Chapter Twenty-Five

Tuesday, January 18, 1977

Tyler blinked awake slowly, the dimness of the gray winter afternoon filtering through the hospital windows confusing him about the time. He felt better, like he'd actually gotten some sleep, and was relieved when he shifted around to his other side that he was feeling considerably better than he had been. He sighed and blinked again, his eyes drawn to the uncomfortable chair next to the bed. Beau slept on it, his neck at an angle that looked like it would probably ache when he awoke. Tyler frowned. The day before had been mostly a haze of pain, broken up by moments of sleep and company—Leah and the girls, Kelly, Alice, and Janie. And Beau. He'd rarely left the room, though his interactions with Tyler were stilted and awkward, as though neither knew what to say to break past the stalemate they'd come to. He'd been gone this morning, though, for a couple of hours. Tyler hated to admit to himself that he'd worried about where Beau had been.

Tyler sighed again and Beau stirred. Tyler was tempted to close his eyes and feign sleep, but he also knew they needed to talk about the decision he'd made. Before he'd been shot, when his dad and Beau had asked him to move away, to somewhere that might be safer, it seemed like the right decision. After his brush with death, he realized that he wanted to stay here, to try to make a difference in this area that he thought of as home and where his family was, even if the only ones who seemed to want to do anything with him at the moment were his sister and her kids. He closed his eyes, weariness overcoming him.

Fingers on his cheek had him opening his eyes again and he couldn't help turning into the gentle touch. Beau stood next to him, a tentative smile on his face.

"Hey," Tyler said.

"How're you feeling?" Beau asked.

Tyler breathed deeply before saying, "Better than I have yet."

"That's good, right?" Beau asked, the barest hint of a smile in his eyes.

"Yeah," Tyler agreed, shifting more to his back to be able to look up at Beau.

"I'm sorry I was gone this morning. I had some things to think about," Beau said, dropping his eyes. He reached for Tyler's hand and tangled their fingers together. Tyler's hand was cold.

He looked so solemn, so serious. Tyler felt his stomach fill with shards of ice. "Okay," he breathed.

"When we decided to move, I felt like that was the best decision," Beau said, still not meeting Tyler's eyes. "I know Nancy and Anna have lived here, together, a long time, and made a life together. And Ennis and Jack seem to be doing okay. But with you, there's more than just the community at large against us. Your brother, his friends… They hurt you, Tyler." He finally looked up to meet Tyler's eyes and Tyler wasn't surprised to see them shining with unshed tears. Beau sniffed hard and went on, his voice a low, harsh whisper. "They hurt you and your brother tried to kill you. I didn't know if I could be strong enough to face that. I didn't want you to have to face that." He paused then and brushed away the single tear that tracked down his pale cheek.

"I understand," Tyler said softly, turning his head away, lacking the strength to face Beau as he told him good-bye.

"But I've thought a lot about what you said, about wanting to stay here," Beau went on, as if Tyler hadn't spoken. "This is your home—I understand that." Beau caressed Tyler's cheek with his thumb, then urged him to turn his head and meet his eyes again. "I've lived all over the country. I don't have a place that I can call home. Except for you. Your heart is my home, Tyler. I love you. I love you so much." He brought Tyler's cold hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. "I trust you to make a good decision. If your heart is set on staying here, that's what we'll do." He smiled, in spite of another tear that escaped and rolled down his cheek, when Tyler's eyes widened. "Or if you want to move, I'll follow you." He smiled ruefully. "Face it, sweetheart, you're stuck with me."

Tyler didn't know what to say. His heart, which had started to ache with heartbreak suddenly felt too big in his chest. He blinked, trying to stem the tears that suddenly filled his own eyes. "Come here," he whispered hoarsely and reached up and fisted his fingers in Beau's shirt to pull him down and kiss him. They were both breathing hard when they broke apart, foreheads resting together. "I love you, too. So much." He took a deep breath and said, "When I get out of here and am off the pain killers, can we talk about this again? I'm so confused right now. I know what I said, but I'm just…"

"Of course." Beau brushed the dark strands of hair off Tyler's forehead and kissed him there. "But whatever we decide, wherever we go, it's together. Right?"

"Yes," Tyler agreed, kissing him again. "Yes."

Saturday, January 22, 1977

Ennis refilled his coffee cup and watched the snow fall softly outside the kitchen window. The house was quiet in the early morning and he relished the silence for a bit as he sipped his coffee. The past week had been a trial. Jack's temper was short, Bobby was cranky and out of sorts, and the girls were weepy and angry by turns. Franki and Ennis tried to remain calm, but Franki took to sighing like a steam engine and Ennis caught himself spending more time in the barn doing chores than he normally would. Jack knew it too, and called him on it, then admitted he didn't blame him. Ennis's heart ached for his daughters, and he was loathe to admit it, but he didn't know how to help them. Travis and Janie had been talking to Alma and the authorities out in Riverton, but things were still up in the air. He knew the girls wouldn't be able to settle until they had some answers and he didn't have any to give them.

The loud ringing of the phone startled Ennis out of his reverie. He reached to grab it before it rang again and woke everyone else.

"Ennis," Janie said, after his 'hello'. She sounded hesitant. "Um, I hate to bother you, but I got a call from Travis at the sheriff's office. Alma showed up there and she's demanding to see the girls. Travis called me because he knows the situation and that I've been working with you guys."

Ennis was stunned. He'd half expected Alma to make her way here, but it was still a shock. "Is Monroe with her?" he asked automatically.

"No, she seems to be here on her own. I've talked to her a lot this past week and I thought she'd finally come around to letting the girls stay with you, so I'm surprised she's here."

Ennis ran his hand down his face. "She say what she wants?" he finally asked.

"I haven't talked to her yet, but Travis told me she wants to see the girls. He's holding her off until I talked to you."

"I don't know what to say." Ennis was silent for a long moment. "What do you think, Janie?"

She sounded distracted or like she was thinking aloud when she replied. "She's their mom. She seemed to genuinely not know what Monroe was doing to them, so she's hurting too. She probably needs to make sure they're all right. I think it'll be fine for them to see her, but not unannounced. I'm not busy today, Ennis. Let me pick her up, talk to her some more. You get the girls ready—tell them she's coming and that she just needs to see them, see they're okay. If she makes a scene or, god forbid, starts blaming them or tries to make them feel guilty, we'll make her leave."

"Should we see if Travis can come out with you guys?" Ennis asked.

"I'll give him a call back and let him know what's going on, but it might be too much if he's there too. Let's give her a chance, okay?"

Ennis didn't want to. He wanted to tell her to go hell, to go back to that monster that violated his girls, but Janie was right. Alma was their mama and he knew she loved them. "Okay," he agreed, nodding, though she couldn't see it.

"How about around ten?"

"Sure, fine, see you then," Ennis agreed.

"All right, see you later," Janie replied and hung up.

Ennis put the phone back on the cradle and turned to find Jack behind him, dressed in flannel pajama bottoms, an old soft t-shirt, and thick socks. His hair was rumpled, but his eyes were bright.

"Who're you gonna see later?" Jack asked, stepping into Ennis's arms and putting his head down on his shoulder.

Ennis put his arms around Jack instinctively and leaned down to kiss his temple. "Janie. Alma came to Minnesota. She wants to see the girls. Janie's gonna bring her over."

Jack's head snapped up. "What? How'd she get here? Is that piece of shit with her?"

"I reckon she drove," Ennis replied. "And no, he ain't with her."

Jack wrapped his arms around Ennis's neck and buried the fingers of one hand in Ennis's hair, the touch gentle, but soothing. "Are you okay with her coming over?"

"No." Ennis frowned. "Can't rightly tell her no, though. They're her daughters, too. Janie said she'd make her leave if she tries ta take them or blame them or anything like that."

"Good thing," Jack snorted. "When are they coming?"

"Around ten. I better get the girls up and moving."

"In a minute," Jack whispered, leaning up to catch Ennis's lips in a sweet kiss. Ennis kissed him back, feeling some of the tension draining from him with each touch of Jack's lips. He might have stood there kissing Jack a lot longer if a sound of amused disgust hadn't sounded nearby. He startled and looked up.

Frannie stood at the kitchen doorway, smirking at them. "Don't you guys have a room to do that in?"

Ennis started to smile back at her, about to tell her to stop sassing before he remembered Alma and the thought of what she'd have to say about him kissing Jack in front of their daughters and the smiled soured. Whatever Frannie saw made her scamper across the floor and throw her arms around Ennis and Jack before he knew what she was doing.

"It's okay, daddy. You can kiss Jack wherever you want," she said, looking up at him.

Ennis tried to school his feature to a calm he didn't feel. "Thanks for your permission, darlin'." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He tried to pull away from Jack, but Frannie held tight to both of them for a long moment and Ennis took comfort in it.

"Hey, little girl, will you go get your sister up, please? It's time for breakfast," Ennis said.

Frannie looked up at him and he could tell she was apprehensive, but she just nodded and left to go to the bedroom she shared with her sister.

Jack went to the refrigerator and began rummaging around. "How about bacon and eggs? And french toast?" he asked, pulling out a package of bacon and a carton of eggs, followed by the pitcher of orange juice.

"Sounds good," Ennis said, moving smoothly around him to help.

Junior followed Frannie out of their room a few minutes later. Bobby, yawning and rubbing his rumpled hair, appeared a few minutes later. He looked so much like a miniature Jack it made Ennis smile. Honey followed Bobby like a shadow, dancing around his ankles.

"What's for breakfast?" Bobby asked, going to the stove where Jack was readying the bacon for frying.

"Bacon, eggs, and french toast. Let Honey outside ta do her business then you can get the butter and syrup out and put them on the table," Jack replied.

"You girls can set the table," Ennis added, testing the heat of the electric griddle. He prepared the egg batter while it heated. The first batch of french toast was cooking before he took a moment to look over at Jack and around at his family. Watching Jack smile and joke with Frannie and Bobby while he cooked them their eggs made his heart swell. He smiled at them and felt Junior nudge his arm. He looked over to find her holding the coffee pot.

"Want a refill, daddy?"

"Yes, thank you," he said. She filled his cup and Jack's and one for herself. "Since when do you drink coffee?" he asked her.

"Is it okay?" she asked hesitantly.

He hated that hesitancy in his strong girl and smiled big at her to try to banish it. "Yes, but only one cup."

"Thanks, daddy," she said. He watched her add a spoonful of sugar and a healthy dose of cream to her cup.

"Is there more of that?" Franki asked, appearing at Juniors side, yawning wide.

"Yes, here you go," Junior said, emptying the last of the coffee into a mug for Franki. "I'll make another pot."

"Thanks, sweetie," Franki said. "You guys need help?" she asked Ennis.

"I think we got it covered," he replied, loading a plate with the finished french toast and handing it Franki. "You can take this to the table and you guys can start eating."

"What about you and Jack?" Frannie asked.

"We'll eat in a minute. You guys go ahead," Jack urged. He scooped the bacon on a paper towel covered plate and brought it to the table. Moments later, he was back to slide eggs onto Bobby and Frannie's plates. He asked Franki and Junior how many eggs they wanted and went back to the stove.

Ennis lost himself in his thoughts for a few minutes and was startled when Jack bumped his hip. "How many eggs d'you want?" Jack asked.

Ennis looked at him blankly, still lost in his thoughts.

Jack leaned over and kissed him. "Stop thinkin' so hard. Let's get through breakfast and take care of the kids and we'll deal with … stuff … as it comes. Two eggs?" Ennis nodded. "All right, then," Jack agreed, nodding.

By the time he and Jack sat at the table, the family was subdued, as if they knew something was going on. Ennis waited until they'd all finished before broaching the subject. "Girls, your mama came to Minnesota. She wants to see you."

"Janie's gonna bring her over in about an hour," Jack added.

"It's just her. She came alone," Ennis said. He was glad to see the fear in the girls' eyes ease somewhat.

"What does she want, daddy?" Junior asked, pushing the food left on her plate around with her fork.

"She wants to see you and Frannie," Ennis said gently. "She's your mom, darlin."

"I know, but …"

"I don't know exactly what's gonna happen, but right now, she just wants t'see you. I expect she wants to make sure I'm takin' care of you girls. Make sure you're okay."

Frannie pushed her chair back and ran around the table to throw herself into Ennis's arms. "I don't wanna go back there, daddy!" she wailed, her tears falling fast. Ennis clutched her tight and rubbed her back.

"I know, I know. It'll be okay. It's gonna be fine." He continued his soft words until her sobs turned to sniffles. "Come on now," he said, pushing her back and wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Go wash your face and brush your teeth and your hair and get dressed. It'll be okay," he promised, even knowing he shouldn't be making promises he wasn't sure he could keep.

Junior, who had been silent during Frannie's outburst, rose and held her hand out to her sister. "Come on, Frannie. We'd better clean up our room, too. We want mama to see how nice it is, don't we?" She smiled brightly, but Ennis could see the false bravado and it near broke his heart. Frannie took her hand and nodded and followed her sister.

"That's a good idea," Jack said, turning to Bobby. "Go let Honey in, then go make sure your room is cleaned up, too. And get dressed. And don't forget to brush your teeth."

"All right," Bobby agreed quietly, leaving the table.

"I'll start cleaning up here," Franki said. "You guys go get yourselves ready."

"Thanks," Ennis said, giving her a grateful smile. He rose and followed Jack up to their bedroom, suddenly needing a few minutes alone with Jack, who he knew would be able to soothe the fears that were threatening to overwhelm him, at least a little bit.

Beau unlocked the door and pushed it open. "I thought Janie was going to be here. She said she didn't have any plans today."

"Maybe she had an emergency for work?" Tyler asked, following him through the door.

"Maybe," Beau agreed. "Come on," he said, turning back to Tyler. "Let's get you warmed up and settled in bed."

"I'm fine," Tyler started to protest, but stopped when he realized that just the effort of getting signed out of the hospital and the drive home had exhausted what little reserves of strength he'd had.

"Come on, baby, I can see that you're worn out," Beau told him. He pulled Tyler's stocking cap off and tossed it with his own and their gloves into the box by the door, then tugged at Tyler's zipper.

"I can undress myself," Tyler told him, laughing and brushing his hands away.

"Fine," Beau agreed, working on his own coat. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No, just wore out, like you said."

"Come on, then, let's get you into bed."

"I wish I was up to more than just sleeping," Tyler said, shaking his head.

Beau took his hand and led him to their bedroom. "Sleep now, maybe you'll be up for more later."

Tyler followed him and allowed Beau to undress him. When he was down to his boxers, he reached for Beau's shirt. "Will you lie down with me?" he asked, undoing the buttons. "I miss you. I miss sleeping with you," he whispered.

Beau stopped his hands and kissed him. "Get in bed," he ordered. Tyler sighed, but did as Beau told him and had barely put his head on the pillow before Beau joined him, already stripped down to his underwear. He settled down and pulled Tyler gently into his arms.

Tyler smiled and started to relax. He tucked his head under Beau's chin. Beau wrapped his hand around Tyler's where it rested on his chest.

"I missed you, too. I don't sleep well anymore unless you're here with me," Beau said. "Am I hurting you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm so much better now," Tyler said, sighing deeply. He felt Beau's fingers slide through his hair and he gave in to the bone-deep weariness that all the rest in the hospital hadn't been able to cure and slid easily into sleep.

An hour later, everyone was dressed, the house was clean, and their nerves were stretched thin as they waited. Bobby and Honey had taken up vigil in the entryway and announced loudly when Janie's car appeared on the long driveway. Ennis and Jack hung back in the kitchen. Ennis felt like he was going to be sick.

Junior and Frannie joined Bobby in the entryway, watching out the window as Janie led Alma to the door. Junior pulled it open before Janie could knock.

"Hi kids," Janie said brightly, smiling at them as she stepped aside and allowed Alma to enter behind her. Ennis had forgotten that she was pregnant. He wondered suddenly if she'd put herself at risk traveling so far when she was obviously ready to have this baby any day now.

"Hi girls," Alma said softly, eyes only for her daughters. Junior and Frannie hesitated a moment, then threw their arms around their mother. Ennis watched from the doorway between the entryway and the kitchen, a lump in his throat. He could hear the girls crying and then realized Alma was crying, too.

"Bob," Jack said softly, gesturing for Bobby to come out of the entryway and leave the girls and their mom alone. "Take Honey and go in the living room," he told him.

Janie took off her coat and boots and left them on one of the benches in the entryway. She bent to ruffle Hone's fur and got a happy yip in return. She greeted Jack with a quick hug and hugged Ennis next. "How're you doing?" she asked softly.

Ennis shrugged and tightened his grip on her for a second before releasing her.

"Come on," Janie said, leading Ennis and Jack into the kitchen. "I need some coffee and I know you guys have some. You always have a pot on. Hi Franki," she said, spotting Franki in the kitchen. Franki returned her greeting, already reaching for the cupboard that held the coffee mugs.

Ennis tried to focus on Janie and Jack talking, but he was too distracted by his ex-wife and daughters. He was aware they'd gotten their tears under control and heard them talking softly as the girls helped Alma out of her coat and other winter gear. It seemed an eternity later when Junior and Frannie lead Alma into the kitchen.

Ennis took a deep breath. "Hello, Alma," he said. "You remember Jack? This is his son Bobby. And my sister Franki, of course."

"Hello," Alma replied quietly, meeting Ennis's eyes before nodding at Jack and Bobby. "Hi Franki," she added.

"Would you like something to drink?" Franki asked. "Coffee? I just made a pot."

"Sure, yes," Alma agreed.

Honey was weaving herself around Junior and Frannie and Alma. "Who's this?" Alma asked, looking down, too big to bend over and give Honey the petting she obviously wanted.

"Honey. She's just a puppy, so she jumps sometimes," Frannie said, burying her hands in Honey's soft fur.

"Mama, come see our bedroom," Junior urged, taking Alma's hand and leading her through the living room to the door to their bedroom.

"Okay," Alma replied. Frannie picked up Honey and followed them. They disappeared into the room and Ennis took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair.

"Jesus Christ, this is nerve-wracking," Jack said, echoing Ennis's thoughts.

"I know," Janie agreed, "but be patient, okay? We talked on the way over and I think it went well."

Ennis wanted to ask what she meant, but couldn't bring himself to voice his question. Janie was quiet while she fixed her coffee and took a seat at the dining room table with Franki.

It was a few long minutes before Alma and the girls were back in the living room. The girls had apparently decided to give Alma a tour of the whole house and headed up to the second floor. Ennis wasn't really paying attention to them until he heard Frannie say, "This is daddy and Jack's bedroom. They're lucky 'cause they have their own bathroom and don't have to share."

"Shit," he cursed.

"Relax, Ennis," Janie said. "It's not as if she doesn't know."

"Yeah, but knowing and seeing proof sometimes ain't the same," Jack told her. Jack settled his hand at the small of Ennis's back and left it there. "Maybe seeing it's a normal, boring room will be a good thing, though," he said hopefully.

"Maybe," Ennis said, but he didn't sound optimistic.

When they came down the stairs a few minutes later, Junior was telling Alma about the rest of the farm and how successful it was. Alma looked skeptical, but she stopped to look out the window and Ennis could tell she must have started to believe, just based on the number of outbuildings and the shape they were in—nothing was run-down or shabby looking.

"Should we have a seat at the table?" Janie asked, filling the silence that had fallen over them.

Jack took a seat next to Ennis and Alma ended up across from him. Janie sat between Junior and Frannie. Bobby came over to stand between Ennis and Jack, his big blue eyes, filled with uncertainty and fear. "Bobby," Ennis started, smiling slightly when Bobby put his arm around Ennis's shoulder, "why don't you take Honey outside and see if you can find Ben and see if he needs some help, okay?"

"Okay, dad," Bobby said, curling his arm around Ennis in a half hug, looking relieved to be able to escape the tension in the room.

Bobby gave Jack the same embrace and Jack reminded him to wear his hat and warm mittens. The fact that Bobby didn't argue or roll his eyes confirmed to Ennis how uncomfortable he was.

Ennis turned back to the table and met Alma's eyes. "He calls you 'dad'?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ennis didn't reply to the snideness in her tone.

"What does he call you?" Alma asked Jack.

"I'm his daddy and that's what he calls me," Jack replied.

"What do the girls call you?" Alma asked him.

Jack cut his eyes to Ennis and hesitated.

"We call him 'dad'," Frannie answered for him.

"But you wouldn't call Monroe…" she started, then blanched as she must have realized why.

"Mom," Junior said quietly, pleading, her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry," Alma whispered back.

The silence that fell was painful. Janie took a breath. "Alma and I have talked on the phone this week and we had a chance to talk some more on the way here. She has assured me she didn't know what was going on."

"I told the girls that," Alma spoke up. "I would never, ever have allowed that to go on if I'd known," she said vehemently. She hesitated and her eyes filled with tears. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse, quiet, broken, "I don't know what t'do. I'm having Monroe's baby. Any day now. I can't get another divorce. My parents… And I can't raise a baby on my own." She covered her face and sobbed quietly.

"Maybe the girls ought to leave us alone—" Janie started.

"No!" Alma protested. "I have to say this to them." She turned toward Junior and Frannie and held out her arms. They were crying when they went to her. "I love you girls so much and I'm so sorry what happened. I should've protected you."

"You didn't know, mama!" Junior cried. "It ain't your fault!"

"I ain't never gonna feel like it wasn't partly my fault," Alma said, composing herself a bit. "I've been talking ta Janie and she's told me how happy ya'll are here. And that your daddy takes real good care of you. She told me—" she stopped and choked down a sob. "She told me that if I let you girls live here, she'd keep an eye on you and I'd get to see you, as long as Monroe ain't around."

"We can stay here?" Frannie asked, breathless.

"Yes," Alma replied. She took a deep breath. "Yes."

Junior and Frannie threw their arms around Alma. While they hugged and cried, Ennis reached under the table for Jack's hand. Their eyes met. They didn't smile, but he imagined his eyes were sparkling as bright as Jack's were.

A long while later, Alma composed herself. "I need to speak to your daddy," she told the girls. "I need to speak to him alone. Go outside for a while, okay?"

"Don't leave without saying good-bye," Frannie told her, her arms around Alma's neck.

"I would never do that," Alma told her, patting her cheek.

The adults were silent while the girls put on their outer gear and left.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of the girls," Janie said, "but law enforcement in Riverton told me they didn't have enough to charge Monroe. They said they talked to him and put the fear of god in him, but that's all. Social services out there told Alma, and me, that in spite of that, they would take the girls from the house if Alma didn't take the girls and leave him."

"I can't," Alma said. "But I won't let the girls go in foster care. Not when they got a daddy who loves them, even if I can't barely stand the thought of you… and him."

Ennis started to stand, but Jack put his hand out and stopped him. "Alma, I know you don't approve of our relationship, but I want you to know I love your daughters. I got a child, too. I know what's it's like ta have that love—that love that's bigger than yourself. I was selfish, too, and put myself ahead of my son and my responsibilities for a time, just like I know Ennis did. Just like I know you did. But now that Ennis and I are together and we're happy, I know what I was missing with my child and I would never give that up. I have, and will continue to protect my child and I'll protect and take care of your children like they was my own. I love Junior and Frannie. I want you ta know that."

Alma was silent, looking at her hands where they were clasped on her pregnant belly. When she finally looked up, there was the hint of a smile on her lips. "Well, he's certainly a pretty talker, ain't he?" she said to Ennis.

"Alma," Ennis started, his jaw clenched tight.

Alma waved her hand at him. "Oh, stop it Ennis." She took a breath and looked old, suddenly. Old and tired. Her lower lip quivered, but she started talking. "I don't know if what I'm doing is the right thing." She put her hand over her belly and smoothed down her shirt. "Maybe when this baby is born I'll be able think more clearly. Right now, though, I'm just heartbroken and confused and my heart aches for my girls so much." She took a deep breath. "And it may be selfish, but it aches for me, too. I love Monroe and I know he loves me, in spite of what he did. And this baby needs a daddy, too…" she trailed off and bit her bottom lip.

"Alma, I'll take care of Junior and Frannie the best I can and you can talk to them whenever you want. Call collect, if you need to. And you can visit them here whenever you want. We'll bring them out to Wyoming, too, but you gotta know they can't be left alone with Monroe. I don't even know if the girls will want to see him. Might be too traumatic."

"Well, we'll figure that out when the time comes," Alma said, suddenly matter-of-fact. "I'd like ta visit with the girls a little more and then I gotta head back. My doctor told me I couldn't travel, far along as I am, but I couldn't stand it no more. I had ta see Junior and Frannie and make sure they're okay. Make sure they was gonna be taken care of." She looked up and met Ennis's eyes. "You got a nice home, Ennis, and the girls clearly love it here. I can't believe I'm sayin this, but I think they'll have a good life here."

Ennis cleared his throat, overcome suddenly. "They will, Alma. I promise you that."

Franki stood up and headed to the entryway, wiping her eyes. "I'll go find the girls and bring them in so you can have some time with them."

"Thank you," Ennis murmured.

"I think I'll start a pot of chili for supper tonight," Jack said, going to the kitchen. "We'll have something easy, like sandwiches, for lunch."

Ennis took a deep breath. Things were starting to seem like normal. He was afraid to believe that they really could be okay.

Beau put the hotdish he'd made in the oven and set the timer and was cleaning up when he heard Tyler call out for him.

"I'm here," he said, going to the bedroom. He sat on the bed next to Tyler, who looked up at him with dark, sleepy eyes. "How do you feel?"

Tyler stretched a little and reached out for Beau's hand. "I feel better. Feels good to be home and in my own bed, without the nurses interrupting me every five minutes." Tyler smiled. "They were nice, but it seemed like I'd just get to sleep and there they'd be, checking my blood pressure or IV or fixing my pillow or straightening my blankets."

Beau ran his fingers through Tyler's tangled hair, loving the silky feeling of it. "I'm glad you're here," he said, his heart suddenly full. He traced the line of Tyler's jaw, ran his thumb across his bottom lip, and rested his hand on the side of his neck.

"Me too," Tyler whispered back. They were silent for a minute until Tyler moved to shift the blankets off him. "I have to use the bathroom."

Beau helped him up and was happy to see he was already moving better. "Are you hungry? I put in a hotdish for dinner, but I can make you something easy right now," he said.

"No, I'm not hungry, but I am thirsty."

"I'll go get you some water. Unless you want something else?"

"No, water is fine," Tyler replied, closing the bathroom door.

Beau met him back in the bedroom and smiled to see Tyler had combed his hair and, based on the smell of mint, brushed his teeth. He handed him the water and watched him drink the whole glass.

"Did you find out where Janie went?" Tyler asked, setting the glass on the nightstand.

"Yeah, she'd left a note. She had to run out to the farm and said she'd explain later."

"Speaking of the farm, when are you going back to work?" Tyler asked.

"Monday. Ennis told me to take as long as I want, but if you're feeling good enough to be alone, I'll go back then."

"I'll be fine," Tyler assured him.

"You should get back in bed," Beau said.

"I'm tired of sleeping," Tyler complained.

Beau smiled wickedly. "Who said anything about sleeping?" He laughed out loud at the look on Tyler's face. "I know you're not up for much, but how about some kissing and cuddling? I've missed you," he said softly, putting his arms around Tyler's waist and bringing their bodies together.

Tyler sighed softly and closed his eyes before leaning in to kiss Beau. "I've missed you, too."

Beau kissed him back, deep, long, with a touch of desperation and was breathing hard when he broke away. "Okay, in bed," he said, pulling back the blankets and crawling under them after Tyler. He rolled Tyler under him and looked down in to the dark eyes, soaking in the beautiful face a moment before kissing him again.

Tyler's hands were on his back, caressing gently and then moving with purpose as he reached for bare skin. He pushed Beau's t-shirt up his back, bunching it up before finally breaking the kiss for a second to say, "Take this off. Wanna feel your skin."

Beau sat up, straddling Tyler's hips, and pulled the shirt off and threw it toward the end of the bed. The gasp he released when he leaned back down and his skin met Tyler's could not be helped. He struggled to rein in the voraciousness that was pushing him to ravish Tyler, but it was hard when Tyler was so responsive—undulating beneath him and making those noises that promised that sex was imminent. The flinch and a new sound, the one of pain, made it easy to stop. He sat up and slid off Tyler.

"Baby, I'm sorry," Beau whispered, "where did I hurt you? I'm so sorry." His hands moved over Tyler, looking for the hurt. The bandages were all gone, but the scars, one on his chest, the other on his arm, were still raw and ugly.

"I'm okay," Tyler said, wincing with the pain. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart," Beau assured him, kissing him softly.

"I hate this," Tyler said, covering his eyes with one hand.

"I know. I do, too," Beau said. "I hate seeing you hurting. And I don't just mean physically. I know you're still reeling from losing your dad. And then your brother hurting you. I can't even imagine what you must be feeling."

Tyler rolled into Beau and buried his face in Beau's neck, breathing in the familiar scent of the man he loved. "I feel pretty numb, actually," he said. "I think it'll hit hard one day, but…" he trailed off and was silent for a moment before continuing. "I feel okay about my dad. I know it was his time to go and I'm so thankful that I got the chance to reconcile with him before he died. That he knew I loved him and to know that he loved and accepted me. And you," he said, smiling at Beau and giving him a kiss before burying his face in Beau's neck again. "And as far as Steve is concerned—our relationship ended a long, long time ago. I left myself open to him for a long time, but he's selfish and always has been. To him, his needs come first and to hell with everyone else. I'm not going to waste any more time or energy on a relationship that isn't there."

Beau pulled him closer, half on top of himself, and wrapped him up in his arms. "You have so many other people who love you, Tyler. So many people who consider you family, even if they aren't related by blood. They're your family. And you have me and I love you so much." He kissed the top of Tyler's head. "You're stuck with me, sweetheart."

Tyler smiled and looked up at Beau and leaned forward to meet Beau's lips in a long, gentle kiss. "That sounds perfect to me," he said, settling down on Beau's chest again.