Chapter 10 Kit #2
As we left the studio, several dogs, a donkey, and a couple of chickens started to follow us, which made me laugh. “This is amazing,” I said. “I could never quite picture what your life was like out here in the country. Turns out, it’s even weirder than I imagined. It seems wonderful too, though.”
He chuckled and nodded. “I’d definitely describe it as both weird and wonderful.”
The ranch was made up of four main structures oriented around a huge, ancient-looking oak tree, which felt like the heart of the property.
In addition to the studio, there was a large stable, a cute farmhouse with a wide front porch, and an honest to goodness big red barn, the kind I’d only seen in movies.
Inside, a huge Christmas tree dominated the cozy living room. It was so big that the top foot or so pointed sideways, bent by the ceiling. “That’s a hell of a tree,” I said.
Hal sighed, but he was also grinning. “It’s ridiculous. I told Ryder it was too big, but he didn’t listen. You should have seen him trying to wrestle it through the front door.”
When we reached the kitchen, he pointed down the hall and said, “I almost forgot to tell you, the box you were expecting from your housemates arrived this morning. I stuck it in the guest room for you.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you forget something when you left on your road trip?”
“No. I asked JoJo to send me a dress, along with a wig, shoes, and a couple of other things I’d had stashed away. I might have promised Devon I’d do an open mic night at a drag club while we’re here. In return, he has to do one at a bar.”
“Oh wow, you’re actually going to perform? I seem to remember you insisting that was something you’d never do.”
“I always said that because it terrifies me. But it’s secretly been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so I decided to go for it—in a town where almost nobody knows me, so I won’t be humiliated forever if I totally bomb.”
“I think it’s great that you’re going for it,” he said, as he filled a kettle and placed it on the stovetop. The appliance looked like it was from the 1970s, along with the rest of the kitchen, which I liked.
“It’s partly because I wanted to use it as leverage to get Devon onto a stage—I will if you will, that sort of thing.
He’s an incredible singer, but he’s never performed for an audience because he feels like he waited too long and missed his shot at making a career out of it,” I said.
“But also, he inspires me and makes me want to take chances. You should see his bucket list. It’s this wild jumble of experiences, everything from jumping out of an airplane and traveling through Asia, both of which he’s done, to goofy stuff like driving a tank and riding a bull.
Those two particular items have yet to be crossed off his list.”
Hal grinned as he pulled four mugs from the cupboard. “Both of those things are possible in Texas, as long as he’ll settle for a mechanical bull. I’m pretty sure they don’t let beginners climb onto the living, breathing variety without taking a class or doing some type of training.”
“You’re right about that, I looked it up online.”
A minute later, Ryder and Devon joined us in the kitchen. Ryder went straight to his fiancé and gathered him in an embrace, kissing him like they’d been apart for days. I loved the fact that Devon did the same thing to me.
“You have to go see the horses,” he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “They’re so cool! Ryder let me give them some apples, and they ate right out of my hand.”
“I need to work my way up to the horses,” I told him. “I’m starting with trying not to be afraid of the donkey.”
“I was the same way about the horses at first,” Hal said. “They’re just so big. But I love them now, and I bet you will too, if you give them a chance.”
“I will. My goal is to pet a horse while I’m in Texas.” I looked up at Devon and said, “Speaking of goals, Hal and I were talking about your bucket list, specifically driving tanks and bull riding. Will you settle for a mechanical bull, or do we need to find you a place to take lessons?”
He shrugged. “I don’t want to spend a bunch of time on it, so I’ll settle for the mechanical variety.”
“You don’t have to compromise when it comes to tanks, though,” Ryder said, with a big grin. “There are a couple of places around here that let you get behind the wheel of the genuine article, no experience required. We can do that tomorrow, if you want.”
Devon lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Awesome!”
We’d brought a big gift basket of treats for our hosts. After they served up some cookies from the basket and poured the tea, we all took a seat around the kitchen table. “We want to hear all about this road trip,” Ryder said. “What’s been your favorite part?”
After I rambled on about all the incredible things we’d seen and done, Devon squeezed my hand and smiled at me. “My favorite part has been watching Kit experience these things for the first time,” he said. “I can’t begin to explain how much that’s meant to me.”
That evening, after a big dinner, a few beers, and a great conversation, my friends said goodnight and headed to bed. It wasn’t very late, but as Hal explained, mornings were busy on the ranch, and they started early.
We weren’t tired yet, so Devon and I got comfortable on the couch, beside the massive pine tree. As I curled up with my head on his chest, Devon said, “Those two are awesome.”
“I think so, too. Hal is one of my favorite people ever, and I’m glad I have this chance to get to know Ryder. He’s really sweet, and I’m so happy they found each other.”
“It must have been a huge adjustment for Hal when he moved here.” He tilted his head to look at me and asked, “Do you think you could ever make such a big change?”
“The old me would have said no. I was used to life in a big city and couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else, but this trip is changing my mind. After all we’ve seen and done, I think I’m more open to new experiences now. So yes, I could see myself moving away from what’s familiar.”
What I really wanted was to tell Devon I’d follow him anywhere, but that probably fell under the heading of too much, too soon.
The next morning after breakfast, Devon and I pitched in on the daily chores. There were a lot of animals to feed, and a million other things to do to keep the ranch running smoothly.
Around ten, their ranch hand arrived, and Devon and Ryder got ready to fulfill their GI Joe fantasies. They invited us to come along, but Hal and I both passed. “Have fun, though,” I said, as I gave Devon a hug. “And please be careful.”
“I’ll be inside a tank,” he reminded me with a grin. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine, but everyone else at Jimmy Joe’s Tankmageddon should be worried.”
“That name doesn’t inspire confidence.”
“I know. But what do you expect from a place that lets unqualified civilians drive actual tanks?” He had a point.
After they took off for their nearly two-hour drive, Hal and I got comfortable in his studio. While he worked on his current wedding gown, I spent some time sketching. I had a lot of ideas, and I wanted to get them down so I didn’t forget anything.
Later on, I asked him to put me to work, so he handed over one of his donation dresses.
He used the leftover materials from each of his lavish gowns to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind prom dresses, which he donated to LGBTQ youth centers.
This one was an empire style made of dark red silk, and I took over the job of hand-sewing sparkly beads around the neckline.
“This is nice,” he said, as he turned down the volume on his built-in sound system. “I feel like I’m back in school, in that on-campus studio we shared.”
“I can’t believe that was earlier this year. It feels like a different lifetime.”
Hal grinned as he admitted, “I was so jealous of you back then.”
I looked up from the dress in my lap and raised a brow. “That’s nuts. Why would you be jealous of me?”
“Because you were always so enthusiastic and bursting with ideas. Meanwhile, I was so worried about trying to land a good job after graduation that I could barely produce anything. I finally managed to let that go and have fun with my senior project, but up until that point, it was a struggle.”
“I think that’s where I ended up after graduation,” I said.
“When I was in school, I gave myself permission to have fun and do whatever I wanted. But over the last few months, I’d been feeling all this pressure to launch my design business.
The work just wasn’t coming in, so I started to doubt myself, which had a huge impact on my creativity. ”
Hal indicated the stack of sketches I’d just produced. “It looks like you found your way past that.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to find my groove again, thanks to Devon and this road trip. I think he knew how much I needed a change of scenery. I just wonder…”
When I left that open-ended, Hal asked, “What were you going to say?”
“It occurred to me that I might be Devon’s next bucket list item. He believes the rest of his life can be measured in days or weeks, and this is how he’s choosing to spend it—by helping me.” I met my friend’s gaze and asked, “Am I just another check mark on his list, a final good deed?”
“He truly cares about you, Kit. You have to see that.”
“I do.”
“So then, does it matter what prompted him to take you on this road trip in the first place? The end result is the same—you two are together, and you’re both having a wonderful time. He’s obviously getting as much out of this as you are.”
I nodded, but an insecure little part of me had to wonder—would a man like Devon even be interested in me under normal circumstances? He was pretty far out of my league. And would he still choose to be with me once he realized he had his whole life ahead of him?
I kept these thoughts to myself though, because I knew they sounded pathetic.
Devon and Ryder were absolutely giddy when they returned from their tank adventure. They’d gone for the deluxe package, which included a junky car to crush with the tank, a chance to blow up a fake munitions bunker, and a session with a flame thrower.
As Hal and I looked at the photos on Ryder’s phone, I shook my head and muttered, “I can’t believe this is legal.”
“Me, neither,” Devon said, with a huge grin on his face. “It sure was fun, though.”
They’d brought home Chinese take-out, which was a big deal to Hal and Ryder. That made sense, though. It wasn’t like they were getting restaurant deliveries way out here in the country.
While Ryder and Devon went to clean up, Hal and I reheated the various dishes, which of course had gotten cold on the long drive home.
They’d brought enough to feed ten people, and when I pointed that out, Hal said, “It’d be great if we ended up with leftovers, but Ryder might end up eating all of this. ”
It seemed unlikely that anyone could eat that much, until we sat down for dinner and Ryder loaded his plate and cleaned it—four times. Apparently spending the day doing super butch shit worked up a huge appetite.
At one point during dinner, Hal asked Devon if the tank had been everything he’d hoped for. “Honestly, it was even better,” Devon said. “I figured it’d be a rush, and I was right. But really, that was for teenage me, the kid who read the ‘Tank Girl’ comics about a hundred times.”
I asked, “That’s why you wanted to drive a tank? Because of a comic?”
“Well, yeah.” Devon grinned and added, “I hate to break it to you, but I’m actually a massive dork.”
From the day we met, he and I had spent a huge amount of time together.
We’d basically gotten a crash course in each other’s lives, and I thought I knew him pretty well.
But now, as I listened to him talking about one of his obsessions, I realized I’d barely scratched the surface.
It could take years, a lifetime, to learn everything there was to know about Devon Hughes.
A terrible thought came to me without warning—what if I never got that chance?
No. I refused to think that way. He wasn’t cursed, and he was going to live a long, happy life. It was way too upsetting, not to mention totally illogical, to even consider the idea that he might be right.
That night, Devon sat cross-legged on the bed in the guest room and rooted through his backpack.
I took a seat beside him as he pulled out his journal and flipped through the many pages that made up his bucket list. I read a few checked off items—learn to juggle, visit an active volcano, go ice fishing—and watched as he drew a checkmark next to “drive a tank.”
He was almost done, except for a handful of things. I pulled the Rubik’s Cube from his backpack and asked, “Want me to show you how this is done?”
“Might as well. I’m ready to admit I’m never going to get it on my own.”
I showed him the method I’d learned, then jumbled the pattern again and handed it over. Within the hour, he’d solved it himself. He held it up triumphantly, and then he threw it in the waste bin, grinning as he muttered, “Thank god that’s over and I never have to do it again.”
I retrieved it from the empty can and stuck it in the nightstand as I said, “We should leave it here for future generations.”
“True. They deserve to be tortured just like we were.” Devon checked off the item on his list and put away his journal and the backpack. Then he turned to me and said, “Hey, I have an idea.”
“What is it?”
“This.” I burst out laughing when he grabbed me in a playful tackle and started dotting kisses all over my face.