To George and Meg, as always, thank you for your help with the proofreading. You've found the mistakes that I missed and therefore, make it a better story to read.
To the readers, thank you for your patients on waiting for the new chapter to be out. A lot of work went into the first book, QBWTEE, and now it is finally out, so I hope to have more time to write on TBWCST.
To all of you who ordered the new book while it was on sale, thank you for giving me your support. It means a lot that you would do so. I really do appreciate it more than you will know.
To those of you who didn't order the book, but wish to do so, please go to www.GemstoneEyes.com and take a look around. There is the `Buy Now' button on the home page for your convenience.
Also, don't forget about looking into joining the QBWTEE Fan Page. Follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/QBWTEE/ or just do a search for QBWTEE in the search bar.
As always, I hope you all enjoy chapter 11.
The Boy Who Cried Sapphire Tears – Part 11
That evening, when Blake arrived back at the ranch, Jackson wasn't anywhere to be found. He asked Mama where Jackson was, but he didn't know. After spending time in the common room, watching TV with his coworkers, he finally gave in and called it a night. When Blake spotted Jackson at work the next day, he asked Jackson where he was the night before.
"I went out with a friend," Jackson answered. It was a lie.
After Todd and Blake had left for the airport, Jackson went on his computer and looked through some sex ads. He thought that, if he played with someone else, maybe he could start to get over Blake. He then found a promising ad and had sent an email, asking if the guy could play for a long time. He had received a return email from the guy, which had said that he didn't have to be at work until about ten the next morning and had asked for pictures of Jackson.
Jackson had found the stock photos of himself that he kept hidden on his computer and attached them. There was a face picture and then a body picture from the neck down, wearing only underwear. Then one with a flaccid cock, and one with a hard cock. A few moments later, he had received another email asking when he wanted to come over. Jackson responded that he wanted to come over as soon as possible. The return email was one line: "548 Cotton St, Missoula."
The man had listed himself as Allen. He had described himself as 27, blond hair, brown eyes, 5'10", and weighing around 220 pounds. In his ad, he had placed a picture of his chest and stomach. Like most people, he was worried about posting a face picture, but didn't feel the need to post a dick picture. Out of all the ads that Jackson had glanced through, Allen's was the least offensive.
Allen had listed that he was just looking to have some fun tonight. Dinner, a movie and if the mood was there, then sex. Jackson had thought it might be nice to go out on a date, even if it ended in sex. He actually felt his spirits lift, slightly, after he got the address. When he had arrived, he felt them lift even more when he saw that Allen was attractive, at least, to him. Allen wasn't a ten by any means, but Jackson liked what he saw.
"Hey," Allen had said, opening the door.
"Hi," Jackson had replied, stepping onto the porch.
There was an awkward silence in the air for a moment before Allen had broken it. "You know, when I asked for a picture, I didn't mean a dick picture. Although, it was an amazing picture, I just meant your face picture.
"Oh, sorry," Jackson had said.
"Please, don't be. I wasn't expecting it, but I liked it. A lot." Allen had smiled in a sly sort of way.
"I'm glad," Jackson had said, grinning slightly.
"So..." Allen had restarted, hesitantly. "You still want to do this?"
"Yeah," Jackson had been suddenly confused. "Why?"
"Well, you didn't ask for my picture, and now that you see me, I just wanted to be sure. I usually don't get return emails after they see my face picture," Allen had explained, with trepidation.
"I don't know why not. You're very handsome," Jackson had said, smiling wider than before.
Allen then blushed for a moment and had stepped out and closed the door. "You wanna get a bite to eat?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Great. Um, what's your name? You didn't list it in the emails."
"Oh, sorry about that. It's Jackson. Jackson Wright."
Allen had then reach out a hand. "Allen Thompson. Good to meet you, Jackson."
Jackson had grabbed Allen's hand and said, "You, too, Allen."
They had gone to a Mexican restaurant and afterward, they did catch a movie, during which, Jackson decided to be a little bolder than was his norm. He had waited for the theater to get dark for a second, and when it did, he reached over and grabbed Allen's hand. To his delight, Allen hadn't pulled away. When it was over, they arrived back at Allen's house and had talked over coffee for a couple of hours. And when Allen started yawning, Jackson had tried to excuse himself, but Allen asked him to stay.
"Do you want to have sex?" Jackson had asked, bluntly.
"Actually, if you don't mind, no. Not tonight. But you're more than welcome to stay over," Allen then offered.
"That'd be nice," Jackson had replied, smiling. He hoped it would be enough to keep his mind off of Blake.
"I got the couch...or if you don't mind, you can share the bed with me. My spare room is my office."
Jackson then beamed, and said, "I don't mind sleeping with you, if you don't mind me being there."
Again, Allen had blushed. "I'd actually prefer it."
They had both stripped down to their underwear and got in the bed. At first, they had been on opposite sides of the bed, but before long, Allen had rolled over and placed his head on Jackson's shoulder, draping an arm over Jackson's torso. Jackson had smiled and placed his right hand on top of Allen's arm. "I like this," Jackson said.
"Good, `cause I'm comfortable," Allen had replied, giving a small laugh. "Sleep well."
"You, too, Allen. Good night."
What time did you get in last night?" Blake quizzed.
"I didn't. I stayed over, and got here for work today," Jackson answered. He had hoped that spending the night with someone else would have worked. Unfortunately, it didn't. Maybe if he had sex with Allen—maybe then it might work. Until then, however, Jackson was still fighting his feelings on the inside.
"Oh," Blake said, disappointed. He felt as if Jackson was keeping something from him, and it bothered him. "I just missed my sleeping buddy. Didn't sleep all that well."
Jackson's insides turned to fire. He stopped what he was doing and stared at Blake with angry eyes. "Yeah, well, I've missed my sleeping buddy for the last month, so—deal with it." Jackson stormed away.
Blake called out for Jackson, and even started to follow, but Jackson started to run. Blake stopped and stared, wondering what happened to make him so angry. As Blake was moving one of the horses from the outside pen to the stables, he looked up and saw Jackson leave the main house, get in his car and drive away. Blake lowered his head and led the horse to its clean stall.
That afternoon, after dinner was done, Blake stayed behind and helped Mama clean the table. As he brought the food in, Mama was busy putting it away. Before Blake left for a second run, he looked at Mama and asked, "Why's Jackson upset at me?"
Mama stopped what he was doing and looked at Blake. "What do you mean, Honey?"
"This morning, I asked where he was, and then he got angry with me and stormed away. A while later, I saw him get in his car and leave. Did he say anything to you?"
"Just that he needed the day off. He was upset and needed to get away for a while." Walking around the big table in the kitchen, Mama said, "Blake, what happened? All of it?"
Blake gave a sigh and started. "I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Todd does, so please, don't freak out. But, Jackson and I have been sleeping together for a long time. Whenever Todd's not around, Jackson holds me when we're asleep. We love each other's company, and we're practically each other's best friend. But this morning, I asked where he was. He said he was at a friend's house. I asked when he got in last night and he said that he didn't. He only showed up this morning. When I told him that I missed my sleeping buddy, he got pissed and said, `I've missed my sleeping buddy for the last month, so, deal with it.'"
Mama thought about what Blake had explained, and asked, "Is it sexual, too?"
Blake looked down and gave another sigh. "Yeah. Has been for a while."
"Do you know how he feels about you?" Mama asked, remembering the glances he took of Jackson when he looked depressed.
"He told me that we're just friends, nothing more," Blake answered.
"Honey, that boy is in love with you. How can you not see it?" Mama said.
"He told me that he did fall in love with me, but he said he wasn't anymore. He just loved me as a friend. I made that clear before we did anything."
"That might have been the case when all this started, but it's not anymore. I would steal glances at Jackson when you and Todd were together and I could see the hurt in his eyes. I never really knew why, but now I understand it.
"You and Jackson in the bed, every night for months at a time, and then you push him aside when Todd shows up. I can understand why he's angry. Please tell me you understand it, too."
Blake thought about Mama's words and instantly felt awful. He could completely understand how Jackson felt. Like he was being used, in a way. Used for Blake's satisfaction, only. Blake sat on one of the bar stools and stared at the floor. In his mind, he was hoping that their `arrangement' was going to benefit both of them, when in fact, it only benefitted Blake. He could only imagine the hurt that Jackson was feeling. Probably the same way that Blake felt after he saw Todd kiss Paige back at school.
Blake looked up at Mama and asked, "What should I do?"
"Wait for Jackson and see what he says or does. Let him make the first move. He might want to avoid you for a few days or longer. He might not want to talk to you for a while. Or, he could come back tonight and act like nothing's happened. Whatever he does, just wait for him.
"But my advice to you would be to end it. You can't have two boyfriends, and then throw the other one away when your main boyfriend comes to town. It's not fair to Jackson. Apologize to him and see where things go from there."
Blake looked at Mama and took in his words and said, "Thanks. I'll wait and see what happens."
"Good," Mama said. "Now, help me finish cleaning up, Honey."
After Blake helped Mama, he went and got his shower and put in a movie before calling it a night.
In Missoula, Jackson had arrived at Allen's house and was knocking on the door at 7:30. Allen stumbled out of bed, having never gotten up when Jackson left, and came to the door.
"Hey," he said in a groggy voice.
"Hey," Jackson said. "I know we don't know each other that well, but do you mind if I come in?"
"Sure," Allen said, opening the screen door.
"Thanks," Jackson said, walking in past Allen.
"Is everything okay?" Allen asked.
"No, not really," Jackson said, sitting on the sofa.
"Anything you want to talk about?" Allen asked, sitting next to him.
"I'm afraid that if I tell you, you'll tell me to leave," Jackson said.
Allen looked him up and down and smiled. "Don't think that could happen. But before you start this story, which I do want to hear, let me get the coffee started," Allen said and headed to the kitchen.
Once the coffee was brewing, he came back to the living room and told Jackson that he was going to get some clothes on.
"Don't do it because of me. I think you're sexy in your underwear."
"Me? Sexy? I got a belly on me that could double as a hot air balloon."
"I like hot air balloons," Jackson said.
"And I'm hairy?"
"I love hair on a man," Jackson said, again.
Allen stared at him for a moment and asked, "You really think that my body is sexy? There's not much muscle in here," he said, patting his stomach with both hands. "It's all lazy fat. I sit behind a computer all day, doing nothing."
"Well, I think it's sexy. I really do," Jackson said with all sincerity.
Allen took in those words and felt himself start to get excited. "You need to stop. You're giving me a boner." Jackson laughed and Allen sat next to him. "So, why are you upset?"
Jackson told Allen everything, from how he felt about Blake the moment he saw him and how they started sleeping together and then how sex followed. And about how he felt when Todd came to town. Jackson held nothing back, including how he found Allen.
"So, what, you were just going to use me?" Allen asked.
"Well, for all intense and purposes, we were going to use each other. I mean, you were the one that posted the ad. I just answered it. But when you didn't want to have sex, well that changed the game for me. Usually, guys just want to fuck and be done with it. You didn't want that, but you asked me to stay."
Allen thought about it a moment and then said, "Do you want coffee?"
"Yeah," Jackson said, and followed Allen to the kitchen.
"So, what are you saying?" Allen asked, as they walked.
"Well, I want to get over Blake. I don't want to use you to do it, but I'm genuinely interested in you. Are you just looking to have sex? Just go out on dates? Or are you looking for a relationship?" Jackson asked.
"Well, I was looking to just have sex. It's been a while, but after hanging out with you, and talking like we did, I was kinda hoping we could do it again. I never really thought about what I was looking for, but..." Allen thought about his words and his feelings. "I guess you can say that I'm looking to see what happens. I'm open for anything—friendship or more."
After receiving a cup of coffee, Jackson asked, "So, you wanna try and give this a shot? See where it goes?"
Allen took a sip and said, "Why not? If nothing but a friendship happens, then that's cool, too." Allen smiled wide.
"Well, there is one more thing I need to tell you. Something that might make you change your mind," Jackson said.
"Doubtful," Allen said, taking another sip.
"My other name is Craig Longin."
"Other name? Why do you have another name? Were you an assassin before and now in the witness protection program or something?"
Jackson let out a genuine laugh. "No. Nothing like that. I used to be in porn."
"Porn? Are you serious?" Allen asked, excited.
"Yeah. I've done about thirty movies. I was based in San Francisco."
"Really?" Asked Allen as he started back to the living room. Taking a seat on the sofa, Jackson joined him.
"Yup."
"What all did you do?" Allen asked, clearly interested.
"Just the usual. I was pretty vanilla in the movies. Mainly sucked, rimmed, fucked. But I never bottomed."
"Why not bottom?" Allen asked.
Jackson decided to hold out on that story for a while, and said, "Just preferred to top."
"Tell me a set story. A crazy, sexy, movie set story," Allen asked.
Jackson told his story, trying to remember all the details and when he was done, he saw Allen reach over and grab a pillow and place it on his lap.
"What's the pillow for?" Jackson asked, chuckling.
"To hide the hard on you just gave me," Allen said, embarrassed.
"Oh, please," Jackson said, grabbing the pillow and throwing it in a chair next to him. "If you got it, show it off."
Allen was a little taken aback, but soon, relaxed and Jackson could see the tent in Allen's briefs. "From what I can see, it looks delicious," Jackson said.
"I got an idea," Allen said, hopeful.
"Okay, what?" Jackson asked.
"How about I call into work, and you and I fuck like rabbits all day long?" Allen suggested.
Jackson paused. "Are you serious?"
"Well, look at it this way. If we are going to try and date, let's go ahead and get the sex out of the way. I can feel major tension in the room, and I've already seen what you look like naked, and I want it bad. We can have sex today, then wait until the time is right for the next time."
"Well, the only problem with that, that I see, is if it's good sex, the next time might be tomorrow after I get off work. Allen, you're sexy to me, and if we have sex, there won't be a way to wait, especially if you're really good at it," Jackson explained.
Now it was Allen's turn to pause. "Okay, there's a dilemma on my hands now. I want to have sex with you really bad, but I don't want this possible relationship based on just sex. I feel the same way you do. If the sex is that good, I'll want it tomorrow, too."
"Yeah," Jackson said, clearly torn.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jackson leaned over and kissed Allen. When he pulled away, Allen said, "I won't base it on sex, I promise," then pulled Jackson back for another kiss. They made out for about twenty minutes before Jackson reached over and felt the hardness under Allen's briefs. Allen grabbed Jackson's hand, pulled away from Jackson's lips and said, "I need a shower first."
Jackson sat back on the couch and gave a breathy, "Okay," as he watched Allen head back to his bedroom. After he was in the shower, Jackson realized he needed a shower, too. He headed in the bedroom and stripped down and went in the bathroom and asked, "Can I join you?"
Allen was startled, but pulled back the shower curtain and saw Jackson naked. "Holy shit. This is going to be tough," he said, looking him up and down. "C'mon, get in."
Jackson smiled and got in the shower with him. As they cleaned, they made out more, and hands roamed over each other, exploring areas that were previously covered with fabric. After the shower, they walked back to the bedroom and Jackson grabbed Allen and pushed him down on the bed and instantly went down on him. Allen's hand flew to Jackson's head and took a deep gulp of air. Exhaling, he said, "Oh, my God, that's amazing."
After about ten minutes, they switched places and Allen started pleasing Jackson. That didn't last as long before Jackson wanted Allen back in his mouth. He maneuvered himself so that they were in a sixty-nine position. All other sexual activities were left out as they seemed to be happy with what they were doing. They didn't even want to go any further, instead, they brought each other to climax, orally.
Seeing as how neither of them were virgins, they didn't cum in each other's mouth. Instead, Jackson removed Allen from his mouth and jerked him off over his chest and chin. When Jackson announced that he was about to orgasm, Allen lifted off and finished him with his hand, having to shut his eyes after he was hit in the face with Jackson's climax.
After their orgasms passed, Allen rolled over to lie beside Jackson and they both got their breathing back under control. After a few minutes, Jackson got up and turned so that he and Allen were face to face and started kissing him.
"I'm glad we didn't go any further today," Allen said. "As much as I wanted to, I knew it didn't feel right to go that far."
"I know, me, too," Jackson agreed. "We can save the rest for another time. Maybe something special."
"Agreed, but I hope you come over often. You got a great cock. I love it," Allen said.
Jackson laughed and said, "So do you. Fits just perfectly down the throat."
Allen smiled and said, "One day, I'll get you down mine. I just gotta get used to how big it is first."
Jackson smiled and leaned down for another kiss.
That evening, Jackson called Mama's cell phone and asked if he could have Tuesday off as well.
Mama thought about it for a moment before answering, "Yeah, you can have tomorrow off, just make sure you're back on Wednesday. If you're not, I can't be responsible for Papa."
"Thanks, Mama, you're the greatest!" Jackson said.
Jackson returned to work on Wednesday, as promised. Papa didn't give him any slack, and the rest of the crew didn't think anything of it. Blake, on the other hand, was waiting for Jackson to start some sort of conversation with him. It didn't happen.
A week passed, and every night, sometimes before and sometimes after dinner, Jackson would get his shower and take off. He never told anyone where he was going, and Blake didn't feel it was his place to ask. He kept to himself, but was feeling depressed on how he treated Jackson.
Whenever he and Todd talked, that was Blake's main topic of conversation. He felt guilty about the way he treated Jackson, but Jackson was acting like he didn't care anymore. Not even as friends. More than anything, that was what was upsetting him But he did notice that Jackson was looking happier about things, so Blake let it go, supported by the occasional pep talk from Todd when it was needed.
Another week passed and Jackson kept up his routine. Hardly talking to anyone, especially Blake, but after work, he'd get his shower and head over to Allen's. Blake started to become more depressed about the way Jackson was treating him, but Todd gave him some news to actually succeeded in cheering him up. Todd told him that he was going back to New York in a week and that his mom and dad were flying over to Montana to look at a property for Pax and that they were going to come up and visit for a few days.
Blake felt some of his discomfort toward Jackson fade. He missed Christine and Don and knowing that in a little more than a week, he'd be seeing them. Now he had something to look forward to and he tried not to let Jackson's actions bother him much more.
It took Don and Christine about a month before they finally told Pax that they'd come and work for him. They gave a month notice to both of their firms—Christine's law firm and Don's real estate firm. For the month of March, Pax gave them leads on some buildings he had heard about and sent them on their way. The jet he told them about at Christmas was completely theirs, with a crew of three—two pilots and one attendant. They traveled all over the country, hitting only the major cities for now.
From that first month's travels, Pax decided on one building in Dallas. Since then, he's only purchased two other places. One in Chicago and the other in Boston. After the purchases were final, he got his construction manager on the renovations and Dallas was just a few more months to completion. At first, Don was skeptical about his job with Pax, but soon learned he knew exactly what Pax was looking for, which made his job easier. He could see a building and instantly know if it was a possibility or a complete dud. Out of the twenty or so cities they've visited in the last few months, only three were what Pax had in mind.
Christine would wait for her husband and his team to discuss the price and finally decide on a figure that Pax and the seller would be happy with. Once Pax confirmed the price, Christine had her staff would write up the contracts and get all the selling papers completed so that only signatures of the seller(s) and Pax or Tristian had to sign. The first three deals were done without any face to face meetings. Everything was done through Christine or Don's communication with the two parties. After everything was finalized, Pax would give them each a half a percent bonus on the find and purchase. So far, they have each earned over twenty thousand in bonuses alone.
Blake knew that after Don and Christine dropped off Todd in New York, they would be heading over to see him. He hoped they could stay for a few days, but he'd have to talk to them soon to find out the details. Blake asked Mama and Papa if Don and Christine could stay at the ranch or if they would need to stay at the small hotel in Eureka Falls. Once Mama realized who exactly Don and Christine were, he insisted they stay in the main house. Blake made a note to tell Mom and Dad next time he talked with them.
The week finally passed and Blake got a call from Todd telling him that Mom and Dad would be coming in to visit in two more days. They were stopping in Billings first to look at a property and possibly start the discussions. To Blake's surprise, they arrived the next day, about an hour after calling him and informing him of such. He told Mama about the change in plans and Mama gave him the rest of the day off. He quickly got a shower and headed down to the airport to greet his family.
Upon seeing Don and Christine, he ran up and grabbed Christine in a hug and almost wouldn't let go. When he saw that Don was waiting for his hug, he let Christine go and attacked Don.
"It's so great to see you guys," Blake said, pulling back and looking between the two of them. "You've lost some weight, Mom."
"You noticed!" Christine said, delighted.
"Looking good, as always," Blake replied.
"Wow! You really are a cowboy," Don said, looking at Blake in his plaid shirt, tight jeans, cowboy boots and cowboy hat.
"Eh, it agrees with me," Blake said, smiling.
Blake took Christine's bag from her and led them to the car. After packing and getting settled, they caught up with what was going on while driving back to the ranch. When they arrived, Mama was just finishing up placing dinner on the table and was about to call everyone in. Seeing Blake drive up, he put off calling in the crew for a few more minutes.
Blake told Christine and Don that he would help them with their bags after dinner and walked them over to introduce them to Mama.
"Mama, I'd like to introduce you to Todd's parents: Christine and Don Blyth. Mom, Dad, this is Oliver West, but we just call him Mama."
"Great to finally meet you," Christine said, walking up and extending her hand. "Blake's told us so much about you.
Mama shook Christine's hand and then Don's and said, "He's told me so much about you two as well. It's a pleasure to meet you both. Welcome to Sapphire Fields."
"Thank you for allowing us to stay with you," Don said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Mama responded. "I hope y'all are hungry. I just finished supper."
"It looks wonderful," Christine said.
"Excuse me. Let me call the boys and girls up to eat." Mama walked over to a brass bell and rang it a few times. Within a minute, the first of many workers started on their way up to the house.
One by one, as they appeared, Blake introduced everyone to Christine and Don. As he did, he said they were his parents, completely forgetting about Todd. He laughed about that later. When Jackson finally came up, Blake got his attention and introduced them. Jackson was pleasant and shook their hands, but said as little as possible to Blake. Blake vowed that he wasn't going to let Jackson ruin his mood and walked Christine and Don over to the table.
Before taking a seat, Papa walked out and Mama grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the Blyth's. "This big brute of a man is my partner, Norman West. Papa, these are Todd's parents, Christine and Don Blyth."
Papa grabbed for Christine's hand first, and then Don's. "You got two fine boys! Both hard workers. Couldn't have asked for better additions to the staff."
"Thank you, Norman," Don said.
"Believe me, it's my pleasure. With Todd's help over the summer, he keeps the ranch running smoothly. And Blake, here, well, he's an excellent addition. Glad he made his way to Montana and found us."
Blake actually blushed a bit. Papa would always tell him he was doing a good job, but would also let him know if he was falling behind a bit, too. But he had never heard Papa speak so highly of him, or anyone, and it embarrassed him just a bit in front of everyone else.
"Well, Todd, we can take credit for. As for Blake," Christine started, "well, he's gets all the credit."
"Nonsense! You and Don picked up where his parents quit on him. You also deserve the credit. You took him in and cared and loved him. That says a lot for a boy his age. You should be very proud and take credit for him turning out like he has," Papa finished.
"Thank you, Norman. That means a great deal to hear that," Christine said, feeling proud.
"I agree," Don said, and grabbing Papa's hand to shake again. "Thank you."
"Why don't we all get a seat. Looks like everyone got started already," Mama said.
They took their seats and began to eat. Mama and Papa had everyone move down a bit and let Don and Christine sit next to them so they could talk and get to know each other a bit better. Blake sat in his usual spot, though, Jackson had moved to his new usual spot, three spots down. Blake would glance up to the head of the table and see the four of them in great conversations, laughing or smiling and nodding heads.
When the hands were done with their dinner, Jackson being the first, they walked up and told Mama how much they enjoyed it and then headed off for their showers. Twenty minutes after Jackson got up from the table, Blake saw him leave the ranch, heading into town. When it was just the five of them remaining, Mama, Papa, Christine, Don and Blake, Mama took advantage of a lull in the conversation, saying he needed to start the cleaning.
"Please, Oliver, let me help you," Christine said, standing with Mama.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Christine. Why don't you and Don go and get settled in your room? I'll show you where it is," Mama said.
"I'll get the bags," Blake said, jumping up and running to the car.
Mama led Don and Christine in the house and up the stairs. The second door on the right hand side of the hall is where Mama placed Christine and Don for their visit. It was a nice room, looking over the front field and the entrance to the ranch. In the distance was the mountain range that Blake had told them about. In the back left hand corner of the room was a private bath.
"Oh, Oliver, it's beautiful," Christine said, taking in the room and the view.
"I'm glad you like it. I hope y'all will be comfortable," Mama said.
"I'm sure we will," Don said.
Behind them was Blake, bumping into the doorway with the bags in hand. "Did you pack for a month?" he asked.
"Just two weeks," Christine said.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone to get settled," Mama said, and then slipped out the door, back to the kitchen.
Christine grabbed her bag and put it on the bed and began to unpack and put things up. Mama had offered them the use of the chest-of-drawers, and Christine promptly filled it. Don, on the other hand, left his clothes in his bag and slid it under the bed.
When Christine was done, she excused herself and headed down to help Mama finish cleaning up. Mama insisted that she sit and talk, but Christine wouldn't hear if it. Mama finally gave in and allowed Christine to help.
"Whadda think?" Blake asked Don.
"It's nice. Now I can see why you love it here so much. The fresh air, the beautiful surroundings. And everyone is very nice," Don commented.
"Yeah, everyone's pretty great," Blake said.
"What about that one guy? Jack, I think," Don asked.
"What about him?" Blake asked, nervously.
"He seemed to kinda ignore you. Is everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah. We kinda had a small falling out recently. Things'll be fine, soon, I'm sure."
"What kind of falling out?" Don asked, taking a seat on the bed.
Blake gave a silent sigh and fudged the truth, just a little, to hide some of the details. "Before he knew about Todd, he kinda fell in love with me. When he found out Todd was real, he got depressed. When Todd leaves, he gets happy again. Well, Todd just left, but he's acting a little different. I don't know if he still loves me or not, but I guess he might still be a little jealous that he can't be with me."
"Did you ever give him a reason to think there could be more?" Don asked.
"No," Blake lied.
Don gave Blake a look and then turned his head. "You know the only thing this place is missing?"
"What's that?" Blake asked, thankful for the change of subject.
"A pool. Can't get my exercises in tonight."
"We got a pond. Todd and I swim in it all the time." Blake looked out the window and said, "We probably still got an hour or so left of sunlight. Wanna go?"
Don thought about it for a moment, and finally answered, "Sure."
"I got some towels in my room. C'mon," Blake said, heading out of the room.
As they passed through the kitchen, Blake announced his and Don's plans. Both, Christine and Mama told them to have a good time. Blake went over to his room and as he grabbed the towels, Don poked his head inside and looked around.
"It's not much, but it's a room," Blake said.
"Looks quite cozy to me," Don said.
Closing his door, he walked outside and went straight to one of the four-wheelers. He told Don to hop on the back and down the path they went to the pond. As usual, they stripped down and went skinny dipping. Don wasn't used to having such a large body of water to swim in. Instead of his usual thirty laps, he did only five in the large pond. He figured it equaled about his usual thirty. After his exercises, he and Blake talked some more and ended up in a splashing fight. With just a sliver of light left in the sky, they got out and dried off and redressed. Ten minutes later, they were back at the ranch.
Blake walked Don back in the kitchen and told him and Christine goodnight. He was going to leave them to get settled and enjoy their evening. Before he left, he turned back around and reached in his pocket and grabbed his keys. Handing them to Don, he said, "Exit 109 is our exit. Take main street up the mountain and you can't miss the ranch. If you get lost in Eureka Falls, just ask anyone how to get to Sapphire Fields."
"Thanks," Don said with a smile.
"If you really want to get a taste for the Rockies, go over to Idaho. It's only 100 miles west," Blake said.
"How far is it to Spokane?" Don asked.
"Little over three hours," Mama answered.
"There's a property over there we might go see while we're here," Don answered.
"Don, this is a small vacation, remember?" Christine said.
"You can do some shopping," Don retorted.
"Okay, maybe one small trip, then," Christine said. Everyone else laughed.
"Night, Mom and Dad," Blake said, giving each of them a hug, then he walked to his room.
When he arrived, he saw that he had about twenty minutes before Todd was to call him, so he decided on a quick shower. As he walked back in his room, his phone was ringing. Running to answer it, he fell on the bed and said, "Hey, sexy."
"Hey, baby." Blake could hear the smile in Todd's voice. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Just got out of the shower. Dad and I just got done swimming in the pond. They came in today, by the way."
"I know. I was calling to see if they made it okay. Mom forgot to call me."
"Yeah, things are good. Got them settled in their room, upstairs. Mama gave them a room with a great view of the mountains. Mom loves it!"
"I knew she would," Todd said, chuckling. "Did they meet everyone?"
"Yeah. Dad saw something wasn't right between me and Jackson. I told him a version of the truth, but not everything. He asked if I gave Jackson a reason to believe there could be more and I think I said `no' just a little too fast. He changed the subject after that."
"So, he's still not talking to you?" Todd asked.
"Nope. I'll start the conversation after Mom and Dad leave. I don't want to ruin anyone's time while they're here," Blake explained.
"Good idea," Todd agreed.
"So, what are you up to?" Blake asked.
"Not a whole lot. Just sippin' on a Starbucks. Lucky and I just got back from playing b-ball in the park. Now, just gonna get things ready to start back classes tomorrow."
"How is Robert? How was his summer?" Blake asked.
"Not too bad. He said he had a good time and even decided to be a bit brave and come out to one of his cousins in France," Todd explained.
"Oh, my God. Did they freak out?" Blake asked, apprehensive.
"Nope. He said she was cool with it."
"Why did he decide to do it with only her?" Blake wondered.
"Well, he said that out of all his cousins, he and she were the closest. He figured she probably wouldn't have a problem with it, and if she did, she was across the ocean, so he figured he'd give it a try. Made up a hypothetical situation about being mistreated by someone—" Todd said, emphasizing the word someone,' "—he likes. After he finished the story, she said, You need to dump her. I've known girls like her and she's not worth it.' After she was done explaining, he said, `Well, it's not a "her"...'
"He said it only took her about three seconds to register what he was saying, and her response was, I don't care who it is, he doesn't deserve you,' then in a much calmer voice, asked, Really? I had no idea.' He explained that he was bisexual, even though I still think he's holding onto the bisexuality title to please his parents if it gets really bad. Anyway, they talked and she told him that if he even needed someone to talk to about it, she'd be there for him...at least through email and phone."
"That's pretty awesome. At least he has someone in the family to confide in, if he needs to," Blake said. "Any plans on telling his parents yet?"
"Not anytime soon, from what I gather. I think distant family that he's closer with first, to test the waters, then maybe in the next fifty years, he might get around to telling his mom and dad," Todd assumed.
"Tell my mom and dad what?" Robert said behind Todd. Blake heard Robert's voice and smiled.
"I was just telling Blake about your cousin. He asked if you plan on telling your parents soon, and I said, probably not for another fifty years," Todd repeated, plainly.
"No point in telling them until I find the right guy. Who knows, I might still end up with a girl," he said, then a second later, he called out to the room, "Hey, Blake. I miss you!"
Blake gave a chuckle and told Todd to tell Robert hello and that he missed him too. Blake and Todd talked for another twenty minutes before Todd said he had to get ready for bed. After saying their I love you's, they hung up the phone. Within ten minutes, Blake was asleep.
The rest of the week was very pleasant for Don and Christine. Their first couple of days, they would take a walk around the pasture and see Mother Nature at her finest with the mountain ranges in the distance. Once they would return, they would walk around the stables and talk to the workers. Don and Christine would ask them questions about their job, and then move on to find out a little about them and what brought them to Sapphire Fields.
When they would end up with Blake, they would keep catching up on things in Atlanta, and with Pax and Tristian, and anything else newsworthy to share. When they asked how he groomed the horses, Blake got Christine involved and let her help him out. She was apprehensive at first, with the magnificent beast intimidating her, but after she worked on grooming the horse in front of her for about ten minutes, she seemed to relax, and eventually started to enjoy it.
On their third day, they started out early for Spokane and enjoyed the ride through the Rockies, while Blake was left on the ranch. The building they went to look at was a no. It wasn't what Pax was looking for, so they spent a few hours doing some shopping. When they returned home, about an hour before dinner, the car was packed. Christine got a few new outfits and even got Don a new suit, as well as some new jeans, slacks, sweaters for the winter, and shirts for everyday wear.
That evening, after everyone had gotten settled, Blake was in his room and was flipping through the TV. There wasn't anything on so he turned it off. When he did, he heard laughter. Getting out of bed, he went to the window and bent one of the blinds down and saw Mama, Papa, Don and Christine sitting on the porch, talking. He decided to walk over, at least to say goodnight. Though, when he arrived, he sat and listened to the stories Mama and Papa were telling.
Mama had just finished a story and the others were laughing, when he saw Blake walk up to the dimly lit porch.
"Evening, lil man. You aren't asleep yet?" Mama asked.
"Nah. I was about to go when I heard y'all laughing. Thought I'd walk over and see what was going on before bed."
"Not a lot. Just drinking a glass of wine and talking," Christine said. "Mama's been telling us some really funny stories from their past."
"Yeah, some things he knows he shouldn't talk about `cause they embarrass me," Papa said.
"Papa, you know good and well there isn't a thing to be embarrassed by. It happened in our past and we've learned and matured. Stop being embarrassed by stupid little things," Mama said.
Before Papa could respond, Don cut in, asking, "How long have you two been together?"
As Papa was thinking about it, Mama looked over and gave a playful slap on Papa's chest. "Fifty three years in September," Mama said without thinking.
"I was getting there," Papa said, grabbing Mama's hand and holding it.
"How did y'all meet?" Christine asked.
Blake had always wanted to ask that very question, so he decided to hold his goodnight's for a bit longer to hear the answer. He scooted back in his rocking chair and listened.
"Oh, wow," Mama exclaimed. "I haven't told this story in such a long time. I hope I remember all the details. Papa, why don't you tell them your side of the story first, before you met me."
"About six months after my mother died, I sold the family business and, afterward, I felt guilty about it. I felt as if I let my father down. I figured that I needed to do something to make him proud of me and decided to join the military. I joined the Navy and sailed all around the world. Saw so much of the planet and knew that I made the right choice.
"September, 1959, we had just spent about four months at sea, when we made it to port in Savannah, GA. They gave us five days off, and I spent the first day in the city, but had seen everything in about four hours. So I found this guy who had three extra cars he rented to military guys. $20 a day was all he asked. So, I grabbed one up and headed straight for the big city of Atlanta. I didn't have any change of clothes with me, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from the water and meet some new people.
"When I arrived, I drove around, being my first time in the city, and did all the sightseeing things. That night, I chose a small little restaurant, and, over dinner, I heard one guy talking to another guy about a club. It didn't sound too interesting until I heard them mention the word character. Then my ears listened a bit closer. Back in those days, it wasn't good to be gay. Even worse if you were in the military. All the gay clubs were underground, hidden away. Mind you, Stonewall won't happen for another ten years, so secrecy was very important, if you didn't want any trouble with the police.
"Anyway, one of the guys asked the other when he was going to get into character. I remember his answer so clearly. He responded, `Rudy will become Ruby once we're in that club.' I knew exactly what they were talking about, so I finished up my dinner, and sat around and waited for them to leave. After ordering coffees to go, they finally got up and each grabbed a bag. I let them leave and about thirty seconds after, I got up to follow.
"Ten minutes of walking, and I saw them disappear down an alley. When I turned the corner, they had vanished. I walked down the alleyway and noticed a few doors. No signs, notes, nothing. I was about to knock on a random door, when behind me, down some stairs, I saw light. I moved to the other side of the alleyway and up against the wall. A second later, two men came up the stairs and turned the opposite way down the alley. If it wasn't for one of them walking the way he did, I wouldn't have known it was the club."
"How was he walking?" Blake asked, enraptured.
"Boy, he was swinging his hips farther than a pendulum in a Grandfather clock. Yeah, I knew that was the club. I took a few deep breaths and decided to head downstairs and go in. When I got to the door, it was locked. At first, I thought maybe I was trying to get into someone's apartment, but then a little window door opened and a guy inside saw me and asked me the password.
"I don't know it,' I said to him. Sorry, can't come in, then,' he responded to me. Finally, I explained my situation to him, showed him my military ID and he took pity on me and let me in. When I got inside, I was as nervous as could be. I saw guys all over the place. Some were talking, others were touching or kissing. I really felt out of place, and decided that maybe a drink would calm my nerves.
"I got me a gin and tonic and sat there. A few guys came up to me, but I was scared. I was still in my uniform and I knew that if I did anything to make anyone angry, they might tell someone about me being there, so I kept to myself. The guys in the bar finally gave up trying to talk to me, which made me feel a little better, but looking around, I started to feel lonely. In Atlanta, if only in the safety of that bar or their homes, they could be who they really were. I, living on a ship with a thousand other men, had to hide who I was. I hated it, but I believed in what I was doing with my service.
"Well, about an hour later, they had announced that the show was about to start. I knew, from the talk at the restaurant between those two guys, it was going to be a drag show or something like that. Anyway, I ordered another drink and as I was waiting for it, the first performer had already started. When I turned around, I was frozen. There on the stage was the most beautiful man in a costume I had ever seen. I watched him perform, and at one point, he looked directly into my eyes and actually faltered a moment. He forgot the words to his song and almost lost his balance because his left ankle fell over in his heel, and he had to catch himself. There on the stage, was none other than Sapphire Skyy."
Blake had connected the dots faster than Don and Christine. Sapphire Skyy—Sapphire Fields. "You?" Blake asked, looking at Mama.
"Me," Mama said, smiling. "When I looked up and saw this sailor sitting at the bar, I couldn't catch my breath. The music stopped playing, and I forgot I was in heels. Only after someone waved some money in front of me, did my surroundings come back. I regained my footing and the words, but I couldn't stop looking at Norman. When my act was over, I went directly backstage, dropped off my money, fixed up my face and headed straight for the front of the house. Right there at the dressing room door, Norman was waiting for me.
"We talked for a good fifteen minutes before I excused myself and went backstage and told the girls to go on without me. I told them about this handsome sailor and that I wasn't going to let this chance pass me up. As I was standing there, all the girls ran to the door to get a peek through the little window. As they did, I reapplied my lipstick, powered my face and checked my hair one more time. I had to actually fight my way back through them to get back to the bar. And believe me, I would've thrown down a bitch if I needed to."
Everyone listening gave a good, hearty laugh.
"When I returned, I grabbed Norman's hand and told Jonny, the bartender, we were moving to a little table in the corner. After we were settled, we talked for hours. We couldn't stop getting to know each other. It was like magic had taken over and pushed us together. When there was only about thirty minutes left before the club closed, I told Norman that I had to go and change and get out of my costume and I asked if he would wait for me. He said he would, and I started getting more nervous.
"He had only seen me as Sapphire Skyy, I was afraid he might not like Oliver Smith. But, when I returned, without makeup, without my dress, and without my wig, he said the most wonderful thing he could have said at that moment."
Mama paused and looked at Papa in memory. "Well?" Blake asked, impatient.
Looking into Mama's eyes, Papa answered, "You're even more stunning as Oliver."
"That's so romantic," Christine said, smiling. Blake could have sworn he saw pools of tears in her eyes.
"Well, I took him to an all night diner and we got coffee and stayed up all night and talked. When the morning traffic started to get moving, I started yawning, and Norman said that we better get heading on out."
"I apologized for keeping him out all night, but I didn't want to let him go," Papa said. "I could see in his eyes that he didn't want to say goodbye, either. But I knew we both needed sleep. I asked if he was going to be at the club again that night and he assured me that he was. He also told me the password. It was Pumpernickel. Right before we said our goodbyes, I asked him if he knew where the closest YMCA was."
"When he did, I wasn't going to allow him to have to spend any money on a place to stay if he didn't need to, so I invited him to my place. When he looked into my eyes, I saw a bit of relief there. Neither one of us wanted to say goodbye, yet, so he thanked me for the invite, and we walked to my place. When we got there, I put my things away and grabbed some sheets and a blanket and pillow. He insisted on sleeping on the couch, so I made him up a bed."
Papa picked up the story. "I was, and still am a gentleman. I didn't want him thinking I was trying to or going to take advantage of him. Nope, the couch was the closest to his bedroom I was going to get, at least in my skivvies. Well, after he made up the bed, we talked for about three more hours over coffee until he eventually fell asleep on the couch. I let him sleep for about ten minutes while watching him. Then I took our coffee mugs to the kitchen, picked him up and carried him to his bed. I removed his shoes and shirt and threw a blanket over him and let him sleep as I went to the couch."
"When I finally woke up," Mama said, taking over, "I looked down and saw that I still had my pants on. I thought about what happened and realized that I must have fallen asleep in the living room. I smiled at how much of a gentleman he was. I got up and got my shower, and then dressed and came out, and he was still sleeping. The blanket was thrown to the floor and the sheet was barely covering his unmentionables, in his underwear, of course."
"Oli," Papa groaned. "Do you have to say it like that?"
"Well, that's what happened." Blake, Christine and Don were all smiling at Papa's small bit of embarrassment. "Anyway, I leaned against the doorframe and couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. Tall, handsome, six pack stomach like an old wash board. Strong, hairy, powerful legs. I watched his chest heave up and down with every breath. I was completely mesmerized. As I was standing there, he started to stir and I started to panic. I didn't want him knowing I was watching him, but he only turned over. I calmed down and then I saw his butt."
"Oli," Papa groaned again.
"The most perfectly shaped, round butt in tight white briefs. Uh, I was in heaven," Mama said. Christine gave a chuckle and Blake smiled, wide. "After watching him for a few more minutes, I decided to go and make coffee and to start some breakfast, even though it was like seven in the evening. I was halfway through making the bacon, when in he walked. He came right up to me, put his right hand on my right hip and stood so close to me, I almost fainted. `Smells wonderful,' he said to me.
"In order to regain my composure and balance, I told him the coffee was ready and when he pulled his hand away, I took a few deep breaths to get my head back on straight. Without knowing it, he teased me into what I wished the rest of my days could be like with him. For two whole days, the only time we parted from each other was when we slept. But on that third night, I told him he was going to sleep in a proper bed, and I made him sleep in the bed with me."
"Okay, Oli, that's enough information. It's getting late," Papa interjected.
"Papa, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing happened, so I'm finishing the story."
"But Blake's here and we don't need to be telling anymore private things in front of a worker," Papa said, making his case.
Mama turned and said, "He and Todd love each other just as much as you and I do. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Stop getting embarrassed." Turning his attention back to his audience, Oliver continued. "That night, as I said, nothing happened except that he held me all through the night. When I woke, I was still in his arms. I woke up from the most satisfying sleep of my life in the arms of the man I had always dreamed about."
Blake could see, even in the dim light, that Papa blushed, slightly, and added, "Yeah, it was one of the best night sleeps in my life too." Papa continued and took over the story. "Well, that afternoon, I had to be getting back. I didn't want to, and even thought about going AWOL just to stay with him, but he insisted that I go back. He asked for my address and told me that he was going to write to me under the name Olivia Smith. It angered me that he couldn't use Oliver, but I knew that if I wanted to hear from him, this was the way it had to be.
"We just laid in the bed and talked for a few more hours and then he finally got up and made us some lunch. After lunch, I got a quick shower, got dressed and told him I had to leave. Oliver, here, lowered his head and said that he knew. At that point, I knew I was falling hard for him. And I knew that if I didn't take that opportunity to kiss him, I wouldn't get a chance to for many more months. I walked up to him, put my finger on his chin, lifted his face and kissed him."
"He kissed me so good, my knees buckled," Mama added. All five of them laughed. "We stared into each other's eyes for a few more minutes before I finally had to push him away and tell him to leave. When he got to the door, he grabbed the knob, and I ran back up to him and kissed him again. A minute later, he was gone."
"What happened next?" Don asked, just as enraptured as Blake and Christine.
"Well, I couldn't wait, and I wrote a letter ten minutes after he left and on my way to the club that night, I mailed it. He told me that he received the letter before the ship left port, but he couldn't reply fast enough before the ship set sail. About a week later, I got his letter, and I couldn't stop smiling. I carried it with me everywhere. I showed the girls at work and they couldn't believe how lucky I was."
"Anyway," Papa said, "we wrote to each other for two more years. Me telling of my adventures on the water and him telling me of his everyday life. It never got boring. And finally, when I was able to leave the military, I told him where I was going to be and what date. Sure enough, he was. Over those two years, our love for each other had grown so much, that we knew this was going to be a relationship to last a long time."
"So much in fact, that when I picked him up, we found the closest motel to make up for lost time," Mama added.
"Oliver!" Papa said, blushing hard this time.
Christine gave a little laugh as Blake and Don continued to smile.
"And we haven't parted ever since that day," Mama finished up, squeezing Papa's hand.
"Where did y'all go after you were discharged?" Don asked.
"Well, I moved to Atlanta with Oli, and with all the money I got from the sale of the land back home, I didn't have to work. I'd get odd jobs here and there, but nothing permanent. Didn't have a reason to. Every night he performed, I was right there, in the front row at a little table, waiting for Sapphire Skyy to come out on stage. In the meantime, while I waited, I had to sit through some horrendous acts—Ruby Monroe being the worst."
"No way!" Blake said. Looking at both of them, he asked, "You knew Ruby Monroe?"
"You're thinking of Marilyn Monroe, sweetie," Mama said. "This is Ruby Monroe. Another drag queen at the club."
"I know. I've met her...um, him," Blake said, correcting himself.
"Really?" Mama asked. "When and where?"
"Todd and I went camping a few years back and ran into him at the camp ground. He lives there."
"Really? How's he look these days?" Mama asked.
Blake didn't want to be rude, but decided less rude was better and said, "You look twenty years younger than he does, let's just put it that way."
"Yesss!" Mama said, smiling big.
"Are we missing something?" Christine asked.
"He's actually four years younger than me," Mama said, keeping his smile wide.
"I can't believe that old bat is still alive. Was sure he would have been killed, eventually," Papa said.
"Why's that?" Don asked.
"He used to like to leave the club in costume and try and trick straight men into taking him on a date with the promise of a good time after. Got beat up pretty bad a few times. Kept telling him he needed to cut it out, but he just wouldn't listen. Well, after one good beating that broke his arm in two places, he packed up and left town. That was the last I heard of him," Papa said.
"I heard he went to Nashville, then Dallas, Houston, then New Orleans, but I lost track of him after that. Haven't seen him in, God, over forty five years," Mama finished up.
"So, how did y'all end up here, in Montana?" Don asked, anxious to finish the story.
"We stayed in Atlanta for another two years or so, before moving on to a new adventure in Nashville, but that only lasted a few months. I wanted to go back and see my family, but they weren't too happy to see me AND Norman. They always knew, but since I was always single, they didn't have much of a problem with it. When I brought Norman home to meet the family, they were about as civil as a pack of wild coyotes. My daddy would give me hell every time I went over to visit about having a man as a partner. The only ones in the family who actually met and loved Norman, were my three sisters. My two brothers acted like my dad.
"Well, we moved into a small apartment, and I tried to get my mama and daddy to come around in their thinking, but they wouldn't have anything to do with Norman. Even told me not to bring him around anymore. That was the straw that broke my back. I stopped visiting, and if I wanted to see my sisters, I would send them letters. We were only a five minute drive away, but I wasn't going to call them or show up at the house because my parents hated Norman so much."
"Well, after about four months, this man came through town talking about real estate being sold in the west. I got him in a conversation, and asked him what parts. He told me that everything from New Mexico up to Montana. As soon as he said Montana, I knew I had to get more information. I'd only seen pictures and such of this state, but from what I saw, I loved it. Said they had parcels of land for as little as ten dollars an acre. I couldn't pass it up. I had to go and check it out, so I talked it over with Mama and took off on a little journey," Papa said.
"While he was gone, I was working the clubs, they had two hidden clubs in Nashville, and I did pretty good for myself. But I was lonely without Papa around. He called me every night on his journey and then every night while he was here. Took a few weeks of looking around before he finally came across the land that he knew he had to have. When he did, he found the owner and made an offer," Mama said.
"Fifteen hundred acres for fifteen thousand dollars. I couldn't believe it. I called Oli and told him about it and he told me to go ahead and get it if I wanted to. After the land traded hands, I went home, and to my amazement, Mama said, `So, when are we moving?'"
"I'd never been anywhere outside of the South, so I was excited about the move," Mama said. "I wanted to see what was so spectacular about this land he bought, so two weeks later, we packed up what we could take and took off. From your reaction when you arrived and looked out your window, that's the reason I fell in love with it too," Mama said.
"We rented a little house over in Missoula, and then I had someone draw up the plans for the house. After I had Mama's approval, we started building."
"Yup," Mama said, interrupting Papa. Turning in his chair, he pointed down and said, "That first brick on the corner is what started it all and I put it there."
"Well, that's about all he did, until the house was complete," Papa said, giving a sly smile.
"Hey, now, I helped a little bit along the way." Turning his attention back to Christine and Don, he continued, "Every time I tried, he told me to get out of the way."
"When he was around, there was a mess to be made. "He'd knock over lumber, but he just wanted a place to sit. He tried hammering once, and the hammer slipped out of his hand on the upswing. Almost got one of my workers in the head. Lucky it only landed on his foot. I asked him for a box of nails one time—a perfectly good box of nails, mind you—he grabs it, the bottom falls out. No, nothing but disaster when he was around, so I told him to stand back and if he came up in the car, not to leave it. I'd come to him," Papa explained.
"Well, six months later, it was my turn to tell Papa to back off. The house was complete and I went wild shopping to fill it. Of course, Papa had to agree, didn't want anything flowery or too girly—his words, not mine. Anyway, after we decided on everything, within two weeks, the house was furnished and we were able to finally, and officially, move in."
Papa finished up the story. "Been here ever since. `Bout twenty three years ago is when we decided to start the horse farm. We fell in love with the creatures, having had some friends who owned some, and that's how our journey went."
"Is it just as good today as when y'all first met?" Christine asked.
Mama and Papa looked each other in the eye, and in unison, answered, "Even better."
Blake gave a big yawn and was immediately looked at by Mama. "Mister, you better get to bed. Five o'clock comes early."
"I am. But I wanted to hear that story. I've always been curious. Thanks for sharing it with me," Blake said, standing.
"Anytime, Blake. You sleep well," Mama said.
Blake walked over and kissed Christine on the cheek and told her goodnight and then gave Don a hug. When he started down the few steps to the ground, he called back over his shoulder a final goodnight to everyone. Back in his room, he picked up his phone and noticed that he missed Todd's call. He also noticed a text message and opened it. Todd had said that he was going to sleep, but just wanted to tell Blake how much he loved him. Blake stripped down and crawled under the covers and called out to the room, "I love you, too, Puppy," then turned over and fell asleep.