Throwing Stones

Chapter 11






It was a sleepy Sunday afternoon on Edna’s Treasures lane. Justin was painting, trying to get some of his commissions done before he allowed himself to start on his latest idea. Brian was working on something in his office. Patrick and his dads had gone to visit Claire and Steve.

Miss Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor was not happy. There was no one to play with. She had tried to get Gus to play with her, but he went off somewhere with Ray. He said they needed alone time, whatever that was. Her daddies had told her that they needed at least a couple of hours to do what they needed to do. Bree looked at the clock in the kitchen. It had only been fifteen minutes since they told her that. She looked out into the sun porch where her father was painting. With a huge sigh, she decided she better not interrupt him.

Then an idea struck her. She went to the wall phone in the kitchen and climbed up on the chair. Her daddy had programmed it so Gus was number one on the speed dial. JR was number two. She lifted the receiver and hit number two.

“Hello?”

“JR, can you come play with me?”

“Bree, where are you?”

“In the kitchen.”

“Why don’t you come over to the new cottage? Everybody’s here. We’re going to make some jewelry with the beads we got at a yard sale.”

“Everybody’s there?” Bree asked with a frown. They hadn’t invited her.

“Yes, Candy, Richie, Michelle and Cindy.”

“Michelle? Oh,” Bree said dejectedly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Michelle said she would paint my fingernails pink. I think she forgot.”

“Maybe she did,” JR agreed. She looked at Michelle who merely shrugged. She had forgotten. “If you come over here, you can get your nails done and we’ll make a bracelet,” JR suggested.

“I can’t.”

“Oh? Why?”

“My daddies said I can’t go anywhere without telling them.”

“So tell them.”

“They said I couldn’t interrupt them for two hours,” Bree informed her sister.

“Oh, are they in the bedroom?”

Bree heard giggles in the background. “No,” she said. “Daddy’s painting and Dada is in his office.”

“Too bad,” JR said with a laugh.

“Huh?”

“Um, nothing. Listen, I think I can fix this. Hang up.”

“Okay,” Bree said as she set the phone back in its cradle. JR didn’t want her either by the sound of it. How could she fix anything? Bree turned around in the chair, where she had been kneeling, and sat down. She crossed her arms on her chest and pouted. Beau stuck his head into her lap having realized that something was wrong with his littlest human.

“You can’t fix this either, Beau,” Bree said petulantly, but her hand caressed the big dog’s head.

Up in his office Brian’s cell phone rang.

“Yes,” he said tersely as he flipped his phone open, not appreciating being interrupted.

“Uncle Brian, it’s JR.”

“Hello, little miss, what can I do for you?”

“I just had a call from Bree. Apparently she doesn’t have anyone to play with.”

Brian chuckled. “Is that what she told you?”

“Yep.”

“And what do you want me to do about it? Play with her.”

“No,” JR said. “She told me that she was supposed to let you and Uncle Justin work. She wants to come to the new cottage to be with us, but she’s not allowed to go anywhere without telling you where she is.”

“That’s right,” Brian said, remembering the incident from the stream that had happened a few days earlier. “But I don’t see what the problem is.”

“She’s not supposed to interrupt you, so she can’t ask permission,” JR said like she was talking to a second grader.

“Oh, riiiight.”

“So, can you give her permission to come over here? Michelle will paint her fingernails, and we’re going to make some bracelets.”

“Did she coerce you into calling me?” Brian asked. He didn’t like when Bree manipulated people.

“Coerce me? No, not at all. I volunteered to call. We should have invited her to join us, but she’s so much younger and sometimes we forget,” JR admitted.

“Okay, if you’re sure it’s all right. I’ll send her over in a couple of minutes.”

“Thanks,” JR said before she hung up.

Brian walked down the spiral staircase thinking about what he wanted to say to his daughter. “Bree?” he said as he entered the kitchen and saw Bree sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, looking like her world had just fallen apart, which Brian supposed, it had. Beau’s head rested in her lap. At least he was keeping the forlorn little girl company.

“Hey, Squirt.”

“Hey, Dada,” came a little voice in response.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nobody wants to play with me.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, Gus and Patrick left me, and JR and all the girls and Richie are making jewelry, and I can’t do nuffin’.”

“We could remedy that,” Brian said.

“Huh?”

“JR just called me. She wanted to know if you could join them at the new cottage.”

“Oh? Can I?” Bree said brightening up.

“Did you tell her to call?”

“No, Dada, but she said she could fix it that I could go there, but I didn’t believe her.”

“You should have more faith.”

“You mean I can go?” Bree asked jumping off her chair.

“I mean you can go,” Brian said. Bree flew at him hugging him hard. “You’re getting so strong,” Brian observed.

“Yes, Dada,” Bree agreed. “Can I go now?” Brian nodded. “Thank you, Dada.”

“Bree, I appreciate that you didn’t go without permission. You did the right thing.”

“I done good?”

“You done good.”

“Yay!” Bree crowed, and then she was gone like a little whirlwind leaving the house.

Brian watched her race down the lane, as he closed the front door that she had completely forgotten about in her haste.

“JR, thank you, thank you!” Bree gushed as JR opened the door of the new cottage.

“You’re welcome,” JR replied with a big smile, returning Bree’s hug. “Come on in. Michelle went up to Auntie Rachel’s and got her pink nail polish. She’s ready to give you your manicure.”

“Ooh,” Bree said. “What are you making?” she asked Candy.

“I was going to make a bracelet, but I think it’s going to be a necklace. Do you like it?”

“Pretty,” Bree said.

“I think you should get your toes painted too,” Richie suggested. “I got Emmett’s foot bath for you.”

“You’re going to be pampered beyond belief,” Michelle said as Bree sat in a chair and, kicking off her pink vans, she stuck her feet in the warm water of the foot bath. She smiled at everyone, feeling like she was wanted and a part of the group and not left out. This was what she had been missing all day.



*****



“Hey, got a minute?” Brian said as he approached Justin.

“For you, always.”

“Right answer.”

“What’s up?”

“We need to remember that Bree is a girl,” Brian said seriously.

“Of course she’s a girl. What are you talking about?”

“She got left behind today when everybody went out and we told her not to interrupt us. The girls and Richie were having a beading party at the new cottage and she couldn’t go without permission.”

“Well, at least she learned that lesson,” Justin said.

“Yeah, but she needs to spend time with girls. We should have thought about that.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right.”

“I’m always right,” Brian said with a smirk.

“And so modest too.”

“But of course.”

“Asshole.”

“How’s your painting coming?” Brian asked as he looked at the canvas. “It doesn’t look overly inspiring.”

“It’s not done yet.”

“I can see that.”

“I’d much rather be painting my nudes.”

“All in good time. I could take my clothes off and give you a preview,” Brian suggested.

“You’re not helping.”

“I wasn’t trying to,” Brian smirked. “We have the house to ourselves.”

“Oh, well then…” Justin grabbed Brian’s hand and they headed to the bedroom.



*****



The month of July in the year 2020 seemed to have vanished and August was moving along just as fast. The Edna’s Treasures lane was quietly settling into a pleasant routine. Michael was making slow but steady progress back toward good health. The whole family was helping but in a surprisingly nonchalant fashion.

“Who’s that?” Justin asked as he heard Brian buzz the gate open.

“Debbie. She's delivering several trays of lasagna, and she’s ready to clean.”

“Clean? Between Lindsay, Emmett and Ben, the B&B sparkles,” Justin said.

“I know but it’s her way of doing something for Michael without mothering him,” Brian explained.

“Oh, and why haven’t you given her the gate code?”

“And have her and everyone else drive in whenever they want? It’s bad enough that that big fairy down the road has free reign of our house, you want Debbie to have it too?” Brian looked horrified. Justin knew it was only bluster.

“Her son is living here now.”

“No, he’s visiting, and when he’s all better, he and the professor will go back home to the Pitts where they belong.”

“And what if they want a cottage of their own on the lane?” Justin asked with his head in the refrigerator.

“I’m afraid there’s no more room at the inn.”

“You’re so full of shit and you know it, Bri. If Michael wanted a place of his own you know you’d be the first to design his garden,” Justin said as he handed his recalcitrant spouse a cold beer. Taking Brian’s silence as affirmation, Justin changed the subject. “When are you going to finally be rid of that walking boot?”

“Three days, five hours and twenty-nine minutes,” Brian responded by grabbing Justin’s wrist to look at his watch. Brian swung the younger man into his arms.

“You made that up,” Justin declared not resisting Brian.

“Maybe, but the doc did say I could go without the boot starting this Monday and Monday is in...”

“Three days, five hours and twenty-eight minutes,” Justin finished Brian’s sentence. “So how do we celebrate?”

“Not by going dancing, that’s for sure,” Brian stated, swaying his hips against Justin’s. “I’m not ready for anything like that, but Gus asked if we could go shopping. He’ll be returning to school soon.” Brian leaned down to give Justin a kiss. He loved quiet moments like this where nothing in the world mattered except for the man in his arms.

“Dada!”

And then again...

“Yes, Squirt?” Brian asked without letting Justin go. Sparkling hazel eyes and blue eyes met as they grinned at each other and then at the whirlwind who just ran into the kitchen.

“Everybody is going shopping,” Bree said with her little arms outstretched for emphasis.

“Is that right?” Brian asked calmly as Justin looked up rolling his eyes.

“Yes, Dada.”

“And why do I need to know that?”

“Cause...” Bree said softly, looking down as she scuffed the tip of her pink sandal on the floor.

“Cause why?” Brian asked coolly.

“Cause I want to go shopping too.”

“And what kind of shopping would you like to do?”

“I don’t know. School shopping?” Bree asked hopefully. She knew enough not to say for clothes. Her dads would lecture her on how many perfectly good clothes she already had in her closet.

Justin and Brian snickered as they exchanged looks.

“She’s onto you, Bri,” Justin chuckled.

“Yeah, just like her daddy. Well, Squirt, who’s going on this shopping expedition of yours?”

“Huh?” Bree asked somewhat perplexed. She wasn’t sure if she had gotten permission to go shopping or not.

“We are!” Emmett announced loudly as he and Richie walked through the front door of the cottage.

“Actually, a lot of us are,” John added as he and Patrick came in from the hall. “We’re going to caravan into Harrisburg for some back to school shopping. There’s a certain young man who insists on growing like a weed. None of his pants fit,” John said as he threw a proud papa look at his son. Patrick had enough of the Kinney genes in him and they were going straight to his legs at the moment.

“Lindsay and the girls will be going with me,” John went on.

“I’ll bring up the rear with Richie and the boys,” Emmett said referring to Gus and Ray. Ray would be going back to New York soon so the boys wanted to spend as much time together as they could. Ray had his own shopping to do; he might as well do it with Gus. They probably wouldn’t see each other again before Thanksgiving.

“You wish,” Brian snarked, getting a toothy grin in return. “Well, I see I’m outnumbered. So Squirt, you want to go shopping with everyone too?”

“Oh yes, Dada!” Bree said as she bounced excitedly up and down on her toes.

Brian handed his credit card to his brother. “Please don’t max it out; she has enough clothes to dress a small country,” Brian pleaded.

“Don’t worry, little bro, Miss Briana and I will be making a run to the thrift store soon. I’m sure she has many clothes that can be donated. I know Patrick does,” John reassured his brother. Brian nodded. Brian remembered how after one of Unca John’s talks, Bree made a generous donation.

“Well, then I guess that’s that,” Brian said.

“Do you want to come with us?” John asked Brian.

“I’ll pass, someone has to work to pay for this expedition of yours, but if you give me the heads up when you’re on the way back, we’ll have the grills fired up and dinner cooking,” Brian replied.

“Sounds like a plan,” John agreed. “Justin, how about you?”

“Actually, I have more painting to do before I start on my next project. I might as well take advantage of the quiet.” Justin did want to finish up his current work and commissions so he could devote his time to his nudes.

“Okay, then it’s just us,” John said. “Princess, go get yourself ready, and get your brother. Time to get this show on the road!” John said with glee.

“GUUUUSSSSS!!!” Bree ran off to her brother’s room. John snickered.

“Not bad, big bro,” Brian said with an evil grin. Emmett and Justin just shook their heads.

“I’ll go let the girls know that we’re ready to go,” Emm said as he and Richie went out the door. John and Patrick followed them to go get John’s Navigator.

“Bri, do you really have to work?” Justin asked when they were alone.

“Not really. Ted did forward some contracts to me for approval, why? Wanna fool around?” Brian asked with a lascivious leer.

“No, I mean yes, but not right now. I really want to paint. I just thought maybe you could go spend time with Michael and Ben.”

“You mean with the men-folk since the women-folk are going shopping?”

“Don’t let your brother hear you say that, but yes. I think you should spend some time with them.” Justin gave Brian a sincere look.

“All right, Sunshine, if you think so. But you know that means I’ll have to work it off later tonight on your ass.”

“Work what off?”

“The huge plate of lasagna that Debbie is going to insist that I eat for lunch,” Brian said as he walked out the door.

“Looking forward to it,” Justin said with a grin as he went to the sun porch to prepare to paint.

“Bye, Dada!” Bree called out from the back seat of John’s Navigator. She was frantically waving at her father as the big SUV slowly drove down the lane. Brian waved as he headed for the new cottage, watching as the Navigator slowed and Drew’s Hummer pulled up behind it. Brian laughed, Emmett was bringing up the rear, so to speak. He took a big breath as he opened the door to the new cottage preparing himself to be mothered and stuffed with lasagna.



*****



On the other side of the country Melanie stretched in bed. It was very early but Lorna was already out of bed. Their condo sounded quiet so Melanie assumed her partner had already gone to work. Ever since they had gotten back from Pittsburgh it seemed that Lorna was doing that a lot lately. The sex was still good, more than good if the deliciously tingly feeling in her nether region was any indication, but then sex was never their problem. Did she and Lorna have a problem? Mel wasn’t quite sure. It seemed that they had grown distant and more quiet. Lorna was a quiet person, preferring her own company, just spending time at home or at a quiet wine and cheese bar after work with friends.

Lorna’s friends. Mel didn’t quite fit in. Too East Coast for Lorna’s friends. Mel thought they kept staring at her waiting for her to leave. Melanie wasn’t prepared to go back to the Pitts with her tail between her legs, even if it didn’t work out with Lorna. Maybe Mel had been too hasty jumping into the bed with ‘the boss.’ Well, it was too late now. She had a contract with Lorna, so no matter what happened with them personally, Mel still had her position at the law firm. The phone ringing brought Melanie out of her reverie.

“Hello.”

“I’m glad you’re awake,” Lorna said curtly.

“What’s up?”

“I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and I think it would be better if you go to visit your children at the end of the summer instead of them coming here.”

“Why?” Mel asked sitting up in bed. “You and JR got along so well when she was here.”

“No, we tolerated each other. And this place is too small for all of them to stay here.”

“But we discussed this.”

“No, we didn’t. You told me that you wanted Gus and his boyfriend to come just before they go back to college. We didn’t discuss anything.”

“Why are you being so confrontational?”

“And why are you determined to move your children here? I got the impression that they are very happy where they are.”

“They’re my children!”

“No, they aren’t, not exclusively. They have another mother and two different fathers to be considered. Not to mention that they aren’t just children that can be uprooted and transplanted anywhere. Your son is halfway through college, and JR is very happy running her father’s store.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I listen, Mel. I heard and saw everything I needed to know about the family you left behind. It would be cruel and inhuman punishment to try to take them away from all that. My advice is for you to get on the computer and book yourself a flight to Pittsburgh before the cost is too high.”

“Are you talking as my lawyer or as my lover?”

“Doesn’t matter, my advice would be the same as both.”

“And do you want me to come back?”

“Your choice,” Lorna said as the line went dead.