Cornucopia - 8. Benefits

Jacob turned in a slow circle as he examined the mostly empty room. It was sterile and devoid of any character with beige walls and the dull gray carpet you see in almost any office space. Try as he might, he was unable to dispel the amused smirk from his lips as his gaze came to rest on Kyle, sitting nearby at a small folding table. “Well… is it everything you dreamed it would be?”

Kyle rewarded his husband’s dry wit with a sardonic look. “The furniture will be here on Friday.”

Jacob’s smirk blossomed into a grin at the look Kyle gave him. He felt allowed to be a little playful after telling Kyle over and over how proud Jacob was that he was starting his own law practice. “And I’m sure everything will look spectacular when it’s finished. So, what’s the plan until then?”

Kyle went back to writing on the legal pad in front of him as he replied. “Mostly interviews for some staff this morning. I have a hearing in court this afternoon and then some paperwork before I’m home.” One of the rules he and Jacob had discussed when they both decided to open their own businesses was to limit the amount of work they would bring home. Jacob knew that would be easy for himself since he would no longer be using his old workshop which had become too small for his needs. Within a month, most if not all of his equipment would be moved out of the workshop at the house and into the new building that was nearing completion.

Jacob nodded, the smirk still on his lips. “Alright. I need to get my day started. But I wanted to be here on your first official day in your new office.”

Kyle smiled as he got to his feet and walked towards him. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

Jacob leaned towards him and let their lips meet in a soft lingering kiss. “I’ll see you when you get home,” he said as he stepped back and headed to the door.

The smile stayed on Kyle’s face as Jacob left and his focus returned to the work on the small desk he had setup in front of him. Admittedly, the office wasn’t what he had imagined years ago when his flights of fancy would dream up the idea of being a private lawyer instead of an attorney for the state. Not that he disliked the work he did back then. In fact, he looked back more with pride than anything else. There were fleeting moments when he thought maybe he should have stayed in that job. But at the time, Jacob had a more solid life built here than what he had in Harrisburg. There was also the orchard which he knew was going to become his responsibility more and more as the years went on. That was something he couldn’t imagine letting go or getting rid of. Maybe it was old fashioned to be living in the same home that you grew up in and raising your family there. But it felt comfortable. And it was something he and Jacob wanted to pass onto their sons when it came time. Hopefully they would come to appreciate their home as he did and build their own memories there someday.

While he had enjoyed doing an occasional case for someone whenever they came along, he was ready for more. To start a real law office. They had discussed it for months on how they could both manage to hold down jobs away from the house. With Aaron turning three and David and Colt slowing down as far as their time away from the house, they found a schedule that could work well for them both and only required his dad’s help to watch the boys to a small degree. Kyle knew as things progressed and Aaron began preschool, they wouldn’t need to rely on David nearly as much, if at all.

For the moment, Kyle wasn’t expecting anything big to come of his new venture. Just himself and a receptionist to start off. Perhaps a paralegal if he could afford one. While he was confident in his ability to achieve his goals, he was also aware that the people in the area would not be making multi-million dollar lawsuits. His days would be mostly filled with small claims where he would only expect to make a modest fee with maybe a few six-figure settlements a year, if he was lucky.

In the middle of typing out a motion he was preparing to file later in the week, he heard the door quietly squeak open. As he looked up, a middle-aged black woman stepped in, mindfully closing the door behind her. She was wearing a cream colored bouse under a red suit jacket with matching skirt. He watched her as she slowly took in the room with something akin to a mixture of disappointment and surprise. She said nothing at first which prompted him to stand up to greet her. “Good morning,” he said with an inviting smile. “Can I help you?”

She looked at him again before reaching in her purse. When she spoke, it was with a concise and slightly formal tone. “There’s supposed to be a lawyer’s office somewhere on this floor. Do you know where it is?”

He blushed slightly but maintained his polite smile. “That’s me, actually.” She regarded him dubiously and looked around the room again. “It’s okay,” he assured her. “Things will start filling up in a couple days. What can I help you with?”

Her expression became more serious as she gave the nearly empty office one more look before returning to Kyle. “Looks to me like you’re the one who needs help.”

Kyle’s cheek reddened a little more. “Well…”

She let out a quick sigh and stepped up to the small table where he had been standing and took the seat across from him. “This must be your first time.” She reached into her purse and produced an envelope and set it on the table. “Here. Ask me anything.”

He cautiously sat down, keeping his eyes on here, wondering what’s going on. “Okay…” His eyes went to the pages in his hand. This wasn’t what he expected. When she came in, he assumed she was a prospective client. “A resume?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “It’s something one generally brings with them to an interview for a job.”

Frowning at himself, he pushed on. “What kind of position would you be looking for here?”

Her eyes scanned the empty room before she answered. “That depends on what you need. Looks like you need a lot.”

“Mrs…?”

“Lewis. Rosette Lewis.”

He took a moment to read the resume in his hands, trying to filter out what might have been made to look more substantial than the truth it hid. “You have a college degree? In what, may I ask?”

“Accounting,” she replied. “It’s an associate degree from before I was married.”

“Ah.” He smiled slightly. “How long have you been married now?”

She shot him a bemused look. “Twenty-five years. Don’t try and tell me you thought I was younger. Been married twenty-five years and in that time I worked a lot of odd jobs while I raised four kids.”

“And where are they now?”

“I just got the last one out the door this year,” Rosette answered. “My husband is doing his own thing and we’ll be expecting grandbabies pretty soon, so I wanted something new to spend my time with.”

“And you decided that you wanted to go work for a lawyer?”

She matched his questioning gaze with unflinching eyes. “I decided I wanted to be useful for something other than working a retail job and making dinner for my husband.”

The corner of Kyle’s lips lifted at her response. “Well, at the moment, all I’m looking for is a receptionist.”

She shook her head, unfazed. “No you don’t.”

“I don’t?” This was not a statement he was expecting to hear. He had this all planned out in his mind what he wanted to accomplish. To get a small staff to answer the phones and help with drafting papers.

“No,” she affirmed. “And I have to say, being who you are, I would have expected you to know that already.”

Kyle stared at her, flabbergasted. He could tell he had lost control of the conversation and wasn’t sure how to get it back. “Who I am?”

“Yeah,” she said as if it was obvious. “You gonna tell me you rented an office building, started getting the word out in town and looking to take on new clients, but Dave Howard’s son didn’t prepare a business model before he unlocked that door?” She reached into her bag and produced a small pad and a pencil before she continued. “What all have you ordered that’s supposed to be coming in later this week?”

“Wha…?” He had no idea where this was going and what the point was. A part of him wanted to just thank her for her time and send her back out the door, but there was another part of himself that felt like he had to defend himself. “Well, I ordered furniture for the front here. A couple computers and a printer.”

“Anything else,” she asked as she scribbled on her pad.

“Just a few other office items.”

“Toilet paper?”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

She looked up at him from over her pad. “You didn’t get toilet paper for the bathroom? I’m assuming there’s at least one bathroom here.”

“There is… and… no.”

“What about paper for the printer? Pens? Envelopes. Did you get a machine to stamp outgoing mail?”

All of the things she just listed he hadn’t considered. But, then again, he always expected that someone else would handle the details. That there would eventually be a staff to take care of all of those small details. “Is there anything else?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “How are you going to handle payroll? Getting tax forms filled out. Department of Labor information. All the other small details that can be the difference between staying open and closing up for good?”

“I was going to get around to all that.”

She put her pad down on the table and looked him in the eyes. “You don’t need a receptionist. You need a manager.”

Kyle chuckled nervously. “I’m the manager.”

“No,” she countered with a hint of a smile. “You’re the boss. The one who does the hiring and firing. The manager is the one who keeps everything running smoothly. You can’t do that job and handle court cases.”

She was assertive for sure, Kyle thought to himself. He found that he liked her voice. It was crisp, no nonsense. She was also bluntly honest which is something he appreciates. All the things she pointed out that he had missed he would have figured out by the end of the week, but it was almost as if she had already been planning it before she even walked in the door. He had bigger ideas of what this all could turn into in the future, and by her attitude, it seemed as if she also had bigger ideas of what this could end up being. “How do you know my father?”

Rosette awarded him with a sarcastic look. “Everyone knows who your daddy is. When I was in high school, I used to be one of the people who picked the apples out there.”

That was a mark in her favor. “I probably wouldn’t remember. I saw so many people there helping out when I was a kid.”

“Once I got married, I had other things to do.”

“You said it’s been twenty-five years now? I’m assuming you got married right out of high school?”

“Not right away,” she answered. “My oldest son is going to be twenty-four.”

Kyle smirked. “And what’s your husband doing now?”

“He runs the grocery store over in Worthington.”

“There may be times when you might leave here late,” Kyle remarked. “It’s not something that I would want to have happen often because I want to get home to my family as much as you would, but there’s always the chance that it could happen.”

Rosette shrugged and replied indifferently, “he knows how the microwave works.”

He looked at her for a moment in silence. In his mind, he could see how this could work for the benefit of them both. She had a silent strength in her eyes that was unapologetic and direct. With as blunt as she was already, he knew he would want someone who would give him the unvarnished truth in the future. “So, if you were to work here, how do you picture that happening over time?”

She looked at him for a moment as she pondered her answer. “Well, for starters, I’ll be answering your phones and taking a lot of notes. Going around town, picking up whatever is needed and probably helping you type out anything that you need done that you don’t have time to do yourself. As things go on, if you gain any other employees, my job would be making sure they’re doing their jobs while still coordinating with you anything going on in the office that you need to know. Any minor decisions would be made by me which I would follow up with you later, and any big decisions would fall on your shoulders.”

“Do you think you could handle coordinating an office full of people all going in different directions?”

With a dour look, she replied, “I managed to get four kids dressed and ready for church on time every Sunday morning. Trust me, if you can do that, I can handle adults.”

Kyle smirked. “Okay. If anything, the size of the staff will slowly grow over time, hopefully. For now, what I would need is for you to answer the phones and take down any messages. You may occasionally be asked some legal questions if people call and want some quick answer. Don’t answer any of them.”

“Obviously,” she said. “The last thing either of us wants is a lawsuit because of me opening my big mouth.”

“You’re right.” He chuckled. “Well, is there anything else you have questions to ask or anything else?”

She cocked an eyebrow as her face returned to a serious frown. “We haven’t discussed salary. Or benefits.”

Kyle’s face fell slightly. “Well, what did you have in mind?”

She sat up straighter in her chair. “I’m not doing this for minimum wage.”

“Oh, no,” Kyle quickly assuaged her. “I wouldn’t dream of doing that. But I am just getting started so things might be a little tight.”

Her expression didn’t change. “How tight?”

He sighed and scribbled down a number on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “I’m sure you can understand that with things just getting started, I’m working on a tight budget. It could take a year or so to see where things go from there. Right now, the finances here are tied up with my husband’s business. It will only last until the practice starts showing a profit on its own. Could be next year. The year after that. Or…” He shrugged.

Rosette looked at the piece of paper for a moment before she spoke. “Not what I was expecting. But more than anywhere else around here. What about benefits?”

“That’s where things get a bit tricky,” he confessed. “Since you would likely be my only employee, for the moment, I can’t offer much. Once we start to grow, then we will likely have our own benefits outside of vacation time and everything else. For now, I’ll be working every day from now until next summer. In July, I’ll be taking two weeks off and it will be like that every year for the foreseeable future.” Kyle sighed. “I know it’s not what anyone would expect these days. But it’s the best I can do for the moment.”

Rosette stared at him for a long moment. “You plan on working hard?”

He gave her an odd look. “Of course.”

“Not going to give up or decide you don’t want to do it anymore and leave me twisting in the wind?”

“I would never do that to you or anyone.”

She looked at him and then looked around the room before she answered. “Okay then. When do you want me to start?”

“When do you want to start?”

She rose to her feet. “Friday. When all the stuff arrives, you’ll need help and an extra set of eyes to make sure everything is in its place. Then we can go over what else we need.”

Kyle smiled slightly as he got to his feet. “I want this to be a good place for people to work. But I also want to help out those who think no one can help them. That’s the whole point of this. I’m going to need people who understand that and want to help as well.” He extended his hand to her.

The first smile he’s seen since she walked in graced her lips as she shook his hand. “Sounds like a good start then.” Once she let go of his hand, her demeanor turned serious again. “But I want to make sure you understand completely that I work for you and no one else. No matter how many other lawyers or whoever else ends up working here, I answer to you and only you.”

“Well, you’re my first hire, so I guess that kind of makes sense.”

“Then I will see you Friday morning around nine, Mr. Howard.”

He cringed slightly at that. “You can just call me Kyle. I’m fine with that.”

Rosette shook her head. “You may be, but as long as we’re working, you are Mr. Howard. Everyone needs to know who’s in charge at the end of the day. And that person is you.”

“You think people won’t know who’s in charge between us?”

“They’ll know,” she replied. “But in my opinion, Mr. Howard commands a little more respect and dignity. Kyle is the guy everyone knows. He’s a nice sort and everyone likes him because he’s a personable guy who is outgoing and has his own kind of charm. But Mr. Howard is a man who everyone respects. Respect opens a lot more doors than being everyone’s friend.”

Kyle restrained himself from rolling his eyes and smiled politely. “Well, Rose, I’m sure this will be an interesting experience for us both. If you have any questions between now and Friday, you can call me anytime.”

“That won’t be necessary but thank you.” She picked up her purse and headed to the door. “Friday morning, Mr. Howard.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He watched as she left and stood there for a moment before taking his seat again and getting back to work. A glance at the time on his phone showed him that less than an hour had passed since Rosette first came in. He didn’t intend to hire anyone today, just take a few applications and wait until the office was more set up before making any serious decisions.

But she won him over with her calm, forward, no nonsense attitude that showed a competence that he would need in the future if things went as well as he hoped they would. On one hand, he knew hiring someone after that short period of time was a risk that could come back to bite him. However, his instincts told him he had made the right choice and any concerns he may have were just nerves that would pass once things really started to take off. Kyle put it all out of his head and went back to finishing what he started before his hearing.

Later in the day as he was heading home after a successful start to his office, Kyle was feeling a sense of excitement for what lay ahead. The prospect of having a successful and well-staffed office of people who were dedicated to helping people who needed an advocate for them. There were so few lawyers in the area, forcing people to look all the way to Pittsburgh for someone who may not have the time for what they may consider small problems. That was really what he wanted most out of it all. To help those who had no idea how to navigate the court system in an area that was mostly overlooked by those in the bigger cities. This was his home and he wanted to make it better for everyone.

As he got to the house, he was slowed by a number of cars traveling past the house coming from the public parking area of the orchard. No doubt, his father had only just finished for the day even if the official hours for when the orchard closed had went by long ago. Kyle chuckled to himself, knowing how his dad never wanted to turn anyone away if he could help it. That was one of the many reasons why they had so many visitors coming over the years. Everyone loved getting to see him.

After he parked his car, Kyle’s first impulse was to grab his stuff and head inside to see the boys before dinner. But his eyes lingered on the orchard with the bright colors dancing in the slight breeze and sunlight sparkling between the leaves. Like a siren’s song, he couldn’t resist the urge to take the path down the slope and through the gate. When he stepped into the orchard, he felt his body relax a little more. Like slipping into a familiar pair of shoes, this place was a part of his life in ways words could never hope to fully describe. As much as he loved his family and his friends, it all seemed to flow from this place. His steps seemed to meander down an unseen yet familiar path through the trees that led him to some of his most cherished memories in life.

As if summoned from his past, he saw a man walking towards him, wearing a pair of jeans, plaid flannel shirt and a wide brimmed hat. Kyle smiled as he slowed his steps and moved to meet him. “Staying in here a little later than usual,” he asked with a bright smile.

“Oh, you know me,” his father explained with a smile. “Hard to stop talking once I get started.”

Kyle chuckled softly and nodded. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted, if I’m being honest with myself,” David replied. The two of them unconsciously fell into step together that came from a lifetime of walks in the orchard together. “This was a lot easier when I was younger.”

“All the more reason to close up when it’s time.” Kyle knew his dad shouldn’t be out this late after a long day. But having the orchard open is David’s favorite time of the year making it nearly impossible for him to slow down. At the very least, he and Jacob have been able to take most of the hard work off David’s shoulders over the last few years.

“I know,” David said as he put his arm around Kyle’s shoulders. “How was your day?”

“It was good.” Kyle smiled slightly, wondering how his dad was going to react to the news. “I hired an assistant today.”

David frowned curiously. “Wasn’t this your first day?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t think you may have jumped the gun a little bit?”

Kyle smirked. “Maybe a little. But I have a good feeling about her.”

“Well then, good job.” David wasn’t about to show any opinion one way or the other how either of his sons conduct their businesses. “Sometimes, that’s all you need. Anyone I know?”

“Actually, she said she used to work here picking apples when she was in high school.”

David’s interest was piqued. “She have a name?”

“Rosette Lewis.”

David thought about it. “Doesn’t ring a bell. But before you were in high school, I used to have dozens of kids out here picking apples for me for as cheap as I could get them.”

“Miss those old days of just selling them to retailers?”

David shook his head. “Not at all. I enjoy this more. The orchard pulls in a modest profit from it all and it gives me a chance to spend time with more people than I usually do.”

Kyle couldn’t dispute that fact. Every day he had any free time, he spent it in the orchard while it was open to the public and each time he looked for his dad, all he had to do was look for the largest crowd and he would usually find David in the middle of it. “Well, hopefully we can find some other people to help out through the week while Jacob and I are working.”

David smiled kindly. “No need to worry about me. I might be a little tired. And I might be a little slower than I used to be. But I can manage on my own through the week. Well, me and a few helpers that is.” He squeezed Kyle’s shoulder as they made their way between the trees with their brightly colored apples hanging enticingly from their branches.

“Hey.” Kyle put his arm around his dad’s back. “Whatever makes you happy, I’m all for it. Just don’t go hurting yourself, is all I ask.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“So, what’s for dinner tonight?”

David chuckled. “Beats me. Your husband is inside cooking dinner now, I think.” He had already come to terms with the idea that Kyle and Jacob were going to start taking on more and more of the everyday running of the house. Making meals, doing laundry and general cleaning around the house were starting to slowly become less and less of a responsibility for him. Most of the time it suited him just fine. However, it filled him with a kind of melancholy pride that they were managing to do it all without him. Sometimes he would take it upon himself to make a dinner he was in the mood for or some other tasks in the house, but mostly, it was the two of them making it work. “So, how soon do you think it’ll be before you start making the big money?”

“Dad…” Kyle laughed at the obvious ribbing David was pulling on him. “It’s not about the money for me. At least, no more than what I need to live. I’m doing it because it’s needed. Too many people around here don’t know who to turn to when they need the kind of legal help I can give them.”

“I know,” David assured him. “I know you’ll do good. And I’m sure someday you’re going to do something special that’ll knock our socks off.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “No pressure, huh?”

David laughed and pulled him closer to give him a peck on the side of his head. “No pressure. I know you’ll do whatever you set your mind too.”

“Thanks, Dad.” The two Howard men took their time, enjoying their walk as they both relived precious memories. Kyle slowed to a stop and looked around as a slow smile formed on his lips. “Do you know where we are?”

David looked around, slightly confused. “Where?”

Kyle took a moment to make sure his memory was right. “This is the spot where Jacob and I were when you walked up on us the first day I brought him here.”

David’s brow furrowed as if unconvinced even as he smirked slightly beneath his gray beard. “Are you sure? Seems we were a little closer to your private little hill.”

“Wait. How do you know about that?”

David rolled his eyes. “Kyle… you can’t really believe you were the first one to take someone up there?”

Kyle tilted his head as he regarded his dad with a suggestive smirk. “Who did you take up there?”

David decided to end that topic, putting his arm around his son again and resuming their walk. “Nothing you need to worry about. So, how do you feel about having your first real employee?”

“It really isn’t that big of a deal, Dad. I had people who worked for me when I was an ADA. While I didn’t hire them myself, I know the ropes on how to work with a subordinate.”

“Hadn’t thought about that,” he said with a smirk. “I guess as long as you pay her good you should be fine.”

Kyle frowned slightly. “Yeah. She was asking me about benefits. But with only one employee, I can’t really justify spending a lot of money on a package for one person.”

David pondered that for a moment. “You planning on hiring anyone else?”

“Not likely,” he replied. “No clue how I would afford another employee without more work at this point.”

“Hmm.” The two of them exited the orchard and headed up the slope to the house. “I suppose Jacob may be in the same boat with his new shop, I guess.”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah. We discussed it the other night about what all we could manage to afford.”

“And what did you guys figure out?”

Kyle sighed and began walking up the ramp to the back door. “That we can’t afford much of anything other than a paycheck for a handful of people.”

David silently followed behind, gripping the railing to assist in getting up the ramp. There was a brief flash of annoyance on his face at the notion that his legs weren’t up to the task that he used to take for granted. Too many years of hard work on his body were finally catching up to him. But he refused to let any discomfort show. The last thing he needed was two young men fussing over him. It never lasted and by the morning he would be back to his normal self. As Kyle opened the door, David patted his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. “Just do what you can. Something will come along.”

Kyle smirked. “Let’s hope.” They stepped into the house to find Jacob standing at the stove. “You’re not done yet,” Kyle asked jokingly as he stepped up to the counter nearby.

Jacob turned his head and gave his smartass husband an annoyed look. “I wasn’t sure when you were gonna be done wandering around lost in the orchard. Good thing Dad found you.”

David chuckled as he moved through the kitchen to the hall. “I’m gonna get cleaned up.”

Jacob didn’t take his eyes off Kyle as David left the room. “Dinner will be ready in a couple minutes, Dad.” Once he was gone, he smirked and put his arm around Kyle, pulling him close before kissing his cheek. “Did you have a good day?”

“More or less,” Kyle answered honestly. “I hired and assistant.”

Jacob’s eyebrows lowered in curious concern. “Isn’t that a little fast?”

“Maybe,” Kyle conceded. “But my instincts said it was a good choice to make.”

“Sounds good to me then.” Jacob smirked. “You should go clean up. And grab the boys.”

Kyle gave him a kiss on the cheek before exiting the room to go find his boys. Aaron wasn’t hard to find at any given time of the day. Kyle knew if he wasn’t with Jacob or himself, he only needed to find Colt. And that’s who he saw Aaron sitting next to on the couch when he stepped into the doorway. Colt noticed him out of the corner of his eye and turned his head giving Kyle a small smile and a nod in greeting before he nudged the little boy sitting next to him. “Look who’s here,” he whispered to gain Aaron’s attention.

Aaron turned his head and grinned as he jumped off the couch and scampered over to Kyle with his arms outstretched. “Hi, Daddy!”

Kyle chuckled and effortlessly lifted his little boy in his arms and hugged him. “Hi, Beautiful.” After kissing his cheek, Kyle asked, “did you have fun today?”

Aaron nodded vigorously with his bright blue eyes shining. “So fun. I was picking up apples!”

“Ah.” Kyle nodded knowingly. “Grandpa already putting you to work in the orchard, huh?”

“Uh huh.” The boy giggled and grinned excited about his day. “There was lots of people there.”

Kyle laughed softly. He could only guess at how much of an impact Aaron made to the day other than just being a cute toddler running around his dad’s legs. “Well after dinner we can hear all about it. How about we go upstairs and wash our hands before we get your big brother?”

“Okay.” Aaron waved to Colt before being carried out of the room and up the stairs to the bathroom. As they came to the door to Matthew’s room, Aaron helpfully shouted out, “Daddy’s home, Matt!”

“Okay,” came the shouted reply as Kyle walked past the door.

“Thanks, son.” Kyle rolled his eyes and let the moment pass, reasoning it was best to just stick to the plan and get Aaron’s hands washed before any more yelling. As much of a chore raising another toddler was, Kyle relished these simple acts like making sure Aaron washes his hands, brushes his teeth and all the other little things that came with the job. He could remember all those small moments he shared with his dad like this, and he knew that as minor as they seemed at the time, it was the foundation of their bond that would make the bigger and harder issues later in their lives easier to overcome. It also gave him a sense of normalcy in their lives. He knew some people were more than a little skeptical of two men being married and raising a family in a small town. Despite his outgoing nature and his family name being a relatively well known one in the area, he still noted the questioning and veiled looks of disapproval from some people whenever they were out in public. Doing the same things mothers and fathers do all the time with their own kids reminded him that his boys were going to be no different than the others.

Once he was done with Aaron, patiently walked him down the stairs and had him find Jacob before returning upstairs to Matt’s room. “Hey there,” he said as he stepped into the room.

“Hey, Daddy,” Matt returned as he sat on his bed playing a game on his pad.

He stepped into the room and joined his oldest on his bed. “How was school?”

Matt shrugged without looking up. “S’okay. Nothing special. Mr. Miller said we have a spelling test on Friday.”

“That’s fine. We can go over the words this week before bed each night.” He patted Matthew’s back and gave him a peck on the top of his head before getting back up. “Go get ready for dinner. Your other dad should be done by now.”

“Okay.” Matt put the pad down and got up to go to the bathroom without being told.

Satisfied with the response and knowing Matthew didn’t need supervision like Aaron, he went back down to the kitchen were David, Colt and Aaron were already sitting at the table while Jacob was getting plates ready. “What is it?”

“Chicken parm with some mixed veggies on the side.”

Kyle glanced over to see the vegetables on the plate and smirked. “Good luck with that,” he said quietly as he patted Jacob’s shoulder. “Want anything to drink?”

“Just a water, thanks.”

After Kyle settled into his seat and Matthew appeared in the room, the six of them settled into their seats. As Kyle expected, both Matthew and Aaron balked at the grilled zucchini on their plates even after seeing all the adults at the table showing no concern for the oddly cut green objects. After a few bites, Aaron declared he didn’t want his one piece of the odd-looking vegetable and focused on his chicken and pasta on his plate.

A small argument ensued but was quickly resolved with Aaron agreeing to eat a cut piece of a pepper to everyone’s amusement. After that, the meal was eaten mostly in silence with the occasional question to Matt about his schooling and what he did with Blake and Carter after school. Colt and David talked about the day in the orchard with the visitors and Aaron’s antics that kept both men busy. Kyle and Jacob knew that as much as David and Colt loved Aaron, they were both eager to get the boy into pre-school in a few years. While it was a long way off, Kyle and Jacob were content to take their time enjoying his first few years before it ended, and they had two boys in school.

When the last plate was cleared, David placed his hands on the table and looked at Colt. “Could you do me a favor and take the boys in the front room for a bit? I have to have a talk with my sons.”

Kyle and Jacob exchanged confused looks, but from the tone in David’s voice they knew it wasn’t a suggestion rather than an order. They said nothing as Colt got the boys up from the table and escorted them down the hall and into the front room. The couple watched David sit back in his seat as if he was preparing his words carefully. “Something wrong, Dad,” Jacob asked.

“Wrong? No.” David looked from one to the other before saying. “I wouldn’t call it a problem. Maybe a ‘bump in the road’ kind of situation the two of you are having.”

Jacob had no idea what he was talking about. Kyle put a hand over Jacob’s. “I think he’s talking about our business plans.”

“Okay,” Jacob murmured. “What bumps are we talking about?”

David motioned to Kyle as he started to speak. “We were talking about how the two of you can’t really afford to give any future employees you might hire any benefits. Now, I know by law you don’t have to give them anything. But in reality, you know that nowadays it’s a perk of hiring and retaining people if they do have things like health insurance, paid leave and things like that.”

Jacob shook his head slightly. “Yeah, I know. But that’s not feasible right now. Don’t get me wrong. We want to.” He glanced at Kyle next to him who nodded in agreement. “But it’s just not in our budget yet. We’re going to have to combine our finances together probably just to keep the lights on in both places once I’m opened up.”

“Which just makes it more of a problem if one of you fails,” David said solemnly.

“Is there a solution we haven’t thought of yet,” Kyle asked.

David sighed. “Well, there’s one way to make it a little easier.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I can talk to my accountant and see about opening up the family health plan to any employees you hire.”

“Dad, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Kyle said. “That could expose…well… everything if there’s any liability issues.”

“Not to mention that would end up costing a lot more overall,” Jacob added. “Maybe we should talk to Troy or –”

“No,” David interjected. “I have faith in both of you that you’ll both succeed, and it will only be a temporary situation.” He raised his hand to halt the objections he knew they were both going to raise. “Look, all of this is going to be yours sooner or later. It only makes sense to start the process to combine it all now and get it over with.”

The statement brought both younger men up short. It was the last thing either of them expected to hear David say. Kyle could see in his father’s eyes that he had already made his decision and any other objections would likely fall of deaf ears. “I think it might not be a bad idea to have an outside counsel to go over any legal work that may be involved. Just to make sure that everything is legal and there’s no problems that could creep up and bite us in the ass later.”

Jacob looked at Kyle with a measure of surprise and amusement. “You mean in case you miss anything?”

“No,” Kyle replied. “I just think it should be handled by an independent counsel. Sam probably knows someone.”

David nodded. “He does. I already talked to him on the phone before dinner.”

Jacob took a moment to let it all sink in. “So, the next year or so is gonna be a little rough for us all.”

David shook his head. “I’m not worried. I know you both. I trust you. I know you’ll make it all work out in the end.” He rose from his seat, knowing that there was nothing left to discuss for the moment. “Once we get the ball rolling, we can work the details out together.”

“Okay, Dad.” Kyle was a mixture of caution and relief. If it worked out, then they would likely retain a lot more employees than they would have if they didn’t have anything to offer. “Hopefully, I can get a few million-dollar cases and we can just put it all behind us.”

David smirked. “If only. I’m going to go play with my grandkids before bed. Make sure you clean up the kitchen.” He walked out of the room, leaving the two of them behind to absorb the implications of what just happened.

“Well,” Kyle began as he rose and started picking up empty plates, “at least I can call Rosette and tell her about her benefits.”

Jacob moved to the sink and began filling it with hot water for their cleaning duty. “I just hope nothing happens and we end up losing everything. It’s one thing to have some random event ruin my shop or your office. But now, if things go really bad, we could lose everything.”

“I doubt that will happen,” Kyle assured him. “Insurance is a good thing to have, and we can get something that’ll help us keep the orchard and the house safe from any disasters that may strike.”

“Let’s hope.” He added soap to the water in the sink and started cleaning the utensils before moving onto the plates. “Matt said he has a test later this week.”

“I know. I told him we’d help him study.”

Jacob nodded. “Aaron seemed to be a big hit out there today too. Hopefully he doesn’t tire Dad out too much.”

“I doubt Colt would let that happen,” Kyle replied with a smirk. Once he was finished collecting everything at the table, he started to dry the dishes Jacob had already cleaned. “How was your day?”

Jacob scrubbed away as they spoke. “Can’t complain. By Friday, I should have everything moved out of the shop here and into the new place. I made some calls to a few wholesale places for furniture that I can sell in the shop along with the custom-made stuff I’ll be doing.”

“Sounds like you’ll need a salesperson or two with that.”

Jacob nodded slowly. “Yup. I’m gonna post something on Facebook later and see if I get any nibbles. It’s that or work twelve-hour days and weekends.”

“Then you’d miss all the fun in the orchard.” Kyle smirked slightly. “You know he expects us out there on the weekends. That’s when things really pick up.”

“Andy and Brian said they’d be here this weekend. Troy and Liz have a thing and will be here the week after.”

Kyle chuckled as he put plates away in the cabinet. “God, we sound so boring.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jacob came up behind him and slid his hands around Kyle’s waist before giving him a sensual kiss on the side of his neck. “Well, let’s see how boring we are after the boys are asleep.”

Kyle laughed and leaned back against his lover and best friend. “Deal.”