Fandom:	NONE
Series:	Original stories
Rating:	NC-17
Pairing:	Jake McAllister/Jesse DeMira
Archive:	Starwinder's
Title:	Open Road
Author:	Starwinder
e-mail:	starwinder2of7@gmail.com
Copyright Notice: All characters in this fiction are original and belong to the author.

Open Road
By Starwinder

Jake McAllister turned his back to his broken down pickup and leaned against the fender. Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his forearm, he cursed loud and long. Cursed the hunk of junk pickup for choosing this god forsaken spot to give up the ghost. Cursed his old Indian handyman, Iron Horse, for the visions he had when he smoked... whatever it was he smoked in that old pipe of his. Cursed the old man for telling him that the gods were smiling on him today.

That had been what persuaded him to load up his second best bull and head for the auction. He'd planned to sell the bull and get enough money to make the mortgage payment. Not that it mattered whether he made it or not. He was only postponing the inevitable. Kyle Ryker would foreclose sooner or later. It was just a matter of time. Just a matter of time till the ranch his father had left him, which had been in his family for more than a hundred years would belong to that sniveling, whiny voiced, wet behind the ears banker.

He took a deep breath to try and calm himself then turned back to the truck, maybe he could get it going if he just kept trying. It was his only hope. The possibility that anyone would be coming along to help was remote, as remote as this lonesome stretch of highway. It was sixty miles to the nearest town and almost that much back to the ranch. Walking it was out of the question. He momentarily considered the possibility of riding the bull back home then snorted at the idea. Maybe when he'd been twenty but now with forty long past and forty five coming up fast... he couldn't risk the broken bones that the cantankerous creature could and probably would give him, if he tried it.

He climbed up on the front bumper and leaning over the engine, started poking around in it, again. He'd tinkered with engines all his life, being raised on a ranch it'd been necessary that he learn how to keep the equipment working. He was almost certain that the problem here was the starter and that meant he wasn't going anywhere. It needed to be replaced and he sure didn't have a new one tucked under his hat.

Sighing he stepped back down off the bumper and taking off his hat, wiped his brow again. The mid-afternoon sun was blazing hot, beating down on him. No longer than it had been since he'd wiped his face before, the sweat was already running down it. His shaggy blonde hair was soaked, turned dark by the wetness. He'd abandoned his shirt already and the sweat ran in rivulets down his well muscled chest, matting the dark curls of the thick hair there and running on across his washboard abs to seep down inside the waistband of his jeans. Soon the jeans would be soaked, too. He needed to get into the shade and sit down.

He had straightened and turned to go check on the bull before getting out of the sun when he heard it... the sound of a powerful engine, roaring down the highway toward him. Looking up he saw the car, fire-engine-red, small and sleek, a convertible with the top down.

Before he could even step out into the edge of the highway and wave it down it was past him. He turned to look after it and saw the brake lights go on.

The driver executed a perfect rumrunner's turnaround, hitting the brakes and turning the wheel at the same time, swapping ends with the car almost instantly. The car continued to float away from Jake, although the front end was now pointing toward him, until the spinning, smoking wheels caught and the car leaped back in his direction.

The driver parked on the other side of the road and got out. Dressed to the nines in a pale gray suit and tie, with a deeper gray shirt and matching loafers he looked like he could have just stepped off the cover of a magazine. Shorter than Jake by a good five to six inches he none the less stood at least six feet tall. Long, wavy black hair was pulled back into a gold clasp at his neck, wispy curls at the hairline framed his face. He turned back, leaning into the car to get something off the passenger's seat.

The pants of the suit pulled taut across the driver's firm, rounded buttocks as he bent over and Jake had a perfect view. His mouth went even dryer than it already was, if that were possible.

The man straightened, turned and walked toward Jake. As he neared, Jake got a better look at him. He was absolutely beautiful. He had clear blue eyes, several shades darker than Jake's pale blue ones, ringed with dark lashes, they looked out from under perfectly arched brows. He had a straight nose set above full, pouty, almost red lips, perfect cheekbones, neither too prominent or too flat, a strong jaw but not so strong as to overpower his other features and all of it held together by smooth, clear, flawless skin. To top it off, he was smiling as he walked toward Jake.

Jake thought he'd die. The smile alone was enough to kill him. [With a piece of that and a glass of water a man could die happy.] Then he realized what he must look like to the gorgeous young man, standing there gaping at him, in his battered old cowboy hat, rundown boots and ragged jeans, without a shirt, sweat running off him. A dirty old man. He swallowed hard and forced himself to look away.

"Looks like you could use this, Cowboy!" His voice was perfect too. A clear rich baritone, warm and gentle like a caress. He held out a bottle of water.

Jake groaned, trying not to let it be audible as he took the bottle. It was cold, must have been in a cooler. He nodded his thanks, not trusting his voice yet, twisting the top off the bottle, he took a long draught.

The younger man gestured toward the truck. "What seems to be the problem?"

Finally something Jake could handle. "Starter. Won't start." [God, that sounded stupid!]

"Anywhere around here you can get another one?"

"Next town. Sixty miles though. Be closed 'fore I could get there, assuming you're offering to take me."

"Do you know the person that runs the store? Would they wait for you if you called and asked?"

"Called?" Jake looked confused.

The stranger gestured toward the car. "Car phone. You can use it."

"Yeah, uh, yeah. Ole man Matthews'd wait. I ain't got the money to pay him though so it wouldn't do no good."

The young man regarded him for a long moment, looking him up and down, taking in the weathered face, the sun darkened skin and the work hardened body. "I'll tell you what, I'll pay for the starter. Consider it my good deed for the day." He smiled again, an incredibly beautiful sight. "Come on, make the call." He turned and headed back to the car.

Jake trailed behind, unable to take his eyes of the lithe form. He nearly choked on the swallow of water he was taking when the young man once again leaned into the car as he reached for the phone, displaying the wonderfully taut buttocks directly in front of him. [Couldn't be more inviting if he was trying.] He shook his head, there wasn't anyway that the gorgeous young man could be interested in him, even if he hadn't been sweaty and dirty. He was old enough to be the kid's father.

As the other man turned to lean against the car door and held the phone out to him he said, "By the way, I'm Jesse. Jesse DeMira." He smiled again. "And you are..." he let it trail off into a question.

"Jake. Jake McAllister." The older man managed to croak. [Lord, if he smiles at me one more time...!]

Jesse smiled.

With a strangled cough, Jake turned his back to the younger man and busied himself with trying to figure out how the phone worked. He was so shaken by Jesse's nearness that he almost dropped it.

Jesse stepped up behind him, laying a hand on his waist at the back and reaching around him to point out how the phone worked.

Jake nearly jumped out of his skin at the touch. Jesse's hand felt cool to his overheated skin. Cool and yet it sent heat lightening straight to his crotch.

Jesse's hand slid upwards, fingers spread to comb through the tangled hair on Jake's upper back.

"Hummmmm. Back hair." Jesse murmured.

It was barely audible but Jake heard it and his heart started pounding. [Can't be. Can't be.]

Jesse leaned even closer and inhaled. "Honest sweat. So sexy." Loud enough to be sure he was heard. When Jake didn't respond he leaned in and licked the older man's sweaty shoulder.

Jake dropped the phone and rounded on him, grabbing him by the hair, shoving him against the car. "Don't play with me, Boy!" He snarled. "I can't take it. Ya'll find yurself face down on the hood ya fancy car!"

Jesse looked up at him, his eyes as hot as the west Texas sun that was beating down on them. "Is that a promise?"

For just an instant Jake could only stare at him then his need overwhelmed him. He pulled the younger man to him, roughly, using the hand tangled in the long hair as a handle. He wrapped the other arm around Jesse's waist and bent to kiss him, kiss him with all the penned up hunger and desire that thirty years of fighting his needs and two wives hadn't been able to burn out of him.

He kissed him the way he had always wanted to kiss another man and had never dared. He kissed him with all his heart and all his soul, almost sobbing with joy as the soft responsive mouth kissed him back. He trembled as Jesse's tongue danced with his and Jesse's hands stroked him, fingers tangling in the thick hair of his chest. He felt his cock throbbing and knew that he was coming, spending inside his pants just from kissing the beautiful young man.

He sagged a bit as he climaxed and his hold on Jesse loosened but the younger man didn't move away from him. He remained plastered to Jake, moaning his name softly, his face buried in the sweat soaked hair of Jake's chest.

Jake released him abruptly, pushing him away. "No! No! I... can't. I'm not...! Oh, God! I'm sorry!" He staggered away from Jesse, ending up falling to his knees in the middle of the road, half wishing that someone would come along and run him over. [Oh, Lord, please... this can't be happening. I'm not like that! Oh, Lord! Pa must be spinning in his grave! He'd hate me, never forgive me. Oh dear God! It felt so good! What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?]

Jesse had wanted Jake to kiss him and been pleased when the other man did. The main reason he had stopped had been that he had been taken by the brief glimpse he'd gotten of the cowboy when he'd zipped past him. When Jake suddenly shoved him away, his first reaction was anger. How dare the man practically assault him then just shove him aside! However, as Jake staggered away and fell to his knees in the road, moaning with despair, Jesse's heart softened. It was obvious that Jake was having a major problem dealing with his desires.

After a couple of minutes, Jesse went to Jake, squatting down in front of him, "Hey!" He tried to get the man's attention. "Hey!" he called louder.

This time Jake looked up.

Jesse smiled, a shadow of his former smile, "You still need that starter. Come on. Make the call and we'll go get it."

Jake looked up at him. How could the man even think about being in the same car with him after what he'd just done?

Jesse shook his head, still smiling that half-hearted smile, "Never kissed a guy before, huh? It's not the end of the world!" He paused, looking into Jake's eyes, "Hey! You did a damned good job for it to be the first time!" The smile deepened, touched his eyes. He held out a hand to help Jake up. "Come on, Big Boy, you'll survive."

Almost shyly, Jake reached up and took the offered hand, letting Jesse pull him to his feet. His mind was still reeling, first from the kiss and now from the shock of finding that Jesse hadn't minded the kiss, had in fact liked it.

They moved back to Jesse's car. This time Jesse held on to the phone, "Maybe I'd better dial. What's the number?" When Jake told him he punched it in then after hearing the first ring handed the phone to Jake.

The big man's hands were still shaking slightly when he took it. It didn't help that Jesse had moved in close, that his hand was gently stroking Jake's back, the touch like fine lines of fire.

After a minute the phone was answered. "Mr. Matthews? This is Jake McAllister. I need a starter for my truck. Yeah, that one. No. No. I won't need to charge it. I'll pay cash. The thing is I'll be after five getting there. Uh...."

He looked at Jesse who looked at his watch then said, "Quarter till six at the latest."

"Five-forty-five. No later. Okay? Thanks." He handed the phone back to Jesse and moved away slightly. "He'll wait."

Jesse checked to make sure the phone was hung up then put it back in its holder. "That bull got water?" He asked gesturing toward the trailer hooked behind the truck.

"A little, reckon it'll have to do." Jake replied.

"Let's take a look." Jesse started for the trailer.

"Whoa, Boy! That bull can be mean 'round strangers!" Jake took off after him.
By the time he caught up, Jesse had already reached the trailer and was opening the side entrance that allowed someone to get to the water and food troughs without having to go past the bull. The cowboy watched in disbelief as the city boy, calmly reached out and stroked the big bull's face.

"How are you doing in here, huh?" Jesse's voice was soft and soothing. The bull responded to it by pushing his head forward to be stroked again and making a low sound of pleasure in his throat. Jesse grinned. "Looks like you could use some more water. I'll see what I can do, okay?"

He scratched the bull's ears and murmured something that Jake couldn't hear then hopped back down from the trailer. "He's going to need more water than that. We'll be gone the better part of two hours."

He walked past Jake and headed back toward the car. "Give me a hand with the ice chest, will you?"

The older man turned and followed him to the car and helped him lift the ice chest out of the passenger's seat. "Ice water'll give him cramps."

"We'll take care of that. The water that he has is warm. We'll pour what's melted here into that. It'll be cool but not cold. Then we'll rig it so that as the ice melts it runs into the trough."

"How?"

"Watch and see." Jesse grinned.

First he opened the drain hole on the chest and set it in one end of the trough, just out of reach of the bull, with the drain hole angled down. Then he cracked the lid, using a stick to prop it up, so that the hot air could get in and melt the ice a little faster.

"See. Easy as pie." He flashed that smile at Jake again. "Now let's go get your starter."

As he pulled out on the highway, he reached down to the tape player and the tape there in. Soft rock music filled the car as it picked up speed.

Eventually the music faded into silence.

The only sound now was the hum of the wheels on the highway and the purr of the powerful engine moving them along.

After a while, Jake looked over at Jesse, "You've been kissed before." It was a statement.

Jesse laughed. "Yeah, by men and women. But never like that, Cowboy!"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not! I liked it. I like you! And if that kiss was any indication, you liked it, too! Man, you shouldn't try to hide from your self. I guess, maybe I can understand why. I mean it's gotta be hard for a big, macho cowboy like you to admit he likes guys but if you do... you do."

"My Pa would kill me if he was still alive."

"Good thing he's not then! Cause I don't want you killed!"

"What do you want?"

Jesse glanced over at him then put his eyes back on the road. "To show you what you've been missing. How good it can be if you let yourself accept it."

"I don't know. All I've ever known says it ain't right. It's a sin."

"I'm Catholic and believe me the Holy Roman Catholic Church agrees with that. At first I was really upset when I realized that I didn't. Then someone that I respect a lot pointed out that the bible has been translated a lot of times. What it says now may not be anything like what it originally said. One thing it does say is that love is good. That we should all love one another. Most people believe that when you die and go to heaven you leave the physical behind, that there is no gender in heaven. If that is true, then why should gender matter here on earth? If you care for someone and they care for you... why shouldn't you be together? No matter if you're the same sex or not?"

"What happened back there wasn't caring. It was just sex."

"My grandmother would say, 'Two souls that have met before need no introduction.' It's her way of explaining love at first sight."

"I don't love you!"

"You don't have a clue what you feel!"

"Are saying you love me?"

"I wouldn't have stopped for just anybody!" He fastened his eyes back on the road. "Something inside me said 'I know this guy. He's important to me.' That's why I stopped."

"So, you're saying that you love me?"

"Yes! Dammit! Yes! I love you! I took one look at your overgrown, dirty, hairy, sweaty body and fell head over heels in love! You blind jackass!" Jesse blinked back tears and slowed the car as they reached the outskirts of the town.

"Which way to the damned parts store." He demanded.

Jake breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to have to reply to the declaration of love and gave him directions.
By the time that they reached the store Jesse had his emotions back under control and was at least outwardly calm as he followed Jake in.

"Evenin' Mr. Matthews." Jake had called the old man 'mister' all his life. "'Preciate your waitin'. Got here quick as we could."

If the old man noticed the state of Jake's clothing he chose to ignore it. He did however peer over his glasses to give Jesse the once over.

Jesse grinned, striking a pose, he did a runway model's turn and walked away from, then back toward the old man.

"Cute." Matthews said dryly. "You a model?"

"I've had my picture took a few times." Jesse smile was gently amused.

Matthews shook his head and turned back to Jake. "Got your starter ready."

Jesse moved to the counter. "While we're here, you might as well give us an air filter, oil filter, in-line gas filter, top and bottom radiator hoses and a bottle of carburetor/fuel injection cleaner." He turned to Jake, "What kind of gas are you burning in that beast?"

"Regular."

"And two bottles of gas treatment."

"Two?" Jake sounded puzzled.

"You've got duel tanks on that thing haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"Two bottles then. One for each tank."

"Only got gas in one."

"We'll fill it up when we get it running," Jesse replied sweetly.

Matthews watched the exchange then looked at Jake. "You paying for all this?"

Jesse answered, "I am."

"Good Samaritan, huh?" The old man looked him over again before heading to the back to get up the order. As he passed Jake he muttered. "You could do worse. Seen uglier women."

Jake blushed.

Jesse smiled at him, that infuriatingly beautiful smile that made him not know whether to kiss him or hit him, and moved closer.
By the time that Matthews returned with the parts, Jesse had Jake backed up to the counter, trying to slide along it to escape the younger man's teasing hands.

Jesse was idly twirling a strand of Jake's chest hair around one forefinger as he leaned into the older man almost, but not quite, leaning against him.

Jesse stepped back and let Jake escape as he turned to Matthews and asked what he owed. He paid the man with cash, pulling a thick wallet from his pocket and handing Matthews a pair of hundred dollar bills.

The store owner looked at him, "I'm afraid I can't change this, son. I'd already closed out the register before Jake called. Went on and made the deposit while I waited."

"Jake's got an account hasn't he?"

A nod said yes.

"He's run out of credit hasn't he?"

Another nod.

"Just apply the change to his account." Jesse instructed.

Matthews nodded before Jake could protest.

Jesse gathered up the parts and headed for the car, leaving Jake standing with Matthews for a moment before he came on to the car.

"Got money, too. Better grab him, Boy, while the grabbin's good. A boy like that don't come along every day." The old man squeezed Jake's shoulder. "You've had a rough life. Deserve somethin' good. Don't throw it away 'cause of what other people might think. You think about that before you let him get away."

Jake turned to the old man. "You knew my dad..." he trailed off, uncertain what he wanted to say.

"Was a good man." He studied Jake a long moment. "He loved you, boy. He'd want you to be happy. Can't tell you what he'd think about the boy... but he knew how rare love was. Loved your ma. Loved her something awful. After she passed he weren't ever the same." He paused again then went on, "I think he'd want you to be happy and if that boy makes you happy... I don't think he'd find it unforgivable for you to be with him."

"How do I know if it's love?"

"That, my boy, is the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. Can't nobody tell you the answer. Your heart'll know, though." He walked Jake to the door and locked it behind them.

They drove back in silence. Jesse parked the car in front this time, nose to nose with the truck so that they could use the headlights to see what they were doing, as it was nearly sunset.

Jake checked on the bull first and was pleased to see that the rigged up cooler had kept him supplied with water. As he came back around the truck Jesse was getting something out of the trunk of his car. Jake watched as he stripped off the suit jacket and stepped into a pair of coveralls. Jesse then reached back into the trunk and brought out a tool roll.

Carrying it under his arm he came around to the front of the truck. He laid the tool roll up on the front of the truck and unrolled it. It had a multitude of fitted pockets each neatly holding a tool. Aprons above and below, covered the grimy edge of the engine compartment, magnets secured it to the vehicle so that everything was accessible. He stepped up on the bumper and began to remove the air filter.

The tool roll had the names of several of the big international racing tracks on it. The coverall he was wearing also had racing team patches. On the back were the words: DeMira, Pit Boss, Ferrari Racing Team.

"You worked for the Ferrari Racing team?" Jake couldn't keep the awe out of his voice.

"Coveralls were my dad's. He was Pit Boss for the Ferrari team most of the time I was growing up. Tools were his, too. He took me with him, everywhere. Mom died when I was born. I'm a pretty good mech but I preferred driving."

"Is that what you do? Race cars?"

"Used to. Don't anymore."

"Why not?"

Jesse didn't answer immediately, then he hopped down from the bumper. He regarded Jake thoughtfully for several moments before replying, then he said. " If we're going to get... intimate I guess you ought to know. I had a bad wreck. Was pinned in the car for over an hour. There was gas everywhere. They had to cut me out. Couldn't get it done with the jaws-of-life as they call them. Had to use a metal saw... and at one point, a blowtorch. Even with the fire crew keeping the car soaked in foam I was terrified it was going to explode. It felt like it took them forever to cut me out. Now...I'm claustrophobic and terrified of fire. I can't get in a racecar. The doors are welded shut and I panic cause I can't open them." He hesitated and looked down at the ground. "I still have nightmares. Sometimes if I'm sleeping with some one and they roll over, throw an arm or leg over me, I wake up screaming, thinking I'm pinned in the car again." His hands were shaking just from talking about it. He looked up at Jake, his eyes filled with misery. "The last person I was with, couldn't handle it. There hasn't been anyone in over a year."

Jake didn't know what to say. He wanted to reach out, take Jesse in his arms but he was still having trouble accepting his feelings for the younger man.

Jesse gave a small nod as if he had expected Jake to be unable to reach out to him and went back to working on the truck.

It was full dark by the time that he finished up and Jake climbed into the cab and turned the switch. The engine roared to life immediately. Jake whooped. After a minute he switched it off and tried again just to make sure that it would keep cranking.

Jesse laughed and came to stand on the running board. "It'll keep working, Cowboy. I guarantee it!"

Jake leaned out the window to look at him. The moon was up now, full and bright. Jesse looked wonderful in the moonlight. "Look, you can stay the night at the ranch if you want. I've got a couple of spare rooms..." he trailed off not wanting to ask Jesse to stay with him but uncertain if the other man would want to spend the night and not stay with him.

"Sounds good." Jesse said softly, then added. "Who knows, maybe we can work something out."

The End.