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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.