Outlaw Vices (third in The Crane Gang Series)manxman

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The sun was beating down on his neck and he'd certainly had better company but, all in all, Craig felt more at peace riding free and open then he had in a long time.

There was something about the rhythm of a horse beneath you and the fresh air surrounding your face that made a man forget everything except that very moment.

"You look comfortable up there. I take it you used to do a lot of wandering?"

Craig ground is molars in annoyance. Why did Ezekiel have to ruin a perfect moment with conversation?

"Must have been hard to figure that one out," Craig replied.

If Ezekiel was fazed by his tone, the man didn't let it show. "I used to wander a lot myself. It always seemed to get me into trouble."

Craig glanced over at the brute of man riding an appaloosa gelding. The sun was shimmering off his chocolate skin and his expression was haunted.

He shifted in the saddle torn between a desire to have the conversation over and to ask the man what had happened to put such an expression on his face.

Curiosity won. "Surely you can't have gotten in too much trouble. You certainly act like the pillar of superiority."

Ezekiel glanced sideways at him. "I've never acted superior."

Craig couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, you have! Every damn time you talk to me, you're looking down your nose."

"That's because you're short."

"I'm not short!" Craig countered. "I'm at least six feet."

One large shoulder shrugged. "Shorter than me."

Craig realized Ezekiel had avoided answering his question. "What kind of trouble did you get into then?"

Ezekiel cleared his throat. "The bad kind."

Silence fell between them. Maybe there was more to the grumpy, overbearing foreman than Craig had first thought. It made him wonder about the man's past and just what he had done.... Had Edison too brought him onto the ranch to find his purpose?

Craig chose not to press the matter any further. Instead, he decided to address something else that had been bothering him. "I think we need to get something straight before we spend the night out here."

"I'm all ears."

"I know you are attracted to men and that's perfectly fine with me. My brother and my best friend both found love with the rougher sex, but, I happen to like the fairer sex. You know, without the facial hair, thick biceps, deep voice and pecker?"

Ezekiel's laugh was a low rumble deep in his chest and it did something strange to Craig's gut. He chose to ignore it. Probably just gas from the beans last night.

"I do my best to keep my facial hair to a minimum. Thick biceps can hold you quite a bit tighter. A deep voice sounds nice when whispered in the dark. And a pecker? Well, hell, Craig, that one you have to experience to appreciate."

Craig rolled his eyes. "Just the same, keep your hands to yourself."

"That won't be a problem," Ezekiel assured him. "You're not my type."

For some unexplainable reason, Craig felt slighted. "Why the hell not?"

Instead of answering, Ezekiel sped his horse up a bit. "We should hurry and get to the shack. Those clouds look like they might be bringing a storm with them."

***

Craig was grown up enough to admit that Ezekiel had been right. Those clouds had indeed been bringing a storm with them.

One hell of a storm.

Rain fell in torrential rivers from the sky, soaking them to the bone nearly the instant it began falling. The ground became slick and treacherous and visibility was near zero.

Thunder vibrated through them and lightning flashed across the sky striking the ground each time it lit up the late afternoon.

Both men knew they had to get to that field shack. Conditions like this were dangerous if you weren't in cover. The horses could easily slip and break a leg. The low visibility could cause them to leave the trail and walk off a cliff. And it wouldn't be too farfetched for a bolt of lightning to strike one of them dead.

Craig was relieved when he saw the ramshackle shack come into view. They put the horses in the lean-to that would serve as their barn and unsaddled them. After seeing to beasts needs, the men grabbed up their supplies and raced into the shack.

Craig sputtered as he shook the rain from his hair. "Damn.... It's wet outside."

"Thank you for clearing that up—just in case there was confusion about the weather."

Craig glared at Ezekiel but said nothing. He went to the pile of dried wood in the shack and began to ready a fire in the cook stove to warm them up.

He damn near swallowed his tongue when Ezekiel suddenly began shedding his clothing.

"What are you doing?" Craig demanded.

"They're wet and I don't want to catch my death in them. Don't worry." Ezekiel winked. "You enjoy the fairer sex, remember?" 

A/N: This story is coming pretty quickly to me so i'm hoping it all flows