the two quickly attached the two ends of the sulky to the side of the harness; at last - after so long - Dale's horse was standing there, looking ready to run. The sight caused Justin's heart to thump wildly in his chest; he never in a million years thought he would ever see this again with Dale gone. Just then, he noticed the horse turn his huge head to peer over at Brian as if to say, What are you WAITING for?

Brian looked over at Justin, who nodded. Slowly walking around True Blue - and giving him plenty of maneuvering room just in case - he hesitated for only a second before he deftly swung himself up into the sulky seat, feeling the cool, hard seat under him. The seat almost seemed to be fitted perfectly to his form as he sat there, his adrenalin pumping in anticipation. Justin picked up the reins and handed them to Brian wordlessly, knowing exactly how the older boy must feel. He was certain it was quite similar to how he had felt the first time he had practiced with Headstrong. As he looked at Brian sitting there, though, for just a moment he could almost imagine that it was Dale, ready to square off with him once more at Red Mill or one of the other venues. Sadly, that would never happen again. But the look of exhilaration on Brian's face made him smile still the same.

"You look like you belong up there," Justin told him with a smile of his own. He reached to pick up one of his spare helmets lying on the ground nearby. "Put this on," he told him; the no-nonsense tone of his voice told the other boy that he'd better do as he said, even though he would have preferred not to have it on. But the remembrance of what had happened to Justin - and to his own cousin - made him obey anyway as he pulled it down over his head and attached the chin strap underneath. Justin grinned in satisfaction as Brian rolled his eyes at him.

"Now what?" Brian asked as he held the reins lightly in his hands. True Blue began to paw the dirt track restlessly, becoming slightly agitated as he waited to move. It was as if all his pent-up energy was coming to the surface, now that he was back where he belonged.

"Remember what I showed you with Headstrong," Justin called out to him as he walked over to where his own horse was already tethered to his sulky. Justin had decided it would be better if he were to accompany Brian around the track, not only to keep a watchful eye on him, but to also provide True Blue with some sense of routine. He and Dale had often found themselves neck to neck at races; that is, until he managed to pull away from him at the last stretch. He hoped that True Blue would recall those times, and perhaps be inspired by them today. "Let me go first," he suggested as Brian nodded, anxious to get started but realizing the wisdom of Justin's words.

"True Blue knows what to do," Justin told him. "Just give him the signal and pull on the lead; he'll do the rest." Brian nodded, his pulse racing, as he watched Justin walk over and jump into the driver's seat. Nodding over at Brian, he told him, "I'm going to start out slow. Give me a few lengths, and then try and follow me, okay?"

Brian nodded back at him as Vic watched from nearby in fascination, unsure exactly what was going to happen. But he couldn't wait to see if Brian succeeded in bringing True Blue back to life.

Justin pulled his helmet down over his head before picking the reins up and giving Headstrong the signal to move as the horse began to trot away from the others, making sure it was a slow trot to hopefully provide Brian with enough time to catch up.

It's now or never, Brian thought as he looked down at the leather in his hands. He waited a few seconds, took a deep breath as he glanced over at Vic, who gave him a 'thumbs up' sign, and then imitated what Justin had done, jiggling the reins a couple of times before letting forth with a "Gee-up!" sort of sound. Before he knew what was happening the sulky vibrated slightly and then he was off. He had to shift his balance momentarily on the seat as the horse quickly moved away from the starting point, his legs trotting in the old, familiar cadence he had engaged in so many times before with Dale.

Brian's mouth hung open when he felt the wind slapping against his face as True Blue snorted and accelerated even more, his legs now pounding the dirt surface as his mane flew out behind him. "Holy shit," he murmured to himself in wonderment as he held on for dear life. It hadn't looked so hard when he had been a spectator and had watched Justin doing it, but now he understood how rigorous it was - and how incredibly mind-blowing it was, too. His face broke out into an enormous smile as the rush of adrenalin flowed through him, much like he had felt back when he had been a more reckless sort of racer. The horse under his control - this magnificent, proud, black stallion - made him feel both vulnerable as well as powerful. It was a heady feeling.

Justin twisted his head around as he heard the familiar pounding of hooves behind him, stunned to see that not only was Brian driving True Blue around the track just as he had hoped, but he was almost caught up to him - and True Blue was trotting at breakneck speed, as if he had been doing this weekly since Dale had died, instead of grazing placidly in the pasture. He gaped in astonishment as Brian's sulky quickly gained on him until they were side by side on the track. At that moment, he wasn't sure which one was more pleased with himself - the horse or Brian. He knew that Brian would love racing. But how could he have been so blind when it came to True Blue? Someone like him - who had practically been born to race, and was only in his element when he was pounding down the track at breakneck speed - could never have been happy being relegated to being some passive, grazing animal, literally put out to pasture to do nothing but stand there. Racing had been the only thing he had known, and he could only be happy when he was in the middle of the action. No wonder he had been so surly and combative. He had only been waiting for the right opportunity - and the right person - to remind him of what he used to be.

"This is fucking incredible!" Brian shouted at him as their horses trotted together.

Justin smiled, knowing exactly how he felt. "You were born to be a driver!" he complimented him as True Blue began to pull away from him.

Brian held tightly to the reins as True Blue seemed to be reaching his stride, his powerful legs trotting at an almost impossible speed as he picked up his pace even further. He clutched the reins so firmly his knuckles were white, his face tightened in concentration. "What do I do?" he shouted over to Justin. "Should I slow him down?" He was concerned that perhaps the horse was overexerting himself, especially after not having been on the track in so long.

But Justin shook his head, able to tell that True Blue was in 'the zone.' He was relishing every trot, every sound, and every smell. It was as if both he - and Brian - had roared back to life. "No, let him go!" he shouted over at him, struggling to be heard above the pounding of both horses' hooves. "He knows what to do! Just hold on!"

Brian nodded, a big smile on his face. "You're falling behind!" he razzed him; as if Justin didn't know.

"Don't remind me!" he retorted good-naturedly, stunned that Brian could be beating him the first time he was driving a sulky on his own. It was as if he had been doing it for years; his body naturally flowed with the apparatus, leaning exactly when he needed to and maintaining the perfect posture required in order to get the greatest speed and least amount of wind resistance to stay ahead of him. Racing with a sulky required the driver and horse to almost become one, and Brian seemed to be a natural at it. It had taken Justin months to learn what Brian seemed to know instinctively.

He maintained a steady pace as he watched Brian continue around the track in front of him with True Blue's hooves pounding against the dirt track, the muscles rippling underneath his coat, which shone under the early summer sun. He couldn't help smiling at the sight - two, proud males having the time of their lives. They were made for each other; why hadn't he thought of this before?

As previously agreed upon, after Brian had circled around the track four times, he reluctantly pulled up on the reins and issued a low 'whoa, there, boy,' as True Blue slowed down and eventually came to a halt in back of the stables near the gate. It took Justin several more seconds before he, too, instructed Headstrong to pull up behind the other sulky and slow down to a stop. Both boys sat there on top of their respective sulkies for several seconds catching their breaths, before Brian pulled off his helmet and threw it down onto the ground in jubilation. "That...was one hell of a ride!" he exclaimed as Justin, too, pulled his helmet off, cradling it in his lap as he peered over at the other boy and grinned. "I should have done that a long time ago! Holy fucking shit!"

Justin laughed. "Yep. It's in your blood. Must be because you're related to Dale. I feel like you were doing a little channeling out there." He shook his head incredulously. "You were amazing out there, Brian!"

"What a rush!" Brian replied with a smile. He hopped down from the seat and walked up to True Blue, who was panting from exertion. "You did awesome, boy," he crooned to the horse, who turned his head slightly to peer back at him, his luminous, giant eyes blinking slowly back at him. He neighed softly at Brian, who grinned. "We make a good team, don't we?"

Justin jumped down from his sulky to walk over to him. "He needed to feel useful again," he told Brian. "I think that's why he's been so restless and agitated. He was never used to being a pasture horse, and he never will be." He stroked the horse's side, sensing how much more calm the horse was now, even after one practice. At that moment, he decided that he had done the right thing - for both Brian and for the horse. "We need to get him and Headstrong cooled down now," he told Brian as he reached to unsnap the first buckle under the horse's belly. "Uh...maybe you'd better do that," he hastily decided, as True Blue began to paw the ground impatiently. "He might be calmer right now, but he can still be ornery."

Brian chuckled as he reached over to deftly undo each of the buckles underneath the horse's belly. He smirked at Justin, who rolled his eyes in reaction, before the two boys pulled the sulky away to separate it from True Blue. The procedure was then repeated for Headstrong, as they left both sulkies lying next to the stable's rear exterior wall.

Justin shook his head in awe. How does Brian do it? How does he become such a miracle worker? He recalled, though, that True Blue was much the same way with Dale. Dale could get him to do far more than anyone else ever could. Did the horse somehow think that Dale had come back to life in the form of Brian? He mentally shrugged; whatever the reason, there was no disputing the fact that Brian had an incredible control over him; much more so than the rest of them did.

"When can I take him out again? Or are you afraid we'll beat your ass again?" Brian's adrenalin was still pumping; he had missed that rush, that thrill that always shot through him when he was pushing his physical limits, and this was no different. As much as he had gotten used to living here - and as much as he actually enjoyed some aspects of it - he had still missed this feeling. He hadn't really realized just how much until now.

Justin laughed. "You DO have it bad, don't you? And now you're getting cocky on top of that." He received a roll of the lips from Brian and a sort of 'little boy' smile as he explained, "He'll need to get some rest and a cool down; but something tells me he'll be raring to go out again tomorrow. He was like a totally different horse out there; more like he used to be."

Brian nodded, walking closer to the younger boy as he whispered against his cheek, "Yeah, I'm definitely feeling cocky. And horny. You look so hot in those tight jeans." He received the expected blush from Justin as he nuzzled the side of his neck with his lips, dying to peel those tight, black jeans off his companion.

"Brian," Justin murmured, feeling desire rushing through him. "We can't...not right now. Besides, I'm all sweaty and sticky." He wrinkled his nose; he didn't particularly feel very 'hot' at the moment; at least not in the way Brian meant.

"Well, I'm sweaty and sticky, too," Brian told him, his voice dropping lower and thick with lust. "I think this calls for a visit to the swimming hole so we can cool ourselves off, too...don't you?"

Justin groaned at the thought; that was where he and Brian had first spoken at length - and had sex - so it would forever remain ingrained in his memory, no matter how far away he was, or how long ago it might have occurred. "Brian...the horses have to be cooled off right away. If you don't properly take care of them, they could wind up..." He gasped as Brian's hand gave a firm squeeze to his burgeoning hard-on before gripping the sides of his waist with his long-fingered hands and covering Justin's lips with his own, unable to no longer restrain himself from kissing him. God, he was like some drug he was addicted to. And he never wanted to find a cure for it, either.

The impatient-sounding whinny of one of the horses broke them apart several seconds later as Justin reluctantly pulled himself out of Brian's embrace. "We really need to get them back to the stables," he reminded him, breathless from their kiss. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart pounding furiously.

"I think Vic would be more than happy to take care of that," Brian ventured. The older man had returned to his chores while they had been practicing. "Come on. I think a nice, long swim - preceded by a nice, long fuck - would do wonders for us. Don't you?" He curled his lips under and grinned as he reached out to stroke Justin's cheek with the back of his hand. He could see Justin's look of indecision on his face. "I'll go get him, and ask him to take the horses back to the stable and give them a cool down - so WE can get a cool-down after some hot sex. Okay?"

Justin flushed; sex with Brian was always hot. His cock stirred at the thought. "You're very persuasive," he decided as Brian smiled in triumph, knowing he had him where he wanted him. Justin nodded as Brian grinned, immediately rushing around the stables in search of the older man.

A few minutes later, Vic appeared, along with Emmett, who had a sort of shit-eating grin on his face.

"What?" Justin pressed him, wondering what was going on.

"Looks like you might have some competition," Emmett chirped.

"Huh?"

"Brian," Vic piped up in explanation as he shook his head in awe. "We watched the two of you out on the track. I had to look twice to make sure I wasn't imagining things." He peered over at the familiar, blue object. "You managed to fix up Dale's old sulky to almost as good as new," he commented as he looked at Brian. "You do that by yourself?"

Brian nodded. "It wasn't that hard. Just needed some bolts and a new wheel. It's a spare of Justin's."

Vic nodded back at him, admiring his handiwork. He squinted over at Brian, who had his back against the garishness of the mid-day sun. "You looked like a seasoned driver out there," he commented. "Did you enjoy it?"

Brian's face broke out into a broad grin. "What do YOU think?"

Emmett interjected, "I think your aunt and uncle are going to shit if they see you out there practicing, especially using Dale's sulky."

Brian sighed, his face sobering at the thought. "I know. Justin and I talked about that. But I'm not Dale. And nothing's going to happen to me," he promised.

Vic eyed him patiently. "You don't know that, Son." Brian moved to open his mouth in protest before Vic held up his hand to stop him. "But I watched you out there. And if you're half as good on the racetrack as you were out there, then I reckon you can handle pretty much anything that's thrown your way."

"You looked in control out there!" Emmett agreed enthusiastically. He eyed the huge beast. "Anyone who can ride that animal has to be a miracle worker." He jumped slightly as True Blue chose just that moment to whinny as if he knew Emmett were insulting him, making the others laugh.

"Next time you'd better say that out of earshot," Vic replied with a grin.

"Vic...you said on the racetrack before," Brian pointed out as Vic nodded. "Do you mean that you think...that I could actually race? Like Justin does?" He looked over at the younger boy for an answer.

Justin and Vic exchanged a look as if they were communicating silently before Justin gave a nod; it was so slight that most people wouldn't have even noticed it, but Vic did. "Yeah...I do," Vic told Brian. "I don't know why True Blue is different around you. Maybe it's because of your physical resemblance to Dale. I don't know. But for whatever reason that horse seems to trust you. And he seems to want to please you. That sort of bond is needed between the driver and the horse in order to really be successful at the track. And the two of you have it. So, yes. If that's something you'd like to pursue, I think it's very possible you could be successful. Of course, you and Justin wouldn't be competing against each other."

Brian frowned, disappointed. "Why not? You said you saw me out there! I was beating him!"

Vic nodded. "Yeah, I noticed," he replied with respect. It took a lot for someone to best Justin, and he knew the younger boy well enough to know he hadn't been going easy on Brian; Brian had beat him fair and square. It was something very few had ever done. "But drivers are placed in heats based upon their experience, and on their record. So no matter how good you might be, you would need to prove yourself before you would be competing alongside our resident ace here."

Justin blushed in response as Brian nodded. "Well, I'd like to try it," he decided. "That was a fucking rush!"

"Not to mention, you would no doubt fill out a riding outfit quite..." Emmett struggled for the right word before settling on, "...nicely."

Brian's face soured with horror. "Oh, shit, I look horrible in lime green and silk!"

Justin burst out laughing. "Don't worry; there're other colors and fabrics." He paused as he admired Brian's tall, slim form. "I agree with Emmett, though. I think you would look magnificent all decked out in uniform."

Brian openly leered at him as asked, "Oh, you do, do you? So you like a man in uniform?"

Justin's face turned red as he nodded.

"Well, that might be worth racing just for that," he murmured as Vic cleared his throat to get his attention. "Yes, Vic? You wanted something?"

Emmett giggled, his eyes twinkling as he addressed Justin. "You and big, tall, and delicious there can go get cooled off, Baby, and we'll take care of the horses."

"Thanks, Em," he murmured gratefully as Brian snorted over the other boy's description of him. He reached over to grab Brian's wrist. "Come on, Brian, before they change their minds."

"Oh, don't worry; I'm coming," he assured him with a wink as Justin blushed again, silently scolding himself for how easily Brian could do that to him. Before Vic and Emmett could change their minds, the two boys hurried off in the direction of the swimming hole.

Emmett stared after them a little wistfully. "So lucky," he murmured softly.

Vic peered over at him. "You mean Brian? I think that was more than luck."

Em gave his uncle an odd look until he shook his head. "No. I don't mean his racing ability." He paused as he watched the two boys heading toward the thicket of woods that led toward the swimming hole, Brian's arm slung companionably over Justin's shoulders. "They're both lucky. It's obvious how much in love they are. I just hope that one day I will find someone to love like that, too."

Vic squeezed his nephew's shoulder. "You will," he assured him with a kind smile. "I'm sure of it." Emmett gave him a grateful look in return as Vic added, "Come on. Let's get these horses back to the stables."

Emmett nodded, casting one last look at Brian and Justin until he turned and followed Vic over to the two horses, grasping Headstrong's bridle as Vic took hold of True Blue's. Slowly, the two men began to walk the duo back to the stables

.

"I can't believe it."

Justin peered over at him curiously. "Can't believe what? That you forgot to bring your shirt with you?"

Brian smirked. "No, that was intentional. I figured I wouldn't be wearing it for very long, anyway, so why bother?"

Justin shook his head in amusement, but he knew Brian was right; he wasn't interested in him putting any more clothes on; he was more interested in taking the rest of his clothes off. "Then what?" he asked, not bothering to dispute Brian's statement.

"I can't believe that I whipped the Great Justin Taylor's ass out on the racetrack."

Justin snorted. "Well, it wasn't exactly a race TRACK. At least you called my ass great, though."

Brian grinned as his eyes swept downward; he made a show of twisting his body so he could peer behind Justin as he agreed, "It IS great." He leaned closer and whispered in the younger boy's ear, "...And I can't wait to fuck it...after I take my tongue and push it so deep inside you you're going to be screaming out my name, again and again.."

Justin turned beet red. "Brian..." His lover had never talked dirty to him that way, but he found it a major turn on. He whispered back, his voice sultry and seductive, "Maybe it'll be the other way around. A consolation prize."

The two boys stopped in their tracks by the farmhouse as Brian gaped at him in indignation. "Consolation prize? I don't think so. But if you're a good little boy, I might let you indulge anyway."

Justin grinned. "Oh, you will, all right, when I get done with you."

"If you don't drown me first. I remember the FIRST time we met in the swimming hole. You were trying to kill me!"

Justin laughed. "I was not! I was trying to get away from you."

Brian grinned. "Well, you didn't try hard enough. I'm still here."

"Yes you are," he replied. "And I'm so glad that you are," Justin murmured, the expression on his face dissolving into something tenderer. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here, Brian."

Brian smiled. "And I feel the same way. You've made something that could have been torturous and fucking boring into anything but." He pulled Justin closer, intending on kissing him, when they heard someone nearby clearing their throat. Turning around, both boys were stunned to see who was there.

"Hi, Justin," their visitor greeted them hesitantly, shuffling his feet nervously as he studied Brian beside the other boy; he watched as Brian took his hand and wound it around Justin's waist in a protective sort of gesture. Of course, he didn't need to know how Brian felt; he had overheard most of what they had said, and their mutual expressions were obviously those of two people very much attracted to each other.

Justin studied their unexpected visitor warily before replying quietly, "Hello, Jared."