Black Sheep Farm

[photoman4u35]

So sorry you are dealing with this health issue. Praying you have a full recovery and feeling better soon.

 

[highflyer99]

All the best for the surgery mate, and for a quick recovery. I'm certainly enjoying the story, and I'll look forward to more whenever you're up to writing it. Cheers, HF

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-nine

Climbing the steps from the garage into the kitchen, Brady called out, “We’re home!” When he didn’t get an immediate response, he added, “We brought treats!” He set the bags containing the ice cream treats onto the kitchen table.

Eric appeared in the archway between the dining room and the kitchen. “We’re in the living room,” he offered. “Zander needs you.” Noticing the bags on the table, he added, “I’ll put these away for you.” While the pair rushed to the living room, he took the bags and placed them into the freezer in the pantry.

*****

My Hero
By Zander Johnson
I would have to say that my hero has to be my dad, Darin Johnson. He works awfully hard every day to make sure that me and my brothers are safe and that we have whatever we need. He runs a rescue for stray and abandoned animals, and he makes sure all of them are safe and cared for.
When my other foster parents found out I was gay, they sent me away, but my dads took me in and helped me see that it’s okay. He also adopted me and my brother and loved us when we felt nobody else ever would. When I mess up, he doesn’t get mad at me like my other foster parents did. He helps me learn from my mistakes and helps me find ways to do better. When I first came to live with my dads, I was getting into trouble and fighting at school, and I was not doing very well in school. After I was there a while, my grades got better, and I didn’t get into any more fights. He told me not to listen when someone bullys me. He said, it’s their problem, not mine.
So, that’s why I consider my dad to be my hero.

Written across the bottom of the paper in red ink was, “This is totally inappropriate for someone your age,” and a big ‘F’ was written in the top right corner.

*****

The two boys were seated on the sofa when their fathers entered the living room. “What’s going on,” Darin asked, noting that Zander had been crying.

Zander handed the paper to his dad and pressed his face into Jayson’s chest.

After reading the essay, Darin looked at his son. “I don’t understand,” he said, taking a seat beside the boy.

“Misses Webster told him he’s too young to be talking about being a homosexual,” Jayson offered, rubbing his hand on his brother’s arm. “She also said that you should be ashamed of yourself for encouraging him to lead a deviant lifestyle.”

“Oh, she did, did she?” Darin stated. “We’ll have to see about that.” He handed the paper to his partner.

“This is bullshit,” Brady said after reading the essay. “What’s so inappropriate about what he wrote?”

Jayson replied, “She’s like super religious and keeps her bible on her desk. She’s always quoting scripture and stuff.”

Eric shook his head. “I thought they couldn’t do that,” he said.

*****

“I think you see why I’m concerned,” Darin stated as the principal, Matthew Espinoza finished reading Zander’s essay and laid it on his desk.

Clearing his throat, the other man replied, “I thought after the last time…” He stopped, lowering his voice. He let out a long sigh. “Let’s just say that this isn’t the first time this issue has come up.”

Darin crossed his legs and shifted in his seat. “Can you talk to her?” he asked.

“Unfortunately, that’s about all I can do,” the principal admitted. “Vivian Webster has been at this school since I was in grade school.” He leaned back in his chair. “I’d like nothing more than to fire the old witch but…” He smiled. “Sorry. If anyone asked, you didn’t hear that.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Darin stated with a soft chuckle. “Are you telling me there’s nothing you can do?”

“She has tenure. Short of her actually physically assaulting a student, there’s truly little that I can do.” He let out a long breath. “Is your other boy having issues with her as well?” he asked.

“Jayson isn’t fond of her, but he doesn’t seem to have any of the issues that Zander does.”

“Well, that’s fortunate,” the principal said, nodding. “I wish I had another English teacher for the eighth grade,” he added. “I’d simply transfer him out of her class.”

“What about just removing him from her class?” Darin asked. “I mean, could that be an option?”

“Unfortunately, it’s a required course,” the principal advised. “Otherwise, that could be an option.

“I just don’t want to subject him to more of her bigotry if I don’t have to,” Darin stated. “He’s struggled so much to get his grades up and this type of thing could make him want to give up.”

“Let me see what I can do,” the principal offered. “I might have an option that would satisfy us both.”

“What are you thinking? If I may ask,” Darin inquired.

“One of the seventh-grade teachers has some free time in the afternoon and had asked about taking on another class,” Mr. Espinoza, began. “I’ll check with him and see if we can put something together.” He paused, before adding, “I’ll talk to him and get back with you tomorrow.”

Darin nodded. “Our only other option would be to send him back to the school he went to last year, but I’d rather not do that if we don’t have to,” he stated.

Principal Espinoza rose from his chair. “Well, that’s always an option, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m sure we can work something out,” he advised. “Thank you for coming in today.” He extended his hand as Darin also stood.

“Thank you, Principal Espinoza,” Darin responded. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

****

Once he arrived home, Darin shared his conversation with Brady. “Why can’t they do anything about her?” Brady asked.

“It’s all because she has tenure and has been there forever,” Darin replied. “Short of her retiring, there’s no way they can get rid of her.”

“We’re home!” Jayson called from the kitchen, interrupting their conversation.

Darin and Brady listened as the two youngsters tromped down to the lower level. “Tell me again, why we thought they were a good idea,” Darin stated with a sly smile.

Brady swatted his partner’s arm. “Stop that,” he insisted. “You love it every bit as much as I do. Even if they are a pain in the ass once in a while.”

Zander appeared at the top of the front stairs, having changed out of his school clothes. “Did you talk to Principal Espinoza?” he asked Darin.

Darin leaned his head against the back of the sofa. “Yeah, I did,” he admitted.

“So, do I get to transfer out of her class?” the boy asked, dropping into one of the two matching occasional chairs.

Darin shook his head. “He’s gonna see if he can make some changes and get you out of her class but it might take some time,” he said.

Frustrated, Zander pressed against the back of the chair. After a short pause, he finally said, “At least you tried.”

******

With Halloween approaching, the shelter had been especially busy with rescues. Rodney quickly returned to his position as rescue driver and had no problems picking up where he left off when he moved to Seattle. On Thursday afternoon, following a particularly large rescue, he walked into Darin’s office. “Knock, knock,” he called out, tapping on the door.

“Oh, hey,” Darin stated, looking up from his paperwork. “Come on in.” Shuffling a stack of papers, he added, “Just putting together a bid on that property across the road. What’s up?”

Rodney took a seat in front of Darin’s desk and picked at the sole of his boot before finally speaking. “There’s something…” he hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Sensing the seriousness in his tone, Darin laid his pen on the desk and leaned back in his seat. “Okay, now that you have my full attention…what’s on your mind?”

Rodney let out a long sigh. “Well, I got a call from the school the other day,” he began.

“Yeah?”

“They said that if I don’t take my final by the end of November, that I’ll have to take the entire term over again.”

“I thought you were gonna try and have your credits transferred down here,” Darin asked, confused.

“I was but because I didn’t take the exam, I don’t have any real credits to transfer,” Rodney replied. “Besides, I’m on a scholarship and I don’t qualify for the same program here. If I don’t go back and take the exam, they’ll bill me for the term, and I’ll have to pay and start all over here.”

The pair sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Darin let out a soft sigh. “So, where do we go from here?” he asked.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Rodney replied, “The school is willing to honor their commitment and let me keep my scholarship.” Leaning forward, he added, “And, if I can get my exam taken by the end of next week, I can enroll in the next term that starts December first. And, as long as I maintain a decent grade average, I can finish up and get my degree.”

“So, you’d be staying up there then?”

“I talked to Nate’s brother, and he said he’d let me have one of the studio apartments in another complex he manages,” Rodney replied. “He said I could help with keeping the trash carried out and vacuum the halls once a week.”

“The school doesn’t have any housing available?” Darrin quizzed.

“They do but I didn’t apply because I had housing with Nate.”

“And that’s not an option?”

Rodney laughed. “I finally got him to quit calling me every night. No way am I gonna open that wound again.”

While they chatted further, Brady entered the doorway. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Darin cleared his throat. “Rodney is going back to Seattle,” he advised.

“What brought this on?” Brady inquired.

Rodney shared the conversation he had had with Darin and assured the two that he would return as soon as he could. “It’s really the best option,” he stressed. “If I don’t go back, I’m on the hook for the cost of the whole term and I’d have to start all over again.”

“Well, don’t you think for a minute that we’re happy about it,” Brady stated.

“I know,” Rodney replied.

Before he left the office, Darin advised, “I’ll make sure you get this week’s check into you account as soon as possible. When will you be heading out?”

“I made an appointment to take my exam next Wednesday,” Rodney said. “I figured, if I leave Saturday night, I should be able to get settled in time.”

******

“I checked my account this afternoon,” Rodney said on the phone when he called Tuesday evening. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense,” Brady replied. “We figured it might take you a couple weeks to find a job and we didn’t want you to struggle.”

“But…” Rodney protested.

“It’s not up for discussion,” Brady stated. “We’re happy to do it. Consider it an advance on your salary once you get your degree and you come back here where you belong. Deal?”

“Yeah, Supreme is fine,” Rodney said.

“What?” Brady asked, confused.

“Sorry, I was talking to Troy,” Rodney responded. “He’s ordering a pizza and asked me what I wanted.”

“Who’s Troy?”

Rodney laughed. “He’s from the gay and lesbian center,” he replied. “Nate’s brother got in touch with them, and they brought me some furniture and a gift card for groceries. Troy brought over some sheets and stuff.” To Troy, he said, “Yeah, I have a two liter of Doc in the fridge.” Another pause. “Okay, get another one.”

“They brought you some furniture? That’s great,” Brady went on. “But I thought you took sheets and stuff with you.”

“I did but they were for my full size, and they brought me a queen size,” Rodney answered. “I didn’t have any sheets that fit so Troy brought me a set along with new pillows and a nice comforter. He’s gonna help me put the bed together while we wait for the pizza.”

“Are you gonna try it out?”

“No comment.”

“Well, I won’t keep you,” Brady offered. “It sounds like you have plans for the evening.” He laughed. “Just be careful, young man.”

“Yes, Dad,” Rodney teased. “Love you guys.”

“Love you,” Brady replied. “G’night.”

Hanging up the phone, Brady turned to his partner. “Is he okay?” Darin inquired.

“Yeah, he’s great,” Brady replied, tossing his phone onto the night stand. “The slut,” he added with a chuckle.

******

On Friday morning, Darin called Tim into his office. “With Rodney gone, we need to look at hiring a couple of rescue drivers,” he told him as he shuffled through a stack of applications.

“I may have a good candidate,” Tim responded, “But you might be a bit hesitant.”

“Why’s that?” Darin asked.

“Well, for starters, he’s on parole,” Tim replied. Seeing the surprise on Darin’s face, he added, “He’s just looking for a chance.”

Darin leaned back in his seat. “I guess it depends on what he did that landed him in prison,” he said. “Can you get him here this afternoon for an interview?”

“Will do,” Tim responded, removing his cel phone from its holster and exiting the office.

******

There was a soft knock on the door to Darin’s office as Jerry Tazinski arrived for his interview. Rising from his seat, Darin was taken aback by the man’s size. Standing nearly six foot six, and built like a linebacker, the man looked rather intimidating. He had short, cropped hair and several tattoos on both his arms. His shirt strained to contain the muscular expanse of his chest. “Please, take a seat,” Darin offered. “I’m Darin.”

“Jerry Tazinski, but friends call me Taz,” the big man replied.

“Pleased to meet you, Taz.”

“Thank you,” Taz said softly, his voice uncharacteristic of his bulk. “I really appreciate you considering me for a position.”

Darin smiled. He noticed a bandage on the right side of the man’s neck but made no comment. “If you don’t mind my asking, how is it that you ended up in prison?” he finally inquired.

“Straight to the point,” Taz offered. “I’m cool with that.” He smiled.

“Well, Tim thought it might be a deal breaker, but it all depends on the details,” Darin responded.

“Originally, it was possession of stolen property,” the man answered. “I bought some tires for my Jeep that…well…” He scratched the side of his face. “Even though I suspected that they were stolen, I bought them anyway.”

“How long were you in?”

“I got three years, but they let me out after ten months,” Jerry replied. “Good behavior.”

Darin was making notes on a pad on his desk. “What did you mean when you said, ‘originally’?” he asked.

Taz shifted in his seat, “About a year ago, I saw these two guys wailin’ on a guy outside a bar not too far from where I was staying,” he began. “They had him on the ground and were kicking him and stuff.” He drew his right hand over the top of his head, let out a deep breath and continued, “I stepped in and the guy who was gettin’ stomped on took off. When the cops got there, the two guys said I attacked them, so I got charged with assault and sent back to lock-up with the remainder of my three years plus five more.”

“Weren’t there any witnesses?” Darin pressed.

“Not to the first guy gettin’ jumped but, by the time the cops got there, a bunch of people from the bar saw me wailin’ on the other two. Turns out it was outside a gay bar that had been known to have problems with that sort of thing. The cops figured I had attacked the two when they came out. Since I was on probation, they sent me back without any further investigation.” Taz leaned back in his seat and waited for a response. After a short time, he said, “This is the point in the conversation where most folks usually say, ‘thanks for coming in, we’ll let you know.’ I understand if you feel the same way.”

Darin shook his head and gathered his thoughts. Finally, after a few moments, he smiled. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not most folks, isn’t it?” he stated.

Blinking, Taz asked, “What?”

“Tell me,” Darin began, “Did the guy who you were defending ever come forward?”

Just then, Brady appeared in the doorway. “I’m gonna run over to the house and put dinner in the slow cooker,” he advised. “Hello, I’m Brady,” he said, extending his hand to Taz.

Taking Brady’s hand, the newcomer responded, “I’m Taz.”

“Taz is applying for one of our rescue positions,” Darin advised as Brady nodded.

“That’s great,” Brady stated. “When can you start?”

“Yesterday,” Taz joked. “And to answer your question, Darin, he did finally speak on my behalf. But it took my lawyer’s investigator tracking him down to get him to come forward.”

“Did he offer any explanation as to why he ran away?” Darin asked.

Taz nodded. “And I totally understand,” he began. “He said he was afraid of his family finding out he was gay, and he had no idea that I had been arrested.” Shifting in his seat, he continued, “I mean, I totally get it. I just wish he would have stuck around.”

“Did they go after the guys who attacked him?” Brady inquired.

“Didn’t have to,” Taz replied. “They pulled the same thing a couple weeks later and there were witnesses.”

Darin leaned forward in his seat. “But didn’t they go back and look at your case and see that they weren’t the victims? I mean…”

Taz nodded. “I had a court appointed attorney and, because I was already on probation, he didn’t give a rat’s ass what the facts of the case were. As far as he was concerned, I was guilty. Period.” He paused. “He took one look at me and decided there was no point to even try to defend me. One of my buds found a lady lawyer who looked at my case and got the court to see that I was just defending someone else and got me released.”

“So, are you on probation or parole?” Brady asked.

With a smile, Taz replied, “I’m on parole but I still have to keep my nose clean. No drugs, no alcohol and absolutely no hangin’ out with the kind of folks I used to hang out with.” He touched the bandage on the left side of his neck. “You’re probably wonderin’ what this is about,” he added.

Both men nodded.

“Well, I had a tattoo that most folks wouldn’t be too comfortable with,” he stated. “It was from when I ran with a pretty rough crowd and didn’t reflect what I believe now, so I got it removed.” Rubbing his hand across his forearms, he added, “And most of these are gonna go next. Just as soon as I can put together the funds.”

“Seriously,” Brady began, “Can you start tomorrow?”

“We’re pretty big on second chances,” Darin advised. “The fact that you jumped in to defend a total stranger says a lot about your character.”

Covering his mouth, Taz choked up. “You mean it?” he finally managed. “Hell, I can start today, if you want me to.”

“Tim’s out on a call right now but, if you want to hang out til he gets back, he can get you started if you want,” Brady replied. “For now, I need to go get dinner started. I’ll leave you and Darin to work out the details then,” he added before exiting.

While Darin went over the requirements of the job and compensation, Eric entered the outer office. Not finding Brady at his desk, he called out, “Anybody home?”

“In here, Eric,” Darin called out.

Entering, the smaller man noticed Taz. “Uh…Hello, there,” he said nervously. “I’m Eric.”

“Taz,” the larger man stated with a warm smile as he extended his hand.

“Pleased to make you…er…meet you,” Eric stuttered. “I picked up two dogs and a cat at that abandonment call,” he said to Darin. Turning to Taz, he added, “Are you coming to work here?”

Noting Eric’s nervous state, Darin acknowledged the boy’s question. “Taz is going to start training as a rescue driver,” he advised as Eric stared at the bigger man.

“Cool,” Eric replied, not breaking his stare. “Really cool,” he repeated, swallowing hard.

“Is Tim back yet?” Darin asked.

Continuing to stare, Eric did not respond to Darin’s query. “Huh?” he finally said, his face flushing red and turning his attention to Darin.

“I asked if Tim was back yet,” Darin repeated with a soft chuckle.

“Oh…uh…he might be,” Eric stammered. “Want me to go check?”

“That would be great,” Darin replied. “If he’s back, send him up.”

“Will do,” Eric replied. With his gaze still locked on Taz, he turned to leave and ran firmly into the door jamb. “Oops, my bad,” he said with a giggle. “Has that door always been there?” he joked. Rubbing the side of his head, he quickly retreated.

“Sorry about that,” Darin said once he heard the outer door close. “Now, where were we?”

“I don’t know, I’m actually flattered,” Taz responded, smiling. “I mean, he is awfully cute. And it’s a far cry from the reaction I usually get.”

******

“Sorry, I’m late,” Eric apologized when he entered the kitchen. “Jerry and I went for coffee.”

Darin smiled. “I figured as much when I saw you talking to him after he and Tim got back from that call,” he said taking a bite of beef roast.

“Grab a plate, it’s still warm,” Brady offered.

Zander winked at his older brother. “Is that the new hunk that Dad hired to do rescues?”

Removing a plate from the cupboard, Eric blushed. “Yeah,” he replied softly while spooning potatoes and carrots onto the plate.

While Eric quietly ate his dinner, the other boys finished up and placed their plates into the sink before excusing themselves to watch television. Brady busied himself with scraping plates and putting away the leftovers. “You want any more of this?” he asked Eric. Indicating the contents of the slow cooker.

“Just a little bit more,” Eric replied, taking a drink of his soda. As the others watched him eat, he turned to Darin. “What?” he asked.

“So, how’s Taz doing?” Darin quizzed. “Is he liking the job so far?”

Eric nodded, slowly chewing his food. “Can I ask you something?” he finally said.

Leaning forward, Darin replied, “Of course you can.”

“I was wondering if…” He paused. “I know Jerry hasn’t worked for us all that long but, I was wondering if he could move into the small trailer next to Rodney’s. I mean since Mary moved over to the bigger one.”

Darin thought for a moment. “It really needs a lot of work. Why do you ask?”

“Well, the friend that he’s been staying with has been getting heat from his landlord about Jerry staying with him and he has to find another place soon,” Eric stated. “I just thought maybe you could offer to let him stay there.” He pushed his plate toward the center of the table. “Just so you know, I didn’t tell him I was gonna ask about this.”

Placing his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, Darin responded, “I think maybe we can work something out.” Once more, he smiled. “So, it’s Jerry now, huh?”

Again, Eric nodded and flashed a goofy smile. “Uh…yeah,” he said with a giggle.

“So does this mean we’re gonna be seeing quite a bit of Jerry Tazinski?” Brady teased.

“I wish,” Eric replied. “That’s one of the reasons we went for coffee. I’d love to get to know him better.”

“But?” Darin asked.

“He’s not ready for a serious relationship,” Eric said, sadly. “He wants to get his life back on a positive track and make amends to some folks before he gets involved with anyone.”

Darin placed his hand on the boy’s arm. “I’m sorry,” he offered.

Eric let out a long sigh. “It’s all good but, hey, nobody said I couldn’t dream. I mean, he’s not at all hard to look at…”

“For sure,” Brady agreed before placing his hand over his mouth.

“Ouch!” Darin protested. “Oh, who am I kidding? Yes, yes, he’s hot. Okay, there I said it,” he added as the three of them laughed.

“You certainly could do a lot worse,” Brady offered.

“And I have,” Eric replied as the group dissolved into laughter.

 

[highflyer99]

Hey Racer, glad you're back, and I hope everything went well. Thanks for another warm, gentle chapter.
HF

 

[RacerBear]

I haven't forgotten you guys. Surgery went well but I'm still struggling with adapting to my "new normal". Complete permanent colostomy. Struggling with severe fatigue and, while I'm able to sit at my computer, I still have a ways to go to get it to where I'm comfortable with the next chapter. I work through some great ideas in my mind but, when I sit down to put them on the page, I draw a complete blank. I'm almost to the point of just posting it and letting the chips fall. But I feel like you all deserve better. I'm working on it. Really, I am. Thanks for your patience. I'll get the rest posted soon.

 

[Autolycus]

I haven't forgotten you guys. Surgery went well but I'm still struggling with adapting to my "new normal". Complete permanent colostomy. Struggling with severe fatigue and, while I'm able to sit at my computer, I still have a ways to go to get it to where I'm comfortable with the next chapter. I work through some great ideas in my mind but, when I sit down to put them on the page, I draw a complete blank. I'm almost to the point of just posting it and letting the chips fall. But I feel like you all deserve better. I'm working on it. Really, I am. Thanks for your patience. I'll get the rest posted soon.

Here's wishing you well with your 'adjustment'. It can't be easy but our thoughts are with you

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Thirty

Even though he was still struggling to get along in his English class, Zander concentrated and put forth his best efforts. Darin continued to work with Principal Espinoza to find a suitable alternative while both boys worked hard to maintain their grades and find their place in their new school.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving, Zander entered Missus Webster’s English class, just as he had done every school day previously. On this day, he had chosen to wear a white button up shirt that he had worn numerous times before. Embroidered on the left pocket of the shirt was a small rainbow flag and the word ‘Pride’ in red letters underneath. As Vivian Webster was returning homework assignments from the previous day, she noticed his shirt. Marching back to her desk, she called on Zander to come forward. “I’d like you to leave the class and report to the principal’s office,” she stated, filling out a hall pass and tearing off the top sheet.

“Why?” was Zander’s only reply.

“Just do as I say, young man,” she responded curtly.

“But why?” Zander repeated.

Taking in a sharp breath, the teacher replied, “You’ll need to put on a different shirt in order to return to my classroom.”

“Excuse me?” the boy asked, confused.

“I’ll not have you flaunting your deviant lifestyle in my classroom,” she pressed, raising her voice. “Now, either report to Principal Espinoza’s office or I will call security to escort you. Your choice.”

“No,” Zander said, and turned to return to his seat.

“Young man, I said leave. NOW!” the teacher demanded.

By now, his classmates had heard some of what was said and one of them spoke up. “Excuse me, but what’s wrong with his shirt?” a girl named Ashley asked her teacher.

“You’re too young to understand,” the teacher told her. Turning to Zander, she repeated, “Young man, go to the office. Now!”

“No!” Zander repeated, taking his seat, and crossing his arms.

“I will not tell you again,” she said. “Either leave now or I will call for security and have you removed.”

Glaring at the woman, Zander picked up his books and started toward the door to exit the room. As he passed by the teacher’s desk, he could feel the tears welling in his eyes, and could hear whispering from the other students. Figuring they were about to have a laugh at his expense, he fought hard to not make eye contact with anyone. Just before he pushed the door open, he heard shuffling of papers and books being closed. As he turned, he saw several other students gathering their belongings. Rising from their seats, they followed him toward the door.

“Class, please take your seats,” the teacher demanded. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Up yours, lady,” one boy, named Steve, said sharply as ten others followed him out the door. Before closing the door, he turned and stated, “You fuck with one of us and you fuck with all of us.”

******

“This is Darin,” he said into the phone, picking up on the third ring.

“Mister Johnson, this is Principal Espinoza,” the voice on the line advised. “Can you come to the school? We have a situation.”

“What type of situation?” Darin asked as he studied the boys’ schedules on the bulletin board near his desk. “Never mind, I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he added when he noted that Zander had English class immediately following lunch.

******

Walking into the school, the men encountered a security guard who inquired where they were going. “We’re here to see Principal Espinoza,” Brady informed the guard. Just then a bell sounded, and the halls filled with students on their way to their next classes. When they approached the office, a number of other angry parents were already inside.

A shorter man with dark hair pointed his finger at the principal and demanded, “If you don’t do something about that woman, I’m going to the school board.”

“Enough is enough,” another parent shouted.

Turning to Darin, Brady whispered, “Looks like we’re not the only ones who have a problem with Vivian Webster.”

As the crowd continued to shout, Principal Espinoza climbed onto a wooden chair. “ENOUGH!” he shouted. When people finally settled down, he continued, “I hear your complaints, but there’s very little I can do.”

“Well, you better do something,” a woman shouted from the back of the crowd.

Espinoza took in a deep breath. “We’re making plans to add another English class, but we have to wait until after winter break,” he stated. “That way, we can rearrange schedules without disrupting other classes.”

Another, taller man worked his way through the crowd and stood next to the principal. “I’m Jeremy Beall,” he told the crowd. “And I’ll be the new English teacher come January.”

“Right now, Mister Beall teaches several classes for the seventh grade,” Espinoza explained. “But he’s agreed to add an eighth-grade class during one of his free periods in the afternoon.”

Zander and the other students watched through a window in another part of the office. Steve, the boy who had mouthed off to their teacher when they exited the room, put his hand on Zander’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Bro, we got your back,” he advised. “Ashley and her girls have a plan for next Monday,” he added.

“What’s that?” Zander asked.

With a wide smile, Ashley advised, “We’re all gonna wear rainbow shirts on Monday.”

“Yeah, she can’t kick us all outta class,” Steve added just before the principal entered the room.

“All right, kids,” Espinoza said, “go ahead on home and I’ll meet with each of you, and your parents, next week.” As the others left the room to reunite with their folks, he added, “Zander, I need to speak with you and your dads before you go.”

******


“I heard fifteen kids walked out of old lady Webster’s English class right after lunch,” Jayson said as he entered the family room after school.

Zander was seated at the table with his books spread out. “Actually, it was twelve,” he corrected, looking up from his work. “She tried to kick me out of class and the others left in protest.”

“What’d you do?” Jayson quizzed.

“Nothing,” Zander replied. “She didn’t like the shirt I wore to school.”

Jayson entered their bedroom and removed his shirt, grabbing a gray tee shirt from the stack on his dresser. Standing in front of the mirror, he studied his physique for a moment, flexed and pulled the shirt over his head. “I also heard that she wanted to suspend everyone who walked out,” he added, folding his pants, and hanging them over the back of his desk chair. Returning to the family room, and buttoning his jeans, he continued. “Were Dads pissed?”

Zander closed his history book. “Actually, no,” he replied. “Mister E said there was no way he was gonna punish all of us though. He said sending us home for the rest of today would serve as our suspension.”

“What shirt were you wearing?” Jayson asked.

“The white, button up one we got at pride last year,” Zander answered, sliding papers into one of the folders on the table and standing. “Let’s get our chores done,” he said, changing the subject.

******

“Now, don’t put them on until just before class,” Ashley quietly told Steve and the other students as she handed out tee shirts for them to wear in class. “I don’t want her to see them until we go in.”

Holding up one of the shirts, Steve said, “These are so cool.” The various brightly colored shirts featured a large rainbow with the words, ‘Love is Love’ on the front and ‘Live Your Truth’ on the back.

“Thank your mom for these,” another student, Jeremy, stated.

Ashley smiled. “I know, right?” she agreed. “When I told her what was going on, she insisted she wanted to help out.”

Becky, another student, added. “Missus Webster is gonna be so pissed when she sees all of us. Can I get a blue one?”

“What sizes do you have?” Jenny asked.

Ashley handed the girl a yellow shirt. “Only extra-large,” she advised. “Just put them on over your other clothes.”

“What about Robert,” Jenny asked, motioning toward the larger boy. “I don’t think…”

Digging into her bag, Ashley removed a much larger red shirt from the bottom. “Not to worry,” she stated, “I got him covered.”

“Awesome!” Robert exclaimed, holding out the triple-X shirt. “Thanks, Ash.”

Spotting Zander near his locker, Ashley rushed toward him. “Zander,” she called out as Jeremy Beall also approached. “Hey, Mister Beall,” Ashley addressed the teacher while trying to conceal the contents of the bag she was carrying.

“Good morning, Ashley,” the teacher replied. “You wouldn’t happen to have any extra shirts, would you,” he asked.

Swallowing hard, Ashley stammered, “Uh…what? What shirts?” she asked, fearing she was about to be summoned, once more, to the school office.

“The ones you’re handing out to the other students in your English class,” the teacher advised. “If you have any extra, I’d like to buy one.”

“I want one too,” another student chimed in. “How much are they?”

Relieved, Ashley answered, “I don’t know. I’ll have to check with my mom.” She removed an orange shirt from her bag and handed it to the teacher. “I have a few extras,” she told him.

As the first bell rang, sending students scurrying toward class, several other students expressed interest in purchasing shirts as well.

******

The students were all assembled just after lunch but their teacher, Vivian Webster, was not in the room. As they waited, the door finally opened and Jeremy Beall entered, wearing his orange tee over his blue dress shirt and tie. Without comment, he walked to the chalk board, picked up a piece of chalk and, in large letters, wrote, ‘Love Wins!!’ Turning to address the class, he stated, “I’ll be covering this class for Missus Webster today.”

Several students gasped. “What happened to Missus Webster?” Steve asked.

The teacher smiled. “Let’s just enjoy the hour,” he offered. “What say we talk about what you all did here today?”

“But we didn’t really do anything,” Ashley offered.

Jeremy Beall smiled. “Oh, you did plenty,” he began. “Is anyone familiar with the term, ‘non-violent protest’?”

“Yeah,” several students replied.

“Okay, so what do you think that means?” the teacher asked.

The students stared blankly. Several shrugged their shoulders and looked around to see in anyone else understood the question. Finally, one student said softly, “Carrying signs?”

“That’s one form,” Mister Beall stated. “Can someone give me another example?”

“How about forming a united front when you think someone has been treated unfarily?” another student, Chuck, said. “Right Mallory?”

Mallory, the only student in the class not wearing one of the special shirts, turned to respond. “I’m sorry,” she said, “But I was taught that homosexuality is wrong.”

“So is being a judgmental bitch,” another student called out.

Holding up his hands, the teacher quickly shut down the conversation. “Now, just hold on a minute,” he said. “That’s not called for.”

Mallory stood. “I’m not condemning Zander or anyone like him, but I can’t celebrate it either,” she said matter-of-factly. “My dad’s a minister and I’ve been raised to believe it’s wrong, but I respect him for being honest.” She turned to the teacher and added, “I accept him for living his truth, I just ask you all to accept me for living mine.”

Jeremy Beall clapped his hands. “Whether or not you agree, Mallory just hit the nail on the head,” he advised the class. “You see, if you want others to accept or see your side of the argument, you also have to see their side of it. While I may not necessarily agree or disagree with Mallory’s views on the issue, I would defend her for having the courage to stand up for what she believes. Just as I applaud all of you for standing up for what you believe.”

“Are you saying you agree that being gay isn’t wrong then,” Ashley asked.

The teacher shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a matter of it being right or wrong,” he said. “I think it’s more a matter of respecting that it’s not your place, or mine, to decide.”

“My dad thinks it’s a choice,” another student, Bill, stated. “I don’t think that’s the case at all.”

“Look, I don’t think anyone knows what makes someone gay,” the teacher noted. “It’s like trying to figure out why some of you have blue eyes and others have brown. Or green. Or, why Ashley has dark hair and April has blond. It’s just the way things are.”

“Except I can change the color of my hair if I want to,” April stated with a giggle. “Zander doesn’t have that luxury.”

******

Eric was seated at the kitchen table when Brady and Darin entered from the garage. “Hey there,” Brady greeted the younger man. “Sorry we’re so late. Did you guys eat already?”

“Yeah, I ordered pizza,” Eric replied. “There’s almost a whole one left on the stove.”

“Awesome,” Darin responded, opening the box, and removing a slice. “Where are the boys?” he asked, chewing his food.

“They’re downstairs watching a movie,” Eric returned. “Did you work out a deal?” he inquired.

Taking a bit of pizza, Brady replied, “Yeah, we’re gonna end up buying all three plots. That is one screwed up family.”

“How so?” Eric asked.

Swallowing, Darin answered, “Well, originally, we were only bidding on the plot right across the road. The one with the woods. Then, when the old guy died, his family decided they didn’t want to split the property up and insisted on selling it complete.” He took another bite and chewed slowly.

“The other two buyers bailed when they were told their bids were rejected so we made a really stupid low-ball offer,” Brady added. “His kids didn’t want to be bothered with the hassle of cleaning up the place, so we agreed to take it sight unseen and totally as-is. We ended up getting all three plots for just a bit more than we were willing to pay for just the one.”

******

Zander and Jayson were each stretched out on separate couches in the family room when Darin and Brady entered and sat down on the loveseat. “What ya watchin’? Darin asked.

“Water for Elephants,” Zander replied.

“It’s really an awesome movie,” Jayson added.

They watched for several minutes before Brady finally asked, “Can we pause it for just a minute?”

Pressing the pause button on the remote, Jayson shifted his position on the couch. “What’s up?” he asked, laying the remote onto the coffee table and swinging his feet onto the floor.

Darin cleared his throat. “Just wanted to check with you guys about today at school,” he stated. “How did your protest go?” he added, looking toward Zander.

“What protest?” Zander asked, surprised. “How did you know?”

“Ah, young one,” Darin began, “You should know that I know everything.” He let out an evil sounding laugh.

Rolling his eyes, Zander offered, “You’re too weird.” He also laughed. “Okay, since you already know, what can I add.”

Before beginning, Darin handed an envelope to Zander. “Give this to Ashley when you see her tomorrow, would you?”

“What’s this?” Zander quizzed.

“We ordered three dozen shirts from Ashley’s mom,” Brady told him. “She said Ashley got over a hundred orders from teachers and students.”

Zander stared at the envelope in his hands. “When Missus Webster didn’t show for class, we thought we had failed,” he stated.

Darin laughed. “Not only did you not fail,” he began, “But you started a wave of support that’s bigger than anything you could have imagined.”

“Yeah,” Brady added, “Ashley’s mom is donating a portion of the profits to the Gay and Lesbian Community Center.”

 

[RacerBear]

I re-read this most recent chapter, while it didn't really go where I wated it to go, I think it's a good attempt. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for checking out my work. I really appreciate your patience. Hopefully, this part of their story is nearing its conclusion. I'm already working on the next installment but it's still in its infancy. Hopefully, I can get filled with ambition soon.
Thanks again,
RacerBear

 

[highflyer99]

Hi Racer. I don't know where you wanted this chapter to go, of course, but I enjoyed it just the way it is. I hope you're feeling better soon. Don't fret about the story or your readers. Just focus on resting and getting better and becoming comfortable with your new normal. The creativity will return in good time.

All the best mate.
HF

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Thirty-one

On the Sunday before Christmas, the family was set to gather in celebration of the holiday at Brady and Darin’s home.

“Zander, will you get the sweet potato casserole from the cottage?” Brady called while he removed the huge turkey from the oven.

“Got it,” the boy responded as he ran up the back stairs. “Anything else?” he added, opening the door to the garage.

Brady turned. “No, the guys will be here any minute,” he replied. He wiped his hands on a towel that was draped over the handle of the oven. “I wish your dad would get back,” he complained.

“He just pulled in,” Zander stated, “And Gramma is right behind him.” He closed the door before Brady could respond.

The door burst open as Darin’s mother, Sylvia, entered. “Have no fear, Mama’s here,” she announced. “What needs to be done?”

Darin followed his mother through the door, carrying several bags of groceries.

Brady squeezed juice from the turkey over the top of the bird. “The potatoes need mashed,” he answered as his mother-in-law gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s good to see you,” he added replacing the bird back into the oven. “This thing is just about ready.”

“Where’s my apron?” Sylvia inquired.

“Right where you left it,” Darin said, “Hanging in the pantry.”

Retrieving her apron, Sylvia slipped it over her head and quickly tied the strings behind her back. Without further comment, she opened the cupboard and took down the mixer, opened the second drawer and picked out the beaters, plugged the machine in and set about to mash a huge bowl of cooked potatoes.

Zander tapped on the back door with his foot. “Can you let me in?” he called out as Darin rushed to get the door.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were coming right back,” Darin apologized as the boy carried the hot dish of sweet potatoes and set them on a warming plate next to the stove and covering it with a piece of aluminum foil.

“No biggie,” Zander said. “Hi Grams,” he addressed Sylvia, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she worked on her task.

“Hi, sweetheart,” she replied, “Where are your brothers?”

“They’re finishing up feeding the animals,” Zander replied. “I was helping them, but I came to see if Dads needed any help.” Turning to Darin, the boy inquired, “Are you good here?”

“We’re good,” Darin replied, “Go ahead and help them finish up. Dinner should be ready in about half an hour,” he added, opening a package of dinner rolls, and spreading them onto a cookie sheet.

Looking at the clock, Zander noted the time. It was just a few minutes after one. “Okay, so we’ll be back before you know it,” he said as he headed out the door. He called over his shoulder, “Uncle Tony and Uncle Tim are here!” before he headed out through the garage.

“Hot stuff, comin’ through,” Tony announced when he entered the kitchen, “And he’s carryin’ food.” He placed a large glass baking dish filled with green bean casserole onto the cupboard. “This maht need ta go in tha oven for just a smidge,” he added giving Sylvia a quick kiss on her cheek before wrapping Brady in a big bear hug.

“Where should I put these pies?” Tim asked.

“What kind did you get?” Sylvia inquired.

“Apple, pumpkin and strawberry rhubarb,” was Tim’s answer.

Darin took the pies and set them on a counter to the side. “These look wonderful,” he complimented as Tim hugged Sylvia, then Brady and Darin.

“Merry Christmas,” Tim offered. “Can I do anything to help?”

The soft sound of a timer going off alerted Brady. “The corn casserole needs to be checked in the cottage,” he advised.

“Got it,” Tim replied, heading out the back door while Tony went into the dining room to help Darin finish setting the big table that had been set up for the occasion.

“Is Adam and Jake comin’?” Tony asked as he unfolded several chairs and placed them around the table.

Placing silverware and napkins next to each plate, Darin responded, “Yeah, they went to see Adam’s mom at the nursing home so they should be here any time.”

“Wow, tha tree looks wonderful,” Tony complimented. “Is that tha one y’all had at the big house?”

Darin laughed. “The big house?” he asked, confused. “Oh, you mean when I was with Jan?” He laughed again. “Yeah, that’s the one. I always liked it, but Brady made it look so much better this year.”

“Tony, honey,” Sylvia called from the kitchen. “Can you get some things from my car?”

“Sure thang, Mamma J,” the big man responded. “Ah got me some stuff ta brang in anyways.”

“There’s just a few packages in the trunk,” she said, placing the large bowl of potatoes onto the kitchen table and covering them with foil. “Just bring them in and put them by the tree,” she added before busying herself setting up a platter of deviled eggs.

“We’re doing gifts by the tree downstairs,” Darin advised. “We let the boys decorate that one. They did a great job.”

While Tony went to retrieve gifts from his and Sylvia’s car, Tim whispered in Brady’s ear. “I think Tony is gonna do something special today.”

“Really?” Brady asked, a sly smile on his face. “Whatever do you mean?”

Tim punched his friend on the shoulder. “I knew it!” he exclaimed. “How long have you known?”

Pulling his friend aside, Brady cautioned. “I didn’t say anything, you hear me?”

“Will it make me cry?” Tim asked.

“It might,” Brady replied. “Just don’t let on that you know anything, okay?”

“I won’t,” Tim replied. “My god, I love that man,” he added as Tony entered the back door.

“Timmy, you maht need ta gimme a hand with these,” Tony said, cautiously maneuvering toward the back stairs. “They’s three more boxes in Ma’s trunk.”

Before Tim could move toward the door, Jayson and Eric appeared, each carrying a box. “I hope these go in here,” Eric stated, carrying a large box filled with wrapped packages. They were in Nana’s trunk.”

“Oh, good, you boys are back,” Sylvia said. “Yes, those go by the tree,” she stated, patting Eric on the shoulder, and giving Jayson a quick kiss on the cheek. “You boys get cleaned up,” she continued. “Dinner is almost ready.”

“Zander went to help Adam and Jake,” Jayson offered before heading down the steps.

“Ho-ho-ho!” Adam called out as he entered, wearing a Santa hat, and carrying a large crock pot. “Broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce, comin’ at ya,” he added while Jake and Zander each carried a box with more wrapped gifts.

Sylvia rushed to take the container from Adam and placed it on the table. “Does this need to be heated up?” she asked.

“Just plug it in and it should be good to go,” Adam replied.

“Merry holidays!” Jake called out as he came through the door.

Tony lumbered up the steps. Spotting Adam’s hat, he smiled. “Looks like ya’ll can be one ‘a Santa’s elves,” he teased.

Adam stuck his tongue out. “Yeah, like I never heard that before,” he grumbled, then smiled.

Tony leaned closer and whispered in Adam’s ear, “Nah, Ah got me a Santa suit out in the car. I was hopin’ you and Eric would be mah elves.”

“No shit?” Adam whispered back. “That’s cool.” He paused for a moment, then asked softly, “Can I sit on Santa’s lap?”

His face flushing red, Tony smiled. “Ya’ll sure can,” he replied, winking and pinching Adam’s cheek.

“What are you two conspiring?” Darin interrupted.

“Y’all jest never mahnd,” Tony responded. “Ya just gonna haff ta wait and see.”

“Oh, damn,” Brady exclaimed. “The stuffing is too dry.” He removed the pan of stuffing from the oven and placed it on the counter.

Sylvia placed her hand on Brady’s arm. “Not to worry,” she soothed, “Nothing a little gravy won’t fix.”

“I knew I was forgetting something,” he lamented. “I forgot the gravy.”

Opening the lower cabinet and removing a saucepan, Sylvia assured him, “Well, it’s a good thing I’m here to save your cute little butt, isn’t it” She grabbed the turkey baster and opened the oven. Filling the utensil with juice from the turkey, she squirted it into the pan. “I just need some flour and a little milk,” she directed. While the gravy came together, she asked, “Anything else we’re missing?”

Brady wrapped his arms around his mother-in-law from behind. “Thank you for saving me,” he whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder. “You’re the best.”

“Nonsense,” she said, patting his cheek. “Well, you’re right about one thing,” she said with a devilish smile.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I really AM the best,” she teased. “Now, are we gonna take this all up or just fill our plates from here?”

“I thought we would just set everything on the table in here and fill our plates, if that’s okay,” Darin replied, placing serving spoons next to each dish. “Are we about ready to gather everyone?” he asked.

While Brady removed the turkey from the oven, Tony called downstairs, “Boys, dinner’s ready!”

Darin began carving the turkey as Sylvia placed a platter onto the counter for him and slid the trays of rolls into the oven. Brady removed a container of pasta salad from the fridge and placed it on the table while Jake and Adam brought in the large cooler filled with drinks. Within minutes, the family gathered around the big table in the living room. Joining hands, everyone repeated the Lord’s Prayer together before filling their plates and enjoying the meal along with festive conversation. Once the deserts had been enjoyed and the dishes gathered, Tony excused himself to prepare for the gift giving portion of the day. Adam and Eric joined him in the cottage to change into holiday themed shirts and the elf hats that Tony had brought for them.

“Let’s leave the dishes for now,” Brady insisted as Sylvia began rinsing plates to place them into the dishwasher. “Just relax for a bit,” he added, taking her hand, and leading her toward the front stairs while the youngsters led the way to the lower level.

Once downstairs, Darin and Jake moved the love seat closer to the tree for Sylvia to sit in as the others took chairs and made themselves comfortable. “Where did Tony get off to?” Sylvia inquired, taking her place on one end of the settee.

Suddenly, there was a sound of bells from the back of the house. “Ho-ho-ho, Me-e-e-ry Christmas!” Tony called out, as he appeared at the end of the hallway. Adam and Eric followed close behind, dragging a huge bag filled with newspapers for effect. “Has ever’ one been good this year?” Tony added, shaking the string of sleigh bells he held in his big hand.

“Oh, how wonderful!” Sylvia exclaimed when she saw the big Texan in his Santa suit. “You make a wonderful Santa,” she added, laughing.

“We’ve all been very good, Santa,” Brady replied. “Are you here to help pass out our gifts?” he added, snapping pictures.

“Well, I heard they’s some boys what’s been real good this here year and Ah just wanted ta stop bah on mah way back ta tha North Pole and see if’n they got tha gifts ah sent ‘em,” Tony said in a deep voice, his drawl giving him away. “If’n mah elves would gimme a hand, ah’d love ta pass ‘em out for y’all,” he continued. “But nobody can open ‘em ‘til all o’ them’s passed out, deal?”

One by one Eric and Adam brought the gifts to ‘Santa’ who announced who they were for and passed them on to their recipient. Zander and Jayson, along with Eric, received the most but no one was missed. Finally, as the last of the gifts under the tree were passed out, Darin handed Tony a stack of envelopes. “These are a few special gifts for a few special people,” Darin announced. “I’d like you all to open these first if you would.”

Once the envelopes were all handed out, Tony paused. “Bafor y’all open yer gifts, Santa’s got a extra special one raht here in his pack.” He fumbled around in the big sack, digging deep, and pulling out a small box. “Timmy,” he began, “Y’all’s made me a very happy man these past coupl’a years and...” He paused as he dropped onto one knee. “Ah’d lahk it a lot if’n ya’d do me tha honor o’ bein’ mah man fer tha rest’a mah days.” He opened the box, revealing a simple silver band. “I love ya more’n any thang in tha world,” he added.

Tim wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck and kissed him on the mouth. “Yes,” he whispered. Then, turning so the rest of the room could hear, tears streaming across his cheeks, he repeated, “Yes. Yes, I will.”

As the others applauded, Tony took his partner into his arms and hugged him tight. Realizing that everyone was waiting, he urged, “Go ahead and open ‘em gifts!”

Each of the envelopes was opened first, as requested. “Oh, my, you really shouldn’t have,” Sylvia insisted. “This is too much,” she added, reading the card.

“Nonsense,” Brady responded. “We owe you so much more than that,” he added.

“What is it, Nana?” Eric asked.

“It’s a gift card for a ‘day of beauty’ at that spa I heard about,” she replied. “This must have cost a fortune,” she protested.

“Enjoy yourself,” Darin told her.

Once all the gifts were opened and the paper gathered and packed into trash bags, Adam announced, “I have one more gift I’d like to give to our hosts.” He exited the room and quickly returned with a large rectangular package, handing it to Darin and Brady. “This is just a small token of our love and appreciation,” he said as the pair slowly ripped off the bright red paper, revealing an eleven by fourteen photo of the three younger members of their family standing in front of the Black Sheep farm sign at the front of the property.

As tears formed in Brady’s eyes, he asked, “When did you take this?”

Kissing the side of his partner’s head, Darin added, “This is awesome,” as tears also trickled across his cheeks. The photo showed Zander and Jayson kneeling in front of the sign with Graham positioned between them. Eric stood behind them. Each wore their red polo shirt and khaki pants, huge smiles on their handsome faces.

“I took this in October,” Jake stated, “When we had that adoption day.”

Darin grabbed Adam and Jake and hugged the two. “You guys are wonderful. Thank you so much for this.”

Sylvia started for the steps to head upstairs. “Stop right there, woman,” Brady demanded. “You just sit right back down.”

“But...” she protested.

“But nothing,” Brady insisted, “We’ll get to those dishes soon enough, you just relax. You’ve been working since you got here, now sit.”

Reluctantly, Sylvia returned to her seat and watched as the boys enjoyed their gifts. Each of the younger ones received a new camera from Darin and Brady along with several new shirts and other clothing. Zander plopped down beside her. “Thank you so much for the shirts, Grams,” he said, placing his arms around her. “I really like the blue one,” he added.

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” she replied. “And thank you for the beautiful scarf.”

“Hey, Darin,” Adam called out, “Get over here with your mom. I want to get a pic of your whole family.”

“What a wonderful idea,” Darin responded, grabbing Brady’s hand, and motioning for the other boys to join them. “Zander, you stay where you are, Jayson, you sit here,” he patted the arm next to his mother and, Eric you sit over there.” He and Brady stood behind the love seat.

“Oh, heavens, let me take off my apron,” Sylvia insisted, rising to untie the strings. Handing it to Tony, she sat back down and smoothed her hair.

“You guys lean down,” Adam directed the two taller men. “Jayson and Eric, lean in.” He studied the arrangement. “Perfect,” he said, finally. “Everyone smile.” He snapped a shot. “One more,” he insisted, and took another. “Okay, now, everyone, say ‘Merry Christmas’,” he directed and took another. Before they could move, he added, “Now, Tony and Tim get in there. You too Jake.”

********

Brady switched off the bathroom light and climbed into bed next to Darin, who was flipping through photos on his camera. Every so often, he would comment on one and show it to his mate. Suddenly, a huge smile spread across his face as he opened one that he had no recollection of taking. “Whoa!” he exclaimed. “Wonder who this is,” he added, holding the camera for Brady to view.

“Well, we sure know it’s neither one of us,” Brady said with a giggle. “Based on the color of the pubic hair and the length of the foreskin, it narrows it down to only a couple of people.” He studied the shot that was obviously taken with the camera shoved inside someone’s pants. “I bet Tim took it,” he said.

“Yeah, I can’t say for sure, but it looks more like Tony than Zander,” Darin agreed. “Man, I miss those days.”

“I know,” Brady lamented. “We used to have some wild times, didn’t we?” Studying the photo again, he commented. “That’s got to be Tony. No way in hell Zander’s is that big.”

Darin nodded. “Yeah, from the angle, I’m sure it’s Tony.”

Wrapping his arm around Brady and pulling him close, Darin replied, “We could again.” He kissed his partner on the lips before adding, “We just have to get rid of the kids for a night.”

“Yeah, and hope nobody finds out about it,” Brady said, reaching to pull the covers across his bare legs. He kissed Darin’s arm and pressed his head against his partner’s shoulder.

“The adoption is final,” Darin reminded him. “I doubt there would be any fallout.” He adjusted his erection inside his boxers. “Hell, we could probably have an orgy and there’s not a damn thing anyone could do about it.”

“It was just so much easier when...”

“I know, Babe.” Darin kissed the top of Brady’s head. “But I wouldn’t change the way things are now for anything.”

 

[RacerBear]

It will be a while before I can post the conclusion of this story. My computer crashed today in a major way. Not only did I lose the last two chapters of this story but also a ton of pics and data. I'll try to piece it back together but I doubt I'll get it back any time soon. Sorry for the delay but "it is what it is". I'm devastated because there was some really good stuff in what I lost.
Keep thinking good thoughts and know that I really appreciate those of you who have commented.
It may take a while but I WILL be back with (as Paul Harvey would say) "The rest of the story."

 

[highflyer99]

Hey Racer. Bummer that your computer crashed. I hope you manage to recover what you lost. I'm sure there are geek services available in your area that could help, if you get desperate.

I only just realised I didn't leave a comment after chapter 31. My apologies. I recall wondering if it was in fact the final chapter. The ending had a lovely warmth about it and could well have been a fitting final scene. But I'm really pleased to hear there will be more, even if there will he a delay. It's just such a wonderful story, populated by characters who are full of love and enthusiasm.

I hope 2022 is good to you, mate. Stay safe and happy.
Cheers, HF

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Thirty-two

When the boys prepared to return to classes following their Christmas break, there were just two weeks remaining in the winter quarter. While eating breakfast, Zander said to Jayson, “Only a few more days and I’ll be out of that old witch’s class for good.”

“I just don’t get what her problem is,” Jayson replied, slurping the milk from his bowl of cereal. “Thank goodness she never turned her fangs on me.” He rinsed the bowl and placed it into the sink.

Brady entered the kitchen and refilled his coffee cup. “Your dad and I are meeting with your principal, so we’ll give you a ride to school,” he advised. He poured a handful of Froot Loops from the box on the table and popped two into his mouth, crunching softly.

“Sweet,” Jayson said, smiling.

While the trio chatted, Darin entered from the living room buttoning up his red polo shirt. “You guys better get ready,” he said, filling another cup with coffee. Taking a sip, he leaned over to kiss Brady on the lips.

While the boys hurried downstairs to finish getting ready, Brady crunched more cereal and asked, “What do you think Principal Espinoza wants to talk with us about?”

Darin shrugged. “Beats me,” he replied. “Hopefully there’s no hitch in his plan for Zander changing classes.”

The boys returned, sat down to slip on their shoes, and grabbed their backpacks. “We’re ready when you are,” Jayson stated.

Placing his cup into the sink, Darin responded, “Let’s roll.”

*******

Principal Espinoza cleared his throat, motioning for the men to sit. “I called you in this morning because there’s been a development regarding Vivian Webster,” he said, taking his seat behind the big oak desk.

“What kind of development,” Darin inquired.

Letting out a sigh, the principal continued, “Well, surprisingly, she submitted her resignation on Friday evening. Said she wanted it to be effective immediately.”

Shocked, Brady asked, “What brought this on?”

Espinoza smiled. “She didn’t say, and I didn’t ask,” he replied. “I’m just happy to see her go.” Looking around to see if anyone else was within earshot, he added, “Did I say that out loud?” He let out a soft laugh. “She did say that she felt a lack of respect from most of the students and she was royally pissed that I didn’t ban the kids from wearing those shirts.”

“I know,” Darin stated, “We bought three dozen of them ourselves.”

“I don’t know how she expected me to ban them,” the principal said with a laugh. “Over half the students and a good many of the staff bought one. Hell, I bought one myself and I hardly ever wear a tee shirt.”

Brady smiled. “It just makes me so proud that the other students rallied around Zander the way they did,” he offered.

“I know,” Espinoza replied. “Anyway, we found a sub who has agreed to take over for the rest of the school year and I think he will be a great fit. Besides, I had so many requests to transfer out of her classes, I didn’t know how we were going to pull it off. This just makes it easier.”

“How many students wanted a transfer?” Darin quizzed.

Removing a folder from a drawer on the left side of his desk, Espinoza responded, “Almost two thirds of her students.”

“So, what does this mean, exactly?” Brady asked.

“Well, for one thing, I don’t think it will be necessary to add another class,” the principal responded. “I think the students will really like this new teacher. He’s very progressive. He starts today.”

“I hate to admit it, but I’m glad she’s gone,” Darin admitted. “I know Zander will be happy.”

“Both boys will be,” Brady added. “Neither one of them was particularly fond of her.”

Principal Espinoza rose from his seat. “We’ll be finalizing things today and tomorrow and I’ll keep in touch,” he stated, indicating the meeting had come to an end.”

******

While they maneuvered through traffic, Darin began to hum a familiar tune.

Realizing what he was hearing, Brady began to laugh. “Seriously?” he stated.

“What?” Darin asked, caught off guard.

“That’s the song that came to mind?” Brady quizzed. “I mean, it’s appropriate but…”

Suddenly, Darin realized that he had been humming ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’ from the Wizard of Oz. Both men erupted in laughter.

******

Susan, the moderator of the Wednesday Night Men’s Group, called the meeting to order. As everyone took their seats, Aaron quietly entered and took a seat in the back. “Welcome, everyone,” she said. “Since we have a number of new faces, I think we should do a round of introductions.” She pointed at Gary, a longtime member. “Would you like to start?”

Gary cleared his throat. “Okay,” he began, “Well, I’m Gary and…”

“Hi Gary,” several members or the group called out in unison, followed by hearty laughter.

“Come on, guys, we’re not that kind of group,” Susan said with a laugh. “Go on,” she directed.

Len, one of the new members, stood next and introduced himself. One by one each man stated his name. When it was his turn, Darin stood and offered, “I’m Darin, and this is my better half, Brady. We’re not really new here but it’s been a while since we were here last.”

“Why is that?” Susan asked.

“One of our boys was struggling with bullying at school and it took up a good deal of our time,” he answered.

“Kids can he so cruel,” Gary stated.

Darin shook his head. “It wasn’t another student,” he said, “It was one of his teachers.”

“Oh, wow,” Susan responded. Noticing Aaron sitting near the back of the group, she addressed him. “Aaron, would you like to move closer?”

Tears began to make their way across Aaron’s face as he fought to regain his composure. Finally, he admitted, “Hal passed away last Friday.” Unable to contain his grief, he sobbed openly as Richard rushed to console his friend.

“I’m so sorry,” Susan offered. “We’re here if you want to talk about it,” she added.

“Not right now,” Aaron managed through his sobs.

“Okay, then,” she replied, turning to Joe, another member, to re-direct the conversation.

After about thirty minutes, Richard retrieved another chair and placed it next to his in the circle. Aaron, wiping his eyes on a tissue, moved next to his friend. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “It’s been a rough week.”

“No apology necessary,” Susan replied. “Can you tell us what happened?”

“Well,” Aaron began, “We were supposed to leave for the weekend on Friday, but Hal had some things at work that needed to be taken care of before we could go.” He wiped his hand across his cheek as Joe handed him another tissue. “Thanks,” he offered before taking a deep breath. “He said he’d be home around eleven but, when he wasn’t there by noon, I called to see what was taking him so long.” He sighed. “His secretary told me they had rushed him to the hospital, but she didn’t know exactly what had happened. So, I called my friend, Mike, who works in the ER and asked if Hal was there. He told me they had just brought him in, and I should get there as quickly as possible.”

“That’s awful,” Richard said, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Aaron took another deep breath before continuing. “I got there, and Mike took me to the room where Hal was. They said he’d had a massive heart attack and that he had coded twice in the ambulance. They got his heart started again but, once they got him at the hospital, it stopped a third time, and they weren’t able to revive him.”

Brady, squeezed Darin’s hand, tears cascading across his cheeks. Others sat in shocked silence.

“When Hal’s brother and sister got there, I excused myself and was going to leave so they could have a few minutes to say their goodbyes.” He shuddered and let out another long sigh. “His sister said I should stay and hugged me. We all just stood there and cried. They seemed so genuine.” He paused and pulled another tissue from the box, wiped his eye again and continued, “Hal’s folks live in Phoenix, so they didn’t get here until sometime on Saturday. Since the doctors wanted an autopsy, they couldn’t release his body until Sunday so, I went home Friday night and got his clothes around. I picked out his best suit.” He paused once more. “We were supposed to get married this summer and he was gonna wear that suit,” he said as tears again cascaded across his cheeks.

Several members of the group sat silently, each trying to figure out what they could say. Some cried quietly while others just hung their heads in silent support.

“On Sunday afternoon, I was going through some pictures and files on Hal’s computer. Putting things on flash drives and getting rid of some that I knew he wouldn’t want his folks to see,” Aaron went on. “There was a knock on the door but before I could answer, his dad marched into the bedroom and demanded to know what I thought I was doing. I went to greet him, and he put his hands up to stop me.” Once more, Aaron paused as he remembered the painful incident. “He told me I needed to leave his son’s house immediately but, when I told him it was my home too, he just glared at me. Not once in the nine years we were together had this man ever said an unkind word toward me or shown me anything but acceptance.”

“That must have been awful,” Susan offered.

“It was,” Aaron admitted. “I didn’t know what to do. I asked him where he expected me to go and he looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘I don’t really care, just get out of my son’s house.’ I asked him if I could at least pack a bag and he told me I had ten minutes and if I didn’t leave, he was going to call the police.”

“Can they do that?” Richard asked. “I mean, it was your home too, wasn’t it?”

Aaron shook his head. “I didn’t know what to do but I didn’t want a confrontation. I mean, I just lost my best friend in the whole world and now I’m losing my home too. I just packed what I could of my clothes and grabbed my laptop and a few other personal things and loaded them in my car and left.”

“Where did you go?” Joe, another member, asked.

Blotting his eyes, Aaron replied, “I had no idea where I was going to go so, I drove around for a bit. I finally ended up at this park where Hal and I used to go to feed the geese. I tried calling one of my friends, but I got his voicemail. I was scrolling through my contacts when there was a knock on my window. I turned and this police officer ordered me out of the car and told me to put my hands on the hood of the car.”

“What the fuck?” Gary blurted out. Realizing where he was, he put his hand over his mouth. “Sorry,” he apologized.

“That’s okay,” Susan stated.

Aaron let out a long sigh. “Hal’s dad had called and reported the car stolen. We had never had the title transferred to my name after he gave it to me.”

“That’s some bullshit,” Richard stated.

“I had a note from Hal in my wallet that he gave me when I first started driving the car,” Aaron said. “About a year after we started dating, I was in a pretty bad car wreck and broke my right arm and left leg. I ended up losing my job because I was in the hospital for several weeks. When I got out, I had been evicted from my apartment, so I moved in with Hal. He had just bought a new car, so he gave his old one to me to drive. We never thought to get the title transferred but he gave me this note stating I had his permission to drive the car, so I was covered by his insurance if anything happened.”

“So did the cop let you go?” Susan inquired.

“No, I still had to go to the station but once I explained what was going on, they gave me a notice to appear and let me go. I checked into a motel until I could figure out what to do next. Most of my furniture and stuff is in storage but I had a few things still at the house. My grandmother’s china hutch and some antique dishes that I wanted to keep. I didn’t know if I’d be able to get them back.”

Drew, who had been listening as Aaron explained his dilemma, offered, “Have you contacted an attorney?”

Aaron shook his head. “I called a friend of Hal’s who helped me with my accident settlement, and he filed a restraining order to keep Hal’s family from taking anything from the house, but I don’t know how I can prove what’s mine. And I don’t know what they might have taken already. I know his car was still at work when I went by there earlier today.”

Brady leaned close and whispered in Darin’s ear, “What about letting him stay in that one empty trailer we have.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Darin said with a sad smile. “I’ll speak with him after the meeting.”

As the meeting drew to a close, Susan reminded those in attendance, “Those of you who are smokers are reminded to put your butts in the buckets by the doors and not on the ground.” Before she concluded, she added, “Oh, I almost forgot. You all remember Seth and Gordon?”

Several members nodded and a few said, “Yeah.”

“Well, they requested that I ask you to keep them in your thoughts. I don’t have any details, but I understand it’s a family thing. Please respect their privacy as well.”

Richard continued to console Aaron while the others gathered chairs and picked up coffee cups and napkins. When Susan approached, Richard advised her, “I’m taking him home with me for tonight and we’ll make some calls tomorrow to see if we can find him something permanent.”

“I think we can help on that front,” Darin stated. “We have an empty trailer home. It’s yours for as long as you need it.”

******

“Thank you for checking on us,” Seth offered when Brady called him the next day. “It’s been quite a struggle this past week. The days just kinda run together.”

Brady responded, “Susan said it was a family thing and, I know it’s none of our business but, can you share what happened?”

Seth took in a deep breath. “Well, our son, Joey was at the skate park and there were some guys picking on this younger kid. He stepped in and they jumped him. He fell and hit his head pretty hard on the pavement.”

“That’s awful,” Brady consoled. “Is there anything we can do?”

“Gordon’s been at the hospital almost around the clock,” Seth admitted. “I’m sure he would like some company.”

“For sure,” Brady agreed. “What room is he in?”

“I’m not sure. They’re supposed to be moving him into a regular room today,”

Seth advised. “When they first brought him in, they weren’t even sure if he would survive. There was so much swelling on his brain that they thought that, even if he did survive, he might have some severe complications.” He sighed once more. “But that’s our boy. He’s such a fighter.”

The following evening, when Darin and Brady arrived at the hospital, Seth and Gordon met them as they stepped off the elevator. “They just took Joey down for some tests,” Seth advised as they greeted their friends.

“He’ll be back in about half an hour,” Gordon added. “We were gonna go get some coffee. You want to join?”

“Actually, I need to find a little boy’s room,” Darin stated as Seth pressed the down button on the elevator.

“I’ll show you,” Gordon offered, pointing the way. While they walked, he added, “I understand we have a mutual friend.”

“Oh? Who would that be?” Darrin inquired.

Gordon smiled as they entered the men’s room. “Steve Bennett,” he replied, unzipping his jeans and stepping in front of one of the two urinals in the restroom while Darin approached the other.

“Oh, wow,” Darin responded. “I haven’t seen him since he and Luke moved to Lakeside.” As he started to relieve himself, he added, “You know he remodeled our house and practically built the rescue buildings.”

“Yeah, he told me,” Gordon stated. “They built the sunroom at our house. He and I hooked up a few times.” Ogling Darin’s manhood, he offered, “When I told him we had met you guys, he told me you had a nice
dick. He didn’t do it justice.” He licked his lips and smiled, stroking his own rapidly growing endowment.

Darin let out a soft chuckle. “Well, thank you…” Caught off guard when Gordon suddenly groped him. “Whoa, what are you doing?”

As his fingers wrapped around the impressive meat, he smiled again. “I wanted to drop to my knees that first night we met,” he admitted, attempting to stroke up and down while Darin continued to urinate. “If Susan hadn’t been there, I might have.”

Swatting the other man’s hand away, Darin turned slightly away. “Seriously, I’m flattered but you need to know that Brady and I only play together.” Finished peeing, he tried to stuff his growing erection back into his pants.

“Your lips say no, but your dick says, ‘have at it’,” Gordon pointed out reaching out once more.

“I said no, and I mean no,” Darin protested. Pushing the other man away, he zipped up and proceeded to step toward the sink to wash his hands.

Gordon stood with his penis still exposed as he turned toward Darin. “I locked the door. Nobody’s gonna interrupt us,” he urged.

Without further comment, Darin opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Spotting Seth and Brady approaching, he quickly moved toward them. He removed his cel phone and pretended to speak into it.
Replacing the phone into its holster, he advised, “We need to head out. They need us to take care of an issue at one of the barns.”

Picking up on Darin’s discomfort, Brady added, “Yeah, we’re on call tonight.” To Seth, he offered, “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

Darin pressed the button on the elevator and waved. “See ya,” he called as the doors opened and the pair entered. Pushing the button for the lobby, Darin let out a loud sigh. “Dick,” he muttered but offered no further explanation.

 

[RacerBear]

I'm so sorry to have taken so long to post the final chapter of this story. I didn't realize it had been so long. In no way is this an excuse but I want you to know there has been a lot going on in my life these past several months. As you may know, I had to have a good portion of my colon removed last fall and am now living with an ostomy. While it's not ideal, it's a far cry better than the alternative. While I was trying to rewrite the chapters that I had lost, I struggled to get motivated and nearly lost all will to do any writing.
Then, in February, my oncologist put me on chemo as a preventative since the tumor that was removed was a very agressive form but had not yet spread. I only had one round of chemo but it was more than my body could handle. I ended up being admitted to the hospital in isolation for 8 days. When I went to the ER, my blood pressure was dangerously low and I was diagnosed with a severe viral infection. It was not a fun time for sure.
Anyway, it was decided that, since I had such an adverse reaction, chemo was suspended. At my last follow-up, I was told that I am now cancer free. Yay, me!

I hope you have not forgotten my friends at Black Sheep Farm and that you will find that this last bit was worth waiting for. I'm actually posting Chapter 32 again as I finallly got the lost bits from the old computer and they were vastly different than I had remembered. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed sharing them. Look for the next volume called, "A Place Called Hope" soon. I'm nowhere near ready to let the guys ride off into the sunset just yet.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Thirty-two
EDIT

When the boys prepared to return to classes following their Christmas break, there were just two weeks remaining in the winter quarter. While eating breakfast, Zander said to Jayson, “Only a few more days and I’ll be out of that old witch’s class for good.”

“I just don’t get what her problem is,” Jayson replied, slurping the milk from his bowl of cereal. “Thank goodness she never turned her fangs on me.” He rinsed the bowl and placed it into the sink.

Brady entered the kitchen and refilled his coffee cup. “Your dad and I are meeting with your principal, so we’ll give you a ride to school,” he advised. He poured a handful of Froot Loops from the box on the table and popped two into his mouth, crunching softly.

“Sweet,” Jayson said, smiling.

While the trio chatted, Darin entered from the living room buttoning up his red polo shirt. “You guys better get ready,” he said, filling another cup with coffee. Taking a sip, he leaned over to kiss Brady on the lips.

While the boys hurried downstairs to finish getting ready, Brady crunched more cereal and asked, “What do you think Principal Espinoza wants to talk with us about?”

Darin shrugged. “Beats me,” he replied. “Hopefully there’s no hitch in his plan for Zander changing classes.”

The boys returned, sat down to slip on their shoes, and grabbed their backpacks. “We’re ready when you are,” Jayson stated.

Placing his cup into the sink, Darin responded, “Let’s roll.”

*******

Principal Espinoza cleared his throat, motioning for the men to sit. “I called you in this morning because there’s been a development regarding Vivian Webster,” he said, taking his seat behind the big oak desk.

“What kind of development,” Darin inquired.

Letting out a sigh, the principal continued, “Well, surprisingly, she submitted her resignation on Friday evening. Said she wanted it to be effective immediately.”

Shocked, Brady asked, “What brought this on?”

Espinoza smiled. “She didn’t say, and I didn’t ask,” he replied. “I’m just happy to see her go.” Looking around to see if anyone else was within earshot, he added, “Did I say that out loud?” He let out a soft laugh. “She did say that she felt a lack of respect from most of the students and she was royally pissed that I didn’t ban the kids from wearing those shirts.”

“I know,” Darin stated, “We bought three dozen of them ourselves.”

“I don’t know how she expected me to ban them,” the principal said with a laugh. “Over half the students and a good many of the staff bought one. Hell, I bought one myself and I hardly ever wear a tee shirt.”

Brady smiled. “It just makes me so proud that the other students rallied around Zander the way they did,” he offered.

“I know,” Espinoza replied. “Anyway, we found a sub who has agreed to take over for the rest of the school year and I think he will be a great fit. Besides, I had so many requests to transfer out of her classes, I didn’t know how we were going to pull it off. This just makes it easier.”

“How many students wanted a transfer?” Darin quizzed.

Removing a folder from a drawer on the left side of his desk, Espinoza responded, “Almost two thirds of her students.”

“So, what does this mean, exactly?” Brady asked.

“Well, for one thing, I don’t think it will be necessary to add another class,” the principal responded. “I think the students will really like this new teacher. He’s very progressive. He starts today.”

“I hate to admit it, but I’m glad she’s gone,” Darin admitted. “I know Zander will be happy.”

“Both boys will be,” Brady added. “Neither one of them was particularly fond of her.”

Principal Espinoza rose from his seat. “We’ll be finalizing things today and tomorrow and I’ll keep in touch,” he stated, indicating the meeting had come to an end.”

******

While they maneuvered through traffic, Darin began to hum a familiar tune.

Realizing what he was hearing, Brady began to laugh. “Seriously?” he stated.

“What?” Darin asked, caught off guard.

“That’s the song that came to mind?” Brady quizzed. “I mean, it’s appropriate but…”

Suddenly, Darin realized that he had been humming ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’ from the Wizard of Oz. Both men erupted in laughter.

******

Susan, the moderator of the Wednesday Night Men’s Group, called the meeting to order. As everyone took their seats, Aaron quietly entered and took a seat in the back. “Welcome, everyone,” she said. “Since we have a number of new faces, I think we should do a round of introductions.” She pointed at Gary, a longtime member. “Would you like to start?”

Gary cleared his throat. “Okay,” he began, “Well, I’m Gary and…”

“Hi Gary,” several members of the group called out in unison, followed by hearty laughter.

“Come on, guys, we’re not that kind of group,” Susan said with a laugh. “Go on,” she directed.

Len, one of the new members, stood next and introduced himself. One by one each man stated his name. When it was his turn, Darin stood and offered, “I’m Darin, and this is my better half,
Brady. We’re not really new here but it’s been a while since we were here last.”

“Why is that?” Susan asked.

“One of our boys was struggling with bullying at school and it took up a good deal of our time,” he answered.

“Kids can he so cruel,” Gary stated.

Darin shook his head. “It wasn’t another student,” he said, “It was one of his teachers.”

“Oh, wow,” Susan responded. Noticing Aaron sitting near the back of the group, she addressed him. “Aaron, would you like to move closer?”

Tears began to make their way across Aaron’s face as he fought to regain his composure. Finally, he admitted, “Hal passed away last Friday.” Unable to contain his grief, he sobbed openly as Richard rushed to console his friend.

“I’m so sorry,” Susan offered. “We’re here if you want to talk about it,” she added.

“Not right now,” Aaron managed through his sobs.

“Okay, then,” she replied, turning to Joe, another member, to re-direct the conversation.

After about thirty minutes, Richard retrieved another chair and placed it next to his in the circle. Aaron, wiping his eyes on a tissue, moved next to his friend. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “It’s been a rough week.”

“No apology necessary,” Susan replied. “Can you tell us what happened?”

“Well,” Aaron began, “We were supposed to leave for the weekend on Friday, but Hal had some things at work that needed to be taken care of before we could go.” He wiped his hand across his cheek as Joe handed him another tissue. “Thanks,” he offered before taking a deep breath. “He said he’d be home around eleven but, when he wasn’t there by noon, I called to see what was taking him so long.” He sighed. “His secretary told me they had rushed him to the hospital, but she didn’t know exactly what had happened. So, I called my friend, Mike, who works in the ER and asked if Hal was there. He told me they had just brought him in, and I should get there as quickly as possible.”

“That’s awful,” Richard said, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Aaron took another deep breath before continuing. “I got there, and Mike took me to the room where Hal was. They said he’d had a massive heart attack and that he had coded twice in the ambulance. They got his heart started again but, once they got him at the hospital, it stopped a third time, and they weren’t able to revive him.”

Brady, squeezed Darin’s hand, tears cascading across his cheeks. Others sat in shocked silence.

“When Hal’s brother and sister got there, I excused myself and was going to leave so they could have a few minutes to say their goodbyes.” He shuddered and let out another long sigh. “His sister said I should stay and hugged me. We all just stood there and cried. They seemed so genuine.” He paused and pulled another tissue from the box, wiped his eye again and continued, “Hal’s folks live in Phoenix, so they didn’t get here until sometime on Saturday. Since the doctors wanted an autopsy, they couldn’t release his body until Sunday so, I went home Friday night and got his clothes around. I picked out his best suit.” He paused once more. “We were supposed to get married this summer and he was gonna wear that suit,” he said as tears again cascaded across his cheeks.

Several members of the group sat silently, each trying to figure out what they could say. Some cried quietly while others just hung their heads in silent support.

“On Sunday afternoon, I was going through some pictures and files on Hal’s computer. Putting things on flash drives and getting rid of some that I knew he wouldn’t want his folks to see,” Aaron went on. “There was a knock on the door but before I could answer, his dad marched into the bedroom and demanded to know what I thought I was doing. I went to greet him, and he put his hands up to stop me.” Once more, Aaron paused as he remembered the painful incident. “He told me I needed to leave his son’s house immediately but, when I told him it was my home too, he just glared at me. Not once in the nine years we were together had this man ever said an unkind word toward me or shown me anything but acceptance.”

“That must have been awful,” Susan offered.

“It was,” Aaron admitted. “I didn’t know what to do. I asked him where he expected me to go and he looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘I don’t really care, just get out of my son’s house.’ I asked him if I could at least pack a bag and he told me I had ten minutes and if I didn’t leave, he was going to call the police.”

“Can they do that?” Richard asked. “I mean, it was your home too, wasn’t it?”

Aaron shook his head. “I didn’t know what to do but I didn’t want a confrontation. I mean, I just lost my best friend in the whole world and now I’m losing my home too. I just packed what I could of my clothes and grabbed my laptop and a few other personal things and loaded them in my car and left.”

“Where did you go?” Joe, another member, asked.

Blotting his eyes, Aaron replied, “I had no idea where I was going to go so, I drove around for a bit. I finally ended up at this park where Hal and I used to go to feed the geese. I tried calling one of my friends, but I got his voicemail. I was scrolling through my contacts when there was a knock on my window. I turned and this police officer ordered me out of the car and told me to put my hands on the hood.”

“What the fuck?” Gary blurted out. Realizing where he was, he put his hand over his mouth. “Sorry,” he apologized.

“That’s okay,” Susan stated.

Aaron let out a long sigh. “Hal’s dad had called and reported the car stolen. We had never had the title transferred to my name after he gave it to me.”

“That’s some bullshit,” Richard stated.

“I had a note from Hal in my wallet that he gave me when I first started driving the car,” Aaron said. “About a year after we started dating, I was in a pretty bad car wreck and broke my right arm and left leg. I ended up losing my job because I was in the hospital for several weeks. When I got out, I had been evicted from my apartment, so I moved in with Hal. He had just bought a new car, so he gave his old one to me. We never thought to get the title transferred but he gave me this note stating I had his permission to drive the car, so I was covered by his insurance if anything happened.”

“So did the cop let you go?” Susan inquired.

“No, I still had to go to the station but once I explained what was going on, they gave me a notice to appear and let me go. I checked into a motel until I could figure out what to do next. Most of my furniture and stuff is in storage but I had a few things still at the house. My grandmother’s china hutch and some antique dishes that I wanted to keep. I didn’t know if I’d be able to get them back.”

Drew, who had been listening as Aaron explained his dilemma, offered, “Have you contacted an attorney?”

Aaron shook his head. “I called a friend of Hal’s who helped me with my accident settlement, and he filed a restraining order to keep Hal’s family from taking anything from the house, but I don’t know how I can prove what’s mine. And I don’t know what they might have taken already. I know his car was still at work when I went by there earlier today.”

Brady leaned close and whispered in Darin’s ear, “What about letting him stay in that one empty trailer we have.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Darin said with a sad smile. “I’ll speak with him after the meeting.”

As the meeting drew to a close, Susan reminded those in attendance, “Those of you who are smokers are reminded to put your butts in the buckets by the doors and not on the ground.” Before she concluded, she added, “Oh, I almost forgot. You all remember Seth and Gordon?”

Several members nodded and a few said, “Yeah.”

“Well, they requested that I ask you to keep them in your thoughts. I don’t have any details, but I understand it’s a family thing. Please respect their privacy as well.”

Richard continued to console Aaron while the others gathered chairs and picked up coffee cups and napkins. When Susan approached, Richard advised her, “I’m taking him home with me for tonight and we’ll make some calls tomorrow to see if we can find him something permanent.”

“I think we can help on that front,” Darin stated. “We have an empty trailer home. It’s yours for as long as you need it.”

******

“Thank you for checking on us,” Seth offered when Brady called him the next day. “It’s been quite a struggle this past week. The days just kinda run together.”

“We wanted to let you know that if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” Brady offered.

“We’re doing well now,” Seth assured.

Brady responded, “Susan said it was a family thing and, I know it’s none of our business but, can you share what happened?”

Seth took in a deep breath. “Well, our son, Joey was at the skate park and there were some guys picking on this younger kid. He stepped in and they jumped him. He fell and hit his head pretty hard on the pavement.”

“That’s awful,” Brady consoled. “Is he okay?”

“It didn’t look good for a couple of days. They didn’t hold much hope the first twenty-four hours.” Seth let out a long sigh.

“Can he have any visitors?” Brady asked.

“That would be awesome. Gordon’s been at the hospital almost around the clock,” Seth admitted. “I’m sure he would like some company. I’ll be heading up there in a bit. We’d love to see you guys.”

“For sure,” Brady agreed. “What room is he in?”

“I’m not sure. They’re supposed to be moving him into a regular room today,” Seth advised. “Like I said, when they first brought him in, they weren’t even sure if he would survive. There was so much swelling on his brain that they thought that, even if he did survive, he might have some severe complications.” He sighed once more. “But that’s our boy. He’s such a fighter.”

“We’ll be up tomorrow after work,” Brady assured his friend.

The following evening, when Darin and Brady arrived at the hospital, Seth and Gordon met them as they stepped off the elevator. “They just took Joey down for some tests,” Seth advised as they greeted their friends.

“He’ll be back in about half an hour,” Gordon added. “We were gonna go get some coffee. You want to join?”

“Actually, I need to find a little boy’s room,” Darin stated as Seth pressed the down button on the elevator.

“I’ll show you,” Gordon offered, pointing the way.

As the two walked along the corridor, Darin inquired about Joey’s condition. “How’s he doing,” he asked.

“Docs are pretty sure he’ll make a total recovery,” Gordon stated. “He suffered a pretty nasty concussion but there doesn’t appear that there will be any lasting effects from that,” he added as they arrived at the restroom.

Pushing the door open, Darin said, “That’s good.” Quickly stepping up to one of the two urinals inside the small room, he added, “Brady told me I should go before we left but I’m stubborn that way.” Unzipping his pants, he leaned toward the porcelain fixture before him as his friend did the same.

Leaning closer to Darin’s shoulder, Gordon advised, “I understand that we have a mutual friend.”

Darin let out a soft sigh as the urine splashed into the bowl. “Oh, who’s that?” he asked.

A knowing smile spread across Gordon’s face. “Steve Bennett,” he advised. “And, what he told me doesn’t do you justice at all. That’s a really nice cock you got on you.”
Darin could feel his cheeks flushing red. “Excuse me,” he said as his gaze unintentionally drifted to check out his friend’s equipment.

“Steve and I hooked up on a regular basis,” Gordon stated. “When we told him we had met you guys, he said that he used to hook up with you from time to time.”

“Steve did the remodel on our house and he, pretty much, built the barns for the rescue,” Darin stated. “He and Luke were a part of our family for a while. Until they moved to Waverly, that is.” He could feel himself growing hard as the last flow of urine subsided.

“Yeah, he told me,” Gordon stated. By this time, he was fully erect, and was gently stroking his circumcised member. “I wanted to drop to my knees and suck you off that first night we met after that meeting,” he admitted, pressing his head into Darin’s shoulder. “Seth told me to go for it,” he added, reaching for Darin’s rapidly expanding organ. As his fingers wrapped around the impressive meat, he smiled again. “I wanted to drop to my knees that first night we met,” he admitted, attempting to stroke up and down while Darin finished urinating. “If Susan hadn’t been there, I might have.”

Swatting the other man’s hand away, Darin turned slightly away. “Seriously, I’m flattered but you need to know that Brady and I only play together.” Finished peeing, he tried to stuff his growing erection back into his pants.

“Oh, come on,” Gordon pleaded. “He doesn’t need to know. I locked the door so nobody’s gonna interrupt us. I promise you’ll be happy. I’m told I’m a pretty good cocksucker.”

Pushing the man away, Darin stepped back and quickly zipped up his pants. “I said no, and I mean no,” he said sharply. “We need to get back.” He quickly moved toward the door, and unlocked it, leaving Gordon holding his quickly shriveling manhood.

“Your lips say no, but your dick says, ‘have at it’,” Gordon pointed out reaching once more.

Without further comment, Darin opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Spotting Seth and Brady approaching, he quickly moved toward them. He removed his cel phone and pretended to speak into it.

“There they are,” Seth announced as Darin approached the corner of the hallway. “Joey’s tests are taking longer than the expected, so we decided to get some coffee,” he added.

Replacing the phone into its holster, he lied, “We need to get back to the office. “One of the rescue vans broke down and we need to get another one out to them.”

Brady realized the tense look on Darin’s face and added, “We’re on call tonight so, I guess we’ll rescue the rescuers.” He gave Seth a quick hug as Darin did the same. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he offered before the two headed toward the elevators.

Seth stood and watched as the friends approached the elevator, just as Gordon rounded the corner. Neither spoke before turning and walking back toward their son’s room.

Darin pressed the button on the elevator and waved. “See ya,” he called as the doors opened and the pair entered. Pushing the button for the lobby, Darin let out a loud sigh. “Dick,” he muttered but offered no further explanation.

Brady and Darin traveled home without any discussion; however, Brady knew Darin was upset about something. When they arrived home and had exited the car, he pulled Darin close and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

 

[highflyer99]

Hey Racer. Nice surprise to see the latest post. But I was really sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time health-wise. I hope you maintain your positive attitude and that you remain disease-free. Hang in there, bud.

Reading the new edit of chapter 32 was a good reminder of the story and the characters. I'm looking forward to the concluding chapter, and also to "A Place Called Hope", whenever it arrives.

Cheers, HF

 

[RacerBear]

I was really sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time health-wise. I hope you maintain your positive attitude and that you remain disease-free. Hang in there, bud.

Actually, I'm doing much better. I still have my bad days but I hope to be back showing why I picked the name, "RacerBear" as my new racer is just about ready to hit the track.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Thirty-three

“I can’t believe how much gray I’m starting to get in my mustache,” Brady complained as he studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Guess it’s time to either shave it off or break down and try Just for Men.”

Darin chuckled softly as he drew the razor across his cheek. “You know what my mom always says, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do,” Brady responded. “You get all the gray hairs from your kids.” He drew his tee shirt over his head and tossed it into the hamper. “I think it’s time to let it go,” he said, rubbing his hand across his hair covered chest.

Rinsing his face, Darin looked at his partner. “You sure?” he asked. “I think the touch of gray makes you look sexy.” He leaned over and gave Brady a kiss on the cheek.

“It makes me look old,” Brady said, his lip protruding as he pouted. He moved to the shower, opened the door and turned on the spray before stripping off his underwear. Stepping into the shower, he added, “You really think it looks good?”

“Of course I do,” Darin admitted. Stripping off his polo shirt, he deposited it into the hamper next to the bathroom door. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he removed his khaki pants and peeled off his socks. “You won’t believe what that son-of-a-bitch did, he said angrily as he stood and pushed his boxer briefs to the floor.

“I can probably guess,” Brady replied, removing his clothes as well.

Before commenting further, Darin opened the shower door and turned on the spray. Standing nude in front of the shower, he took in the sight of his naked partner and pulled him into a tight bear hug. “I love you so much,” he whispered before kissing Brady on the mouth once more. Without further comment, he grabbed Brady’s rapidly growing erection and squeezed. Quickly, the pair stepped into the shower and closed the door. Once inside, they continued to kiss as the spray washed over them. Their wet chest hair matted together as Darin fell to his knees and silently took the entire length of Brady’s turgid shaft into his mouth. Hungrily, he sucked up and down as the water splashed onto Brady’s back. Without comment, he stood and turned Brady. so he was facing away from him. Gently, he massaged some shampoo into the hairy crack of the shorter man’s butt before sinking his own manhood inside. Waiting for Brady to relax, Darin began slow, steady strokes as the two made love.

******

Sprawled across the bed, their faces slick with sweat, both men laid quietly as their breathing returned to normal. After several minutes, Brady finally spoke. “Wow, that was amazing,” he said with a huge smile. “We haven’t done that in a while. What brought that on?”

Darin let out a soft laugh. “I guess I was more pissed off than I realized,” he relayed, apologetically. “Either that or I was feeling a little guilty.”

“Guilty? About what?” Brady pressed. As his mind quickly retraced the events of the day, he had a sudden burst of realization. “Did something happen with Gordon?”

Darin didn’t respond immediately. After a short time, he stated, “I honestly didn’t expect him to be like that.”

“Seth came on to me too,” Brady blurted out. “He wasn’t aggressive or anything, but he said he wanted to hook up. I wanted to tell you on the drive home but…”

Darin responded with a hearty laugh. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you that Gordon made moves on me,” he finally said. “Unlike Seth, he did get pretty aggressive though.” Pushing himself up and off the bed, he grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom counter and tossed it into the sink to wet it. “I mean, I was flattered,” he stated, “But it still pissed me off the way he went about it.”

Brady rolled onto his back and scooted up to where his head was on the pillows. “Seth told me they wanted to hook up with us, but that Gordon wanted to be with you by himself first,” he said as Darin handed him the wet cloth. Retracting his foreskin, he wiped clean the remnants of his climax before continuing, “I told him we don’t usually play separately but that I’d talk to you about it.”

“Almost as soon as we got into the bathroom, Gordon was all about it,” Darin admitted. “I told him the same thing, but he grabbed my dick and was hell-bent on getting busy right there.” He walked around to his side of the bed and crawled in, leaning against the headboard. “He told me that he and Steve hooked up a few times. Have you heard anything from either him or Luke?”

Brady shook his head. “Nah, I haven’t seen or heard from either of them since they finished the boys’ room. But Eric said he thought he saw Luke at the Quick Mart about a month ago. Said he was with some other guy.”

“Really? That’s too bad,” Darin replied, “I always thought they’d be the ones to last. Remind me to give him a call tomorrow.”

“Will do,” Brady replied. “Right now, I need another shower.”

*****

“Hey, sorry to take so long getting back to you,” Steve stated when he called a few days later. “Since we expanded, I hardly have time to even answer calls anymore.”

Darin leaned back in his chair. “I just wanted to try and catch up. It’s been so long since we’ve talked.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for that,” Steve apologized. “Business really took off after the move and…well…there were some other changes that…” He paused. “Well, I’m sure you didn’t call to talk about that. What’s new?”

Trying to find the words, Darin hesitated. “Uh, well, I guess we have a mutual acquaintance,” he finally offered. “Gordon Mathews.”

There was silence on the other end before Steve let out a loud sigh. “Oh, really?” Another pause. “I suppose he told you we hooked up a few times.”

“Yeah, he mentioned it.”

“I’m sure he did,” Steve stated. “He, pretty much, told anybody who’d listen, I’m sure. Did he also tell you how he fucked up my relationship with Luke?”

Darin was caught off guard. “What? No!” he replied. “How did he manage that?”

Steve let out another loud sigh. “We were building a sun-room on the back of their house,” he began. “One day, when we were finishing up, he asked if we’d like to stay for dinner and relax a bit in the hot tub.” He paused. “It was a hot day, so I said, ‘why not’.” He let out another long sigh before continuing, “Once we were in the tub, Gordon started to put moves on Luke.”

“Were you expecting that?” Darin asked.

Steve chuckled. “I won’t say that Luke and I had not talked about hooking up with them, but I figured we’d have a conversation about it first. Before I even had a chance to react, he had Luke’s shorts off and was giving him head right in front of me.” He paused. “Hell, he didn’t even stop when his kid walked through.”

“Where was Seth while all this was going on?” Darin pressed.

“Still at work,” Steve replied. “A week or so later, I was there by myself. I just wanted to get the job done so I sent Luke to oversee another job. I was just about done, and I had hoped to be out of there before Gordon got home from work.” He paused. “I was just about finished when he walked in, trying to be all nice and shit.” Once more, he exhaled sharply. “I kept packing up my tools and had taken the big box out to the truck. When I came back, he was sitting on the edge of the hot tub jerkin’ off.”

“Subtle,” Darin offered.

“As a car crash,” Steve replied with a gentle laugh. “He kept staring at me while I finished packing up. Finally, he said something to the effect of, ‘Seth won’t be home for a while’ and did I want to maybe join him in the tub.” Another pause, before he continued, “I don’t know what came over me but I agreed. As much as I hate to admit it, the sex was pretty great.”
“Yeah, he kept telling me I’d really like it,” Darin offered. “Even after I told him no.”

Steve laughed. “I don’t think that word’s in his vocabulary,” he said.

“So, what happened between you and Luke?” Darin pressed.

Steve was quiet for several seconds before finally replying, “Well, Luke and I have had an open relationship since the start but, we had rules.”

“Like?” Darin asked.

“For one thing, we agreed that we would not bring anyone home unless it was both of us,” Steve began. “Secondly, if we did hook up, we’d be honest with each other about it.” He let out a long breath. “I swear I was going to tell Luke about what happened. I just felt so guilty about it that I had a hard time figuring out how. But, before I could say anything, Gordon told him that I had come on to him because I was jealous of what happened before and that we had been hooking up the whole time we were working at their house.”

Darin sat, silent as he took in what Steve had said. “It’s funny,” he offered, “When we first met them, I thought Gordon was a good guy.”

“Yeah, he came across that way with me too,” Steve replied. “Anyway, Luke came home that night, and we had this huge fight about how he wasn’t sure he could trust me anymore and it just got really ugly.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Darin tried to console his friend.

“Thanks,” Steve replied as the tears began to betray him. “I just love him so much and I miss having him here.” He paused, regaining his composure. “I figured once he had time to think, he’d come home. I guess I was wrong.”

****

“Do you really think this’ll work? Brady asked while he unwrapped four t-bone steaks and put them on a platter.

Darin shook his head. “I sure hope so,” he replied. “I hate seeing Steve so down.”

“Yeah, Luke sounded pretty bummed when I talked to him too,” Brady stated. “I hate that we didn’t tell him Steve would be here too though.”

“He probably figured it out anyway,” Steve said as he opened the back door. “What time’s he getting here?”

Rushing to give their friend a hug, Darin answered, “Any minute. Did you park up by the barn?”

Steve nodded as he hugged Brady. “I sure hope this works,” he responded. “God, I miss that boy,” he added as his voice cracked.

“Well, if it doesn’t, at least we can say we tried,” Darin offered. Spotting Luke’s truck through the open garage door, he said, “He’s here.”

Steve watched anxiously as Luke stepped from his truck and walked toward the garage. His heart pounded in his chest when Luke knocked on the back door. “I’m not sure about this,” he whispered.

When Brady opened the door, a huge smile spread across Luke’s handsome face. “I was hoping you’d be here,” he said to Steve. He rushed across the room and grabbed the older man in a tight hug. “Holy shit, I’ve missed you. I’m so sorry,” he managed before the tears began to flow.

“No,” Steve began, “I’m the one who should apologize. I felt so guilty for what I did, I couldn’t figure out how to tell you. Before I knew it, it was too late.”

Luke pressed his face into the bigger man’s chest. “I should have talked to you instead of listening to that lying prick,” he offered. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated, wiping his hand across his cheeks.

Darin handed the boy a box of tissues.

“Thanks, man,” Luke said, looking into Steve’s eyes. “Can you ever forgive me?” he asked.

Kissing the younger man passionately, Steve fought tears himself as he said softly, “I already have.”

****

Brady placed the leftover steak into a plastic container and snapped on the lid while Darin stashed the bowls of potato salad and baked beans into the refrigerator. “I’m so glad we did this,” Darin said to him.

“Me too,” Brady replied. “I didn’t really know what to expect though.”

Darin wrapped his furry arms around the younger man. “I’m so proud of you for suggesting it,” he said softly. “And I’m sure Steve appreciates it too.”

“Hey, it’s what I do,” Brady replied.

****

 

[RacerBear]

Epilogue


A few days before Valentine’s Day, Brady sat staring at his computer screen. Expecting a return call from an adopter, he answered his phone on the second ring. “This is Brady,” he said into the receiver.

The unfamiliar voice on the line began, “I’m trying to reach a Brady Tortellino.”

“This is Brady Tortellino Johnson,” he replied. “How can I help you?”

After a short pause, the man continued, “My name is Brian Callahan and I represent Henry Stapleton. I believe he was your maternal Great Uncle?”

Trying to recall the name, Brady finally realized who the man was. “Oh, yes, I remember now. He lives in Iowa somewhere?”

Actually, he passed away several month ago,” Brian Callahan informed him as Darin entered the office.

While Brian Callahan explained, Darin waited for the call to end. Hanging up the phone, Brady said, “That’s weird.” He turned to remove some papers from the fax machine.

“Weird? How?” Darin pressed while Brady studied the top sheet.

After scanning the top sheet, Brady leaned back in his chair. “What’s weird,” he began, “Is that my Mom’s uncle passed away and, from what I can gather, he may have left me a hefty inheritance.”

“Were you close,” Darin asked, picking up the first sheet and quickly scanning it.

“Hardly,” Brady replied. “I only remember meeting him once. When I was about twelve or so.”

The pair sat in silence, studying the papers that had been sent. Finally, Darin shifted in his seat and looked up. “So, what’s the plan?” he asked.

Brady held up his hand as he finished reading the last page. “I guess the next step is to go to Iowa and see what is involved. The lawyer said they could wait til we could figure out when we can get up there to do the reading.” He paused. “I mean, since there are apparently no other heirs.” He handed the last pages to Darin.

Reviewing the remaining pages, Darin leaned back in his chair. “Well, I can see what we have coming up. Maybe we can head up there and take care of things the week after next.”

“Sounds good,” Brady replied before removing his check book from its drawer.

Before returning to his own office, Darin turned to watch Brady for a moment. “You know?” he started, “We really should start paying some of those bills online”

“I know,” Brady responded with a chuckle. “I guess I’m just set in my ways,” he added as he tore a check from the book and placed it into an envelope along with a copy of one of the many invoices stacked on his desk. “Maybe one of these days, I’ll get around to it.”

Darin smiled. “God, I love you,” he said before exiting.