The Empty Spaces Between Us - 25. Chapter 25

The next day was mostly uneventful and Tyler was starting to get a little restless even though he had been working the day before and today finishing the exterior walls around the new rooms to the house where Kyle and Jacob would be living. It hadn’t been any harder than the other jobs he had done in the past while working for Troy, but the idea of him living and working in the same place for days made it awkward. After work was done for the day, he planned to go out to dinner with Drake. He missed seeing his friend and was looking forward to seeing him in person. Their phone calls the last two nights had been nice, but he didn’t want to keep feeling as if he was still living under all of Alex’s unspoken rules. One of them had been no going out unless it was together. Alex had never wanted to spend time with his friends so seeing them was never much of an option. The fact that he had an unspoken urge to just get away didn’t help matters either.

By mid-morning, he and Andy were working up a sweat in the warm sunshine. “When’s the wiring supposed to be done,” Tyler asked as he held the paneling in place for Andy.

“Probably tomorrow. Plumbing will be done next Monday.” Andy fit the screws in the drill and hit the trigger to bore them into the wooden panel to secure it. He stopped to give Tyler a slightly annoyed look. “Did you see that tub Jacob got?”

“You mean the mini-pool,” Tyler replied with a roll of his eyes. “He’s lucky he got that thing wholesale. Looks big enough to fit two sumo wrestlers in there.”

“Taking up tons of space too,” Andy added. “I told him it was a waste. But he wasn’t hearing it. He wants this to be a perfect place for the two of them. I guess us mortals will get to look at it once or twice before it’s closed off.”

“Bet you he’ll want it torn out by Christmas,” Tyler said with a laugh.

“Well, he can get someone else to do that.” They shared a chuckle as Andy drilled the last screw into the panel. “Well, that’s it. Time for us to get working on the insulation and then cover that and then the siding and we’re done.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Well, with six guys doing the work it will be.” Andy looked around for a moment before motioning Tyler to follow him around the house. “We got time for a break. You got plans tonight?”

“Yeah,” Tyler said with a smile. “I’m having dinner with Drake. We want some face to face time to catch up.”

“Sounds good. How about you stop by for dinner at our place tomorrow?”

Tyler glanced over at him and smiled. “Like I’m gonna turn down your cooking…?”

Andy grinned. “Awesome. You can just take a shower after we’re done for the day and come on over. Hang out with the cool kids instead of putting up with Kyle and Jacob.”

Tyler giggled at that. “It’s not that I don’t like it here. I’m just… not used to it.”

“Better that you don’t get used to it,” Andy replied with a smirk. “Stick around too long and David will have you working in the orchard.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“That’s what I said before he had me spraying the trees. All of them.”

Tyler stifled a laugh as Andy opened the door to Jacob’s workshop and went inside. A table saw suddenly came to life and the two of them watched from a safe distance as Jacob slowly pushed a thick piece of wood through the blade. The look on his face, with the goggles over his eyes, his hair tied in a ponytail that stuck out through the back of his hat and the way he moved his body brought back familiar feelings in him, which he quickly dispelled. Privately, Tyler wondered if Kyle ever came in here and watched him work. If he had, Jacob might never get anything done.

Once it was quiet, Andy stepped farther into the shop and raised his voice. “I thought you were done with whatever you were working on.”

Jacob turned towards the two of them. “I finished our new bed. I’m working on Matt’s now. Though, I doubt I’ll get it done in time. I have a couple other orders I need to focus on.”

“Need any help,” Tyler asked.

Jacob shrugged. “Right now, it’s just me measuring and cutting. Later tonight after everyone’s gone, I’m gonna be busy staining the bedframe for me and Kyle.”

“Four poster bed,” Andy asked with a playful grin.

“No,” Jacob chuckled. “Just a nice bed big enough for both of us.”

Andy rolled his eyes and then looked over at Tyler. “Let’s just hope it holds up.”

The two of them shared a laugh as Jacob just shook his head and set the finished piece he just cut off to the side before going to retrieve a second piece. As Jacob was measuring the new slab on the table, the door opened again and Kyle poked his head inside, looking around. “There you are.”

All three of them stopped and looked over at Kyle walked in with a folder in his hands. His eyes were on Tyler as he approached. “I just finished reading this.”

Tyler stared at the folder in Kyle’s hands. “What did it say?”

Kyle’s lips were set in a slight frown as he handed it to him. “It’s pretty cut and dry. Your dad didn’t have much in the way of assets and his wife was listed as his executor. He didn’t really seem to go out of his way to define any limits, only that everything listed was to be liquidated and that was to be split in half. The bad news is that since they were married, she’s entitled to take full possession without any need to compensate you. Looks like your father and his lawyers knew where any fight might be and settled it. She gets the properties that she’s entitled to, but not much else. His bank accounts are going to pay off any of his debts. What’s left over, she has to cut in half to share with you.”

Tyler had braced himself for disappointment and wasn’t surprised by what Kyle told him. “So, it sounds like you’re giving me ‘lawyer-speak’ to tell me I’m not getting anything.”

One side of Kyle’s mouth ticked up slightly. “No… You are getting something. Page sixteen. Third paragraph. Mentions a life insurance policy that lists you as the beneficiary. I called his lawyers and asked about it. It’s not much, so don’t let it go too much to your head. It’s a hundred thousand dollars. Like I said, it’s not gonna make you rich. But it can help a little bit. I’ve got his lawyers sending me the paperwork so you can fill it out to file your claim.”

Kyle shrugged indifferently and added, “and you never know… there might be some leftover in his accounts after she’s paid off all his debts. Like I said, if there is, she has to share it with you. I’d recommend actually going to the probate court and requesting an itemized list of his assets and debts, so you know just how much there is. If there’s anything there for you, then you should let his lawyers know and make sure she fulfills the requirements of the will.”

Tyler looked up at Kyle and could tell by the look on his face he was a little proud of himself. He was right that it wasn’t that much money. But it was a start getting himself out of the jam his loser ex-boyfriend got him into. “Thanks. How long will it all take?”

“We’ll need to go get a copy of his death certificate and send that with the forms. The only place we can do that is Philadelphia because that’s the county he died in.”

“We?” While he was open to giving Kyle the opportunity to be… something to him, he wasn’t wild about a four hour drive alone with him. He’s able to be polite with him a little more but he couldn’t see Kyle being a friend to him like Andy and Jacob.

“Or by yourself,” Kyle corrected. “I just figured you might not want to go alone. All you have to do is go the courthouse there. The county courthouse. Go to the clerk’s office and request a copy of his death certificate. Five or six minutes later you’re out the door.”

“When do I need to do this?”

“The sooner the better,” Kyle said with a serious look. “These things don’t keep forever. Find some time and take a quick trip there to get it and then come back. I can walk you through filling out the forms.”

Tyler nodded. “That’s fine. I’m pretty sure I can do it, but if I get stuck, I’ll run it by you.” Without shifting his gaze, he knew all three of them were staring at him and it made him feel uncomfortable. “I’ll put this with the rest of my things and look it over after I get back from dinner tonight.”

“Sweetheart,” Jacob broke in as he measured the plank of wood in his hands, “when’s your appointment today?”

Kyle frowned and stuck his hands in the pockets of his shorts as he moved closer to him. “Two hours from now,” he said in a somewhat reluctant tone.

Jacob stopped what he was doing and gave Kyle his full attention. “Do you need me to come with you?”

Tyler could see a hint of embarrassment start to creep its way into Kyle’s face. “No,” he said in a more subdued voice. “I can manage.”

It was almost like he and Andy weren’t even there as Jacob stepped up to Kyle and put his arms around him supportively as he smiled and looked deep into his lover’s eyes. “Okay. You know where to find me when you get back.”

A silent conversation passed between the two of them as they looked into their eyes that seemed so emotional and so sacred, Tyler turned away from them. He’d never seen that kind of love expressed so powerfully without the need for words that it affected him deeply. There could be no denial anymore that they shared a complex and meaningful bond that it made the idea of them getting married seem like just a formality for them. He found himself looking at Andy who met his gaze. One side of Andy’s lips lifted in a little smirk. His green eyes met Tyler’s gaze as if to say, “I told you so.”

“I’ll see you later,” Kyle said to Jacob as he was released from his arms. He turned to leave, saying over his shoulder as he walked out, “let me know if you run into problems with that paperwork, Tyler.”

It was after the door closed and Jacob went back to what he had been doing that Tyler finally noticed what his senses hadn’t seen all day. He’d been so wrapped up in himself that he hadn’t noticed how Andy had been acting. But now, seeing his eyes that close, there was no denying it. “Hey, we should go see if they found the insulation yet to start putting it up.”

“What’s the hurry,” Andy asked.

Tyler wasn’t sure what he should or shouldn’t say in front of Jacob. Either Jacob knew and didn’t care of he had no clue and he wasn’t sure how Jacob would react. “To make sure they don’t fuck anything up,” Tyler replied trying to communicate something else to him at the same time.

Andy shrugged. “Okay then. I guess we’ll go see if everyone is doing their jobs then. See you later, bro.” Andy gave Tyler a weird look as they headed to the door.

“Later,” Jacob replied as Tyler put a hand on Andy’s arm and nearly pulled him out of the workshop.

Andy frowned slightly. “What’s the big deal?”

“Oh my God, you’re high, aren’t you,” Tyler said in a quiet admonishing voice.

Andy looked around, thankful to find them alone on the driveway. “So what? Like you haven’t been before.”

“We’re working,” Tyler pointed out. “You could hurt yourself.”

“Calm down,” Andy said a little louder. “It’s not like I’m that far gone and we’re working on the ground today.”

Tyler realized he had a point. But it still didn’t make him feel better. “I don’t mind that you do. I just don’t want you getting into trouble.”

“That’s why I was being subtle about it,” Andy said with a chuckle. “What tipped you off?”

“Your eyes,” he answered. “Your pupils dilate off and on when you’ve been smoking weed. I noticed it about the second or third time we got high together.”

“Wow. I’m impressed.” Andy patted him on the shoulder before continuing on the path around the house. “It’s no big deal. If you feel you wanna babysit me for the next couple hours, that’s fine.”

Tyler fell into step with him. “Just let me know in advance next time. I wanna make sure you’re not in harm’s way.”

Andy smiled before he turned his words back on him. “Speaking of ‘harm’s way,’ how are you holding up?”

Tyler shrugged. “Fine. Just pissed off about the damage to the furniture he caused.”

Andy stopped again, looking him in the eyes. “I’m serious. You went through a lot with him. I feel bad I was so wrapped up in my own problems I didn’t think it through that there was something wrong.”

Tyler smiled a little. He’d forgotten what it felt like spending time with Andy. “Don’t worry about it. I’m okay. Maybe not one hundred percent just yet, but I’ll get there.”

“Okay,” Andy said, dropping the subject. “So, what do you want for dinner tomorrow night?”

Tyler grinned as he thought about it. “How about pork chops?”

Andy made an approving sound in his throat. “I could do that. Let them soak overnight in a Caribbean Jerk marinade…”

Tyler laughed. “Sounds perfect.”

****

Jacob sat quietly on the loveseat after spending hours working. The others were done for the day and had left. David was in the house with Matt while Tyler was most likely getting cleaned up and getting ready to go out with Drake. He should probably be inside as well, but he wanted to enjoy a little privacy after the last few days. He’d taken the tie out of his hair and had his sketch pad in his hands. A small smile played across his lips as the pencil scratched across the page. Images of faces were faint but coming together. Matt, Blake and Carter side by side, Tanner and Chase above them with little baby Emily underneath. He was drawing them as a portrait for David’s up coming birthday. He wanted to put in as much detail as he could. He knew how proud David was of his growing, unconventional family. Even as he continued to draw, he was aware of how temporary it would be. In too short a time there would be another child to join their ranks. He wasn’t sure if it would be a girl or a boy, but what he did know was that they would be a part of something special. Something he missed growing up. For that, he was eternally grateful for all he had.

The door opened at the far end of his workshop and then quietly closed. He stopped what he was doing, hearing footsteps approach. The smile on his face widened even as the irony of the moment dawned on him. Nine months ago, those same footsteps had filled him with dread. Now, it was music to his ears. He looked up just as Kyle appeared from around the stacks of lumber. Kyle’s face held its own smile, but his seemed troubled. Jacob put down the sketch pad and set it on the small table next to him. “How did it go?”

Kyle’s eyes drifted down to the floor as he moved to sit down next to him. “It was just one session. He said I’d need to come back next week. And the week after. And after that.”

Jacob put an arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay. It takes time. How do you feel?”

“A little worried,” he admitted. “I’m not wild about the idea of having to take a drug to keep me from going crazy.”

Jacob held him a little closer. “You’re not crazy. It’s either behavioral or chemical. Either way, we’ll face it together.”

Kyle gave him a rueful smile. “You’re not worried?”

Jacob shook his head. “Nope.”

The confidence in his voice was still something Kyle was getting used too. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Jacob replied added a gentle kiss to his cheek. “And that’s all that matters in the end.” He felt Kyle lean in against him and the two of them shared a quiet moment just being together. “Oh, Stephanie called me today,” he said as the thought suddenly came to him. “She’s into her second trimester and everything seems to be going well.”

“Good. Still have October twentieth as a due date?”

“More like the tenth now, according to her.”

“That’s only three months after we’re married. It’s gonna be a big task ahead of us.”

“Maybe,” Jacob conceded. “But we’ll have a big family around us through it all.”

Kyle’s smile brightened and they silently allowed themselves a few more minutes together to bask in the promise of their upcoming future before they decided it was time to go in and see to their son.

****

“I feel so bad I wasn’t there for you.” Drake sat on his couch, looking at the other end where Tyler was sitting as they held a half full wine glass. Dinner had been comfortable, and they found they fell back into their same close friendship they had before Alex got in the way. Over dinner and through the first glass afterwards, Tyler told him all about what happened with Alex and the end of his father’s life. Drake felt such a swell of remorse for him, it nearly brought him to tears.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Tyler said. “He had me believing the craziest shit. It never once occurred to me to question him or think he wasn’t thinking about me.” He took a drink from his glass and stared down into it. “I just feel so… stupid. I keep asking myself, ‘how did you not see what so obvious right in front of you was?!’”

“That’s easy to answer,” Drake replied. He took another drink from his glass before picking up the bottle and leaning over to refill Tyler’s glass before his own. “You are not a horrible person. You are caring and warm. Generous, patient and you try to do the right thing when you can. You could never imagine yourself doing the things Alex did to you because you thought he loved you the same way you loved him. That’s why you didn’t see it coming.”

Tyler looked at him with a small smirk. “Not sure if that was a compliment or not.”

“It was,” he said with a grin. “So, what’s next for you?”

Tyler groaned and rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m stuck living with the Howard’s for the next week at least. I got some stuff to do about my dad I need to finish up. I’m going back to work for Sam and Troy. Already told Ma that and she’s thrilled. And then…” He sighed heavily and leaned his head back. “I guess I have to go to this wedding.”

Drake arched an eyebrow. “You have to go?”

“I get the feeling if I don’t, I’ll hear about it.” Tyler grumbled softly in his glass, “the way they make it sound, you’d think the whole state was coming.”

Drake laughed at that. “Well, I’m going too. I haven’t met the other groom. What’s he like?”

“Kyle?” He groaned and glared at nothing. “Practically perfect. All nice and pleasant and helpful and it makes me wanna bash his head in.”

Drake’s laughter got louder as he shook his head in disbelief. “You’re gonna have to let him go, stud. I told you before it wasn’t meant to be. Granted, I did know about his old flame, but I didn’t know he’d come back and they’d hit it off so fast.”

“How did you know about Kyle?”

Drake looked at him with a serious look. “I told you we talked a lot when we first hooked up. He told me lots of things.”

Tyler stared at him for a moment before asking, “like why they broke up in the first place?”

Drake drank down his wine and reached for the bottle again. “Yup.”

Tyler’s eyes widened. “Tell me!”

Drake shook his head. “Absolutely not,” he insisted. “What he told me… is very personal. I doubt he even remembers telling me. Jacob is a good person who went through some very dark times. He made a lot of mistakes and he paid for them. I’m happy for him if he’s happy.”

Tyler thought about it and grimaced slightly. “He’s happy. Should’ve seen them this morning. Kyle walks into his shop and there was just this… I dunno. Like a feeling so strong between them you could swear it was like a physical force you could touch and feel on your skin. I’d never seen two people react that strongly together.”

“You’ll feel it for yourself someday,” Drake said as he got up from the couch. “More wine?”

Tyler thought about it. He knew he’d need to be back by midnight at least. “Yeah. A couple more glasses and then I need to go ho—” He checked himself with a frown. “…back to the house for the night.”

Drake came back with another bottle, chuckling to himself. “You have a curfew.”

“For the most part,” he admitted. Drake opened the new bottle and added it to Tyler’s glass before sitting back down. “I don’t think I’m going to find a guy like that,” he said before taking another drink.

“A guy like what?”

“Like…” He frowned, disliking how this was going to sound. “…like Kyle. Someone who can make me feel that… loved.”

“No one knows what will happen in the future,” Drake said. “Things happen when they happen.”

Tyler wanted to believe that. But there was a feeling inside him that called it into question. Maybe he would meet someone, or maybe not. He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

****

Andy was sitting alone in his chair as he wrote slowly on the notebook he bought two weeks ago. He and everyone in his therapy group had been instructed to get a notebook to write down their memories and feelings about their time in the service. The goal was to share them as a group and talk about them so the feelings of isolation and not feeling understood could be dealt with in the long term. His had been mostly blank the week before. There was still some difficulty in him sharing even with other veterans.

In the last few days, things have been different. The image that came to him in the hospital started drifting back now and again. It had come as a comfort the first time, but now it bothered him. Over the last eight years he’d managed to force himself to forget some things both good and bad. That night, far away from war and duty, was one of the happiest nights of his young life. A moment no one else alive knows about. Now, he can barely keep his self-loathing in check whenever the memory comes back to him.

He’ll write about anything that happened during his time in Afghanistan or on base, but there is constantly one name that is left out. One person he can’t bear to remember because the feelings are still too strong and too painful. They shouldn’t be for a lot of reasons, but Andy can still feel a sharp sting deep in his chest that he doesn’t want to go near. He came close to it once while talking to Kyle and the others. But his guilt still made him keep most of the story to himself.

He kept writing, keeping the time in mind. With Blake in front of him and Brian and Tanner down in the basement, things were unusually quiet. Brian was tutoring Tanner and judging by his son’s attitude, Andy could tell he was improving and gaining some more confidence. Brian assured him that he’d start third grade along with Chase in the Fall. Blake’s attention was on the television as they were watching cartoons which made it easier for him to write out his memories. The pot in his system didn’t hurt either.

He heard the door to the playroom open which prompted him to close the notebook. Tanner trotted up the stairs followed by Brian. Andy looked at his son’s face and smiled. He seemed happy with his blue eyes shining bright as he turned around once Brian got the stop of the steps and hugged him before running upstairs to his bedroom. Andy gave his lover a curious look as Brian came over to sit next to him. “How did things go?”

Brian sighed and frowned in annoyance as he joined him on the couch. “Did you know, all this time, he thought there was something wrong with him?”

Andy blinked in surprise. “Wrong with him?”

Brian nodded, looking angrier as he explained. “He thought that since the teachers were teaching him stuff that was so easy that he was stupid.”

“He’s not stupid,” Andy said with a sigh. “Stacy forgot to sign him up for school on time his kindergarten year. I was busy working so I wasn’t paying attention until it was too late. So, he started late.”

“He’s probably smart enough to skip third grade at this point,” Brian said caustically. “All this time, I thought he was just quiet. Turns out, he thought he was stupid, so he was keeping his thoughts to himself.”

Andy suspected it had more to do with his ex-wife just forgetting that made Tanner feel that way. “Should I go talk to him?”

“No,” Brian assured him. “Once I explained it to him, he was fine. We spent the last half hour talking about it.”

Andy smirked. “Well, good. When do we have him take this test?”

“Next month after the school year is over.” Brian sat back and let himself relax. “He’ll get through it just fine.” His eyes went to Blake as he added, “then I’m gunning for that one.”

He laughed and leaned over to kiss Brian’s cheek. Andy never found him so cute as when he had his sights set on a goal. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

“Kyle said something about Matt wanting to spend the night this weekend. He wanted to get Matt used to going somewhere else to put his manners to the test.” Brian’s lips lifted in a smirk as he added, “I also think they’re doing a dry run.”

“A dry run,” Andy asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah,” Brian grinned getting comfortable with his theory. “They know in about five or six months they’re gonna be racing to the hospital with Stephanie and their new baby on the way. It’s not like they’ll have time to deal with Matt too, so why not put him under the care of one of their closest friends who also happens to be a marine?”

He was rewarded with a laugh from his lover. “Good point. Sure, he can stay the weekend with us. We’ll need to plan something fun though.”

“I say we take the boys to Erie and see the zoo and the park along the lake. Could do a picnic and just get a hotel room or something.”

Andy smiled. Liking that idea of a lot. “I’ll talk to Kyle about it tomorrow and see what he thinks. It’s a two hour drive. Maybe if we leave early enough Saturday morning, we could do the zoo and then the park?”

Brian shrugged. “I say we should go the minute after you’re done showering. Then we can stay the night there, do breakfast and the zoo in the morning, maybe some shopping after lunch and then have a picnic at the park before coming home. Then all day Sunday to rest and have fun.”

Andy stared at him for a second before nodding. “Go ahead and make a reservation at a hotel up there.”

“I’d invite Troy, but I’m betting he and Liz are ankle deep in baby diapers.”

“Call them, just in case.” Andy didn’t want Troy or his kids to feel left out. It wasn’t something they had planned when having kids but the two of them managed to have kids at the same time which helped out a lot. They also didn’t anticipate their kids being as close as they are, but he figured it was inevitable given their own history. In an odd way, he felt like it was a continuation of a cycle.

Brian got up to go get his phone. “It’s getting late. The Copper-Top should get ready for bed.”

Blake’s attention was immediately shifted from his cartoon. “Why now?”

Andy laughed and got up, picking his little boy up effortlessly. “Because it’s the same time as every night, silly.” He tickled Blake to keep him laughing all the way upstairs to his bedroom to get his pajamas. “Did you hear us talking about spending the weekend with Matt?”

Blake jumped up and down with his eyes shining brighter as he was walked to the bathroom. “Yay! We’re going to granpa’s!”

“No,” he grinned as he closed the door and started the bath running. “We’re all gonna go to the zoo and see the animals and then have a picnic on the lake. How’s that sound?”

“Carter has to come too,” the little boy stated.

“We’ll see,” he replied with a grin. He finished filling the bathtub before gently picking up his son and setting him down to the task of getting his toddler clean again.

****

It was mid-morning and Colleen was busy filing some of the recent accounts she had been auditing for Sam since she first got to work. It felt like the first time in a month she had been able to work without her mind wandering and worrying about her son. Tyler had been ambiguous about what happened between them, and why he and Alex broke up. Her instincts told her something bad had happened to cause it to end so abruptly, but she wasn’t inclined to press for answers. Tyler had always been a sensitive boy growing up and that made for a hard time on her figuring out what he may be upset about at any given time. She also had a feeling the less she knew about it the better she would sleep at night.

She was also relieved that he was getting his job back as well. She’d been against the idea of him working for the Howard’s, only because she wasn’t sure how well he would be able to manage. She’d met and spoken to David Howard on a number of occasions since Tyler’s surprise birthday party. He was charming and polite and showed a keen interest in his family and his close friends. After that first meeting, she had seen him here in the office a handful of times for a visit with his friend which usually turned into going to lunch. In the last month he had been in twice and both times was with his grandson. She could still see the infectious smile on his face the first time he came in holding the little boy’s hand.

After putting away the file, she turned her attention to the invoices on her desk that still needed to get done. Her eyes were on the paper in her hand when the front door to the office opened. Colleen’s eyes went up and was surprised to see a handsome young man walking up to her desk. She put on her professional smile, even if she had an idea about what this man wanted. “Good morning. How can I help you?”

He flashed her a bright smile. “I was wondering if there were any job openings?”

“Oh, there’s always job openings. Have you worked here before?”

“Yeah. Last year actually.”

Colleen rose from her seat as she asked, “what’s your last name?”

“Brighton. Sean Brighton.”

She scanned through the files in the cabinet. It would probably be easier to look it up on the computer, but she knew Sam would want to see the file anyway. She pulled it and found it of modest size. When she opened it to the first piece of paper, she saw was she was looking for. A termination notice with the highlighted notation at the end: rehire on return.

“I’ll just get Sam and have him come out and talk to you for a minute, if you want to have a seat.”

Sean turned and sat down in one of the seats as the lady behind the desk went to the back of the office. The moment she was out of view, he remembered who she was and groaned to himself. He should have asked her about her son, Tyler. But maybe it was best not to say anything about him. Since leaving town five months ago Sean never heard from him and from what he remembered on his last night in town, he figured Tyler was still seeing the guy he’d brought with him to the bar that night. Was probably best to not say anything to his mother. She’d probably turn around and tell him and he didn’t want to get in Tyler’s way if he found who he was looking for in his life. He couldn’t even come up with a good excuse for why he was even here. Maybe it was just because he was happy here, where things were quieter.

It was less than a minute before Colleen returned with Sam behind her. He tended to dress casual even in the office. His white and grey hair along with his full beard and piercing dark eyes gave him an almost predatory look to the uninitiated. Sean knew him to be a fair if overly opinionated man who tended to earn the respect of those who worked for him as long as they were equally fair.

“Sean,” Sam said as he walked over. “Where’ve you been the last five months.”

“Just home, mostly.” He was caught off guard by the question. “Did a little sight-seeing from time to time.”

“Got any cops looking for you?”

Sean blinked in puzzlement. “Uh… no.”

Sam stared at him for a moment before saying, “alright then. I could use someone to lend a hand on a team doing a remodel in Karns City. You can start tomorrow, if you want.”

Sean stood with a smile and a little relief showing in his face. “Won’t be a problem. Who will I be working with?”

“Chris Cooper is running that job,” he replied.

Sean almost wanted to outright ask about Tyler and Andy but decided to just accept it. “Great. Thanks.”

Sam nodded. “Good to have you back. Be here at seven in the morning for your assignment.” Done with what he had to say, Sam turned and headed back to his office.

Sean headed out to his car, wondering if he was doing the right thing or just wasting his time.

****

Tyler was up a little later than usual but didn’t feel any adverse effects from all the wine he drank the night before at Drake’s. Getting out of the house went a long way to making him feel better. The last three days have been good, but he still felt uncomfortable. Like a stranger living with strangers. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way. Jacob was his friend. David was nothing but considerate towards him. He even stayed up late last night to make sure he got back safe. And Kyle… well, he was still Kyle. Tyler hadn’t figured on how ingrained his dislike for someone he barely knew had become over the few years he’s known Jacob. He was doing his best to get past it, but it was still a hard sell to just accept that he was so altruistic that he just wants to help after hearing how he just dumped his entire family for nine years.

He heard their voices as he went down the hall and got immediately suspicious when he stepped into the kitchen and they all became quiet. He stopped to examine their faces for any signs of what to expect. David had an unusually blank face and little Matt was seated, quietly munching away at his cereal. Kyle and Jacob were looking up at him with a seriousness that told him this was going to be a rough morning. “Any coffee left,” he asked as he made his way to the cabinet were the mugs were stored.

“Help yourself,” David said. “Everything on the stove is still warm.”

“Thanks.” He grabbed the last empty plate sitting on the counter and filled it up before grabbing his coffee and joining the others at the table. From their looks, he almost started to wonder if they were going to lecture him about being out so late the night before. That was discounted considering David didn’t seem at all concerned when he came back last night. This had to be something else, and he wasn’t wanting to beat around the bush. “So, what’s up?”

The three adults exchanged looks while Matt remained oblivious. Jacob was the first one to open his mouth. “We were talking before you came down here about some stuff.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “Stuff, like what?”

The three of them went quiet again which just made Tyler feel frustrated. David finally spoke up with a voice of a parent trying to not scare a young child. “We have some concerns. I thought it would be best if you stayed here a little longer.”

Tyler frowned, leaving it obvious he didn’t like the sound of that. “How much longer did you have in mind?”

“Maybe another week or so,” Jacob said hesitantly.

Tyler’s frown deepened. “And what made you come to this opinion?”

David sighed, glanced at his grandson before saying, “last night, after you went to bed, I was locking up the house when I heard a car drive past.”

“So?”

Kyle sighed, not liking how this is going. Tyler’s body language was getting more defensive. “Because no one just drives down the road here. This is the only house on this road.”

“And none of the security alarms went off at the side entrance to the orchard,” Jacob added.

“What does this have to do with me?” Tyler’s voice got louder than he wanted. A sudden urge to pack up and run started to build up inside him. Only his pride held him down at the table as he listened.

“Dad looked out the window and saw the car. When he told me this morning about it…” Kyle paused and said in a more apologetic tone, “what he described to me matched your ex boyfriend’s car I saw at your place the other day.”

Tyler’s eyes went from Kyle to Jacob. He could see genuine concern on their faces. “What… what is it you’re suggesting?”

“We think he’s stalking you,” David said. “And we think you’d be safer if you stayed here for awhile.”

An irrational anger started to build up inside him. “If that’s true, then what difference is a week going to make?”

“I know, this all sounds… unreasonable,” David said in that familiar fatherly tone of his. “We just want to be cautious right now and make sure you’re going to be safe.”

“I think he’s just wanting to mess with me,” Tyler stated. “He wants me back so he’s trying to harass me. I don’t think he’d actually hurt me.”

Kyle sighed. “He’s capable of it. If you’re out there on your own, then there’s no telling what he might do.”

“He’s not going to kill me,” he replied sharply.

David put his hand up to stop them. “Matt, why don’t you and I go watch some cartoons now that you’re done eating?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he rose from his seat and picked Matt up, taking him out of the kitchen.

“Tyler, I know you don’t like this,” Jacob began.

With Matt gone from the room, Tyler didn’t feel constrained to say what he felt, but he kept it to a piercing whisper. “You’re fucking right I don’t!”

Jacob blinked in surprise at the intensity of his words. “We want to protect you. I don’t want to see you getting hurt. Or worse.”

Tyler scoffed and sat back in his seat. “He’s a coward. He’s not going to attack me.”

Kyle picked his phone up and read the contents of the screen aloud. “Three years ago, he was convicted of an assault and given a year in jail. He served seven months. Not long after that the person, a man, who he had beaten filed a restraining order on him for harassment and threatening to beat him again. Before all that, he was convicted of theft which got him six months. That was when he was nineteen. Now, I bet, if I called up the prosecutors who tried those cases, they’d probably tell me something like, ‘we wanted to charge him with more, but the victims wouldn’t cooperate because they didn’t want their names in the paper and knowing they had been in a sexual relationship with another man.’ He’s gone beyond being a bully, Tyler. He’s a predator. I’ve seen guys like him. I’ve put guys like him in prison before.” Seeing the brick wall in Tyler’s eyes, he sighed and sat back. “I know you hate this. And I know I’m not the one you want to hear this from. But I’m telling you, in my gut, I know he’s going to wait until you’re alone and come after you. The three of us are in agreement on that.” Jacob nodded his assent, keeping his eyes on Tyler.

Tyler looked away, feeling more frustrated. “So, what do I do? I’m sorry, I know you guys love this place, but this isn’t my home. I have a home and I want to go back to it!”

“Even if it means waking up in the middle of the night to him beating you over the head with your own baseball bat,” Jacob asked.

Tyler looked at him, stunned. “That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“April 2014,” Kyle said, looking at his phone again. “24 year old male reported a ‘robbery’ where he’d been beaten so badly, he was hospitalized for a month. He wouldn’t identify his attacker, but the police investigation found evidence that he and Mr. Parker had been drinking buddies up to that point.” He turned his eyes back to Tyler. “That could be you in a month. So, no, I don’t think it’s too extreme.”

Tyler forced himself to not stare daggers into him as Kyle sat there with a blank expression. He would bet Kyle was secretly enjoying this. Even if Kyle was only halfway making this up, it could still be bad for him. He folded his arms across his chest and allowed himself to glare at Kyle. “Fine. You win.”

Kyle felt bad for him, which prompted him to reach across the table. “With any luck, he’ll scr—”

Tyler put up a hand to stop him. “I said, ‘you win.’ Now, let me finish eating before everyone shows up and we have to get back to work.”

Kyle pulled his hand back and sighed. Without a word, Kyle rose from his seat and left the room. Jacob watched him go before turning back to Tyler and taking a drink of his coffee. After a few minutes of watching Tyler with his head down, eating quietly, he finally said, “Tyler, he’s trying to help you. We all are. I understand that you’re angry, but you need to not direct it at Kyle. He’s doing the right thing, whether you like it or not.”

“I know,” he replied sullenly. “I… I just want to go home.”

“Let me share something with you. Just between us.” Jacob leaned in and said in a hushed tone, “my first week here, I felt like I was on pins and needles. I was constantly watching and waiting for either Kyle or his dad to get tired of me being around and have me leave. It took almost a year before I felt like I belonged. That whole time, I was constantly waiting for them to shove me out the door. They never did. I know part of it was because Kyle and I were in love, but I also have seen Dad take Brian in without so much as a word. Andy stayed here off and on for a month or so while he filed for divorce. Troy lived here for a couple months when he was a teenager after his mom died and his dad kind of went nuts.

“When they say they want you here, they mean it. There’s no hidden agenda or either of them wanting something in repayment. If you asked Dad, he would just tell you that he’s doing what’s right. Nothing more.”

Jacob sighed. “I know you’re not a fan. And that’s partly my fault. I shouldn’t have told you about our past. I think a part of you is being hostile towards him because you think he left for years before he came back because he hated me for something I did. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m asking you to please, make this easier for us all and let go of the anger you feel towards him. He’s my best friend and he’s going to be my husband in about two months. I don’t want there to be any friction between us.”

Tyler sighed. He’d told himself he would give Kyle a chance and he wasn’t doing it. “I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated. I want him gone.”

“Alex or Kyle?”

Tyler grimaced. This was beyond just his personal feelings. It was starting to affect his friendships with Jacob and probably the others as well. “Alex. I already talked to Kyle about… stuff.”

“I know. He told me.” Jacob sighed and stood up. “He’s going through a lot of stuff right now. It would be easier for him if he didn’t feel like he had to walk on eggshells around you.”

Tyler remembered how they looked together the day before. That was genuine and he knew it. “I’ll talk to him later. Right now, I just need to process this new thing with… the asshole.”

“I understand. We’re here if you wanna talk.” Done with what he had to say, Jacob left the kitchen, leaving Tyler to his own thoughts.