22. Ty
Chapter 22
Ty
B y the time the late lunch was over, Ty was as worn out as he could remember being. He was glad, though, to see that Hudson seemed happy about reconciling with Michelle and her boys.
When he’d first arrived in the motel room, he’d seemed uncertain, but when he spoke, his voice had been clear and sure. He wanted to be part of their lives, and he wanted them to be part of his. It took such a man as Hudson to step up to the plate and do what was right.
Michelle seemed quiet, and he didn’t like it when she cried because it made his eyes hot. He had to struggle to hold those tears back because he didn’t want any of this to be about him. It needed to be about Hudson and Michelle and the boys.
When she wiped her tears away, he felt more like he could handle all the emotions racing through him, the sense of envy like a hot fog around his heart. And could focus on where he was and not feel so itchy beneath his clothes. Any shower or rainstorm was surely hours away, so he needed to hold it together.
As for the two young boys, they sure were cute with their serious faces and quiet mannerisms. And polite, oh my! They asked for their cookies as nicely as he’d ever seen a small boy ask.
Michelle was an attentive mother, as sweet as she was beautiful. She was nice to Ty, as well, though she must have been a little confused as to who he was in Hudson’s life.
They talked a little as Michelle cleaned up from lunch, which helped Ty feel even more normal.
“So, this Fresh Start Program,” she said, sitting on the bed with a wet washcloth to wipe Trevor’s hands and face. “I know you’re creating a kind of rustic resort, but what do you do there?”
“We do a little bit of everything,” said Hudson. “I’ve been working on clearing wood away, chopping logs, that kind of thing.”
He was watching Michelle and her boys with avid eyes, as if taking notes on how to care for young children. Which was so like him that Ty had to swallow hard. Hudson had been through so much and here he was, willing to take on more.
“And after the program ends?” she asked. “What will you do then?”
“I’m going to get my truck-driving license back,” Hudson said. “It’ll be a Class A, so I can drive anything and, like I said, I’ll be stationed in Scottsbluff, so I’ll be available if you need me.”
“We’re fine,” said Michelle. “I’ve got work, and we’ve got a nice little apartment, and the lady next door helps me look after the boys when the laundromat is too busy for them to be there with me.”
Ty didn’t like the sound of that at all and he could tell by Hudson’s expression that he didn’t like the sound of the arrangement either. Nice next-door neighbors were all very well and good, but they would have no obligation to Michelle. Not like a family member would.
“Listen, Michelle—” said Hudson. Then he stopped, and he was scowling.
In another second, Hudson was going to say exactly what he thought about kindly next-door neighbors and jobs at laundromats, and then the afternoon would turn from one of pleasant bonding into a heated disagreement at the very least, and hurt feelings at the very worst.
Ty didn’t know much about real families, but he could see that Michelle was doing the best she could. The last thing she needed was to be made to feel bad for not being able to live in a palace with a houseful of servants, rather than an apartment on the edge of town.
“Well, you’re going to ask me next, aren’t you?” asked Ty, turning the conversation to himself to make it feel a little less serious. “I was arrested because I got into a bar fight and didn’t have anybody on my side,” he said, as breezily as could be. “But before that, I was a cowboy who rode the range along the Wyoming-Nebraska border.”
“You’re a cowboy?” asked Gareth in a high-pitched voice. “A real cowboy?”
“Yes,” said Ty. “I did that for two years, and they were the best years of my life.”
Ty could sense that Hudson was a little grateful for the conversation to move away from him and onto Ty’s shoulders. So Ty told the boys everything about being a cowboy that he could remember, leaving out any talk of the chain gang. Then he told them about Honey, the amazing golden horse who didn’t need to have a bit in her mouth to be ridden. And the tent that he and Hudson shared.
“Is it like summer camp?” asked Gareth, as he looked at Ty with the most amazingly adorable, serious expression on his face.
“A little,” said Ty. “We’re staying there while we get the place ready to be a kind of summer camp for adults. Does that make sense?”
Gareth nodded. “Can we ride the horses sometime?” he asked. “Trevor really likes horses. I like them too, only not as much as Trevor.”
Trevor nodded, adding his weight to the conversation.
“I checked out Black Beauty and Black Beauty Returns from the library last year,” explained Michelle. “And ever since then, that’s all they wanted to watch. Movies with horses in them. Gareth’s reading skills started taking off then, as well, so now he’s checking out chapter books like Misty of Chincoteague and King of the Wind .” She laughed a little as she got up, throwing away their trash from lunch.
“Your Uncle Hudson has a pair of brand-new cowboy boots, and a hat, too, that he’s hardly ever worn,” said Ty, leaping into the conversation with everything that he had. “I’ll bet if you boys want to come riding next Sunday, we can talk your Uncle Hudson into getting on a horse. What do you say?”
“Yes,” said both boys in unison, and Gareth even got off the bed and went over to Hudson.
“Can we please?” he asked. “I told Trevor that if he stopped crying after Daddy died, I’d figure out a way for him to get to ride. Only I couldn’t figure out how.”
“This is how,” said Ty. He looked at Hudson, daring him to say no. “Isn’t it, Hudson?”
“I’d say it is,” said Hudson, though he paused, chewing the inside of his lower lip. “But heck, we could do it today.” He paused to look at Ty. “Couldn’t we?”
“I’ll call.” Ty stood up and took his phone out of his back pocket and went to stand outside in the narrow bit of shade provided by the overhang. When Gabe answered, he explained the situation.
“It’s going really well,” Ty said. “Perfect, in fact. It’s when Michelle's boys found out about the horses?—”
“—that they wanted to ride,” finished Gabe. “That shouldn’t be a problem,” he said. “I’ll get Zeke and Cal to pick out a couple of sweet horses, and we’ll be ready when you get here.” He paused, and then asked, “Is she nice?”
“The nicest,” said Ty. “Her and the boys. Between you and me, from what I’ve heard about Roger, I have no idea how he managed to snag such a sweet woman as Michelle. And those little boys look like two mini-Hudsons.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Gabe, though he sounded like he was holding back on what he really wanted to say about Roger. “We’ll give those boys pony rides, and dinner and, if it doesn’t rain, s’mores around the campfire.”
“You’re going to make their whole freaking lives,” said Ty, smiling so hard his face hurt. He didn’t say it out loud, but he knew that what they were doing was going to change Hudson’s life, and that Hudson wouldn’t be alone anymore.
As Ty hung up and put his phone in his back pocket, he realized that fact was as important as anything else.
Hudson had closed himself off pretty hard, and now he had his own little family. And while Ty was pretty sure Hudson wouldn’t walk away from Ty and never look back, he also needed to make sure. Which he would, as soon as he had a moment alone with him.
And he was just as excited as the boys were when they all loaded into the silver truck, with Hudson in the driver’s seat and Michelle up front. He didn’t mind sitting in the back because it meant he got to look at Hudson as much as he wanted to. Could see the steady way Hudson drove, and the fond expression on his face when he would look over at Michelle.
“I’ve never ridden a horse before,” she said.
“You can ride or just watch, Michelle,” Hudson told her. “Whatever feels more comfortable.”
What made it all the more amazing was that as they arrived at the gravel parking lot at the edge of the woods, they were met by Royce and Royce’s rough-looking friend, Jonah.
“All cowboys must be properly attired,” said Royce. “Maddy didn’t know their shoe sizes, but at least they should have cowboy hats and bandannas for their outing.”
The boys were jumping up and down as they put their hats on and only stood still for Michelle as she tied their bright red bandanas around their necks. Then she took Trevor’s hand.
“Ty, could you hold Gareth’s hand as we walk through the woods?” she asked him. “I don’t want him running off and getting lost.”
Ty did as he was asked and looked down at the little boy and shook his hand a little. “This’ll be fun, you’ll see,” he said.
He wished he had more experience with children than he did, but he was pleased to see that when Michelle tried to pick up Trevor, Hudson bent down and picked up the little boy himself.
Trevor looked around as though he’d been lifted to the top of a mountain and seemed pretty pleased with himself.
“Where’s your hat and boots?” said Gareth, looking up at Ty from beneath the brim of his small straw cowboy hat. “You said you had them.”
Which meant that there was nothing to be done but head to tent number eight so Ty and Hudson could put on their cowboy boots and show off their cowboy hats. And for Michelle to see where they’d been staying.
“It’s like luxury camping,” she said, looking around, holding on tightly to each of her boys. “I bet it made a nice change from the chain gang.”
“What’s a chain gang, mama?” asked Gareth.
“A very bad place,” she said, looking a little sad. “Now, who wants to go for a ride?”
It was pleasant to walk along the path in the woods to the paddock, with the sunshine filtering through the trees and the fresh, sweet smell of pine swirling all around.
Once they arrived at the paddock, the two boys let out gasps of surprise, for Zeke and Cal had been hard at work, getting horses ready for them. There was Honey, of course, complete with hackamore, and Applejack, looking pretty as a picture, and Jigsaw.
A few of the men from the mess tent had wandered down to the paddock to watch the proceedings, having nothing else to do on a Sunday.
Ty told himself he didn’t mind, though it would have been nice to have been on their own. Ty slipped through the wooden rails and turned back to find that Trevor was crawling below the lowest rail, getting himself all dusty. But that was fine. Dust would wash off.
Ty held his hand and walked him slowly over to Honey, so he could pet Honey’s soft nose and admire her long, horsey eyelashes.
“Is this one for me?” asked Trevor, almost whispering.
“If you like,” said Ty, telling himself that he didn’t mind sharing the sweet horse with a little boy whose eyes were round with joy.
“I want that one,” said Gareth, pointing at a roan horse with rust-colored markings around her hooves that looked a little like diamonds.
“Her name is Jigsaw,” said Zeke. “Let’s get you boys set up.”
Cal mounted Applejack, while Ty helped Trevor onto Honey’s saddle. Zeke helped Gareth onto Jigsaw’s saddle, leading her behind Applejack, with Honey behind Jigsaw.
“I feel useless,” said Hudson.
“You can watch,” said Zeke.
“Maybe you can take a turn later,” said Ty, though he knew that horses would always take second place to trucks in Hudson’s mind.
The two little boys were adorable in their straw cowboy hats and brand-new red bandanas around their necks. Trevor’s eyes grew even wider as Ty led Honey slowly behind Applejack. Applejack’s tail twitched every once in a while, as if he wanted to go faster, and his hooves kicked up a bit of dust.
“It’s like we’re on a cattle drive,” Ty said to Trevor, but Trevor was only little and didn’t understand the small bit of play. His tiny hands were curled around the saddle horn, and he kept looking at Ty, though Ty wasn’t sure what for. Comfort? Reassurance? He tried again. “You’re a real cowboy, Trevor,” he said. “Look at you.”
This brought a shy smile, which reached those brown eyes in a way that reminded Ty so much of Hudson, it went straight to his heart. Behind him, he could hear Zeke saying similar things to Gareth, and when he looked back, Gareth was sitting up straight, holding the thick leather reins with both hands and looking like he was having the time of his life.
Along the outside of the paddock, Michelle and Hudson, standing comfortably close together, were watching the three horses go around the paddock, still slowly and steadily.
Ty realized this was the best outcome, one that he’d not expected. He was pleased for Hudson, and once again realized he needed to talk with Hudson about where they went from here. Were they a couple? Would they last past summer’s end? Would the little family replace him?
He wanted to know, but in the meantime, his skin shivered beneath his clothes, and he longed for a shower, or, even better, a rainstorm. But though there were clouds above the gray ridge, it didn’t look like rain.