29. Hudson
Chapter 29
Hudson
H udson leaned against the wooden railing of the paddock, and watched Cal leading Trevor astride Masie, and Ty leading Gareth astride Honey. And both boys now had cowboy boots, as well as hats, with their red bandanas tied around their necks. Both boys had utterly serious expressions as they held onto their respective saddle horns.
He’d been waiting for Sunday all week, and here it was, at last. They’d had chicken fingers and mac and cheese in the mess tent, a meal that Hudson suspected was enjoyed by every last parolee, and now beneath the blue sky, as the clouds swirled by on a warm breeze, he and Michelle watched the stately parade.
On the other side of the paddock, doing his best to look inobtrusive, was Zeke, keeping an eye on things. Hudson suspected that he was concerned that Honey might take to her former shenanigans, but as far as Hudson could see, Honey in her hackamore was as sweet as a princess, doing exactly what Ty asked of her.
Ty, in his cowboy hat and boots, looked amazing. In those boots his legs were long, and he looked sleek and fit and happy as he walked slowly at Honey’s head.
He and Ty had talked the night before about how the Sunday visits from Michelle and the boys were meant to be pleasant and low key. At the end of summer, he and Ty would figure out what direction their lives would take, but in the meantime, they weren’t going to worry about anything serious.
“How goes the laundromat?” asked Hudson, tearing his eyes away from Ty to look at Michelle, who was also leaning against the wood rails.
“It goes,” she said. “They’ve made me manager, which was a surprise.”
“You must be a hard worker,” he said, his gaze drifting back to Ty. “Is that what you went to school for?”
“I dropped out of accounting,” she said, sounding a bit wry. “To marry Roger.”
“You were going to be an accountant?” he asked, a little surprised, but then, Roger had never been very forthcoming about his personal life. Or Michelle’s.
“That was the plan,” she said. “Oh, look at how cute they are.”
Smiling at her boys, she looked up at Hudson. “I could go back and just get a certificate, but the owners of the laundromat are thinking of selling, since there’s only so much dirty laundry in Scottsbluff, and I don’t know if that certificate would mean anything in such a small town.” With a little laugh, she pushed stray hair back from her face. “Anyhow. You seem pretty good with kids. Maybe you’ll find a nice girl to marry. Someone to come home to after you’re done with your driving for the day.”
Hudson went utterly still, his gaze tracking what was going on in the ring while he waited for his temper to settle down.
He didn’t know anything about Michelle, not really, and she didn’t know anything about him. They were only recently in contact with one another. He’d only just learned that Michelle had wanted to become an accountant, so she couldn’t possibly know about him and Ty. Not really.
“Look over there,” he said, pointing. “Do you see the man leading the honey-colored horse?” When she nodded, he kept his voice as level as he could as he said, “That’s who I’ll be coming home to each night.”
“Ty?” The word came out sharp. “You’re in love with Ty?” She pulled back from the railing, turning toward him, an astonished look on her face. “But Roger never said anything about you being gay.”
“Why does that matter?” He was ready to end the conversation and perhaps even the relationship if she said one nasty word about how they felt about each other. About Ty. “You got something against gay guys?”
“It matters ,” she said, stressing the word. “Because if I’d known, I’d never have suggested anything so crass as you finding a nice girl to marry. Oh, for Pete’s sake.”
She bent her head, and Hudson didn’t know what she was thinking, but he sure was glad to hear her response. When she looked up at him again, her eyes were bright.
“There’s so much we don’t know about each other, but I tell you what. You’re my family now. And if Ty is the man that you love, just tell me how I can help. With the wedding. With people who are horrible to you.”
“But especially with the wedding,” he said, his throat feeling tight, even if he felt himself wanting to laugh. “You only mentioned it three times in the last two minutes.”
“Who doesn’t love a good wedding?” she said, wiping at her eyes. He hugged her to him then, realizing that he had this strong and amazing woman in his corner. They both had gone through so much, and now, well, they could help each other build their lives back up.
“He seems lovely,” Michelle said when Hudson let her go and they resumed their comfortable places along the wooden rail. “Kind of cute and frail and strong all at the same time.”
“That’s how I see him,” said Hudson. His feelings for Ty were never at rest, always moving about in his chest, his heart, his gut, his groin. “You wouldn’t believe the shit that we’ve been through, but even as frail as he looks, he just kept going. Kept his head down, did the work, suffered through it all. Never complained. Well, you couldn’t complain because they’d beat you to the ground for it.”
“That sounds awful,” she said. “Maybe we could keep the story of the chain gang for when the boys are older.”
“Agreed,” said Hudson. His eyes followed Ty as Gareth asked to get down. Ty was careful lifting Gareth off the saddle, and he was watching as Gareth ran to Michelle.
“Mama,” said Gareth, taking his hat off. “Did you see? I’m a real cowboy now.”
“You most certainly are,” said Michelle, sounding absolutely sure of this fact. “What do you say you boys sit on the top rail and we can watch Cal and Ty ride? Show us what they can do? They look like they want to.”
“Okay, okay.” Gareth jumped up and down to show how excited he was, and soon Cal had led Masie over so Michelle could lift Trevor into her arms. Hudson lifted Gareth to the top rail and held onto him, and Michelle did likewise with Trevor.
“Cal,” said Hudson. “Why don’t you and Ty gallop a bit and let us watch you? The boys would like it, I think.”
Ty came close, leading Honey. When they both came up to the rail, Hudson gave Honey’s neck a pet. He wanted to kiss Ty, as well, but maybe admitting to Michelle that he and Ty were gay was enough for one morning.
“What is it you want to see?” Ty asked.
He took his hat off his head, wiped his forehead with his sleeve, then put his hat back on, adjusting it with one hand. In echo, Gareth tried to do the same thing, only his hat fell into the dust. Laughing, Ty handed it back to him.
“We want to watch you ride,” said Hudson. “Show us what you’ve got. You and Cal both.”
“Okay,” said Ty, sounding dubious, it seemed, about being the center of attention. “Just for a little bit.”
Ty mounted Honey once more and clucked to her. He barely touched the reins to get her to turn, as far as Hudson could tell. Instead, he used his body, leaning the way he wanted her to go. Honey, in response to this, easily moved into a trot and began going around the paddock.
When Cal joined in riding Masie, the two of them broke into a canter, a fluid motion that made the manes and tails of the horses ripple like silk.
Suddenly, Ty wheeled Honey to go in the opposite direction, and the two horses met and then passed each other in a thunder of hooves, manes and tails flickering in the breeze, going right past the point where Hudson held onto Gareth.
He tightened his grip and checked to make sure Gareth was okay, and was pleased to see that Gareth’s eyes were shining and that his mouth was open, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Ty and Honey sped up, and then Ty’s hat came off and landed in the dust in the middle of the paddock. Ty kept going, leaning over Honey’s neck until they were practically racing to catch up with Cal and Masie. Ty’s fair hair rippled like Honey’s mane, and the two of them made the sweetest picture, it was hard to believe they were real.
Finally, Ty and Honey pulled up in front of the little group, as did Cal and Masie, and both men made a ta-da gesture before dismounting.
“You’re such a good girl, Honey,” said Ty as he loved on her, patting her neck, kissing the plane of her cheek. “I’ll miss you so much when the end of summer comes. So so so much.”
In turn, Honey blinked her horsey eyelashes at Ty, and didn’t seem to mind being kissed.
Then Ty looked at Hudson, face flushed, eyes bright, sweat on his brow, and sunlight in his hair. And Hudson knew that had there ever been a doubt in his mind or heart about him and Ty continuing on together, it was vanquished in that moment. There was such love in Ty’s eyes, for the horse, for the day, and yes, even for Hudson.
He knew he could never go another day without Ty in his life. In his sights. In his arms. And maybe, by the joyful expression on Ty’s face, Ty felt the same way about him. They had a lifetime to figure it out, and for that Hudson was grateful.
“You guys should go back to the mess tent,” said Ty. “Cal and Zeke and I will unsaddle the horses and get them back into the pasture.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” said Michelle, but Gareth turned in Hudson’s arms and began to climb down the railing.
“Mama, I want to stay and help,” he said, looking up at her.
“Me too,” said Trevor.
Hudson didn’t know how Michelle resisted for as long as she did, because he knew he would have crumpled inside of a heartbeat. She gave in a second later, nodding as she looked up at Zeke, who’d come from the other side of the paddock.
“I’m worried they’ll get in the way,” she said to him.
“No, ma’am, they won’t,” said Zeke. “Being around a horse is a good skill to have and you can’t learn any younger, I’d say.”
Which was how it ended up, with all of them getting in each other’s way as they took care of the horses. Hudson and Zeke took the saddles into the supply shed and left them there to be wiped down later, along with the bridles.
Four body brushes got used, all at once, as well as two hoof picks and a chamois cloth. One of the lead ropes mysteriously disappeared.
Michelle did her best to keep the boys from crawling under the horses, especially too near their feet, but Zeke didn’t seem concerned that the boys would get stepped on, so Hudson pretended he wasn’t worried.
The horses were kept content by treats, which Zeke showed the boys how to give them, palms flat.
“Their mouths are sensitive,” said Zeke. “They’re not trying to bite you, just get hold of those horse cookies. Just stay still and it’ll be all right.”
While that was underway, Hudson pulled Ty to the side as if he had something to tell him. Which he did.
His heart was bursting with it, and once they were on the other side of the supply shed, with a minute’s worth of privacy at best, Hudson pressed him against the wooden wall and kissed him. Slowly. Sweetly.
Then he drew back and smiled at Ty’s flushed face and mussed hair, and the way he seemed as happy as he’d ever been.
Hudson knew he’d do everything in his power to keep Ty feeling that way. Just the way they both did, in that moment. Under the bluest sky the world had ever seen.
“I love you,” Hudson said. “I think I did from the moment I saw you. Was just fighting it, I guess.”
“Maybe you were.” Ty traced his fingers along Hudson’s jaw. “But I’m glad you lost that battle.” He smiled, dipping his chin, looking utterly cute and flushed. “I think you had me loving you when you held my hair back for me. Such a nice thing to do. You tried to be mean, but I knew . Well. A guy who would do something like that? Was a good man.” Ty smiled and kissed Hudson sweetly. “You, Hudson, are a good man.”
“ Your man,” said Hudson, wanting to make that clear.
“Yes, sir,” said Ty, in a way that reflected how they used to have to answer when behind bars or on the chain gang. They didn’t have to say yes, sir, anymore, not to anyone, so Ty’s saying it told Hudson that Ty was trying to be a little bit funny. And it was, but it was a little bit sad, as well.
“Do you love me?” asked Hudson, not because he didn’t think Ty did, but because he needed to hear it.
“Yes, I love you,” said Ty, without any hesitation at all. “And I always will.”
“We’ll make a life together,” said Hudson, pulling Ty into his arms. “I don’t know how it’ll look, but we’ll do it together.”
As Ty nodded, and Hudson leaned in for more kissing, a tiny voice was calling, “Uncle Hudson, Uncle Hudson.” And Hudson knew his moment of privacy was over.
He’d have more moments with Ty. He’d make more moments. In the meantime, the little family that had been dropped in his lap needed him, at least until after dinner. At which point, he’d have Ty all to himself once more.
“Coming,” he said. He took Ty’s hand and led him around the corner, where Michelle, Gareth, and Trevor stood in a row, expectant looks on their dusty, sun-flushed faces.
“Zeke and Cal went to the mess tent,” said Michelle. “And the boys are starving. You must be too, so we waited for you.”
They waited for him. Here he’d been thinking that his contribution to the boys’ welfare would be a kind of one-way street. But Michelle surprised him, as she had before, and would no doubt do again.
Trevor let go of his mother’s hand and came up to Hudson, looking up at him expectantly. So what was Hudson to do but lift the boy in his arms and smile at him as he adjusted the cowboy hat on his head?
“What do you think we’ll have for dinner?” he asked as he began heading down the path to the mess tent. Ty was close on his heels, and Michelle held Gareth’s hand.
“Hot dogs,” said Trevor.
“Is that what you’re going to have or is that what you want?” asked Hudson.
“Hot dogs,” said Trevor again, looking very determined.
“I think it’s what he wants,” said Ty, tromping through the grass to come alongside Hudson. “We can always ask the cooks if hot dogs aren’t already on the menu.”
“We can,” said Hudson.
And that was the thing of it. The kind of place the valley was. Giving and generous and easy to deal with.
Which was how Hudson wanted the rest of his life to be. No secrets. No meanness. No pain. Just his little family and moments like this, where they walked along the path, and went beneath the trees, and felt the silky coolness of the breeze on their skins.
How his world had changed. And how glad he was that he’d kept going when things had been so dark. That he’d not driven off into the rain with Ty on that crazy day that felt so long ago now.
“Fingers crossed for hot dogs, kiddo,” said Hudson to Trevor. And to Ty, he said, “Save me a place if I need to help him.”
“You know I will.”
Ty brushed against Hudson as if to confirm his words, and Hudson knew that it would all be okay. That Ty and he would be okay, and probably even more than that. They would be deliriously happy together.