Our Band of Brothers Chapter One – The
Smiths Go To Minneapolis
Introduction: This story is a continuation of Book I: The Man from Swift Current. Book II: The Lernier Family - Rick and Glenn
tells the story of the Rick and Glenn and their family. Book III:
Our Band of Brothers tells the story of Rick and Glenn’s many friends,
starting where The Man from Swift Current ends.
As this story opens, Rick and Glenn are
still struggling with their relationship.
Rick wants to continue his life in the military as a Marine, while Glenn
wants to get married like their many friends.
Peyton, Rick’s cousin, and his new husband, Jonathan, have been living
with Rick and Glenn since they returned from their honeymoon. It has been a period of transition for Peyton
into a life of freedom after completing his prison sentence. Peyton and Jonathan decided to move to
Minneapolis to live with Peyton’s adopted brother, Greg, and his husband, Cory,
since they would be attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the
fall. They want to get settled in their new home. Peyton and Jonathan have already made
arrangements to join Greg and Cory on their trip for Spring Break, so they want
to arrive in Minneapolis with enough time to unpack their gear. Now, to get on with the story:
*** ***
Rick and I helped load Peyton and
Jonathan’s gear into the back of Jonathan’s truck. I deeply hated the fact they were
leaving. They had provided a buffer
between the two of us the last few months, and I was going to really miss them.
We finished loading the truck and
secured everything to make sure nothing would fly off. Walking over to his cousin and pulling him
into a tight embrace, Rick said, “I’m so sad to see you guys go.”
Peyton said, “We’ll miss you guys, but
this is what is best for all of us.”
Rick released him and turned to give his
cousin’s husband a hug as well. “Take
good care of my cousin, Jonathan.”
Jonathan said, “You know I will, and thank
you for everything you’ve done for us.”
I gave each of them a hug and a
kiss. Peyton put his hand up to my
cheek and wiped away my tears. “Please,
Glenn, don’t make this harder than it already is.”
I tried to smile. “I can’t help it, Peyton. I love you so much.”
He pulled me into his arms, and held me
tight. When he released me, he looked
me in the eyes, and said, “I want you to promise you’ll set things right
between you and Rick.”
I nodded my head, but couldn’t
speak. So many emotions were running
through my head. Jonathan took Peyton’s
hand. “Let’s go. Mom and Dad will be wondering if something
happened to us.” I was still adjusting
to the fact my grandparents had adopted Peyton. Unlike Greg, who chose to continue calling
them Grandpa and Grandma even after he became their adopted son, Peyton had
chosen to call them Mom and Dad. It was
weird to think of Peyton as my uncle!
Rick said, “Drive safely, guys.”
We watched them pull out of the parking
lot, and drive away. Rick took my hand,
and led me back up to our condo. He sat
down on our couch and pulled me to him.
“Glenn, Peyton is right. We need to set thing right between us,” he
said.
I looked into his eyes, and said, “I
know, but I’ll still miss them.”
Rick said, “I will, too.”
I said, “I think they left, because they
felt they were interfering in our relationship.”
Rick said, “Jonathan did say they felt
uncomfortable watching our relationship deteriorate.”
I nodded my head. “Peyton told me straight out he didn’t like
what was happening between us, and he didn’t want to stick around to see us
break up.”
Rick asked, “What can I do to change
things?”
I thought for a moment, before I
answered. “I think it’s not what you or
I can do, it’s what can we do together to change things. If we don’t work together, it won’t matter
what each of us does individually.”
Rick said, “Agreed.”
“First, I think we’ve agreed to disagree
over your military service. You know
how I feel, and I know how you feel,” I said.
“But, that isn’t good enough,” Rick
said. “I feel you’ve stopped investing
yourself in our relationship, because of my military service.”
I took his hands in mine, searching his
eyes. “Rick, look at it from my
perspective. When you said you were
contemplating signing up for six more years, it sent me a very clear message our
relationship is a secondary consideration for you. Your overriding priority is your military
service. It told me you’re first and
foremost a Marine and my boyfriend second.
What am I supposed to think, Rick?
It made me feel like I’ve been a good fuck for you, but I’m not good
enough to marry.”
“I never said that,” Rick protested.
“No, you didn’t have to, because you’ve
said you want to remain in the military,” I said.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be
with you,” Rick said.
“I beg to differ,” I said. “You know how much I want to be married to
you, to be a PERMANENT fixture in your life. Your military won’t allow you to be married
to a man and remain in the military.
So, when you said you wanted to stay in the Marines, it told me marriage
is not in the cards for us. What else
am I supposed to think?”
“You know we don’t need a piece of paper
to show how much we love each other,” Rick said.
“That may be true, but I’m afraid it’s
more than a piece of paper to me. It means
you’re truly committed to me, and making our relationship work. Right now, I’m never sure when you might
decide to dump me for a woman,” I said.
Rick frowned. “I said I was sorry for messing up.”
“Yes, you did. But, I’ll say it, again, try to put yourself
in my shoes. How secure would you feel
if I were the one telling you I didn’t want to be married to you or I valued
the being in the military more than anything I might have with you,” I said.
Rick said, defensively, “I never said I
don’t value you.”
“No, but that’s how I feel, right now,”
I said. “That’s why I’ve decided to let
the whole marriage thing go, and, yes, I’ve been looking to make a change,
because our relationship doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”
Rick said, “Can’t you, at least, give us
a chance?”
I put my hand to his face, and said,
“I’m willing to put my best effort into saving our relationship, if you
are. I love you more than anything or
anyone in the entire world.”
There were tears in Rick’s eyes. “I’m willing to do the same.”
I leaned over and gave him a tender
kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he responded.
We
spent the next few hours talking to each other. We honestly tried to communicate with each
other, this time. It was like we had
been isolated from each other for so long, we needed to take the time to get
re-acquainted with each other.
Rick stood up and stretched, then
reached for my hand. “Mr. Nielsen, I
need you.”
I laughed. “I can see that.” I reached over and massaged his package.
He took my hand, and pulled me into his
arms. “Let’s go to our room, Babe.”
He led me to our bedroom, closing the
door behind him. He quickly stripped,
then turned to help me out of my clothes.
He kissed me, deeply, causing things to move down below. Coming up for air, he picked me up and
carried me to our bed. I looked up at
him, and saw the fire of lust in his eyes.
I reached up, and pulled him to me, capturing his lips as he made me
his!
*** ***
During the drive to his adoptive
parents’ home, Peyton had a lot of time to think about his life and all of the changes
he had experienced during the last year.
One of the most significant changes was being adopted by Christian and
Era Scarborough. Jonathan had been very
supportive of his decision to let the Scarboroughs adopt him as their son. His new brothers and sisters were very
excited about their parents’ decision to adopt him, especially Greg. Greg was adopted, as well. Peyton knew Greg and his husband, Cory, were
very excited to have them move in with them in Minneapolis. Peyton was eager to start the next stage of
his life, and putting some distance between Georgia and himself was the first
step in that process.
Admittedly, some very positive things
had happened to him after leaving prison, like meeting his husband,
Jonathan. His adopted father had made
him a promise that when he finished paying his debt to society he would help
him get reestablished in the community.
His Dad and his family had done more than that. They had set him on a path to a future he
had never even dreamed could be possible.
They had nurtured him back to health, both emotionally and
physically. He knew he wasn’t totally
back to full emotional health, but he was a long way from where he had been.
Between the four gay couples in the
Scarborough family, he had learned to accept himself for who he had become – a
gay man with a bright future ahead of him.
More importantly, they had given him the love and support he needed to
be able to look himself in the mirror and see someone who was worthy of being
loved, someone of great worth. They had
given him back his self-esteem. Not in
an arrogant, self-righteous way, but in a humble, teachable way. He could walk down the street with his head
held high, and meet the gaze of anyone he met with confidence, unlike how he
came out of prison after being brutally beaten and gang raped.
He thought back over the last few
months, marveling at how far he had come.
He had watched, with great sadness, how Rick and Glenn’s relationship
had started to deteriorate. He and
Jonathan had done what they could, but they had come to realize they needed to
leave the two of them alone, in order for them to work out their
differences. He loved both of them very
much, and hated the thought they would end up going their separate ways.
His thoughts turned to his future, one
bright with hope. He and Jonathan
planned to attend school at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. His Dad had met with the school on several
occasions to make sure nothing went wrong with his application, because of his
criminal record. The school
administrators had promised to work diligently to help him adjust to college
life. He knew even though he might
graduate from college, he would never be able to hold a job, because of his
record. The prison counselors tried to
make it sound like there were a lot of jobs for ex-convicts, but they
lied. Nobody wants to hire someone who
has been in jail. He had experienced
the discrimination first hand, when he got out on parole the first time. That is what had led him into trouble. He couldn’t find work, and there wasn’t
anyone there to help him, unlike this time.
This time, Mr. Scarborough, his new Dad, had
stepped in to help him. He still couldn’t
believe he was going to school and he would have a job after college with the
family corporation. Dad had outlined
the terms of that job, and offered him an option to decline it. Of course, Peyton accepted his Dad’s terms,
knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to get gainful employment anywhere else.
He had decided to become an advocate for
ex-convicts and for those who were still incarcerated. His passion for it had been the reason he
had chosen to study law at the university.
He knew he would never become an attorney, because of his record; but,
he wanted to know the law better than his adversaries. He wanted to be confident of his knowledge
of criminal and civil law, so he could be an effective advocate for those who
are incarcerated, or recently released from prison. To say he had an active dislike of the
justice system and its lack of humanity was an understatement. He had his humanity stripped from him in
prison. He had become a fuck toy for
the prison guards and their stooges inside the prison. As a result, he had an even deeper antipathy
for law enforcement officials, because they often think they are above the law,
even a law unto themselves. Fortunately,
for him, his Dad engaged a team of very dedicated lawyers who managed to secure
his release from prison, before he ended up dead at the hands of those very
same prison guards, who were charged with his safety and well-being.
These and many other thoughts chased
each other across the stage of his mind, as he made the trip from Atlanta to
the Scarborough farm. He was still
getting used to the idea that their farm was now his home. He knew, over time, he would become better
adjusted to having a new family and a new home.
Peyton and Jonathan pulled into the
driveway, and parked their vehicles next to Grandpa’s Ferrari. They got out, and walked toward the door,
which opened before they reached it.
Grandma appeared on the doorstep, and
held out her arms to them. “Welcome
home, sons!”
They each hugged her, and gave her a
kiss on the cheek. Peyton said, “I love
you, Mom.”
Grandma looked him in the eyes, and
said, “It makes me happy to hear you call me ‘Mom.’ I’m glad you’re officially ours,
Peyton. Your Dad and I have a surprise
for you. Come this way.”
She led them inside, and up the
stairs. She led them along the hallway,
and stopped in front of the bedroom door next to Greg and Cory’s room. Before they could open it, Grandpa opened
the door from the inside.
Seeing the boys, he said, “Welcome home,
sons.”
They gave him a hug, as they had Grandma. He said, “Welcome to your new room,
boys. We remodeled it along the same
lines as Greg and Cory’s room next door.”
He stepped back into the room, to let
them in. Peyton looked around the room,
in utter amazement! The room was large,
with a four-poster bed, with a canopy.
All of the furniture was made from cherry wood, which gave the room a
rich, warm feeling. The hardwood floors
were covered with Persian rugs. The walk-in
closet was filled with new clothes for the two boys.
Grandma said, “Please try on
everything. If anything doesn’t fit,
we’ll take it back to exchange it for something that does.”
Peyton walked into the closet, and stood
dumbfounded, as he realized how much clothing had been purchased for him and
Jonathan. Grandma and Grandpa had
outfitted the two boys for all seasons.
There were winter coats and boots, and other winter gear for their stay
in Minneapolis. There were sweaters for
the in between seasons, as well as jackets, windbreakers, and lots of summer
clothes. All of it was name brand and well
made. It was obvious no expense had
been spared to make sure they had what they needed to begin the next phase of
their lives together.
“Jonathan, look at all this stuff,”
Peyton said, wonder filling his voice.
No one had ever given him so much.
He turned to Grandpa and Grandma and hugged them both, tears streaming
down his face. “Thank you so much, for
everything.”
Grandpa said, “You’re welcome, Peyton.”
“Are you sure you want us to have all of
this? There is so much,” Peyton said.
Grandpa smiled, and said, “You’re a
Scarborough now, Peyton. I expect you
to dress the part. You have to remember
you are the face of the family to every one you meet. As a Scarborough, you will always be a
gentleman.”
He turned to Jonathan, and continued,
“The same applies to you, as my son-in-law.”
Jonathan nodded his head. He was blinking back tears, as he said,
“Thank you.”
Grandma took him in her arms, and said,
“We love you, Jonathan. I know it’s
hard for you, since your mother rejected you.
We will do our best to make up the difference.”
Jonathan nodded his head. “I understand. Dad always said the Scarborough family takes
care of its own.”
Grandpa said, “Yes, we do. I’ve been talking to your Dad,
Jonathan. He’s thinking of resigning
his position as Sherriff. I’ve offered
him a job with the family corporation.”
Jonathan looked at Grandpa in
surprise. “What will he do?”
Grandpa said, “I’m not at liberty to
speak about it, now; but if things work out, you’ll know soon enough.” He turned and walked into the bedroom. “We built your en suite to the same
specifications as Greg and Cory’s next door.”
Peyton and Jonathan followed him into
the luxurious bathroom. Peyton smiled,
and said, “I can’t wait to see Rick and Glenn’s reaction to this.”
Grandpa said, “I’m sure they will be just
as excited as you are.”
Grandpa’s comment caught Peyton off
guard. His look of astonishment caused Grandpa
to laugh. “What? Don’t you think I know what you guys like to
do in the shower?”
Peyton blushed, and said, “I…”
Grandpa clapped him on the back, “Don’t
worry, Peyton, I’m not trying embarrass you.
When we remodeled Greg and Cory’s room, we did a lot of research about
what would make a good situation for a young gay newlywed couple.”
Jonathan’s expression showed his
surprise. “I can’t believe how much you
know about gays.”
Grandpa said, “Jonathan, you shouldn’t
be surprised. I have four gay sons, Corey,
Bob, Greg and Peyton, plus two gay grandsons, Randy and Glenn.”
Grandma said, “Not only that, Rick and
Glenn’s friends have spent quite a bit of time with us.”
Jonathan said, “I guess I should have
realized you know a lot about us.”
Grandma said, “That doesn’t mean we know
a lot about gays, but we do know a lot about our family and their friends.”
Peyton said, “I’m so glad I decided to
let you adopt me into your family.”
Grandpa put his arms around Peyton’s
shoulders, and said, “We’re honored to have you as part of our family,
Peyton. You’re destined for greatness,
and we want to help you achieve it.”
Peyton met Grandpa’s gaze, and said, “I
won’t let you down, Dad.”
Grandpa smiled, “I’m sure you
won’t.” He turned to Grandma, and said,
“Let’s leave these two to try on their new clothes.”
Grandma said, “When you’re finished, put
all of the clothes that need to go back on the bed, and we’ll take a trip into
town to exchange them.”
They left the two boys to
themselves. Jonathan grinned at Peyton. “I feel like Santa Claus left us a big stack
of presents to open.”
Peyton laughed. “It does feel like Christmas. Let’s get started.” He took Jonathan’s hand and led him into the
walk-in closet. He leaned over and
kissed his husband on the lips. “Mr.
Smith, I believe we should turn this into a fashion show.”
Jonathan laughed, and said, “Okay, how
do you want to do it?”
“Why don’t we take turns modeling our
new clothes,” Peyton said. “Why don’t
you start, and I’ll go out and sit on the bed.”
Jonathan said, “Okay.” Peyton left him, and Jonathan turned to his
side of the closet. He looked over the
clothing, and chose to start with the winter stuff.
As they modeled each outfit for each
other, they were amazed at how well everything fit. Peyton said, “I bet Glenn had something to
do with this, because the styles of clothing seem to reflect his fashion
sense.”
Jonathan said, “I agree with you, but
you have to admit we look good in everything here.”
Peyton smiled, and said, “Yes, we
do.” Jonathan walked over to his
dresser, and pulled open the top drawer.
He laughed. Peyton asked,
“What’s so funny?”
“I know for a fact Glenn had a hand in
getting our clothes. Look at
these!” Jonathan held up several pair
of underwear.
Peyton could see their brand names, and
grinned. “Let’s model those. I want to see you in them.”
Jonathan threw them across the room to
his husband. “Pick one out for me.”
Peyton chose the sexiest pair and threw
them back to Jonathan. He stripped out
of his clothes and put on the underwear his husband had chosen for him. He posed for Peyton, who wolf whistled.
He walked over and pulled Jonathan into
his arms. He kissed him deeply, putting
his hands on his husband’s bubble butt.
When they surfaced for air, Jonathan said, “Now, it’s your turn.”
He walked over to Peyton’s dressed,
opening the top drawer. He grinned, and
said, “Glenn knows what I like.” He pulled
out a sexy pair of underwear, tossing them to his husband.
Peyton gave his husband a lecherous
grin. “You know where this is heading,
don’t you?”
Jonathan said, “Yes, exactly where I
want it to, and I’m sure Glenn knew what would happen when we saw what he had
gotten for us.”
Peyton laughed, and stripped off his
clothes, pulling on the skimpy underwear his husband has chosen for him.
Peyton posed for Jonathan. Jonathan pulled Peyton into his arms, and
said, “You’re so sexy, Babe.”
Peyton said, “Not half as sexy as you
are.” Peyton led Jonathan to their bed,
and lifted his husband onto the mattress.
He said, “The best part about your new underwear is I don’t have to pull
them off of you in order to fuck you.”
Jonathan met his husband eyes, and
grinned. “I want you in me, right now.”
Peyton licked his lips, and said, “I’m
only too happy to comply.”
*** ***
Peyton held Jonathan in his arms, enjoying the feel of his husband’s skin against his. After making love to each other, Jonathan had relaxed in his arms and drifted off to sleep. Peyton marveled at the trust Jonathan had in him. This beautiful man had completely opened himself up to Peyton, both mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. Peyton had reciprocated by doing the same, letting Jonathan inside his world. The level of trust between them had broken down all of the barriers Peyton had built to protect himself. The last barrier had been breached on their wedding day, when he surrendered himself completely to Jonathan. Jonathan had made it clear he knew how hard it was for Peyton to give up control, and allow him to make love to him. He did it in such a way Peyton was reassured he could trust Jonathan. He had relaxed, and that night had assumed a magical quality.
Peyton held Jonathan in his arms, enjoying the feel of his husband’s skin against his. After making love to each other, Jonathan had relaxed in his arms and drifted off to sleep. Peyton marveled at the trust Jonathan had in him. This beautiful man had completely opened himself up to Peyton, both mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. Peyton had reciprocated by doing the same, letting Jonathan inside his world. The level of trust between them had broken down all of the barriers Peyton had built to protect himself. The last barrier had been breached on their wedding day, when he surrendered himself completely to Jonathan. Jonathan had made it clear he knew how hard it was for Peyton to give up control, and allow him to make love to him. He did it in such a way Peyton was reassured he could trust Jonathan. He had relaxed, and that night had assumed a magical quality.
Peyton felt same magic was still present
in their relationship. He felt loved
and very safe with Jonathan in his arms.
He closed his eyes, and soon drifted off.
*** ***
Peyton and Jonathan were sitting in the
family room, enjoying some cuddle time, when Bob and Jasper walked in, followed
by Corey and Dylan. The four men sat
down on either side of them.
Bob spoke first. “We’re going to miss you guys.”
Jasper said, “But, we know you need to
move on with the next stage of your lives.”
Corey said, “We decided to go in
together to get you something to help you remember us.”
Dylan said, “I hope you like what we got
for you.” He handed a long, thin
jewelry box to each of them.
Peyton looked at Jonathan, and said,
“Let’s open them at the same time.”
They pulled off the lid and pushed aside
the tissue paper. They lifted out a gold
chain with a golden pendant swinging from it.
The pendant had four intertwined dolphins in a circle, nose to
tail. In the center, were two more
dolphins, intertwined like the others.
Peyton turned the pendant over and saw each dolphin had a name engraved
on it; the four outer ones each carried one of the twins’ names or their
spouses, and the inner ones were labeled Peyton and Jonathan.
“We wanted you to know we are always
with you, even though you’re far away,” Jasper said. “We had them made for you, since we
couldn’t find anything we liked.”
Peyton’s eyes were full of tears. He was so choked up, he couldn’t speak. Jonathan, looking at his husband, knew he
would have to speak for them.
“Thank you for everything,”
Jonathan. “I know I speak for Peyton,
as well, when I say we wouldn’t be as happy as we are today, if you guys hadn’t
taken Peyton under your wings, and helped him to begin the healing process
after what happened while he was prison,” Jonathan said.
Peyton cleared his throat and managed to
say, “You guys mean the world to me.
Thank you.” He leaned over and
kissed Bob and Jasper. Then, got up and
walked over to Corey and Dylan, giving them each a kiss on the lips. Jonathan followed his husband’s example.
Jonathan said, “We will never forget
what you’ve done for us.”
Grandpa entered the room, and said,
“Boys, it’s time we talked about some business arrangements.” All six of them looked at their father in
surprise. “Follow me,” he said.
They followed him into his study, and
found he had placed six chairs in front of his desk. They found a seat, and waited for him to
continue.
He pulled out his cell phone, and dialed
Greg and Cory’s number. Greg answered,
“Hello, Grandpa.”
“Hello, Greg. Is Cory with you?”
“Yes, I’ll put the phone on speaker,”
Greg said.
“Hello, Grandpa,” Cory said.
“Hello, Cory,” Grandpa replied. “Now, that you’re all listening, let’s
begin. As you know, I’m not getting any
younger.” He paused, and took in a deep
breath. “We need to decide how we’re
going to move forward with the farm. I
need to know what each one of you thinks we should do with it, before we can
make a collective decision about it.”
The guys looked at each other, then back
at Grandpa. Bob asked, “What are our
options?”
“We could sell the farm to a big
corporation for a big profit,” Grandpa said.
He paused, and waited for their reaction. When none was forthcoming, he continued, “Or
we could subdivide it and turn it into a private golfing community.”
Bob said, “We could do either one of
those things; but, what do you want to do with the farm.”
He looked at Bob, and said, “I think you
already know my wishes, but I won’t force anyone to stay on the farm,
especially when your heart isn’t in it.”
Bob nodded his head. “I understand.”
Greg said, “We’re all gay, Grandpa, and
none of us wants to live where we have to always be looking over our shoulder,
wondering when the next crazy person to see us will take it into his own hands
to take us out of this world.”
Cory said, “That’s one of the biggest
reasons we don’t want to live in the South.
There are too many religious zealots.”
Dylan said, “I wouldn’t mind staying on
the farm, but I’m not sure about Corey.”
Corey looked at his husband, and said,
“I’ll stay with you, wherever you go.”
Jasper spoke up, “Dad, the problem isn’t
staying on the farm. I’m afraid, once
you pass on, the whole county will turn on us.
We would end up losing the farm, because we wouldn’t be able to sell the
peaches to anyone. They don’t boycott
you, but they would us.”
Grandpa said, “I’ve already dealt with
that problem. I sued the local Baptist
preacher for slander and defamation of character. He tried to say he was expressing his
religious views and exercising his religious freedom, but my lawyers nailed him
since one of his parishioners recorded him slandering me in a local bar. It was clearly not a religious sermon.”
Dylan said, “I thought preachers didn’t
drink.”
“Well, this one does, and paid the price
for it,” Grandpa said. “However, I get
your point, Jasper.”
Jonathan asked, “Could you put the farm
in a trust and hire someone to manage it for the trust?”
Grandpa smiled. “You’re on the right track, son.”
Jonathan blushed at the praise. He still felt a little intimidated by his
father-in-law.
Peyton asked, “Couldn’t you sell the
farm to the family corporation, and let the company run it?”
Grandpa said, “I like the way you think,
Peyton.”
Peyton smiled, and said, “Wouldn’t it be
the best way to keep the farm in the family.”
Jonathan reached over and took Peyton’s
hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Peyton leaned over and kissed him.
Jasper looked over at Peyton, and said,
“I’m glad you’re part of the family, Peyton.
I never would have thought of selling the farm to the family
corporation.”
Grandpa said, “I agree with you, Jasper,
Peyton is a welcome addition to our family, just as you were when you married
Bob.”
Dylan asked, “What about me?”
Grandpa laughed, and said, “Okay, and
you, as well as Jonathan.”
Dylan beamed, and put his arm around
Corey’s shoulders. “Just making sure.”
Grandpa said, “I’m glad you arrived at
the same conclusion I did. I’ve had the
paperwork drawn a few weeks ago, but wanted to pull you all together first,
before moving ahead. I’ve already
spoken to your sisters, and they are in agreement with our proposal.”
Corey said, “Thank you for arranging it,
Dad. I was feeling like we were obligated
to stay on the farm. This way, Dylan
and I can go ahead with our plans.”
Grandpa said, “Have you shared you plans
with anyone?”
“No, not yet. We wanted to wait until we knew what you
planned to do with the farm,” Dylan said.
Corey said, “We might as well tell
them.”
“We want to buy property near the beach
and turn it into a luxury golfing community.
I love to golf and I love the beach.”
“Have you decided where?” Grandpa said.
“No, but we thought we could work with
you to determine the best place to start,” Corey said.
Grandpa said, “I’ll make a few phone
calls to see what we can turn up.”
The guys left Grandpa’s study, and
returned to the family room, talking excitedly among themselves about Cory and
Dylan’s plans.
Peyton leaned back against Jonathan’s
chest and listened to the guys.
Jonathan whispered in his hear, “Let’s go up to our new room.”
Peyton nodded his head, and stood
up. He turned to help Jonathan to his
feet. “Good night, everyone, we need to
get to bed, since we have an early start tomorrow morning.”
Dylan snickered, and said, “Don’t try to
snow us! We know what you’re really
going to do!”
Peyton grinned, broadly, at his
brother-in-law, “Well, that may be true, but we’re still retiring to our
bedroom.”
The guys chorused, “Good night.”
They left the front room and climbed the
stairs. They walked hand in hand down
the hall to the door of their new bedroom.
Jonathan opened it, and said, “Welcome home, Peyton.”
Peyton said, “Welcome home, yourself,
Babe.” He closed the door and locked
it, before turning back to Jonathan. “I
believe it’s time I seduced my husband.”
Jonathan said, “I think that’s a
wonderful idea.”
They spent the rest of the evening
enjoying each other’s company!
*** ***
The next morning, they were up before
the sun. They showered and headed
downstairs, where they found Grandma waiting for them with a pot of coffee, and
a big breakfast.
“Please sit down and eat, boys,” she
said. “I wanted to make sure you had a
good breakfast to send you on your way.”
They sat down to a hearty
breakfast. They were nearly done, when
Grandpa came into the kitchen. “Good
morning, Peyton and Jonathan.”
They chorused, “Good morning, Dad.”
He smiled at them, and said, “I’m glad
you decided to leave one of your cars here. You can always drive the truck back here, and
pick up the other car. However, I think
you’ll find the truck will come in handy.”
Jonathan said, “I think you’re right
about that, Dad. Peyton wouldn’t part
with his Ferrari, so I’m leaving mine here.”
Grandma said, “We want you to check in
with us every night. We want to make
sure you make it safely to Minneapolis.”
Peyton smiled, and said, “We promise to
call you.”
They finished eating, and helped clean
up the kitchen. They gave Grandpa and
Grandma a hug and a kiss, then made their way out to their vehicles. They packed up many of their new clothes to
take with them to Minneapolis. They had
already stowed them in the back of the truck.
They pulled out of the driveway, and made their way back to the
Interstate. They drove the 18 hours to
Minneapolis over the course of two days, arriving late on the second day. They parked on the street in front of their
new home, and got out. The walked up to
the front door and knocked.
The door opened, and they found
themselves in a tight embrace. Greg
said, “I’m glad you guys finally made it.”
Cory said, “Greg, let them come
inside. It’s cold out there.”
Greg released them, and said, “Come
inside, and meet the guys.”
They followed him inside, and into the
recreations room. Greg said, “Guys,
this is Peyton, my adopted brother and Rick’s cousin, and his husband,
Jonathan.” He pointed to each guy, as
he named them, “This Robbie and his husband, Adam. This is Justin and his husband, Brian.”
Peyton said, “We’re glad to finally meet
all of you.”
Jonathan said, “We’ve heard a lot about
you from Greg and Cory.”
“Not to mention Rick and Glenn,” Peyton
said, grinning.
Greg said, “This is Jean-Michael.”
Peyton smiled, as he looked over
Jean-Michael. He was 6’1” (186 cm.),
blond, with dark brown eyes, black eyebrows, a roman nose, a square chin, and a
gorgeous smile. He looked like he had
stepped off of one those muscle building magazine covers, he was that good
looking.
“Nice to meet you,” Peyton said, shaking
his hand. His grip was firm, which
Peyton liked.
Jonathan said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
Jean-Michael said, in strongly accented
English, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Peyton asked, “Where are you from?”
“I’m from Quebec,” he responded.
Peyton said, “From which city?”
“Shawinigan,” he replied. “It’s near Trois Revieres.”
Peyton shook his head. “I’m sorry to say I’m pretty ignorant when
it comes to Canadian geography. You’ll
have to show me where it is on a map.”
Jean-Michael said, “Not a problem.”
Greg said, “Let’s get you stuff out your
truck.”
All of the guys pitched in to help
unload the truck. In a short time,
everything was stacked in their room, or under the stairs in the crawl
space. Greg looked around, and said,
“It looks like we need to let you get some sleep. You can start unpacking tomorrow.”
Peyton nodded his head. He was pretty tired. The guys left the room, all except
Jean-Michael, who stood standing in the doorway, shifting his weight from one
foot to another.
Peyton looked him over from head to toe,
admiring this man’s fine physique.
Meeting his eyes, he asked, “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to say that Greg told me
what happened to you, Peyton. I wanted
to tell you that if you ever need anything, please tell me. I won’t let anyone every hurt you, Peyton.”
Peyton replied, “Thank you,
Jean-Michael.”
Jean-Michael said, “My cousin,
Jean-Francois, was beaten by the police for being gay. He survived, but just barely. His head suffered so much. They broke his back and broke his head
open. The policemen who attached him
are in jail now, but Jean-Francois will never be the same. He came out to me, and I swore to protect
him, but I failed him.” There were
tears running down his cheeks. “I
promise nothing will ever happen to you, or anyone in this house.”
Peyton stood up and walked the short
distance to Jean-Michael. He pulled him
into his arms, and hugged him tight.
“Thank you, Jean-Michael.”
He said, “Please call me Michael. My family and friends call me Michael.”
Jonathan put his arms around both men,
and said, “Okay, we’ll call you Michael.”
He kissed Michael’s cheek, causing him to blush.
Peyton grinned, and said, “You’ll have
to get used to us, Michael. We’re very
affectionate with our family.”
Michael said, “But I’m not your family.”
“You are now,” Peyton said, giving him
another kiss, but this time on the lips.
Michael blushed an even deeper color of red. “You’re gay, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, but I’m single,” Michael
said. “I want to find someone special
like you have.”
Jonathan said, “I’m sure you’ll meet Mr.
Right soon enough.”
Michael nodded his head, and said,
“Okay. Hopefully, that will be
soon. Good night.”
Peyton said, “Good night, Michael.” He closed the door behind him, and locked.
Jonathan took his man in his arms, and
said, “Let’s get you to bed.” He
stripped off Peyton’s clothes, followed by his own. They both collapsed into their bed, and were
soon fast asleep in each other’s arms.
*** ***
Author’s Note:
What a Week In Prison Taught Me - http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-a-weekend-in-prison-taught-me/2014/06/13/fb86133a-f00f-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html