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The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 1

June 2025

 

Alex punched his code into the keypad on the side of the large wrought iron gates that led to Edna’s Treasures Lane.  Glen raised his eyebrows.

“He gave us our own code to the place.  This way we can come and go as we please without having to be buzzed in,” Alex explained.

“Ah,” Glen murmured as the gate slowly opened.  Alex drove their van through the gate then around the slight bend onto the private tree lined lane.  “Wow, this is like entering another world,” Glen commented.

“Yes, it is,” Alex agreed as he slowly continued up the lane to give Glen the opportunity to take it all in.

“This is cute,” Glen said a bit flatly as they passed the quaint cottage surrounded by a white picket fence.

“Don’t judge,” Alex quipped.

“I’m just sayin’,” Glen retorted with a smirk.  “Who lives here?”

“This one belongs to Emmett Honeycutt.”

“Who?”

“Emmett Honeycutt, the party planner.  He catered our anniversary two years ago.”

“Oh, right.  He did a great job.  I didn’t know he lived out here.”

“Not all the time, but he’s one of the select few along with his husband.”

“Husband?” Glen asked.

“Drew Boyd, the…”

“Holy shit!  Drew Boyd?!  I’m going to be a neighbor to Drew Boyd.  He’s hot!”  Glen perked right up.  Alex tossed him a look.  “Hey, I’m married, not dead.  Seriously, that’s some pedigree up here.  Who else will we be rubbing elbows with?”

Alex crept past the log cabin.

“Whoa, is that a camp lodge or what?  Who owns this one?”

“Michael Novotny.”

“Who?”

“Geez, where do you live?”

“With you, ass wipe.  Contrary to popular belief, I don’t know everyone in Pittsburg,” Glen griped.

“Tell that to our Christmas card list.  Michael owns the comic book shop on Liberty Avenue and is the co-creator of Rage.”

“Rage, the Gay Crusader.  Now him, I’d like to meet,” Glen said with a wistful sigh.  That comment elicited another look.  Glen held up his hands.  “Does Michael have a partner?”

“Professor Ben Br…”

“Ben Bruckner?  Didn’t see that coming.”

“And how do you know the Professor?”

“From the gym.  He spots for me sometimes.  Ben talks about Michael all the time but I never put two and two together.  Ben’s one hot hunk, for an old dude,” Glen snarked.

“You’re an old dude,” Alex said.

“So are you but you don’t see me complaining.” 

Alex rolled his eyes as he slowly drove up the lane. 

“Okay, pull over!” Glen demanded as they got to the thatched cottage.  He stared out the window, looking over the cottage and its unusual landscaping.  “Why didn’t you tell me Miss Marple lives here?” he asked.

“Debbie and Carl Horvath live here.  They’re permanent residents and will be fostering Peter.”

“Debbie, why do I know that name?”

“You should.  Debbie was the waitress at the Liberty diner for years and Carl was a police detective.”

“Debbie, flaming red wig, loud mouth, and one big supporter of the community.  A little over the top for me, but good people.”

“Yes she is.”

“And who the fuck has a shamrock lawn?” Glen asked with a laugh. 

Alex chuckled.  “I asked about that too.”

“And?”

“I was informed that clover is low maintenance and good for the bees,” Alex explained.

“Good for the bees?  Who the hell is our landlord, David Attenborough?” Glen asked, making Alex burst out laughing.

“Come on; there’s more to see,” Alex said as he placed the van in gear.  “This is where we’ll be staying while John puts the finishing touches to our place.  We can’t use the driveway yet.”

“This is beautiful and huge.”

“They call it the B and B.  Apparently it’s open to all guests and sometimes crew quarters when John’s working on a new project.  I’ve seen inside; we have a suite on the first floor.  You shouldn’t have any trouble getting around,” Alex said indicating Glen’s chair.  Glen gave him a shy smile.

“What’s next?” Glen asked.

“That, my love, is the greenhouse, complete with an indoor-outdoor pond with fish and a waterfall.”

“A waterfall.”

“Yup.”

“So our new lord and master doesn’t hold back,” Glen stated.

“Nope.  The center aisle is wide enough; we can check it out whenever you wish.”

“No rush since we’ll be here for almost three months.  Three months, away from the city but close enough just in case.  No living out of suitcases and all this peace and quiet.” 

They reveled in the peace for a moment until…

“Holy fucking shit!” Glen shouted.  “Is that a wolf pack?”  Beau and his pack of two chose that moment to come tearing down the lane from the back of Rachel’s house to check out the newcomers.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about them,” Alex smirked.

“You forgot about wolves?” Glen said, his voice rising an octave or two.

“They’re not wolves, they’re shepherds but John did say that they do have some wolf blood flowing through their veins.”

“And it shows.  I guess we’ll be meeting them,” Glen squeaked.

“I’ve already had the pleasure.  And I gotta tell ya, I’m glad they’re out here.  The few days I spent here spooked me.”

“You never said,” Glen noted softly, taking Alex’s hand.

“I guess I’m so used to the noise and the crowd of the city.  It’s very quiet here.”

“We don’t have to do this,” Glen said gently.

“Yes we do, we deserve this.  A little haven in the middle of nowhere plus we’ve committed to helping out with Peter,” Alex said as they passed Molly’s little getaway.

“Now that’s cute.”

“Justin’s sister, Molly Taylor-Brenner and her husband Owen.  They have a son, Taylor.”

“Nice.  I love all the glass and the garden is lovely.”

“Yes, it is.  The gardener is very special and he’ll be supervising our garden,” Alex told Glen.

As they rolled up to the conjoined cottages, Glen caught a glimpse of Brian in his overalls, tank top, and hat.  He and Bree were wrestling with some weeds in their garden and planting summer annuals.  Brian’s sun-kissed skin was glistening with a fine sheen of sweat.  He stood when he heard the van pull up, adjusting his sunglasses as he looked toward the lane.

Glen let out a long cat whistle in admiration of the view.

“Come to papa!” Glen blurted.  Alex glared.  “Still not dead,” was all that Glen stated.   Alex just shook his head over his husband’s antics. 

They had been together since college, played around safely like many others did then settled down into a monogamous relationship.  As soon as it became legal, Glen and Alex married.  Glen leaned over to give Alex a sweet kiss.

“I love you,” Glen murmured against Alex’s lips.  “You know I’m just messin’ with ya.”

“I know and I love you too.  But behave yourself,” Alex advised with a waggle of his finger.  Glen playfully took a nip of the tip.

“Yes, sir,” Glen saluted as he got into position so that the lift could lower him and his wheel chair to the ground. 

As he touched down, Glen was suddenly confronted by a pretty petite strawberry blonde little girl in bright pink overalls, purple t-shirt and a wide brim sun hat.

“Hello,” Glen said as Alex got out of the driver’s side, rounding the van to see who Glen was speaking to. 

Bree said nothing until she saw Alex.  “Hi, Dr. Alex.”

“Hello, Miss Bree.  May I introduce you to my husband, Glen Wilder?  Glen this is…”

“Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor,” Bree stated as she extended her hand to Glen.  Glen was a bit startled at the power commanded by this little girl.  Nevertheless, Glen took Bree’s hand and gave it a firm handshake which made Bree smile.  She had learned a long time ago from her Dada the importance of first impressions.  Unbeknownst to Glen, he had passed Bree’s test.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Briana,” Glen said formally as he maneuvered his chair onto the path up to the conjoined cottages.

“I’m happy to meet you.  Dada and I were planting flowers.  Do you like flowers, Mr. Glen?”

“I do but I’m not much of a gardener, neither is Alex, but I’d be very pleased if you could take charge of our garden, Miss Briana,” Glen said.

“Already working on it,” Bree proudly announced. 

When Alex confided that gardening was not his thing, Brian rethought his landscaping plans and instead designed a pebble garden that surrounded the house from the edge of the circular driveway to the base of the cottage but leaving wide paved pathways to all the doors.  Each window had its own window box attached with a mixture of perennial greenery and colorful annuals.  They would require little care other than watering several times a week if it became very hot.  Brian figured if the men couldn’t handle that, Bree could.

All of a sudden Glen’s wet dream shouted from the front door, “What the fuck is keeping you?”

“Coming, Dada,” Bree said without a flinch as she sprinted toward the door.

“Charming,” Glen snorted out of the side of his mouth.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Alex replied as he grabbed the handles of Glen’s wheelchair to help him up the graveled path to the door.

Brian was in the kitchen as Alex and Glen came through the door.  Hat off, straps to his overalls undone, tank top in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other.  He drank down most of it then poured the rest over his head just as Alex and Glen came inside eliciting the expected reaction.  Brian inhaled deeply.

“I love the smell of testosterone in the morning,” Brian purred.

“Brian,” Justin said in a warning tone to his spouse.  “Ignore him, we do,” Justin said to their new neighbors.

“Dada,” Bree scolded as she pointed toward the hall.

Brian smirked, arched a brow then winked at his daughter. 

“Excuse me while I go and take a shower.”  Brian took a whiff of himself.  “I stink, Sunshine.”

Justin stared, lost in the moment, until Brian winked at him making Justin blush.  Justin then made a shooing motion with his hands as Brian sauntered out of the kitchen.

“Welcome to the lane, gentlemen,” Brian tossed over his shoulder before disappearing from view.  Justin gazed at the empty hall for a second, his blush deepening as his mind wandered to a sweaty naked Brian in the shower.

“Who’s for iced tea?” Justin quickly asked needing something to cool down the situation and his ardor.  Alex and Glen nodded their heads in agreement as Bree rolled her eyes.

“Men,” Bree grumbled as she went back outside.

 

*****

 

“So what did I miss?” the newly showered and appropriately dressed Brian asked as he came back into the kitchen.  John was there with his laptop showing off the cottage scheme and playing the video he had taken of how it was built.

“Only my takeover of the planet and establishing a new world order,” Glen retorted.  The men all stared at Glen who gave a coy smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

“Brian, allow me to introduce my smart assed husband, Glen Wilder.  Glen, Brian Kinney, our landlord,” Alex said as he did the honors.  Brian extended his hand as he stepped up to Glen.  He smiled when Glen gave him a firm handshake.  Glen had passed Brian’s test too.

“This is amazing,” Alex exclaimed.  “How did you build it in less than a month?”

“That’s why we call John, Dr. Cottage,” Brian snarked as he began to make a pot of his special blend.

“Pay no attention to him, he gets ridiculous when his caffeine quotient dips below an acceptable level,” Justin countered.  Alex and Glen chuckled.

“They sound like us,” Glen whispered as he gently poked Alex in the ribs.  Alex nodded with a smile.

“And to answer your question,” John began.  “We were lucky with the location, the land is fairly level out there and solid.  And since we made the cottage green, it’s all self contained.”

“Plus John and his men are experts with cottages,” Bobby added as he came through the door.

“You’re home early,” John said as he gave Bobby a kiss.

“I’m a partner, I can work a half day once in a while,” Bobby said as he greeted his new neighbors.  “I also brought Peter’s paperwork.”  Bobby held up his briefcase.  “Debbie and Carl are now loco parentis to one Peter Chang.”

“That’s good, right?” Justin asked as he looked around the room.

“It’s good for Debbie and Carl but may be a blow to Peter,” Alex said.

“I don’t understand,” Justin said.  Alex was about to explain when Brian squatted in front of Justin and took his hands.

“Sunshine, remember after you were hurt your mom gave you to me,” Brian said softly.  “You thought you were happy to be with me but you were also very angry, and that anger included your mom.”

“I was confused.  Nothing made sense back then.”  Justin shuddered as he recalled that painful time in his life.

“I imagine Peter feels the same way.  He’s with Debbie who actually wants him, but it hurts that his father signed him away so easily,” Brian said very perceptively.

“Hey, who’s the shrink here?” Glen interjected after a minute of silence, preventing the situation from becoming morose.  Brian kissed Justin’s scar as he stood up to get coffee.

The men smiled then continued their discussion about the new cottage.

“We poured the new driveway but it will be a few more days before anyone can use it,” John stated.  “However that doesn’t mean we can’t go and see the place.  We can drive you across the meadow anytime you wish.  We poured the circular driveway and the paths to each door first so you can go inside.  We also whitewashed the inside.  Pick your colors and we can finish it off.  As you can see we left the beams exposed and stained them a deep brown.  Again we can paint them over if you don’t like,” John went on to say.

“There’s also one more feature that I didn’t discuss with you,” John began.  Brian nodded.  “If at a later date you find that being out in the meadow becomes too inconvenient, I can move the cottage to the lane.  We have plenty of room.”

“Just curious, what would you do with the empty space?” Alex asked.

“Put up a folly or a pergola.  “I’ll think of something.”

Alex and Glen exchanged a look.

“I think this is perfect,” Alex said.

“It’s like you know us already,” Glen added.

“Would you like to drive over now?” John asked.

“What we’d like to do and what we have to do are two different things,” Glen said.

“That’s Glen’s subtle way of saying that he needs time out of his chair,” Alex explained.

“Brian’s grilling tonight if you’d like to join us for dinner,” Justin said.

“Considering we haven’t brought anything remotely edible with us besides Glen’s protein shakes,” Alex began.

“And that’s Alex’s tactful way of saying we accept,” Glen quickly interjected with a smirk.  They agreed upon a time then left the conjoined cottages.  The boys watched Alex and Glen maneuver back out to the van. 

Alex looped around the lane until the van came to rest directly in front of the B and B.  The van’s lift once again deposited Glen and his chair on the path toward the front door of the large communal cottage.  Alex handed Glen a couple of duffle bags while Alex grabbed their suitcases and they headed for the door.

“Does no one out here lock their doors?” Glen asked as he easily opened the door.  He let out another whistle when he wheeled himself into the spacious common room.  “Can we just stay here for the rest of our lives?  This is fantastic,” he said as he swung his chair around.  “Look at this kitchen! So where’s our room?” Glen asked with all the enthusiasm of a kid on his first trip to Disney World.  Alex smiled at his husband then leaned down to give him a kiss.

“This way,” Alex said as he led the way to the large main suite on the first floor.  The rooms were bright with plenty of room for Glen.

“Look at that bed,” Glen exclaimed as he saw the California king sized bed.

“Come on, macho man, time to stretch out those limbs of yours,” Alex said as Glen with years of experience transferred himself from his chair onto the bed.  After allowing Alex to remove his sneakers and loosen up his clothes, Alex and Glen snuggled close.

“Can we steal this bed when we go back to Pittsburgh?” Glen quipped after a while.  His whole body began to relax into the mattress and soft sheets.

“And what would our new landlord say as we drive down the lane with this bed strapped to the roof of our van?”

“He’d probably admire our ingenuity and balls.”

“Knowing Brian, you’re probably right.  You know this summer may not be a total vacation,” Alex said.  “We’re back up for Debbie and Carl.  That young man has only known rejection for most of his life.  He has a big chip on his shoulder that needs to be whittled down.”

“Oooo, I love it when you speak in metaphoric psycho babble,” Glen teased.  Alex moaned as he flopped onto his back.  Glen laughed.  “Gotcha.  And don’t you dare point out to me that my snarkiness increases the more nervous I get.  I’m well aware of my failings.”

“It’s not a failing it’s a ‘tell’.  And I’m nervous too, we’re starting a new phase in our lives.”

“Is that shrink talk for we’ve been stuck in a rut.”

“Maybe.  And maybe I just need a nap.  It’s not easy packing up all your shit and closing down the apartment.  I’m an old man.”

“Not so old,” Glen murmured.  “You’re still a fox, a very sexy fox.”

“Thank you,” Alex said with a kiss.  “May I be a sexy fox after I take a nap?”

“Yes, you may.”

The boys cuddled up then fell asleep.

 

*****

 

Leaving the van at the B and B, Alex and Glen took the lane up to the conjoined cottages.  They went up the driveway which connected to the walkway around the front of the cottage and into the garden.  There they joined the boys, Bree, Patrick, and Rachel and George.

“No Debbie and Carl?” Alex asked as he sat at a table.  The evening was warm enough to eat outside.

“They’re actually with my mother, Claire, and her husband Steve,” John explained.  “Steve wanted to show them The Farm.  They should be back tomorrow.”

“And Peter?” Glen asked.

“Peter is spending a few days with his father,” Bobby informed them as he brought a large platter of grilled chicken and baked fish to the table.

“Did his father have a change of heart or did Peter rethink his decision to stay here?” Alex asked.

“Neither.  I think Mr. Chang did want to spend some time with his son before he left town, but he also wanted help packing up his belongings and loading up his car,” Bobby explained.  The boys just shook their heads.  “Peter had a few things still left in the house that he wanted to keep.  Tomorrow his father will drop off Peter at school then Debbie will bring him home after school.”

“There’s still a couple weeks left of the school year.  After that, Peter will intern with me,” John said.

The family passed around dishes, bowls of salad, and beverages, digging into their meal, and overall, learning about each other.

“John, you mentioned The Farm.  Is that the farm where troubled kids go to get their heads screwed on straight?” Glen asked.

“So to speak.  You know about The Farm?” John said with a smile.  Glen certainly knew how to coin a phrase. 

“A little.  I’ve come across literature about it.  My clients are usually adults so I don’t have a direct connection.  But every once in a while I get a kid who spent a summer there with very good results.”

“It’s a working farm.  The kids learn how to grow vegetables, muck out stalls, sometimes chase after Houdini calves and sheep,” John said with a chuckle.

“My friends, you are looking at one gen-u-ine cowboy,” Brian exclaimed with an exaggerated Texas drawl.

“Yee Haw,” Justin added. 

“Really?  You ride, herd cattle and all that stuff?” Glen asked wide eyed, seeing another facet to the architect.

“I grew up on a farm,” John said proudly.

“What about you?” Glen asked Brian with a twinkle in his eyes.  The family laughed.  Brian’s life was almost legendary amongst a certain populace.  Farming was not a part of it.

“My brother has gotten me up on a horse once or twice.  Bree and Patrick are the riders in the family, besides John, of course.”  He smiled at the kids.  “I like keeping my feet on the ground.”

“Like in your garden,” Glen said.  “Alex told me of your hobby.  You have a gift for color and spatial proportions.  Helpful for an adman.  Do you also paint?”

“No, that gift solely belongs to Justin,” Brian said with a loving smile.

“Dada, plays soccer!” Bree announced.  Brian got up to get more iced tea from the kitchen.  He sometimes had difficulty dealing with praise from his daughter.  Brian never wanted to let Bree down.

“Hold on, the little grey cells are starting to kick in,” Glen teased.  “Penn State, Brian Kinney.”  Brian came back out with a pitcher of fresh tea.  “You were pretty good.”

“Dada is one of the coaches on my team!” Bree crowed. 

Glen smiled with approval.  “And do you play soccer too?” he asked Patrick. 

Both Bobby and Patrick said, “Baseball,” then laughed.

As the day grew dark, the family decided to have dessert in the sun porch.

“Will you look at that,” Alex said with amazement as he looked up at the glass ceiling.  “This must be beautiful at night.”

“It is, and romantic,” Rachel said as she took her husband’s hand.

“What are the plans for Peter?” Alex asked John over homemade pie and Brian’s special coffee.

“He’s a minor so the company has to follow labor regulations, plus we can’t have him around hazardous material or dangerous equipment,” John rattled off. 

“In other words, Dad will have Peter mixing paint and screwing on the covers of electrical outlets,” Patrick said with a laugh.  “That’s what he had me doing, when I wasn’t handing him bundles of thatch!”

“You helped build that cottage?” Alex asked.

“Yes he did,” John said like a proud dad.  “We even got Brian to strap on the old tool belt.”

“Oooo,” Glen began with lascivious grin.

“Glen,” Alex said in a warning tone.  The men laughed with understanding.

“Not dead,” Glen whispered to his love.

The evening ended when the moon began to make its appearance.

“Let Beau guide you,” John said, handing a lantern to Alex.  The dogs had been lounging in the porch during the evening.  “Just give the lantern to him when you reach the B and B.  A floodlight should come on with movement by the door and the light switch is just inside to the right.  It takes time to get used to the dark without the lights of the city.”

“So I’ve noticed,” Alex said.

“Tomorrow whenever you’re ready we’ll take you over to your cottage,” John said as the family bid their new neighbors a good night.

“So what do you think?” Alex asked Glen as they made their way to the large cottage.

“I think that never in my wildest dreams would a wolf be guiding me home.”

“He’s not a wolf.”

“Tell that to the wolf,” Glen snarked.

“You’re tired.”

“Ha!  Get me back in that huge bed and I’ll show you tired.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.  Now give the lamp to the wolf and say goodnight,” Glen commanded as they were safely back in the B and B.

Alex held out the lamp to Beau.  The big dog gingerly took the handle between his teeth then turned to leave.

 

“Goodnight, Beau,” Alex said as Beau loped up the lane.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 2

 

Michael drove his car through the big gate at the end of Edna's Treasures Lane.  He heard it close behind him.

"Feels like the rest of the world is locked out," he said to Ben who sat in the front seat with him.

"I'm looking forward to peace and quiet.  This term at the university seemed to be months longer than usual," Ben said with a weary sigh.

"Maybe you should cut back on your work load," Michael suggested as they pulled up to the large log cabin on the lane.

"I already have."

"How?  When?" Michael asked in surprise.

"Only one course over the next six weeks - instead of two," Ben said with a smile as Michael opened the car door.

 

"So what does that actually mean?"

"I'll only be working one day a week over the whole summer."

"That's great," Michael said opening the trunk of the car.  "You'll only have to go into Pittsburgh once a week."

"Correct," Ben said with emphasis as he levered his large frame out of the car.  "We can actually relax and enjoy the lane."

"That will be great," Michael said pulling his suitcase out of the car.  "Let's get settled in."

"I'll get the groceries we brought, while you bring in the suitcases."

"Deal," Michael said.

They went into the cabin and started getting things put away. 

"I think there's one more duffle bag in the car," Michael said as he headed outside.  He returned in a flash without any bag.  "Ben!" he called.

"Michael, what's wrong," Ben asked coming out of the kitchen.  He didn't like the sound of Michael's voice.  It sounded very strange.

"There...there's a stranger wandering the lane," he stammered.

 

"What?"

"You heard me," Michael said.  "I need to call Brian."

"Why don't we just go outside and see what's going on," Ben suggested.  "We don't need to bother Brian."

"But...but there shouldn't be any strangers out here.  They could be dangerous."

"I very much doubt that, Michael," Ben replied trying to suppress a smile at the farfetched ideas his husband seemed to come up with.  "Come on."  Ben headed out the door.  Michael followed close behind.

"There he is," Michael said pointing up the lane.

"It's someone in a wheelchair," Ben observed, "and ... he looks familiar."

"What do you mean familiar?" Michael demanded.

"I think I recognize him," Ben said.

"But..."

"Come on," Ben said heading up the lane.

"Wait!" Michael called after him, but as Ben kept walking, Michael felt compelled to follow.

"How could you think someone in a wheelchair was dangerous?" Ben asked before they got too close to the person in the wheelchair.

"But I don’t know him!" Michael protested.

Ben shook his head at Michael's ego-centric response.  "Glen!" Ben called out raising his arm in a wave.

"Well, if it isn't the hunky Professor Ben," Glen called back with a big grin, holding out his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Ben asked as he took it.

"I'm here with my partner," Glen replied.

"Okay," Ben said, "but why?"

"Glen, this is the only hat I could find," Alex said bending the brim of the hat he held, trying to straighten it out.   As he came out of the B&B, he was absorbed in his work on the hat.  "Oh!  Who do we have here?" he asked as he looked up and realized Glen was not alone.

"Alex, let me introduce you to Ben Bruckner.  He's a professor at Carnegie-Mellon," Glen said.

"Hello," Alex said handing the hat to his partner and holding out his hand for Ben to shake.

 

Ben shook the hand.  "Nice to meet you," he said.  "Glen said he had a partner.  You're the psychiatrist, aren’t you?"  Ben and Alex exchanged a knowing look.  “Didn’t we meet at Brian’s wedding?”

"That's right.  Um, how do you know Glen?"

"Oh, we go to the same gym.  I often spot for Glen when he's lifting, and he does so for me," Ben said with a warm smile at Glen.

"And then we go for protein shakes and a gabfest," Glen said with a laugh.  "That's when we get a chance to talk."

Michael was fuming.  He was standing off to the side, and it was like he was invisible.  Nobody even noticed him.  Finally he cleared his throat loudly, hoping Ben would introduce him to these strangers, even if he hoped to never see them again.

"Oh, I’m sorry, Michael," Ben said with a chuckle, "I almost forgot you were there."

"Thanks!" Michael replied petulantly.

"This is Glen from the gym in Pittsburgh and his partner, Alex, was it?" Ben said.

"Nice to meet you, again," Alex said extending his hand.

Michael did not take it.  He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the two men.  "What are you doing here?" he demanded.  "This is private property."

"Charming," Glen said.  "Tell him, Alex."

"John and Brian built us a cottage over in the meadow," Alex explained.  "They're putting the finishing touches on it, so we're staying in this fine structure until it's ready."  Alex pointed over his shoulder at the B & B.

"A...a...cottage?" Michael choked out.  "That's impossible!"

"Michael, enough," Ben said.

"I've hardly begun!  These guys are lying.  Brian wouldn't do something like that without consulting me," Michael declared.

"I assure you..." Alex began.

"I don't want your assurances.  I'm going to talk to Brian."

"Michael, calm down," Ben pleaded.  "Nobody's lying to you."

"You don't know that!" Michael declared.

"Sorry about this, Glen, Alex," Ben said.  "Michael, let's go back to the cabin.  We can settle this later."

"I'm going to find Brian," Michael stated starting to walk toward the conjoined cottages.

"I said to come back to our place.  We can discuss this there."

Michael glared at his husband.  It wasn't often that Ben used that tone of voice with him, but he had learned that he better listen when Ben actually was provoked.  "Okay," Michael agreed.

Ben nodded.  "I'll talk to you later," Ben said to the two men.  "Uh, welcome to the lane?" Ben said with embarrassment as he took Michael's elbow and steered him towards their cabin.

 

"You don't need to speak to them again," Michael mumbled.  "Brian will kick their asses out when he finds out that they're here."

"Michael, give it a rest."

"Who do they think they are?" Michael demanded looking back over his shoulder at the two men in the lane.

"They're exactly who they said they are."

"I don't believe a word they said."

"Michael, be reasonable.  If Brian invited them here to live then they have every right to be here.  If they weren’t invited they wouldn’t be here at all," Ben said reasonably.

"Brian didn't invite them."

"You don't know that."

"I know Brian.  He's my best friend and he wouldn't invite strangers to live here without asking me first."

Ben shrugged and let out a sigh.  When Michael got like this there was no point in arguing with him.  They'd have to go talk to Brian after they got settled in.  Until then Ben decided that he would just be quiet.  Sometimes it was easier that way.

"Stupid jerks," Michael muttered.  "Brian will toss them out on their ear."

Ben just kept walking.

 

*****

"What the fuck was that?" Glen asked as he and Alex watched Ben and Michael walk away.

"Damned if I know."

"Do you think we've made a big mistake saying we'd come out here?"

"Brian wanted us to come, and ... it is a lovely spot."

"But the neighbors are nut jobs," Glen stated.

"Just one.  Ben seemed nice."

"Ben is a good guy.  We get along really well, but Michael is certifiable."

Alex shook his head.  "I think he's just very possessive of his friendship with Brian."

"Did Brian tell you that in therapy?"

"You know I can't answer that," Alex said.  “But it’s no great secret if you’ve ever had a meal at the Liberty Diner.  Brian and his friends were regulars there, including Michael.”

Glen stared at his partner.  "If this is going to be a big hassle for everyone, us being here, then I say fuck it!  We don't need that.  Let's just walk away."

"I really love it here, and once our cottage is finished, we'll be over in the meadow so we won't have to deal with Michael."

"And he won't be trying to kill us with his x-ray vision," Glen added.

Alex chuckled.  "We'd already be dead if he had that power."

"I know."

"Why don't we let things simmer down before we make a hasty decision."

"Spoken like a true psychiatrist," Glen noted.  "I say we kill him and be done with it."

Alex laughed out loud.  "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"Oh, and what's that reason?"

"Comic relief."

"Then I hope you don't ever stop laughing."

"Never," Alex declared leaning over to give his partner a soft kiss.

"Do you still want to go for a walk, or should we go inside and find better things to do?" Glen asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"I opt for the indoors."

"Me too," Glen agreed.

"And there won't be any chance of running into our neighbor in there."

"Absolutely."

They made their way into the B&B for a more pleasant time than they just had.

 

*****

 

As Michael and Ben continued to put away their belongings Ben took the time to inspect the cabin.  Ben found himself alone in one of the upper bedrooms used for guests.  He took the opportunity to give Brian the head’s up.

“Hey, you made it.  Is the cabin all right?” Brian said into his phone.

“Yes, so far.  I’m still checking out the rooms.”

“Call John if you see anything wonky.”

“Wonky?”

“You know what I mean,” Brian snarked.  He was hanging out with Bree’s soccer team a little too much lately.

“Yes, I do but that wasn’t why I called.  We just met Glen and Alex.”

“Oh yeah.  Their cottage is almost ready for occupation,” Brian said proudly.

 

 “That’s the problem,” Ben hastily said.

 

"Start making sense, Professor, after all you are the sane one around here,” Brian growled.

 

“Michael doesn’t believe that you built them a cottage without consulting him first,” Ben confessed.

“Oh for the love of fuck!  You know I love Michael but sometimes he can be a fucking…”

“Brian,” Ben said in a tone that Brian understood.  Ben was one of the very few outside of his immediate family that could take that tone with Brian and still stay living.

Brian sighed then pinched the bridge of his nose.  He felt a very painful headache coming on.

“Okay, give me the short version.”  Ben relayed the pertinent events.  “Glen and Alex must think we’re a bunch of crazy people,” Brian grumbled.

“Yeah,” Ben agreed.  “So how do we fix this?”

“You handle your stubborn husband and I’ll see how soon we can move the guys into their cabin.  That will keep them out of sight while Michael gets used to the idea.  In the meantime carefully look over your cabin then let me or John know what needs to be done.  The cabin’s been vacant for several months.”

“Will do,” Ben said.

“Barbeque tonight?”

“We’ll be there, I hope,” Ben replied as he hung up the phone.

“Shit,” Brian grumbled to himself.

“Who was that?” Justin asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“Ben.  They just got here.”

“And?  Is something wrong with the cabin?”

“Not so far.  Ben’s inspecting it now, but Michael just found out about Alex and Glen.”

“And he’s not happy about having new neighbors,” Justin said following Brian’s train of thought. 

Brian nodded.  “He’s under the impression that I should have consulted him before inviting them to live here.”  Brian rolled his eyes.

“He presumes a lot, doesn’t he,” Justin stated as he wrapped his arms around Brian’s waist.  The years have gone by but some things never changed and Michael was one of them.

The boys relished in each other’s support as they hugged closer.

“What are we going to do?” Justin asked softly as he turned his head to look up at Brian, resting his chin on Brian’s chest.

“We are going to have another lane barbeque tonight.  Emmett and Drew are coming to stay for a few days.  Debbie and Carl are settling Peter in.  We might as well get Michael acclimated all at once.  If Ben can’t handle Michael…”

“Debbie will,” Justin said finishing Brian’s sentence.  “You should warn Debbie and Emmett first,” Justin suggested.  Brian nodded then went to make the calls.

 

 

*****

“If I keep eating like this, I’m going to weigh a ton!” Glen exclaimed as he patted his very full belly.  “Will you still love me when you need a forklift to get me in and out of my chair?” he asked Alex.

Alex paused seemingly contemplating the question.

“Well?” Glen impatiently asked.

“Yeah, you know I will,” Alex said with a loving smile as he leaned over to peck at Glen’s lips.

“Aw, true love,” Emmett gushed.

“Gag,” Brian grumbled as he placed more food on the table.  While the adults groaned, needing some digesting time, the kids dug in.

“Pay no attention to Brian, we never do,” Emmett said with a wave of his hand.  Brian responded by sticking out his tongue at Emmett.  “He hates PDA.”

“Unless he’s the one doing it,” Ben added making the family laugh.

“Oh do tell!” Glen begged, mischievously waggling his eyes.

“Well, you know Babylon,” Emmett began.  “Of course you do…”

As Emmett was filling in his new neighbors on some of Brian’s exploits as the stud, the subject of Emmett’s discourse had the kids helping to bring in some of the dirty dishes.  Bobby grabbed several glasses and followed them inside.

“Where’s Debbie and Carl?” Bobby asked as they rinsed off the dishes then stacked the dishwasher.  “I thought they were coming to dinner.”

“She called earlier,” Brian replied.  “Apparently Debbie didn’t like the state of Peter’s clothing.  And then she decided that Peter needed a laptop.  She and Carl took Peter shopping in the Pitts.”

“Seriously?” Bobby asked.  “Can she afford all of that?”

“Yes,” Brian nodded.  “Mr. Chang’s initial check was a good one.  They’ll be all right.”

“If not I’m sure Debbie’s fairy godfather will find a way to subsidize the check,” Bobby said giving Brian a poignant look.  Brian just shrugged his shoulders as he put on a pot of coffee and the kettle for tea.

“You know, my old man and I never got along but I can’t remember never having clothes.  Somehow old Joanie managed to put clothes on our backs and food on the table.  I know she scrimped and counted pennies but somehow she managed,” Brian said with a faraway look in his eyes.  Bobby laid a gentle hand on Brian’s arm.  “I’m fine.  I still miss her but it doesn’t hurt quite as much,” Brian admitted.  “I guess all that money I paid the shrink was worth it.”  Bobby smiled at him. 

“Do you think it’s safe to go back outside?” Bobby asked.

“What you really mean, has Emmie Lou finished spilling the beans about me,” Brian groused.

“I believe your beans are already public knowledge,” Bobby chuckled as he grabbed a tray of pastries and pies then walked out to the sun porch where the family had gathered.

Glen smirked at Brian as he walked past to place a tray of coffee cups on the table. 

“What are you staring at?” Brian growled.

“You must have been magnificent,” Glen commented with a sigh.

“What do you mean, must have been?” Brian grumbled. 

Glen laughed.  “You still are and we both know it.  I also know that you are hopelessly in love with Justin,” Glen added.  Brian winked.  “You and I are a lot alike.”

“In what way?”

“We both played the game.  My legs may not work but other parts of me do.  And after I got used to this chair I took advantage of it.  You’d be surprised how hot some men think my chair is.  We used our assets to get what we wanted.”

“What makes you think I ever stopped?” Brian snarked.

“A man after my own heart!” Glen gushed.  Brian snorted.

“Glen, didn’t I tell you to behave yourself?” Alex pronounced as he walked over.  “Brian, I should have warned you about this guy.  He has an ego about the size of Texas.  But I assure you, he’s harmless.”   

“Alex, you wound me,” Glen said with an exaggerated pout as he placed his hand on his chest.

“You have my sympathies,” Brian said to Alex.  “Coffee?” Brian offered with a straight face.  Alex snickered as Glen feigned offense.

“He’s got your number,” Alex said to Glen.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Glen said with determination as he rolled toward the table to get some dessert.

“I thought you were full?” Alex asked.

“I always have room for pie!” Glen boasted.

“Auntie Emm, will you be staying for a while?” Bree asked Emmett as she snuck her way into his lap.  He was lounging on a softly cushioned rattan chair with his feet resting on an ottoman.

“Only for a few days this time but we’ll be back for the summer.”

“The whole summer?” Bree asked with a sunny smile.

“Yes, Princess Bree, the whole summer.  My Drewsie and I need a real vacation.  What good is owning a beautiful cottage on this lovely lane if we don’t use it?  Right, sweetheart?”

“Right, Auntie Emm,” Bree said as she threw her arms around him.

“And guess what?”

“What?” Bree asked with wide violet blue eyes.

“Richie and Candy will be staying for a couple weeks too,” Emm said with a big smile.

“Yay!”  Bree clapped as she hugged her Auntie Emm tighter.

“She’s beautiful,” Glen said to Brian as he handed Glen a few napkins.  They were across the room watching the exchange between Emmett and Bree.

“Just like her daddy,” Brian said with love in his voice.

“You’re a lucky man.”

“Yes, I am.”  Brian caught Justin’s eye and exchanged a look.  “You and Alex ever considered having children?”

“Briefly but then we decided against it.  We’re not parent material,” Glen admitted honestly.  “You two, on the other hand are great parents.  I was told you have a son.”

“Yes, Gus; he works at Kinnetik.  His mother owns the Bloom Gallery in Pittsburgh.”

“I know the gallery well.  Justin is a featured artist.”  Glen paused for a moment.  “All silliness aside, you and Justin have created something wonderful here.”

“We work hard at it.”

“I can see that.  I promise Alex and I will be good neighbors,” Glen said as he held out his hand.  Brian shook it without hesitation.  “Besides, we’d be fools to give up on all the eye candy around here,” Glen said with a wink.  Brian barked out a laugh.  “You and John are enough to supply me with wet dreams for months.  Add Ben and Drew…”  Glen fanned himself with a napkin.

“Does your husband know that you’re lusting after all of us?”

“Absolutely.  I keep telling him that I may be married but that doesn’t stop me from admiring the view.”

“I see Alex has his hands full with you,” Brian commented.

“Yes, I do,” Alex interjected as he walked over.  “And it’s time to take the love of my life to bed.”

“My he-man,” Glen teased Alex then he turned toward Brian.  “Thank you, Brian, for a lovely evening.  I’m glad we did this,” Glen said indicating the lane and their new cottage.  “And you guys can cook for me as much as you like!”

“Watch it, you’re going to have to race up and down the lane several times to work off those calories,” Alex said.

“I can think of better ways of working off the extra calories,” Glen retorted making the men laugh.

Just then Debbie came rushing into the sun porch.

“Oh good, you’re all here!” Debbie loudly declared.

“Hi, Debbie,” Justin said as he gave the woman a kiss.  “You missed dinner but we have plenty to make you a nice basket.”

“Thank you, Sunshine; that’ll be fan-fucking-tastic!  We were in such a rush to get out of the city that we didn’t stop for dinner.”  She turned toward the hall as Carl and a nervous looking young man entered the porch. 

“But before you do I’d like to introduce you all to our foster son, Peter Chang!”

As the family moved toward Peter, Michael stood back, first in shock then growing very angry.  No one noticed as he slid out the porch door.

 

 

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 3

 

 

  

Peter positioned himself strategically behind Debbie and Carl.  He wasn't ready to be out front.  He wasn't sure he could deal with so many people all around him.  He was used to being alone.  He liked being alone.  He nodded to people who spoke directly to him, but most spoke to Debbie.  He and Carl seemed to have that in common with regards to Debbie - it was easier to let her do all the talking.

Gradually everyone welcomed Peter and then moved away to talk with other people or to head home.  Most recognized that Peter was overwhelmed by so many people and didn't want to put any more pressure on the boy than he was already feeling.

Glen and Alex had been about to leave when Debbie barged in, so they were the first to go.  Alex winked at Debbie to tell her that he was available if Peter needed him, or if she needed him for that matter.  George and Rachael followed them out.

Ben realized that he hadn't seen Michael for a while.  He started looking for his husband in the kitchen, the living room and finally outside in the backyard.  Michael was nowhere to be found.  He quickly thanked the hosts for the food and headed home.  Obviously Michael had not taken the introduction of Peter Chang well.

Justin had decided to make up plates for Debbie, Carl and Peter so that they could hang around for a bit and let Peter get acclimatized now that the group was smaller.  The lane would be his home now, and it was important to make him feel welcome and wanted.  Justin set the plates on the big table in the sun porch and motioned for the newly formed family to come and get it.

Emmett and Drew approached as this new family group sat down at the table.

"We're taking off," Emmett said, "but I just wanted to tell Peter that my adopted son Richie and his friend Candy will be here next week.  Richie's not much older than you are, Peter, so maybe you'd like to meet him?"

Peter nodded knowing that like so many promises made to him about meeting people and finding friends, this one would probably be a bust too.  It was nice of this guy to offer, but Peter knew that this Richie would likely decide that he didn't need a new friend, especially after Richie got to know him.  Peter felt that he wasn't friend material, which was proven to him over and over again when he met new people.

"Good night all!" Emmett gushed before he and Drew made their exit.

"Don't mind Emmett," Debbie cautioned her new foster son.  "He's very ... energetic."

"Or several other descriptors that I can think of," Brian said as he set down a tray containing a pot of coffee and a teapot with enough mugs for everybody.  John and Bobby joined them at the table, along with Patrick.  Justin came in with a pitcher of juice and glasses on another tray.  Bree carried a couple of cans of soda in case that was what this new kid wanted.

When they were all settled at the table with their drinks and food, there was suddenly an uncomfortable silence.

"In case we haven't said it before," Justin began, "welcome to Edna's Treasures Lane, Peter."

Peter looked up from the chicken he was eating.  "That's a weird name for a road," he commented.

Justin smiled.  Mentioning the name of the lane was usually a good icebreaker and it had worked once again.  John and Brian proceeded to fill Peter in on who Edna was and why the lane was named after her.  Peter seemed really interested in the story. Maybe he liked the adventure that went along with meeting Edna.

When the tale of Edna was finished, Justin offered pie.  There was still a pie and a half left from the barbeque.

"I like cherry," Bree said knowingly.  "I'd recommend it."  She looked expectantly at Peter to see if he would take her recommendation.

"Sure, cherry sounds good," Peter agreed.  Bree gave him a warm smile in reply to this answer.

Justin doled out the pie making sure Debbie and her family got regular sized pieces while he cut smaller ones for everyone else.  Even though everyone had already had pie, there was always room for more, as Glen had said.

Bree helped her Daddy hand out the pie.  When she gave a piece to Patrick she whispered something in his ear.  Patrick took the pie and his drink and went to Bree's small worktable that was against the windows on one side of the porch.

Bree then handed Peter his cherry pie.  She studied him for a moment making him blush under her scrutiny.  "Peter, come and sit with us over here," Bree said to the young man.  She took her small piece of pie and glass of juice and joined Patrick at the other table.

Peter looked at Debbie.  "Go on," Debbie said gently patting Peter's hand.  "It's never good to refuse invitations."

"Unless it's an invitation to jump off a cliff," Brian snarked.

Peter gave Brian an incredulous look and then shrugged.  He took his pie and his soda over to join Patrick and Bree.  The adults watched with concern before starting to talk once again.

"She will be gentle with him, won't she?" Debbie whispered.

"Bree would never hurt a wounded animal," Brian observed.

"Peter's not an animal!" Debbie declared, her eyes shooting fire.

"Whoa!" Brian said holding his hand up in surrender.  "I just meant that she would be gentle because she senses that Peter needs healing."

"Oh ... well ... I guess he does," Debbie conceded.

"We're all going to have to help that young man, and I don't think it's going to be easy," John stated.

They all nodded and glanced over at the three young people sitting at Bree's table.

Peter picked away at the pie.  He ate small bites enjoying the delicious cherries and the flaky crust.  He never got dessert when he lived with his father, certainly nothing homemade.  He realized that Bree and Patrick were surreptitiously watching him.  That he didn't like.  He continued to direct all his attention to the pie, hoping they would stop looking at him.

"Do you like the cherry pie?" Bree finally asked.

"Yeah, it's good."

"It's my favorite."

"I can see why."

"Auntie Rachel made it.  She makes the best pies," Bree informed Peter.

"Yeah, she's the best," Patrick agreed.

Peter went back to staring at his plate.  It was now mostly empty with just a few crumbs of his pie remaining.  He shoved them around the plate.

Bree looked at Patrick and gave a small shrug.  It wasn't easy getting this guy to talk.  She looked imploringly at Patrick willing him to speak up.

"Do you like sports?" Patrick asked.

Peter shrugged.  "I'm no good at sports."

"I love baseball," Patrick said.  "Maybe we could toss a ball around sometime."

"I'd probably just drop it," Peter mumbled.

"You need to practise," Bree said confidently.

"Do you play baseball too?" Patrick asked.

"Patrick tried to teach me, but I wasn't very good at it."

"That will probably be my fate too," Peter grumbled.

"Bree's a really good soccer player," Patrick stated.  Bree smiled at him.  "Maybe she could teach you that ... if you're interested."

"I won't be good at that either," Peter said softly.

"You won't be good at anything if you don't try," Bree informed him.  She didn't like this defeatist attitude and she wasn't going to put up with it.

Patrick saw that Bree was getting angry.  He quickly spoke up.  "What are you interested in?  It doesn't have to be sports."

"I like your father's buildings," Peter said hesitantly.

"Yeah, he said that you were going to work with him this summer."

"I am."

"You'll get lots of joe jobs," Patrick chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked looking scared.

"He'll have you carrying stuff and going for coffee and all kinds of things."

"How do you know?"

"Been there, done that," Patrick laughed.

"You interned with your father?" Peter asked.

"Yep."

"And he made you do all the ... menial crap?"

"Yep."

"Shit!  So what will he make me do, if he treated his son that way?"

"He'll make you do exactly the same kind of stuff," Patrick said bluntly.  "And it wasn't so bad.  It taught me a lot about responsibility and following orders, and being part of a team.  I think it was good for me."

"I've never been part of a team," Peter admitted.

"And then he would teach me things about architecture and what he was building.  I'm sure he'll do the same with you."

"So ... it wasn't really bad?"

"No, it was good actually."

Bree had listened to all this.  She realized that Peter didn't think much of himself, and he thought even less of other people.  He expected the worst from everyone.  She wondered what kind of life he must have had in order to become like that.  She hoped they could get him to feel better about himself.

"Would you like to spend some time with Patrick and me this summer?" Bree asked.

"Really?"

"That's what I asked you," Bree said.

"Nobody ever wants to spend time with me."

"You may find things are a little different around here," Patrick supplied.

"But you have to meet us halfway," Bree added.  "We would like to spend some time with you, but only if you give us a chance."

"I guess I can do that," Peter said softly.  He could hardly believe they had asked him that.

"Peter, I think we better be heading home," Carl said as he stood up from the table.  "You finished with your pie?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go."

"It's great to have you here," Bobby said to the boy.  "I hope you'll learn to like it."

Peter nodded, but didn't answer.  Everything was happening so fast.  He wasn't sure about anything.

"You take tomorrow to get settled in," John said.  "We'll start work the following day.  Meet me here at the cottage at eight in the morning."

"Eight?" Peter asked.  "That's early."

"We usually start at seven.  I'm giving you a break for the first day."

Carl chuckled and Debbie elbowed him in the ribs.  "What?" he asked feigning innocence.

"Let's go, kiddo," Debbie said leading them to the door.

"I hope you'll like it here," Brian said trying to give his seal of approval to this new arrangement.  He hoped it was going to work for all of them.

 

*****

 

"Michael!" Ben called as he entered the log cabin.   There was no answer.  "Michael, for god sakes, I've been looking all over for you.  Are you here?"

"Upstairs," Michael grudgingly replied.

Ben ran up the stairs to find Michael pacing in their bedroom.

"How could she?" Michael demanded as Ben entered the room.

"How could she what?"

"Get another son without telling me!" Michael almost screamed.

"Debbie and Carl have lives of their own.  This has nothing to do with you," Ben said reasonably.

"How can you say that?  I'm her son.  She ... it's like she's replacing me," Michael whined.

"Michael, she's not replacing you.  Be reasonable."

"Reasonable?  Don't be ridiculous.  How can I be reasonable about a totally unreasonable situation?"

"Calm down, please."

"I'm going to ... to ... to..."

"You obviously don't know what to do, and neither do I.  We should sleep on this, and then think about what to do in the morning," Ben said hopefully.

"You expect me to sleep?  How can I possibly sleep?  We should go back to Pittsburgh.  Maybe this is all a bad dream."

"You can say that again," Ben mumbled.

"What am I going to do?" Michael said as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Things will look clearer in the morning," Ben said hopefully.

"No they won't."

"We could at least get ready for bed.  Take a shower," Ben said rubbing Michael's back.

Michael shook his head, but he leaned against his husband.  He wanted to beat the crap out of that kid, and then he would start on Debbie and Carl.  It was going to be a long sleepless night, so he might as well take a shower and try to wash away some of the anger and hurt.  Brian was building homes for strangers and his mother adopted a kid, all without him knowing.  Nobody told him anything anymore.  His life was going to crap, and it seemed like it was just going to get worse.

 

*****

 

“So what do you think?” Glen asked as he levered himself onto the bed.  He began to undress as did Alex.

“What do I think?  I think that if it wasn’t for the fact that this entire family is incredibly perceptive, that kid would have rabbited all the way to Pittsburgh,” Alex replied.

“Assuming the kid knows how to get to Pittsburgh, you’re right.”  Glen paused as he wiggled his way out of his jeans then he said, “I’ve been snooping.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Alex snarked which Glen ignored.  Glen counted to himself, 3-2-1.    “So what did you find out?”  Glen hid the smug grin on his face; Alex was so predictable.

“This family has a history of taking in strays and turning out wonderful human beings. And it all began with Debbie and Brian.  She provided a safe and loving environment when he was a troubled teenager.  She also gave Justin a safe haven when it all went south for him when he was bashed.”

“She’s a real earth mother,” Alex commented.

“Yes she is.  And apparently she took in Emmett when he found himself temporarily homeless.”

“And?”

“Well, Ben and Michael took Hunter off the streets then eventually adopted him.  Brian helped to turn the life around of a kid named Curtis and was instrumental in getting him adopted.  Then there’s Emmett and Drew who fostered a kid named Richie when his own parents kicked him out of their home because they couldn’t handle his lifestyle.  And Lindsay took in a teen named Candy when her own mother died.  Not to mention someone named Lacy that Brian and Justin helped to get off the street.”

“Wait a minute, didn’t we discuss Lacy.”

“Possibly.”

“She owns the Liberty Diner, and holy crap, I think Brian gave her the startup money.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me, and I suspect there’s probably more lost sheep that Brian, John, and Hunter saved connected with the Kemp Center and the Farm.”

“How the hell did you find out all this stuff?”

“It helps that I’m cute and very persuasive.”

“Yeah, yeah, and I thought I was the psychiatrist,” Alex said scrubbing at his face as he got into bed.

“I have an idea,” Glen said after a while.

“This ought to be good,” Alex murmured. 

Glen lightly popped Alex in the arm.  “Tomorrow we go take that tour of our new dream home.  We bring the kid with us to take notes.”

“Take notes?”

“Hey, who’s the Mister Susie Homemaker in this relationship whose personal mantra is a place for everything and everything in its place?”

“I like things tidy, so sue me,” Alex said while trying to decide whether he should be insulted or not.

“Tidy?  Tidy?  I’ve known dust bunnies to flee in abject fear when you take out the vacuum.”

“You know, exaggeration isn’t a very attractive trait.”

“You love me anyway,” Glen said as he made a kissy face at Alex.

“Yes I do; now back to your plan.”  Alex reciprocated by making his own kissy face at Glen.

“As I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted, we go through each room.  We have the kid jot down notes as we nitpick through the cottage for things to change, paint, and personalize.  Then we find out if we can hire the kid to do the work, under John’s guidance of course.”

“Of course.  And this is your plan.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Well, I expected something with more enthusiasm,” Alex stated.  “Something complex with plans within plans.”

“You’re quoting Dune?”  Glen gave Alex an incredulous look.  Alex shrugged.  “I’m too tired to be creative.  I’m not used to all this fresh air.  Where’s all the exhaust fumes and smog?  My lungs can’t take inhaling air that’s not laden with pollutants.”

“Are you sure you want to live out here?”

“Yes, I’m sure, and quit asking me that.  I’m just bitching because…”

“You’re tired, I get that.  Babe, all kidding aside, do you need to see a doctor?” Alex asked with concern.

“You are a doctor,” Glen snarked as he reached out to hold Alex’s hand.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes I do, and I saw my doctor just before we left Pittsburgh.”

“Please tell me it’s nothing serious,” Alex said as he cuddled close drawing Glen into his arms.

“I’m a little anemic, that’s all.  You know I have to watch what I eat and keep to the schedule,” Glen said with a deep sigh.

“I know, Babe, I know.”

“My doctor actually approves of our little retreat out here.  He recommends plenty of sun and sticking to my diet and regime.  I’ve been cheating a little.”

“And I haven’t been helping by accepting Brian’s dinner invitations.”

“Oh please, like I can’t say no.  And if you haven’t noticed I do watch what I eat when we accept Brian’s invitations.  I’m a big boy, Alex.  I take full responsibility for my actions.”

“Okay, okay.  I’ll shut up now.  But I love you so much that it hurts sometimes,” Alex whispered.  “I’d die if anything happened to you.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, especially with you as my personal watchdog.  Speaking about watchdogs, do those wolves have full run of every home out here?”  Alex chuckled as he tightened his grip on Glen.  Beau and his family had been taking advantage of the doggie door that had been installed into the back door of the B&B.  The boys had been instructed to keep bowls of water around and each home on the lane had a supply of John approved dog treats.

“As far as I know those dogs do have full reign of the lane and some of the surrounding countryside.  So get used to it.”

“Yes, sir,” Glen said with a yawn.

“Sleep, no arguments.”  Alex peppered Glen’s cheek with light kisses.

“No arguments.  And I love you too, doc.”

The boys snuggled and drifted asleep.

 

*****

 

“So what do you think?” Brian asked as he gently ran a soapy puff over Justin’s creamy white shoulders.  The boys were taking a leisurely shower before bed.

“About what?”

“Debbie’s latest project.”

“Peter is not a project,” Justin scolded. 

Unrepentant, Brian’s hand made lazy circles with the puff as he it moved down Justin’s back.  “I stand corrected,” Brian quipped.

“You certainly do,” Justin teased well aware of Brian’s stand up condition poking his ass.  Justin turned, taking the puff out of Brian’s hand.  He kissed Brian’s lips then began to run the puff down Brian’s chest.

 “And I think if there’s anyone who can provide a loving home to that boy it’s Debbie.”

“That she can.”

“Be nice.”

“I’m always nice,” Brian replied with innocent eyes.

“Sure you are.  If Debbie could get through your thick skull, she can certainly get through to Peter,” Justin said looking up with his own innocent blue eyes.  That remark got him a smack to his still pert rear.

Justin dropped the puff then leaned up on his toes to kiss Brian.  “Take me to bed,” Justin commanded.

“Bossy bottom,” Brian said as he reached around Justin to turn off the water after they had rinsed off. 

They dried themselves with soft fluffy towels then went to bed.

 

*****

 

“I think we need another shower,” Brian murmured against Justin’s lips when they finally came up for air.

“I like the way you smell,” Justin whispered as he nibbled his husband’s lips.

“You’re so weird,” Brian said with a grin as they continued to kiss.

“Do you think Peter will be okay?” Justin asked with genuine concern.

“I’m sure he will be.  Debbie will see to it.  I think Bree has plans for him.  And then there’s the Silver Fox.  I have no doubt Alex will be involved whether he likes it or not.  Now are we done talking about the kid?”

“I think so, why?” Justin asked.

Brian arched a brow, grinned then slowly rolled onto his belly.

 

“Yee haw!” Justin quietly crowed.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 4

 

 

  

“Knock, knock!” Alex called out as he and Glen entered the front door of Brian’s end of the conjoined cottages.

“Kitchen,” Brian replied.  He was at the stove flipping pancakes and closely monitoring turkey sausage patties.  “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Famished but are you sure you have enough?” Glen asked as he wheeled himself around to settle near the table.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Glen.  Daddy says that Dada cooks enough to feed an army!” Bree stated. 

She was sitting at the counter watching her father man the stove.  Brian turned, grabbed the mixing spoon from the pancake batter and lightly tapped the business end of the spoon on the tip of Bree’s nose.  Bree giggled with delight as she wiped off the batter.

“Silly Dada!” 

The men smiled at their antics.

“Where is everyone?” Alex asked.  The only ones at the kitchen table were John and Peter.  The school year was winding down so Peter had several days off for finals.

“Debbie and Carl were still asleep when John came to get me,” Peter said hesitantly.

“Patrick had a test today so Bobby dropped him off at school on his way to the office,” John added.

“I don’t have any tests today!” Bree added with a smile.

“And your Daddy?” Glen asked Bree.

“Justin had some business at the Gallery so he left early for the Pitts,” Brian explained as he turned off the stove then grabbed the platters of pancakes and sausage to bring to the table.  John helped with the coffee, tea, and fresh blueberries for the pancakes.

“Eat up, people,” Brian commanded.

“So what’s the plan?” Alex asked as John poured him a mugful of fresh coffee.

“How high is the wheel base of your van?” John asked.

“Almost as high as your Navigator, why?” Alex replied.

“You follow me to your new cottage.  Drive to the end of our driveway then follow us through the meadow.  The soil is firm and the grass isn’t too high,” John explained.

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Glen stated.  “I thought the driveway would be dry by now?”

“It is but I just want to make sure.  I’ll test it with my truck and then it’ll be all yours.  The circular drive has been handling our trucks so I know it’s wide enough and strong enough to handle your van,” John went on.  “Peter and I will go through the cottage with you.  As I inspect the work, Peter will take notes.  He’ll also carry a book of paint colors and wallpaper samples.  When we’re done going through the cottage we can sit in your new kitchen and discuss any changes you may want to make.”

Alex and Glen stared at John for a moment.  They had only met John the enthusiastic builder and not John the businessman.  Peter wasn’t quite sure what he had gotten himself into.  Brian and Bree just smiled.

“Um, I have a question,” Peter said with hesitation.  He caught himself about to raise his hand as if he was in school.  Alex and Glen looked at the boy as John nodded.  “It’s a brand new house, how can we sit in the kitchen without furniture?”

Alex and Glen shifted their gaze to John.  Brian hid a snicker.  The boy was sharp.

“Good question.  My crew took the construction of this cottage as a challenge.  We designed everything on one level; the cabinets are wheelchair accessible, and we installed a breakfast nook with a built in bench on one side of the table and room for the wheelchair on the other.  So we’ll have a place to sit.”

Alex and Glen exchanged a look.

“Coffee?” Brian asked as he held up the carafe with a smirk on his face.

 

*****

 

John drove the Navigator toward the latest cottage to join the ranks of the homes on the lane.  In his truck sat Bree, Brian and Peter.  They were closely followed by Alex and Glen in their specially outfitted van.  When they approached the circular drive, John purposefully drove onto the driveway then slowly led Alex and Glen around the cottage.  When they stopped, the van was situated by the front door.

“You did that on purpose,” Peter commented from the passenger seat next to John.

“Yes, I did,” John confirmed.

“Why?”

“For several reasons,” John began.

“Like a good businessman, he wanted to show his clients the finished product starting with the unusual and yet stylish driveway,” said Brian the businessman.

“And because with the sun hitting the cottage at this angle, it’s very pretty,” supplied Bree the budding artist and advertising agent.

“You did it for the drama?” Peter asked.  He was a little confused.  He thought a building was just a building.

“You’ll learn that in some businesses, a little drama goes a long way,” John replied.

“Hey!  Are you people going to sit there all morning?  Where’s the key to this joint,” Glen shouted as his lift deposited him and his chair onto the pavement.  Alex just stood there shaking his head.

“Please forgive him, it appears he left his manners back in Pittsburgh,” Alex said making an attempt at an apology.

“I have the key right here but you really don’t need it,” John said as he led the procession to the front door.  “It’s open,” John said as he turned the knob on the door then gave it a little push.  The door swung open to reveal a spacious entryway that led to the main living room.

“Don’t you people ever have to lock your doors around here?” Glen grumbled as he wheeled himself in.

At that moment Beau and his pack appeared at the front door happily barking and yipping, asking permission to enter the new home that they would guard.

Glen turned his chair around and stared at the “wolves.”  “I guess not,” he said answering his own question.  He looked down at his lap for a moment then sighed.  “I suppose I should be formally introduced before we go on with the tour,” Glen conceded. 

Peter had yet to meet Beau and his pack.  Not ever having a pet growing up, he stood well back and watched with large eyes.

“Just hold out your hand and let them take a good sniff,” John said.  Glen slowly extended his hand.  “Beau, come and meet our new neighbors,” John told the dog.

Without hesitation Beau walked up to Glen.  Brian could swear that Beau puffed himself up to his full height and while looking friendly, he certainly appeared to be able to take down a bear.  Beau took a good sniff then examined Glen’s chair.  He stood in front of Glen seemingly in contemplation.

“Is he trying to decide if I’d make a tasty snack?” Glen asked.

“I honestly don’t know what he’s doing,” John said.  “He’s never met anyone that used wheels to get around.”

“Hmm.  So I’m a bit of a puzzle to him?” Glen wondered.

“You’re always a bit of a puzzle,” Alex murmured. 

Bree heard him and giggled then she turned to the large dog.  “Beau, say hello to Mr. Glen,” she said as she threw her arms around Beau’s neck.  The large dog took the embrace with grace and gave the petite girl a lick on her cheek. 

Beau sat directly in front of Glen.  He lifted one great paw then gently placed it in Glen’s outstretched hand.  Glen took in a deep gulp of air as he realized the power in that paw and in Beau.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Beau,” Glen said bravely.  “Would you introduce me to your pack?”  John made a couple of clicks with his tongue.  Lady Lucie walked up to Glen.

“You’re beautiful,” Glen commented as he extended his hand toward the golden shepherd.  She took a good sniff then gently laid her head in Glen’s lap.  He couldn’t help petting the soft fur.  “Oh my god, I’ve never been this close to a wolf before.”

“Oh Mr. Glen, she’s a dog,” Bree explained.  But she knew that most people thought Beau and his family were wolves.

John made another click and in trotted Little Beau.  He had grown up strong and just as powerful as his sire and perhaps just a little taller.  But Little Beau knew who the boss of the lane was.

Little Beau made a soft whine and pleaded with large dark eyes.  Glen smiled.  “Well, come here,” Glen beckoned.  Little Beau barreled his way through the crowd then unceremoniously lifted himself on his hind legs, placing his front paws on each shoulder then giving Glen’s face a good washing.  Everyone laughed as Glen sputtered under Little Beau’s ministrations.

“I guess that’s that,” Alex said.  “John, while Glen gets acquainted with his new friend, would you mind giving me the tour?”

“Not at all,” John said with a chuckle as he led them to the airy living room.  The far wall held the main feature of the room, a large fireplace with large bookcases on each side.

“Hey, are you all going to leave me alone with this beast?” Glen shouted as Little Beau continued to welcome his new neighbor in the only manner he knew how.  Everyone laughed at Glen’s dilemma then after a few moments, Glen laughed heartily as well.  Alex looked over at his spouse and smiled.  Glen was relaxed and happy; it melted Alex’s heart.

“This is beautiful,” Alex stated as he turned his attention back to the fireplace and ran his hand across one of the shelves.  They were stained wood then varnished to a high gloss finish that brought out the hues of the grain.  “I don’t think we’ll change anything about the fireplace.  It’s perfect.  Don’t you agree, Glen?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, sure.  Get down, you wolf,” Glen grumbled as he tried to push the dog off.  “I could use a little help here!”

“I think you’re doing just fine all on your own,” Alex casually called out.  He then turned his attention back to the task at hand.  “I know we said we liked the whitewash but now that I see this room with all this light coming in, the white is too bright.  Could we tone it down a bit?”

“Of course,” John said as he indicated to Peter to join them.  Peter circumvented the dogs, who took up a large portion of the entryway, to join Alex and John.  He had his notebook and the samples.  He handed the paint samples to Alex.

While Alex was talking shop with John, Brian and Bree took a look at the sun room.  They both agreed that some easy to care for greenery was needed to bring a bit of nature inside.  They left by the sun room door to check on the window boxes.  As they continued to talk plants, Glen extricated himself from Little Beau to join the tour.

“I’m going to need a shower,” Glen muttered as he wiped his face with his t-shirt.  “Yuck, I smell like a dog.  Dog germs!”

“Quit bitching, you sound like Lucy from Peanuts,” Alex admonished.

“Yeah, well you’re not the one who got slobbered.  And I agree to toning down the white.  Even with curtains this room will be bright.  I have no intentions of obscuring that view with heavy drapes,” Glen commented.

Peter was amazed that Glen could even follow the conversation let alone have the same opinion as his partner.  He never met anyone so in tune with another person before.  He hadn’t known the people of the lane for very long but he knew that John and Bobby, and Brian and Justin, were the same.  Debbie and Carl were almost the same even when their opinions often differed and very loudly, but they respected each other.  What little Peter remembered of his mother, she and his father were always at odds.  Peter never saw any displays of love.

“Bathroom,” Glen announced.  John and Alex smirked.  “Oh ha ha, no I don’t have to go.  I want to see it.”

“Only yanking your chain, dear,” Alex teased.

Once again John led the guys to show off his handiwork.

 “Wow!” both Alex and Glen exclaimed.  The bathroom had a walk in shower with a specially fitted door and rubberized lip on the floor that allowed the chair to easily roll in but not let water out.  There was a built in shower bench that Glen could transfer to.

“Try it out,” John urged.  Glen looked at Alex who merely shrugged his shoulders. 

Peter was about to ask how Glen could get from his wheelchair and onto the bench.  But by the time he worked up the courage to ask the question, Glen had already transferred himself onto the bench all by himself.

“Can he redo the bathroom in our apartment?” Glen asked Alex. 

Alex chuckled.  “Ask him.”

“John, can you…?” 

John laughed.  “Of course.  I have a crew in the city that’s at your disposal,” John said.  “As you can see there are two showerheads, each with a detachable handheld shower.”  As the boys were oooing and ahhing about the bathroom, John kept up his running commentary.  “We considered making this an ensuite bathroom but the major plumbing and water tank is on this side of the cottage.  The mud room and laundry room are on the other side of this wall.  The kitchen has a separate and smaller tank,” John explained.

“Besides, not many people are comfortable walking through someone’s bedroom to get to the bathroom,” Brian interjected as he walked into the huge room.  “This reminds me of the loft,” he remarked as he looked around.

“Actually I did incorporate many of its features,” John admitted with a slight blush.  Brian arched a brow.  John cleared his throat before he said, “Are you ready to see the bedroom?”  Glen transferred himself back to his chair and was out the door in a flash.

“Oh didn’t I mention, Glen fancies himself the Mario Andretti of the self-propelled,” Alex snarked.

“I heard that!” Glen shouted from the bedroom.  The only furniture in the room was a huge built in platform bed.  Brian glared at John who smirked back with a shrug.

“Whoa,” the boys once again said in unison.

“Is there a mattress?”  Glen asked as he rolled toward the bed.  “There is, how convenient.”  A brand new mattress was on the bed still wrapped in plastic.

“I gave John your specifications,” Alex stated with a wink.

“Uh huh,” Glen murmured as he narrowed his eyes.

“Try it out,” John suggested as Alex roamed the room and peeked into the walk-in closet.  “We can set you up with furniture.  I have catalogs back at the cottage.”

“Mmm,” both men mumbled.

Peter’s eyes nearly bugged out as he watched Glen transfer from his chair to the bed.  He tried not to stare but he noticed the muscles on Glen’s upper body.  

“Kitchen?” Alex said as he left the room.  John and Brian followed leaving Peter and Glen alone.

“You can ask,” Glen said.

“What?”

“You can ask me about my accident or how I exercise.  You can ask me anything.”

“I, uh...”

“Or you can wait until you know me better.  Alex and I are spending the summer here so we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

“Um, okay.  Thanks,” Peter said with a blush to his cheeks.

Glen wheeled himself out of the room before he embarrassed the boy more.

About an hour later they were all back at the conjoined cottage enjoying coffee and tea, and perusing catalogs.  Meanwhile down the lane, Michael was stomping his way into Debbie’s cottage.

 

*****

 

"Maw!" Michael screeched as he slammed the front door of the thatched cottage behind him.  "Maw!" he repeated.

"What the fuck?" Debbie sputtered, almost spewing her mouthful of coffee.  She had been sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a late morning cup of coffee.  "What the fuck are you screaming about?"  she demanded to know, when she was finally able to swallow her coffee.

"I'm screaming about you and that ... that ... that stupid kid that you claim is yours," Michael yelled.

"He's not a stupid kid," Debbie replied trying to stay calm and bring things back to normal.  "And his name is Peter and I don't claim him.  I'm merely fostering him."

"Without consulting me!"

"I don't have to consult you about everything I do, Michael.  I may not look like I am of age, but I am," Debbie stated sitting up straight and toying with her hair, while trying not to smirk at her own joke.

"I'm your son, Maw, not that stupid little shit!  Me.  I'm your son in case you've forgotten."

"Of course you're my son, and I haven't forgotten, even when you're acting like a complete asshole.  You have to fucking stop calling Peter stupid."

"I'll call him whatever I want, until you get rid of him."

"Then you better leave, Michael, because I'm not getting rid of Peter."

"So ... what?  You'll get rid of me instead?" Michael asked, his eyes big with incredulity.

"I don't want to get rid of either of you," Debbie said gently, "so don't ask me to choose."

"Are you saying you would choose that kid over your own son?"

"I'm saying that I won't fucking choose at all.  Grow up, Michael."

"I am a grown up.  Too bad you're not."  Michael turned on his heel and stomped out of the house slamming the door definitively behind him.

"Michael!  Michael, you come back here," Debbie commanded, but it was too late.  Michael was gone.

Debbie shook her head.  How had she created such a rigid and unforgiving son?  Most of the time her boy was a sweet, gentle man.  And then he turned into the argumentative, judgmental ass who just left.

She picked up her phone and hit #1 on the speed dial.

"What's up, babe?" Carl asked when he answered.

"Can you come home?  I need you?"

Carl frowned, but he didn't question his wife.  He made his excuses to Frank Thompson, his pool partner, and headed home.  Debbie didn't often ask for help, but when she did it had to be something important.

 

*****

 

Michael stomped into the log cabin and threw himself down on the sofa in the living room.  He crossed his arms on his chest and stared at the window across the room.  His world really was falling apart.  He couldn't believe what was happening.  He had come to the lane hoping to spend the whole summer with his husband and his best friend, having a calm and relaxing time.  What the hell had happened in the last few months?  Everything had changed.  And there was nothing good about any of the changes.

"Michael?" Ben said as he came down the stairs.  "I thought I heard the door close."  He got a look at his husband's face as he arrived at the bottom of the steps.  He shook his head, trying to quash the sudden urge to flee back to Pittsburgh.  He drew in a deep breath.  "What happened?" he finally asked.

Michael didn't even acknowledge that he had been spoke to.  He continued to stare out the window, his face clearly reflecting the anger and frustration that he was feeling.

"I take it that your visit with Debbie didn't go well," Ben ventured to say.

"Well!  It certainly didn't go well.  It was a fucking disaster.  She basically told me that she would choose that stupid little twit she's adopted ... over me!  Over her own son!"

"Michael, are those your words or hers?" Ben asked.  He could almost imagine the confrontation between the two.  It would be his husband who would be giving the ultimatums.

"Sure, stick up for her!  Why should I expect anything else?  Everyone on this lane has lost their fucking mind.  I feel like a total outsider."

"You're not an outsider," Ben said gently. 

He sat down on the sofa beside Michael and tried to put his arm around Michael's shoulders to comfort him.  Michael was having none of it.  He shook off Ben's hand and got up.  He began pacing back and forth in front of his husband.

"How can this be happening?" Michael muttered to no one in particular.  "What have I done to deserve this?  Everyone's treating me like I'm not important.  I have no say in anything - even in the most important things - like adopting a fucking child."

"Debbie isn't adopting Peter," Ben reminded his husband.  "She's fostering him for a few years.  There's a big difference."

"Well I don't see the difference.  It's like having a brother sprung on me, a brother that I never knew existed.  How can she do that?"

"Debbie isn't asking you to be part of Peter's life, Michael.  She and Carl are merely helping the young man."

"Fuck!" Michael yelled.  "Even you won't support me.  I have to get out of here."

Michael turned towards the front door of the cabin and headed for it as quickly as his feet could move without running.

"Michael, wait," Ben said standing up.

"Leave me the fuck alone.  I don't want to talk to any of you."

Michael gave the door to their cabin a resounding slam before hoofing it up the lane as fast as he could walk.  'Nobody better follow me or talk to me," he thought to himself.  If they did there would be hell to pay.

Ben stepped out onto the porch to see where Michael was going.  He watched his husband storm along the lane.  He debated following him, but it didn't seem like that would accomplish much, other than making Michael even madder.  Ben went back into the house.  He had a good book that he wanted to read.

 

*****

 

When Carl arrived home, he found Debbie sitting at the kitchen table.  She hadn't moved since she called him.

"Debbie," Carl said gently as he approached her.

She stood up and threw herself into his arms.

"Debbie, honey, what the hell happened?" Carl asked as he held her.

"It ... It's Michael," Debbie managed to choke out.  She was rather unsuccessfully trying to keep from weeping hysterically.  She couldn't remember a time when she had been so hurt.  Her son's words had cut to the quick.

"What did Michael do?"

Debbie drew a breath and wiped her eyes.  She thought maybe she could be calm enough to tell Carl all about it.  "Let's sit down she said.  Taking another long breath, she began, "Michael came storming in here.  He said I had no right to take on that 'stupid kid' as he called Peter.  He as much as told me that I had to choose between him or Peter."

"What does this have to do with him anyway?" Carl asked.

"I told him that it didn't have anything to do with him, but he wouldn't see reason."

Carl reached across the table and took Debbie's hand, rubbing the back of it gently.  "He does get his tighty whiteys all twisted, doesn't he?"

"He was really freaked out, and he yelled and slammed the door.  I've never seen him this upset.  And I have seen him pretty upset over the years."

"Maybe he'll calm down and come to his senses."

Debbie shook her head.  "I don't think that's fucking likely."

"Want me to beat him up for you?" Carl asked with a crooked smile.

Debbie had to return the smile.  "Yes," she said.

"Good, I'll get my boxing gloves," Carl replied starting to stand up.

Debbie tugged his hand making him sit back down.  "Don't be silly.  You don't even own boxing gloves."

"I could get some."

Debbie chuckled.  "I'd sell tickets for that fight, but it's not going to happen."

"I know, but the concept did help to cheer you up."

"It did.  That's why I called you."

"And that's why I came."

"Thank you for coming home so fast," Debbie said rubbing Carl's arm as they comforted each other.

"Any time, babe, any time."

 

*****

 

Michael sat down hard on the big thinking rock by the stream.  "Ow," he said as he rubbed his butt to relieve the pain.  "I can't even sit down on a rock properly.  No wonder everyone cuts me out of everything.  I'm pathetic."  He shook his head and stared at the stream.

Bree watched from the edge of the clearing.  She had seen her Uncle Michael go charging by while she was drawing in the sun porch.  She had quickly put her pencils away and followed him, worried by the thunderclouds that seemed to be swirling around him.

She waited as the anger seemed to be seeping away from her uncle.  He seemed more sad now than ready to kill someone.  Bree wondered if she should say something.  All he could do would be to tell her to get lost, and she would, if that's what he really wanted.

"Uncle Michael?" she said stepping into the clearing and hoping not to get yelled at.

"Go away," Michael snapped without looking around.

"Are you okay?"

"Go away," Michael repeated, but there wasn't much conviction in his voice.

"I will as soon as you tell me what's wrong."

"Bree..."

"That's me."

"I guess I did something bad."

"What?" Bree asked.  She had walked closer and now planted her hind end on the rock beside Michael.

"I yelled at Maw."

"You shouldn't yell at your mother."

"I know," Michael sighed, "but I was so angry."

"Angry about what?"

"She took in that kid without even telling me."

"You mean Peter?  He's only been here a little while.  Why did that make you angry?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I bet I can figure it out."

"You can, huh?"

"Yep.  You were hurt she didn't talk to you about it."

Michael turned and looked at her.  How had she figured it out so fast.  "Yeah," he conceded.

"She thought she was doing the right thing," Bree said knowledgeably.  "Peter needs help."

"I guess so, but..."

"But what?"

"It's like nobody tells me anything.  Your dad didn't tell me he was building a cottage for those ... guys."

"My Dada doesn't have to tell everyone everything.  You haven't been here for ages, Uncle Michael.  Nobody thought you would care."

Michael studied the girl.  She was really growing up, and she was awfully smart, as she had just shown.  "I suppose that's true."

"Nobody meant to hurt your feelings. so I hope you won't be upset anymore."  She waited hoping Michael would agree with her.  When he said nothing, she finally said, "Do you feel better?"

"A little ... maybe."

 

"Good.  I'll leave you alone now."  Bree slid off the rock and started across the clearing.  She hoped she had been of help to her uncle.  He certainly seemed less upset than he was when she had found him.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 5

 

 

  

“Deb?”  Peter quietly came into the kitchen.  Debbie was at the stove cooking dinner. 

“Hiya, Honey.  If you’re hungry and can’t wait till dinner there’s cut up veggies on the table,” Debbie said as she pointed to the bowl on the kitchen table.  Peter reached over to snatch up a carrot.  He sat at the table to watch Debbie work.  “What is it, Sweetie?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No, of course not.  Why would you think that?  Do you want to leave?  Aren’t you happy here?  Don’t you like your room?”  Debbie bombarded him with questions while she looked at him with large shocked eyes.

“I love it here,” Peter mumbled in his chair looking very dejected.  “I haven’t been here that long but it’s nice and quiet and you and Carl have been really nice to me.”

“Then why would you want to leave?”

“Because Michael…”

“Did that little asshole say anything to you?” Debbie shouted, bringing Carl into the kitchen.

“Whoa!  Let’s take a breath here,” Carl commanded as he stood in between them.  “What’s the problem?  Quietly,” he said giving his wife a poignant look.

“Peter thinks we want him to leave,” Debbie sadly said.

“And why do you think we want you to leave?” Carl calmly asked Peter.

“I don’t want any trouble and me being here is causing trouble,” Peter said.

“Trouble for whom?” Carl asked as he took a chair and sat directly in front of the boy.

“For Debbie and Michael,” Peter replied.

“Ignoring Michael for the moment, does Debbie want you to leave?”  Carl turned his head to look at his wife. 

She shook her head no.  “I really want you here with us, Peter,” Debbie said quietly, following her husband’s example.  She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully.   “You’re a good kid, Sweetheart.  And you deserve a chance at a good life.  If Carl and I can help give you that life then that’s what we’ll do,” she said as she held out her hand to her husband.  Carl took it, showing Peter a united front.

“I know that Michael can be difficult.  He’s always been that way, especially when it came to Brian and his choices.  Until Michael and Ben became a couple, it was only me and him.  I know he gets very jealous of anything or anyone that he thinks is coming between us.  He doesn’t realize that nothing will ever change the way I love him.”  Debbie stopped to take a breath.  “Peter, we really haven’t known each other for very long and a lot of things have happened recently to turn your world upside down.  But I’ve never lied to you.  We want you here.  John really wants you to be his intern for the summer.  I’ve known him for a long time; he’s one of the most honest and caring men I’ve ever known.  He told me he sees a lot of potential in your drawings and thinks you’d make a fine architect someday.”

“Did Patrick tell you that he’d like to follow in his father’s footsteps?” Carl asked Peter.  Peter shook his head.  “Ask him about it.  Patrick followed John around just as you’re going to do now.  Although from what I hear, Patrick likes the building side of the business.  Both are equally important.”

“Now no more talk about you leaving us,” Debbie said with a pout as she stood and pointed a sharp red nail-polished finger in Peter’s face.  “You understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Peter said with a shy smile.

“Good, now go wash up then set the table,” she said as she made shooing motions with her hands.  “You too!” she added looking at Carl.

“Yes ma’am,” Carl said with a smile as he followed the boy.

“Well, all right,” Debbie murmured as she returned to her stove.  “And no more of this nonsense about anyone leaving,” she informed the pot and all the other pans and utensils around her.

 

*****

 

“Um, hello!” Peter called out as he slowly opened the door of the new cottage.  Alex and Glen’s furniture hadn’t arrived yet so they were still staying at the B&B, but they were spending their time in the new cottage making it their home.

“Bedroom!” Glen called out.  Peter slowly shuffled in.  “Hey, kid, how’s it going?”  Glen had a bunch of paint samples in his hand.  He was holding them against the bed and then the walls.

“I’m not too sure,” Peter admitted.  “What are you doing?”

“Alex and I decorated our apartment so long ago that I’ve forgotten how tedious and frustrating it can be.”

“So why do it?  And why move all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“Because I love Alex,” Glen said with a beatific smile.  “Because when he told me about this place he had a look on his face that I haven’t seen in a long time.  We needed to do this.”  Glen maneuvered his wheelchair closer to Peter. “Do you know what Alex and I do for a living?”  Peter shrugged his shoulders.  He had heard they were both some kind of therapist or counselor.  Peter had seen enough of them in school.  “Alex is a psychiatrist and I do double duty as a physical therapist and psychologist.”

“How can you be a…” Peter started then stopped himself.

“A physical therapist while in this chair?”  Peter nodded.  He could feel his face getting red.  “I specialize in neurological injuries.  Do you know what that means?”  Peter nodded again.  “Who better than another paraplegic to know what goes on in the head of someone that suffered neuro injuries?  As a physical therapist I teach the wheelchair bound person how to cope on their own or with as little help from others as possible.  As a psychologist, I know when that person is mentally ready to participate in therapy, physical or otherwise.”

“I guess that makes sense.  And Alex?”

“My dear Alex is a genuine shrink,” Glen laughed.

“A psychiatrist?”

“Yup.”

“But he doesn’t act like a psychiatrist.”

“And what does a psychiatrist act like?” Glen asked as he finally made a decision on the perfect shade of sage for the bedroom walls.

“Um, always asking questions like 'why do you hate your mother',” Peter replied.  Glen laughed again.

“They only do that on TV.  Alex and I have stressful careers.  Not the physical kind of stress like a construction worker would have, but the mental kind.  That’s why we take time for ourselves every summer.”

“Do you talk about your patients or clients, whatever you call them?”

“Nope, not unless we’re consulting on the same patient.”

“Why?”

“Many reasons, some of them are legal but the main reason is patient confidentiality.  My clients trust me to not discuss their personal problems with anyone.  That includes my husband the shrink.  The same goes for him.  That also means that whatever you discuss with either him or me we will not talk about unless you give us permission.”

“Huh,” Peter murmured. 

“So what do you think of this color for the wall behind the bed?”  It was a vibrant shade of teal.  Peter wrinkled his nose.  Glen stared at the sage and teal together.  “Yeah, too queenie,” Glen agreed then flung the sample card over his shoulder.

“Do you have to put another color back there?” Peter looked at the plain white wall.

“No, but four walls the same color is boring.  And I am far from boring,” Glen declared.  Peter tried to hide a laugh.  “Go ahead, laugh away.  Don’t you know that suppressing a laugh can be very dangerous for you?  It’s like trying to hold back a sneeze, you’re risking blowing the top of your head right off,” Glen stated with conviction.

Peter stared at the strange man for a moment, as he felt a real laugh bubble up from somewhere deep down inside.  When it erupted Glen was treated to a boy really having a good time.  Maybe one of the only real good times the kid had ever experienced in his short life.

“Maybe this color,” Glen said as he held up a pale lavender sample.  Peter nodded as he continued to laugh.

 

*****     

 

“So this is what the Silver Fox looks like when he’s basking in the sun,” Brian said as he walked into the yard of the B&B.  He was carrying several flats of flowering annuals to plant in the fancy urns that lined the back of the yard.  Alex was sunning himself on one of the lounges in the yard. 

“Are you wearing sunscreen?” Brian asked as he put various color groupings together.  He’d stare at the groupings then remove a plant and add another.

“Yes, mother, I am,” Alex replied from behind dark glasses.  He stretched himself out on the lounger as Brian picked up a small shovel to prepare the soil and start planting.  “You really are the gardener around here, aren’t you?”

“And this surprises you?” Brian asked as he looked up and arched a brow.

“No not really.  I know this intellectually in my head but it’s just not registering with the Brian Kinney I knew at Woody’s or the man I saw at the baths fucking anything passable.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“Not that long ago, and from the well fucked look in Justin’s eyes, your moniker still applies.”

“I have skills,” Brian casually stated as he moved on to another planter.

“You do have an eye for color,” Alex said as he sat up straight to watch Brian arrange the flowers and greenery.

“I should hope so or I picked the wrong career path.”

“You know what I mean.”

“How’s it going with the new domicile?” Brian asked successfully changing the subject.

“The furniture should be delivered in a few days.  I’d like to have the painting done before it gets here.”

“I’m sure John will take care of it.  And we can store the furniture here until the cottage is ready.  We can always hire people to move your stuff when the paint dries.”

“So we don’t have to move our own stuff?”

“And risk throwing my back out?  Hell no!  I have conjugal obligations to my husband to protect.”  Brian smirked at Alex.

“And yet you keep digging in your garden.”

Brian stood up, brushed the dirt from his pants then came over to sit next to his friend.

“Working out here, feeling the soil, touching soft petals, smelling the scent of the earth, it relaxes me.  It allows me to take a short break from Brian the adman, Brian the father, and Brian the husband.  I’m careful.  I don’t push it; I’m in no rush.  And I like the results.”

“I do too.  This world you’ve created out here, it is magical.  And if we’re lucky, it’ll work some magic on that kid Debbie and Carl took in.  The world has only showed him the bad side of life.  Being out here will show him the good.”

“For Debbie’s sake and the kid’s, I hope so.”

“But Brian, remember, you can’t help everyone.  As much as you try, and with all your successes, not everyone wants to be helped.  Just keep that in mind.  I don’t want you disappointed if it doesn’t work out with Peter.”

Brian nodded in understanding.  He then stood to return to his planting.

“I have bottled water.  Can I get you one?  The sun is hot today,” Alex asked as he looked up to the cloudless sky.

“Thanks,” Brian called out as Alex went into the B&B to get the water.  “Oh by the way, Gus is coming here for a few days.  He should be home in time for dinner.  He wants to see the new addition to the lane,” Brian said when Alex returned with two bottles of water.

“The cottage?” Alex asked.

“The kid.”

 

*****

 

The family were on John’s side of the conjoined cottages.  It was their turn to cook dinner.  Bobby was at the stove while John was making a large salad.  Patrick and Bree were setting one of the tables in the sun porch.  The only guests were the new guys on the block.

They were just about ready to sit down when the front door on Brian’s side opened and shut with a decisive bang.

“Hey, easy with that door,” Brian called out.  “Your uncle worked hard on it.”  Brian was beaming a smile.

“Sorry, Pop!” Gus called out as he dropped his duffle bag on the floor with a thud.

“Ya hungry?” Brian loudly asked as he heard Gus’ size twelves walk down the hall toward the porch.  He stood to greet his son as did the other Kinney men.

“Starving!” Gus confirmed as he confidently strode into the porch.

“Pop!”  Gus met his father halfway.  The Kinney men hugged as Brian bussed his son’s cheek.  John was up and over to Gus in a flash, as was Patrick.  As they turned to join the rest of the family, Glen looked up at the look-a-like quartet.

“Holy Homo!  I have just seen the face of god and he’s a quadruplet!”

"Guuuuuusssss!" came the familiar cry as Bree bolted through the house and flung herself at her brother.  Even though Bree was petite, she was growing up.  She hit Gus with enough force to almost knock him off his feet.  Brian steadied them both.

"Easy, Squirt," he cautioned his daughter.

"I haven't seen Gus in forever," she told her father.  "I missed you so much, Gus."  She hugged him even harder.

"You saw me at the wedding and you're going to crack my ribs," Gus joked.  "You're getting so strong.  I thought you were becoming a young lady," Gus teased.

"I am a young lady," Bree declared stepping away from her brother and indignantly placing her hands on her hips.  She used the Kinney glare on her brother.

"Uh oh," John said.  "Now you've done it," he warned with a chuckle.

"Bree, you nearly knocked me over."

"She was just excited to see you," Brian said trying to diffuse the situation.

"I was excited to see you," Bree said with a pout.

"I love you too, Sis," Gus said with a big grin.

"Me too," Bree replied hugging Gus again, but more gently this time.  She could never be really mad at her brother.  "Did Ray come with you?" she asked looking around the sun porch.

"No, he had work in New York."

"That's too bad.  I like Ray," Bree said.

"Me too," Gus agreed with a big grin.

Bree gave him a swat on the arm.  "Of course you do."

"Is it always like this around here?" Glen asked, having observed the whole encounter.

"Pretty much," Brian said.

"Do you want us to take off?" Alex asked wondering if the family would like some private time.  "We can leave you guys to yourselves."

"No, it's fine," Brian said.  Justin nodded in agreement as did John and Bobby.

Soon the introductions had been made and dinner was dished up.  Everyone sat at the big table in the sun porch and enjoyed the meal.  Lots of small talk and joking went on as the new residents of the lane got to know Brian's son.

“So Gus, I hear you’re training to take over Kinnetik one day,” Glen asked.

“I plan to if Bree doesn’t beat me to it,” Gus replied.  “I think she’s put in more hours at the shop than I have,” Gus said with a laugh.  The family laughed too.

“I think we’ve missed the joke,” Alex stated.

“When Bree was born, I was all over the place painting and sculpting.  Brian was the primary caregiver when she was an infant,” Justin began to explain.  “He took her everywhere; I mean literally everywhere.  And because of her each Kinnetik doesn’t just have child care for the employees, Brian hires teachers so the kids are prepared for kindergarten when the time comes.”

“Bree’s the youngest ad exec ever on record.  She won her first clients at the age of nine,” Brian said proudly as he beamed a smile at his daughter.  “When it’s time to renegotiate contracts we bring her in.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Glen asked.  The family collectively shook their heads.  “Aren’t there rules against that sort of thing?” 

“Technically it’s Brian’s name on the contracts.  Whatever bonus Bree would have made if she was legal has been placed in trust for her,” Bobby replied. 

“She has half her college tuition already,” Brian said proudly.  “Bree’s also one of the reasons we’ve expanded into Canada.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Ray has forgiven you yet.”  Gus pretended to scowl at his sister.  Bree just stuck out her tongue.

“Gus, Mel and Cynthia have spearheaded Kinnetik North,” Brian explained.

“So this is really a family business,” Alex commented.  “I remember when you first started out,” Alex said to Brian.  “There weren’t many businesses in Pittsburgh owned and operated by an openly gay or lesbian person.  I wasn’t too surprised that it was you who paved the way.” 

“Speaking of paving the way, when do I get to see this new cottage that went up overnight,” Gus asked John.  “Ray’s jealous, by the way.  He wants his own cottage.”

“Anytime,” John and Brian said together.

“How goes the hunt for the perfect color scheme?”  John directed his question to Alex and Glen.

“Two rooms down, one to go,” Glen replied.

“Good, I’ll pick up the paint in the morning and have Patrick show Peter how to prepare the walls,” John said with a wink to his son. 

Patrick rolled his eyes. “Oh goodie,” he snarked.

“Hey, cuz, I’m here for a few days.  I can help.  It’ll give me a break from my laptop,” Gus volunteered.

“Another family business heard from,” Glen commented as he toasted the family with a glass of iced tea.

 

*****

 

"Hunter," Debbie said as she opened the door to the thatched cottage.  "I'm so glad you're here."  She pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Grandma ... Grandma!" Hunter gasped.  "I need to breathe."

"Sorry, kiddo," Debbie said releasing her grandson and gently smoothing out his shirt which had wrinkles from the pressure of her hug.

"It's okay.  I haven't seen you in a while.  I was surprised ... and pleased when you called.  You said you need my help."

"I do, but come in and sit down."  Debbie pulled him inside and took his hand leading him to the kitchen.  "Coffee?" she asked.

"Juice if you've got it."

"You always were the healthy one."

"Kind of forced into it."

"Yeah," Debbie said thoughtfully as she poured a glass of juice.  "You're feeling okay, aren't you?"

"Doing okay, Grandma.  I didn't mean to worry you."

"Good, cause I got other things to worry about."

"You said you'd explain when I got here, so what's up with Michael?"

Debbie shook her head, poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across the table from her grandson.  "Michael has completely lost his mind."

Hunter couldn't help but chuckle.  "So what else is new?"

"It's not funny.  We had a real knock-down fucking shouting fest a few days ago."

"A few days ago?  I thought this just happened."

"A few days ago Michael and Ben came to the lane to stay for the summer.  That's when Michael found out that I had taken in a foster kid."

"That's great, Grandma.  I hope it's working out okay with the foster kid."

"It would be, if that pig-headed son of mine would see reason."

"He's upset about you fostering a child?" Hunter asked.  That was the last thing he was expecting to hear.

"Yeah, he really freaked out when he found out."

"You didn't tell him you were going to foster?"

"Everything happened so fast.  Peter needed a home ASAP.  I just did it.  Carl was happy to oblige, and I never even thought about Michael," Debbie admitted with a sigh.

"So, his feelings are hurt."

"I guess so.  He was so nasty when he was yelling at me.  He said I had to choose between him and Peter, or the stupid kid as he called Peter.  I just thought he was totally unreasonable.  He was like someone I don't even know.  This really has nothing to do with him."

"He obviously thinks it does."

"But why?" Debbie sighed.

"I think he's feeling left out.  He wants to be the center of your world."

"He's a grown man with his own family."

"But he's still your little boy."

"Yeah, he is," Debbie admitted, her face softening.  "Will you talk to him?"

"Of course, Grandma, but I'll finish my juice first, and think about what I'm going to say to him."

Debbie nodded.  She knew she was asking a lot of Hunter, but he was the only one she thought might be able to get through to her son.  Deb opened a cabinet to take out a small plate; she placed some homemade cookies on the plate then offered them to Hunter.

“What’s this?” Hunter asked.

“You’ve heard of Dutch courage?” Debbie asked.  Hunter nodded.  “Well this is Italian courage.”

Hunter nodded then took a large bite out of a cookie.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 6

 

 

  

Hunter paused at the front door of the log cabin.  He thought he knew what he was going to say to Michael, but he wasn't sure it would work.  He looked to the sky hoping for divine intervention.  When he received none, he knocked on the door.  There was no answer, so he knocked again.  When no one came, he began to wonder if he had made this trip for nothing.  He was about to turn and leave when the door opened.

"Hunter!" Michael said in surprise.  He pulled the young man into a fierce hug.  "I'm so glad to see you."

"Glad to see you too."

"Come in," Michael said pulling Hunter into the log cabin and shutting the door.  "Can I get you something to drink?"

Hunter studied Michael for a moment.  His 'father' seemed okay at the moment.  He had expected Michael to be sad or belligerent or ... something.  "I'm good," he said as he followed Michael into the living room.  Hunter decided not to beat around the bush.  "I just came from your mother's."  Hunter waited for the reaction.  That might tell him how to proceed.

"What, did she send you to convince me that I shouldn't object to her adopting that little shit without even telling me about it?"  Michael crossed his arms on his chest and glared at Hunter.

"That about sums it up," Hunter said, being perfectly blunt.  Sometimes that was the only thing Michael could understand.

Michael snorted.  "Figures, she got to you first."

"Nobody got to me, Michael," Hunter said gently.  "Grandma asked for my help.  She doesn't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with her either, but she could have at least told me what she was going to do, so that I didn't get blindsided in front of everybody."

"I can see where it would hurt you that Grandma didn't talk to you about Peter first."

"Hurt me?  I'm not hurt.  Why does everyone think I'm hurt?  I think she's making a huge mistake.  That's what I'm ... worried about," Michael said forcefully.  "She knows nothing about this kid."

Hunter knew that Michael was hurt, but it made no sense to argue the point with him.  "She probably knows more about Peter than you knew about me when Ben brought me home."

Michael gasped.  "There's no similarity between the two cases ... at all."

"I seem to remember that you thought Ben was making a big mistake too."

"But you really needed help ... and look at how you turned out."

"Peter needs help too, and we don't know yet how he might turn out."

"He might be an axe murderer," Michael said.

Hunter shook his head.  "It was more likely that I would be an axe murderer than Peter.  He hasn't even been out on the streets from what Grandma tells me."

"He could really hurt Ma."

"Yes, he could," Hunter said carefully.  "But at the moment it's making her feel good to help him.  Carl's on board, and he'll make sure that everything's okay."

"I hope so, but there's no guarantee that Carl can prevent Ma from being hurt."

"There are very few guarantees in life."

"Death and taxes."

Hunter chuckled.  "Yeah, I guess those are pretty definite."

"Yeah," Michael said with a small, sad laugh.

"Are you going to make up with your mother?"

"I ... I don't know."

"She was really hurt by what you said," Hunter informed him.

"What ... What did I say that hurt her?" Michael asked.  His brow furrowed as he tried to remember.  He walked over and sat down beside Hunter on the couch.

"You told her to choose between you and Peter.  That you wouldn't be back until she got rid of the kid."

"Well, I meant it ... then."

"She's not going to get rid of Peter, so you better get used to it.  In fact, she could probably use your help with Peter."

"My help?" Michael asked in bewilderment.  "What can I do?"

"She's still learning about Peter.  You know a lot about comics and superheroes and other stuff that Grandma knows almost nothing about.  Maybe you could show some of your stuff to Peter.  He would probably be interested.  Grandma's trying to find things that will set him on the right track, get him interested in a better life."

"That's true," Michael said, perking up at Hunter's words.

"So maybe you could help?"

"Maybe I could."

"But first you need to make up with your mother."

"Was I really that awful with her?"

Hunter nodded.  "She's very upset."

Michael stared off into space for a minute.  He had been thinking only of himself.  He had made a big mistake.  "I ... I was hurt too," Michael finally admitted.

"I thought so, and ... I also know that you didn't really mean it.  After all the things you did for me, I know you have a huge heart.  You wouldn't deliberately hurt Grandma.  You were lashing out because you were hurt yourself."

"You are such a brilliant young man," Michael said pulling Hunter into a hug.

"Thanks to you and Ben and Grandma and so many others.  That's what Peter needs now - support and understanding."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"I knew you would."

Michael released his son and looked into his eyes.  "I ... I was really hurt.  It was like Peter was taking my place.  I didn't like it."

"I can understand that.  It would be great if you could help Grandma with Peter.  And you're going to make up with her, right?"

"I'll try ... if she'll let me."

"She'll let you.  And now I need to get back to work," Hunter said standing up.

"You should spend some time with us this summer," Michael said hopefully.

"Count on it," Hunter called out as he left the house.

 

*****

 

Michael took the long walk that really wasn't that far, up the lane to the thatched cottage.  He pondered what he could say to his mother.  He was sorry he had tried to make her choose between Peter and him.  It was nice to be asked to help with this kid.  That was really all Michael wanted - to be needed and included.  He knocked tentatively on the door when he arrived.  It opened immediately.

Michael stared at Debbie and Debbie stared back at him.

"I ... I'm sorry, Ma," Michael whispered.

"Me too."

She held out her arms and Michael walked into them.  All was forgiven.

 

*****

 

“Hellooo-ooo,” Emmett called out as he entered the new cottage via the sun porch door.  He had come to visit the new neighbors at the B&B only to discover that they were supervising the finishing touches to the new cottage.  Drew had driven back into Pittsburgh to pick up Richie and Candy.  They were planning to stay at the B&B for a couple of weeks.  Richie’s old room at Emmett’s cottage was a little too small for the couple.  Emmett was toting a large basket filled with all sorts of treats, fruit, and other good things for hungry hard working men.

“Bedroom!” Emmett heard Glen reply.

“Living room!”  Emm assumed that was Alex.

“Hi, Auntie Emm!” he heard from Gus and Patrick.

The new cottage was abuzz with organized chaos as Patrick, Peter and Gus were handling the manual labor of painting the walls under express instructions from John.  And when the walls were dry, the young’uns were going to set up the furniture which was currently stored in the sun porch out of harm’s way.

Emmett was making his way through the furniture, drop cloths, and paint buckets trying to find the humans that went along with the voices.

“Oh my!” Emm gasped as the first person he came across was Gus.  His shirtless physique reminded Emmett of a young Brian.  Not that Brian’s body had changed all that much over the years.  Brian took impeccable care of himself, but Gus was impressive.

“Easy there, Auntie Emm.  You wouldn’t want Pop to find you ogling his baby boy now would you?” Gus said as he continued painting the wall.  Emmett fanned himself with his hand.  “And how I got roped into painting walls, I’ll never know.”

“Honeycutt, hands above the waist!” Brian growled, scaring out a startled scream from Emmett as Brian’s head popped up by an open window. 

Brian had come by to check the window boxes.  He wanted to install a simple automatic watering system for each flower box and to be a gopher.  The new kitchen wasn’t stocked with too many refreshments.  At the very least the worker bees needed water. 

“Sonny Boy, you just wanted an excuse to show off those gym bunny muscles of yours,” Brian snarked as he moved on to another window box.

Hauling paint buckets was Patrick.  He was also changing wall socket plates to match the trim the guys had picked out.  He wasn’t shirtless but he might have been.  Patrick was wearing a clingy tank top that showed off his well toned athletic upper body.  Emmett couldn’t help himself but to get a good long look. 

“You do know he’s a minor and Uncle John will string you up by your…” Gus began. 

He was quickly interrupted by Emmett’s, “I get the picture." 

"Be still my heart,” Emmett mumbled as he rushed into the safety of the kitchen. 

Glen rolled in looking for something cold to drink.  “Are you all right? ” he inquired.  “You look a little flushed.”

“These Kinney men are going to be the death of me,” Emmett grumbled as he began to lay out his goodies on the kitchen table.

“What do you mean?” Glen asked innocently.

“I mean, just look at them!  I’ve known Brian practically my whole adult life.  He’s, he’s…”

“Gorgeous?” Glen supplied.  He was amused at the way Emmett was working himself up into a tizzy.

“Yes!  Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t had the honor of knowing Brian in the Biblical sense.  One of his silly rules, he doesn’t do friends.  Except for Ben, but that was before they were friends,” Emmett revealed as he rattled on.  “But I have seen Brian naked countless times.”  Emmett felt the need to wipe his brow with a cold towel.

“Really?” Glen said hoping for more details.

“And then he goes and finds a brother who’s practically a twin and just as handsome.  And has the nerve to have a son who’s just as gorgeous.  And then there’s young Patrick.  I mean come on!” Emmett squeaked.

“I gather Gus is gay.”

“Very.  Of course, he’s had his little experimentations.”

“Haven’t we all,” Glen agreed nonchalantly.

“But he’s settled down with a very sweet, smart young man who’s a lawyer and who also works for Kinnetik.”

“And Patrick?  He’s the spitting image of John except for that hair.”

“Well, there’s a story.  John is the biological father of Patrick but Bobby is also biologically related.  Bobby’s sister, Rachel, you’ve met her, such a wonderful woman; she was their surrogate.  Red hair, hazel eyes and another gift from the gods.”

“And is he gay too?”

“Hmm, no pinging on the gaydar with that one and he did take a girl to the school dance.  Maybe he’s just a late bloomer.  John was, so we’ll just have to wait and see.  Now, what do you think of this?”  Emmett held out his arms indicating all the food on the table.  “Do you think there’s enough to feed our hungry he-men?”

“Them and the fifth army!” Glen exclaimed as his eyes popped out of his head.

“Good.  Would you do the honor of calling them in while I see if I can rustle up some coffee.” Emmett flitted back to search through the cabinets as if he owned the place while a very amused Glen did what he was told.

 

*****

 

“Hey, aren’t you hungry?” Alex asked Peter.  Alex had heard the call to lunch.  The young man was concentrating on “cutting in” around the windows and trimming in the bedroom.

“Starved,” he replied.  “But I really want to finish this.”

“You’re doing an excellent job.  I wish you were around when Glen and I were redecorating our apartment in Pittsburgh.  We hired a painting company on recommendation of friends.”

“What happened?”

“They charged a lot of money for horrible work.  We hired another company to do it all over again then sued the first company.”

“You sued them?” the boy asked.  His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

“You bet your ass we sued them.  Then we found out they cheated a bunch of people.  When faced with the potential of several more lawsuits, they decided to settle out of court.  All we wanted was our money back.  And we got it,” Alex stated smugly.

“So if you don’t do good work…”

“The moral of the story is, it pays to do it right the first time.  Now even though you want to finish cutting in that wall, I’m sure your blood sugar is dropping and you need to replace fluids.  I know all about these things.  I am a doctor,” Alex said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“But I thought you were a psychiatrist.”

“I am.  But unlike psychologists, I went to medical school then specialized in mental disorders,” Alex explained.

“Oh.”

“And this doctor says it’s time to eat!”  Alex waved Peter out of the room and toward the kitchen.

 

*****

 

While the younger generation plowed through the food Emmett brought, their elders were picking at the healthier choices of fruit and whole grain muffins.  The conversation was light.  Glen and Alex were beaming; within two days they should be able to occupy their new cottage.

Brian was nibbling at the fruit bowl Emmett had placed in front of him.  Brian half-heartedly glared at the queen who was drooling all over his son.  Gus was having fun blatantly teasing Emmett.  Patrick was snickering but stayed well out of the way.  Every once in a while Brian would sneak a small piece of blueberry muffin off of Gus’ plate.  As he did he caught Glen’s eye.

Glen flicked his eyes toward Peter.  So did Brian.  The kid looked relaxed.  He was trying not to laugh out loud as Gus teased the man they called Auntie Emm.  Peter was still trying to work that one out for himself.  He hadn’t built up the confidence to fully engage in conversation but the short time living with Debbie and Carl had produced obvious changes.

The edges of Brian’s mouth curled slightly upward as he imperceptibly nodded an acknowledgement to Glen.  The kid may turn out okay after all.  All he needed was the unwavering love and guidance from people like Deb and Carl, and the acceptance from peers and friends.

The Silver Fox watched the exchange between his husband and Brian.  He winked at Brian while mouthing the word “magical” as his hand found Glen’s.  Glen leaned over to give Alex a sweet peck on the cheek.

“Awww,” Emmett exclaimed.

“Gag,” Brian grumbled.

The young’uns laughed.     

 

*****

 

“So tell me about these weird glass bulby things you’re shoving in my boxes,” Glen demanded as he watched Brian fiddle with a window box.  Glen was following Brian around the outside of the cottage, watching.  Brian did a double take at Glen, snickered then explained the simple workings of the “automatic watering” pretty glass bulbs.

“Once a week check the water level in the bulb.  If it’s empty add more water then stick it back in the window box like this,” Brian said as he demonstrated.

“That seems easy enough.  So easy that I’m sure Alex can handle it,” Glen said with a chuckle.

“John did assure me that you can easily reach the window boxes from the inside of the cottage,” Brian commented with narrowed eyes.

“Of course I can, but considering I cook better than Alex, he can take care of the plants,” Glen replied with a grin.

“Sneaky bastard, aren’t you?”

“Yup and proud of it.  Now what's this I hear about you doing Ben and walking around naked.  When’s the next show?” Glen asked with glee as he rubbed his hands together and waggled his eyebrows.

“Honeycutt!” Brian bellowed as Glen laughed.

 

*****

 

“Hey, this is great!” John exclaimed as he came into the bedroom to check out the progress.  The boys had taken their time but the first coat of paint was done.  Tomorrow the second coat would go on the walls and by the next day the latest lane residence should be fully moved in.  “You know I love being an architect.  I studied long and hard to become one.  My mother worked her butt off to help put me through school and I gave up a lot to study to be able to qualify for scholarships, but it was all worth it in the end.  But I have to tell you as much as I love designing buildings, I love getting my hands dirty,” John said with a wistful look on his face.

“What do you mean?” Peter asked.

John walked over to the teen and showed him his palms and fingertips.  John’s hands were heavily callused from years of hard work.

“I enjoy being a part of the building process not only the design process,” John explained further.

“Patrick said the same thing,” Peter murmured almost sadly.  John gently lifted the boy’s chin with a finger.

“You have plenty of time to choose what part of the business you’d liked to go into.  My business partner admits he’s much better at the building part of the business,” John said with a laugh.  “He says he likes to leave the designing part to me because if it was left up to him every building would look like a big box.”

That remark got a smile out of Peter.  John ruffled the kid’s hair.

“You know not everyone wakes up and says this is what I’m going to be when I grow up.  Many people plan on one career then something happens and you go in a different direction.  Do you like computers?”

“Sure!”

“Well, graphic designers combine their artistic creativity with computer technology.  My point, Peter, is that you have time.  No one is rushing you to make any kind of decision regarding a career path now.”

“My dad wants me to go into sales like him,” Peter mumbled.

“Difficult work.  Not only are you selling a product, you’re selling yourself to the client to gain their trust.  Only then will they take the chance of buying the product you’re trying to sell.”

“Huh.”

“Come on, it’s quitting time.  Emmett’s son should be here soon and my brother is planning on barbecuing up a storm,” John said as he led Peter out of the bedroom.  He took one last look around the room satisfied with the workmanship.

“Mr. Brian does like to barbecue, doesn’t he?”

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” John replied.

 

*****

 

“Do you think Michael’s coming?” Justin asked as he arranged the plates, cups and utensils on the long table in the sun porch. 

This was going to be an informal barbecue.  The lane residents were all contributing something.  Brian had also called Tom and Todd to come over.

“Yeah.  He and Debbie came to some sort of truce,” Brian said as he followed Justin with napkins and pitchers of lemonade and iced tea. 

“Think he’ll behave himself?”

“If he doesn’t I’ll pop him one in the nose,” Brian groused.

“No you won’t.  The last time you did that, no one wanted to talk to you for weeks,” Justin said.

“He deserved it,” Brian grumbled.  Justin stopped what he was doing to give his spouse a hug.

“I love you,” Justin said as he leaned up on his toes to kiss Brian’s lips.  “I missed you today,” Justin murmured against Brian’s lips as he deepened the kiss.

“Mmm.  Let’s cancel the barbecue and fuck instead,” Brian suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea but I think it may be a bit too late for that.”

“You think?” Brian asked with a smirk as he looked down his nose at Justin’s sweet face.

“Uh huh,” Justin confirmed.  “They’ll be here any minute.  It’s time to fire up the grill.”

“Shit.  Sunshine, the next time I volunteer to grill, stop me.”

“Like I can.  Go on.  Bobby’s going to do the cooking.  He said you all did enough today at the new cottage.  It’s the least he can do is handle the cooking,” Justin informed Brian.

“Yee Haw!” Brian called out as he went out the sun porch door to heat up the grill.

“Hello, anyone home?” Todd called out as he and Tom came through the front door of Brian’s end of the cottage.  Before anyone could answer Bree flew out of her room to greet Tom and Todd.

“Hi, Uncle Todd and Uncle Thomas!” she called out enthusiastically.  She gave each man a hug and a kiss.

“Are we the first?” Tom asked.

“Yup.  Daddy’s putting stuff on the big table and Dada’s heating up the grill.  And Gus is here for a few days but not Ray,” Bree explained all in one breath.  “But guess who’s coming to visit for a while, Richie and Candy!” Bree said before the guys could take a guess.  She grabbed hands to pull them into the porch.

“Daddy, Uncle Thomas and Todd are here!” Bree announced as she dragged the men down the hall and into the porch.  They put the salads and dipping veggies that they brought on the table.

“Hey guys,” Justin greeted the men with a cheery smile.  “Grab some iced tea or there’s beer in the refrigerator.”

“I’m driving tonight,” Tom said as he poured himself some iced tea and Todd went for the beer.  Glen and Alex arrived just behind them so Alex introduced his spouse to Tom and Todd.

Emmett hadn’t arrived yet but Rachel and George had.  The lane family were all talking peacefully about the new cottage and day to day events.

“Christ, it’s like a fucking funeral home in here!” Debbie announced loudly as she, Carl and Peter came through the door with Ben and Michael in tow.

“I’m sure you’ll liven things up, Deb,” Brian snarked.  He got a kiss to his cheek and a cuff to the back of his head.  She shook her finger at Brian then turned toward Justin.

“My Sunshine!” she said with a beaming smile as she gave Justin a big kiss on his cheek and a crushing hug.  Brian just shook his head as he watched his husband momentarily turn blue.

“Hey, Grandmaw!” Gus said as he greeted the woman. 

“Oh look how tall you’ve grown!” Debbie exclaimed.

“Grandmaw, you only saw me last month.  I’m the same height,” Gus said reasonably.  Brian covered his eyes with one hand.  “Ow, what was that for?” Gus complained when Debbie cuffed the back of his head.

“For talking back to me.  Now where is that sweet princess?”

“Here I am, Grandma Deb,” Bree replied as she shoved aside the taller men to get to Debbie.

“My sweetheart,” Debbie said as she sat in the nearest chair to get hugs and kisses from Bree.

“Suck up,” Gus mumbled as he went for a beer.  Brian snickered.

“Hi!  Hi!  Hi!” Emmett called out from the sun porch door.  He was followed by Drew and two other people.

“I’m not sure if y’all have met my son Richie and his girlfriend Candy!” Emmett announced loud and proud.

Peter hung back watching the family greet the young couple.  One female looking person had very pale skin, blond hair, was impeccably made up, and was wearing a pastel sundress.  The other female was heavily made up in dark Goth makeup and dressed all in black.

 

Peter was definitely confused.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 7

 

 

 

Peter watched as all present greeted the two young people who had just arrived.  They got hugs and kisses and good wishes from everyone.  Finally Bree was able to push through the crowd of people to give and receive her own hugs and kisses with two of her favorite people.

Bree looked at Richie who was in his Nina persona.  She took in the lovely blond bob and the spectacular mint green sundress she was wearing.  It had spaghetti straps and a large sunflower made of bright yellow cloth sewn onto the waist.

"I love your sundress, Nina," Bree said with a big smile.  "It's just beautiful.  Could you make me one, pleeeez?"

Nina smiled and hugged her friend.  "Of course I can," she said.  "Your wish is my command, your highness."  She grabbed her backpack which had slid to the floor amidst all the hugs.  Out of the backpack she pulled a pale mauve sundress very much like the one she was wearing.  The color was exquisite.  Bree squealed with delight.  "I hope you still like purple," Nina said.

"Oh yes!" Bree gushed.  She held the soft dress against her body and twirled around.  "I love it!  I love it soooo much."

"I thought you would," Nina said.

"And I was positive that you would love it too," Candy added giving Bree another hug.  "It just screams Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor."

"I do love it, so very much," Bree said.  "Come with me.  I want to put it on."  The three young people headed for Bree's bedroom.

"She'll look lovely in that dress," Justin said to Emmett.

"Do I see a tear in your eye, Sweetie?" Emmett asked softly.

"My little girl is growing up so fast."

"Oh pshaw!" Emmett said.  "She's been grown up since she was two."

"Actually since she was one," Brian added with a smirk.

"I thought you were going to help me barbecue," Bobby called as he went out the door of the sun porch.

"Duty calls," Brian said as he followed his brother-in-law.

 

*****

 

Peter had found a chair half behind the screen that used to hide the big brass bed when it resided in the sun porch.  He had witnessed the arrival of Emmett and his family and the introduction of his son Richie and a girl called Candy.  But there were two girls with Emmett.  Where was the son?  He was puzzled by what had just happened in more ways than one.  The two young people who had arrived were greeted so fondly.  All the love these people shared was something he was totally unused to.

"How's it going?" Michael asked as he pulled a chair up beside Peter and handed him a soda.

Peter accepted the drink, but merely shrugged instead of answering.  They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, each taking a sip of their drink.

"I hope you're ... starting to feel comfortable around here," Michael finally said, wanting to break the ice with the young man.  Peter shrugged.  Michael waited hoping Peter would say something, but no words came.  "You must find it hard being away from your family."

"There's only my father and he doesn't care," Peter mumbled.

"I'm sure he cares," Michael said trying to be positive.

"You have no fuc... no idea what my father's like," Peter said strongly.

"No, you're right.  I don't."  Michael watched the young man, hoping he would say something else.  He had decided to try to get to know Peter and possibly help his mother to set the kid on the right path.

"You're so lucky having a mother like Debbie," Peter said in almost a whisper.

"Yeah, I guess I am.  But there were moments I would have given anything to have a different mom."

"Really?  But she's great."

"She's also overpowering a lot of the time."

Peter chuckled in spite of himself.  "Yeah, she can be.  I don't want to get on her wrong side."

"Good plan," Michael agreed taking a sip of his beer.

"You never had a dad?" Peter asked.  "I never had a mom."

Michael debated trying to explain about his father, but decided that would be best done another time.  "I guess we sort of have that in common - growing up with one parent, I mean."

Peter looked up and actually met eyes with Michael for the first time.  "Could I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything you want."

"Those two girls who came in with Emmett.  Is one of them really his son?"

Michael chuckled.  "Yes, one is his son.  The blond girl is Richie, although we usually call her Nina when she dresses like that."

"Is ... is she transgender?" Peter asked hesitantly.

"No, she just likes to dress as a girl sometimes."

"That's pretty weird, isn't it?" Peter asked.

"Haven't you figured out that we're all pretty weird on this lane?" Michael asked with a smile.  "It's not your normal community."

"I wish all communities were like this," Peter stated.

"You do?  What do you like about it?"

Peter thought about that question and how he should answer it.  "Everybody talks to everyone and hugs them and ... likes them.  I've never seen so much ... love before."

Michael took that in and felt a deep sadness at what Peter must have gone through in his earlier life to make such a statement.  "We are a pretty touchy-feely group," Michael said with a grin.  "Except for Brian."

"Brian is amazing," Peter declared. 

"Yeah, he pretty much created this lane and drew us all here.  But he can be very prickly sometimes."

"Yeah, I've seen that, but I think he's a good guy."

"Yes he is."

"Have you been friends with him for a long time?"

"Since grade school.  He's my best friend."

"I wish I had a best friend," Peter mumbled.

"I hope you find one real soon," Michael said.  He had been about to say that he was sure Peter would find a friend, but he knew he couldn't guarantee that.  He didn't want to set the boy off again.

"Me too," Peter said softly.

"How are you two doing?" Ben asked as he approached.  He had been observing them from across the sun porch.  He was glad to see Michael making this effort to get to know Peter.  He didn't want any more fighting about Debbie fostering the young man.

"We're okay," Michael said to his husband.

"Fine," Peter contributed.

"Peter was just telling me that he is getting used to the lane.  He can't get over how much hugging we all do," Michael explained.

Peter smiled at Michael.  He didn't want everyone feeling sorry for him that he didn't have any friends.  He was glad Michael hadn't mentioned that. 

"Getting hungry?" Ben asked.

"Yeah," both Peter and Michael said at once.

Just then Bree and her entourage reappeared in the sun porch entry.  Everyone turned to look.  Bree was holding Nina's hand and they were each wearing the similar sundresses.

"Wow!" was heard from several mouths.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Justin said stepping forward and hugging his daughter.  "But you have to stop growing up," he whispered in her ear.

"I can't do that, Daddy, but I love you," Bree responded.

"I know, it's just wishful thinking."

"Nina makes the best dresses," Bree stated.

"She certainly does."

"You look great, Bree," Patrick stated.

"Thanks," Bree replied with a big smile and a little curtsey.

"Hey, what about me?" Nina asked indignantly.  "I'm wearing the same outfit."

"You look great too, Nina," Patrick said.

"About time," Nina responded.

"Bree, have you introduced Peter to Nina and Candy?" Justin asked.

"I thought everyone forgot I was here," Candy said with an appropriate pout.  "Where's this Peter?"

"Come with me," Bree stated taking Candy's hand once she had spotted Peter over in the corner with her uncles, Michael and Ben.  She dragged Candy across the sun porch to where they all were.  Nina and Patrick followed.

"Hey," Michael said.

"Hi, Uncle Michael.  I want Peter to meet Candy and Richie, also known as Nina."  She pulled Candy in front of her and stepped back so Richie/Nina could see the new kid on the block.

"Michael, let's go see how dinner is doing," Ben said drawing his husband away so the young people could have some time together.

"So you're the one that Debbie's fostering," Candy said bluntly.  Nina elbowed her and gave her a look.  "What?" Candy demanded.  "It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," Peter said.  "I'm Peter Chang."  He had made the effort to speak because he wanted to change his life.  Before coming to the lane, he would have said nothing.  This was a whole new start, he decided.

"I'm Candy."  She held out her hand to Peter.

"Should I shake it or kiss it?" Peter asked venturing to make a joke.

Nina laughed.  "I wouldn't kiss it.  She might smack you."

Candy glared at her boyfriend.  "I don't smack or bite."

"Good to know," Peter said with a smile as he shook her hand.

"I'm Richie, Emmett's son."  Nina held out her hand to Peter.  "Today I'm Nina."

"How do you decide who to be?" Peter asked with a frown.  He really wanted an answer to that question.

"It's whatever spirit moves him," Candy supplied with a fond smile towards Nina.

"Isn't it confusing?" Peter asked.

"Not for me," Nina joked.

"You'll get used to it," Candy said.

"Maybe," Peter replied.  "Everything's kind of new and different here."

"You'll get used to that too," Candy added.

"Did it take you guys long to get used to all this?" Peter asked.  "Oh, or maybe you've always been part of this.  Sorry if I said the wrong thing."

"Don't be sorry," Nina said gently.  "All of us had to get used to being here.  Only Bree and Patrick grew up here.  It's a great place.  If you want later on, I'll tell you my story.  It might make you feel better about what you're dealing with."  Emmett had filled his son in on some of the background of Debbie's foster son.

"I think I'd like that," Peter agreed.

Ben stuck his head in the sun porch door.  "Come and get it!" he called.

They all headed out to the barbecue.

 

*****

 

Alex, Glen, Tom, and Todd, all relative newcomers to the lane community sat together at one circular table under a large umbrella that was decorated with hundreds of softly twinkling white lights.  Glen was studying Tom.

“What?” Tom asked somewhat defiantly.  “Do I have a piece of lettuce stuck to my teeth?” 

Glen had the good grace to blush.  “Sorry but you look so familiar, don’t I know you?” Glen asked.  Alex groaned to himself.  Sometimes his spouse had no self-control filter.

“Yes, we’ve been formally introduced about an hour ago,” Tom snarked.  Todd was slightly shocked to hear his soft spoken extremely tolerant partner snap at someone with snark.  Tom saw that their pitcher of iced tea was almost empty.  “I’ll get us more,” Tom said as he stood, grabbed the pitcher then went into the conjoined cottages.

“Something I said?” Glen asked in all innocence.

“You know sometimes I have no idea where your brains are,” Alex growled.

“What’d I say?”

“It’s obvious you made Tom uncomfortable,” Alex continued.

“About what?  He looked familiar, that’s all.  I thought I knew him from Pittsburgh, ooohhh.”  The light dawned.

“Yeah, oh,” Alex said while giving Glen a poignant look.

“Todd, I’m really sorry, sometimes my mouth engages before I put my brain in gear,” Glen apologized.

“It’s all right.  Tom still has trouble coming to grips with his former life.  Give him a minute to calm down.  He knows you meant no offense,” Todd said.

“One of these days your mouth is going to get you into real trouble,” Alex admonished his husband who was looking genuinely contrite.

 

*****

 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Brian asked as he was getting another bottle of ketchup out of the pantry closet.

“How do you deal with your past?” Tom asked.

“To what part of my past are you referring?”

“The stud of Liberty part.”

Brian studied his friend’s face for a moment, realizing something very serious must have just happened.

“You mean what if Brian Kinney the stud is recognized rather than Brian Kinney the adman,” Brian stated.  Tom nodded.  “Normally I arch a brow, glare a little and ignore it.”  Brian waited a minute before he continued.  “Who recognized you?”

“Glen, I think, maybe from the baths.  I don’t know.  It was so long ago.  It was a different time.  I was a different man.  I made some mistakes.”

“Yeah, well who hasn’t?  Does Todd know about your old hobby?”

“Of course he does.  It was one of the first things we talked about.”

“Then who the fuck cares what happened a hundred years ago.  You’re in a solid relationship.  You still have your faith and you’re following your calling.  So go back out there with your fucking head held up!” 

Tom stared at Brian for a second.  “When did you get to be so smart?”

“I’ve always been this smart but most people can’t get past my stunning good looks,” Brian stated without reservation.

Tom laughed then went back outside and with a full pitcher of iced tea.  As he did he passed John coming in with a bunch of empty platters.

“Why are you hiding in the kitchen?” John asked his brother.

“I wasn’t hiding.  The good padre was having a minor battle with an old demon and he needed some advice.”

“And he came to you for advice,” John remarked with a straight face.

“I’m not sure if I’ve just been insulted,” Brian said with a pout.

“It was a compliment, little bro.  If there’s anyone in this family who’s an expert in fighting demons of all sorts it’s you.  I won’t ask for details but do you think you helped?”

“I think so.  At least he left the kitchen with a smile rather than the look of murder he was sporting when he first came in.”

“Not all of us have developed a thick hide like you have,” John said.

“It’s thinned out a bit.”

“Give it time, it’ll thicken up again and get back to its old bristly self.  Now are we done with Tom?”

“Yeah, why, is there someone else we have to fix besides the new kid?  Michael appears to be behaving himself.”

“I noticed.  How did that happen?” John asked.  Brian shrugged his shoulders.

“A little Hunter, a little Debbie, a little Gentle Ben makes Mikey human again,” Brian quipped.

“Whatever works.  We should go back outside,” John suggested.

“Lead the way, McBigBro,” Brian joked as he followed John back out into the garden.

 

*****

 

“Now that is an interesting person,” Glen stated as the younger generation moved en masse from the gardens into the green house to give Peter a guided tour with Bree leading the pack.  She was determined to explain each nuance regarding each flower, tree, and especially about the waterfall.

“Which one?  They all seem unique,” Todd observed.

“True.  But I’m referring to Nina,” Glen admitted.

“I don’t know much of her story,” Todd said. 

“We could ask Emmett.  I’m sure he wouldn’t mind explaining,” Tom suggested.

“From what I know of Emmett, he likes talking,” Alex stated softly.

“Talking about what?” Emmett asked as he seemed to appear out of nowhere with a tray containing fruit salad and the rest of the stuff needed to enjoy it.  The men jumped but then quickly recovered themselves.

“About Nina or Richie, your son,” Alex said as spokesmen for the table.

“What would you like to know?  I’m very proud of him,” Emm said with a warm smile.  The men smiled.  They could see the love and pride Emmett and Drew had for their unusual son.

At that moment Emmett caught Drew’s eye and waved him over.  Drew walked over, beer in hand and sat next to his spouse.  Glen made an audible sigh, being still enamored with his hero.

“What’s the conversation?” Drew asked.

“Our son,” Emm replied.

“Ah, yes, a very unique person,” Drew agreed.

“May we ask how he came to live with you?” Glen politely asked.

“Sure,” both Emmett and Drew replied and then went on to explain how Richie/Nina came to be a part of their lives.

 

*****

 

“And that’s how I got to live with Emm and Drew.  And how we met,” Nina said, indicating Candy.

“And you guys were friends before you were, uh…,” Peter wasn’t sure what they were.

“Boyfriend and girlfriend but sometimes my boyfriend is my girlfriend and that’s okay with me,” Candy replied.

“I know we confuse some people,” Nina said.

“But not the people who count,” Candy added.

“We’ve been really lucky,” Nina continued.  “I don’t know what I would have done without Emm and Drew.”

“And Lindsay is like a second mom to me but more like a very big sister,” Candy said as she turned to face Gus.  “Gus, I don’t think I ever thanked you for letting me share your mom with me.  She was so strong when I found out who my real father was and she gave me a safe place to live.  I learned so much from her.  She really is the best, you know?”

Candy looked up into the strong hazel eyes.  Gus studied the heavily made up Goth young woman before him and remembered the scared lost girl that his mother took under her wing.  He threw his arms around her engulfing Candy in a hug.

“Candy and I went to Mr. Brian with this idea about our own fashion label and we also wanted to buy this old clothing store that was going out of business.  Anyway, Mr. Brian helped and we’re in the fashion business,” Nina explained.  “It’s a lot of work because we’re still going to PIFA but I love it!” Nina said with a huge smile.

Peter could just about see the attractive young man under the makeup and thought to himself that Candy was one lucky girl in more ways than one.  With a sigh he allowed Bree to take his hand and be led to the waterfall.

“An indoor waterfall and fish pond,” Peter said as he stared in disbelief.  Peter hadn’t been living on the lane for very long and most of his time was taken up with finishing the school year and then working on the new cottage.  He really hadn’t had the time to visit the other cottages.  And he would never go into someone’s home without being asked and the greenhouse was just a greenhouse.  A place with a lot of boring plants.  NOT.  Peter was beginning to learn that nothing on this lane was ordinary or boring, including the greenhouse.

“Not just any old fish pond,” Patrick stated proudly since it was his father’s ingenuity that built the thing.  “It’s a koi pond.  And I swear Uncle Bri must know every fish in here by heart.”  The kids laughed.

“Yeah, Pop got a little obsessed with his plants and koi.  But it keeps him out of trouble so I’m not complaining.  Besides there’s not many people who can boss Brian Kinney around,” Gus said.

“Daddy can!” Bree said with a big sunny smile.

“Yes, he can,” Gus agreed as he scooped up Bree into his arms for a hug.  She gave a squeal but hugged her beloved brother back.

“My dads can too!” Patrick announced.

“That’s true too,” Gus said.

“Why is that?” Peter ventured the question.

“Love and respect,” Gus answered without hesitation.  “Pop, values what Uncle John and Uncle Bobby have to say.  They’ve never steered him wrong.  Pop’s told me that if I ever need good advice about anything that I should go to them.”

Peter nodded.  He had never known a place where love and respect were as common as breathing.  It was still going to take some time to get used to that.

“How long will you be staying here?” Peter asked Candy.

“A few weeks.  We can’t leave the store for too long and the summer session at PIFA starts soon.  We’re both taking a class,” Candy said with a sigh.

“We needed a break.  It’s been non-stop since Mr. Brian lent us the start up money and we wanted to begin paying him back,” Nina admitted.

“So we’ve been working our asses off,” Candy added.

“And we’re still working.  She has new sketches for Rage,” Nina said giving Candy a look.

“Like you’re not working on that theater group’s request for 1920’s clothing designs,” Candy said with a glare.

“In other words this is a working vacation for the both of them,” Gus explained.

“And you’re here to help paint walls,” Patrick snarked as he led the group out the back past the pond.  Bree giggled in Gus’ arms as he snorted.

Peter still had a lot to think about but he was beginning to feel fortunate to be a part of what has got to be the weirdest family on the planet.

 

*****

 

“So that’s how we adopted our baby boy,” Emmett gushed with tears in his eyes.  Five napkins were pushed in his direction.  “And now he’s living on his own.  I have an empty nest.”  More tears spilled as Emmett reached for the nearest dry napkin.

Drew sighed as he shook his head.  “Oh yeah, real empty.  The kids live upstairs and eat dinner with us almost every night.  They’re so far away,” Drew stated calmly.  Emmett popped him in the arm.

“My baby is not in his bed at night.  He’s living somewhere else, therefore I have an empty nest,” Emmett stated succinctly daring anyone to contradict him.  No one would.

“I think the gods have shined down on these kids.  Their lives may not have started out the best however this family took them in and proved to those kids that there are truly good people in this world.  And these kids have the means to live up to their potential.  You all should be commended,” Alex said as he held up a glass of iced tea in a toast to the families of the lane.

The men raised their glasses joining the salute.

 

*****

 

It was getting late and the older generation was ready to call it a night.  With everyone’s help, the yard and garden was cleaned up and anything that wasn’t consumed by the kids was wrapped up and refrigerated.

“I think the cottage will be finished by tomorrow afternoon.  You could move in the day after,” John informed Alex and Glen.

“I’m still amazed by it all,” Alex admitted.  Glen gave a tired nod.  Alex gently caressed the side of Glen’s neck.  “I have to take him home.  We’ll meet you in the new cottage as soon as we are able,” Alex said.

John understood.  He whistled loudly, Beau and his pack presented themselves front and center.  John handed a lantern to Beau.  Alex needed both hands to help Glen with his chair.

“Beau and his family will make sure you get to the B&B safely.  One of them may stay there overnight so if you need anything, just say “Get John,” and they’ll come and find me.  All right?” 

Alex nodded as he pushed his tired spouse out towards the lane.

Brian, Justin, and Bobby stepped up behind John, waving as they watched their latest neighbors go home.

“It can’t be easy for Alex,” Justin murmured.

“It can’t be easy for Glen either,” Bobby mumbled.

The pair of lovers looked at each other in turn then said goodnight.

 

*****

 

“You overdid it,” Alex said.

“I’m fine or I will be in the morning.”

“Swear to me.”

“I swear.  I need to stretch out and sleep and in the morning you can help me with a nice long bath.”

“Hedonist,” Alex complained as he massaged some of the kinks out of Glen’s muscles.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Glen said.

“Yes, I do,” Alex confirmed as his strong hands worked on Glen’s legs.   

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 8

 

 

 

"Morning, Peter," Bree called as she came out the front door of the conjoined cottages.  "Have you seen Beau?" she asked the young man as he was coming up the lane.

"Is that the huge wolf?" Peter asked in return.

"He's not a wolf."

"I haven't seen him.  I'm here to work."

"Nobody's ready yet," Bree informed him.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked with a frown.  "They told me to be here at seven."

"It's only quarter to seven and they all got a late start."

"How come?"  Usually these people were so punctual and demanding in a manner that Peter was totally not used to.  They never yelled like his father, but they made it clear what was expected of people.  They had never been late before.

"I don't know, but I woke up and was hungry.  I had some cereal before I thought I better call them all.  They're eating breakfast now."

"So, they're not ready for me?" Peter asked uncertainly.  He didn't know whether to knock on the door of the cottage or go back to Debbie and Carl's.

"If I can find Beau, you can come with me."

"Where are you going and why do you need that wolf?"

"He's not a wolf and I'll show you where I'm going when I find Beau."

Just then Beau came bounding around the end of the cottage and stopped short in front of Bree waiting for a pat.  Bree was happy to oblige, giving Beau a good rub.  Beau eyed Peter suspiciously.

"Why is he looking at me like that?" Peter asked.

"I don't think you've been formally introduced," Bree said with a grin.

"I don't want to be formally introduced," Peter said taking a step back.

"It's better if you do.  Then he will know who you are, and they'll all look after you."

"Look after me!  They'll probably eat me."

Bree heaved a sigh.  "Beau won't hurt anybody he knows.  Trust me.  Hold out your hand."

Peter looked like he was about to run, but he didn't want to appear to be a coward in front of this girl.  He tentatively stuck his hand out a little ways.  Beau cocked his head to one side and studied Peter.  He could sense the fear.

"It's okay, Beau.  Peter is a good guy.  Go greet him," Bree encouraged the big dog.

Peter managed to stand his ground as Beau took a couple of steps toward him.  Beau nuzzled the outstretched hand and Peter took a step back.

"He won't hurt you," Bree promised.

Peter held his hand out again and Beau repeated what he had done before.  This time Peter didn't pull back.

"Give him a pat," Bree encouraged him.

Peter tentatively touched the top of Beau's head.  "He's soft."

"Yes he is.  Give him a firm rub."

Peter stroked his hand along the top of Beau's head.  The big dog  stood patiently.  He didn't try to lick Peter or jump on him like Little Beau probably would have done.  He knew this human wasn't ready for that.

"See, now you are friends," Bree said.

"We are?"

"Yep."

"Well, that's good, I guess."

"Want to meet the other two?" Bree asked with an evil grin.

"Um, maybe another time."

"Okay," she replied letting him off the hook.  She realized this whole process had been a big step for Peter.

"Where were you and Beau going?" Peter asked as Beau sat down beside them.

"He usually comes with me when I go to the thinking rock."

"Thinking rock?"

"Yeah, it's a special place down by the stream.  I'll show you sometime, but you should probably go in now.  I think they'll be finished breakfast by now."

"Oh, okay," Peter agreed.  He watched Bree and the big dog head around the cottage.

"See ya later," Bree called as they disappeared from sight.

Peter knocked on the door of the cottage.  He heard someone call, “Come in,” so he opened the door and entered.

“We’re in the kitchen,” called a voice that he thought might be Justin’s.

Peter followed the sound of the voice and found Brian, Justin, Bobby, John and Gus sitting around the kitchen table.

“Reporting for work?” Brian asked with a smirk.

“Um, yes sir,” Peter replied.

“Have you had breakfast?” John asked giving his brother a look.

“Yes sir.”

“You don’t have to call us sir,” John reminded him.

“I don’t know what else to call you,” Peter replied honestly.

“John would be fine.”

“I thought since you were adults I shouldn’t call you by a first name.”

“Well, now I’ve given you permission to do just that,” John said gently.

“Okay … John,” Peter said.

“And you can call me Justin,” Justin added.

“Bobby,” Bobby said indicating himself.

“Gus,” Gus said pointing to himself.

“I already call you Gus,” Peter reminded him.

“Just testing,” Gus said with a laugh.

Peter shook his head and chuckled, while everyone else looked at Brian.

“What?” Brian asked trying to appear innocent.

“What do you want Peter to call you?” John asked.

“Hm,” Brian said rubbing his chin.  “Your royal highness might suit,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Ignore my egotistical brother,” John scolded.  “You have my permission to call him Brian, although, maybe you should just call him annoying.”

Brian snorted.

“He’s just yanking your chain,” Gus said.

“It’s okay to relax around us,” John emphasized.  “We’re not all like Brian.”

Brian snorted again.  “I am used to a certain degree of respect,” he said haughtily.

John balled up his paper napkin and tossed it at his brother.  Everyone else followed suit.

“Hey!” Brian griped as he batted away the paper missiles coming at him.  “What kind of respect is that?”

“Just what you deserve,” Bobby said with a laugh.  He stood up and started picking up the debris.  “I need to get to work.”

“So do we,” John said.  “Ready, troops?”

“Yes, sir…John,” Peter replied, quickly correcting himself.

“I’m ready,” Gus said standing up.

“Just let me grab the notes from our cottage,” John said heading to the sun porch.

Peter stood by the table waiting to be told what to do.

“Grab some plates,” Brian ordered Peter and Gus as he started to clear the table.  Peter picked up a plate and utensils and carried them over to the counter.  “Leave them on the counter.  I’ll handle them from there.”

“Yes, si… I mean 'Your Royal Highness,” Peter said with a smirk worthy of Brian Kinney himself.

Brian laughed out loud.  “Okay, kid, that just earned you the right to call me Brian.”

Justin beamed at his husband from across the room.

 

*****

 

Bree was settled on the big rock by the stream.  Beau lay beside her.  Her hand idly caressed Beau’s big head.  She stared out over the water.  She felt kind of lonely.  Patrick had already started baseball camp, but soccer camp didn’t start for another week.  She just wasn’t sure what she wanted to do in the meantime.

“Got any good ideas of what to do, Beau?” she asked.

Beau raised his head at the sound of his name, but nothing beyond that was forthcoming.

“You’re no help at all today, Beau,” Bree scolded.

Beau looked at her poignantly, asking silently what she expected of him.

“I know,” Bree sighed.  “I need to figure this out myself.”

She looked up at the clouds, staring at one big one that looked kind of like an elephant with its trunk raised. For quite a while she was silent thinking about what she might want to do.

“I guess we should head back, Beau,” Bree said finally.  She sat up and started to slide off the rock.

Beau leaped down ahead of her and waited as she got down and took a last look at the stream.

“Ashley!” Bree said all of a sudden.  “Maybe Ashley could come stay with us for a few days.  What do you think, Beau?”

Beau gave a woof of agreement.  He liked Ashley.

“Let’s go ask Daddy and Dada,” she shouted as she raced across the clearing to the path.  Beau bounded along behind her, sensing her excitement.

“Dada, Daddy!” Bree called as she came flying through the door of the sun porch.  “Where are you?”

“Up here,” Brian called from his office.

Bree ran up the steps.  “Is Daddy here?” she asked.

“No, he’s gone to the gallery for a few hours.”

“Oh, I need to ask both of you something.”

“What?”

“Can Ashley stay here for a few days?”

Brian raised an eyebrow.  “Have you asked her if she wants to come?”

“She will.”

“Bree,” Brian admonished, “don’t make assumptions.”

“I know,” she said with a big sigh. “To assume makes an ass out of you and me.”

“Got that right.”

“So, can I call her?”

“Of course,” Brian said handing her the phone.  Brian listened with half an ear to Bree’s part of the conversation as he reviewed another Kinnetik North contract.  The newest addition to the Kinnetik family was doing very well.  Cynthia and Melanie were currently up there and would probably be spending most of the summer.  Gus and Ray would be going next in the fall.

A squeal of delight brought Brian back to the here and now.

“Can I assume Ashley accepted your invitation?” Brian asked his daughter with a smirk.

“Yes you may,” Bree replied as she climbed up into Brian’s lap and returned the phone.  Brian hugged his daughter.  ‘Soon she’ll outgrow laps,’ Brian thought to himself.  He hugged her closer then gently pushed her off his knee.

“Do I have to get her?”

“No, Ashley’s mom will bring her over later.  School’s over for most of us but the teachers are still doing stuff,” Bree explained.

“I have a few more contracts to review.  Go make sure your room is ready for your guest,” Brian suggested.

“Okay, Dada!” Bree replied brightly, beaming her father a sun shining smile worthy of the Taylor name as she walked toward the spiral staircase.

“Bree, some of your clients have been asking for you.  Would you like for me to arrange a lunch meeting when soccer camp is over?  I can have Schmidt do something at The Plaza.” 

“Does Gus have any clients close by?” Bree asked.

“Close enough.  Why, what are you thinking?”

“A meeting with both of us at the same time so they get used to dealing with both of us,” Bree suggested.

“Did you speak with Gus about it?” Brian asked thinking that it was a great idea.

“Not yet,” Bree replied with a little pout.

“He’s probably still at the new cottage.  Go check with him and then I’ll start making the arrangements,” Brian stated.

“Okay, Dada,” Bree said.  She was down the stairs, out the sun porch door, then running across the meadow in a flash.   

 

*****

 

Lindsay waved Justin into her office, indicating he should take a seat.  She was on the phone with Charles Higgins from the London National Gallery.  Justin plopped himself down onto the comfy sofa to wait until Lindsay was free.  They were talking about showing more of Justin’s work. 

“You want how many pieces?  He’s not a machine, you know,” Lindsay stated.  “He’s right here, I’ll discuss it with him.”  Justin made a little wave.  “Justin says hello.  Charles says hi.”  Then Justin shook his hand at her.  “Hold a minute, please.”  Lindsay made a face at Justin.

“I have about twenty nature studies if he’s interested,” Justin said loud enough to be heard.

“Did you hear that?  I don’t know, nature studies.”  Lindsay gasped.  “I thought you were straight,” she sighed as she rolled her eyes and shook her blond head. “I’ll email you pictures.  Okay.  I miss you too.  Really?  It would be so nice to see you.  Okay, let me know.  Bye.”  Lindsay ended the call.  “Sorry about that.  I never know when he’s going to call,” Lindsay said by way of an apology.

“No problem.   I guess the time difference doesn’t make it any easier to do business.”

“We usually email but sometimes…”

“He wants to charm you with that suave sophisticated accent of his,” Justin teased as he waggled his eyebrows.  Lindsay blushed.  “And is he straight like you’re just a lesbian?” Justin inquired with a smirk and another waggle of his eyebrows. 

Lindsay’s blush deepened.

“You won’t be so full of yourself when I tell you what type of nature studies Charles is hoping you’ll send him,” Lindsay said smugly. 

Justin thought a bit then he began to blush.  “No, are you serious?”  Justin started to giggle.

“Yes, I am,” Lindsay said with a laugh.  “Charles wants to know if you’re sending any more nudes of Brian.  Apparently he’s still a hot commodity.  One of your studies recently started a bidding war.  Fortunately the proceeds went to a local children’s hospital,” Lindsay explained.

“Please don’t tell Brian; we’ll never hear the end of it,” Justin begged.

“He’s not that bad.”

“Normally no, but one of our new residents has been exceptionally good for Brian’s ego lately. He doesn’t need to know that he has another admirer lusting after him.”

“Brian would never…”

“Of course he wouldn’t.  I know that deep in my soul but sometimes I get tired of having to beat them off with a stick.  It’s hard work being the husband of a man that everyone lusts after.”

“Maybe you should stop painting him,” Lindsay suggested.

“Never.  I’ll never stop painting him or drawing him.  If it wasn’t for him art wouldn’t be in my life at all,” Justin said as he unconsciously rubbed his hand.  “Besides, he’s so beautiful, he’s a joy to draw and I love him,” Justin said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.  “No, I can’t stop painting him,” Justin said with love.

Lindsay nodded with a smile.  “And your nature study?”

“Mainly the wildlife around the lane.  We have several chipmunks living somewhere in the arbor.  I love watching them scamper around.  They look like they’re having so much fun.  And once a day a family of ducks travels the same path along the stream to a beaver pond.  Then there’s Beau and his family, they’re magnificent animals.  I have dozens more subjects that I can paint on the lane.  I’m never bored.  Charles can have them all.”

“And Brian?”

“Maybe one or two.”  Lindsay threw Justin a pointed look.  “Charles can have those too.”  Justin laughed.

“Charles said he may fly over for an extended visit.  He’s been working non-stop on a special exhibit for over a year.  Now that’s over, he wants some time off; let Henry run the museum for a while.  I was going to ask Brian if he’d get Charles a deal at The Plaza.”

“When was the last time you had time off?”

“Me?  I don’t know, I think it’s been a while.  Why?”

“So why don’t you two stay at the lane?  We have plenty of room,” Justin said.  “Unless you feel awkward about Mel.”

“Mel and I don’t have any special arrangements.  We’ve been dating off and on.”

“Uh huh,” Justin teased.

“All right, maybe more than just dating, we share a long history and we do share children.”

“You don’t have to explain to me.  And from what I heard from Brian, Mel will be spending most of the summer in Canada.”

“I know, and Mel knows Charles.  Do you think Brian will mind us taking over a room or two in the big cottage?”

“Not at all.  Believe it or not he’s happy when friends are staying there.  Just remember we don’t have maid service.  We all pitch in cleaning.”

“I remember and I don’t mind, although it might shock Charles.  I don’t think he knows how to handle a vacuum cleaner,” Lindsay said and the two laughed.  “Seriously, I think I’d like a few weeks in the middle of nowhere but you must promise me that if Brian doesn't want to barbecue that I get the chance to do the cooking.  You guys always cook.  Someone should be treating you for a change.”

“Deal!  I’ll let the guys know.  Linds, whenever you want to spend time on the lane you’re more than welcome.  Candy and Richie are there now.”

“She called.  She loves it.  She said she’s been sketching up a storm.  I’ll email Charles and make him the offer.”

Lindsay and Justin then talked business when Susan Taylor came rushing into the gallery and was shown into Lindsay’s office.

“Susan, what are you doing here?” Justin asked.  “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, no.  I’m not sure.  Justin, I called the cottage first.  Brian told me you’d be here so I took a chance and drove over.  I didn’t want to tell you this over the phone,” Susan began to explain.

“Susan, what are you talking about?  Did something happen to Craig?”

“Yes, about six weeks ago he fell.  He kept saying he was all right; you know how stubborn he can be,” Susan said to Justin and Lindsay, making a pitiful face.  “But he kept taking more and more painkillers.  Nothing prescribed, just the kind you can get at the drug store.  When he started complaining about his stomach hurting I insisted he see the doctor.  Not only does he have a broken hip he developed an ulcer from the pain medication.  He’s had surgery to fix the hip and they managed to get the ulcer under control but he won’t stay in rehab to complete his therapy.  I don’t know what to do with him,” Susan said as she sat down and began to sob.

Justin was overwhelmed and a bit shocked as he sat next to her to give her a hug.  Lindsay, on the other hand, knew just what needed to be done.  As she made a small pot of tea, she called Jennifer.  Within twenty minutes Jennifer was at the gallery and updated by Lindsay.

“Justin, honey, your father has always been stubborn, you know that but now we just have to go over his head,” Jennifer stated with clarity.  Both Susan and Justin looked at her with the same confused expression.  “If Craig doesn’t want to stay in rehab to finish his therapy, we kidnap him and bring him to the lane.  Then we hire a good therapist.”

Susan wasn’t sure what to say or to do.  Justin thought for a moment then smiled.  “I think I know a therapist,” he said as he stood and pulled out his cell phone.

“I’m not sure if I can do this alone,” Susan murmured.  Jennifer sat down next to Susan.

“You won’t be alone.  Seth and I having been planning a vacation.  We’ll just spend it on the lane,” Jennifer declared.  “And I was just talking to Molly; she and Owen were planning time at their cottage.”

“No, I can't ask you to get involved,” Susan insisted.

“You’re not asking, I’m volunteering,” Jenn said.

“Of course we can always sic Debbie on him,” Justin said as he burst out laughing.

“Oh good thinking,” Jennifer agreed.  “She won’t let the stubborn bastard get away with anything.”

“And then there’s our secret weapon,” Justin said with a smirk.

“Oh yes, our secret weapon,” Jennifer nodded.

“What are you two talking about?”  Susan asked in between sobs.  Justin looked at his mom and at Lindsay who immediately understood.

“Bree!” all three chimed in.

“If anyone can wear Craig down into submission, it’s Bree,” Justin said.

“How do we get him to the lane?” Susan asked.

“When do you pick him up from rehab?” Jennifer asked.

“Late tomorrow afternoon.  He threatened to walk out today but when he found out he actually couldn’t walk without using a walker he decided to stay another day.  He needs a wheelchair too.  They told him he’d have to pay for all his equipment if he left today,” Susan explained.

“When you pick him up, instead of taking him home, drive him directly to the lane,” Justin said.  “We’ll make sure the large suite on the main floor of the B&B is ready,” Justin said.

“Are you sure about this?” Susan asked.

“I am but I won’t be doing the hard work.  You’re the one who’s going to have to put up with Craig’s shit,” Justin said. 

“Justin’s right.  If you think he’s stubborn now, just wait until he realizes that you’ve been conspiring against him,” Jennifer said.  “Are you prepared for the repercussions?”

Susan thought about it and reluctantly nodded her head.

 

*****

 

“Sunshine, what the fuck have you gotten us into?” Brian asked as a large truck pulled up to the B&B early the next day and several fit men started bringing in therapy equipment and a hospital bed.  All under the watchful eyes of one Glen Wilder.

“I’m sorry, Bri, I didn’t know it was going to be this involved,” Justin said with a shrug of his shoulders as his face began to turn red.

“Have Alex and Glen completely moved into their cottage?” Brian asked as he jumped out of the way of a well built young man carrying a bunch of metal bars that would soon become a trapeze set up attached to the bed.  The man looked Brian up and down with an appreciative and hopeful eye.  Brian smirked but shook his head, no.  The man sighed with a disappointed shrug.

Justin rolled his eyes as he wished for a hefty stick.

“Yes we are,” Alex replied as he stepped up just behind the pair.

“Alex, I am so sorry.  You’re supposed to be on vacation and now it’s like you’re going back to work,” Justin apologized to Alex.

“Justin, we’re used to taking a busman’s holiday. Don’t worry about it,” Alex assured the younger man.  Justin gave Alex a perplexed look at the little used expression, making Alex and Brian chuckle.

“He means, Sunshine, that this happens to them all the time,” Brian explained.

“Only this time we get to do it in paradise.  Justin, I won’t be involved unless your father formally requests my services.  I will make myself available to your stepmother if she asks, just one lane guest to another,” Alex said.  Justin nodded.  “I do get the impression the women in your life will be in charge of your father’s rehabilitation one way or another.  My suggestion is that you steer clear.”

“Good advice, Justin,” Brian said.  Brian and Justin exchanged a look then Brian held open his arms; Justin went into his embrace.  Over Justin’s shoulder Brian gave Alex a poignant look.  Alex silently acknowledged Brian.

Within no time the ground floor suite of the B&B was ready for the latest family members to stay on the lane.

 

*****

 

A little later in the day Glen found John and Peter inspecting the work done in the meadow cottage.  If Alex and Glen were pleased before, they were now over the moon at how the little touches improved the look of their lovely cottage.  John was amused and impressed by Peter who found and removed minute bits of painter’s tape.

“John, I realize Peter is your intern for the summer but do you mind if I borrow him?  Providing, of course, he’s willing to be borrowed,” Glen said with a grin.

“And just what do you have in mind for my intern?” John asked with authority, his arms crossed over his chest and with that arched Kinney brow.

“I may need him to help out with Craig,” Glen stated, hiding an amused smile.  The Kinney brothers could be very much alike.  John made a face.  “Yeah, I heard.  Alex filled me in.  He can be a real bastard to his son and to Brian.”

“Bree and Taylor have found a way to his heart.  And he does love his wife,” John said.

“So he does have a heart.”

“So it seems,” John said.

“Right now Craig’s a wounded animal.  And wounded animals are one of the nastiest creatures on the face of the earth.  It’s going to take a lot of work to get him to cooperate.  Most likely he’ll lash out.  Alex and I both agree that Justin should stay out of it.”

“And yet you want Peter to be involved,” John accused.

“Craig won’t be intimidated or antagonized by Peter, not like he is by Justin or Brian,” Glen explained.

“He’s homophobic.”

“Well tough shit,” Glen spat out.  “I’ve had tougher clients than him, believe me.”

“I believe you,” John smirked.  He turned to speak with Peter.  “Peter, I realize this is not what you bargained for when you moved to the lane and no one is forcing you, but if you can be of help to Glen and Justin’s father, we’d appreciate it.”

 

Peter wasn’t sure what he had gotten himself into by coming to the lane but all he could do was say yes.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 9

  

Justin was pacing in the kitchen waiting for the sound of the gate buzzer that would signal the arrival of his father onto the lane.  It was way too early in the morning for Justin to be waiting, but he couldn’t help it nor could he go back to sleep.  Justin wasn’t sure if he was excited or dreading it.  He had little to no contact with Craig since Molly’s wedding other than the occasional family or business function that both Taylors were expected to attend and couldn’t afford to miss.  The few times Justin extended the olive branch and invited Craig to the lane seemed to backfire on them all.  Justin was advised by Brian, Alex, Glen, and every other responsible male on the lane to avoid Craig at all cost.  But it didn’t keep Justin from hoping.  After all these years there was still a little part of Justin that wished for a normal relationship with his father that was something like Brian and Gus shared.  Justin knew that Brian still harbored some regrets that he wasn’t involved in Gus’ life from day one but he more than made up for it.  And now Gus was poised to follow in Brian’s footsteps.

The lane residents had been given an additional day’s reprieve to prepare for Craig’s arrival.  Between his overall crankiness and non-compliance, Craig had developed a low grade fever.  That concerned Susan and she insisted that he stay in rehab until his temperature was back to normal.  It not only gave the lane inhabitants more time to prepare, it also gave Glen time to review Craig’s records.  The great Craig Taylor conspiracy was on with full participation and cooperation of Craig’s medical team.  Especially when they heard that Glen Wilder was going to be Craig’s therapist. 

Justin continued to pace.

 

*****

 

"Are you ready to go help Glen?" Debbie asked as she picked up Peter's empty cereal bowl.

"I'm not sure."

Debbie snorted.  "I have no idea what Glen thinks you can do with that son-of-a...asshole.  Craig Taylor is a homophobic bastard."

Peter smiled and stifled a chuckle.  No matter how much Debbie tried to be a prim and proper mother figure, her language always indicated otherwise.  "You know I don't mind if you swear," Peter said.  "It's more honest that way."

Debbie snorted again.  "You should know that fucking Craig Taylor had his own son arrested and the bastard has hated Brian since the day they met.  He thinks Brian Kinney is the scum of the earth."

"But ... can't he see how much Brian and Justin love each other?" Peter asked with a perplexed look on his face.

"He doesn't give a shit.  Brian corrupted his son and turned him into a fag, as far as Craig Taylor is concerned."

"But ... that's not how it works."

"You know that and I know that, but Craig Taylor thinks he's right."

"How does Justin stand it?" Peter asked with a frown.

"It hasn't been easy.  He's tried to reach out to his father several times, but it has never made a real difference.  If it wasn't for Bree, I don't think Craig would have anything to do with his son."

"And I thought I had it bad," Peter said shaking his head.

"You did have it bad, but Justin never let his father define who he was or who he would be, and you shouldn't either," Debbie advised.

Peter stared at Debbie, then he nodded and got up from the table ready to face the day and Craig Taylor.

 

*****

 

"Wake up," Bree commanded as she gave Ashley a jostle.

"Mmm," Ashley groaned as she rubbed at her eyes trying to make them open.  "What time is it?"

"Almost nine."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Bree giggled.

The two girls had shared Bree's big bed, staying up for hours talking and giggling and solving the world's problems.  No wonder they had slept in.

"I'm surprised your dads didn't wake us up ages ago," Ashley said with a big yawn.

"They probably knew we would stay up late," Bree said as she slid out of bed.  "Are you hungry?  I'm starving."

"Me too," Ashley agreed as she got out of bed too.

Garbed in their robes they headed for the kitchen.  Brian and Justin were sitting at the kitchen table finishing their coffees.

"Well, look who decided to get up," Brian exclaimed in mock surprise.

Bree made a face at her silly Dada, but Ashley felt compelled to explain.

"We talked for hours last night, Mr. Brian," she said.

"I know.  You two were still jabbering away when Justin and I went to bed."

"We don't jabber," Bree informed him indignantly.

Brian snorted.  "What would you call it?"

"We were discussing things," Bree replied.

"Discussing, jabbering," Brian said weighing the two words in his hands.  "Pretty much the same thing."

"Before you two get into it," Justin interjected.  "Are you ladies hungry?"

"Very," Ashley stated before she could stop herself.  Then she blushed at her boldness.

"I thought so," Justin said.  "Brian?"  Justin gave his husband a knowing look.

"I'm not sure sleepyheads should get French toast," Brian said with an arched brow.

"French toast!" the girls squealed.  "Yay!"

Brian got up with a smile to retrieve his breakfast treat from the warming oven where it had been waiting for his daughter and her friend.

 

*****

 

Bree wiped the last drop of syrup from the edge of her mouth.  "Deeeelicious!" she declared.

"Very," Ashley agreed with a big grin.  "Thanks, Mr. Brian."

"You're very welcome, Miss Ashley," Brian replied with a slight bow.

The girls giggled at his antics.

Bree's face sobered up after a moment.  "Daddy, can I go see Grandpa Craig when he gets here today?" she asked.

Brian and Justin had explained to Bree that her grandfather was going to be moving into the B&B for rehab.  They had told her to stay away from there until Craig got settled in, and hopefully had an attitude adjustment.

"I think it would be better for you to wait a few days," Justin said gently.

"But why?  I could cheer him up."

"He may not be in the mood to be cheered up," Brian cautioned with a frown wrinkling his brow.  Brian didn't want Bree to suffer the wrath of an angry and hurting Craig Taylor.  He could be vicious enough when he was healthy and in a good mood.

Bree stared at her father.  "He would like to see me," she said confidently.

"He's in some pain right now, sweetheart," Justin advised her.  "I think it'll be better if you wait."

"Can I talk to Mr. Glen about it?" she asked.

Bree was nothing if not persistent, as her fathers knew all too well.

"Bree..." Justin began.

Brian touched his hand.  "I'll talk to Glen and let you know what he says about seeing Craig," Brian said.

"I should talk to Mr. Glen," Bree pushed.

"You heard me, Bree, and that's all there is to it," Brian replied sternly.

"Okaaaay," Bree said sighing heavily.

"No pouting," Justin advised her.

"Okay, Daddy, but what can Ashley and me do while we're waiting?"

"Ashley and I," Brian stated.

"You can't do anything with Ashley, Dada.  She's here to be with me."

Brian raised an eyebrow and Bree giggled.

"I know, Dada.  I said that on purpose."

Brian shook his head at his precocious daughter.  "I knew that."  Bree had her ways of getting what she wanted.

"I'm going to paint this morning so if you young ladies would care to join me...?"  Two heads nodded vigorously.  "Then go put on some painting clothes."

"Thanks, Daddy," Bree called as she ran down the hall to her room.

"Thanks from me too," Ashley said racing after her friend.

"Good one, Sunshine," Brian said kissing Justin's cheek.

"I didn't do anything," Justin objected.  "I was going to paint anyway.  Besides I need the distraction."

"I understand, but that doesn't really solve the Craig problem," Brian said.  "Should we just let her go and take him on?"

Justin frowned and thought about that.  "Bree is a strong girl.  And Craig wouldn't deliberately hurt her."

"Maybe not, but if he's in pain, and taking the good stuff who knows what he might do or say."

"We can't protect her from him forever," Justin said wisely.  "And she won't give up."

"No, she won't give up," Brian agreed.  "I'll talk to Glen and see what he says.  And I swear that if Craig hurts her, I'll break his other hip."

Justin chuckled.  "If only you were half the Neanderthal you pretend to be."

"You doubt me?" Brian asked looking like Justin had called him a bad name.

"Doubt you?  Never.  But you're more likely to get him kicked out of the country club than break his hip."

"Whatever!  Just know that there will be retribution."

"Let's not cross that bridge before we get to it."

"Okay, but I mean it."

"I better go get my painting clothes on," Justin said.  "I've got two beautiful women to entertain."  He kissed Brian's cheek and headed for the bedroom.

Brian watched him go still wondering what to do about Craig Taylor.  He decided that speaking to Glen was the place to start.  He walked through the sun porch and headed out the back to the meadow that would take him to the new cottage.  As he walked across the meadow, he wondered how he ever agreed to Craig Taylor ending up on his lane.  He was the last person they needed there.  The lane was supposed to be a sanctuary, a place of peace, their own private world.  With Craig Taylor in it, how could it be any of those things?

Brian knocked on the cottage door and called out, "You guys decent?"

"Yeah, come in if you must," Glen replied.

Brian entered the cottage to find the two men finishing breakfast.  "Late start for you too, I see," Brian observed.

"This moving business is tiring," Alex said.

"And we had to christen the new bed," Glen said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"He thinks we should do that every night," Alex said.  "The fresh air out here is having very unexpected effects on a certain person."

"Unexpected but not unwelcome," Glen said with a chuckle.

"Definitely not unwelcome," Alex replied with a slow sexy grin.

"TMI," Brian reacted with a gagging noise.

"I think we made him blush," Glen joked.

"Enough.  What can we do for you, Brian?" Alex asked.

"Bree wants to see her grandfather."

"And that's a problem, because?" Glen asked.

"I don't want her hurt," Brian replied.

"He's her grandfather, why would he hurt her?" Alex asked.

"You don't know him,” Brian snapped.

"I read his records yesterday," Glen informed him.  "I also spoke to Susan, and she said that Craig truly loves Bree.  And I understand it's been a while since he's seen her."

"He doesn't show a lot of interest when Justin and I are involved."

 “Glen, you’re forgetting that Craig is basically being kidnapped and going to be kept captive here.  Under normal circumstances the beauty of this place would more than compensate for the inconvenience.  However, throw in the fact that Craig doesn’t even know he’s on his way here, and I’d suggest you wait a few days until Craig gets used to these arrangements before Bree sees him,” Alex stated.

“God, you’re still so fucking hot when you get all shrinky on me,” Glen said with a sigh as he gazed with love at his spouse.  Brian rolled his eyes.  Alex winked at Glen then became serious again.  “Okay, I get what you’re saying and by the way, how do you know so much about Craig Taylor’s state of mind?”  Glen narrowed his eyes at Alex.

“You’re not the only one asked to consult.  I do have a reputation of being pretty good at my job,” Alex said coyly as he looked down at his fingernails.

“Uh huh,” Glen muttered.  “What else?” Glen asked with a certain amount of suspicion.  Brian smirked, finding the relationship between these two strong men very amusing.

“I read those same records.  We know that Craig experienced some complications and in spite of his ulcers he had a brief course of steroid therapy.  Unfortunately reacted badly to it,” Alex explained.

“Damn,” Glen said.

“Wait,” Brian said as he looked at both men, trying to fully understand what was going on.  Then something clicked.  “Oh fuck!  'Roid rage?  There’s no fucking way I’m letting Bree anywhere near that bastard.”

“He’s also going to be lightly sedated for the trip here.  Susan will have to drive very carefully to get him here,” Alex said.

“A man of his age, height, weight,” Glen mumbled, making calculations in head.  “It could take up to two weeks before all the drugs finally work their way out of his system.  Oh, this is going to be fun!”

“Certainly a challenge,” Alex agreed.

“And Bree?” Brian asked with trepidation. 

"Give it a few days, but if he seems interested in maintaining a relationship with her, I'd let her see him.  She's a bright girl.  She'll know how to handle him," Glen said.

"I hope you're right about that.  And for your information I never blush," Brian said with a growl as he stalked out of the meadow cottage.

"I'm always right," Glen said with a laugh.

 

*****

 

Justin was pacing again.  He had painted for as long as he could before all the colors ran together into a large messy brown blob.  It was so unappealing that Justin scraped off all the paint with a palette knife then hid the canvas high up in the sun porch rafters.

Sometime earlier in the day he had gotten calls from his mother and Molly.  They had packed up enough stuff to stay for several weeks.  Jennifer and Seth were staying in the B&B.  Molly, Owen, and seven year old Taylor would stay in their own little cottage.

The lane was about to get crowded.

The gate buzzer went off making Justin jump.

“Hello?” Justin said into the intercom. 

“Justin, sweetie, it’s Mom,” Jennifer said.

“Come in,” he said as he pushed the gate buzzer.  About fifteen minutes later Justin repeated the same process when his sister pulled up to the gate.  As soon as things settled down, all the guests would get their own gate code.

“Justin?” John called out as he came into the kitchen.  “Was that the gate?”

“Yeah, my Mom and Molly are here.  Why?”

“Well, you’re not going to believe this.  Actually, yes you are.  My mother and Steve just called, they should be here…”  The gate buzzer went off.  “...soon.”  John shrugged his shoulders with a silly grin.

“Where are they going to stay?  Lindsay and Charles are planning to stay at the B&B in a couple of weeks,” said Justin.

“With Rachel and George.  They have plenty of room, since the B&B is filling up,” John said.

Just then Bobby and Brian joined them in the kitchen.  Brian made a fresh pot of coffee while Justin put the kettle on.  No one wanted to talk about the pink elephant in the room called Craig Taylor.  And that there seemed to be dozens of people all ready to help out with Craig, but they couldn’t.  The boys were feeling useless.

“How did this happen?” Justin asked as he quietly sipped his tea.

“Not a clue, Sunshine.  One minute I was looking forward to continuing our honeymoon and fucking you all over the lane.  The next minute we’re confined to quarters,” Brian said as he indicated the cottage with his hand.

“But this shouldn’t affect you guys,” Justin said to John and Bobby.

“Patrick and I won’t have any problem,” Bobby began.  “But John and Gus will have to be discreet.  They look too much like you,” he said to Brian.  “The point of all of this is to get Craig up and going with as little stress and aggravation as possible.  Unfortunately Brian and Justin breathing the same air as Craig tends to aggravate him,” Bobby said.

The boys all nodded.

“When will my father ever stop being a shit?” Justin asked looking disappointed.  Brian draped an arm across Justin’s shoulders.

“Justin, some people will never change.  In this situation the best we can hope for is tolerance,” Bobby said as his grey blue eyes faced Justin’s ocean blues.    

“That, and Glen working a minor miracle by getting the bastard up on his own two feet and walking his ass off my lane as soon as possible,” Brian grumbled.

The boys nodded in agreement.

 

*****

 

“Where are you going?” Michael asked Ben.  Ben had just gotten off his cell phone and was heading for the door.

“Just across the lane to the B&B.  Glen called; Susan and Craig should be here soon.  They’re going to need help getting Craig out of the car and into his bed,” Ben explained.

“What’s wrong with Justin or Brian helping?” Michael wanted to know.

“Glen and Alex think its best that they stay out of the way for a while.  Craig is going to be angry enough for being brought here against his will.  He doesn’t need to be antagonized by Brian and Justin,” Ben said.

“Oh.  But why do they need you?”  Michael still didn’t understand.  Ben made a well defined and very large muscle with one bicep.  “Oh.”  No further explanation was necessary.

 

*****

 

“Drewsie, honey, who was that on the phone?” Emmett asked.

“Alex.  He was calling for Glen.  Craig Taylor should be here any minute.  It might take a few of us to get the man from his car into the B&B and into his bed,” Drew explained to Emmett.

“Maybe I should get with Debbie and cook up some easy meals for Susan.  She’s going to have her hands full,” Emmett said with a smile.

Drew stopped before he left their quaint cottage surrounded by their white picket fence to hug his husband.  “Do you know how much I love you?  You are the most generous loving man I know,” Drew declared as he gave Emmett a loving kiss.

“Drewsie, I know we were thinking about going back to Pittsburgh with the kids, but…”

“You want to stay,” Drew said knowing what was on Emmett’s mind.

“Yes.  They’re going to need us.”

“Brian and Justin,” Drew confirmed.

“Yes.  They’re always ready to help everyone else, it’s time we back them up,” Emmett stated with conviction.

“You got it, Babe.  I’ll take the kids back when they’re ready but we’ll stay as long as you say so,” Drew agreed.

“I love you,” Emmett said giving Drew a passionate kiss.  The lovers left their little piece of the lane; Drew went to the B&B while Emmett went to the thatched cottage.

 

*****

 

“Carl?  Who was that on the phone?”

“It was Glen.  Susan called, they’re at the general store.  They should be here soon.  I’m going to go with Peter just in case Craig makes trouble,” Carl stated.

“Should I frisk you for concealed weapons?” Debbie teased.

“Babe, you can frisk me anytime you like but I solemnly swear that I’m not carrying.  Not now anyway.  But if that bastard says something to hurt any one of these good people on this lane I am not averse to shooting off a toe or two,” Carl said with a straight face.

“My macho man,” Debbie declared as she threw her arms around him to give Carl’s cheek a sloppy kiss before he and Peter left the cottage.  Peter wasn’t all that sure if Carl was joking or not.

 

*****

 

“Babe, it’s almost time.  We should drive over to the boys’ cottage to wait,” Alex suggested to Glen.  Glen agreed.  Within minutes they were out the door and in their special van driving over to the conjoined cottages to await Craig’s arrival.

 

*****

 

“Hey,” Gus said when Ray answered his phone.

“What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” Gus protested weakly.

“I can hear it in your voice,” Ray said.

“I miss you,” Gus said with a little pout.

“Aw, I miss you too but guess what?”

“What?” Gus asked with hope.

“I arranged with Stacey to work remotely for a while,” Ray said happily.

“What does that mean exactly?”

“That means, that I’ll be there by lunchtime tomorrow.  However, it will be a working vacation for us.  I’m bringing several contracts and proposals for you and Brian to look over.  Brian okayed for us to stay for most of the summer.  We’ll need to go back to New York in August before we go to Canada but we’ll have a nice long visit on the lane.  How does that sound to you?”

“Are you shitting me?”

“Nope,” Ray said.  “Since you have the Jeep you’re going to have to pick me up at the airport.”

“You got it.  Email me the details.  I’ve missed you,” Gus whispered.

“Missed you too.”

“Ray, I have to warn you there’s something going on here.”

“I heard all about it, your dad filled me in.  Don’t worry about it.  I get the impression Brian wants us to keep your sister occupied until soccer camp and then we may have a few meetings in Pittsburgh.  By then, Bree’s grandfather should be human again.  His words not mine,” Ray said.

“Pop has this whole thing worked out,” Gus grumbled.

“Not really.  I get the impression he and Justin are making it up as they go but it’s the best solution for now,” Ray said.

The boys murmured words of love for a while before making plans for the next day then hanging up.

 

*****

 

The kitchen of the conjoined cottage was unnaturally quiet as six men sipped their beverages waiting for the buzzer.  Gus felt the tension and decided the best place for him and the girls was down by the stream.  Beau and his pack thought so too.

Brian was just about to employ his surefire method of distracting Justin when the gate buzzer went off.  Justin jumped up to get the intercom.

“Yes?”

“Justin?  It’s Susan, we’re here.”

“Follow the road around until you reach the large cottage,” Justin said.

“I need help,” Susan said quietly.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have it,” Justin promised as he hit the gate release button.

“It’s show time!” Glen said with a gleam in his eyes as he quickly maneuvered his wheelchair out of the cottage with Alex and Bobby sprinting behind him to catch up.

John, Brian, and Justin stared at each other for a few seconds then continued to drink their beverages.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 10

 

 

 

Susan drew in a deep breath as the heavy gates opened, she slowly drove through and officially onto the lane.  There had been some changes since the last time they were there but she barely noticed them.  All Susan was focused on was the larger cottage towards the middle of the lane.  As she pulled up to the B&B, Susan realized Craig was starting to wake up.

“What’s taking so long?” Craig slurred.  He was feeling stiff from the long drive to the lane but had no clue he wasn’t in front of his own condo.

“We’re here,” Susan murmured as she parked in front of the largest building on the lane.  She had no clue how she was going to get Craig out of the car and into the cottage.  Turning off the ignition, Susan momentarily closed her eyes when she felt them begin to fill with tears.  Her years with Craig had not been easy.  She preferred to think of good times, the fun times they had together rather than all the frustrating times.  At times she questioned her motives for staying with the man, she questioned her sanity but she never questioned her love for him.

A gentle knock on the car window brought Susan back to the here and now.  When she wiped away her tears and looked out, she found the car surrounded by several large handsome men most of whom looked very familiar.  A friendly smile on a serene handsome face attached to a muscular body greeted Susan.

“Ms. Taylor?  I’m Ben Bruckner, Michael’s husband,” Ben said quietly as he glanced toward Craig.  Susan smiled as she nodded.  She certainly remembered Ben; he was always friendly and respectful.  “We’re here to help get Mr. Taylor into the B&B,” he explained.  He opened her door.

“Thank you,” Susan said with relief as Ben handed Susan out of the car.  “I was told there’s a physical therapist staying on the lane,” she stated as she looked around.

“Yes, Glen Wilder agreed to be Mr. Taylor’s therapist.  He’ll be here soon.”

“When Craig’s doctors heard that Mr. Wilder accepted Craig’s case they agreed to this crazy plan.  Apparently Mr. Wilder has an exceptional reputation.”

“So we’ve been told.  His partner is Dr. Alex Wilder; he’s also agreed to help if necessary,” Ben stated.

“Yes, I spoke with him the other day.  He sounds very nice,” Susan said in a faraway voice.  She was still unsure of what she was doing so far from home and with a man who could barely stand on his own two feet.  “I...I...don’t know what I’m doing here,” Susan confessed.

“You’re here to get help for your husband,” Ben said reasonably.  He then introduced the rest of the men to Susan as they waited for Alex and Glen.  Luckily Craig had fallen back to sleep as they waited when two gentlemen arrived.

“Mr. Wilder, thank you so much for taking on my husband’s case.  I was told you’re actually on vacation,” Susan said as she stepped up to the handsome silver haired gentleman.

“You’re welcome,” Glen said with a smirk as he extended his hand.  “I’m Glen Wilder, therapist.”  Susan looked down but took Glen’s hand in a bit of shock.

“In more ways than one,” Alex stated.

 “And this is Alex Wilder, doctor, in more ways than one.  Between the two of us and with the help of these good people we’ll get your husband up and moving independently again,” Glen promised.

“You’re awfully confident,” Susan commented.

“I love a challenge,” Glen boasted as he rubbed his hands together.

“I guess our present challenge is getting Craig out of the car,” Alex said.  They all moved closer to peer at the man laying across the back seat of the car.

“Piece of cake!” Glen declared as he began issuing orders.  Within five minutes Craig Taylor was inside the specially fitted up large suite of the B&B, medicated again and fast asleep in a hospital bed.  Both Alex and Glen examined Craig and declared him no worse for wear.  He survived the trip to the lane.  Glen informed Susan that after a good night’s sleep and a decent meal, Glen would start Craig’s therapy in the morning.  

Susan remained unconvinced.  As did a few of the guys.  Alex had faith in Glen.  Drew and Ben had some idea of what a physical therapy program entailed but were still unsure that Glen could manage.  Peter and Carl were skeptical.

As Glen began to instruct Susan on some post hip surgery dos and don’ts, Alex decided to put on a pot of coffee.  Carl and Peter marveled over all the physical therapy equipment that had been set up in the spacious living room area of the large cottage.  There was a set of light weights placed safely in a corner.  A set of parallel bars that ran for at least twenty feet with monkey bars attached overhead.  There were a couple types of walkers and canes leaning against the wall as well.  And what looked like a highchair for an adult.

“Do you know what all this stuff is for?” Peter asked Carl.

“Not a clue,” Carl replied as he ran his hand over one of the bars.

As the aroma of fresh coffee filled the room Debbie and Emmett came into the cottage carrying several crates.  The guys immediately went to them to give them a hand.

“What’s all this?” Susan asked, somewhat in a daze.

“Debbie and I put together some easy to cook meals for you,” Emmett said with grin.

“We figured you’re going to have your hands full with…” Debbie grinned as she shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know what to say,” Susan said as more tears came to her eyes.  Their kindness was overwhelming her.

“Don’t cry, honey, it’ll all work out,” Debbie assured her.

“Now we only made a few meals to start off with,” Emmett said.

“This is a few?” Susan asked as she watched them load up the refrigerator and freezer.

“Well, we just thought about it this morning,” Debbie said.  “We’re going to prepare some larger pre-cooked meals that you can freeze and take out whenever you need them.”

“Thank you.  This is so generous of you.  But how did you know what Craig would like?” Susan asked.

“That would be my fault,” Jennifer said as she and Seth came down the stairs.  “I spent enough time with Craig to remember what he liked to eat.  Besides, he should be grateful that you’re feeding him after the way I’ve seen him treat you,” Jennifer stated.  Seth placed a hand on Jenn’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,” Jennifer admitted.  “Molly and her family are here to help when you need a break.  And Seth and I are staying right upstairs.  We all know how pigheaded Craig can get and I’m not apologizing for saying that.”

“What she’s trying to say and badly,” Seth began, “is that you’re not alone.  We’re all staying here until Craig is walking under his own power.”

Susan stared at all the people in the room, and then she burst into tears before turning away.  Everyone froze to give Susan a moment to get herself together.  Someone shoved a wad of tissues into her hands.  When she turned, Emmett placed a well sweetened mug of tea into her hands.  After Susan took a couple of sips she walked toward the living room and to all the equipment.

“This looks like the physical therapy room in the hospital,” she said.

“It should.  I spend enough time there,” Glen retorted.

Susan stared at the equipment and then stared at Glen.  Then she began to blush.  Glen knew what was coming.

“I’m sorry.  It was rude of me to stare,” Susan said.

“No problem, it happens all the time,” Glen replied.  “Ben can tell you we get weird looks at the gym.”  Ben chuckled.

“Babe, I think you need to show her,” Alex said with pride as he came closer.  The rest of the curious friends moved in closer too.

“You just want me to take off my shirt,” Glen quipped as he winked at his spouse.  He rolled himself up to the parallel bars then stripped off his outer shirt down to his ‘wifebeater.’

“Well that too,” Alex admitted.  Alex kept himself fit but Glen had extraordinary upper body strength to compensate for his lack of use of his legs. 

Glen flung his shirt at Alex then locked the wheels of his chair.  Alex smirked as Glen was about to show off for their friends.  Glen grabbed the bars to pull himself up and out of the chair.  He smirked when he heard Emmett’s low squee.  Glen “walked” himself a few feet using the bars swinging his legs like a gymnast then he reached up for the monkey bars.  He did pull ups, flung himself back and forth the length of the monkey bars at breakneck speed.  He jumped down to the parallel bars then back up to the monkey bars.  All without breaking a sweat.  Then like a gymnast he “dismounted” by going back down to one bar, spinning himself around it then walking himself back to his wheelchair.  Alex handed Glen his shirt signaling that the show was over then he leaned down to give Glen a kiss.

“I think your husband is in good hands,” Ben said as he handed Glen a glass of water.  Everyone agreed.  Emmett did too as he fanned himself.

“What happens when he wakes up?” Susan asked.

“Before or after he starts shouting that he has to take a piss?” Debbie snarked.  Carl gave her a look.

“You tell him the truth,” Alex said.  “He’s here to recover and that the best physical therapist that money can hire will be working with him.  If he complains he can call his doctors.  If he has any minor complications, I’m sure I can handle it.”

“And if he needs his head shrunk, Alex can definitely handle it,” Glen interjected.  “And I’m not so bad at it myself,” Glen said as he blew on his fingernails then rubbed them against his chest.   

“I don’t understand,” Susan said.  Debbie and Emmett leaned in closer to listen.

“What Glen is trying to say, and poorly, is that not only is he a physical therapist but Glen is a practicing psychologist,” Alex explained.

“I specialize in neuro and spinal injuries.  I find quite often that my patients aren’t ready for physical therapy until they’re mentally prepared even though their bodies may be ready.  I have the advantage of being qualified to treat both,” Glen stated, his prior flippantness had been replaced by professionalism.  All but Ben and Alex were duly impressed.

“So let me get this straight,” Debbie said as she pointed at Alex.  “You’re a shrink but you can do real doctor stuff.” 

Alex rolled his eyes.  “I am a real doctor, I just happen to specialize in psychiatry.  I do an ER rotation on a monthly basis to keep my medical skills up.”

“Okay, so you’re a real doctor.  And you,” Debbie pointed a sharp nail at Glen.  “You’re a physical therapist and therapist.  So we’re getting two for the price of one!”

“Something like that,” Glen agreed.

“Well, la-dee-da.  The lane’s getting pretty fucking fancy!” she declared.

For the next several minute Glen discussed his plan for Craig and the recommendation to keep Bree away until Craig’s head was clear or if he actually asked for her.  Glen, Alex, and a few of the guys would be back in the morning.

 

*****

 

"Daddy," Bree said as she and Ashley came into the sun porch.

Justin was sitting on a chaise looking through an art magazine that he subscribed to.  Sometimes inspiration came from looking at what other artists were doing.

"What's up, buttercup?" Justin quipped.

"You're silly, Daddy," Bree giggled.  Justin gave her a thumbs up.  Bree's face sobered.  "Is Grandpa Craig here yet?"

"Yes."

"You didn't tell me," Bree said with a frown.

"I know you want to see him, but he's very tired from his trip here."

"How do you know?  Have you seen him?" Bree asked with an accusatory tone.

Justin sighed and patted the chaise, moving his legs over so Bree could sit down.  He indicated the chaise next to him for Ashley.  She nodded and sat, staying quiet.  She didn't like tension.

"I haven't seen him, but Bobby went to help move Craig from the van to the B&B.  He said Craig was really out of it," Justin explained.

"Out of it?" Bree repeated.  "Do you mean like sedated?"

Justin shook his head at his precocious daughter.  "Yes, sweetheart, he was sedated.  He's on some drugs to help him through the pain."

"Is he in a lot of pain?" Ashley ventured to ask.

"Quite a bit," Justin replied.  "He needs some time and Glen's help."

"I could help too," Bree informed her father.

"Sweetheart, you can help when Craig is up to seeing people.  Maybe in a few days."

"But I could help now," Bree said hopefully.

"We told you that you need to wait till he's feeling better."

"But..."

"No buts, you can't see him now and that's all there is to it."

"What's going on?" Gus asked as he entered the sun porch.

"Grandpa Craig is here and he's in pain and I know he would like to see me, and Daddy says I can't see him and I don't like it."  Bree crossed her arms on her chest and glared at the world.

"Bree, it's for your own good.  Craig isn't ready to see anybody," Justin explained.

"I don't care.  You're mean."

"Bree, that's uncalled for," Gus said moving closer to the father and daughter.

"Well it is mean not to let me see him," Bree declared.

"I can't see him either," Gus interjected hoping that might make his sister feel better, and less singled out.

"You can't?" Bree asked with a frown.

"No, and neither can Pop or Justin or Uncle John or Patrick."

"Why not?"  Bree's eyebrows had shot up in surprise that she wasn't the only one banned from seeing Craig Taylor.

"I'm sure your fathers told you that your Grandpa Craig is in no condition for visitors.  He needs rest and therapy," Gus continued.

"But I want to help him," Bree persisted.

"I know you do, and I'm sure you will help him, just not right now."  Gus looked at Justin who nodded his approval and mouthed a thank you.

"I think you owe your father an apology, short stuff," Gus admonished.  "He wasn't being mean."

"Sorry, Daddy," Bree conceded.

"That didn't sound very sincere," Gus commented.

"I meant it," Bree whispered.  "I love you, Daddy."  She flung her arms around her father's neck.

"Love you too, sweetheart," Justin whispered in her ear.

"Much better," Gus said.  He smiled at them.  "I just came in here to say that I'm leaving soon for the airport to pick up Ray."

"Right, I almost forgot he was coming today," Justin said as he released Bree from their hug.

"I didn't forget," Bree said.  "Can Ashley and I come with you?  I like Ray."

"You never forget anything, do you, short stuff?  Um, I thought Ray and I might stay overnight at the loft, so..."  Gus let the word dangle in the air.

"I think Gus and Ray want to be alone," Justin said to his daughter.

"But Ray likes me, and they can be alone here after we get home," Bree informed them.  "You want to go too, don't you, Ashley!"

"Um, sure," Ashley said, uncertain as to how she should respond, "but it's okay if I stay here if that's what you want."

Gus looked from Bree to Ashley to Justin.  No one seemed to be giving him any help.  He could tell that Bree really wanted to come with him, and Justin looked like he could use some help to keep her away from Craig.  Drawing in a deep breath, he said, "Okay, you and Ashley can come."

"Yay!" the girls yelled.

"But, when we get back here, I want lots of alone time with Ray.  Understood?"

"Gus and Ray sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g..." Bree chanted.  She and Ashley giggled loudly.

"Okay, okay, no more of that if you want to come with me," Gus griped.

"'Kay," Bree agreed.

"Then let's get this show on the road."

"Thanks, Gus," Justin whispered as he stood up to see them off.

As the Jeep pulled away down the lane with two happy young ladies in the back seat, Justin gave them a wave.  He was about to turn and go inside when he was joined by his husband.

"I see you got rid of them all," Brian said with a smirk.

Justin snorted.  "Where the hell were you?  I could have used some support," Justin informed him.

"You did just fine."

"You heard?"

"I was in my office."

"And it didn't occur to you to come down and help?" Justin asked indignantly.

"I thought you did just fine," Brian repeated.

"Gus did fine.  I thought we were in for a major tantrum until Gus came to the rescue."

"See, you didn't need me," Brian said with a sheepish grin.

Justin shook his head in disbelief.  "You're a big coward, you know that."

"I'm very discriminating about where I stick my nose in."

"Really, is that what you think?  I call it cowardice."

"Semantics," Brian countered.

Justin gave up.  As smart as he was, he could rarely beat his husband in a battle of words.  "You do realize that this isn't over yet."

"Bree is persistent."

"More like stubborn."

"I wonder who she gets that from," Brian observed. 

"Bree will not give up until she sees her grandpa," Justin stated ignoring the dig from his husband.

"God only knows what the fuck she sees in him."

"Well, she sees something."

"Then we keep her away until the time is right."

"I expect some help the next time she brings it up."

"Yes, master."

Justin gave him an elbow as they watched the Jeep disappear down the lane.

 

*****

 

Gus glanced in the rearview mirror as he drove away.  He could see Justin and Brian standing at the front door of their conjoined cottage watching them leave.  Then as they passed the B&B, he saw Bree give a little wave toward the building.

"What was that for?" Gus asked her when their eyes met in the mirror.

"I was waving in case Grandpa Craig was looking out the window," Bree informed him.

"I doubt he would be looking out a window.  I don't think he can get out of bed, and he's probably sleeping anyway."

"Well, it was just in case," Bree affirmed.

"That was nice of you, Bree," Ashley told her friend.

"Yeah, I thought so too," Bree replied smugly.

Gus wondered how they could possibly keep Bree away from the B&B.  She seemed very determined to see her grandfather.  The trip to the airport would solve this afternoon's problem, but then there was tomorrow and the next day and the one after that.  For the first time in his life Gus wished for a speedy recovery for the man who hated his father.

 

*****

 

"When will he come out?" Bree asked for the tenth time.

Gus and his entourage were waiting outside the secure area of the airport.  The sign above the exit indicated that Ray's plane had landed some time ago, but so far there was no sign of the person they were waiting for.  They were all on pins and needles.

"Your guess is as good as mine, short stuff," Gus replied.  "I guess it depends how far away the gate was where he got off."

"I wish he'd hurry up," Bree griped.

"My mommy says you should always be patient," Ashley informed them.

"Of course she does," Gus said a little more sharply than he had intended.

"Gus," Bree admonished.

"Sorry, Ashley," Gus said as he peered into the exit looking for his lover.  "Here he comes!" Gus shouted as he spotted Ray heading toward them.

As soon as Ray passed the edge of security , he found his arms full of a very excited Gus.  "Happy to see me?" Ray asked with a big grin after he kissed Gus heartily.  They got some strange looks for their PDA.

"Very happy," Gus replied breathless from the kiss.  He threw his arm around Ray's back and picked up the carry-on that had been dropped during their encounter.

"We're happy to see you too," Bree ventured to say.  Ashley nodded in agreement.

"Bree, what are you doing here?  And Ashley?" Ray asked, as he noticed them for the first time.  He gave each of them a hug with a questioning look toward Gus.

"They needed a ... distraction," Gus said.

"Oh?"  Ray's forehead wrinkled at the simple statement.  Obviously there was more to this than Gus cared to say.  They had talked about going to the loft for an immediate reunion, but that seemed very unlikely now.

"Let's go," Gus said.  "We need to get the girls back to the lane."

"Oh, okay," Ray said as they started to walk toward the parking garage.  He felt a hand slide into his and he looked down to see Bree holding on.  The next thing he knew, Ashley had his other hand.  Gus walked on ahead heading for the car and carrying Ray's luggage.

"Will you sit in the back of the car with me?" Bree asked batting her eyelashes at Ray.

"Um..."

"Bree, remember your promise," Gus warned.

"Oh, okay," Bree replied petulantly, "but I have so much to tell you on the ride home."

Gus groaned audibly.  It was going to be an excruciatingly long drive back to the lane.

The Fox in the Hen House

Chapter 11

 

 

 

“It was a dark and stormy morning…”  That’s what popped into Peter’s head the moment he raised his hand to knock on the meadow cottage door and he heard loud angry voices emanating from within.

In all the excitement of Craig Taylor coming to the lane, plus the sudden influx of additional family members, John had realized there was a smattering of things left on his To Do list for the meadow cottage.  He sent Peter over with list in hand and tool belt on hips to finish off that list. 

“You overdid it again yesterday!”

“You’re the one who wanted me to show off!”

“Yeah, about that, I didn’t think you were going to do a Simone Biles routine!”

“Oh god, wasn’t she adorable,” Glen said with a sigh.  “And I’d kill for those thighs.”

“Yes she was,” Alex agreed, momentarily distracted with a vision in his head of the adorable legendary gold medal winning gymnast in her prime.  “Stop that!” he shouted, knowing what his husband was doing.

“Alex!” Glen shouted back.  It didn’t go unnoticed by Glen that Alex was always cool, calm, and very together in every situation which made him the perfect psychiatrist, unless the situation involved Glen.  “Get over yourself, I’m fine.  Let’s finish breakfast and get to the B&B before all hell breaks loose.”

“Stop changing the subject!”

“I’m not changing the subject; this is the subject!”  

While the men glared at each other over breakfast, Peter took advantage of the silence and finally knocked on the door.  Alex took a gulp of his now lukewarm coffee before answering the door.

“What?” Alex barked out at Peter.  Peter took one step backward as his eyes widened.  Alex immediately regretted his actions.  He took a breath and began again.  “Come in, Peter, and I apologize for my anger.  It wasn’t directed at you,” Alex said gently as he stepped back and toward the side giving Peter space and time to decide if he wanted to come in.  Peter again hesitated for a moment before stepping over the threshold into the cottage.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Peter mumbled.

“You’re not disturbing us.  On the contrary, you probably saved my husband’s life,” Alex grumbled.

“I heard that!” Glen shouted from the kitchen.

Sensing Peter’s discomfort, Alex didn’t move from the doorway and neither did Peter.  “Don’t worry, Peter, all couples argue.  It’s healthy.  I’d be more worried about a couple that didn’t argue.  I’m sure Debbie and Carl have their fair share of arguments.” 

Peter nodded his head trying not to laugh.  “They argue a lot, and loud!  But they always make up fast and loud too!”

“Between you and me, I think Carl is really a quiet kind of a guy but has gotten louder in self defense,” Alex remarked which made Peter laugh.  “I’m serious, Peter, Glen and I have strong and often differing opinions.  We frequently argue but that doesn’t mean we love each other any less.  I’m sure John and Bobby argue although they probably do it so politely that you’d never notice,” Alex joked as he led the now relaxed young man toward the kitchen.  “And I know for a fact that Brian and Justin have some real interesting arguments that often involve the whole family.”

“Now I’d pay to see those two in a good old fashioned mud wrestle,” Glen stated with an odd sense of glee.  “Good morning, Peter,” Glen turned and pleasantly greeted the boy.  “What can we do for you?”

“Um, John gave me a list of things to check on,” Peter said as he pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket.  “But I can come back later if you want,” he said as his eyes wandered down toward the floor.

“No, it’s fine.  We’re just about ready to go to the B&B so we’ll be out of your hair and you can go down your checklist.  Just shut the door when you leave so those wolves don’t decide to move in again,” Glen said with amused disdain.

Alex began to laugh.

“What do you mean?” Peter asked.

“Last night I didn’t shut the door all the way so Little Beau took that as an invitation to come in and make himself comfortable just outside our bedroom door.  Let’s just say he was a bit of a surprise this morning,” Glen remarked.

“Especially before his coffee,” Alex interjected.

“Yeah, talk about your rude awakenings, but we got it all sorted,” Glen said.  “So what’s on this list of yours?” Glen asked as Alex packed up whatever they’d need for the day.  The meadow cottage was a little off the beaten path, so to speak; Alex wanted to take everything they’d need for the day with them.

Peter handed his list to Glen to review.  “Do Brian and Justin really argue?” Peter asked out of curiosity. 

“Apparently their fights and break ups were legendary in Pittsburgh.  But, alas, they are made for each other, so my dream of having Brian as my sugar daddy goes unrequited,” Glen said with an exaggerated sigh.

“You’re outta luck, drama queen, he’s spoken for.  Besides, I don’t think you quite fit the bill,” Alex said as he joined them in the kitchen. 

Glen gathered the breakfast dishes and utensils to wash.  “Oh?  Why?  My ass not bubbly enough?”

“Nope.  Not blond enough either, or young enough,” Alex said.

“Yeah, about that,” Glen began.

“Uh uh, that was a long time ago and not my story to tell.  You want details, you ask them.  Besides, you were in the Pitts at the time to know the legend,” Alex said.

“So all of that is true about young Justin standing under a street lamp, Kinney walking up to him and then taking him home?”  

“All true.  I’m sure someone is out there singing songs of glory to honor the great Brian Kinney,” Alex teased.

“Oh, you so did not just quote Star Trek,” Glen said as he flung a dishtowel at Alex.  The men laughed as Alex sat in a nearby chair; Glen wheeled over.  Peter blushed as the loving partners hugged and kissed.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” Alex said.

“I’m sorry I showed off.  I could’ve done the short program,” Glen admitted.  “But I needed Susan…”

“She has to have confidence in your abilities to bolster her own confidence.  I get it.  Let’s go, I’m sure Craig’s awake and making her crazy.”

“Why she stays with a man like that…”

“Glen, we love who we love,” Alex reminded him.  Glen took Alex’s hands in his then kissed each one.

“Peter, take all the time you need to work on your list.  Just remember what I said about the door,” Glen said with a serene smile.  “Oh, and feel free to raid the fridge.”

The men gathered their things then left the cottage.  Peter stood there amazed then he shook himself out of it to begin his work.

A little over an hour later Peter was sitting in the sun porch checking the list.  He did indeed raid the refrigerator although it wasn’t much of a raid.  He poured himself some cold water and found an orange.  He had one last task on his list that at first appeared to be a simple one.  But now, Peter wasn’t so sure.  He looked up at the ceiling fan and then at the whimsical chain pulls in his hand.  The task was to add the appropriate extension to the right chain.  Apparently like many people, the boys could never figure out which chain turned on the light and which one worked the fan.  So John found a set of chains that cleverly had a little light bulb at one end while the other chain ended with fan blades.  Peter thought that was a great idea, problem was that he had only seen ceiling fans either on or off.  He had never paid attention to how anyone actually turned one on.  Plus he and his dad never owned one.

Peter finished his orange, washed his hands then set up a small step ladder so he could attach the chain pulls.  He was just about finished when out of the corner of his eye he saw something or someone run by the windows.  It startled him and he nearly fell off the ladder.

“Shit!” Peter cursed as he steadied himself.  When he got himself under control he slightly turned only to find he had an audience in the form of two girls and one large wolf dog.  Peter stared out the window trying to figure out if the wolf dog was Beau or Beau junior.  Both dogs were scary but at least the younger Beau liked to play more than the older one.

“You got them on backwards,” Bree shouted.

“What?” Peter yelled back.

“You got them on backwards!” Bree repeated.

“I got what on backwards?” Peter asked.  He had no idea what Bree was talking about. 

Bree rolled her eyes then walked away.  Ashley stood there watching with Little Beau for another minute then followed her friend.  Two seconds later Peter found himself surrounded.

“The chain pulls are backwards,” Bree started to explain as she pointed up.  “The one with the light bulb goes in the middle.  The fan is the chain on the side.” 

“Oh,” Peter said as he looked up.  “Thanks,” he said as he fixed them.

“You should test them,” Ashley suggested.  Bree nodded in agreement.

“Test them?” Peter asked as he wondered how these girls got so smart.  “Uh, is there a wall switch?”

“No, just pull the middle chain,” Bree said.  Peter did and the light came on.  That seemed to please Bree and she favored Peter with a pretty smile.

“Now the fan,” Ashley encouraged.  Peter gave the side chain a gentle tug and the fan came to life.  “Pull it again.”

“Why?”

“Because it’ll make the fan go slower,” Ashley explained.  Peter did as instructed and sure enough the fan slowed down.  “Again.”  He pulled one more time and the fan slowed to a gentle pace.

“If you pull it one last time the fan goes off,” Bree said with a grin.  “Try it.” 

Peter shrugged then gave the chain one more tug and the fan slowed to a stop.  “So if I pull it again the fan will come on, right?” he asked.

“Yup!” both girls said.  Peter tried and the fan was at full force.

“Thank you for helping,” Peter said politely as he shut everything down.  He put away the step ladder and made sure he left everything clean and tidy.  He checked his list one more time before he led the girls and Little Beau out securing the door behind them.

“What are you supposed to do now?” Bree asked.

“I think I’m supposed to report back to your uncle.”

“We’ll walk back with you.  My Grandma Claire is at Auntie Rachel’s house.  Ashley and I are going there for a while,” Bree said.

“Why do you sound sad?  Don’t you like your Grandma Claire?” Peter asked.

“I love my Grandma Claire.  It’s just that I have to go to soccer camp soon and I miss everyone already,” Bree said in a little voice.  Ashley gave her best friend a hug.

“Don’t be sad.  It’s only for two weeks and then you and Gus get to go to work together!” Ashley said with awe.

Peter wanted to ask about Bree working but he thought better of it, besides they were approaching the house at the top of the lane.  Bree and Ashley went toward the house while Peter went to the conjoined cottages.

 

*****

 

Bree frowned as she knocked on her Auntie Rachel's door.

"It's okay, Bree," Ashley said touching her friend's arm.  "I'll stay with you."

"I know.  I just want everything to be okay.  It's so tense around here.  I want to see Grandpa Craig, but I know everybody thinks I shouldn't."

"They might be right, Bree," Ashley suggested.

"I want to make sure he's okay before I go to soccer camp.  Time is running out."

"Bree, Ashley, come in," Rachel said with a warm smile as she opened the door to her house.

"Is Grandma Claire here?" Bree asked.

"She sure is," Rachel replied.  "We just finished making some pies."

"Yum, pie!" Ashley blurted out then quickly blushed and looked at the floor.  "Oh, sorry," she said.

"Don't be sorry, dear," Rachel told her.  "I think one of the apple pies might be cool enough to cut into.  How does warm apple pie and ice cream sound?"

"Yummy," Bree gushed with a big smile.  She suddenly felt a lot better.

"There's my sweet girl," Claire exclaimed as they entered the kitchen.  Bree ran over to her and gave her a big hug.  Ashley followed suit.  "You two just made my day."

"Auntie Rachel says you have pie."

"Do we have pie!"  Claire gestured to the counter behind her where several pies were lined up to cool.

"Wow!" Ashley said in amazement.  "I've never seen so many pies."

"And they all taste delicious," Bree declared.

"How do you know that?" Ashley asked.  "You haven't tasted them yet."

"If Grandma Claire and Auntie Rachel made them, they're deeeelicious," Bree stated with assurance.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Rachel chuckled.  "Do you think one of the apple ones is cool enough to eat, Claire?  These young ladies seem to be hungry."

"I have just the one for them," Claire said as she picked up one of the pies and started slicing it.

"How come you made so many pies, Grandma Claire, oh, maybe I shouldn't call you that, Mrs....," Ashley stammered.

"Grandma Claire is just fine.  I like that you think of me that way, Ashley.  Do you have any other grandmothers?"

Ashley shook her head.  "My mommy's mommy is the only one I remember a bit, but she died."

"That's too bad," Rachel said as she scooped ice cream onto the girls' plates and handed them their pie.  She did the same for Claire and herself.

"I'd be honored to be your grandma," Claire said.  "So please feel free to call me that."

"Thanks," Ashley said as she took a big bite of her pie.  "This is soooo good!"

"Thank you," Claire beamed, "but Rachel deserves some of the praise too.  The pies were a collaborative effort."

Ashley frowned.  "What does that mean?"

"They made them together," Bree said with her mouth full of ice cream and pie.

"Bree, you shouldn't be talking with your mouth full," Claire cautioned.

Bree took a big swallow and replied, "Sorry."  She wiped her mouth and gave a satisfied sigh.  "Can you teach Ashley and me how to make pies?"

"Of course we can," Rachel said.

"Tomorrow?"

"Don't you need to be getting ready for soccer camp?" Claire asked.

"It's not till the next day," Bree stated.

"But you need to pack and decide what to take with you."

"I know all that."

"I think it would be better if we did it when you came back," Claire explained.  She didn't want to interfere with Bree's fathers getting her ready for camp.

Bree heaved a weary sigh and crossed her arms on her chest.  "Why won't nobody let me do nuffin'?" she asked in her best peevish baby voice.

"What do you mean, dear?" Rachel asked.

"My dads won't let me see Grandpa Craig, and now you won't teach me to make pie.  This summer sucks!"

"Sweetie..." Claire began.

"I'm not anybody's sweetie.  Everybody treats me like a baby, and I'm not a baby!"

"Of course, you're not," Rachel said gently.  "You've grown into quite a young lady."

"Then why won't anybody treat me like I'm a young lady, not some stupid kid?"

"No one is intentionally treating you like a child, Bree," Claire said with a certain sternness in her voice.  "People care what happens to you.  We're only trying to do what is best for you."

"Why is it best for me not to see Grandpa Craig?"

"Um..." Claire began trying to decide how she could possibly answer that question without making matters worse.  She knew the reasons why her fathers wanted to keep Bree away from her grandfather, but she wasn't sure how much to tell Bree.

"See, I knew it!  There's no good reason," Bree declared.

"Ashley, would you like to see my garden?" Rachel asked.  "Maybe Claire and Bree need to talk privately."

"Ashley can stay," Bree said quickly.  "I need an answer to my question and Ashley can hear it."

"Maybe there is no simple answer," Claire admitted.

"What does that mean?"

"I'll try to explain," Claire said.  She wasn't at all sure how she was going to do that, but she would try.  Bree was a smart little girl and Claire hoped she was ready to hear the truth.  "You know that your grandpa doesn't get along well with some of the people on the lane."

"Like my Dada," Bree said.  She had seen and felt the tension between the two men for many years.

"Exactly," Claire agreed.  "They have never gotten along."

"But why does that mean I can't see Grandpa Craig?"

"Your grandpa has been in a lot of pain.  He's on medication and not in any frame of mind to have visitors."

"I still don't get it," Bree declared.

"Your fathers are worried that Craig will be harsh, maybe even mean, with you.  He has a ... nasty streak."  That was the best way Claire could think to word it.

"He's never been nasty with me."

"Not yet, but he's not himself right now."

Bree frowned trying to understand.  "But he loves me.  He told me that many times."

"I'm sure he does love you, and he's tried to make things better with your fathers when he's come to the lane before.  He was always on his best behavior and so were your dads."

Bree thought for a moment.  "So, now that he's medicated, he might not be on his best behavior?"

"That's right."

"And he might be mean and say bad things?"

"That's what your family and friends are worried about."

"Okaaay," Bree said uncertainly.  "I don't think he would be mean to me, but I now see why people were reluctant to let me see him."

"So, you'll wait till you come back from soccer camp before you go to see him?"

"I guess so," Bree conceded.  "And then you'll teach me to make pie?"

Claire smiled and hugged Bree.  "That's a date."

"Thanks, Grandma Claire."

"I love you, sweetie, and so does everyone on this lane."

"Including Grandpa Craig?"

"Including Grandpa Craig," Claire said, and she hoped she was right about that.

 

*****

 

Bree and Ashley walked down the lane.

"Where are we going?" Ashley asked.

"To visit Auntie Molly."

"You have so much family," Ashley observed.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Bree said with a smile.

"How do you keep it all straight?"

"Hardly any of them are straight," Bree giggled.

"You're so bad," Ashley said, laughing in spite of herself.

"I know."

The girls laughed and continued on down the lane.  As they got to Molly’s cute little cottage Ashley stopped but Bree kept walking.

“Bree, what are you doing?” Ashley asked in a loud whisper as she sprinted to catch up to her friend.

“I hafta know what’s going on,” Bree insisted.

“I don’t think this a good idea,” Ashley murmured but she loved her friend so she stayed close.

As they approached the B&B, they could hear loud voices.  The girls both stopped and listened.

"I wonder what's going on?" Ashley asked, as the loud voices continued.

"Something's wrong," Bree said taking a step towards the front door of the B&B.

"No, Bree, remember what your Grandma Claire said.  You promised to wait until you come back from soccer camp."  Ashley grabbed Bree's hand and pulled her back.  Bree tugged on Ashley’s hand and the two of them ran around toward the back of the B&B.  The shouting got louder.

"But..."

"You promised."

The girls listened for a couple of minutes.  There was some foul language that made them both blush.

"I think that's Grandpa Craig yelling.  He sounds really mad," Bree said.

"Let's go, Bree," Ashley said trying to pull her friend away.  "I hear Mister Glen's voice.  He can deal with your grandfather.  Let's go home."

Ashley tugged on Bree's hand and tried to turn her around so they could head back up the lane to the conjoined cottages.

"I should do something..." Bree said, but she let her friend lead her away.  The angry voice coming from the B&B didn't sound at all like her grandfather, at least not the grandfather she thought she knew.

"It's okay, Bree," Ashley said gently.  "Let's go find your fathers.  They will know if we should do something."

Bree pulled her friend into a warm hug.  "Sometimes you're so smart, Ashley.  I love you."

Ashley beamed at Bree's praise.  "I love you too."

The girls ran up the lane to the conjoined cottages where they both knew they would find safety and love.

 

*****

 

“Hey,” Ray said in a sleepy voice.  The boys had overslept; their reunion sex kept them quite busy well into the night. 

“Hey, yourself,” Gus replied with a big grin.

“Someone looks satisfied,” Ray commented smugly.

“I could say the same about you.”

“You could and you’d be right.  I think I’m bowlegged,” Ray giggled.

“You and me both,” Gus laughed.  “We stink and I think we burned a hole through these sheets.”

Just then someone’s stomach loudly growled which was answered by another stomach growl.

“I think we need breakfast,” Gus said as he looked down at his belly.

“More like brunch,” Ray said as he checked his watch.

The boys stared at each other for the moment, temporarily confused.

“Shower!” Gus declared.

“Then food,” Ray stated.

“Then laundry,” Gus and Ray agreed.

 

With a plan of action in mind, the boys got their act together and their asses out of bed to start their day.