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Ty'd Up
Ty'd Up
Ty'd Up
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Ty'd Up

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Since receiving a medical discharge from the Navy, Tyler Hardin has found a home, a job, and a life partner at the Willow Springs Ranch. Most of the time, things couldn’t be better. Except when they could. Like whenever Ty manages to ditch the day in, day out drudgery of housework and cooking and find something more useful to do around the ranch. When an old friend calls with an opportunity to make a difference in a kid’s life, Ty doesn’t think twice. He’s all in.
Years ago, Cass Cartwright made his lover a co-owner of the Willow Springs Ranch, and it’s still the best decision he’s ever made. A ranch runs on its stomach, and Ty’s cooking skills keep all the ranch hands happy. As partners of the heart as well as the land, they always see things eye-to-eye. Except when they don’t. Issues once thought settled–like marriage and raising children–have a nasty way of coming back to life at the most inopportune moments.
With one man craving change in his life and the other desperate for stability in their relationship, a fourteen-year-old boy could be the fresh start they both need. Or the beginning of the end.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherLaura Harner
Release dateDec 18, 2017
ISBN9781941841532
Ty'd Up
Author

Laura Harner

Laura lives on waterfront property in Arizona because she's always wanted to be an oxymoron. She once enjoyed hobbies such as gardening and travel—now the characters in her head compel her to tell their stories, so she writes. (It doesn't actually help quiet the voices—but it keeps the folks in the white jackets at bay.)She shares her home with an ever-revolving cast of characters—some of whom are actually real—and is living her dream of building her own version of the Willow Springs Ranch.With over fifty published novels and novellas, Laura is an international bestselling author of erotic romances, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and Highland romances. Her books can be found at all major online retailers.Connect with her online at:http://lauraharner.com

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    Wow this was a super sweet story. Read the previous books this was a lovely ending

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Ty'd Up - Laura Harner

Ty’d Up

By

Laura Harner

Copyright

Ty’d Up is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2017 by Laura Harner

Cover Art & Formatting by Author.Services

Photograph by Dan Skinner

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Hot Corner Press.

ISBN: 978-1-941841-53-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission, except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Contact the publisher for further information: Hotcornerpress@gmail.com

Dedication

For Will—Ty’d Up wouldn’t have happened without your encouragement. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you.

Also a special thank you to my wonderful readers—you give me the courage to keep trying.

Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Ty’d Up

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Also Available

About the Author

Ty’d Up

Since receiving a medical discharge from the Navy, Tyler Hardin has found a home, a job, and a life partner at the Willow Springs Ranch. Most of the time, things couldn’t be better. Except when they could. Like whenever Ty manages to ditch the day in, day out drudgery of housework and cooking and find something more useful to do around the ranch. When an old friend calls with an opportunity to make a difference in a kid’s life, Ty doesn’t think twice. He’s all in.

Years ago, Cass Cartwright made his lover a co-owner of the Willow Springs Ranch, and it’s still the best decision he’s ever made. A ranch runs on its stomach, and Ty’s cooking skills keep all the ranch hands happy. As partners of the heart as well as the land, they always see things eye-to-eye. Except when they don’t. Issues once thought settled–like marriage and raising children–have a nasty way of coming back to life at the most inopportune moments.

With one man craving change in his life and the other desperate for stability in their relationship, a fourteen-year-old boy could be the fresh start they both need. Or the beginning of the end. 

Chapter One

Seriously? Tyler Hardin glared at the accumulated dust on the side table. Since PTSD no longer contributed to a lingering mental condition, he didn’t actually expect the furniture to answer. Of course, having no one to answer was a part of the problem. He wielded his dustcloth and sighed into the silence.

Feast or famine. For one hour, three times a day, a dozen or more living-life-out loud cowboys with big appetites and dusty feet descended on him, filling the kitchen and dining room with the raucous sounds of male voices, the clatter of silverware against plates, the scrape of boots and chairs. The rest of his day was a never-ending routine of kitchen prep and dust bunny guerilla warfare. How had his life come to this?

From killing machine to domestic goddess in ten easy lessons.

Step 1: Lose your job as a Navy SEAL.

Step 2: Lose your heart.

Step 3: Lose yourself.

Okay, maybe it didn’t take the full ten steps.

Moving closer to the window, he stared out at the main compound of the Willow Springs Ranch. He’d come here planning to spend a few days catching up with Gibby—the man who’d been like a father to him—only to arrive an hour after his friend had died of a heart attack. The owner, Cass Cartwright, had stepped up to take him in—to his home, his heart, his life—and Ty had never looked back.

Now Ty was part owner of the WSR and surrounded by friends and family. The other two owners, Cass and his newly discovered brother Hoss, spent long days—and sometimes nights—engaged in the day-to-day business of managing ranch hands, livestock, miles of fencing, and a mini fleet of ATVs. Ty cooked and cleaned. Sure, he’d once been a cook in the Navy, but that had been about a hundred years ago. Before his years as a SEAL. Long before he and his team were the difference between terrorism and freedom. Back before his kill count reached double digits.

It went without saying that he didn’t want to return to killing. He was more than done crawling through sand on his belly or freezing his balls off in an Afghanistan winter. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be doing…more. Like his friends Cliff and Ryan. Last year, they’d retired from the Navy and joined a private investigations company owned by another former SEAL. They still got to use their hard-earned skills to serve and protect others.

Ty spent his days fighting dust monsters and baking bread.

In the yard, Ty’s lover put a boot into the stirrup, then kicked his leg over Demon’s back. The big black stallion skittered, his muscles twitching with the need to move. Cass flicked the reins, pressed his heels into Demon’s sides, then beast and man turned towards the west, moving as one. A beautiful sight.

Turning away from the window, Ty attacked the coffee table with his dustcloth. It wasn’t that he was unhappy with his life at the Willow Springs Ranch. Yet, he could admit to feeling as though something had been missing for a while now. It was partly why he’d suggested they renovate the old house by the lake into a bed and breakfast a few months ago. Not that he wanted to be an innkeeper, which was a good thing, too, considering how that had worked out. Cass’s half-brother Hoss and his lover now occupied the building as they undertook the massive renovations required of the historic homestead house.

No, it wasn’t a new job he needed—it was just—

A salsa ringtone interrupted his melancholy thoughts, and he snatched the phone from his hip.

Hardin, he said by way of a greeting.

Hey, Ty. It’s Perry. Perry White, a social worker with the Veteran’s Administration, had played an important part of Ty’s recovery from debilitating PTSD when he’d first been medically discharged from the Navy. They’d grown to be good friends over the years. A few months ago, it had been to Ty and Cass that Perry had turned when his husband had been killed in a manner that had left them all reeling.

How you doing? Heard anything from the insurance company? Ty asked.

Yes, they finally settled everything earlier this week. I already told Joe it’s time to rebuild the house. Perry swallowed audibly, then sucked in a deep breath. I received Steve’s life insurance, too. It’s…it’s more than enough. Joe said he’d be available to start the construction after the first of the year.

Joe—as in Perry’s cousin and Hoss’s lover—making them one big messy family.

Before Ty could think of the right words to offer as comfort, Perry continued.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to get off track. I actually called for a reason. Are you and Cass still current on your foster parent screening through the Sunrise Foster and Adoption Agency?

Ty blinked. Foster parents? We’ve kept everything updated with our counselor Juliet, but we never put ourselves back onto the waiting lists after the sabotage. Why? What’s going on?

Perry sighed. This exceeds the bounds of favors. I don’t know if I should ask—

We can always say no. Try me.

Good point. The situation is difficult. A woman I used to work with at the Kingman VA clinic now works with the Sunrise Agency. She stopped by the office the other day because she had a family of three children, but could only find a home for the two younger siblings. They have permission to divide the family up because the older boy is a half-brother, and they’ve seldom lived together. Plus, Ethan is flagged as special needs, which she says makes him harder to place.

Ty’s brows came together as he tried to figure out the situation. What kind of special needs and why did she come to you?

Paula didn’t know about Steve’s death and she thought we might be a good fit for this teen. But with Steve gone… He sucked in a big breath. I’m just not in a place where I can help right now—

And she came to you is because—oh shit. Let me guess…being gay is why he’s classified as special needs? Ty’s voice rose along with his temper.

Got it in one… Perry’s answer came out as a sigh. He’s fourteen, a little rebellious—her words—and got suspended from school for fighting because someone called him a fag. The school counselor says he’s a perfect candidate for homeschooling or online high school. They don’t have any real interest in putting him back into the same environment—which means no group home. His mother’s been sentenced to hard time and won’t be coming back until he’s too old for it to make a difference. There’s no father or other relatives in the picture. With his two younger siblings going to a family, I hate the thought of him staying in the group facility by himself for the holidays.

Excitement coursed through Ty. A child. Not an infant, but a teen—one who might have the same questions or doubts as he’d experienced in his youth. He didn’t need to think about his answer. Of course we’ll help. When can I pick him up and where?

Perry barked a laugh. Uh…Ty? Don’t you think you might want to talk to Cass, first?

Why? He agreed to be a foster parent with me years ago. Nothing’s changed. Plus, I’ll be the one spending most of the time with—what did you say his name is? Ethan? How old is he again?

Yes, Ethan. Ethan Booker. And he just turned fourteen. He’s a freshman, and I don’t need to tell you how important it is he finish his schooling. He’s going to need to be computer literate for the online schooling, but I don’t think that’s a problem for you.

No, and I could always ask Chad for help, if we need it, Ty said, referring to one of their ranch hands, who was a certified teacher. Perry, this is something I really want to do. Tell me how to make it happen.

*

Hey Ty—I’m back, Cass hollered, as he sat on the bench in the mudroom and pulled off his boots. It was stinking hot out there today for this time of the year. I’m so dirty, I offend myself. I’m gonna take a shower before dinner.

When Ty didn’t answer, Cass hung his hat on the shelf and tucked his boots away before heading into the kitchen.

Ty? he called again. Taking a quick survey of the empty kitchen, he noticed dinner prep looked to be nearly completed. A massive pot of chili was on the stove. Cornbread batter was in a sheet pan. Salad in the fridge. And a chocolate layer cake with buttercream icing sat on the counter next to the urn of coffee.

Smiling, Cass was tempted to swipe a taste of the frosting, but one glance at his filthy hands was enough to squash that idea. There’d been a time in their lives when the appearance of Cass’s favorite cake signaled either the beginning or the end of a fight. Like the Valentine’s Day that they’d planned a commitment ceremony—back before marriage equality changed the laws. Ty had backed out, baking the chocolate cake as a peace offering. That had been when Cass realized he’d left his lover in a state of uncertainty for far too long—as if they could only be equal through marriage. He’d had his lawyers draw up paperwork making Ty a full partner in every aspect of his life.

Since then, there’d been a few times Cass had hinted at the idea of marriage, but his lover had always changed the subject. Or pretended not to hear. Either way, it was hard to justify starting an argument over a piece of paper and a name change—no matter how much it hurt Cass to know Ty didn’t want to make that final commitment.

On the other hand, with Christmas approaching and their relationship more settled than ever, maybe Ty would really be able to go all in and they could finally be married. That would be a perfect ending to a magical year.

Lost in his thoughts, Cass hurried to the master bath, eager to rid himself of the day’s grime. Stripping quickly, he left his clothes in a pile on the floor and stepped into the glass enclosure. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back and leaned into the steaming spray, letting the day wash away.

A click of the door and a brush of cool air opened his eyes, and he smiled at the very naked Ty climbing in to join him.

Hey, babe, Cass whispered, pulling his lover into the pulsing water.

A smiling Ty leaned in, pressing their lips and other important bits together. Mmm…missed you today.

I can feel that, Cass said, grinding his hips against Ty’s. You made all my favorites for dinner, too. My lucky day.

It is, Ty agreed. Now put your hands up. No touching. Ty reached for the bar of soap and a wash cloth.

Feeling bossy tonight? Grinning, Cass raised his arms and reached for the shower head. Wrapping his hands around the pipe, he pushed his hips forward, even as Ty stepped back.

In response, Ty fisted Cass’s cock and gave one oh-so-perfect tug before releasing him. Dirty boy. Need to be clean, first. Dropping to his knees, Ty rubbed the soapy cloth over each of Cass’s legs, from ankle to mid-thigh. His cock jutted out, pointing at Ty, throbbing with need. His lover ignored the offering.

Instead, with a little tap to the back of the calf, Ty indicated Cass should raise his foot. With excruciating slowness, he slicked the soap over each toe, then pressed his thumbs into the arch, rubbing, massaging, caressing.

Mmm… Cass moaned, when Ty released one foot, then repeated the process with the other. When he was finished, Ty patted Cass on the hip.

Turn around, honey, hands on the wall. His smooth voice echoed in the shower stall.

It took a moment for Cass’s brain to process the order. He turned slowly, afraid his relaxed leg muscles might refuse to hold him upright much longer. When he stood palms to tile in the frisk position, Ty rose. After working up a good lather on the cloth, he shifted the massage to Cass’s back. Again, Ty moved deliberately, his firm hands kneading Cass’s neck, his shoulders, lower back, and finally, his ass.

Every muscle in Cass’s body felt heavy with desire when Ty soaped his crease. He was about to reach for the lube, to beg his lover to prep him, but Ty’s finger tapping on his pucker forestalled his ability to speak.

Been a while since we switched things up, Ty said, his breath fanning against Cass’s neck. Too bad we don’t have time right now…

If you think I can go to dinner like this— Cass started to say. Ty’s chuckle cut him off.

Wouldn’t dream of leaving you…hanging. Turn around.

When Cass complied, Ty ran the soap over his chest, then returned the bar to the shelf, exchanging it for the bottle of lube.

Oh thank god, Cass said, raging need turning his voice into a rough growl. Ty slicked up Cass’s cock, then let the bottle fall to the floor as he closed the distance between them. Pressed together from chest to thigh, with lube and soap and water creating a delicious friction, Ty took both their cocks in his hand. As much as Cass might have liked to make the moment last, he was wound so tight, it was only a few strokes before he shot his load over Ty’s hand and belly. Apparently just as close to the edge, Ty followed him over, his shaft twitching as cum pulsed.

Together, they stood in the steaming spray, knees weak, sucking in breath as if they’d just finished a marathon.

That was— Cass started.

The appetizer, Ty finished. I gotta hurry, hon. The guys’ll be here in a few. After another of his mind-altering kisses, Ty reached around Cass to shut off the water. Stepping from the stall, he grabbed two of the fluffy white towels from the rack and passed one to Cass.

Cass dried himself slowly, far more focused on admiring Ty’s tight ass as his lover bent to run the towel down his legs. Ty was right—this was just an appetizer. After that little trick with the finger tapping at his back door, the fuse was lit. They better hurry up and get through dinner so they could head to bed. One of them was getting fucked, and Cass really didn’t care which one. Check that…he knew exactly where he wanted to be at bedtime.

You’re in a fine mood, he said, tossing his towel over the

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