Lang Downs

Caine Neiheisel is stuck in a dead-end job at the end of a dead-end relationship when the chance of a lifetime falls in his lap. His mother inherits her uncle's sheep station in New South Wales, Australia, and Caine sees it as the opportunity to start over, out on the range where his stutter won't hold him back and his willingness to work will surely make up for his lack of knowledge. Unfortunately, Macklin Armstrong, the foreman of Lang Downs who should be Caine's biggest ally, alternates between being cool and downright dismissive, and the other hands are more amused by Caine's American accent than they are moved by his plight... until they find out he's gay and their amusement turns to scorn. It will take all of Caine's determination-and an act of cruel sabotage by a hostile neighbor-to bring the men of Lang Downs together and give Caine and Macklin a chance at love.

Twenty-year-old Chris Simms is barely keeping his head above water. After losing his mother and his home, he struggles to provide for himself and his brother. When homophobes attack him, he thinks his life is over, but then he's rescued by jackaroos from a nearby sheep station. He's as stunned to be offered a job there as he is to discover both the station owner and foreman are gay. For Chris, Lang Downs is a dream-one that only gets better when Chris realizes the jackaroo he's crushing on, Jesse Harris, is gay and amenable to a fling. Everything goes well until Chris realizes he's falling for Jesse a lot harder than allowed by their deal. Jesse is a drifter who moves from station to station, never looking for anything permanent. Convinced Chris is too young and fragile for a real relationship, he sets rules to keep things casual. Watching the station owner and his foreman together makes Jesse wonder if there are benefits to settling down, but when he realizes how Chris feels about him, he panics. He and Chris will have to decide if a try for happiness is worth the risk before the end of the season tears them apart.

Office manager Sam Emery is unemployed and out of luck. When his emotionally abusive wife demands a divorce, he contacts the one person he has left, his brother, Neil. He doesn't expect Neil to reject him, but he also doesn't expect the news of his divorce-and of his sexuality-to be met with such acceptance. Neil takes Sam to Lang Downs, the sheep station Neil calls home. There, Sam learns that life as a gay man isn't impossible. Caine and Macklin, the station owners, certainly seem to be making it work. When Caine offers Sam a job, it's a dream come true. Jeremy Taylor leaves the only home he's ever known when his brother's homophobia becomes more than he can bear. He goes to the one place he knows he will be accepted: Lang Downs. He clicks with Sam instantly-but the animosity between Lang Downs and Jeremy's home station runs deep, and the jackaroos won't accept Jeremy without a fight. Between Sam's insecurity and Jeremy's precarious position, their road will be a hard one-and that's without having to wait for Sam's divorce to be final before starting a new life together.

Thorne's at a sheep station to fight a blaze, but sparks fly when he meets Ian. If they get beyond their pasts, maybe heat can turn to love.

When Seth comes home to stay, Jason takes it as the boon it is. Until he realizes how deep Seth's issues run and how Seth chooses to cope.