This following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely a coincidence. No resemblance (s) of any actual person or character or act is intended. While there is no sexual contact in this story, please be aware of the rules in your community for reading this or other stories on Nifty. If reading such is illegal where you reside or you are not of legal age, please go no further.
This work of fiction is the property of the author, Sonny Malone and should not be reposted or reproduced without his permission. Email always welcome and should be addressed to rhyolite221@outlook.com
Copyright (c) 2017
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Uncle Rick's Rhyolite Ranch
Chapter 10
The next morning Uncle Rick asked the ranch family to gather around. "Guys, I just got off the phone with Paul Bullock, the attorney who represents Daniel and Erik. Paul has been in touch with Sheriff Waite and Sheriff Campbell. It will be a few weeks before Bishop Foutz and Daniel and Erik's mother are to stand trial. In the meantime how would you like to have fun learning construction and building?"
Cody's eyes got big with excitement. "What are we going to build, Uncle Rick?"
"With the bumper crops this year we're going to need a place to store the harvest until we can get it to market. Henry, Brandon and I worked out a plan for us to build a storage barn in two weeks. Chaparral Excavators is coming this morning to dig trenches for a foundation, water, electrical, and sewer lines, as well as to grade an area on the north side of the house for the new storage barn. We're hoping you guys would like to help."
Travis beamed with excitement. "I've wanted to learn construction since I was Cody's age. This sounds like it will finally be my chance to learn."
Jason smiled. "This sounds a lot more fun than sorting receipts all day, doesn't it, Travis?"
Cody giggled. "Yuck, office-work! Travis, you're supposed to learn how to build stuff anyway."
"Oh really, what makes you say that, Cody?"
All seven of the other guys looked at Travis and in unison said, "Cody knows all!"
Cody beamed and giggled.
Uncle Rick chuckled and continued. "Steven, with S.K. Excavating, tells me his crew can finish all of the digging and grading in one day. On Tuesday we can lay the water and sewer lines ourselves. Wednesday they will deliver a load of gravel, which his crew will compact giving a solid base for a foundation and slab. He has coordinated with Chaparral Concrete to deliver and pour the cement on Thursday. Henry and I picked up anchor bolts from the hardware store and each of us will be mounting them into the foundation walls. If the eight of us work together we can have the anchor bolts set in plenty of time for the concrete to cure around them. We can go over the details about that task the night before. The concrete will need at least two days to cure but we can measure, cut, and layout the bottom plate lumber. After that we'll be able to drill holes I the bottom plate lumber for the anchor bolts. We can also construct the exterior walls on the ground as the concrete cures. We should be able to erect the framed walls Sunday morning."
Daniel looked confused. "Uncle Rick that seems really fast. Doesn't it usually take months to build stuff?"
Uncle Rick smiled. "It can but we don't see why the eight of us can't do the job a lot faster. We think we can have it all built and ready by the end of next week as long as the hardware company and excavator do their jobs. I've given them an incentive to be on time with everything so hopefully we won't be waiting around for them. Any questions so far?"
Jason looked confused. "After we construct the framing of the walls on the ground won't they be too heavy for us to lift so they are vertical?"
Henry nodded. "They will for sure be too heavy even with eight of us lifting them. Our neighbor to the east, Vicente Sanchez will be here with his crane truck first thing Sunday morning. He'll lift the walls with his crane while Brandon, Uncle Rick, and I steady and guide them in place. Once they are vertical Cody, Daniel, and Erik will be putting the washers and nuts on the anchor bolts while Uncle Rick, Brandon and I hold each wall in place."
Travis looked puzzled. "What will I be doing?"
"You and Jason will be following Cody, Daniel, and Erik with a gear wrench, tightening the nuts to the anchor bolts. When Cody, Daniel and Erik finish starting the nuts on the threads, Brandon and I will attach temporary cross braces to keep the walls vertical. Once we get the first wall up the next three will be faster and easier."
Daniel raised his hand for permission to ask a question.
Uncle Rick laughed. "Please go ahead and ask, Daniel, this isn't a classroom."
Daniel blushed. "What about the roof, Uncle Rick?"
"That's a Good question, Daniel. We've ordered custom trusses and those will be delivered on Friday. After the walls are up Vicente will use his crane to lift them up and set them on the walls. Henry and Travis will space them properly and nail spacers between them in place. Once all the trusses are in place Vicente will lift the centre ridge beam up and set it in place on top of the trusses. After all the roof framing is in place we can attach the plywood sheathing and at the same time attach sheathing to the exterior walls."
Jason was thrilled. "I can hardly wait to get started. Count me in."
Just then the hardware company truck arrived with a load of materials to construct the walls of the new barn. Uncle Rick walked out to meet and direct the driver to the north side yard where the materials could be conveniently staged.
Just as the last of the materials was unloaded S.K. Excavating pulled into the driveway. The hardware truck left and Steven's crew unloaded a bulldozer and a trench digger. The bulldozer made quick work of elevating the site to meet building codes. In a short time a grader arrived and took over for the final leveling. Two hours after the crew first arrived the site was at proper elevation and level. The trench digger went to work digging the trench for water, sewer and electrical conduit. While the excavating crew worked on grading and digging, Henry taught the boys how to set the water and sewer pipes at the correct slope for proper drainage and how to apply cement and seal the pipe fittings. By mid afternoon it was time for the excavating crew to leave. The entire ranch crew went to work. Brandon, Travis, Uncle Rick and Henry brought the sewer and water pipes and conduit from the staging area setting them next to the appropriate trenches while Jason, Daniel, Erik, and Cody set the pipes at the proper slope and glued them together. Henry checked the lines for proper slope and commended the boys for their good work. The ranch crew then shoveled dirt into the trenches covering the newly laid pipes and conduit. The last job of the day was to tamp over the trenches compacting the soil. The five boys took turns with the power tamper and made quick work while Brandon left to prepare dinner.
The crew had worked up a big appetite working on the new barn. A freshly picked green salad with chickpeas, ripe, red Roma tomatoes, green olives, and crunchy croutons sprinkled with Romano cheese was passed around the table. The salad was followed by aromatic warm garlic bread and savory lasagna.
Brandon noticed the boys heaping their plates full of the delicious food. "Take as much as you like, boys. I knew you would be hungry and made a big batch last night. There is a lot more in the kitchen."
Erik had to hold himself back from gobbling down his delectable meal. "Brandon, this is the best Italian food I've ever had. Thank you."
Brandon beamed with pride. "Why, thank you, Erik. I used some magic tricks my grandmother taught me."
Cody smiled and giggled. "See, Brandon, you do use magic. You are a wizard."
Daniel was curious. "Brandon, what are your magic tricks to make this taste so good, special ingredients?"
"Well, I put a few secret spices in there but my magic trick was to leave it sit in the fridge overnight. The sauce blends into the rest of the lasagna making it even better tasting the next day."
"I'll remember that trick and maybe I can become a wizard like you."
Everyone wanted a second helping so Brandon brought more lasagna to the table. Brandon served everyone second helpings but the lasagna was all gone when Cody handed his plate to Brandon. Cody took the empty plate back with a sad sigh. Everyone quietly pretended not to pay attention to Cody's sorrowful expression. The guys hurriedly ate their delicious lasagna and garlic bread ignoring Cody's cheerless expression. Daniel and Erik were the first to fail holding back their laughter. They couldn't help but to snicker and giggle. That prompted everyone to laugh. Cody was even more confused until Brandon pulled out another plate heaped with more lasagna and garlic bread that he had hidden on his lap and handed it to Cody.
Cody gave everyone a mock-evil and maniacal look. "Cody knows all, including where all of you sleep."
Uncle Rick gave a hearty laugh. "Brandon, you'd better have an especially tasty dessert or we may be victims of surprise tickle attacks in the night."
Cody's mean expression quickly changed to a beaming smile. "Dessert?"
To everyone's laughter and delight Brandon went to the kitchen and returned with irresistible Italian mango gelato. It was a light and refreshing dessert to end dinner. Cody rushed to finish the last few bites of his yummy lasagna, knowing boys who cleaned their plates got dessert.
The after dinner clean up went faster than ever. Daniel, Jason and Travis quickly cleared the table while Erik washed and Cody rinsed the dishes. An efficient work line was formed when Daniel dried and handed the glasses and silverware to Jason to return to the their cabinets and drawers, and the plates and dishes to Travis to put into their cabinets.
Uncle Rick, Brandon, and Henry secured the greenhouse, stables, and made sure the lumber for the new barn was covered in case it rained in the night. As they retired to their bedrooms for the night Travis, Daniel, Jason, Cody, and Erik took their seats around the fire in the living room. Travis smiled watching Cody and Erik cuddling. He was also happy to see Daniel and Jason so happy snuggling with Daniel nuzzling Jason's neck. "You four are so cute together. You guys are really happy, aren't you?"
The four smiled, nodded, and squeezed their partners with hugs.
Cody smiled at Travis. "Hmmm."
Travis gave Cody a surprised look. "What do you mean 'hmmm'?"
Cody giggled. "Soon, we're not going to be the only one's snuggling."
Travis was confused. "What do you mean?"
Cody smugly answered, "You'll see."
It wasn't long before the five took turns yawning. They agreed it had been a busy but tiring day and it was time for sleep.
During breakfast the next morning Steven with S.K Excavators drove his truck, pulling a trailer with a small Bobcat skip loader, in the driveway. He was followed by one of his crew driving a second truck pulling a trailer with a compaction roller machine and by two dump trucks with loads of gravel for the base of the new barn. While the dump trucks unloaded their gravel, Steven drove his Bobcat off the trailer. The trucks quickly dumped their loads as evenly as possible and drove out the driveway cueing Steven and his crew to use the equipment and smooth the gravel more evenly. Around mid morning Steven thanked Uncle Rick for the job and said his assistant would send an invoice sometime next week. They shook hands and Steven and his crewman loaded up their equipment and drove out of the driveway.
Cody watched them leave and was excited to work more on the barn. "What's next, Uncle Rick?"
"Well Cody, we took rough measurements for the pad and now we'll measure precisely where the barn is to be built on the pad. We'll stake out the corners and where the walls and doors will be built. After we set forms for the concrete foundation and the slab, the concrete company comes and pours the concrete. They will make the slab nice and smooth. Once they form the foundation we can set the wall anchor bolts in place and let it dry for two days. We can start building the wall framing on the ground right away though."
"Uncle Rick, can we...um I mean, may we write our initials in the concrete?"
Uncle Rick smiled warmly. "I think that is a very good idea. We better do that so people will know who built it, don't you think?"
Cody smiled, nodded and gave Uncle Rick a big hug.
"What's that for?"
"It's for being such a good uncle and besides you deserve hugs."
Uncle Rick smiled and lovingly gave Cody a big thank you hug in return. "Let's go round up the rest of the gang and get to work before the concrete company arrives."
Everyone pitched in measuring, staking, and nailing the forms into place. Within an hour they nailed the last form as the concrete mixer pulled into the driveway, backed up to the pad and unloaded it's cement while the concrete crew shoveled and leveled the poured concrete. Soon the foundation and slab were poured, smoothed and ready to dry. Everyone took turns carving his name into the wet concrete near the front door of the barn. Brandon announced it was time for lunch and the ranch crew headed to the house for some scrumptious brisket of beef sandwiches and home made potato salad. The conversation around the lunch table was about how much fun Cody, Erik, Jason, Daniel and Travis were having learning and actually building the barn. Everyone hurried and finished their lunches, cleaned the empty plates and headed out to the construction site to continue building. By the end of the day all four exterior walls had been constructed on the ground. They had accomplished a lot in the last two days and were ready for a much needed rest. After a quick but tasty dinner the exhausted but contented ranch crew headed to bed early. Everyone slept soundly. The entire house was silent as Cody snuggled inside Erik's warm, loving arms and Jason dotingly embraced Daniel throughout the night. Tomorrow was going to be another exciting and productive day building the barn.
The next morning the ranch crew made fast work of warm buttered waffles, real maple syrup and scrambled eggs. Cody had just dried and put the last clean empty breakfast plate in the cupboard when the lumber company truck pulled into the driveway with a load of custom trusses. Everyone stepped outside to start the day's work. Henry showed the lumber company truck driver where to unload the trusses and the driver drove to the staging area. At that moment Vicente Sanchez drove his crane truck into the driveway and pulled up alongside of the lumber truck, in position to lift the heavy trusses off the flatbed truck and place them on the ground. Two men exited the crane truck to talk with the lumber company crew.
Travis saw a familiar face and shouted with excitement. "Raul!"
Raul Sanchez quickly turned and saw Travis smiling and waving. "Dios mio, Travis!"
Travis and Raul ran to one another jumping into a big bear hug.
Travis wiped the tears of joy off his cheek and looked into Raul's eyes. "Oh my God, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Where have you been?"
Raul fought his tears, still embracing Travis. "I went to university after the last summer we spent together. I moved back and am living in my home in back of my father's ranch. Where have you been?"
Travis told Raul about his moving to the city and working in the accounting firm. "I just moved here, Raul. I'm back at the ranch permanently."
Cody watched the two friends embrace and giggled with a big smile. "It's about time."
Just then Raul heard Vicente Sanchez rev the engine in his crane truck to swing the boom around to the lumber truck. "I need to help my father, but we will talk and get together after, alright, Travis?"
Raul rushed to help his father. They made quick work of unloading the trusses from the flatbed truck and stacking them neatly, the crane moving with practiced speed and precision.. After the trusses were unloaded and stacked, the lumber company crew left. Uncle Rick, Brandon, Henry, and Raul positioned themselves to guide the first wall once Vicente picked it up with his crane. Daniel, Erik and Cody stood by with washers and bolts. Travis and Jason waited with their gear wrenches. Vicente easily picked up the first wall with his crane. Those guiding the wall eased the bottom plate over the foundation and positioned the bottom plate holes to slip over the anchor bolts. Cody and Erik rapidly placed washers over the bolts. Daniel quickly followed, hand-screwing nuts onto the bolts, securing the washers. Travis and Jason followed up tightening each nut with the gear wrenches and within a few minutes the wall was secured vertically to the foundation. While Uncle Rick and Raul leveled the wall, Henry and Brandon nailed cross-braces to secure the wall. Within 30 minutes the crew had all four walls erected, mounted, and braced securely. It was time to install the trusses. Vicente turned his crane boom to the stack of trusses while Raul secured straps around them and the crane hook. The crane easily picked up each truss and set it in place on the walls as the ranch crew fastened them in place with hurricane straps and nails. Uncle Rick and Henry nailed spacer boards to maintain proper distances between the trusses. Once all the trusses were put into place, it was time for the header beam to be lifted and fastened into place. Raul and Uncle Rick placed the straps around the header beam while Brandon and Henry waited at the top of the trusses to place it properly. Within another 30 minutes the header was lifted in place and properly fastened to the trusses. By lunchtime the entire barn was completely framed. About that time the hardware flatbed truck arrived with another load of materials including plywood roofing sheathing, roofing paper, metal roofing, and wall siding. With Vicente's help they quickly unloaded the materials and drove back to Chaparral with the empty truck.
Everyone wanted to keep working and not have a long lunch, so Brandon brought out deli-style sandwiches and chips for the guys to eat on a short lunch break. Everyone ate the tasty lunches quickly and went back to work. By the end of the afternoon they had completed the roof of the barn. It had been a long day and the guys were feeling their muscles ache from the strenuous work. Uncle Rick invited the Sanchez family to dinner that evening. After calling his wife, Maria, Vicente graciously accepted the invitation. Maria would coordinate the meal over the phone with Brandon and prepare a special entr‚e using an old family recipe. At 6:00 P.M. she, their seven-year old son, Alejandro, and their five-year old daughter, Ana, would bring the unique ethnic food to the ranch.
Brandon asked Cody and Erik to go to the greenhouse and pick vegetables for a dinner salad. The two boys gladly accepted their mission and ran out of the kitchen to the greenhouse. In a short time they returned with baskets full of lettuce, carrots, tomatillos, radishes, mushrooms, and jicama for a salad as well as zucchini and summer squash for Brandon to prepare and serve as a vegetable dish. Brandon thanked them for their work and took their baskets of produce from them to prepare dinner just as there was a knock at the door. Cody ran to open the door. Maria, holding a casserole dish, Alejandro, holding a large bowl of homemade Arroz Rojo (Mexican red rice), and Ana holding a bowl of steaming refried beans, greeted Cody. Cody beamed at the sight of the nice neighbors carrying the aromatic delicacies. He escorted them into the kitchen where Brandon greeted them with a warm smile and hugs after placing their dish and bowl on the counter. Maria offered to help Brandon with the cooking. He gladly accepted the offer. Together the two expert chefs went to work, harmoniously creating a delightful feast for a hungry crew.
Cody invited Alejandro and Ana to join Erik in the stables to see the new foal. They found Erik in the stall with Gisele and Sundown.
Alejandro spotted Sundown and his eyes grew big. "Oh, he is so beautiful. May I ride him one day?"
Erik smiled at Alejandro's enthusiasm. "When he's old enough and broken in I bet he'd love to have you ride him. Do you want to pet him?"
Alejandro beamed and nodded. "Please?"
Ana chose to stay outside of the stall. She was timid and a bit anxious of the large animals.
Erik opened the gate for Alejandro, who was a little shy, slowly approaching Sundown. He gently reached out his hand and Sundown smelled him.
Alejandro gently stroked the foal's nose and mane with wonder. "He is so soft and gentle. What a lovely horse."
Gisele protectively watched over her foal as Sundown warmly nuzzled Alejandro while enjoying his gentle affection.
As Cody watched Alejandro tenderly pet Sundown, it occurred to him that one day Sundown would belong to Alejandro. "Alejandro you can come over and visit Sundown anytime your parents will let you."
Alejandro beamed at Cody's invitation. "Thank you, I would like that very much, Cody. Maybe when he is grown a bit we can go riding too."
"If my little brother gets to be too much, just tickle him. He likes that."
Erik, Cody, and Alejandro turned around and found Raul playfully grinning and Travis snickering.
Erik stepped in front of Alejandro with a brave expression. "Fear not, young Alejandro. Cody and I will defend you from these silly snickering Snaggle pusses."
Everyone laughed at Erik's excellent Doctor Smith impersonation.
Travis noticed how cute Alejandro looked with Sundown snuggling against him. "Maybe you guys can come back out here after dinner but it's time to wash up and eat now. Brandon and Ms. Sanchez are about ready to put dinner on the table."
After making sure the stall gate was locked and the stables secure, they went to the house, washed up and walked into the dining room as Maria Sanchez placed the last dish of food on the oversized table. The eight guys from the ranch and five members of the Sanchez family gathered around the table. Everyone found his or her places around the table.
Uncle Rick stood and smiled. "Before we begin this delectable feast I would like to say a few words of thanks to all of you. Henry, you've been a steadfast member of this family for years. Without you we'd not get a lot done around here. Travis and Jason, I can't express just how fortunate we are to have you back here. We knew you would come back sooner or later. After all, Cody said you were both supposed to be here. Daniel and Erik, all of us are glad you are safe, happy, and here with us. Vicente, Maria, Raul, Alejandro and Ana, thank you for all of your help today. We here at the ranch are fortunate to have the world's greatest people living next door. We are indebted to you for all you've done. Lastly, Brandon and Maria, Thank you for your hard work preparing this feast in front of us. I can see all of us are excited to dig in, so lets eat."
Everyone agreed. Vicente stood and asked to say something. "Uncle Rick, when we came to Chaparral you became our first friend. You have given us so much to be thankful for and it is we who are indebted to you. Raul and I will gladly work with you to finish the barn quickly. Also, thank you for inviting us into your home to share this glorious meal. Now, lets eat."
The plates and bowls of delicious fresh green salad, Arroz Rojo, frijoles con queso, enchiladas covered with tomatillo sauce and sour cream, and chicken chili, were passed around the table so that everyone would have plenty. The conversation was lively and fun as they discussed the events of the day, constructing the barn, Alejandro's fascination with Sundown, and Brandon and Maria's delicious cooking talents. After the main meal everyone remained at the table enjoying each other's company, laughing, conversing and telling anecdotes of life on the ranches. All had a good time. Brandon whispered something in Cody's ear. Cody's eyes brightened and he nodded in agreement to whatever Brandon said. Brandon and he ran into the kitchen and brought back the steel bucket of ice cream and two hot out of the oven Dutch apple crisp to put on the table. An impromptu assembly line formed and soon everyone dug into the delightful desserts. Once everyone could not eat another bite of the delicious meal, dishes, plates, glasses and utensils were cleared, washed, dried and put away. Within a short time the kitchen was again spotless. The Sanchez family said thanks and bid everyone a goodnight. They returned home to rest up for another day of construction on the barn. After saying goodnight the ranch crew turned in early to get a full night of sleep.
The next morning the ranch crew was up early, fed, out the door and working on the barn at sunrise. Vicente and Raul Sanchez arrived and the ten men and boys began nailing exterior plywood to the wall studs. By mid morning all of the plywood panels were installed. By lunch time the crew had installed the vapor barrier and exterior siding. After lunch Uncle Rick, Brandon, Henry, and Jason installed the doors and door hardware while Travis, Raul, Daniel and Jason installed a two water faucets and a utility sink. Once those tasks were complete Daniel and Jason drilled holes in the studs for Erik and Cody to feed electrical wire through. Uncle Rick and Henry installed lights and wiring to the overhead trusses. By dinner time the barn construction was completed. The next day the county inspector arrived and was amazed at how fast the crew had constructed the barn. He found no deficiencies, complimented them on their fast and accurate work. He issued a final occupancy permit on the spot.
That afternoon the Sanchez family and the ranch crew celebrated with a fiesta and barbeque cookout. After eating delicious barbequed chicken and beef, buttered corn on the cob, and Brandon's secret recipe potato salad. Vicente brought his guitar. Maria and Vicente led the gang singing songs. Raul and Travis, Cody and Erik, and Jason and Daniel danced in pairs to the lively tunes.
When the fiesta was winding down Travis took Raul aside. "Raul, would you like to spend the night here? It will be like old times."
Raul smiled and looked into Travis' eyes. "Travis, yes, I would like that very much. I have thought about our fun times together when you were spending summers here. I have missed those times so much. I'll ask Mother and Father to return home and not worry about me tonight. I'm sure they will understand."
Soon the Sanchez family, exclusive of Raul, returned home. Uncle Rick, Brandon and Henry retired to their rooms, leaving Cody, Erik, Daniel, Jason, Travis and Raul to pair together and cuddle in the living room around the fire. The six boys shared their experiences with building the barn, the wonderful meal and the fun party.
Jason thought about everyone singing at the fiesta. "Raul, you have a beautiful voice. You sang 'Sabor a mi'."
"Thank you, Jason. I sang what was in my heart to the love of my life."
Travis blushed as the others looked with confusion at Raul. Raul leaned over and lovingly kissed Travis' lips. "Travis, from the day I met you I have always loved you with all of my heart, con todo mi corazon. I sang that song for you."
Travis pulled Raul into a warm embrace and passionately returned his kiss and then gazed into Raul's eyes. "Raul, I've only loved one person in my life. That person is you. I am so excited to be back together with you." The two held each other close.
Jason had a surprised expression on his face. "Well, I'll be danged. Travis, all this time we've known each other I've never known you were attracted to guys."
Travis snickered. "I've only been attracted to one guy, Jason. If that means I'm gay, then I guess I'm gay."
Jason beamed. Well then, welcome to the club, buddy!"
Cody giggled and started to speak. The others cut him off.
In unison they all said, "We know, Cody knows all!"
Author's notes: What a great team project for the ranch family! The family seems whole again with Jason and Travis home at the ranch. Cody is delighted things are on the right with Travis home and with the love of his life, Raul. Several questions remain. Now that the new storage barn is built, will they be able to harvest the crops successfully? Will Travis and Raul grow even closer and perhaps become a couple? What is happening with the investigation of Rowena Bunch, Cederline Institute, Bishop Foutz, and the church? If you haven't already, now is the time to fasten those seatbelts. The next chapter gets bumpy.
My grateful thanks to Vern, Ron, Eddie, Bobby Joe, Stan, Craig, Don, Bob, Steven, Fred, John K., Gary, and David for their emails and comments.
As always, thank you also to my anonymous S.L. friend and to Mark for your much appreciated help with this chapter.
I welcome any respectful comments. Please send me an email and tell me what you think about the story. I'm happy to reply to each one. If you've already done so, thanks. Please stay in touch.
Sonny Malone rhyolite221@outlook.com