Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Ellis had just unloaded a load of yearlings he’d bought at auction and was counting heads when he saw the sleek SUV flying up the long drive from the main road. He squinted, trying to see if it was anyone he knew.
“I swear to God, Rick, if you sicced CPS on us again, I will kill you,” he muttered.
The car came to a screeching halt, throwing up gravel. And then a man hopped out.
A man in completely inappropriate shoes, a pair of slacks, and a polo shirt.
It had to be a government somebody.
He headed to the house, making sure the barn door was closed.
That was when he found himself shocked as hell to see Ichabod in the arms of said government person.
Clinging to him, in fact.
What the actual fuck?
“What are you doing here?” He heard Ichabod ask, “Honestly, it’s almost Christmas. Is this my present?”
“You know it. I was worried about you and the kids, and I had to come see this place. You’re out in the middle of nowhere!”
Ellis didn’t think this was the middle of nowhere. Town wasn’t that far away. He tilted his head and moved closer.
The kids were on their last day of school. Little Bit was in day care so she could attend her Christmas party. And he wanted to know who the hell this stranger was who would think paying an unannounced visit could be a surprise Christmas present.
Ichabod caught his eyes and smiled at him over the guy’s shoulder. “Hey! Look who showed up! It’s Brian. He and I were roomies in college.”
“Yeah?” That still didn’t tell him enough about who Brian was to Ichabod. “Good to meet you, Brian. I’m Ellis. I’d shake hands, but I’m covered in cow shit.”
The guy’s eyes went wide, and the proffered hand disappeared. “Oh! Well then, yes. Hi…um…hi. You’re the cowboy.”
“Be nice. This is my lover. My…boyfriend is so weird. Partner?” Ichabod seemed like he was trying the word out. “How do you feel about partner, Ellis?”
Ellis’s position was—until they got married—as long as Ichabod called him, he didn’t care. He wanted to be called and informed when strangers were coming to visit.
He also wanted to know there were these strangers Ichabod talked to, and he didn’t even know about.
He wasn’t mad. He was weirded out and a little unnerved, which he reckoned was pretty much the same thing as weird.
“Partner is good. I’ll take anything you want to call me, baby. Let me wash up and we can have a—” he checked the sky, since a watch got messed up if he wore one. “Cup of coffee.”
“That sounds great. Come in, Brian. Come see the house. I can’t believe you’re here. It’s such a surprise. Did you have business or did you come to visit?”
“When you told me about the kids and the CPS coming, I was worried. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I needed to put eyes on everything. It’s all so different than anything you’ve ever done before—”
Ichabod’s laugh was verging on wild. “It is, but it’s been so good for Zane, and Michael loves all the animals. We’re getting a dog.”
Mavis woofed and came to sniff Brian. “Um, looks like you have one.”
“Yes, sorry. We’re thinking about getting another dog, possibly a puppy, maybe two, especially if they’re herding dogs. That’s good, right, love?”
Ellis turned on the hot water with his elbow and nodded. “It is, and it’ll be a good thing for the kids to watch us training, learn how to deal with them.”
Brian sighed, and he looked like he was fixing to have an apoplectic fit. “Are you sure that this is somewhere Chris would have wanted you to raise your children?”
“Is this where I point out that Chris grew up here?” Ichabod seemed confused. “This wasn’t Chris’s life, but he had fond memories of growing up here. And he loved his dad. He was a business guy, a city guy.”
“But you’re not a cowboy. You’re a bohemian, freaky artist type.”
His Ichabod was not freaky. Well, okay. That whole thing in the pottery studio the other day had been pretty freaky, and he’d liked it a damn lot. Even though his thighs had bruises on them from knocking into the table.
Ichabod nodded. “Yes, we tend to find places to do our work where it makes us happy. I’m doing a lot of good work in the studio—it’s lovely here.
I have my own space. I have way less stress because I have help.
I have happy children, so I don’t have to spend near as much time running around and dealing with panicky kids.
I have my own kiln, a whole setup. You should come see the studio when you get settled. ”
Ellis wasn’t sure he liked this guy.
In fact, he was leaning into he didn’t like this guy.
Brian rolled his eyes, which made Ellis grit his teeth. “I’m glad,” he said. “Seriously, man, I’m super happy. I worry there are other places you could have a studio and not be so isolated.”
Ichabod looked at Brian as if he was completely befuddled by all of this. And Ellis didn’t blame him. It was a damn sight harder to defend yourself to your friends, he reckoned, than to people like Rick or some stranger. But really, what did he have to defend?
Ellis took a deep breath. He needed to get his words straight in his head before they came out of his mouth.
And he smiled at Brian, trying to make nice.
He hoped it wasn’t obvious it wasn’t real.
“This isn’t exactly the Wild West, is it?
We’re right smack in the middle between Aspen and Snowmass, and the kids have easy access to all sorts of stuff.
There’s galleries where Ichabod can sell his art.
There’s pizza. Okay, so they don’t deliver, but God knows I can go pick it up any time we need it. ”
“Sure, but it’s not like living in Denver. Everybody had access to museums, art, and lots of culture, concerts—”
Ichabod cut Brian off. “Look, Brian, I love you, and I’m so glad you’re here to visit, but I need you to not be out there talking up Denver when Zane gets home from school. He’s made such progress, and I don’t want him to get into that mindset again.”
“Oh sure, I mean, you know I would never want to hurt the kids.” Brian sighed. “I just worry.”
“Well, I don’t imagine you’ve got to worry about anything out here,” Ellis said.
“Ranch life is good for kids, teaches them about all sorts of stuff. The kids have started 4-H and the scouts…” He trailed off when Brian scoffed, his eyebrows going up.
Ellis figured he’d misstepped again, and he had no idea what he’d said.
“I think 4-H has been great for Michael.” Ichabod said it staunchly, chin up, shoulders back.
“Between that and baseball, he’s got his hands full.
Zane is completely busy with his new friends, but he’s joined the debate team and he’s taking a political science class at a college level.
Allie loves Girl Scouts and both girls are doing dance right now, but Allie found out there is cooking in 4-H, so… ”
Ellis nodded, figuring out which way the wind was blowing there. “Yeah, Michael likes the animals best. In fact, I know I’m going to have trouble keeping him away from that herd of Herefords that we got in today.”
“How dangerous is that?” Brian asked. “Will Michael get hurt because he can get trampled if he tries to go out there and be with cows?”
“Animals can be dangerous,” Ellis said. “But eventually kids have to learn how to be around them and respect them.”
“I never had to learn how to be around big animals like horses and cows, and I’m fine with my life.”
Brian was getting on his last nerve. The guy seemed super determined not to like him or the ranch, and Ellis wondered if he should step away and let Ichabod have this conversation on his own. He hoped he wasn’t making it worse.
He stood there staring, and he knew he was probably being an ass, but it didn’t matter—he didn’t know what else to say.
Ichabod stepped closer and put a hand on his arm. In a show of solidarity, he thought.
“Why don’t I show you to one of the guest rooms, Brian, and you can clean up? I know you hate feeling grimy after you travel.” Ichabod sounded as if he was forcing the words through gritted teeth, and Ellis didn’t want to be the reason he and his friend had a problem with each other.
“Look, Icky, this isn’t about me trying to be an ass.
I’m worried about you. I just am. I’m worried about you being out here in the boonies.
I mean, if you’re happy here and the kids are happy here—I’m your best friend.
I want you to be happy, but I also want you to be safe and I want to know that you’re safe.
Chris always made me believe you were safe with him.
” The man’s eyes welled up with tears. “I want to know that everything is okay in your life because I love you dearly.”
Okay, that was a lot of words…
“I know I’m good. I mean, the thing with the Child Protective Services wasn’t good, that sucked.
But in general, life is good.” Ichabod smiled, and this time it didn’t feel forced at all.
“As far as the situation with the CPS, Ellis took care of it for me, so I didn’t have to.
Not that I couldn’t.” Ichabod held out one hand and shot him a wink.
“Because I’m totally capable, but I didn’t have to be.
I could trust that my partner had my back and dealt with it while I dealt with the kids. ”
That had Ellis standing a little bit taller because there was complete and total faith in those words. No question, no worries, just “Ellis took care of it for me”.
Looked like Ichabod had his back, too, even with his oldest friends. Made him damn happy.
“That’s pretty cool.” Brian nodded to Ellis. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t like you. I don’t know you. I heard how scared Ichabod was, and I had to come.” Then Brian glanced around the front room. “And also, seriously? Mid-American junk store? Babes.”
Ellis was fixing to get all het up again when Ichabod cracked up. “Did I mention that Brian is an interior designer? Like one of those biggie-wow ones? He totally is.”
“Oh.” Shit. He hoped to hell Brian didn’t get free rein with the front room. It still needed some work, but it wasn’t gross. And it was comfy for four kids.
“I think this room could use a little work, and it would still be rustic,” Brian said.
Ellis gritted his teeth. He was going to explode at some point, so he was glad that Ichabod took Brian off down the hall toward the guest room. He had to breathe and he would maybe put together some snacks or something. He did love to work with food when he was upset. It calmed him down.
And right now, he could stand to calm down.
They had all this stuff to make sausage rolls. That would be good. Then maybe French onion dip. Dip was always good, and they kept it in the fridge for growing teenagers.
Ichabod came out after about ten minutes, offered him a smile. “Well, that was an unexpected surprise.”
“He didn’t say he was coming? Like it all?”
Ichabod shook his head, obviously shocked. “What? Of course not. I would have mentioned it. I mean, I called him while you were at the meeting, Rick. I was upset. But you know, I had reason to be. I wanted to talk to my best friend and have him tell me everything was going to be okay.”
“Sure, baby. I understand that.” Ellis didn’t want Ichabod to think he was being judgy or bitchy or anything.
“I wondered if he’d mentioned stopping by then.
I know you would’ve told me if he had. I’m feeling I like my back’s up a little bit.
” Ellis reached out to take Ichabod’s hand, needing the physical contact.
He felt as if they were standing on the other side of a canyon from each other.
“Are you kidding? Me too!” Ichabod leaned in and began to whisper.
“This is the last thing I needed! Your dad is coming. We still have to decorate the outside of the house. You got new animals. I haven’t finished Christmas shopping.
I’m fixing to meet Zane’s girlfriend for the first time today.
This is not a great time for this nonsense!
And what? He’s gonna come rescue me from Colorado? I was born in New Mexico!”
He did love wild-eyed passionate Ichabod.
“Not only that, but I have work to do, like pottery work. I mean, seriously. I have a show on Valentine’s Day. I can’t handle this.”
Ellis didn’t laugh, but he wanted to, because Ichabod made him happy. Seriously.
The utter shock that someone would dare come here and try to disrupt their holiday made Ichabod about as crazy as it made him. And he loved that in a weird, sick sort of way.
“So what do we do? He’s your friend. I don’t know him.” And he didn’t particularly like him.
“First, he doesn’t get to redesign the living room.
That’s not cool. He can have ideas, but that’s it.
He doesn’t get to design anything, and for God’s sake don’t let him try to talk you into doing the bedroom.
I like our bedroom, and I want us to decide what color the walls are.
Second, he’s a little finicky but basically a good man and he does love me and the kids—not like that kind of love.
He’s got a hot lover at home, so we give him a little grace and hope that he has a hotel room or a return airline ticket, he has to go home to his lover.
And that he’s here to do a welfare check and possibly take the kids out and spend a lot of money on them. ”
“Well, they sure would love gifts.” Those kids adore presents, even if they’re weird or handmade. He had to admit that if he had a wealthy uncle who liked to take him out and spend money, he’d be all over it.
“That’s what uncles are for, right? To spoil. So. Okay. We’re okay?” Ichabod searched his eyes.
“Fine. I’m going to assume that he was worried and afraid, and now he’s going to love me.”
“I don’t see how he couldn’t. I love you,” Ichabod said. And that melted him all over the place. Lord knew he loved this man. And the fact Ichabod had his back and was willing to talk to him about stuff like this, like they were both adults, well, it cooked his bacon.
“I love you too, baby, and we’ll all figure this shit out without him redecorating.” He held Ichabod’s hand because he wanted Ichabod to feel his sincerity through their skin.
And then if the guy pissed him off again, maybe he would kick his ass out of the house.