Chapter 62
Eddie shrugged in a bored manner. “Super Tetris.”
“You like that game?”
“Not really. But Dad won’t let us play anything really cool.”
“Father knows best—sometimes,” Joe said pointedly, looking at Tyler.
Tyler shook his head and let out a long breath. “What did Ward tell you?”
“Ward didn’t tell me nothing. He didn’t have to. I could see the writing on the wall.”
Tyler thought that by now he should be getting used to the reality that almost everyone had figured out the relationship between him and Ward. But it still came as a bit of a shock and left him mildly disconcerted.
“Did Ward write something on the wall?” Jack asked.
“No, Jack, you dufus,” Eddie said without taking his eyes off the video game. “It means that you don’t have to be a genius to figure out what’s going on, and it’s usually bad.”
“Is something bad going to happen to Ward?” Jack asked, anxiety apparent in his voice.
“No, nothing bad’s going to happen to Ward,” Tyler said.
Joe raised his eyebrows and shook his head, which Tyler took for meaning, “Don’t be too sure.”
Tyler motioned Joe out onto the porch while telling the boys to stay put.
Once outside, Tyler shivered in the cool fall air. He looked at Joe and asked, “What’s this all about?”
“I walked in on Ward last Friday night when everyone had left after coming out to see the puppies. At first I felt it was none of my business, that you two had to work it out yourselves. But when I saw that you weren’t doing that, and Ward was getting more and more down, I figured you oughta know.”
“Know what?”
“That Ward’s thinking about reenlisting in the army. He got the forms off the Internet.”
Joe’s words hit Tyler like a wave against ta breakwater. In that instant he saw himself and Ward here on this very porch a decade before. He heard Ward say, “Goodbye, Tyler,” and saw Ward walk out of his life. Once more he felt the emptiness that Ward’s leaving had created. He remembered the fear that had gripped him when he’d heard Ward had enlisted in the army. That fear returned every time he got word through the grapevine of where Ward was serving. Tyler remembered, too, the relief he’d feel when he’d hear that Ward was okay.
When Tyler considered his current course of action, he’d never imagined Ward would do something like this. He figured that after a time, he and Ward would adjust and…and…what? Pretend they were buds and nothing more? Pop a couple beers, go watch a local soft ball game together once in a while, and give each other a blow job on the way home?
Tyler stood there with Joe, shivering, not so much from the cold, but from the emotions that were welling up within him. He realized in that instant they were all right—his parents, Avery, Joe, the boys, all of them. He was being a fool. Yes, the boys’ safety mattered, but what mattered more was the future he and Ward could build for them. What mattered more than Tyler’s fear of what people thought of their relationship, was the love that their relationship was built on.
“Thanks, Joe,” Tyler said, giving the man a hug.
“You ain’t recruiting for your team are you?”
Tyler laughed. “No, Joe. My team roster’s full.”
“Uh, don’t tell Ward I come to see you. He’d be pissed off if he knew.”
“Won’t say a word,” Tyler promised.
Tyler watched as Joe walked off the porch to his truck. He felt lighter than he could ever remember, even all the way back to high school.
After he waved goodbye to Joe, Tyler went back into the house. “Boys. Time for bed.”
Eddie looked at him. “But it’s early and it’s Friday.”
“Yep, I know, but we just might have us a busy day tomorrow.”Chapter 25
The strident buzzing of his alarm woke Ward. He rolled over and switched it off. He stretched, yawned, and then sat up on the edge of his bed. It was still dark. The days were getting shorter. He didn’t mind so much getting up and milking during the summer when it was light in the mornings, but once it was dark in fall, it was a lot harder. However, the cows didn’t seem to care. Milking time was the same every day whether it was light or dark, hot or cold, rainy, snowy, or bone dry.
Sleepily Ward got up and wandered down the hall to the bathroom. The door was closed. He knocked.
“Joe! You gonna be long? I gotta piss.”
“Just hold it, damn it, I’m busy!”
“If I piss in the hall cuz you’re whacking off again—”
“Use Dad and Mom’s.”
“Joe, come on. I really gotta go. I don’t wanna get dressed and go downstairs.”
The door opened. “I’ll finish this in my bedroom,” Joe said as he shuffled out, underwear around his ankles, hard cock in one hand and Playboy magazine in the other.