Chapter 11 #2
Grover made his way to the sitting room, where Mabel sat sewing.
He sat in his easy chair. Their conversation upset her, so he chose his words carefully.
“The morning I picked up Felix, I witnessed Cornelius telling Felix he would spend the summer on Sterling Ranch. Felix’s reaction told me his father never mentioned it, which surprised me.
The reaction revealed the scope of his father’s control over him.
The letter he sent to Felix further confirmed the dominance.
The way Felix warmed up to us as a family tells me he craved affection and recognition.
Not physical affection so much as needing a sense of belonging.
If Felix has stronger feelings for Joey, he's dealing not only with confusion about it, but with the need for his domineering father to treat him and his siblings like we treat him.”
Mabel huffed, not taking her focus from her sewing.
“I remember when I first saw you at Reuters College,” Grover said. “The prettiest gal I ever laid eyes on stood beside Jim Robertson.”
“I remember your besotted expression.” Mabel looked up from her sewing. “I blushed.”
Grover chuckled, happy that Mabel at least talked to him. “I’m glad you came to your senses and dumped that nobody.”
“That nobody now owns a successful feed supply company in Dallas.” Mabel raised an eyebrow. “I’d be in high cotton if I married him.”
“You prefer being hitched to a city slicker instead of a rancher out in the beautiful rolling plains of Texas?”
“I didn’t say that.” Mabel shook her head. “And what made you think of our days at Reuters College?”
“Do you remember Hermann Bromberg?”
“The tall, lanky, mousy guy who always kept to himself?”
“Yes. I don’t think he ever made friends with anyone. He seemed so lonely.”
“As I recall, he graduated as valedictorian. Quite a brilliant man. But he made me sad,” Mabel sighed. “He couldn’t emerge from his shell.”
“Rumor had it he preferred the company of men.”
“What rumor?”
“He never changed out of his uniform with the other men after we played baseball, so we figured he feared undressing in front of us.”
“A lot of men are shy,” Mabel said.
“Yes, but I think it was more. After college, Hermann moved back to the family farm about forty miles from the college. He lived with his sister and brother. None of them ever married.”
“So you kept up with him?”
“No,” Grover shook his head. “But after we graduated and got married, we lived in Belton for a while, and I worked at the feed store, remember?”
Mabel nodded, warming up to the conversation. “I figured we’d be in Belton the rest of our lives. I never imagined you would get a burr under your saddle to buy land out here in the middle of nowhere.”
Grover chuckled. “I don’t hear you complaining now. But anyway, the Brombergs used to come in to buy feed or seed, so I got to know all three of them. Close family, but no spouses and no children.”
“Thus, your comment about Hermann not getting married. Lots of people never marry.”
“Yes, but what kind of life is that? Never finding the right person to love and settle down with. Would you have been happy spending your entire life with your sister instead of settling down on this ranch with me?”
“I can’t imagine life without you, Grover. I can’t imagine living my life without the love we share. It must be awful not letting yourself find love.” Mabel gasped at her own words, stunned.
Grover let out a breath. “I don’t want Joey to end up like Hermann. If he loves Felix, I want him to recognize and acknowledge the love. It’s better than spending his life avoiding relationships because he’s either afraid or ashamed of his feelings.”
Mabel closed her eyes, deep in thought. “I wanted Jacob and Joey to each give us grandchildren.”
“Me too, but seeing Joey and Felix in such deep despair hurts my heart. I hope I’m wrong, but I sense the current chasm between them involves feelings they want but think they cannot have. And you did refer to Felix as our third son, so he wormed his way into your heart.”
“Yes,” Mabel sighed. “But I never expected him and Joey to develop such a close relationship so fast.”
“I would rather Joey be happy with Felix than lonely and depressed for the rest of his life,” Grover said. “Wouldn’t you?”
Mabel nodded. “I suppose. I’m sorry I got so upset.”
“I need to talk with Felix to find out if we're worried for nothing. Cornelius asked me to help make a man out of him. Our two boys, Joey and Felix, are no longer boys. They’re men. Men who care very much for each other.” Grover stood.
“I’ll track down Felix on his fence ride and encourage him to open up and tell me why he is finding ways to distance himself from Joey.
Maybe he'll shed some light on why Joey disappeared. Is it because Joey misses his best friend? I don’t know.
But watching those two punish themselves is no good. ”
“And I’ll try not to make them uncomfortable if we discover their relationship went in a direction we didn’t expect.” Mabel stood, put her sewing down, and came to kiss Grover. “And I’ll have supper ready when you return with Felix.”