The Discovery - 1. Chapter 1

Driving east from Butler, Pennsylvania along the Benjamin Franklin highway, a traveler might happen upon a small town with rolling hills, quaint diners and other signs indicative of any other small blue-collar town. On careful examination, if that traveler was visiting for the first time, they would notice the signs on the highway pointing out the way to the “Howard & Howard Orchard.” As they take the exit into town, more signs helpfully point them in the right direction. In the late weeks of August all the way to the beginning of October, cars from all over can be seen taking the drive north from the highway until finding an access road that leads to the orchard. For nearly twenty years, the orchard has become one of the biggest attractions in the area and has become a kind of community event that has grown larger over time.

Everyone in town can tell you stories of their own experiences in the orchard on a bright September day, spending time with their families picking fresh apples off the trees. Other stories can be told of old friends reuniting under those very trees and one or two can claim how they met their love under a tree filled with apples or recall fondly, the one wedding they attended years ago on a warm spring day just before the first blooms began to open.

But in the first weeks of July, the weather is hot. There are no apples to be picked, and the orchard stands empty, with the branches gently waving in the breeze with the small apples still growing. Most of the residents in town have seen the large house on top of the hill that stands silent watch over the orchard, but few have actually been inside. On this warm July day, a trio of cars are pulling into the driveway one after the other. The first a red Suburban, the second a large pickup truck and the third is a family sedan. Each of them parking next to each other on the large, blacktopped surface that stretches between the large house and a nearly equally large barn. Next to the barn is a smaller building with faded red paint that appears to have not seen much use in years.

The first figures out of the SUV are two boys. The older of the two is wearing a baseball uniform with white pants and a gold shirt. Just under five feet tall with light brown hair and a baseball mitt tucked under his right arm. “Race you inside,” he challenges his younger brother.

The smaller boy is nearly a foot shorter than the older boy, with dark hair, bright blue eyes and an eager smile. He giggles loudly as they both break into a sprint for the door.

An older man with greyish white hair and an equally grey beard is the next to get out of the SUV along with his companion on the other side. “Don’t kill yourselves getting up there,” the man calls out to them as he makes his way after them at a much slower pace.

“Like they’re going to listen this time,” his companion commented wryly with a smirk and a southern drawl. He steps around the car with his own darker grey hair, cut short in military fashion. He gives the other man an affectionate squeeze on his arm as they walk together up the steps.

The man’s face relaxes noticeably at his touch and turns his gaze to his companion. “I guess that’s what I get for never being an officer, huh Colonel?”

Former Colonel Colt Hickman chuckles as they fall into step with each other. “You’re the commander here, Davey.” He glances behind him at the other two vehicles where neither of the drivers has gotten out yet and loses his smile. “We better get inside and see to the boys before the fireworks break out.”

David frowned and rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I’d rather avoid those two for the next half hour. At least.”

David and Colt passed through the kitchen, following the sounds of two excited boys up the stairs. Only seconds later, the same door they came through bursts open and a man with dark hair and an even darker expression stomps through the house like muted thunder. Instead of following everyone else up the stairs, he takes a turn down the hall leading to the back of the house. Following closely behind him is another man with brown hair and a menacing glare who slams the door shut before pursuing him.

As the two of them finally reach their private rooms in the house, Kyle Howard slams the door shut and locks it before his husband Jacob has time to whirl around with his hands on his hips, looking at Kyle incredulously. “I cannot believe you!”

Kyle glared back at Jacob, showing no fear. While Jacob is dressed for a day out in the sun in shorts and a tank top, Kyle is wearing a white dress shirt, dark pants and a green tie. “Oh, spare me your bullshit!”

Jacob’s eyes were like fiery sapphires as his voice took on an angrier tone. Stabbing an accusatory finger at his husband he continues his rant. “Don’t start with me. You’re not even back for ten minutes and already nitpicking like a nagging wife. And worse, you couldn’t even wait until we got home from our son’s baseball game before you just had to start in on me.”

Kyle rolled his eyes dramatically. “Let’s dispense with the hysterics, drama queen. You’re pissed that I’m late. I was a day late. I’m sorry. As powerful as I may be, I have yet to learn the ability to mind control the lead counsel of a major corporation that I’ve been suing for two years now. Much less control the flow of traffic between here and Philadelphia. Philadelphia, dumbass! It’s on the other side of the freaking state!”

“You could’ve left yesterday and been home in time, like you promised! But no. What, were you sucking up to some other ambulance chasers after your big day in court?”

Kyle gasped as his eyes went wide. “Ambulance chaser!? Is that what you think I am now?”

Jacob nodded with a wicked smirk. “Yup. That’s all you are now. You used to be a good prosecutor, don’t get me wrong. Now, you’re just some hired leech taking people to court for wrongful terminations, ‘sexual harassment’ and… what was it this time?”

“Class action lawsuit against a company that was exposing their employees to toxic chemicals,” Kyle replied indignantly. “You know, just helping people as I chase them down while they’re being driven to the hospital. Not like they didn’t walk into my office like all my other clients!”

“You’re right,” Jacob said as the level of sarcasm in his voice increased. “I’m sorry. You’re not an ambulance chaser. I doubt you could chase anything down with how little time you’ve spent doing much moving at all. You can barely keep up with Aaron. Oh, he’s five now, by the way. Just in case you forgot. I know you don’t see us much at all. How long has it been this time? A month and a half?”

Kyle’s mouth started to drop open, but he swiftly closed it as his brown eyes locked onto Jacob’s. A wry smirk graced his lips as his head tilted slightly. “It’s been a long case. I told you this was how it was going to be. I’ve been home every chance I could get.”

“Well, while you were gone, Matt turned ten and Aaron turned five. I’ll give you two guesses to figure out which happened first.”

Kyle stared at him silently for a second before matching his sarcastic tone. “Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Howard, for ruining your perfect world, but someone in this family needs to be bringing home the money we need to run this place. And we all know that, between the two of us, the one who’s just making tables and chairs isn’t bringing in enough to put those two boys of ours through college when the time comes.”

Jacob blinked as his head tilted back slightly. “Hey! I’ve been expanding. I have three people working for me, for us, now and we’ve been working long hours. Thank God for Dad and Colt, or else I don’t know how we’d get Aaron to and from pre-school. Oh, yeah, he’s in school now, too. Might wanna make a note of that.”

Kyle took a step towards him, pointing an accusatory finger at Jacob. “I have been doing what I can! You on the other hand have me wondering exactly who’s company you’ve been keeping lately.”

Jacob’s eyes flashed dangerously as he took a step towards Kyle. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!”

Kyle held his ground and matched Jacob’s expression. “What’s her name? Andrea Kostowksi? She was sitting real close to you at the ball game when I showed up.”

The accusation only served to make Jacob angrier than before as he stared daggers at his husband. “She’s got a little girl Aaron’s age and they’ve become friends. She was just getting to know me. Is that why you were so bitchy when you showed up?”

Kyle cocked an eyebrow. “Well, I didn’t see you having a problem with her putting her hands all over your biceps.” His voice switched to a falsetto as he went on, “’Oh, Jacob. You certainly must do a lot of work with these big arms of yours.’”

Jacob laughed mockingly at Kyle’s imitation. “At least someone wants to touch me still.”

Kyle’s eyes squinted for a split second as his lips set in a tight line. “Okay. Let’s stop dancing around the issue and just say what it is you wanna say.”

Jacob stared hard at him as he let his frustration out in one yell. “It was a ball!”

“It was a strike!” Kyle answered so fast, there was barely a gap between them.

“There you go again!” Jacob backed up and turned his back to Kyle as he started to pace the room. “It was a three and two count and that kid threw a curve ball, who the hell knew an eleven-year-old could throw a curve ball, and it went to the outside at the last second!”

“I was paying attention,” Kyle yelled back. “It caught the outside corner. Just because he’s our son doesn’t mean we pretend to not see the truth in front of us.”

“Sure,” Jacob said defeatedly. “Don’t stick up for him.” Jacob slowly returned to standing right in front of Kyle, looking into his eyes. “Some dad you are.”

There was a long silence as they stared into their eyes. Time stood still as a mixture of emotions played out on their faces until finally the moment broke and they both started to chuckle that eventually turned into laughter. As they laughed, they came together, wrapping their arms around each other and meeting in a sweet kiss. Jacob nuzzled Kyle’s neck. His voice was deep and husky as he kissed Kyle’s neck. “Welcome home, baby.”

Kyle sighed as their laughter finally abated. Holding Jacob close he felt the familiar feelings warm his heart again. “I’ve missed you so much. I swear, this is the last time I take a case like that again.”

Jacob chuckled silently. “Don’t say that. You know you will someday when someone comes in needing help.”

“Well, hopefully next time I can just pass it on to someone else. Younger and without any family to miss them being gone for months at a time.” They stood there in each other’s arms quietly, smiling and just happy to be together again. “So,” Kyle finally whispered before kissing Jacob’s neck softly, “tomorrow is the big day, huh?”

A soft rumble of pleasure came from Jacob’s throat as he leaned into his husband’s kiss. “Yup. Six years now.”

“Everything ready to go for today then?” His kisses slowly went from one side of Jacob’s neck to the other.

Jacob’s breathing started to quicken as his hands involuntarily clutched to Kyle’s back. “Yes, sir. Set up the tables this morning with Colt. Him and Dad are cooking, so you know it’ll be good.”

“Good. I guess we should take a shower and then get ready for dinner.”

“Probably,” Jacob replied with a sigh. “I just don’t feel like letting go of you just yet though.”

Kyle smiled at him suggestively. “You can still hold me in the shower if you want.” Jacob’s smile let him know that that was a really good idea to him.

 

****

 

Brian moved through the kitchen, packing up the last of the bottles of water and cans of soda into a cooler. When he noticed the boys were not in the room, he called up the stairs. “Tanner? What are you doing up there?”

Tanner’s voice was muffled from the closed door at the top of the stairs, but Brian could clearly hear the cheeky response. “Being a bad influence.”

He rolled his eyes. If Tanner didn’t sound so much like his father when he was twelve he’d be irritating. “Well can it wait until we get back?” He had no idea what Tanner and Blake were up to, but he figured whatever they were doing was innocent enough since there were no screams. “Your dad’s already in the car and ready to go. We have to be there soon to help the old men get the party ready. So, grab your gear and get moving.”

A few seconds later he heard the bathroom door open and smiled at his handsome boys as they rushed down the stairs. Tanner was nearly as tall as he was which wasn’t that big of a surprise. It occurred to him not too long ago that the blonde-haired boy looked very much like how Andy did when they first met. In Brian’s eyes, he saw much of Andy in Tanner with his hair and almost perpetual half-smirk. The real surprise was how bulky he seemed to be getting. In the last year Tanner’s shoulders had widened, and his waist was getting slimmer. While Brian felt a small amount of pride in his accomplishments, it was tempered by the annoyance of having to constantly buy the boy new clothes that he eventually grew out of.

Blake was right behind having just finished cleaning up from his baseball game. His short bright red hair, which normally was parted to one side was now standing up in admittedly stylish spikes with styling gel which Brian assumed was Tanner’s doing. Blake looked up at Brian with a proud grin, waiting for his reaction to his new hairdo.

Brian gave him an appraising smirk and gently patted the tips of his very stiff hair. “Not bad, copper top. You’re gonna turn heads for sure today.”

“It was my idea,” Blake declared with a grin that Brian could only imagine was an imitation of his own.

“Not like anyone important is gonna be there,” Tanner said as he lifted the cooler next to Brian. Effortlessly and without being asked. “Just gonna be the usual folks.”

“That’s not true,” Brian countered as they headed to the door. “A bunch of Kyle’s office people will be there.”

“Oh great.” Tanner made a show of rolling his eyes. “More old people to bore me to death. Chase and the others will be there, right?”

“Duh,” Brian answered. “It’s Kyle and Jacob’s wedding anniversary. Not to mention your uncle Kyle coming home finally from wherever it is he’s been the last two months. No way Troy is missing that.”

They stepped out of the house and down the concrete steps, Tanner grunting slightly with each step as he carried the cooler in his arms. “Is Dad gonna make up his mind anytime soon?”

Brian groaned softly. He thought that had been taken care of already. “How about we corner him later tonight when we’re home?”

“How about you guys just let me play this year,” the young man countered. “All my friends are going to. Except Chase. He thinks it’ll be too hard.”

Brian sighed as he got to the car, glancing at Andy’s expectant face before answering Tanner. “Okay, okay. I get it. We’ll handle it today.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Tanner’s face lit up with a bright smile, knowing that when Brian promised something, he would always follow through. “Sweet.”

Brian rolled his eyes as he got in the car and looked over at Andy. “He’s not gonna budge, so you’re gonna have to give in.”

“What?” Andy looked at Brian before his eyes went to the rearview mirror at Tanner’s face. “What?”

Tanner grinned at his dad. “You’re gonna let me join the wrestling team this year, right?”

Andy looked over at Brian who could only shrug helplessly. Since the beginning of the year, Tanner had been going on and on with them both about joining the wrestling team at his school in the coming year. Now, with the date swiftly approaching, and Andy couldn’t come up with any good reasons why he shouldn’t, he realized, he would have to give in and let the boy do what he wanted. “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

 

****

 

“Honey, where are her socks?” Troy was fighting against his impatience as he picked through the clothes in the laundry basket that was resting on their bed.

“I put them in that last load,” Elizabeth said from the bathroom as she finished with her makeup.

He went through the basket again tossing the boys’ stuff to the side until he found the little yellow socks he was looking for. With a sigh of relief, he stood up. Emily had a habit of wanting things a certain way and if she didn’t get it, she was more than likely to have a dramatic meltdown. Not that it was unexpected with a six-year-old. While infrequent, they usually involved her dressing up. So, when she informed Troy she wanted to wear a specific set of shoes and socks, he was forced to look through the house for them.

The morning had been fun watching the boys play baseball with their little league team and Kyle surprised them all by showing up towards the end of the game. He had been expected home yesterday, but he told Troy that last minute details in the case he was working on were dragging things out. The party had been planned for later in the day, but Troy was concerned Kyle would be too fatigued after the long drive across the state to get home. Before they left, Kyle had suggested they go ahead and have their party today so he and Jacob could spend their anniversary together. When any of them had asked about the case he had been working on for the last year and a half, he would only smirk and say he would tell everyone at the party.

“Got them.” He poked his head in the master bathroom and said to Liz, “how much longer do you think before I should call Chase out of the shower?”

Liz looked in the mirror at his reflection. “How should I know. How long did it take you when you were twelve?”

Troy opted to not answer that and headed out of the bedroom with the precious socks in his hand. “Chase,” he called as he banged on the bathroom door down the hall. “Two more minutes then I’m picking the lock so Carter can get cleaned up and ready to go.”

“Okay, Dad,” Chase called back.

“Dad,” Carter called from his room.

“Daddy,” Emily squealed a second later from downstairs.

Troy directed his first response down the stairs. “One second, sweetheart.” He then turned his attention to his middle child as he stepped into the doorway. “What’s up?”

Carter looked at his dad with a worried look. “I’m not going to have to wear anything fancy for this, am I?”

Troy laughed. “Hell no. It’s going to be hot outside, and this isn’t like a formal dinner. It’s just the family there and some of the people at the law firm and your uncle Jacob’s shop. Just wear whatever shorts and a shirt you want to wear.”

“Cool,” Carter grinned. “No underwear.”

Troy had been half a step out of the door when his son’s statement prompted him to back up. “What?!”

Carter looked at his dad and rolled his eyes. “Uncle Andy would’ve laughed at that.”

“Put on underwear,” Troy said as he headed down the stairs. While he was almost sure Carter was playing with him, he didn’t want to chance it. He got down the stairs in search of his baby and found her in a cute pale-yellow dress. She was so tiny compared to the boys even though that was to be expected. Twelve, ten and six. It was a bit of a stretch and there had been stressful times dealing with three little children. But he and Liz managed to make it work between dental appointments, teacher meetings, work, homework and after school activities. This year Chase was opting out of sports and that suited Troy fine even as he worried that his oldest child was becoming slightly introverted. He didn’t play much with other kids except Tanner and one or two other boys in his class. Carter was going to continue swimming which thrilled him while Emily was going to be just starting first grade. If he had any real complaints, it was that it felt like it was all going too fast. Overall, he just felt blessed.

He started to hold out the socks when his daughter interrupted him. “I decided I’m gonna wear sandals today.”

Troy froze and smirked. “Sounds like a good idea, sweetie.” He deftly pocketed the socks as if they were never there. “You’re wearing a very pretty dress today.”

Emily giggled and twirled. “Thank you.”

Troy was pleased to see her manners were improving. “Well, we are going to have so much fun today. You get to see your friend Maggie today.” He bent down and scooped her up into his arms, delighted to hear her laugh.

Emily’s eyes lit up with delight. “Maggie’s going to be there?!”

Troy nodded. “I know for a fact that her and her parents will be there today.” Maggie was the daughter of one of Kyle’s associates at his law firm. She and Emily formed a quick friendship in the last year and Troy was glad for her to have someone her age to form a friendship with. Not that she had been left out with the boys, but her interests were a little behind them. She and Aaron got along but neither of them seemed to be as close as the others were. Troy gave her a kiss on the cheek before setting her down and telling her to wait for the others to finish getting ready. As he went through the hall heading back to Liz in their bedroom, Troy banged on the bathroom door twice and added, “times up,” before he stepped into their bedroom and began changing himself.

As he started to get out of his clothes from this morning, Liz popped into the room, looking at him with a smirk. “I figure you have about thirty seconds to get showered before the hot water runs out.”

Troy blinked in surprise and paused. “What am I going to do with the extra twenty seconds?”

They shared a chuckle as she moved through the room to get her shoes. “You know… it’s about that time.”

“About time for what?”

Liz turned to look at him, not wanting to miss the look on his face. “The Talk.”

Troy froze and looked at her blankly.

She nodded as her lips parted in a knowing grin. “Yeah. That one.”

“No,” Troy groaned quietly. “He’s too young…”

“Not according to what I’ve found,” Liz quipped.

Troy felt his blood chill a little. It had been something the two of them had discussed years ago to prepare for the eventual moment. The sex talk. The one no parent really wants to give their child but know they must. At first, he hadn’t thought much of it so when they decided that he would handle Chase and Carter, Liz would do it with Emily when the time came. But her words now made him wonder if he had run out of time. “What do you mean?”

Liz looked up at him as she tied her shoes. She was enjoying his uncomfortable moment and wasn’t shy about showing it. “Let’s just say that I’m thinking about handling his laundry in a hazmat suit.”

Troy groaned. “No…!”

She giggled at him. “Sweetie, it’s not a big deal. Just sit him down and tell him how it all works.”

Troy knew she was right, but he still had a hard time coming up with the words to describe it to a twelve-year-old. “I’m not doing this today.”

“I didn’t say today. But you’re gonna have to eventually.”

Troy didn’t say anything as he made a quick exit into their bathroom for a shower (which he noticed was lukewarm) before getting dried off and changed. By the time he stepped back into the bedroom his wife was gone. He grabbed some socks and shoes before heading downstairs to find his wife and three children ready and waiting for him. As he pulled his socks on, he looked at Liz and asked, “how do I look?”

Elizabeth chuckled and replied, “like a guy who just climbed out of a dumpster.”

He finished tying his shoes and stood up straight. “Prefect. That’s the look I was going for.”

 

****

 

Kyle smiled as he laid in the tub against Jacob’s chest. The warm water around them felt like the perfect blanket surrounding them as they basked in the afterglow of the moment together. Feeling Jacob’s hands gently drifting up and down his body only served to enhance the moment for him. Their two months apart while Kyle had been in court on the other side of the state had not been easy for either of them. But now that it was all over, they could enjoy this singular moment with each other if only for a little while longer before their duties as parents and hosts would force them out.

“Did I ever thank for you buying this ridiculously large tub,” he asked Jacob in a relaxed voice.

Jacob leaned his head forward to give his husband another soft, lingering kiss on his neck. “A few times, I think. Did you honestly think I hadn’t planned things like this to happen from time to time?”

Kyle chuckled softly even as he sighed contentedly. “Well, you are amazing. In more ways than one.”

“Thank you.” Jacob let his hands rest on Kyle’s chest, still softly rubbing. He never enjoyed sleeping in bed without Kyle. It never felt right in his head for some reason. Now that he was back, Jacob hoped that it would be a long time before he would have to sleep alone again. “So, are you going to tell me how things went?”

“With the trial?” When he felt the assenting rumble from Jacob’s chest, he smirked to himself. “I won, of course.”

“Of course.” Jacob grinned to himself. While Kyle was usually humble, that humility took a backseat when it came to his work in a courtroom.

“And, after the judge made his ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, he ordered the Castoria Foundry to pay the victims of their illegal toxic dumping for compensatory and punitive damages.”

“Uh, huh.” Jacob allowed his hands to drift down through the water to Kyle’s abdomen. He was pleased to feel that Kyle was still working out at least some. “Go ahead. Tell me.”

“The court awarded them seven-hundred and eighty-five million dollars in damages.” Kyle grinned. Knowing what was coming.

Jacob’s eyes popped open in shock. “Wait. What?!”

Kyle laughed softly as he turned around to meet Jacob’s shocked expression. “Did you honestly think that I was going to be away from my family for months at a time, missing my husband and my children, not to mention my father and the rest of my family for a couple hundred bucks?”

Jacob’s mouth opened slightly, still processing the news. “How much of that do you get?”

“The law firm,” Kyle stressed, “gets thirty percent, per the agreement.”

“And that’s what, exactly?”

“Two-hundred, thirty-five million, five-hundred thousand.”

“So, basically, you’re saying we’re rich now.”

Kyle rolled his eyes and laughed softly. “I personally get five percent of that. So, I’m only taking home a little under twelve million. The rest pays for expenses like… you know… payroll and such. New sneakers for when I need to chase down the next ambulance.” The last part Kyle added with a playful smirk.

Jacob tried to wrap his head around that. Kyle had been successful in the past, and it had always been a comfortable income for them along with Jacob’s own business. But this was something bigger than he ever imagined. “Wow.”

Kyle watched patiently as Jacob took it all in. “So, are we in agreement then that it was a strike?”

Jacob blinked and stared at Kyle for a moment before he pulled a laughing Kyle into another passionate kiss.

 

****

 

While David and Colt had not planned to start cooking until the early evening to allow time for the heat to abate, they knew most of the guests would begin arriving around four. Andy and Brian would likely arrive first to help with the preparations while Troy and his family would soon follow. In the meantime, David busied himself working in the kitchen, getting ready for the festivities. Kyle and Jacob had yet to come out of their rooms and David didn’t expect that to change any time soon. It was clear to him soon after Kyle showed up at the ballpark that he and Jacob were going to get into one of their infamous spats where they worked out their resentments and frustrations from being apart for months. While it irritated him, they always assured him that it was harmless fun for them, and he couldn’t deny the results. Colt once shared with him his hypothesis that Kyle and Jacob were just addicted to make-up sex.

Colt had started the brisket early to give it time to finish cooking when everything else would be ready for the party. David came out from time to time to check on him and make sure he had everything he needed even as he saw to the needs of the grandchildren. He wanted to get in as much time as he could before he and Colt left next month. They were both eager for their next trip. With Kyle back and seemingly going to be homebound for the rest of the summer, David felt less misgivings about leaving.

David was in the kitchen, making BBQ sausages when he heard Aaron trot in. “Grandpa, where’re my dads?”

David smirked. Aaron was a daddy’s boy for sure. Lucky for him, he had two. “They’re resting.” He figured it was as close to the truth as a five-year-old could handle.

Aaron frowned as if he was trying to figure out a dilemma. “I need to ask them something.”

“Well, you could ask me,” David offered.

“Would it be okay if I went outside with Colt?”

David chuckled silently. “Sure, Little One. Just stay with him and don’t wander off.”

“I’m supposed to ask Dad, though.”

David rolled his eyes. Sometimes, Aaron took things a little too literally. “I’m sure your dads won’t mind. Besides, this is my house and my rules. If I say you can go outside, then you can go outside. So long as you do as your told.”

Aaron hesitated for a moment as if unsure if he was going to get in trouble before he headed to the back door.

“Hold on.” David moved to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water and handed them to the little boy. “One for you and one for Colt.”

Aaron smiled and took the bottles before hurrying out the door. David chuckled to himself. He got a unique enjoyment watching Aaron grow up. In some ways he was very much like his father but as he got older, Aaron was becoming his own person. He just knew he was going to be as proud of his youngest boy as he was of Jacob. Feeling happy with his life and his home, David resumed his work getting things prepared for the evening meal.

Aaron skipped down the ramp swinging the two bottles in his hand. He turned towards the smoke and grinned as he rushed up to Colt presenting the waters in his hands. “Colt! I brought you this.”

Colt turned his attention to the little boy and flashed him a smile. “Well, thanks partner.” He took the offered water and opened it. “That was right kindly of you.”

“What are you doing,” the young boy asked as he moved closer to the large, covered smoker.

Colt put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder, cautious that he wouldn’t get too close. “I’m cooking up brisket for everyone.”

“Can I see?”

Colt chuckled and gently pulled him back. “No. It’s smoking right now. It won’t be done for another hour or so.”

Aaron went along with Colt’s guiding hand and sat down at the small table nearby. “Why does it take so long?”

“Are you sure you want that answer?” Colt watched as the light clicked on in Aaron’s head and he shrunk back into his seat. He chuckled as the boy got a guilty look on his face. “Two questions, two answers. You only get four more questions for the rest of the day.”

Aaron thought about it. His curiosity was piqued, but he was aware that Colt’s rule about him asking questions was a firm one. He got six questions a day. Once he turned six, he would get a seventh one, but once they were used up, that would be it. What he loved most about the rules was that sometimes, Colt would answer questions without him asking which only made him be more careful in the questions he did ask. It’s become something of a private game the two of them play and it only served to endear Colt more to Aaron over time. What Aaron didn’t know was that his determination to make the most of each question he got to ask only made Colt love him more. “I’ll wait until later to ask.”

Colt chuckled to himself and playfully ruffled the boy’s hair. “Excited to have your daddy back?”

Aaron’s smile returned with a nod. “Yeah! I miss going to the pool with him and Matt.”

Colt gave him a mockingly hurt look. “Hey. I just took the two of you to the pool the other day.”

“I know,” he giggled. “It’s just… different with daddy.”

Colt nodded. “I get it. Not just anyone is your daddy. Except your Dad.”

Aaron knew that most little boys and girls didn’t have two fathers like he did. Over the years, calling Kyle Daddy and Jacob Dad had just been something he picked up. That he loved them, and his big brother was without question. He knew he had a special family, and it gave him a warm feeling in his chest when he got to spend time with both of his dads.

The sound of an approaching truck caught their attention which prompted Aaron to hop off his chair and run around to the side of the house just in time to see his Uncle Andy wave at him as he came to a stop. He waited from a safe distance (as his fathers taught him) until he heard the engine come to rest before rushing up to the door, grinning expectantly. Once the door opened, Andy stepped out and moved with a noticeable limp towards him before picking him up. Andy carried the boy over his shoulder upside down as he headed towards the house. “How come you’re out here by yourself, Little Man?”

“I’m not,” he wailed as he laughed.

Andy’s grin was wide even as he saw Colt come around with an amused look on his face as he watched the younger man walk towards him. “Put him down before you hurt him or yourself.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Andy replied with a note of sarcasm. Before setting him back on his fee, Andy gave Aaron and hug and peck on his cheek before setting him loose and returning his attention to Colt. “When did you get back?”

“Tuesday,” Colt replied. “Wasn’t a long trip. Just a couple days.”

“Couldn’t stay away from David for long, huh?”

Colt gave him a knowing look. “It was just a conference.”

“In Belgium,” Andy pointed out with a smirk.

“Yeah,” Colt responded. “Not my first time. I get asked to go to meetings to represent my country.”

Andy started to step up the ramp. “Why not take David with you?”

Colt laughed softly. “Tried that once. He hated it.”

Tanner walked between them, heading over to the tables carrying the cooler in his arms, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “No, no. It’s okay. I can get it.”

Andy grinned. “Thanks, son.”

Tanner looked back at him with an almost challenging gaze. “Are we really going to talk about it tonight?”

Andy sighed and nodded. “Yeah.” It wasn’t something he was eager to do. While he encouraged both of his boys to get involved in sports, wrestling concerned him with the high chance for injury.

“Okay. Hey, Colonel,” Tanner gave Colt a polite greeting before heading up the ramp and into the house.

Colt watched the young man go inside before turning to Andy quizzically. “What was that all about?”

Andy rolled his eyes. “Just growing up stuff.”

Brian came up behind him and added, “and a dad who doesn’t want his little boy to grow up.” He smirked and patted Andy’s shoulder as Blake ran past him up to the back door.

Try as he could, Colt couldn’t help but feel the officers mask fall over his face whenever he was around Andy. While they were friendly in many ways, there was still that undercurrent of an officer and his subordinate between them. They both acknowledged and respected it. Over the last five years, a sense of kinship and common understanding existed between them that they both enjoyed. “I know you’ll handle it well. Go ahead inside. Davey’s in the kitchen and I’m sure Jacob and Kyle will be out eventually.” He casually motioned to Andy’s right leg before adding, “how’s that situation working out for you?”

Andy rolled his eyes. “They took the pins out. It’s just a matter of time now and I’ll be back to my usual self.”

“Maybe,” Brian corrected with a frown. “Depends on the next few weeks.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the approach of Troy’s family van as it pulled in next to theirs. Colt stood alongside Andy and Brian as they watched them all pile out of the van, carrying their own load of stuff for the day. They watched as Chase led the way out of the van with Troy bringing up the rear. The kids and Liz greeted Colt and the others as they made their way up the ramp and into the house. Troy lingered, patting Andy on the shoulder as he smiled. “Kyle and Jacob come out of their room yet?”

Andy gave him a dismissive look and turned his head away from him. “I’m not talking to you. I don’t like you anymore.”

Troy rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on.”

Brian snickered, not believing Andy for a second. “What did you do?”

“I was only trying to help out,” Troy explained as he fought to keep himself from smiling.

“Some help,” Andy muttered unconvincingly.

Colt looked to Troy, waiting to hear more.

Troy’s lips parted in an innocent smile. “He was having trouble walking yesterday in the office. So, I got him something to help him get around.”

“A cane,” Andy said. “He got me a fucking cane.”

Brian laughed softly and put a compassionate arm around his husband’s shoulders. “Oh. Poor thing. Lucky for you, you didn’t break anything other than your leg when you fell off that roof.”

Colt nodded in agreement. “I thought you were supposed to be in charge of the sites. Not doing the hard labor.”

“Sometimes he can’t help himself,” Troy explained. “I keep telling him to let the younger guys do that stuff but…” He shrugged helplessly.

“I can walk.” Andy rolled his eyes at his old friend and started heading up the ramp.

“Hold up there, Superman.” Brian followed behind him. While he believed Andy, he saw no need to take any risks.

Troy sighed and said to Colt, “he’ll get over it.”

“He better,” Colt said loud enough to be heard. “Marines aren’t afraid to do a hard job and they will walk off any injury they take. Isn’t that right, Stewie?”

Andy rolled his eyes, but he grinned slightly before yelling back, “yes, sir!”

Colt nodded his head and headed back to the grill. “Things here should be ready by the time everyone else arrives. Go on up and welcome Kyle home.”

Troy smirked and echoed Andy. “Yes, sir.” He liked Colt and was glad to have him around. Over the last few years, he has seen David lay down a few of his burdens and become a happier man for doing so. And he knows it was all because of the man in front of him who he had come to admire and respect. He headed up to the door to the house, looking forward to the celebration that they were all looking forward to.

 

***

 

The sun was reaching the horizon, and everyone was in high spirits celebrating the happy couple’s anniversary and Kyle’s victory in court. Everyone enjoyed the food. Colt and David took it all in stride, as if cooking a meal for over twenty people was something they frequently did. In addition to the boys and their families, Kyle and Jacob’s employees had been invited to celebrate the day with them. Sam and Colleen along with her husband Stan were also in attendance having been invited by David. Five years since Tyler left for California, Colleen still felt like an empty nester. While Tyler kept in touch regularly and he and Sean did visit from time to time, she liked staying social and being with those in town who knew her son best always helped her not miss him as much.

David made a point of speaking to everyone, wanting to make them feel welcome. Between trips inside for drinks and using the restroom, along with the adults keeping an eye on the kids as they moved through the area or up in the treehouse where the older boys frequently spent their time when the weather allowed it. As he grabbed another bottle of water from one of the many coolers everyone brought with them, David headed over to where Sam was sitting with Colleen and her husband. “So,” he said taking a seat with them, “is he coming home for Christmas or Thanksgiving this year?”

Colleen laughed and replied, “Christmas. He’s finishing up the last year for his master’s degree.” She said the last part with more than a little pride as Stan grinned at her.

“Oh,” David’s eyes brightened at the news. “I’ll have to tell the boys so they can be prepared.”

“It’s six months away, you know,” Stan pointed out.

“Never too early to prepare,” David replied with a friendly smile. “So, you still gonna put up with Sam for another year?”

Sam affected a wounded look from behind his white beard. “Put up?!”

Colleen chuckled at the friendly banter. “A few more years. Stan’s retired now, but I enjoy the work and I want to keep working up a little nest egg for Tyler.”

Stan guffawed. “Because a master’s degree isn’t gonna lead him into a six-figure job five minutes after he’s got his diploma in his hand. Not to mention being married to a millionaire and them having houses on both coasts.”

“You never know,” she defended. “Best to be prepared.”

David smirked. “Well, if I were you, I’d build up that egg and be ready to enjoy some nice vacations. If you haven’t been there, you should head to Arizona. It’s a nice place to spend some time in the outdoors if you’re into that kind of stuff.”

Stan nodded. “Might not be a bad idea. Hun, we should do that sometime this winter in fact.”

Colleen looked to Sam and smiled. “I think I can get the time off.”

“Speaking of,” David said as he watched Sam nod to Colleen. “Isn’t it about time you decide to hang it up?”

Sam gave his friend an odd look. “What? Who? Me?”

“Yeah. You.”

Sam sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

David rolled his eyes. “Christ, man. Just give it to him. He’s ready.”

“I know he’s ready, Davey,” Sam replied. “I’m just… not ready.”

Colleen eyed David and added, “I’ve talked him into going home early a few times and even got him to take a couple Monday’s off.”

David shrugged. “If that’s your choice, Sam, go for it. But you’ve been doing the same job for forty years now. I’d say if anyone’s ready to retire, it should be you.”

Sam grunted and didn’t reply other than to take a drink from his bottle. “When’re you leaving again?”

“In a week or so.” Before Sam could ask where, he added with a smirk, “Mexico.”

Sam smirked slightly. “Don’t drink the water.”

Rosette walked past the table, saying hello to them as she walked up to Kyle who was sitting off to the side with Andy and Jacob. She stopped a few feet short when she made eye contact with him and frowned slightly. “You could have warned me.”

Andy and Jacob exchanged amused looks before turning their attention to Rosette. “What was there to warn you about,” Kyle asked. “I called you first this morning that I was on my way back. And it was no big secret that my anniversary is tomorrow.”

Rose pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. “Mr. Howard, if you’d told me this was gonna be about your anniversary, I would’ve gotten you a present. You know that.”

Jacob chuckled. “We don’t need gifts, Rose. We don’t even give presents to each other. We just wanted to have a party for Kyle coming home.”

“And please stop calling me ‘Mr. Howard’ in my own home,” Kyle added. “If you’re looking for Mr. Howard, he’s over there.” He nodded in the direction of his father.

She fixed her usual sober stare at him. “You have two meetings Monday morning and Monica will be in and out wanting to talk about the settlement. How much did you say it was?”

“More than we expected,” Kyle replied.

“So, there’s gonna be bonuses for everyone in the office.” She gave him a meaningful look. She had been running his office on her own for the last few months which meant more time in the office and less time at home.

“I can almost guarantee that.” He smiled in a friendly manner.

“Damn right,” she muttered. “People been working too long in the office lately. We need a new lawyer to handle the workload.”

Kyle nodded slightly as if he expected it. “Yeah. Monica and I will talk about it. On Monday. When we’re all working. This is a party. Go have fun.” Monica was his very most senior associate who he hired three years ago before he first took on his latest case. In that time, debts had started to mount, and they were taking on more work than they could handle. Once he learned his simple lawsuit was going to turn into a class action, he started hiring more fresh lawyers to take on the other cases that had started mounting up. As important as this case was, he didn’t want anyone else thinking their problems were unimportant.

Rosette smirked slightly. “Who said I’m not? Jacob, don’t wear him out Sunday night. I’ll need him awake and ready to go Monday.”

Andy busted into laughter as he watched her walk away from the table. “God, I love her.”

Kyle chuckled. “Yeah. My first and best hire, probably. But she’s probably right. I need a new lawyer on staff.” He looked over at Andy. “Interested?”

Andy snorted. “Yeah. Let me get right on that.”

“How’s the leg?”

Andy’s smile dropped into an annoyed frown. “It’s fine.”

Kyle wasn’t buying it. “Bullshit. How’s the leg?”

“There’s still a few screws in there,” he said as he rolled his eyes. “I’m walking. I’m fine. I won’t be climbing ladders anytime soon, though.”

“I think Kyle is hinting that you should think about a new job,” Jacob said with a concerned look. “Out of all of us, you have the most dangerous job.”

Andy’s usual half-smirk graced his lips. “Guys, I appreciate it. I’ll be fine in a few weeks. The doctors will take a look and say I’m good. The knee is just a little stiff today, is all.”

Kyle looked at his friend for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

Andy quietly breathed a sigh of relief seeing Brian and Troy return. “See? Wasn’t so bad.”

Troy grumbled, “feel like my mouth is dry as hell.” He took a drink from his water bottle. “What’s the point of this again?”

“Mostly for fun,” Brian replied. He put a hand on Jacob’s should and gave him a playful smirk. “Your turn.”

Jacob looked to Kyle as he reluctantly rose to his feet. “I don’t see why we’re doing this.”

Kyle grinned. “It’s just a genetic test. We’re all taking one just to see how close our DNA lines up.”

“Sounds like a waste of time.”

“And saliva,” Troy added as he grabbed his drink he left behind. “Not like we don’t have enough going on.”

Jacob followed Brian up to the house, leaving the others to their drinks. Kyle took a moment to look around the area. “You know… if someone had told me when we were teenagers that this is what we had to look forward to, I’m not sure I would’ve believed them.”

Troy smiled and put an arm around Kyle’s shoulders. “Not sure I would either. Look at that. All our friends…. The people who work for you and Jacob… Our kids…”

Andy smirked as he joined them looking at everyone at the party. “Does feel a little weird sometimes. I swear, Tanner’s grows an inch every month lately.”

Troy shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the mention of growing. He scratched his ear and said in a private tone, “Speaking of growing. Elizabeth had a talk with me before we came over.”

Kyle and Andy turned their attention to him with curious looks. Kyle spoke up first. “Oh? What about?”

Troy stared at his water, wishing it was something stronger. “Chase.”

Andy did a quick look over the crowd. “Is he alright?”

Troy rolled his eyes, finding it hard to believe he was confiding in Kyle and Andy, but it made sense with how long of a history they shared. “He’s growing. And Liz says that I need to…. You know… have a talk with him.”

Kyle tried to suppress a chuckle, having a good idea where this was going but also wanting to enjoy Troy’s obvious discomfort. “Talk about what,” he asked as innocently as he could muster.

Troy scowled at Kyle as he watched his friend tried to unsuccessfully cover the laughter on his mouth. “You know damn well what.”

Andy rose from his seat and moved to the other side of Troy, not bothering to hide his own enjoyment. “Gonna have to teach him about birds and bees? Hair growing all over the place for no reason…”

Troy gave him an annoyed look before he sighed. “I never thought it would happen this fast is all.”

“He’s twelve, for God’s sake,” Andy said as he got a little more serious. “It’s not like it’s something you can put off until he’s heading off to college.”

“And given your track record when you were going through high school,” Kyle added, “you better do it soon or else you’ll have him coming home and telling you you’re gonna be a grandfather.”

Andy laughed despite the glum look on Troy’s face. “Grandpa Troy. Now that’s something I can’t wait to see.”

Troy turned his head towards Andy. “Could you go back to not talking to me?”

Kyle and Andy chuckled and patted Troy’s back. “We’re sorry,” Kyle said. “None of us are looking forward to it, but it’s gonna be something we’re all going to need to do before we know it.”

“Do what now,” Brian broke in as he and Jacob walked up and joined them at the table.

Andy looked to his husband and said with a mischievous grin, “Troy here has to have The Talk with Chase soon according to Liz.”

Brian’s eyebrows rose. “Oh. Well…” He looked around the table before saying, “probably something we’re going to have to do soon to, you know. Tanner’s not getting any younger and he is a few months older than Chase.”

“Where are our boys anyway,” Andy asked as he expertly sidestepped the conversation and looked around again.

“They’re probably up in the treehouse,” Jacob reasoned. Jacob looked over his shoulder to look for any of the children. “I see Aaron’s hanging out with Colt and Dad. Emily’s with Maggie and her parents. No sign of the other five, so yeah, they’re up there.”

All five heads looked up towards the tree house and could see movement inside. “Yup. There they are.” Kyle shook his head with a smile. “You know… as a group, they are a lot like we were.”

“Back on the subject,” Brian interjected. “What are you planning on telling him exactly?”

Troy blinked as he pondered it. “I… guess I’ll just tell him what Dad told me. How it all works. What to do and what not to do. How to treat a girl and how not too.”

Brian leaned closer into the group and asked in a lowered voice, “but what if he doesn’t like girls?”

Troy’s eyes widened as the idea suddenly rammed into his well-intentioned plan. “Oh my God. I hadn’t even thought about that! What’ll I do if he tells me he’s gay?”

The other four exchanged dumbfounded looks. Kyle finally opted to be the one to tell him. “Then he’s gay and it’s no big deal. Just don’t back him up against a wall like you did with me and you’re good.”

“No, no, no,” Troy scoffed. “You should know by now that I would still love him if he was gay. I mean… how do I teach him…you know… how it’s done?”

Jacob finally spoke up. “For that matter, how do you get him to tell you he’s gay?”

“Shouldn’t you be able to tell or something,” Andy asked. “I mean… your four best friends are all gay. Don’t you think you would know any of the signs by now?”

“Don’t do it the way you did it to me,” Kyle said with a meaningful look. “Do you have any clues yet?”

Troy groaned. “I’m not ready for this.”

“Are any of us,” Brian asked. “It’s not like Tanner and the others will have to have the same talk.” He looked to Kyle. “What are you gonna tell Matt? Or Aaron for that matter?”

Troy let out a deep sigh. “I guess… I just never figured they would grow up so fast.”

Jacob smirked to himself. “You know why? Because them growing up means we’re getting older.”

A silence fell around the table as the five friends absorbed the uncomfortable truth that had been hanging over their conversation. Liz walked up to the table, smiling. “What are you boys up too?”

Brian looked up at her and shrugged. “Oh, nothing.”