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“Okay…”
He stared at me for a minute, then shook his head. “You are really beautiful tonight. This is the most peaceful I’ve seen you in a long time.”
“It’s the most peaceful I’ve felt. Damon, this place…you were right. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy, and that’s not to mean?”
“I know, baby,” he said to me, coming around to face me. His hands, those strong hands I loved gripped my waist and he looked up, deep in my eyes. “We’ve always been happy together, but this place, our boy, it’s made us the family, the people we were meant to be.”
I vowed, “I’m going to do everything to make sure you and Joel are happy. I’m never going to let either of you down.”
“I know that, and so does Joel. He fell for us before we even thought of how we felt about him. He’s been one step ahead of us, so if you’re about to fuck up somehow, I think he’ll likely tell you before you can.”
“Good to know,” I said, laughing.
We had breakfast early. Yes, they’d finally broken me down to the point I was up before eight most mornings, and I didn’t hate it…much. While they were finishing up breakfast, however, I sneaked to the barn to see Devlin, who was looking over the mural. “This is fucking incredible!”
“Isn’t it? I can’t believe he got it done in a week.”
“I need to hire him.”
I sighed, “He’s got a job. Anyway, I’ll come in here later, once you guys are finished and get some pictures of it for the flyers and the website, but I had another job for you, and shouldn’t take long, if you’ll indulge me.”
“Sure! This has been fun. The place, this place, it feels good. Like welcoming. I think it’s gonna be a success, and I’ll admit to you now that I didn’t think so when I first got here. Out here? A leather club? No way. But the longer I’m here, I feel it.”
“I had my own doubts. I thought, well, if no one wants to come, we’d just have a very big playroom for our boy, but now? I think it’s gonna work.” That was the first time I’d admitted it to myself or aloud, and it felt good to get it off my chest.
“The guesthouse is almost finished, and the cabins are coming in this week. You’ll be up and running in less than two weeks, if you want to set the date.”
“We did,” I told him. “Second weekend in August.”
“Perfect. It’s been a pleasure working for you guys, really. So, what did you want me to do?”
I smiled as I thought of it. “Let’s talk.”
After I got my plans to Devlin, I heard a truck pulling into the yard and went out to see Memphis. I waved to him, and he met me at the barn. “Come see what your boy did.”
“Saw it. He sent pictures, but I’d like to see it up close.”
Memphis and I went into the barn, and he whistled through his teeth. “That’s my boy. Ain’t he just somethin’?”
“He is. He’s a talented man, sure, but he’s so much more than that. He saw all this before we even knew, Memphis.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.”
I turned to face him, surprised. “What?”
“Burke, you all loved that boy from the start. You jus’ didn’t know it.”
I smiled and nodded as I ducked my head, feeling that everyone saw things before we realized. “Well, yeah, so I’ve heard.”
“I need to see my husband.”
We started to leave the barn, but before we could, Xen ran through the door, right for his husband and jumped straight into his arms, wrapping himself around Memphis. “There he is!”
They kissed as I turned to give them privacy, and Damon came into the barn. “He heard that truck and couldn’t wait to get here.”
“Missed ya, ya little shit,” Memphis told Xen, chuckling happily. “Ya ready ta go home? That dang horse of yours don’t like me a bit.”
Xen nodded furiously, all while smiling like he was the happiest man on earth. His entire being lit up when he was with Memphis, and I got a look at what I felt, being with my guys. Joel was a little down, but hugged Xen hard and made him promise three times to come to the opening, which Xen and Memphis both agreed to do.
