All About Brian

Chapter 1

“Mom, can I...” JR began as she walked into Mel’s office.

“Shit, the big toad! I hate him. Asshole! Asshole! Asshole!” Mel grumbled as she furiously scribbled onto a legal pad.

“Mom?” JR said, this time with concern in her voice.

“Oh hi, sweetie.” Mel looked up and smiled at her daughter in spite of her recent outburst. “What can I do for you?” Mel asked calmly.

“Um, Bree just called. She wants to know if I can sleep over at their cottage tonight.”

“Sure, honey. Do you want me to drive you or is someone picking you up?”

“Uncle Jus said he’d be over in about an hour. He said something about putting the finishing touches on a painting.”

“Okay, honey. Go pack for a couple of days just in case.”

“I will,” JR replied cheerfully. Before she could leave the room, Melanie held up open arms, and JR quickly moved into them. Mel gave her daughter a fierce hug.

JR backed out of the room shaking her head as her mother returned to her legal pad with a, “Fucking bastard!”

It was February 2019, life for the families of Edna’s Treasures had returned to normal. Justin’s London debut was more than successful. His reviews were glowing and he had a 'to do' list of special commissions a mile long. After recovering from jet lag, Justin jumped right into artist mode.

Brian too, was busy, in full adman mode with the next phase of the Lethal Motorcycle account and managing from afar the new Kinnetik Isles branch. Several ad execs and a few artists with ties to the ‘old sod’ were planning overseas visits to the new sister company. Brian was relishing in his expanding kingdom.

The children all returned to their schools. Bree and Patrick presented reports on their adventures, complete with pictures and videos. Gus returned to Penn. He missed Ray but they both had responsibilities. They also were planning to get together for the Spring break.

John was deep into his research. It was the slow time for Anderson construction. Gordon and their foreman were handling any new business, giving John the freedom to work on his doctoral thesis. Bobby proudly supported his spouse by taking over most of the household chores … with one condition. He demanded that John take at least one day off per week from his research to spend time recharging with the family and with Bobby. John readily agreed and let the Kinney side of him come out to play with Bobby.

The girls had returned from England closer, and were currently enjoying the Presidents’ week holiday up at their cottage with JR. Melanie slipped off her glasses as she looked out her office door to the sun porch. Lindsay was in her own artistic mode. Mel smiled contentedly as Lindsay was humming softly to herself while she painted. A bowl of colorful fruit sat on a small table near the sun porch wall. Melanie wasn’t quite sure if it was the subject of Lindsay’s canvas or an afternoon snack, but Mel couldn’t have cared less. All she cared about was that Lindsay was happy and painting again. Mel and JR had also grown close during their month alone together. Melanie not only discovered she had a remarkable daughter, she also gained a friend.

Melanie was currently working on her first assignment for her creative writing class. The premise of the assignment was to write about the one person whom you disliked the most in your life and yet who had the greatest impact on it. Her only logical choice was Brian Kinney.

“Arrogant son of a bitch,” Mel cursed again as she ripped the paper off her pad, crumbled it into a ball and threw it into the garbage. She sighed then began again on a fresh sheet of paper, as she lovingly caressed her grandfather's old desk.

*****

Bree climbed up into Brian’s lap. “Dada?” she said.

“Yes, Squirt,” Brian replied looking at her past the papers he had been trying to read, while he was ensconced on the chaise.

“Do you love me?”

“What kind of question is that?” Brian demanded. “Of course I love you. I tell you that all the time.”

“I know, but…”

“But what?”

“Am I spoiled?” Bree asked staring into Brian’s eyes.

“Um … maybe a little bit,” Brian conceded. “Why do you ask?”

“Winona says I’m spoiled.”

“Winona ought to know. She’s one of the most spoiled brats I’ve ever seen.”

Bree giggled. “I think so too, but … she called me spoiled.”

“I thought you two got along better these days?”

“Most of the time, but she isn’t very nice if she doesn’t get what she wants.”

Brian nodded. “And what does she want?”

“She told me I should invite her for a sleepover,” Bree said carefully.

“But you didn’t want to.”

“Nope,” Bree said making her ponytail swish from side to side as she shook her head.

“How come?”

“I like Ashley better or…”

“So you invited JR instead of Winona?”

“Yes.”

“It’s fine that you invited JR,” Brian told his daughter, wrapping his arm around her tiny waist and pulling her closer.

Bree laid her head on Brian’s shoulder. “Does that make me spoiled, Dada?”

“Do you think it does?”

“Winona said I always get what I want and that makes me spoiled.”

“And you didn’t want Winona, and you have JR instead, so you think you got your way and that makes you spoiled?” Brian felt Bree move her cheek up and down against his neck, as she nodded in agreement. “It makes you someone who knows what they want, Squirt. Someone who isn’t afraid to take what they want in life. I think that’s a good trait to have, not a bad one. You shouldn’t be coerced into doing something you don’t want to do.”

“What’s coerced?”

“That’s what Winona tried to do to you. She was trying to force you to invite her over here. That’s coercion.”

“Oh.”

“I’d much rather have my beautiful little girl who might be a touch spoiled than someone like Winona who tries to get her own way through any means that she can. You get your way because we want to give it to you.”

“’Kay, Dada,” Bree said with a sniff. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Squirt.”

They sat silently for a few minutes while Bree digested what her father had told her. Brian hoped he had said the right thing. He wanted to hold onto Bree like this forever. She wasn’t really spoiled, and if she was, it was nobody’s fucking business but theirs.

“Dada, were you spoiled when you were little like me?” Bree asked raising her head to look at her father.

“No, Squirt, can’t say that I was.” He refused to get into the reasons why he wasn’t spoiled. Suffice it to say, he never had the opportunity. “But when I was older, I was pretty spoiled. I spoiled myself,” Brian said thoughtfully.

“Huh? How do you do that?” Bree asked wrinkling her nose, as she tried to figure out what her Dada meant.

“I overindulged myself.” Bree looked quizzically at her father. Brian realized he had to find a better, simpler way to explain. “You know when we have some of Auntie Emm’s popovers?” he asked. Bree nodded. “I’d love to eat fifteen of them.”

Bree giggled. “Nobody could eat fifteen, Dada.”

“There was a time when I would try,” Brian replied.

“But … wouldn’t you get sick?”

“Yes, or hung over or otherwise incapacitated.”

Bree didn’t know what half of those words meant, but she loved that her father talked to her in grown-up words. “Then why would you do it?” she asked.

“Because it felt good at the time.” Someday he might be able to explain to Bree about pain management in all its many forms, but then again, maybe not.

“But then it wouldn’t feel good after, right?” Bree asked.

“That’s right, but if it felt good at the time, I would do it.”

“Don’t you do that anymore?”

“I try not to.”

“That’s good, Dada. I don’t want you to get sick or in-ca-pass-i-tated,” Bree said and then smiled one of those Taylor smiles that grabbed at Brian’s heart. Bree was proud that she had said the word perfectly.

“Me either, Squirt. I’d miss sitting here with you like this.”

“That wouldn’t be good, Dada,” Bree said patting his cheek and shaking her head.

“Bree, Uncle Brian,” JR shouted as she entered Edna’s Treasures.

“Yay!” Bree called as she scooted off her father’s knee and ran towards the front door.

Brian watched her go, thinking how lucky he was to have moments like that with his daughter. He picked up his papers to continue reading where he had left off. He could hear squeals of delight as the girls greeted each other. That made him smile.

*****

“Bree, Ashley’s here,” Justin called out as he opened the front door. Ashley and her mother were standing just outside. Justin ushered them in as he heard, “Yay!” from Bree and JR. Even though JR was a generation older, she seemed to enjoy her time with Bree and Ashley. Bree and Ashley squealed with delight as they saw each other, then grabbing Ashley’s hand, Bree led her friend to her bedroom where JR was waiting.

“You know they’ve only just seen each other two days ago,” Mrs. St. John, Ashley’s mother, murmured.

“I know,” Justin agreed with a bright smile. “Mrs. St. John, would you like some coffee, there’s a fresh pot. Or tea, if you prefer,” Justin offered. It wasn’t often that Ashley’s mother would come to Edna’s Treasures. He or Brian would usually pick up Ashley. With just a slight moment of hesitation, Mrs. St. John accepted his offer.

“Please call me Susanna. Mrs. St. John sounds so stuffy,” Ashley’s mom said as Justin poured a mug full of coffee. Justin smiled as he passed her the milk and sugar.

“After our coffee, would you like a tour of the cottage? You’ve never really spent much time here,” Justin stated.

“I know,” Susanna said with a slight blush to her cheeks. “I’m sorry about that. I’m really not prejudiced but my husband, he...well, let’s just say that’s why we’re no longer together,” Susanna confided.

“I’m sorry,” Justin said as he passed Susanna a plate of cookies.

“Don’t be,” she mumbled around an oatmeal cookie. “Best thing that could have happened to me and Ashley. Our home is a lot more peaceful. Don’t get me wrong, Donald is a good father, he just hasn’t gotten with the program. Ashley is a loving, sweet child. She readily makes friends and I don’t want that part of her to change. I’m afraid that with her father’s constant influence, she’d turn out just like him. These cookies are delicious!”

“Thank you. Bree and I baked them yesterday. They’re her father’s favorite. And I understand how you feel. My own father isn’t very open to alternative lifestyles. It’s been hard on me and Brian. Brian feels guilty that he’s the cause of our estrangement. But it’s hardest on Bree. She doesn’t understand why her grandfather doesn’t like her Dada. It’s gotten better over the years but it’s still not easy.”

“I know what you mean. Ashley and I have had some long discussions about what being prejudiced means. For someone so young, she seems to understand a great deal.”

“That’s probably because she has at least one kind and tolerant parent. More coffee?” Susanna smiled as she nodded then she looked around the room and into the living room. “Is that the famous Kinney portrait?” Susanna asked, indicating the large portrait over the fireplace.

“Yes, it is.”

“It’s amazing how much Kinney and Mr. Kinney look alike. You resemble Patrick as well.”

“It’s one of those mysterious gene things, I guess.”

“Hmm. Legend has it that Kinney did a lot for the land and its people during his time in Bridgeton.”

“You know about Kinney?”

“Some. I was a history teacher before I married and had Ashley. My curiosity peaked when the paintings were found and auctioned for the Farm. I did a little research on Kinney and tried to trace the family.”

“I’d love to see what you dug up. We did some research as well. Before the kids came along, we followed the path of Kinney and Patrick as they journeyed through South America.”

“I’d love to see your research too.”

“Then why don’t you come for dinner tomorrow night and we can compare notes. I bet Ashley and Bree would love it. I know I would.”

“If you don’t think it would be too much trouble?”

“Not at all. We’re used to cooking large around here.” Susanna and Justin laughed.

“I remember Bree’s party. You must have had hundreds of people in and out of here.”

“Seems like it.” Susanna and Justin were quiet for a moment just savoring the quiet and the good coffee.

“I know what Mr. Kinney did,” Susanna admitted all of a sudden.

“What do you mean?” Justin asked as he looked up innocently over his coffee mug.

“I know he paid for that camp scholarship for Ashley.”

“Please don’t be angry...” Justin began, quick to defend Brian’s actions. “I had a part in it too. And the scholarship was for a lot of kids.”

“I realized that after a while. And yes, I was angry for a moment too. How dare he presume that I couldn’t provide for my own child! I almost refused.”

“How did you find out? It was supposed to be a secret.”

“By accident. I still have ties to the school and the camp uses some of the teaching assistants as counselors when possible. Some of the counselors were talking about the new benefactor and about the large donation to the camp, all the renovations that were planned. And of course I know the Harmons. Sheldon is a bit loose lipped when plied with cake. I put two and two together and came up with...”

“Brian.”

“Yes. He does have a habit of riding in on a white horse to save the day, doesn’t he? His charitable work is almost legendary.”

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me,” Justin exclaimed and blushed. “He’ll have a cow if he finds out that people know what he’s done. I don’t even know all of it. I don’t think anyone really knows except Brian’s accountant and lawyer and they won’t talk. Not if they want to live, that is,” Justin giggled.

“He’s a good man, your Brian. And I won’t say a word. I told you I’m good with history and researching history to get to the real facts. A lot has been written about Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor. That can’t be helped. You’ve both given back to your community, tenfold. It’s something to be proud of. And that’s why I decided to accept the scholarship because it was a gift for Ashley and the children who might not otherwise have had a wonderful summer because of it. And because it was given with the best of intentions. Gifts like those should not be wasted.”

Justin could feel his eyes well up with tears. No one had ever said such kind things about Brian and to have the compliment come from an almost stranger made it worth so much more.

“Another cookie?” Justin asked with the plate in his hand. Susanna smiled as she took one.

*****

“Alone at last,” Lindsay purred as she sauntered through Mel’s office door from the sun porch. The sun was going down making it difficult to continue painting. Lindsay had cleaned her brushes, stowing them away for the next day. Melanie looked up over her computer screen, smiling; Lindsay looked so content.

“You look happy,” Mel remarked.

“I am. I finished a painting,” Lindsay said proudly.

“You did? That’s wonderful, I’m so proud of you.”

“Why?” Lindsay laughed. “You don’t know how it turned out. It could be a stick figure for all you know,” Lindsay said as she leaned up against Mel’s desk.

“Maybe,” Mel said as she played with the top button on Lindsay’s jeans. “But you look so happy. If you’re happy then I’m happy,” Mel murmured as she slowly lowered the zipper then Lindsay’s jeans and underwear.

“What are your intentions?” Lindsay whispered as her mate gently caressed her thighs and butt.

“My intentions are to christen this desk in more ways then one,” Mel replied as she nipped at Lindsay’s dark blond pubes. “You have a problem with that?” Mel asked looking up at her lover.

“Not at all,” Lindsay said as she felt herself positioned on the desk just the way Mel wanted her. “Oh! Not at all,” Lindsay squeaked as Mel’s tongue licked her most sensitive parts.

*****

“Sunshine, I am not happy,” Brian groused from the balcony. He and Justin were in the attic office each working individually from their own respective desks. From the sun porch below, the noise of lots of giggling wafted up.

“Why is that, Brian?” Justin asked nonplussed from his side of the office.

“Because this house is overrun with girls,” Brian complained.

“I don’t think three girls constitutes us being overrun, Brian. We still outnumber them,” Justin assured his spouse, not looking up from his laptop. John and Bobby were preparing dinner. Patrick was on his side of the cottage, out of the girls’ way.

“Humph,” Brian snorted as he walked back to his desk. The latest sales figures from the Lethal Motorcycle campaign were up on a spreadsheet. In another month, Brian was hoping to double them as the Northeast phase of the campaign was launched.

“Brian, they’re having fun and behaving themselves. So quit your bitching,” Justin commanded.

“Yes, dear,” Brian mumbled from behind his computer screen, much to Justin’s satisfaction.

*****

“So am I being ridiculous?” John asked as he stirred a pot of gravy.

“No, I don’t think so,” Bobby replied as he tore up a head of lettuce for their salad.

“Are you disappointed?”

“No, why would I be?”

“Because I’m not dedicating my paper to you or Patrick.”

“But you are.”

“How do you figure that?”

“By dedicating it to your brother, you are dedicating it to all of us by association.”

“You’re losing me in lawyer-speak.”

“John, how did we meet?”

“I got drunk one night and stumbled into the Honey Bear?”

“Not that time, the next time. The real time.”

“Um, Brian nearly threw me at you.”

“Exactly, my point. If it wasn’t Brian’s leap of faith in finding the courage to meet you and Claire and then pushing you to take a chance on us, we wouldn’t be where we all are today. So I think it’s very appropriate that you dedicate your paper on cottages to your brother.”

“Somehow I understood all of that.”

“Good! Now understand this, I love you John Anderson and I am also hungry. So move your ass and get dinner on the table. We have a bunch of hungry children to feed,” Bobby demanded.

“Yes, dear,” John said contritely as he poured the gravy into a gravy boat then began to get their dinner on the table.

*****

“What’s the matter, son?” Dr. Raph asked his adoptive son, Curtis.

“I have a paper to write for my English class and I’m not sure how to go about it,” Curtis explained hesitantly.

“You’ve never had problems before in English. It’s one of your best subjects.”

“I know, I know! It’s just that, I...”

“Take your time. What’s the theme of your paper?” Raph asked trying to be helpful.

“It’s to write about a local hero. Someone who had a great impact on your life.”

“Well, that should be easy. Pittsburgh is home to many famous people including several actors, although most of them are before your time. And then of course there’s Andy Warhol. He was so famous he was nearly infamous.”

“Yeah, I know about him. We’ve studied him in art appreciation. But that’s not really the type of hero the teacher has in mind.”

“Okay, so explain it to me.”

“I don’t want you to get mad at me or disappointed.”

“Why would I get angry? And I have never been disappointed in you. You’ve made me and Hector so proud.”

“The paper is supposed to be on a modern day hero. Someone who’s been a personal hero, someone I look up to or want to be like. At first I thought of you and Hector or even Hunter, Miss Melanie, or Karen. If it weren’t for any one of you my life would be completely different. Who knows if I’d even be alive?”

“Curtis...”

“It’s true, Dad. You know kids on the street don’t last long.”

“Son, why would I be disappointed? It seems like you have many to choose from.”

“Even if I choose Mr. Brian?”

Raph’s eyes grew wide then he smiled as he gave his son a hug.

All About Brian

Chapter 2

“Hey babe, how’s the convention going?” Ben asked Michael.

“It would be a lot better if you were here with me,” Michael grumbled into his phone. He was in Chicago at a national comic book convention. As a comic book store owner and one of the creators of Rage, Michael had been asked to speak about the comic business and his own humble beginnings in the business.

“Michael, you know the Spring semester is only a few weeks along, I can’t get away at this time.”

“I know. I think I’m going to suggest they change the timing of these things. If it was during the intersession, you would have been able to come with me.”

“Maybe. Do you think they’ll change the date for next year?”

“I don’t know but I’m sure as hell going to try. Anyway, I just wanted to call before I went to dinner. I’m not sure when this thing is going to end.”

“Hey, you deserve the award. Don’t sound so disappointed.”

“It won’t be the same,” Michael whined. “You’re not here, Justin just got back from England so he didn’t want to go. Brian didn’t want to leave his family, and JR is spending time with her moms.”

“Yes, but you have Lacy and the twins.”

“Oh great. An underage lesbian and the babbling boys. I still have no clue what they’re saying when they talk to each other.”

“Michael, Lacy is far from underage. And the boys, well, they’re identical twins, they can’t help it. Think of it as modern day Brian-speak. You used to be able to translate him fairly well.”

“Not that well. The boys are all right, I guess. But Lacy’s still a lesbian.”

“I’ll give you that,” Ben chuckled. “Michael, I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you. I miss you. I wish you were here with me.”

“So do I, babe. Have someone take plenty of pictures and I’m with you in spirit.”

“I think they’re taping the whole award program. I’ll try to get us a copy. We can have a dinner party to show everyone.”

“Sounds good to me. Babe, I have some papers to grade.”

“Okay, it’s time for me to go. I think Lacy’s knocking at my door. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay, babe. I love you, Michael.”

“I love you too. Night, Ben.”

“Have a good night, Michael.”

*****

“Michael?”

“Hmm?” Michael snuggled down into his warm overcoat as he watched the streets go by on their way to the convention center. He decided to hire a car for them so they wouldn’t have to deal with cabs. The limo was warm inside but the frigid windy air of Chicago still chilled him. Michael missed his family.

“I just wanted to say thank you, again. I know it really should be Justin with you here, but I’m really happy that you took me,” Lacy said sincerely.

“Us too, Mr. Novotny!” Troi and Tre` chimed in. Michael gazed at the eager faces and couldn’t help but smile.

“All right, I get it. Zephyr and Sateeena will rule the day,” Michael said laughing and shaking his head. “You know, we should make the boys into superheroes too. If we can think of a good name for your characters, we can announce it at the award ceremony.” The boys beamed with delight at the thought that they might join the ranks of Rage, Zephyr and JT.

The limo pulled up to the convention center, Michael opened the door to step out. In the most gentleman-like fashion, he held out his arm for Lacy to take. She smiled as she took his arm. With the twins on their heels, the creators of Rage proudly walked into the center. Just inside the door as they were checking their coats, Lacy had a revelation.

“Let’s keep it simple, the Righteous Brothers?” Lacy suggested. The twins nodded in agreement.

“That would have been great except that name has been taken and a long time before any one of you were born,” Michael said knowingly. He had grown up listening to his mother’s albums of the singing duo. Only slightly put off, Lacy threw out another name.

“The Twins of Triumph?”

“Oooo!” Michael and the boys said at the same time and then laughed heartily knowing they just sounded so much like a certain tall queen who had a way with pastry.

“The Twins of Triumph it is. Let’s all go in and meet our public!” Michael declared as they entered the convention hall.

*****

“So how was your visit with Mrs. St. John?” Brian asked Justin as he wrapped his arms around his husband.

“Her name is Susanna,” Justin chuckled shaking his head at Brian. “Why didn’t you come in and talk to her?”

“Didn’t want to disturb you two.”

“You never disturb me,” Justin replied as he turned around in Brian’s arms. Brian raised an eyebrow. “Well, not unless we’re in bed and then you’re very … disturbing.”

“That’s better,” Brian said. “But what about in the shower?”

“Hm … disturbing.”

“At Babylon?”

“Okay, okay, you are very disturbing … everywhere!” Justin laughed.

“Good,” Brian said with satisfaction. “That’s the way I like it.”

“You might find Susanna’s piece of news a little disturbing,” Justin said rather hesitantly.

“What are you talking about?” Brian asked with a frown. “What piece of news?

“She knows.”

“Knows what?”

“About your subsidies to the camp, and to her daughter in particular.”

“How the fuck…? I’m going to fucking sue that fucking camp. They were specifically told…”

“Hold on, big guy,” Justin said grabbing Brian around the waist and holding on. “Nobody spilled the beans.”

“Then how?”

“Susanna was a teacher and some people she knows have ties to the camp. It just kind of slipped out and she put two and two together.”

“Fuck!”

“She’s a very bright woman.”

“Was she mad?” Brian asked wondering what her reaction had been.

“She said she was when she first found out. She wanted to tell you to stick your charitable offerings.” Brian snorted. “And then she realized she would be depriving not only Ashley but several other children of a wonderful summer experience.”

“As you said, smart woman,” Brian said with a nod.

Justin was about to reveal what else Susanna had found out about Brian, but then thought better of it. “She’s interested in Kinney, the artist, and has done some research on him,” Justin said instead. “We’re going to share what we’ve found.”

“I thought we knew everything that was possible to find out,” Brian said.

Justin shrugged. “You never know. With a different set of eyes, Susanna may have seen something we missed … or she might have found a source we didn’t uncover.”

“Hm,” Brian replied. “Good luck.”

Justin smiled. “I don’t need luck. Anything else we find is gravy.”

“You’re very optimistic.”

“I feel like I made a new friend in Susanna. We should have got together a lot sooner. If she’s anything like her daughter, she’s wonderful,” Justin said confidently.

“And you seem to think she’s a lot like her daughter.”

“I guess.”

“Well, Bree certainly thinks the world of Ashley.”

“I can’t say that about Susanna,” Justin replied. “At least not yet.”

Brian released Justin from their embrace and walked over to the coffeepot. As he poured a mug for himself and one for Justin, he remembered how close Justin and Daphne used to be. Justin had missed his best friend since their lives had grown apart. Their meeting with Daphne in New York had been less than satisfying. Daphne had changed a lot, and she had made a way of life for herself in New York, a way of life that didn’t have room for her old friend, certainly not in the way they had once been so close. The old Daphne, Justin’s best friend, didn’t exist anymore. If Justin could find a new friend in Susanna, then that would be a good thing. Brian handed the mug of coffee to his husband.

“So what’s on the agenda for tonight?” he asked.

*****

“Jason Kemp Center,” Hunter said into the phone as he picked it up. “Hunter Bruckner-Novotny speaking.”

“Hunter,” the man said familiarly, “just the person I need to speak to.”

“Oh?” Hunter replied. He wondered who he was talking to.

“I guess I should introduce myself,” the man said with a chuckle which held no humor.

“That would be helpful.”

“My name is Dennis Hawk. I’m a reporter with the Tribune. I’d like to talk to you about doing a story on the Center.”

“Really? Well, I’d certainly be interested. Any publicity we get usually helps in our fundraising.”

“Yes, it’s always good to raise the public’s consciousness.”

Hunter frowned as he listened to the man. Something seemed just slightly off in the man’s voice. “Um … what sort of angle were you planning to use in this article?”

“Angle?”

Hunter frowned even more. “Every article has an angle. Charities are a dime a dozen. Why do you want to write about the Jason Kemp Center?” Hunter wanted some answers.

“Well … I…”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of the angle you’re going to use.” Or maybe you don’t want to tell me what it is, Hunter thought to himself.

“I know the angle,” Dennis replied. “But you may not like it.”

“Oh?”

“I want to tie the murder of Jason Kemp to the lot of gay street kids. I want to show what can happen to them, and therefore, why the Jason Kemp Center is so important in the community.”

Hunter felt the knot in his stomach loosen just a bit. That sounded right. And it would be nice to have Jason remembered once again. His life had been too short and tragic. If retelling Jason’s story could help some other kids then it was worth a try.

“Are you still there?” Dennis asked when Hunter didn’t respond.

“I’m here, just thinking about what you said.”

“So, are you up for the article?”

In his head Hunter could hear Brian Kinney saying, “I’m always up.” He smiled to himself as he said, “Come on over to the Center and we’ll talk. This sounds like a story that could do a lot of good.”

“I guess it could,” Dennis replied smugly.

Hunter felt his hackles go up once again. This guy had a way of saying things that caused Hunter to have some second thoughts. “Let’s meet face to face and see where things go,” Hunter suggested. Maybe meeting Dennis Hawk would put his concerns to rest.

“How about tomorrow morning?” Dennis asked. “Say at ten?”

“I’ll be here. You know where we’re located?’

“I sure do. See you then.”

The line went dead. Hunter set the phone back on its base. He was going to be very interested in meeting this Dennis Hawk. He couldn’t put his finger on what troubled him about the man, but he knew there was something. He’d have to be very cautious and aware of what the reporter was doing and recording.

******

Michael was sitting on a chair across from one of the young hosts of the comic convention, being interviewed as part of the Q and A portion of the awards dinner. The audience and guests were all enjoying dessert and coffee.

“So Mr. Novotny...”

“Michael, please.”

“Michael, when did your fascination with comics begin?”

“I guess like most kids who grew up with not much money, buying comics was something I could afford. The stories took me away to another time and place.”

“And when you got older you opened your own store?”

“It wasn’t that easy.”

“Tell us about it.”

“One day I went to my favorite comic book store only to find out that my favorite hero was being killed off and the store owner was selling out so he could retire. I was devastated.”

“So then you bought the store?”

“Not hardly. Buzzy, that’s the guy who owned the store, wanted a lot of money. He was going to sell his whole inventory with the shop.”

“So how did you arrange it?”

“My best friend had given me a very special comic, a mint 1st edition of Captain Astro, for my birthday.” The whole audience let out a collective gasp at the name of the legendary comic book hero. “He helped me to auction it off for the down payment on the store.”

“Wow! I’m not sure if I’d be able to give up Captain Astro, Number One,” the interviewer commented as many in the audience nodded.

“I know, I almost couldn’t do it myself but it was worth it,” Michael said with a huge grin. The audience applauded. “Without giving up Captain Astro, we might not have Rage.” The audience went wild at the sound of one of their favorite heroes.

“Tell us about Rage. Is it true that he’s based on your real life friend?”

“Yes, it’s true. We met in high school. He was my hero back then as well as my best friend. I guess he’s still my hero, but he’d kill me if he heard me say that.” The audience laughed as Michael did. “Seriously, he’s a good friend. He’s always been there for me and has never let me down. And when things look bad, he’s there to help.”

“Kinda like Rage?”

“Exactly like Rage.” The audience cheered.

“And some of our audience wants to know...” the interviewer held up some cards. “Is the real Rage as good looking as his counterpart?”

“Better...waaaay better. And he only gets better as he gets older! But seriously, the real Rage doesn’t run around Gayopolis in tights, he has a longtime life partner and a couple of kids. He does contribute to several charities, is responsible for helping to get homeless kids off the streets and helps his family when any of us need him. He’s not a saint, just a man with a really big...heart,” Michael said, giggling with the audience at the innuendo.

“I’m proud to call him my friend and grateful too.” The audience applauded at Michael’s obvious sincerity.

“Any words of advice for our audience? There may be some young entrepreneurs out there.”

“I’ve been very lucky. My only advice is to never give up. Find a way to follow your dream if you believe that dream worthy. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s okay not to have all the answers because there’s a good chance someone you know may just have the answer you’re looking for.” The interviewer and audience clapped loudly.

“Any last words before your fans and fans of Rage get to meet you and our other honored guests?” There were tables and kiosks set up for each award winner and special guest.

“Um, yes. You’ll be the first to hear about Rage’s latest and new superhero friends, The Twins of Triumph! They’ll be winging their way through Gayopolis soon.” The audience jumped to their feet and the room shook with their applause.

“You heard it first! The Twins of Triumph!” the interviewer shouted above the crowd, before he shook Michael’s hand and they walked off the dais so that Michael could meet his fans.

*****

“Ungh!” Brian came with a satisfied groan, collapsing down on Justin’s back. Justin squeezed Brian’s hand, their fingers entwined during their lovemaking.

“Mmm, that was great,” Justin purred as he settled down onto his pillow. He loved the feel of Brian’s solid weight on him. Brian kissed his shoulder.

“I’m not too heavy?” They were still connected but Justin could feel Brian slowly slipping out.

“Unh unh,” Justin sighed. He loved it; he held Brian’s hand closer to his body. “Love you,” Justin mumbled as he felt himself drifting off.

“Me too. You going to sleep.”

“Maybe. Why?” Justin perked up slightly.

“I thought maybe you could...”

“Could what?” Justin was wide awake now and intrigued.

“Reciprocate,” Brian murmured.

“You have an itch that needs to be scratched?” Justin asked. Since returning from London, Brian had felt the need to be the dominant during their lovemaking. Justin understood and never complained. He knew it was only a matter of time until Brian relaxed enough to want to bottom again.

“Yeah,” Brian whispered almost too softly to be heard even though he was inches away from Justin’s ear.

Justin slowly ground his ass against Brian. With the weight of Brian on top of him and the friction of the sheet against his dick, Justin was beginning to get hard. Brian kissed Justin’s back in between his shoulder blades. Brian was still soft but it didn’t matter to Brian. It wasn’t his dick he was concerned with at the moment. Justin loosened his grip on Brian’s hand so that he could roll over.

With their positions now reversed, Justin on top of Brian’s back, Justin found their convenient tube of lube in the bedside table. He efficiently but gently prepared Brian then entered him in one slicked up move. Brian groaned with pain and pleasure as he and Justin entwined their fingers.

Brian was remarkably tight. Justin didn’t waste any stroke, angling himself to hit Brian’s sweet spot time and time again. Brian shuddered as he quietly came. With his spouse completely relaxed, Justin leaned back then grabbed Brian’s hips to pull him up higher. Justin’s thrusts came faster and stronger until he felt his balls draw up. He came with a grunt. Holding Brian steady, Justin gently withdrew from his lover.

When his brain began to function and he stopped chanting the “I fucked Brian Kinney” mantra, Justin got out of their bed to get a cloth to clean his already sleeping spouse. Justin smiled at Brian’s telltale wheezes that indicated he was deep in slumber land. Justin ran the damp warm cloth over Brian’s skin cleaning away the majority of the evidence of their loving. Justin returned the cloth to their bathroom then crawled back into bed.

As Justin covered them both with their thick warm blankets, the sleeping Brian snuggled closer to Justin.

“I love you,” Justin whispered as his eyelids began to droop. He softly smiled as Brian murmured something unintelligible in response as he gave Justin a gentle squeeze.

All About Brian

Chapter 3

“Ashley!” Bree called as she ran out of the school for recess.

Ashley had already been out of class for a few minutes. She was sitting on a mound of snow warmly wrapped in her snowsuit. She looked very thoughtful as she glanced up at Bree and waved. Bree raced over to her friend.

“What are you doing?” Bree asked as she plunked herself down beside her friend. “The teacher made us stay in, cuz somebody made a mess at the sand table and wouldn’t clean it up.”

“Was it Jacob?” Ashley asked, rolling her eyes.

“Yep, he finally admitted it. He has to stay in and clean it up. No recess for him,” Bree chuckled. “So, why are you sitting here?”

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“We got an assignment this morning.”

“Oh? What do you have to do?”

“I have to tell the class about somebody who has influenced my life.”

“That would be your mommy,” Bree said quickly.

“It’s not supposed to be our parents.”

“Oh, then who is it apposed to be?” Bree wanted to know.

Ashley sighed. “Somebody who has influenced my life,” she repeated.

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Ashley replied. “I guess it’s somebody who has done something for you or … I don’t know.”

Bree frowned. “That’s hard. And it can’t be your mom?”

“Nope! The teacher said we should be creative with who we choose.”

“Creative? Like a picture?” Bree asked hopefully. She could help Ashley with that.

“I guess I could bring a picture, but I have to mostly talk. And I have to decide who to do.”

“Can you think of anybody?”

“I thought of you,” Ashley said.

“Me?” Bree’s eyes got very big.

“Yeah, ‘member when you were going to kick the ass of the kids who were calling me ugly?”

“Oh, yeah,” Bree said, although she didn’t like to think about that. They hadn’t picked on Ashley since, at least not that Bree knew about.

“You were so brave.”

“I was kind of scared too, but they made me so mad. My daddies told me that we should talk to the teacher, and we did. And Patrick said he would help too, if we needed him.”

“Yeah, it was great,” Ashley said with her little smile that made her face light up.

“I’m glad you’re my friend,” Bree said earnestly.

“Me too,” Ashley replied as the two girls hugged each other … hard.

“So who are you going to talk about?” Bree asked as they broke apart.

“I don’t know.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Bree said confidently. “You’re smart.”

Ashley smiled as the bell rang and they both got up to go back into the school.

*****

“Hunter?” Dennis Hawk said as he entered the office at the Jason Kemp Center, and saw the young man sitting behind the desk.

“Yes, Hunter Novotny-Bruckner,” Hunter said standing and extending his hand. “You must be Mr. Hawk.”

The man nodded as they shook hands. Hunter could see the guy sizing him up, and Hunter was doing the same.

“Have a seat,” Hunter said.

Dennis sat down in the chair on the other side of Hunter’s desk. “Have you worked here long?” Dennis asked.

Hunter thought the man didn’t waste any time on pleasantries, but that was okay. “I’ve been here since the place opened.”

“Oh?”

“I thought you would have known that when you were doing your research for this story,” Hunter replied.

“I did actually,” Dennis admitted. “But I don’t like to reveal too much of what I know. Sometimes I find I get more interesting information if I play dumb.”

“That works for you?” Hunter asked. He had never found playing dumb was a particularly good idea.

Dennis shrugged. “So, what can you tell me about this place?”

“I thought maybe we could start with a tour,” Hunter explained. “That would give you a feel for what we’re about.” Dennis didn’t seem very enthusiastic about taking a tour, but he nodded anyway and Hunter stood up. “This way,” Hunter said ushering the reporter out of his office. He was going to have to handle this carefully, Hunter warned himself. Something still felt … off.

*****

“Hey, JR,” Curtis said as he saw JR a couple of people ahead of him in the cafeteria line.

“Hi, Curtis.”

“Can we sit together? I want to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, I guess,” JR replied wondering what Curtis wanted.

They got their meals and found a couple of seats at the end of one of the tables in the bustling cafeteria of the high school.

“What do you want to talk about?” JR asked.

“Your Uncle Brian.”

“Uncle Brian? Why?” JR asked in surprise.

“I have to write a paper about someone who’s had a great impact on my life, and I’m thinking of doing it on your Uncle Brian,” Curtis replied.

JR looked thought. “Yeah, I guess he did affect your life,” she said after a moment. She knew about the knife incident and how her Uncle Brian didn’t press charges, and then got Curtis into Hunter’s care. “Uncle Brian’s had a big impact on lots of people’s lives.”

“You?” Curtis asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” JR chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“A few years ago Uncle Brian sent my moms on a vacation to Florida.”

“Wow,” Curtis said.

“That’s not the funny part.”

“What is?”

“I put some of Grandma Deb’s lasagna in the microwave one day while they were away.”

“And the funny part would be…?” Curtis said.

“Be patient,” JR warned.

Curtis smiled at her. “Certainly,” he replied.

“I forgot it was in an aluminum foil container.”

“Uh oh.”

“Exactly,” JR grinned as she ate some of her salad.

“It blew up?”

“Yep.”

“So what does Mr. Kinney have to do with that?”

“I called him and he helped me get rid of the microwave. Then he went with me to pick out a new one that looked just like the old one. He paid for it, and everything, and he didn’t tell the moms.”

“That was cool.”

“Yeah.”

“But where’s the funny part?”

“He wanted to check the electricity after I blew up the microwave, and he ended up renovating the whole damn house,” JR giggled. “He had plumbers and electricians come over and they rewired everything and fixed the plumbing.”

“He paid for all that?” JR nodded. “Maybe I could blow up our microwave and he could renovate our place,” Curtis joked.

“I don’t think it works quite like that,” JR cautioned. “But he always comes through if you need him.”

“What did your mothers say about what he did?”

“We weren’t supposed to tell the moms.”

“Didn’t they notice?”

“Eventually, but it was fun pretending nothing had changed.”

“Your Uncle Brian is a cool dude.”

“I know.”

“Got any more stories about him? I might be able to use some of them in my paper.”

“Sure,” JR said as she continued to eat her salad.

Curtis grinned at her as he dug into his own lunch.

*****

“How’s your paper coming?” Lindsay asked Mel. Melanie appeared to be totally engrossed in her work.

“It’s not, so I’m taking a break. I’m working on some notes for a divorce case. It seems that divorce is easier to write about than Brian Kinney,” Melanie said with a sneer.

Lindsay chuckled at her wife’s quandary. “Would you like some help? With your paper, I mean. Divorce cases make me nervous,” Lindsay admitted. The girls had come too close several times in the past to permanently splitting up. “I have known Brian longer than you have.”

“Honestly, I thought about asking you but I really need to do this on my own. You wouldn’t ask me to help you paint one of your paintings, would you?”

“Heavens, no. Okay, I see your point. I guess I’ll go start on dinner,” Lindsay said leaving Mel to her work.

*****

“How’s your dedication coming?” Bobby asked as he rounded the top of the spiral staircase and into their office.

“I’ve built houses in less time than it’s taking to write this thing,” John said with exasperation.

“Aw, poor baby. May I suggest you keep it simple. Such as, ‘I devote this work to my brother Brian Kinney, without his influences, my life would be a helluva a lot duller.’ You can quote me,” Bobby said smugly, chuckling as he scurried back down to the relative safety of their kitchen.

“Wise ass,” John mumbled then got back to work.

*****

“Brian?”

“Miss Leda, I do declare!” Brian teased with an exaggerated drawl. “What can little ole me do for you, shhuga?”

“You can stop being an asshole and tell me if we’re on for the next phase of the campaign,” Leda demanded.

“It must be an uber dyke thing,” Brian grumbled. “None of you have a sense of humor, and before you try to bite my head off through the phone, the answer is yes. We’re all set. But I told you that we’re waiting for March. If we get a freak blizzard or something, your bikes are going to be holed up somewhere and not out on the road like we want. So cool your jets and let my people do what you hired us to do!”

Leda grumbled.

“What was that?” Brian innocently asked.

“Asshole!”

“Ah, that’s what I thought you said. Y’all have a nice night now, ya hear!” Brian hung up his phone.

“You really are a bastard sometimes, you know that,” Bobby remarked as he came up the spiral stairs into Brian’s office just opposite his and John’s. He was shaking his head, although he was wearing a grin.

“I know. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. And you must admit, I excel at bastard and asshole,” Brian said proudly. “What brings you up here to my inner sanctum, your hubby throw you out of his?”

“Just letting you know dinner is almost ready. I didn’t feel like shouting. It’s nice and quiet tonight.”

“Yes, it is. The kids all concentrating on homework. John with his cottage paper. Justin is elbow deep in paint and I have a campaign and a new branch to play with. What about you?”

“Surprisingly enough, and given the precarious state of the economy, I am knee deep in charitable grants and funds. Some people have finally realized that we better get our heads out of our collective asses and start taking care of our own. No one else is going to do it for us.”

“Amen, brother. So does that mean organizations like the Farm and the clinic are okay?”

“Both of those are set for life. You can even cut back on your personal contributions if you like.”

“No, I can’t think of anywhere else my money is better spent. Other than college tuition and keeping a certain young lady in pink and purple apparel. Although, that collection the Sarah Kingsley sent over will keep Bree in the pink for the entire season. We’ll keep my contributions just as they are.”

“I thought so but it never hurts to check with you. You’re a good man, Brian Kinney.”

“Hush, now, Big Red. I just might get a swelled head,” Brian teased.

“And this is where I make a discreet retreat,” Bobby replied. “Dinner,” Bobby said as a reminder.

“I’ll be right down,” Brian assured him as he began to save his work then shut down his computer. Just before he got up from his desk, the phone rang.

“Kinney.”

“Brian, it’s Hunter.”

“The master of social work, what can I do for you, kiddo?”

“Nothing that wouldn’t get us in a shitload of trouble. Listen, I do have a potential problem so I wanted to get your input.”

Brian stiffened. “I’m listening.”

“I got a call from a reporter, Dennis Hawk from the Tribune. He wants to do a story about gay boys on the street.”

“So what’s the problem? You’ve done dozens of those interviews over the years. Maybe he wants to know how the clinic fared over the holidays. I know the classic holiday film festival at the theater was a success. You were able to put a lot of well earned salaries in the pockets of your kids. And I heard the Village shops did well. That New Year’s party you threw at the bowling alley was the talk of Liberty and beyond for a month.”

“You were gone for a month, how do you know all this?”

“I have spies everywhere. I repeat, what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know. Something about him bothers me.”

“Then I say go with your instincts. They kept you alive under the most dire of circumstances. I’ll have him checked out. In the meantime, go slow with him. Don’t let him know you suspect him but try to limit his contact with any of your kids. Let your staff know what you suspect. They’ve all been around the block a few times. They’ll know how to handle themselves, especially Karen. She’s a pitbull.”

Hunter laughed. “I’ll let her know what you think of her. But I agree on your assessment. She was crucial with Curtis and getting those Hardigans out of business.”

The boys paused for a moment at the memory of that time.

“Hunter, trust yourself. I know I do. I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Thanks, Brian.”

“Anytime.”

“Tell blondie I can still give him a run for his money,” Hunter said laughing just before they hung up.

“I’ll tell him,” Brian replied as he hung up the phone. He quickly jotted down Hawk’s name then went down to join his family for dinner.

“Hey,” Justin said as Brian approached the dinner table. They were all at the Anderson-Morrison side of Edna’s Treasures. “I was about to send Beau out to fetch you. We were waiting for you.”

“Even John tore himself away from his research to get here on time,” Bobby added.

“Sorry about that,” Brian apologized as he helped to prepare a plate for Bree. “Hunter just called.”

“Is he okay?” John asked as he passed the potatoes.

“He’s fine. He got a call from a reporter looking to do a story on street kids.”

“Nothing unusual there, is there?” Justin asked, his blues eyes searching Brian’s face.

“He’s not sure. He got the ‘uh-oh’ feeling about the guy.”

“So I take it, it’s not the Connolly’s,” John inquired.

“No. Someone that I haven’t heard of.”

“You gonna check him out?” Bobby asked knowingly, passing a plate of sauteed green beans.

Brian nodded.

“Good,” the three other men stated. No other explanation was necessary. Dinner proceeded with peace.

All About Brian

Chapter 4

“Daddy, can Ashley come over and play on the weekend?”

“Hm, you need to check with your Dada about that.”

“Is it okay with you?” Bree asked staring at her father with her violet eyes and batting them gently to make her point.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Can we have a sleepover?”

“Oh, now that’s another question,” Justin said carefully. He was peeling potatoes for dinner. “You definitely need to talk to your Dada about that.”

“Okay, I will, but is it okay with you?”

“I … I guess so. Yes, it’s okay with me … but only if Dada says so.”

“’Kay, Daddy,” Bree said with a sunshine smile. She skipped out to the sun porch to find her other father. There was no sign of him anywhere. She looked up at his office and saw that the door was open. Carefully she climbed the spiral staircase until she stood in the open doorway of Brian’s office. She looked at her father who was studying the computer screen in front of him. He didn’t seem to realize that she was there.

She was about to say something when she thought better of it. If she interrupted whatever her father was doing, that might make him mad and then he wouldn’t let her have Ashley come on the weekend for a sleepover. She decided to wait. She stood still, hoping her father would finish whatever he was doing. She waited and waited, but her father continued to look at the computer screen not at her. After what seemed like hours to her, but was really only a couple of minutes, her good intentions started to peter out. She shifted from foot to foot and finally let out a little sigh.

Brian stretched his arms above his head and then looked at the little girl standing in the doorway. “What’s up, Squirt?”

“Are you done, Dada?”

“For now. Have you been waiting?”

“Yep, for a long, long time,” she said earnestly.

Brian smiled at her. He had heard her come up the stairs a couple of minutes earlier, but he supposed to Bree that was like an eternity. She had waited patiently even if it was only for a couple of minutes. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

“Daddy says it’s okay for Ashley to some on the weekend and have a sleepover, if it’s okay with you and I really want her to come, so is it okay with you?” Bree used the same look in her violet eyes that had worked on her other father. She batted her lashes slowly as she waited for her Dada’s reply.

“That’s what your Daddy said, was it?”

Bree nodded her head emphatically making her ponytails bounce around. “Yep.”

“Maybe I should talk to Daddy first before I give you my response,” Brian said, waiting to see what her reaction would be.

“Oh no, Dada, you have work to do, and Daddy said it was okay. Just say it’s okay and then you can go back to work,” Bree said hastily. She didn’t want her father’s conferring and figuring out how she was trying to wangle Ashley’s invitation for the weekend.

“I’m done working,” Brian said.

“Oh?” Bree said looking somewhat crestfallen. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“I can go talk to Daddy right now.”

“You don’t need to,” Bree said quickly, but her voice didn’t sound nearly as confident as it had a minute before.

“I seem to be getting a sense that you don’t want me to talk to Daddy about this. Could I be right?” Brian asked trying not to laugh at the look on Bree’s face. It was somewhere between desperation and panic.

Bree frowned and stared at her father. It seemed that the jig was up; she had been found out. She looked down at the floor and scuffed the toe of her slipper against it. “You can talk to Daddy if you want to,” she said in a whisper, having given up on her plan that she had been sure would work.

“But you don’t want me to?”

“No,” Bree replied staring at the toe of her slipper as it slid against the floor.

“Come here, Squirt.”

Bree looked up and into her father’s face. He didn’t seem to be mad, so she ventured into the office and over to his desk. She stopped when she got to his chair. Brian reached down and lifted her onto his knee.

“I love you, Dada,” Bree said wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I love you too,” Bran said smiling as he felt her head nuzzle against his cheek.

“Can Ashley come for a sleepover?” Bree ventured to ask again.

“After I talk to Daddy.”

Bree heaved a sigh. “Okay.”

“Did your Daddy really say it was all right for Ashley and you to have a sleepover?”

Bree was about to say yes when she realized that her father was going to talk to her Daddy, and he would find out what she had tried to do. She decided the truth was probably the best idea. “He said I should ask you and it was okay with him if it was okay with you.”

“But he didn’t give you permission without asking me?” Brian asked.

Bree shook her head making her ponytails swing from side to side. “Not really,” she said.

“It’s not a good idea to try to play your father and me like that,” Brian counseled.

“Huh?”

“You wanted me to believe you already had your father’s permission, when you really didn’t. Isn’t that right?”

Bree nodded. “But how did you know?”

“Because I was your age once.”

Bree frowned. “You were?”

“Yes, unbelievably I was,” Brian chuckled. “And I remember how these things work.”

“Oh.”

“So keep that in mind when you try your manipulations again.”

“Manip-you…?”

“Manipulations, Squirt. There’s time enough for those when you’re older.”

“Okay, Dada, I won’t do it again.”

“I’m afraid you will, so don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Bree wasn’t sure what her father meant by that. She would be very careful about her manip-yous in the future. “I won’t promise if you don’t want me to,” she said.

“That isn’t exactly what I meant,” Brian chuckled. He should have left well enough alone.

“So, can Ashley come for a sleepover?”

“I think that would be all right.”

“Yay,” Bree reacted throwing her arms around Brian’s neck once again. “Can I call her and tell her?”

“I think that would be acceptable,” Brian agreed as he picked up the phone on his desk. “Here you go,” Brian said handing Bree the phone before lifting her up so that he could stand. He placed her down in his big office chair. “Don’t be too long, Squirt.”

“’Kay, Dada, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Brian left the office and walked down the stairs as Bree dialed Ashley’s number. He went into the kitchen.

“Did she get your permission to have Ashley for a sleepover?” Justin asked from where he was preparing dinner.

“With a little manipulation.”

“I wondered if she’d try that. What did you do?”

“I called her on it.”

“Good for you.”

“Yeah, right,” Brian said shaking his head.

“So, Ashley’s not coming on the weekend?” Justin asked, as he heard the funny tone in Brian’s voice.

“Bree’s in my office calling Ashley now … to arrange their weekend together.”

Justin chuckled. “How did that happen?”

“She admitted what she had tried to do and said she wouldn’t do it again,” Brian replied.

“And you gave in.”

“I was going to let her have Ashley over anyway. We’re not doing anything special this weekend.”

“But she got her way.”

“But she knows I’m onto her.”

“I was onto you for years. I told you that many times, and look where that got you,” Justin laughed.

Brian frowned. He wasn’t sure what Justin meant. He had handled Bree just right, or so he had thought. He poured himself some coffee and headed back up to his office. He had some thinking to do.

*****

“So do you really think the Squirt pulled a fast one on me?” Brian asked as he and Justin were cuddled on the sofa in front of the fire. The cottage was quiet. The kids were asleep and John and Bobby had turned in for the night. Justin had worked on another commissioned painting for a few hours after dinner while Brian had gone over Briana’s homework. Brian built a roaring fire and now they were sharing a brandy and an afghan before going to bed.

“No, not really. I was only teasing you. I’m glad you called her on trying to play us. She needs to know that we’ll always be available to her and will listen to any reasonable requests she makes, but I won’t be tricked into agreeing with her. We don’t have any definite plans for this weekend so if I don’t mind if the girls have a sleepover,” Justin explained reasonably.

Brian said nothing but Justin felt him relax.

“You were really worried about it, weren’t you?” Justin said as he examined Brian’s face.

“A little,” Brian revealed. “It’s one thing when the guys try to pull a fast one on me or tease me that Bree has me wrapped around her little finger or that you lead me around by my balls. It’s another thing if you believe it.”

“Brian, I might tease you a little about spoiling our daughter but it is tempered with a lot of common sense. It may look to the world that Bree gets everything she wants but we know she doesn’t. And her requests have never been that unreasonable. She's precocious, I’ll admit, but she isn’t manipulative in a bad way. She’s just doing what any normal kid does with two somewhat indulgent parents. I know I tried to pull that shit on my parents all the time especially when Molly was a baby. They were so busy with her that I was able to get away with some things until my dad got wise to me.” Justin sighed then took the snifter from Brian so he could have a sip of brandy.

“Justin,” Brian began as he cupped Justin’s chin with his hand. “It’s okay to love your father and to think about the fun you had with him when you were a kid. It’s okay to hang on to those good memories. Jack was a for shit father, but every once in a while he had his moments,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me,” Justin whispered as he snuggled into Brian’s arms. Brian pulled the afghan up around them both as he told Justin about the night Jack met Gus.

“I think he was finally proud of me for a few minutes that night,” Brian said trying to control the hitch in his voice. “And Lindsay, she was so beautiful. Any father would be proud to have her for a daughter-in-law.”

Brian felt Justin nod in agreement.

“Gus was such a beautiful baby. He had one of those stupid caps on his head. You know how the girls used to dress him.”

Justin giggled softly.

“The old man held Gus in his arms like he had been handling babies all his life.”

“He did have two kids.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes I wish we had more time. Maybe he’d...”

Justin turned in Brian’s arms then gently took the snifter out of Brian’s hand to place it on the coffee table.

“He loved you, Brian. Just as I know Craig did love me, your father loved you. He was dying and you gave him the most precious gift you could. You gave him life, Bri.”

Justin hugged Brian hard, wrapping his arms around Brian’s waist as he laid his head down on Brian’s chest. Brian said nothing as he held onto the love of his life.

*****

“Hey, Curtis,” JR waved as the young man strolled into the lunch room. He took a seat next to his friend. “How’s your assignment going?”

“Okay, I guess. It’s not so easy writing about someone I hardly know.”

“But you do know him. He’s kind, very handsome and can be very funny.”

“He’s also scary.”

“Yeah, he can be but not all the time. And only when it really counts. All that shouting he does sometimes, he doesn’t mean it. He just...”

“Just what?”

“Feels things, really deep. Sometimes my mom would say some bad things about him,” JR admitted, blushing with embarrassment. “They didn’t know I’d see the look on Uncle Brian’s face. He’d be hurt and I wished that...”

“What?”

“I wished I had the balls to tell Uncle Bri that I think my mother was wrong for always putting him down.”

JR was trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. She didn’t want to make a spectacle of herself in the middle of the school lunch room. That was so uncool.

“Mr. Kinney’s really smart, right?”

“He sure is,” JR said as she wiped her eyes.

“I’m sure he knows that you’re on his side.”

“I don’t take sides.”

“But you love your uncle, don’t ya?”

“Yeah, I do. A lot.”

“Then I’m thinking a smart man like him, knows how much you love him,” Curtis said with a big smile.

“Yeah?” JR said wiping away an errant tear.

“Yeah. You better eat up, lunch is almost over,” Curtis said as he took a big bite out of his sandwich.

“Yeah!” JR said with a smile as she bit into her own sandwich as well.

*****

“Bobby Morrison.”

“Hey, Bobby, how’s the law life in Harrisburg?” Melanie asked.

“About the same as Pittsburgh. How can I help you?”

“I don’t know if I told you but I’m taking a creative writing course and my first assignment is to write about the one person I dislike the most but who had the deepest impact on my life.”

“And you’re calling me because?”

“Because I really need to know the facts about that trust fund the ass...”

“Mel.”

“That Brian set up for my kids.”

“He is the father of one of those kids.”

“I know.”

“And you have no business asking. You of all people know that I’m bound by client-lawyer...”

“Blah, blah, blah. Bobby, I just want to know how much.”

“Enough.”

“Enough what?”

“It’s enough. I’m not giving you a figure.”

“Bobby!”

“No, Melanie. I could go before the board of professional ethics if you push this.”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you too, Mel! Drop it.”

“Please, Bobby, I have to know. Are my kids really going to be provided for?”

“Melanie!” Bobby shouted into the phone. He felt like slamming down the receiver, instead he put it down on the desk then took a few deep breaths. “Mel, all I can tell you, all that I’m allowed to tell you, is that at the age of twenty-five Gus and JR will have enough that if they didn’t want to earn a living on their own, they could live comfortably off the interest of the fund. He set the same thing up for Bree and Patrick, much to my objections. But he insisted, saying what good is all his fucking money if he couldn’t do what the fuck he fucking wanted to. And that’s a direct quote.”

“Shit!”

“Tell me about it. John was livid but he understood Brian’s need to do it. Brian wanted the kids to be able to tap into the fund when they reached twenty-one. John was pushing for thirty.”

“So they compromised.”

“Yes. Now why the interrogation?”

“Because I’m writing about him,” Mel said through gritted teeth. Bobby cracked up with laughter. “Fuck you, Bobby. This is serious,” Mel shouted over Bobby’s laughter.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“I wish I was. I really wish there was someone else in my life that irritated me more than Brian but there isn’t. He’s the most aggravating, the most arrogant fucking bastard that I know. And yet he’d shelled out god knows how much money to fix my house. Not to mention all the times he arranged to fix my marriage, and he sets up a trust fund for a kid who isn’t his. God Bobby, I hate him so fucking much that I love the asshole.”

“I know what you mean.”

“You? I don’t understand. You and he are so close. He loves you.”

“And I love him. Mel, you just don’t know.”

“Wait a minute. You don’t mean to say. You and he haven’t...”

“God, no. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it. He’s fucking gorgeous.”

“I guess, for a man. But you haven’t.”

“I have never ever broken my vow of fidelity to John. But that doesn’t mean that a hundred years ago if we had met before I made my commitment, that if I had met Brian Kinney in some club or bar, I wouldn't have dropped trou in a heart beat.”

“TMI, Bobby.”

“You know what I mean. But there’s a helluva lot more to Brian Kinney than sex.”

“I’m beginning to realize that. Thanks, Bobby.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Are you going to report me?”

Bobby chuckled. “No. The big guy gave me permission to speak in generalities if I was pushed by you or Lindsay. I haven’t violated his trust.”

“Good. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

After Bobby terminated his call with Melanie, he called the house.

“Kinney.”

“Hey, big guy.”

“Red! How’s it hanging? You going to be late for dinner? I’m baking some fish.”

“I’ll be home on time. I just wanted to let you know that Mel called me asking about the terms of the trust fund. I let her know just what we agreed upon.”

“Did she go for it?”

“Hook, line and sinker. Brian, the kids...”

“Will never have to worry if they have enough for their next meal or to pay their mortgage. We made sure that they can’t spend it frivolously or be taken for a ride.”

“Yes, Brian, we made sure.”

“Then I’ll see you at dinner.” Brian terminated the conversation. Bobby went back to work so he could be home on time for dinner.

All About Brian

Chapter 5

“Mr. Hawk, what are you doing here?” Hunter asked as he looked up at the sound of someone at his office door.

“I told you to call me Dennis.”

“I repeat, why are you here, Mr. Hawk? We didn’t schedule another meeting,” Hunter said ignoring what Hawk had just told him.

“I have a few more questions,” Dennis replied seating himself across the desk from Hunter. He didn’t wait to be asked.

Hunter studied the man for a moment before asking, “So what do you want to know?”

“I’ve been doing some research.”

“I thought you would have done that before you came here the first time.”

Dennis tried not to glare at the young man across from him, but Hunter saw the look that passed across his face. Hunter knew he didn’t like this man.

“I understand Brian Kinney had a lot to do with this foundation,” Dennis began.

‘Bingo!’ Hunter thought to himself. Now we’re getting to the point. “That’s correct,” he said aloud.

“What exactly is Mr. Kinney’s relationship with the Jason Kemp Center?”

“There isn’t one.”

“What do you mean? I found in my research that he bought all this block of buildings and his brother did all the renovations. Doesn’t he still own this clinic?”

“We rent from him, but we pay our own way,” Hunter replied.

“I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“Charitable donations, which is exactly what I was hoping your article would help to augment, but I’m beginning to have my doubts.”

“So, Kinney doesn’t contribute anything to this place?”

“No more than any other concerned citizen.” Although that wasn’t exactly true, that was all Hunter was prepared to say.

“You’re quite close with him?”

“One of my adopted father’s is his best friend. We spend some time together at family gatherings,” Hunter admitted.

“Family gatherings? You mean that a… that Kinney has a family?”

“Surely you must have read about his partner Justin Taylor, the artist, and he has children.”

“I don’t believe everything I read.”

“Even when it’s your fellow journalists who write it?” Hunter asked pointedly.

“I take most crap in newspapers with a grain of salt. Anything can be skewed to make it sound however you want.” The venom in Hawk’s voice was seeping through.

“Mr. Hawk, I think maybe I made a mistake in granting this interview,” Hunter said. “Maybe we should just forget the whole thing.”

“No, no, don’t do that,” Dennis replied hastily. “I promise to be fair and truthful in whatever I write.”

Hunter thought over what the man had just said. “I have your promise that you won’t write anything that isn’t the truth?”

“You do,” Dennis replied, knowing that whatever he might dig up about Kinney would be the truth, but that wouldn’t stop him publishing it, even, or maybe especially, if it was bad.

Hunter frowned. He still had major misgivings. “I hope you don’t intend to do some hatchet job on the clinic. We help a lot of kids who really need it.”

“I’m sure you do,” Dennis said starting to relax. “I have just a few more questions.”

*****

“Come in,” Justin said as he answered the door. “Bree, Ashley’s here,” he called.

With a squeal of delight, Bree came racing to the door. She and Ashley jumped up and down and hugged before racing off to Bree’s room to play.

“I guess I don’t even rate a kiss goodbye,” Susanna said with a little laugh. She handed Justin an overnight bag. “I think I packed everything she’ll need.”

“I’m sure we’ll do just fine,” Justin assured her. “Can you come in for a few minutes?”

“I’d love to,” Susanna replied, “but I have a batch of errands I need to do, and this is the perfect opportunity to get them done.”

“I understand,” Justin said with a smile, and he did. Shopping and other errands with a child always took twice as long. “Shall we drop Ashley off tomorrow afternoon, or would you like to come over early and we could look at some of our mutual research into JAB Kinney.”

“I’d love to exchange research,” Susanna said with a smile.

“Why don’t you come for brunch? I’m sure the girls will still want to play and we can spend some time together.”

“Oh that would be lovely … if you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“I’ll get Brian to make one of his famous breakfasts.”

“Famous?”

Justin nodded. “He’s pretty good with breakfast.”

“I can’t imagine Mr. Kinney cooking,” Susanna giggled.

“You can see it for yourself tomorrow morning,” Justin replied. “But call him Brian. Mr. Kinney reminds him of his father.”

“This will be the first time I’ve been out for breakfast in years. I’m already looking forward to it.”

“See you in the morning, and I’ll have Ashley call you before she goes to bed tonight.”

“Thanks,” Susanna said before heading out to her car.

*****

“What are you two up to?” Brian asked as he opened the door of Bree’s bedroom.

“Playing princess, Dada,” Bree said. She and Ashley had paper crowns on their heads, ones left over from the crackers at Christmas. Bree held a ruler like a scepter or magic wand. Ashley had her crown and one of Bree’s fluffy pink skirts around her waist.

“That sounds interesting.”

“We’re having fun, Mr. Kinney,” Ashley said with her shy smile.

“I’m glad.”

“Come play with us, Dada. You can be the prince.”

“I can, can I?” Brian chuckled.

“Yep, the handsome prince.”

“I don’t think so, Squirt.”

“Pwease, Dada, me and Ashley want you to.”

“Well…”

“Pwease,” Bree repeated.

“Yes, please,” Ashley chimed in.

“What do I have to do?” Brian asked with a sigh. He knew he was going to regret this, but he also loved the way the girls looked with their fluffy dresses and paper crowns.

“Put this on,” Bree instructed. She handed her father a paper crown that was almost big enough for his head. Brian put it on, but it sat precariously atop his head. “Sit here, on the throne,” Bree told him indicating the rocking chair. Brian sat down. “What would you like, your majesty?” Bree asked with a giggle.

“Like?”

“Yes, do you want some tea?” Ashley ventured to ask.

“Tea would be lovely, my lady,” Brian replied with his most formal English accent.

The girls giggled. Bree picked up her little teapot and Ashley handed Brian a cup and saucer. Bree poured her father an imaginary cup of tea.

“Would you like a raspberry tart, Prince Kinney?” Ashley asked holding out an empty plate.

“I’d love a tart, Princess Ashley, but I think you should call me Prince Brian.”

“Okay, Prince Brian,” Ashley giggled.

“And I’ll call you Prince Dada,” Bree decided.

“Is your tart good, Prince Brian?” Ashley asked.

“So good, I think I’ll have another.”

Ashley held out the plate so Brian could pretend to take another tart.

“I want a picture of the royal family,” Justin said pushing open the door of Bree’s room. He was armed with his camera.

“How did you know?” Brian asked.

“I was coming to get you when I heard the tea party in progress, so I thought I’d like a picture of Prince Brian and his princesses,” Justin explained.

“If you must,” Brian said regally, as the girls lined up on either side of the rocking chair. Brian smiled as he placed a hand around each and looked into the camera. Justin snapped several shots. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“These are great,” he said looking at the screen on the back of the camera.

“But only for your consumption,” Brian warned.

“Of course.”

“I think Prince Brian better go look after his kingdom. Have fun, Princesses,” Brian said as he stood up and removed his crown.

“Bye, Dada.”

“Bye, Prince Brian,” Ashley added.

As Brian walked out of the room he heard Ashley say, “Your Dada is cool.”

“I know,” Bree declared.

Brian smiled as he followed Justin down the hall to the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Just made a pot,” Justin said. He was still looking at the pictures he had snapped.

“You’re enjoying seeing me like that, aren’t you?” Brian asked taking a sip of his coffee.

“You look very handsome with your crown, Prince Brian,” Justin chuckled.

“Thank you, kind sir.”

“I never thought I’d see the day…”

“When I’d deliberately make a fool of myself?”

“When you’d get to play prince to two such cute little princesses. They loved it.”

“So did I,” Brian admitted. “But I’ll have to kill you if you tell anyone.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

*****

“Do you have enough information?” Hunter asked.

“Almost,” Dennis Hawk replied.

“What else?”

“Are all your kids here gay?”

“Um…”

“Problem?” Hawk asked perking up at Hunter’s indecision on how to answer that question.

“No problem. It’s just that most of the kids who come here are gay. We’ve had one or two who weren’t, but they still needed help.”

“So you don’t turn anyone away?”

“Why would we?” Hunter asked.

“Sometimes people start these kinds of institutions and they become quite exclusive … or there are other reasons for taking only one kind of person?”

“We take anyone who needs help,” Hunter declared.

“And Brian Kinney doesn’t mind?”

“Brian? I told that he has little to do with this place.”

“Yes, that’s what you told me.”

“But you don’t believe me?”

“Let’s just say that I have other ideas about Brian Kinney’s involvement here.”

“Such as?”

“I think I’ll keep that to myself,” Dennis said smugly.

“Are you gay, Mr. Hawk?” Hunter asked.

“Yes, but so what?”

“I just wondered.”

“Wondered what?” Dennis asked his face clouding over.

“If you might have known Brian way back when.”

“So what if I did?”

“Is this some kind of vendetta against Brian … because I won’t help you do that?”

“Nobody’s asking you to.”

“Maybe you’re not asking, but I get the feeling that’s what you’re using me for.”

“Then let’s put the cards on the table,” Dennis stated.

“That would be refreshing,” Hunter replied sarcastically.

“I think Kinney is the asshole of the century. I wouldn’t be surprised if he used this haven for young hustlers to get himself some prime ass whenever he wanted it. And the boys would be only too happy to give it up to the rich and powerful Brian Kinney, and then they keep their mouths shut for fear of what might happen to them.”

“You’d be one hundred percent wrong if that was what you thought,” Hunter said angrily. “I think you better leave and you better not write that fucking article of yours if that’s the kind of thing you’re planning to say. You’ll be in for the biggest lawsuit of your life.”

Dennis raised an eyebrow, but he looked into Hunter’s eyes. “Prove me wrong.”

“I know you’re wrong. That’s enough for me.”

“I think I’m right.”

“What … what do you want?’

“I want to talk to some of the kids who’ve passed through here. I want to see what happens to them after they leave. And most of all I want a meeting with Brian Kinney.”

“I can talk to some of our alumni, and see if they will speak with you. However, I doubt that Brian will want to talk to you,” Hunter said.

“What’s he afraid of?”

“I doubt he’s afraid of you, but I also doubt that he would speak with someone who has such disgusting ideas about him.”

“He might be able to put them to rest,” Dennis said hoping that ploy would work. “Ask him.”

“I … I’ll talk to him,” Hunter said. “But no guarantees.”

Dennis stood. “Let me know what he says,” Dennis replied before he walked out the door.

*****

“Ted.”

“Brian?”

“Yeah, listen I have you conferenced in with Richard Connolly.”

“Okay, I’m listening.” Ted considered coming back with some snappy retort but thought better of it. This must be important for Brian to call him at home and to have a reporter in on the conversation. He took out a pad and pencil just in case he needed to take notes.

“Hunter just called. It appears my past may be catching up with me and this time it may endanger the clinic.”

“How so?”

“A reporter by the name of Dennis Hawk requested permission to do an article about the clinic and kids on the street.”

“Sounds innocent enough and the clinic just might get more backers out of it,” Ted said reasonably.

“That’s what we thought except that Hunter, the very streetwise master of social work, got a bad feeling from this Hawk person. And now it seems his suspicions have been justified.”

“What does Hawk want?”

“He wants to talk to me. Find out my involvement.”

“What does he really want?”

“To find out if those rumors about me being a chicken hawk are more than just rumors.”

“Brian, there isn’t one shred of evidence to substantiate those rumors. And that was almost twenty years ago with a young man that was of legal age and that you eventually married!” Ted was growing very agitated.

“Ted, I don’t care about me, but what if Hawk makes a big deal about this. Richard tells me that when Hawk goes after someone, their reputation is usually ruined after. I don’t care about me; I’ve survived worse but the kids, the clinic and Justin. They can be hurt by all of this.”

“I can tell you that the Times doesn’t condone Hawk’s methods but we have run his exposés on occasion. I don’t normally pay too much attention to sensationalism but when it’s in ‘Hawk’s Prey’ we all take notice,” Richard added. “Did Hunter say what Hawk’s plan is?”

“He told Hunter that he wanted to interview some of the clinic’s kids,” Brian explained.

“Can he do that?” Teddy asked.

“No, not legally. Not the current kids in Hunter’s care. Hunter becomes their temporary guardian so that they’re protected. But once they become legal and graduate out of the program, they’re up for grabs.”

“How can I help, Bri?”

“Do some digging. Find out if this is just a case of an old rejected trick trying to use his position to get back at me. Hawk must be a pseudonym; see if you can find out his real name.”

“Um, Brian, do you remember, uh, um...”

“Spit it out, Theodore!”

“Do you remember doing him?”

“I Googled his picture. I can’t say that the face is familiar but then it wasn’t usually the face I was interested in back then.”

“I’m on it, Brian. I’ll call you as soon as I find out anything.”

“Be discreet.”

“Bri, discreet is my middle name,” Ted declared as he hung up, his fingers automatically making a lock and key motion over his lips. Brian rolled his eyes out of habit.

“Brian, I have contacts at the Tribune. I’ll let you know if I hear anything,” Richard offered.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

“May I make a suggestion?” Richard ventured.

“Go ahead.”

“Tell your family. Don’t do this alone. Hawk is good at divide and conquer. He begins with a little blackmail to get his intended victim to alienate himself from their family. They think they’re protecting them and in the end even if the rumor is proven unfounded, the damage has already been done. You have a wonderful family, Brian, let them help you.”

“I’ll consider it,” Brian said as he ended his conversation.

Brian sat back in his chair, running his hands over his face and through his hair. The sounds of a normal family surrounded him. John across the sun porch in his office, tapping away on his keyboard. Justin in the porch below, blissfully painting. Bree and her best friend were in her room playing princess, and a heated discussion regarding the Pittsburgh Pirates was going on between Bobby and Patrick. All normal, day to day and perhaps a little too tame, but not for Brian.

“Divide and conquer,” he murmured. A tactic Brian used a lot in business, when one potential new client wasn’t sure about going with Kinnetik, Brian would seduce an associate to win the account.

“Not this time,” Brian said with some resolve. He steeled his back then went to call a family meeting.

All About Brian

Chapter 6

“Brian, the kids are asleep,” John said as they congregated up in Brian’s office. “What’s going on?”

“That reporter I told you about wants to meet with me,” Brian began.

“Why?” Justin asked as he sat close to his spouse, sensing the tension in Brian’s body language.

“Hunter said that Hawk implied my involvement in the clinic is for less than altruistic purposes.”

“I don’t understand,” John said, confusion in his voice.

“I think what Brian means is that Hawk may believe that Brian is using the clinic for procurement,” Bobby explained.

“Procurement?!” Justin became red in the face with anger. “How dare he! I want him sued. He has to be stopped.”

“Justin, we can’t sue on conjecture. We have to wait to see what he really wants,” Bobby counseled.

“So do I meet with this asshole?” Brian asked as he scanned the faces of his family.

“Yeah, you do,” John said. “But not alone. We’re going to be with you.”

“I don’t understand.” It was Brian’s turn to be confused.

“Brian, the original intent of the interview was to talk about the kids on the street and how the clinic was formed to help get them off the street. Well, we were all involved from day one. All of us, from John’s renovations to Justin’s help with the restoration of the theater to me and Ted setting up the funding. And when the rest of the family found out, they became involved too. Brian, Hawk isn’t just attacking you; he’s attacking all of us.”

“How do you figure that?”

“By assuming we’d turned a blind eye to your alleged procuring activities. Does Hawk really think that we wouldn’t notice if you tried to seduce boys? Brian, you’re good at playing it close to the vest but your life is practically an open book on Liberty Avenue. If anything, Debbie would have smacked the shit out of you if she remotely thought you had any nefarious or ulterior motives regarding Hunter’s kids,” Bobby continued.

“Yeah, she’d have my hide,” Brian said with a smirk. He took a deep breath. “I’ll call Hunter in the morning.”

The men of Edna’s Treasures prepared for battle.

*****

“Daddy, Dada!” Bree’s voice came through the bedroom door.

“Hmm,” Brian groaned as he forced an eye open. “What is it, Bree?”

“Ashley and me are hungry,” the little voice said.

“Get some Cheerios.”

“I can’t reach.”

“Fuck,” Brian muttered, as he swung his legs out of the bed. He forced his other eye open and grabbed his sweatpants that were lying by the bed. He struggled to get them on, one leg having gotten turned inside out when he had rushed to get them off so he could fuck the sleeping blond in the bed next to him.

“Dada!” the persistent little voice continued.

“I’m coming,” Brian said testily as he finally got his foot through the recalcitrant leg of the sweatpants.

“What’s wrong?” Justin asked, coming to.

“Nothing, go back to sleep,” Brian said as he stood up.

“’Kay,” Justin replied dozing off immediately.

Brian shook his head before heading to the door of the bedroom. He turned the lock and opened the door. Two little faces looked up at him, as well as a grey bunny.

“How come your door was locked?” Bree asked.

“Daddy and I wanted some privacy.”

“Oh,” Bree said wondering what that meant. They didn’t usually lock their door.

“So, you’re both starving. Is that right?” Brian asked.

Ashley giggled. “I’m not starving, but Bree is.”

“Bree has her father’s appetite,” Brian observed as he stepped out of the bedroom. He closed the door quietly behind him. “You sound more like me, Miss Ashley,” Brian said. “I could eat or not.”

“My mommy says I don’t eat enough,” Ashley revealed. “She thinks I’m too skinny.”

“I think you’re just right,” Bree stated.

“Me too,” Brian added.

Ashley beamed at them both.

“I pushed the button on the coffee, Dada,” Bree said proudly.

“Good girl! I can use a cup.”

“I knew you’d want coffee,” Bree said as she and Ashley planted their little bums on the kitchen chairs.

“You know me too well, Squirt,” Brian chuckled, pouring himself a mug of coffee.

“Cheerios,” Bree demanded.

“Okay, okay,” Brian replied, taking a sip of the much needed coffee. He grabbed the box of Cheerios from the cupboard and two bowls from another cupboard. “We’re having brunch later, so don’t eat too much,” Brian warned.

“Are you making bacon and eggs?” Bree wanted to know.

“Yes,” Brian replied pouring a small amount of Cheerios into each bowl. “Milk?”

“Nope,” Bree said as she took a fistful of the Cheerios from the bowl and started munching happily. Ashley followed suit.

Brian debated going back to bed, but decided to sit down with the girls and have his coffee. “Did you two sleep last night, or were you gossiping all night?”

Bree giggled. “We don’t gossip, Dada,” she stated.

“I slept,” Ashley said. “Bree helped me make a ponytail for my hair this morning.”

“And very fetching it is, little miss,” Brian said. He always felt that Ashley needed her confidence built up. Maybe it came from not having a father to tell her how beautiful and special she was.

“You look very fetching too, Mr. Kinney,” Ashley replied.

Brian nearly choked on his coffee. “Thank you, Ashley, but call me Brian.”

“But shouldn’t you have a shirt on, Mr. Brian?” she asked.

“My Dada doesn’t wear much when he’s at home,” Bree proclaimed.

“But when I go out, I look magnificent.”

“You and me,” Bree said confidently.

Brian squeezed Bree’s hand affectionately.

“You both are very … pretty,” Ashley said, searching for the right word.

“So are you, young lady.”

Ashley shook her head, but Brian could see the blush that colored her cheeks. “Why are you so nice to me, Mr. Brian?”

“Because I like you, Ashley.”

“I like you too,” Ashley replied.

Brian smiled. “How would you two like to help me make freshly squeezed orange juice for our brunch?”

“Yay!” both girls crowed. Brian got up to get the oranges out of the fridge.

That was how Justin found them some time later, sitting at the kitchen table with empty halves of oranges all over the place and a huge pitcher of juice that they were filling. The girls were holding the orange halves on the juicer while Brian collected the juice as it ran out. They were laughing and giggling. Justin thought he’d never seen a nicer picture, as he grabbed his camera and snapped a couple of shots before they realized he was there.

*****

“Come in, Susanna,” Justin said as he opened the front door of Edna’s Treasures to Ashley’s mother. “Brian’s just about to start breakfast.”

Susanna handed her coat to Justin as Bree and Ashley ran out of the kitchen. Ashley threw her arms around her mother.

“Hi, Mrs. St. John,” Bree said.

“Morning, Briana,” Susanna replied. “Did you girls have fun yesterday?”

“Oh yes, mommy. And me and Bree made you fresh squeezed orange juice,” Ashley excitedly told her mother. “Mr. Brian let us hold the orange on the juicer, and the juice just came pouring out.”

Susanna laughed and hugged her daughter. “That sounds like fun.”

“Come into the kitchen,” Justin said.

They all traipsed in to where Brian was behind the counter whipping a large bowl of eggs to make scrambled eggs. The smell of freshly cooked bacon wafted throughout the room.

“Morning,” Brian said. He now wore jeans and a soft brown sweater.

“Good morning, Mr. Kinney,” Susanna said cautiously.

“Please call me Brian.”

“Of course,” Susanna said with a blush, remembering what Justin had told her, but remembering it too late.

“Would you like some coffee?” Justin asked.

“That would be lovely.”

“Have a seat,” Justin said as he poured a mug of coffee for Susanna. He topped up Brian’s and his own, before carrying his mug and the new one over to the table.

“Thank you,” Susanna said as she took a sip of the coffee. “This is excellent.”

“Brian’s favorite blend,” Justin said.

“Can I help with anything?” Susanna asked.

“Nope,” Justin replied. “Brian has his way of doing his breakfasts. The Anderson-Morrisons from the other side of the cottage will be joining us for breakfast, if you don’t mind.”

“No, not at all, but that must be a lot of food to prepare.”

“You ain’t seen nothin’, until you’ve see Brian make breakfast for the whole family,” Justin laughed.

“And how many people would that be?” Susanna asked as she savored the fine cup of coffee.

“Oh, thirty or forty,” Justin laughed. “Depends who can make it on any given day.”

“My goodness!”

Brian merely winked at Justin and kept on cooking.

“Mommy, want to taste some of our juice?” Ashley asked.

“I’d love to.”

“I’ll pour it, Ashley,” Justin said. “That jug is kind of heavy.” Justin took the pitcher out of the fridge and poured a small glass of the orange juice. He handed it to Ashley to take to her mother.

“This is delicious,” Susanna said, as she tasted the sweet liquid.

“We made lots,” Ashley said.

“Used every orange we could lay our hands on,” Brian chuckled from behind the counter.

“I have to say, Mr. … um, Brian, that I never thought you’d be preparing all this food when Justin asked me to brunch.”

“Just one of my many talents.”

“So I see.”

Brian smiled at Susanna. He had been a bit worried about this brunch, since Susanna hadn’t been very happy with his contributions to Ashley going to camp. He hoped that topic would not come up. That was part of the reason he had invited Bobby and John to join them for brunch. Brian knew he could take whatever Susanna might want to dish out. It was Ashley he was worried about.

All worries put to rest, the brunch went swimmingly. John was his usual charming self. Bobby regaled Susanna with stories about their trip to England. Everyone seemed to have a very good time.

As Brian was cleaning up his kitchen and loading the dishwasher, Susanna came in from the living room. “May I get another cup of your delicious coffee?”

“Of course,” Brian said pouring it for her. “I hope you enjoyed the brunch.”

“It was fabulous, and I’m stuffed.” Brian smiled. “Brian, could I say something to you?”

“I doubt I could stop you,” Brian replied with a frown. He wondered if he was going to get taken down a peg or two about his charitable activities as they affected Susanna’s daughter.

Susanna smiled. “I just want to say thank you.”

“Thank you?” Brian asked, genuinely surprised. Thanks was not what he had been expecting.

“Yes, I appreciate how you’ve managed to help Ashley without her realizing what you were doing. She feels like an equal to your daughter, not a poor cousin.”

“She is Bree’s equal. I hope you don’t think…”

“Please, let me finish,” Susanna interrupted. “I know you don’t think of Ashley as a poor relative. That’s evident in how you treat her, and how she feels about you. I never would have allowed what you’ve done for her, if you’d made her feel like that.”

Brian nodded. “Ashley’s a special little girl. Bree loves her … and so do we.”

“Again, thank you,” Susanna said sincerely.

“Ready for some research?” Justin asked as he entered the kitchen. “I laid out all my findings up in Brian’s office. A lot of it is on the computer.”

“I’m ready,” Susanna said with a smile. She picked up the cloth bag that contained her research. “Thanks again, Brian,” she said once more.

Brian merely smiled and said softly, “You’re very welcome.”

Justin and Susanna left the kitchen to go up to his office.

*****

“This is unbelievable,” Susanna exclaimed as she followed Justin through the hall and out onto the sun porch. She quickly looked around the big space and saw several easels with works in progress.

“Am I taking you away from your work?”

“Not at all. I’m experimenting with a new technique so I’m letting the paintings dry a little before I apply the next layer.”

“What’s the subject of your paintings?”

“A family portrait,” Justin said as he pointed to a photograph that was sitting on a small table easel.

“On three separate canvases?”

“A triptych, the parents at each end and the children in the middle. Three individual portraits that will be grouped together.”

“Oh, how ingenious! Can I ask you something?” Justin nodded. “How did you keep Briana away from your paintings when she was a toddler? Ashley got into everything.”

Justin laughed then told Susanna about the indoor gar-gar incident.

“Look up,” Justin said as he pointed up to the pulley system that John had devised.

“Clever,” Susanna said as Justin led her up the spiral staircase to Brian’s inner sanctum. “I never saw anything like this.” Susanna was impressed with the construction of the attic office.

“Its twin is across the porch,” Justin commented as he indicated John’s side of the cottage. “John literally raised the roof to make the offices.”

“Impressive.”

Justin laid out the books he compiled of the known Kinney paintings and sculptures, as well as a smaller volume on Patrick’s work.

“This is a map of the route they traveled through Central and South America. They finally wound up in Texas near San Antonio. We found their final resting place,” Justin said as he showed her the pictures of their grave markers.

“This is what I found,” Susanna began as she pulled out copies of pages from an old ledger. “Before Kinney left this country, the land was going through a drought phase. Several of his neighbors and acquaintances had failing farms. Kinney valued the land; he was afraid that his neighbors would sell up and move away.”

“What did he do?”

“He arranged for private grants and long term loans. And these are the only records of those loans,” Susanna said as she spread the photographed pages across the desk.

“Who has the original ledger?” Justin asked.

“Believe it or not it’s in the local public library in Bridgeton.”

“You have got to be kidding me. Why didn’t anybody say anything during the time of the auction? It was big news at the time.”

“I think because no one actually examined the ledger very closely. Much of the writing is faded and some of the pages will disintegrate if not handled carefully. It’s been in a small vault that the library uses for rare books.”

“How did you find it?”

“As I mentioned, I was doing some research at the time of the auction, just for my own curiosity. I had no intention of doing anything with it and then due to time and circumstances, I set the whole thing aside. Ashley had a project to do for school so I asked the librarian if I could take a peek in the book vault. We were childhood friends and she knows how much I value historical items, so under her supervision, I peeked. I took the pictures with my cell phone.”

“This is amazing. I wonder if they’d allow me and Brian to look at it.”

“I don’t see why not. Technically, Brian and John are the rightful Kinney heirs.”

“I can ask Bobby; he’s our family lawyer. Sidney Bloom of the Bloom Gallery was responsible for the restoration of the Kinney paintings. I bet he can help us to conserve the ledger.”

“Can you imagine if some of the ancestors of the original loan recipients are still alive and living locally? They owe their land to Kinney. Think of the compounded interest!” Susanna said with a straight face then she and Justin cracked up. “Seriously, the book does belong to your family. I’m sure the library would allow it to be returned to its rightful owners. But it proves my point.”

“What point?”

“That your Brian is a good man. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”

“Hmm,” Justin murmured, as he recalled a story that he once coaxed out of Brian about his grandfather Aidan and an apple tree.

All About Brian

Chapter 7

“Hello?”

“Hi, JR.”

“Curtis, hi,” JR said with a tinge of color coming to her face.

“I hope you don’t mind me calling.”

“Of course not.”

“I … I was wondering if you’d like to meet me at the diner for a sundae … or something.”

“The diner?”

“That’s the only place I could think of that we both know.”

JR laughed. “It’s also the source of every rumor on Liberty Avenue. You realize it has major connections with my family. I can just hear the phone lines burning up if you and I go there together … alone.”

“Oh, I never thought of that,” Curtis admitted. His cheeks were burning even though the blush would not be visible.

“Is this like … a date?”

“Well…”

“Or do you need some more help with your paper?”

“I…

“It’s okay if it’s just the paper,” JR said quickly, letting her friend off the hook. She knew that was probably all Curtis wanted, but she had hoped…

“I do want to talk about my paper, but…”

“But what?” JR asked perking up again.

“I kind of like spending time with you.”

“You do?” JR asked, a grin spreading across her face.

“Is that all right?”

“I like spending time with you too,” JR replied, and then kicked herself mentally. Girls were supposed to play coy, she had been told. But she had learned to speak her mind, mostly from her mother who always spoke up whether it was wise or not. Her mother would probably not be pleased if she realized JR was helping Curtis write about her least favorite person.

Curtis smiled to himself. He had been hoping that JR liked being with him. “Where could we go?” he asked.

“For some privacy?” JR asked with a nervous giggle.

“Exactly.”

“There’s a little coffee shop a couple of blocks from my house. I could meet you there.”

“That sounds great,” Curtis said enthusiastically. “I’ll get one of my dads to drop me off there, if you don’t mind walking from your place.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Good, I’ll see you there in about a half hour,” Curtis said thinking that this could work out really well.

“Bring what you’ve written. I’d like to see it.”

“It’s kind of rough, but I’ll print it off.”

*****

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” Susanna asked her daughter.

Ashley and Bree were drawing at Bree’s little table in the sun porch.

“Do I have to, mommy?” Ashley asked.

“You’ve been here for a long time, Ashley. You don’t want to wear out your welcome.”

“Okay, mommy.”

“I love having Ashley here, Mrs. St. John,” Bree stated. “She can stay forever.”

Susanna chuckled. “That’s very generous of you, Bree, but I’d miss having Ashley at home.”

“Oh.”

“I think we better get going.”

“Okay,” Ashley said standing up. “Mommy, can Bree come to our place for a sleepover soon?”

“I … I don’t know. Would that be all right with your fathers?” she asked Bree.

“It would be just fine with Bree’s fathers,” Justin said as he carried Ashley’s bag into the sun porch. He had gathered up Ashley’s things from Bree’s bedroom. “Wouldn’t it, Brian?”

“Just fine,” Brian replied as he followed Justin in. “It was a pleasure having Ashley here for a couple of days. She was a perfect young miss.”

“You sound just like Hudson,” Justin laughed.

“Hudson was your housekeeper in England?” Susanna asked remembering some of Bobby’s stories during brunch.

“That’s right,” Brian replied. “She was very big on manners. I would have loved to have stolen her away and brought her home with us.”

“She made the best porridge,” Bree added.

“Porridge?” Ashley asked wrinkling her nose.

“Yep, I could show you what she put in it, if I come to your place.”

“Can she, mommy?”

“How about in a couple of weeks?”

“Yay!” the two girls yelled holding hands and bouncing up and down.

The adults smiled fondly at the two girls who had such a close bond.

*****

“The person who had the biggest affect on my life was the man I mugged.”

“Wow!” JR said as she read the first line. “Are you really going to start your paper like that?”

“It caught your attention, didn’t it?”

“I … I didn’t know that you actually mugged Uncle Brian.”

“You didn’t?” Curtis asked frowning. He had just assumed that Brian Kinney had told everybody.

“No, I knew you tried to rob Uncle Brian, but he never said…”

“Then maybe you better not read anymore,” Curtis said reaching for the paper.

JR pulled it away. “No, I really want to read this.”

“Okay, but there may be a few more surprises for you.”

I had an old rusty knife that I used to threaten my victims back then. I had to survive on the streets and this seemed like the only way, robbing people. I know this makes me a pretty horrible person, but I used to rob only people that I thought could spare the cash. This victim looked very prosperous, with his cashmere coat and his vintage Corvette car. Somebody was looking after me that day. I guess you could say that I chose the right person.

When I tried to get Mr. Kinney’s wallet, he refused. He wouldn’t give me the wallet, but he said he would give me the cash in it. I thought he was trying to trick me so I tried to cut him with my knife. I know I shouldn’t have done that, but I did. We struggled and he kept the wallet, but he threw his money at me. I grabbed it and ran.

“Oh my God! You cut Uncle Brian?” JR gasped.

“Not exactly,” Curtis mumbled unable to look JR in the eye. “I kind of scratched him. The blade wasn’t very sharp.”

“But still…”

“I know. I was very wrong, but I was … desperate.”

“I can see that,” JR replied. This was mostly all new and scary. Uncle Brian had never said anything about most of this. She continued reading:

I was very scared after this happened. I’d never hurt anyone before. I didn’t like thinking about what I’d done. However, the money came in very handy.

Then things started to change for me. I met someone at the Liberty Diner who gave me some food. She wanted to help me, I think, but I wouldn’t let her. And then this guy named Hunter found me. He brought me to the Jason Kemp Center where I was warm and I started to feel safe.

That’s when Mr. Kinney appeared again. I thought I was going to jail. He would have had every right to have me arrested, but he didn’t. I think that was the best thing that ever happened to me. Mr. Kinney started a whole bunch of stuff in motion. He had sent Hunter looking for me. Everything I have today I owe to Mr. Kinney not having me arrested. And more than that, he welcomed me into his family. He actually helped me find a family of my own, something I hadn’t had for several years.

“This is an amazing story, Curtis,” JR said as she reached the end of what he had written.

“You like it?” Curtis asked with a shy smile.

“I think riveting is too tame a word for it.”

Curtis chuckled. “I have to add some more.”

“Are you going to tell about Edna’s Treasures?”

Curtis shook his head. “I think Mr. Kinney wouldn’t like that.”

“You should add something about what happened to you that caused you to start mugging people,” JR suggested.

“Yeah, I guess I should.”

“And then at the end, more about how your life has changed.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really proud of how you’ve turned your life around, Curtis.”

“Thanks.” And at that moment Curtis was very proud too.

*****

“Kinney.”

“Hey, Pop!”

“Hey, Sonny Boy. How’s it hanging?”

“A little low and to the right.”

“A chip off the old block. And before this conversation goes any further, this does not count as my weekly call since you called me.”

“Oh, Dad. You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Nope. Now what can I do for you?”

“Am I still interning at Kinnetik this summer?”

“Gus, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s still February. Summer is several months away.”

“I know, Pop, but I also know that the intern spots get filled pretty quick.”

“And you want to reserve your spot.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I think Cynthia already has Kinnetik filled. We’re working on Harrisburg right now and N’rgy.”

“Dad, I really...”

“You know, Sonny Boy, every time you address me as Dad, I expect some sort of plea.”

“Dad...”

“Begging is nice too. Keeps one humble.”

“Bet you never had to beg for anything.”

“Maybe one thing,” Brian said with a smirk.

“TMI, Pop. Seriously, Dad, I was hoping to intern at N’rgy.”

“I figured as much.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Partially.” Brian heard his son groan over the phone.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“Gus, not everything is handed to you on a silver platter and I don’t play favorites. Your past performance as an intern at Kinnetik has allowed you to work there on a continual basis, but that doesn’t mean if you fuck up Cynthia won’t fire you,” Brian said sternly. “And you as my son must be doubly diligent.”

“Yes, Dad, I know but this is very important to me.”

“So then be straight with me. What do you want more, to work as an intern or to spend the summer fucking your boyfriend?”

“Honestly?”

“Yep.”

“I want to find a way to do both.”

“That’s the first genuine statement you’ve made since I answered the phone. This is what I propose. You spend at least the first two weeks after the end of this semester with your moms and JR. Then for July you’ll intern at Part Deux. If your moms agree, you can stay here and drive in with me or Bobby. If neither one of us are going to Harrisburg and you prove to me you can be responsible, I’ll let you take Justin’s Cherokee provided he gives his permission. You do a good job there, you can spend the remaining month at N’rgy. I’ll ask Simon and Ken if you can rent out a room in their apartment for the month. If not, I’ll set you up with some temporary housing somewhere in the neighborhood.”

“Pop, I swear, I will be the best intern Kinnetik has ever seen!”

“All I want is honest work from you.”

“I will, Dad. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t. Goodbye, Sonny Boy.”

“Goodbye? You trying to get rid of me?”

“Never, Gus. But I can almost sense that itchy dialing finger from here. The faster we hang up, the faster you can call Ray.”

“Oh, Pop.”

“Later, Sonny Boy.”

“Later, Pop. Oh...and Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Sonny Boy.” Brian smiled as he shook his head then went to call Cynthia and to speak with Justin.

*****

“Hi, Lacy,” Hunter said as he entered the diner.

“Hey, Hunter, have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”

Hunter sat down in one of the booths and waited.

“Coffee or soda?” Lacy asked as she came over to the table.

“Got a minute to talk to me?” Hunter asked.

“Um, yeah. Let me refill the coffee cups at that table, and I’ll be right with you.”

Hunter nodded. “Coffee,” he added. It was a quiet period between meals in the diner. That’s why Hunter had chosen it.

After a couple of minutes, Lacy arrived with two cups of coffee and a piece of apple pie. “Thought we could share,” Lacy laughed.

“Looks good.”

“It is. So, what can I do for you?”

“There’s a reporter sniffing around,” Hunter began. He cut off a piece of the pie with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. He could use a sugar fix.

“A reporter?”

“Yeah, name’s Dennis Hawk from the Tribune. I don’t trust him. I get the distinct impression he’s out to do a hatchet job on Brian.”

“Really? What does this have to do with you? Brian can take care of himself.”

“Most of the time he can, but I’m kind of responsible for letting Hawk in. He said he wanted to do a story on the Center, and I thought we could get some good publicity out of it.”

“But he doesn’t really want to write about the Center?”

“He’s been asking questions about Brian, hinting that Brian started the Center to get some chicken.”

“Fuck!” Lacy reacted. “Maybe Sateeena needs to rip his balls off.”

Hunter let out a loud laugh. “I may take you up on that.” Lacy blushed. “What I do need you to do, if you’re willing, is to talk to Hawk and tell him how Brian and the Center have helped you. And with no ulterior motives. It would be good that someone of the female persuasion was helped by the Center. Hawk thinks Brian was after the boys.”

“I’d be happy to tell that asshole what the Center has done for me. And Brian … he’s done more for me than I ever thought possible.”

Hunter squeezed Lacy’s hand. “Thanks, Lacy. Your help means a lot to me … and to Brian.”

“Just tell me where and when,” Lacy said. “I need to get back to work.”

Hunter decided to finish his pie. As Hunter savored the sweet dessert, he thought about how the Center had helped a lot of kids. When he saw what Lacy, and some of the others had made of their lives, he couldn’t help but be proud. And a lot of it was due to Brian Kinney.

All About Brian

Chapter 8

“Patrick?”

“Hm.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

“Then why don’t you talk to me?” Bree asked. The children were strapped in the back of Justin’s SUV, while Brian drove them home from school.

Brian looked into the rearview mirror waiting for Patrick’s reply. He had noticed that the children had been unusually quiet, and hadn’t spent much time together when they were at Edna’s Treasures.

“I’m not mad,” Patrick repeated.

Bree looked over at her cousin and friend. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. You’re a girl and I’m a boy. You like to do princess stuff with Ashley. I like to look at buildings with my dad and throw a ball around with Beau. That’s all.”

“But I like to play with you.”

“I don’t like … tea parties so much anymore,” Patrick explained.

Brian snorted. “I think someone’s growing up.” Patrick grinned at his uncle.

“But I like to play with you,” Bree said. “I’ll throw a ball around.”

Patrick let out a sigh. “I’ll still play with you, Bree. You know that. It’s just that sometimes, I want to do other stuff, guy stuff.”

“Oh.”

“Bree,” Brian said jumping in. “Girls and boys often aren’t interested in the same things.”

“Why not?”

‘Shit!’ Brian thought. Why couldn’t he just keep his fucking mouth shut? “That’s just the way it is,” Brian replied hoping that would suffice.

“But I don’t like that.”

“You may not like it, Squirt, but it’s a fact of life.”

Bree frowned. “No.”

“What do you mean no?” Brian asked looking at her in the mirror.

“I don’t want it to be like that.”

“It just is. There’s nothing you can do about it,” Brian said as he drove through the gate leading to Edna’s Treasures.

“Maybe I can,” Bree replied. Brian could see the wheels turning.

“Here we are,” Brian said as he stopped the car in front of the conjoined cottages.

“Thanks, Uncle Bri,” Patrick said as he got out of the SUV and ran into the house.

Brian smiled as he took Bree’s extended hand. He walked with his daughter to the house. He might have made Patrick happy, but his daughter certainly wasn’t.

*****

“How’s it going, sweetie?” Lindsay asked as she walked into the dining room of the house.

“Like shit,” Melanie replied. She was ensconced at the dining room table with her laptop and pads of paper surrounding her.

“That good, huh?”

“I don’t know why I’m trying to write about that asshole. I should have known better.”

“Well, Brian is the asshole who fills the bill of what you’re supposed to write about.”

“That’s the fucking problem,” Melanie sounded off.

“What do you mean?”

“He fills the bill perfectly. I can’t do anyone else, but…”

“But what?”

“I can’t describe him the way I want to,” Melanie sighed.

“Oh, you mean with a string of curse words,” Lindsay said with a laugh. “Your creative writing teacher might not like that.”

“Of course, he wouldn’t like it. And neither would I. I want to do this properly, but it’s so frustrating.”

“What have you written so far?”

“One line.”

“One line? Haven’t you been working on this for…?”

“Weeks? Yes.”

“Read me the line.”

“It sucks.”

“Read it!” Lindsay ordered.

“There is only one person who can be described as the one I dislike most, but who has had a major impact on my life over and over and over and over again,” Melanie read from her pad.

“Do you think you have enough over and over’s?” Lindsay laughed.

“See, I told you it sucked.”

“It doesn’t suck.”

“I know it does.”

“Okay, it sucks,” Lindsay agreed.

“Thanks,” Melanie said sarcastically.

Lindsay heaved a sigh. This was one of those lose/lose situations no matter what she said. Then a thought occurred to her. “Why do you need to repeat the premise of your paper in the first sentence? Why don’t you just start describing Brian?”

“Just start…?”

“Yes, let it all roll out, curse words and all, all the feelings you have about Brian, random thoughts, things he’s done. Justin told me to do that with my drawing – to draw little pieces of things, not worry about the whole picture. He told me to draw snippets that I found interesting, and it worked.”

“So, you think I should start writing snippets of things that Brian has done – things that have affected my life.”

“Exactly, and your feelings about them. Just start and then edit later.”

“Hm,” Melanie said as Lindsay beat a hasty retreat, hoping her suggestion might work.

*****

“Brian Kinney” by Melanie Marcus

A- Is for asshole. I probably shouldn’t use such a crude word but it fits and he’d be the first to admit it. Brian Kinney is an ‘A’ number one asshole of epic proportions. ‘A’ could be for arrogant too and he wouldn’t disagree.

B- Bastard but not in the literal sense. He had legally married parents at the time of his birth. But I guess the bastard goes with the arrogant part.

C- Cocky, given Brian’s proclivities in his youth, this adjective fits him to a tee, in all its connotations.

D- Damnable for the bad things he’s done, and the good.

E- Effective in whatever he sets his sights on to achieve, especially in business. He is the most effective person I have ever known.

F- Frustrating! No further elaboration necessary.

G- Guts, he has the guts to do what most people couldn’t even dream of. I have always been envious of that fact.

H- Heart, he has one. It took me years to discover that he does have a heart. Its depth is boundless. He cares deeply about his family, all his family, which includes me.

I- Irritating, he can be the most irritating man. Sometimes I want to throttle him. And unfortunately, one time I came too close to doing it and for the wrong reason. I jumped to the wrong conclusion about Brian and I almost ruined one of his most worthy charities. I hope he’s forgiven me.

J- Jerk!

K- Kickass wardrobe. I’ve known Brian for a very long time. The man knows how to dress. Even when he’s barbecuing chicken or making an omelet or covered in dirt from gardening, he’s always impeccably dressed.

L- Loyal, so loyal that he sets himself up to be hurt, but he won’t admit that. He’s always there, brutally honest (another ‘H’) but there whenever any of his immediate or extended family needs him. He would move heaven and earth to help any one of us. And I’m pretty sure he has.

M- Married! Ha! The man who swore he’d never do anything as conventional as marriage, did just that. Of course it’s not legal and technically a commitment ceremony, but to him and his partner, they are married. I hate to admit this; his commitment is the strongest I have ever seen.

N- Nefarious...not, don’t ever cross him or his family but he is a fair man, in looks (for a man) and in the way he treats his business associates and employees. As much as I would like to use nefarious to describe Brian Kinney, he’s not. But his past enemies might.

O- Opinionated almost to ad nauseam, and the bastard is usually right.

P- Possessive, maybe a little too much. But only when it comes to his privacy, his family, especially the children and to the love of his life. I think in a few ways he and I are alike. We’re too possessive because we believe we’re not worthy of what we have.

Q- Queer.

R- Relentless, at least in business. He’s not afraid to work hard to get what he wants and yet maintains the highest of quality. It’s what makes him a leader in his field. He’s also Rage.

S- Self made man. He’s worked hard for everything he has. Maybe from the outside it looks like Brian did it all on his own and where it matters the most, he did. But he also has the wisdom to hire the best and it shows in his product. Soccer, he’s very good at it and got through college on a soccer scholarship.

T- Temper, he has one. Forewarned is forearmed.

U- Unending love of his children, his partner and his family. I really should follow his example, he puts his family first.

V- Vain, he is vain. There’s no sugar coating it. He will fight the aging process for as long as he can. Vengeance, do not hurt his family, Brian will find a way to punish the guilty.

W- Wealthy, he’s earned every penny. He’s wise with his money and generous too. I can’t go into detail with that so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

X- There isn’t an ‘X’ word that applies to Brian other than maybe x-ray. He had an illness once that could have turned out to have been tragic but he did the right things and he’s fine.

Y- Brian has a youthful looking partner and is himself aging well. I guess all that expensive anti-aging crap he buys is working.

Z- Zeus, at least according to his partner, Brian is a god. I don’t see him that way, I see him as a man. A very complex man but a man nonetheless.

I realize that this paper is very unconventional, but Brian Kinney is an unconventional man. I am not one of his favorite people, but that didn’t stop him from helping me and my life partner to get married. When our marriage was on the verge of breaking up, Brian was there to help us find the reasons to fight to make it work.

Brian Kinney is a good father. I wish I could say otherwise but take one look at his kids and you’d know it’s the truth.

He stays at the cutting edge in his field and is not afraid to take certain risks. He knows when to rely on his own instincts and when to ask for help from his trusted friends, family and associates. I wish I could learn how to do that. Then again if Brian Kinney can learn to do that, maybe I can too. I hate to admit it but there are times when I ask myself, what would Brian Kinney do in a situation like this?

He still irritates me and I find him exasperating, but he’s an integral part of my life and my family. Without him, I don’t think there would be a family. And that’s what makes him so irritating.

The End.

*****

“Mr. Hawk?”

“I’ve told you to call me Dennis.”

“I prefer Mr. Hawk,” Hunter replied.

“Suit yourself,” Hawk said with a feral grin. This kid thought he was onto Dennis Hawk, but he had no idea. “What can I do for you?”

“You said you’d like to talk to some of the kids who’ve gone through the Center.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve got a list.”

“Hand selected no doubt.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hunter asked even though he knew exactly what Hawk meant.

“You want me to talk to this select group who will give me only the most glowing of reports about the Center … and about one Brian Kinney.”

“They will tell you the truth of what their lives were like before they found the Center,” Hunter corrected him. “And what’s happened since.”

“Maybe it will be the truth for them, but what about some of your less successful clients?” Hawk asked pointedly.

“I…”

“Don’t bother explaining. I’ve been through this kind of thing before. Arrange your meeting and I’ll listen.”

“You’re so magnanimous,” Hunter said sarcastically.

“It’s the least I can do,” Hawk replied with a chuckle that held no humor at all. “You’ve been so cooperative. Let me know when you’ve got it all arranged.”

There was a click as Hawk cut the connection. Hunter pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the receiver. This was not going to be easy. He set the receiver back on its base, hoping that the family’s plan would work.

*****

“Hello?”

“Mr. Kinney?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“Curtis … Curtis Samuels.”

“Ah, Curtis my boy, what can I do for you?”

“I have something to ask you. I hope it’ll be all right,” Curtis said carefully.

Brian felt his brow furrow at Curtis’ words. Did the kid want money? That’s usually what people wanted from him. “Ask away,” Brian said with a sigh.

“I have an assignment to do for school,” Curtis began.

“A school assignment?” Brian asked. This was not what he had been expecting.

“Yes, Mr. Kinney.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“I have to write a paper about the person who has had the greatest impact on my life.”

“Oh, so you want some information about Raph or Hector? I’m sorry but I don’t know much about them; I’m sure you already know…”

“No, Mr. Kinney, it’s not Raph or Hector, although, I did consider writing about them.”

“Hunter then? I can probably help you with that. I know a lot about the Center and Hunter’s background…”

“No, not Hunter. I want to write about you,” Curtis blurted out.

“Me? I’m just some guy you mugged,” Brian tried to joke.

“No, no, you’re not,” Curtis stated. “You’re much more.”

“You really want to write this paper about me?”

“I do.”

“So, why are you calling me about this? Why not just write it?”

“I already have … most of it anyway,” Curtis admitted.

“I still don’t see why you need to call me, Curtis,” Brian said getting a little testy with the lad.

“Because I have to hand in the paper I write, and I could be asked to read it in front of the class.”

“Oh?”

“It occurred to me that you might not be too happy if I reveal some of the stuff that happened between us. JR was really surprised about the knife and…”

“You told JR about our … encounter?” Brian asked as his eyebrow shot up.

“Yeah, she wanted to read what I had written so far.”

“I … I don’t know about this, Curtis,” Brian said slowly.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Curtis sighed. “I almost have the paper done, but I’ll start over if you don’t want me writing about you.”

Brian thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure he wanted everyone knowing about the knife, and Curtis trying to cut him.

“Mr. Kinney?” Curtis said as the silence on the line lasted for quite a while.

“Yeah, I’m still here.”

“So, do you want me to write about Raph and Hector instead … or Hunter? I’ll do that if you want.”

“Curtis, I … first let me say that I’m really impressed that you thought to ask me about writing this paper. Most kids would have just done whatever they wanted and not thought about the consequences.”

“I … I really appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Mr. Kinney. I don’t want to do something that would upset you.”

“Do you think I could see a copy of your paper before you hand it in?” Brian asked.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“If there’s anything I really object to, would you take it out of the paper?”

“Yeah, I could do that,” Curtis agreed beginning to feel like Mr. Kinney might let him do this paper.

“Okay, then finish it and email it to me. I’ll let you know what I think.”

“That’s great, Mr. Kinney. Thanks, thanks for everything. I’ll email you a copy in a couple of days,” Curtis promised.

Brian smiled. “Don’t make me too much of a martyr or too much of a villain. I did what I wanted to do.”

Curtis smiled. “Thanks,” he said as he set the phone down. Now he needed some way to sum up what Brian Kinney had done for him and then he could send the email the paper to the man himself.

*****

“It’s done,” John announced to no one in particular. He didn’t notice Bobby rounding the stairs.

“Your paper is done already?”

“Not my paper, my dedication to Brian.”

“Oh. May I hear it?”

“If you’d like. I took your suggestion and kept it simple. Shall I read it to you?”

“Please,” Bobby said with a smile as he made himself comfortable on the pull-out sofa in the office. John cleared his throat then began to read.

“I devote this architectural research into my fascination with cottages to my brother Brian Kinney.

For most of my life I led a quiet and calm existence. I got up in the morning, went to work in my construction company and when I wasn’t raising roofs with my friend and business partner, I was wrangling cows and harvesting wheat on my mother’s farm. Life was pretty simple. Until the Summer of 2005 when a unique man came barreling into my life, turning it upside down when he announced that he was my brother.

Life has never been the same.

Thanks to him, I’ve gained knowledge regarding my ancestry, learned the truth about myself, found a life partner, have a son and one of the largest extended families in the state of Pennsylvania. If not for him, I’d still be on that farm.

I live in awe of him, and am forever grateful to him.”

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s lovely.”

“Lovely? Do real men say lovely?”

“This real man does. John, your devotion is simple, to the point and is sincerely written from your heart. It is lovely and I think Brian will be pleased.”

“And you’re not insulted that I devoted the paper to Brian.”

“No, babe, I bless the day you two met just as much as you do, because he led you to me.”

All About Brian

Chapter 9

“Ashley!” Bree yelled as she ran out of the school and saw her friend waiting on the sidewalk.

“Hi, Bree.”

“Are you waiting for your mommy?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, there’s my Daddy’s car,” Bree said as she saw Justin’s SUV pull into the lot.

“You better go,” Ashley said with a sigh. Her mother was supposed to be picking her up after school, but there was no sign of her. She’d wait by herself, as she sometimes did.

Bree looked at the SUV and then at her friend. “I can’t wait till the weekend and the sleepover at your place.”

Ashley smiled at her friend. “Me either,” she grinned.

“Bree, Ashley,” Brian called as he got out of the SUV.

“Here, Dada,” Bree called. “Why are you calling Ashley?”

“Ashley’s mother is running late and asked me to pick her up,” Brian explained as the two girls ran over to him. “You don’t mind coming home with us until your mother arrives, do you, little lady?”

“Nope,” Ashley said with a big grin.

“She told me she’d clear it through the school office,” Brian said as he waved to the monitor on duty. The woman merely waved back, so Brian assumed it was okay to take the little girl with him.

Patrick ran over to them just then. “Hi, Uncle Bri.”

“Hey, little Red, you don’t mind riding up front with me, do you?”

“No, why?” Patrick asked with a pleased smile.

“I put your old booster seat in the back for Ashley. Let’s get you ladies strapped in.”

“I’ll help, Uncle Bri,” Patrick said confidently as he helped Ashley get the seat belt buckled around her.

“Thanks, kiddo,” Brian said with a grin. “You’re becoming quite the man.”

“I know,” Patrick replied as he climbed into the front seat and did up his own seatbelt.

“Let’s get this show on the road.”

Brian drove them to Edna’s Cottages. He hardly got a word in edgewise as the girls babbled on and on to each other. Patrick merely rolled his eyes and enjoyed riding up front.

“And we have arrived,” Brian informed them as he pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the cottages. “Last stop, everybody out.”

“Silly Dada,” Bree replied. “We know we’re here.”

The girls ran into the house leaving Brian and Patrick to carry their backpacks for them.

“Women,” Brian groused good naturedly.

“Yeah, women,” Patrick parroted.

Brian flung his arm over Patrick’s shoulder and they followed the young ladies into the house.

Some time later Brian poured himself a cup of coffee as he had dinner all prepared and in the oven. He walked over to the entrance to the sun porch to see what his two charges were doing. Justin had made a milk run to the general store. Two growing girls who liked chocolate milk had cleaned them out. Brian could hear Ashley’s voice loud and clear as he approached.

“Ashley, that sounded real good,” Bree said. She was ensconced on one of the chaises with her grey bunny on her lap, Brian noted, and Ashley was just inside the doorway where he stood. He wondered what the two girls were up to. “Start over again,” Bree commanded.

Brian waited, wondering what was going on.

Ashley cleared her throat rather obviously, and Brian had to smile. He wondered if they were making up a play or something.

“The person who had the most influence on my life,” Ashley began, “other than my mommy, is not one person but a family of people. It’s my best friend Bree’s family, the Kinney-Taylors.”

That made Brian smile to himself. He didn’t think Ashley knew about any of the things they had done for the little girl, like the camp scholarship. Even though Ashley’s mother knew, Brian didn’t think she would have told her daughter. And there were other things that even Susanna didn’t know about.

“Bree is very lucky. She has two daddies, and I don’t have none.”

Brian drew in a breath. This was an unexpected revelation. Now he couldn’t turn away. He wanted to hear more.

“I was going to talk about Bree because she’s my best friend. She helped me when some kids were calling me names and saying I was ugly. Bree told them she’d kick their … you know what’s … if they didn’t leave me alone. I really liked that she did that for me. But then her Dada said we should tell the teacher. We did and things have been better ever since, and Bree didn’t have to beat anyone up.

“Her other Daddy lets us paint with him. He’s a famous artist. I really like painting, but I’m not very good at it, not like Bree. She’s real good.

“Her Dada, though, always helps me and tells me how nice I look and how smart I am. He calls me little lady, and I like that. For a long time I didn’t think I was very pretty or smart. My daddy didn’t like me or he would have stayed with us.”

Brian felt his heart wrench in his chest. He wondered where Ashley’s father was these days. Brian would love to have a few carefully chosen words with the man.

Ashley continued, “Now, I know I look okay and everybody in the Kinney-Taylor family thinks I’m smart. I like going to their house. I always have fun there. Mr. Kinney tells me he likes my dress or my hair barrette. He notices stuff like that. He also talks to me like a grown up. I really like when he does that.

“Anyway, the Kinney-Taylors have really influenced my life. They make me feel really good about myself. I’m practicing this speech with Bree right now. I know it’s going to be good.”

Bree laughed and ran over to hug Ashley. “That was really, really good. Except that last part. You can’t say that to your class,” Bree cautioned.

“I know. I just added it on for you.”

Brian cleared his throat. “How would you little ladies like a small dish of ice cream? I believe we have some butter pecan in the freezer. I think you’ve deserved a treat for that lovely speech.”

“Yay!” the two girls yelled bouncing up and down as they held hands.

Brian grinned at their enthusiasm. He was breaking his own rules about sweets before dinner, but he wanted to do something special for the two children that stood in front of him. In all their innocence, they had made his day, his week, hell, his year. And rules were made to be broken.

*****

Curtis studied the screen on his computer. The new laptop had been his Christmas present from Raph and Hector. He could hardly believe his eyes when he had unwrapped it on Christmas Day. He knew he had wanted his own laptop for a long time, but he had refused to ask his parents for it. He thought it was just too much. After all they had done for him already, he didn’t have the nerve to ask for something so expensive.

And yet somehow they had known, and they had got it for him. Curtis couldn’t believe how his life had turned around. It was … everything a life was supposed to be. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was, especially after all the bad things that had happened to him in the last few years.

And so much of it was a result of his chance encounter with Brian Kinney.

Curtis read over the last paragraph of his paper once more. He liked it. He liked the whole paper. He just hoped Mr. Kinney would like it, because he didn’t want to have to change it, or start all over again writing about someone else.

Curtis made an attachment and put in Brian Kinney’s email address. Holding his breath for a second, he clicked on send. And it was done. Now all he had to do was wait for Mr. Kinney’s response.

*****

“Ms. Marcus, Hunter’s on line one for you,” Mel’s assistant said through the intercom. Hunter and his clinic held a very special place in the GLBT community. Unless Mel had given explicit instructions not to be disturbed, she would always take Hunter’s call.

“Hi, Hunter,” Mel said as she picked up her phone.

“Hey, Mel. Do you have a few minutes? I have a problem and I could use your advice.”

“My advice? Don’t you usually go to Brian or Bobby when you have a problem?” Mel said trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. It would have been one hell of a coup if Melanie and her firm represented Hunter and the Jason Kemp Clinic.

“This involves Brian, so I’d rather leave him out of it for the moment. Bobby would take this straight to Brian.”

“I’m intrigued. Can we do this over the phone or do you want me to come to you?”

“No, don’t come here. This is going to sound weird, but can you meet me at Deb’s in about an hour?”

“I thought Debbie and Carl were chasing the sun?”

“They are. You have a key, right?”

“Yeah, we all do. I think we’re on the ‘water the plants’ roster in a few weeks.”

“Then can you get there first? I might be followed.”

“Hunter, do we need to get the police involved?”

“No. Just trust me, Melanie. Please. I’ll explain when I see you.”

“All right, I’ll pack it up and head over now. You get there when you can and then I want an explanation,” Mel said sternly.

“Yes, ma’am, you’ll get it.”

*****

“So what’s with all this cloak and dagger stuff? And what’s it got to do with the asshole?” Mel said as she faced off with Hunter in Deb’s kitchen. She was about to water one of Deb’s plants that was beginning to look brown. Hunter stuck his finger in the flower pot then stopped her. “Huh?” Mel questioned.

“It’s too wet,” Hunter explained. “This plant likes it a little dry; that’s why it’s looking brown. It needs to dry out for a few days before it gets watered again.”

“Oh,” Mel said as she dumped out the small watering can. “Does everyone know about plants but me?” she mumbled to herself. “So spill,” she said out loud.

Hunter told Melanie about his meetings and conversations with Dennis Hawk.

“Shit,” Mel let out. “You know I’ve always liked Hawk’s Prey. He doesn’t pull any punches. And he’s usually right about the people he investigates. I wonder why he’s going after Brian and why now after all this time? It doesn’t make any sense. Do any of your graduates have any beef with Brian?”

“Mel, I only have three graduates that have ever met Brian.”

“Who?” Mel couldn’t think of any.

“My first, Frankie, then Lacy and Curtis.”

“Duh!” Mel exclaimed as she bopped herself in the forehead. “I forgot about Frankie. He’s in computers, right?”

“Yes, he is. He finished college, reconciled with his father and he just got a job in Brandon’s company. He’s doing so well,” Hunter said proudly.

“You know, I think of Lacy and Curtis as part of our family, so it didn’t occur to me how they first came into our lives.”

“I know what you mean,” Hunter said as he picked up a small chachka that sat on Deb’s mantle. “Melanie, I realize Brian is not one of your favorite people but he hasn’t done anything wrong. His reasons for starting the clinic were in part because of me. And kids like Frankie. He had no ulterior motive. He doesn’t deserve to be persecuted.”

“I agree.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“With which part?”

“All of it. Brian has never been one of my favorite people but, and I really hate admitting this, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have Lindsay or Gus. I wouldn’t be a part of our family. And I know he has no other motive than trying to prevent another Jason Kemp from happening.”

Mel was quiet for a few moments. “So do you want me to sue Hawk’s ass?”

Hunter smiled. “No. I’m arranging a little party for some of the clinic’s graduates. Hawk wants to meet them to get to the truth about Brian. I just want you to be there. Your animosity toward Brian is well known on Liberty, but if you’re there to defend Brian...”

“Then Hawk will have to know that it’s legitimate,” Mel finished Hunter’s thought.

“I’m hoping that’s the case. If it doesn’t work...”

“Then I sue his ass!” Mel said with a sinister smile.

“Yeah,” Hunter said with his own smile.

*****

Brian stared at the computer screen. Was this his week for testimonials? He could hardly believe what he was reading. Brian thought about it for a moment. Then an unsettling thought occurred to him. Maybe his cancer had come back and everyone knew it except him. First there was Ashley, and now Curtis praising him and his actions. What the fuck was going on? The universe had gone completely off its path. Where had the Brian Kinney that everyone knew and detested gone?

Brian read the last two paragraphs of Curtis’ paper again, making sure he hadn’t totally missed the sarcasm with which it was probably written:

Brian Kinney saved my life. I know that I would not be where I am now without his help. I wouldn’t have a warm, safe home. I wouldn’t have two parents who love me and give me so much. I would still have been living on the streets, a runaway with no future, cold and bitter, robbing people to live. Or more likely I’d be dead. That’s usually what happens to kids like me – either from freezing to death or trying to steal from the wrong person who might be toting a gun instead of the rusty knife I carried. I owe my life to Brian Kinney, who with that one generous act of not having me arrested, gave me a chance for a whole new life.

If I get the chance, and it looks like I will, I want to grow up to be just like Brian Kinney. I don’t mean that I want to be an advertising executive. I don’t think I could do that. But I want to be kind and generous and understanding, even in a hard nosed way, just like Brian Kinney, the man who changed my life.

Nope, he hadn’t been wrong. Curtis seemed to think that this Brian Kinney person was a little bit of all right, more than a little bit in fact. Brian let this new idea roll around in his head. He had always tried to cover his tracks whenever he did something nice or generous. It now seemed that at least two people were onto him, Ashley and Curtis. And of course, Justin. Justin had always been onto him.

Brian smiled and then the smile faded. Brian’s brow furrowed and he thought about Dennis Hawk. There was at least one person out to crucify him. Even if Curtis’ class thought Brian Kinney was a kind, generous man, Dennis Hawk would clearly set them and everybody else straight.

Brian thought about his reputation as a hard-nosed asshole. That’s who he’d always been. He’d always prided himself on that fact. He needed to think about this. He wasn’t sure he wanted Curtis reading this to a class of high school airheads. Curtis made him sound too good to be true, and the class would probably laugh themselves silly.

“Fuck!” Brian muttered. He was worrying about Curtis getting laughed at, more than he was worrying about them laughing at him for being such a fucking soft touch.

“What’s wrong?” Justin asked as he entered Brian’s office.

“Um … nothing,” Brian replied quickly, turning off the monitor on his computer so Justin wouldn’t see what Curtis had written. He needed to think about what he was going to do in regards to this paper.

Justin eyed Brian suspiciously. It wasn’t like Brian to hide things from him, but that certainly seemed like what his husband was doing. “I put Bree to bed,” Justin said. “She wants to say goodnight to her Dada.”

Brian smiled. “I’ll go tuck her in.” He stood up and started out of the office. “Are you coming?”

“No, you go do your tucking. Read her a story. She seemed wide awake. I want to check something in my research on Kinney the artist.”

Brian frowned. “Okaaay.” He made his way down the spiral staircase.

Justin watched his husband disappear and then walked over to the desk. He sat down in the chair that Brian had just vacated. He pushed the button to turn on the monitor, and he started to read.

All About Brian

Chapter 10

“Hello?”

“Raph? Brian Kinney, here. Sorry to call so early.”

“It’s not that early. Curtis is just about to leave for school.”

“Good, I was hoping to catch him. May I speak to him, please?”

“Sure, hold on,” Raph said, curious, but he wasn’t going to pry. Curtis had on his coat and his backpack slung across one shoulder. He was ready to walk out the door. “Curtis, Brian Kinney is on the phone. He’s asking for you,” Raph told Curtis as he held out the phone.

Curtis’ pensive looking face took on a worried expression as he took the phone.

“Good morning, Mr. Brian,” Curtis said formally.

“Good morning, Curtis. I apologize for not getting back to you last night. I did receive your email and I read your paper.”

“What did you think about it?”

“What I think is irrelevant. What do you think about it?”

Curtis wasn’t sure what Brian wanted to know. But he didn’t think that Brian sounded angry. He carefully considered his next words. “I think I presented the facts as I saw them.”

“You think?” Brian quickly replied.

“No, I don’t have to think about it, I know I did.”

“And are you pleased with your paper?”

“Yes sir, I am. I fulfilled my assignment.”

“Then I say, present your paper and I hope you get a great score.”

“Thank you, Mr. Brian!” Curtis said with so much enthusiasm he was practically shouting.

“No, Curtis, thank you,” Brian said just before he hung up the phone.

“Son, is everything all right?” Raph asked Curtis.

“Yes, Dad, everything is great! Mr. Brian gave me permission to submit my paper,” Curtis said as he gave his father a hug then hurried off to school before he became late.

*****

“Bree!” Ashley called out as her class entered the lunch room. She was sporting a smile that rivaled Bree’s. The best of friends sat next to each other as they took out their lunches.

“Did you give your report yet?” Briana asked.

“Yes and I got an ‘A’!”

“Yay!” Bree cried out as she flung her arms around her best friend. “I knew you could do it. You’re so smart.”

“Thank you for helping,” Ashley said as she bit into her apple.

The girls laid out all their extra goodies in their lunchboxes in rows in front of them and then carefully divided them up for each to share.

*****

“So do I get to interview some of your gay boys or do I write my article now with what little I know is true?” Dennis Hawk threatened.

“I’m not sure you know anything, true or otherwise, but yes, you may have your interviews. We’re having a reunion with some of our graduates. Come to the clinic Saturday afternoon around one. But, Mr. Hawk, let me make this clear, our graduates are all of legal age; they have the right to tell you to get lost.”

“I understand. All I’m after is the truth.”

“That’s what they all say. I’ll see you Saturday,” Hunter resisted slamming down the phone as he hung up on Dennis Hawk.

Hunter sat for a while. The clinic was quiet at the moment. The winter months were usually very busy for the clinic. Homeless and desperate street kids, hookers and hustlers, Hunter wished he could help them all. Sometimes he couldn’t. Then there were the older ones, the ones beyond Hunter’s help, the ones that ran from the system. It pained him to know that they were out there, and he also knew that he could have been one of them or one of the nameless dead.

Hunter shook himself out of his temporary melancholy. He had work to do. He could concentrate on the ones that were in his care and on his streets. If he did his best with them, then there wouldn’t be any older ones. Hunter sought satisfaction with that. He checked his watch then picked up the phone.

“Vanessa, this is Hunter, is Judge Schultz free?”

*****

“Brian,” John said softly as he walked into Brian’s office. Brian had made one of his spectacular breakfasts for the family, then feigning work, he sequestered himself up in his office.

“John?”

“It’s time to go.”

“Kids?”

“They’ll spend the day with Rachel. Bobby’s parents and my mother and Steve will be coming over later tonight. Rach wants to do a family dinner.”

“The kids will be happy to spend the day with Rachel and the family,” Brian said with a wistful tone.

“Rachel’s girls are coming home for the day too. Bree’ll be happy,” John added. Brian nodded.

Brian sighed, shut down his computer then followed his brother down the stairs.

*****

“Justin?” Brian called into the bedroom.

“On the phone. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Brian shrugged his coat on. John had gone back to his side of Edna’s Treasures to get his own coat, and Bobby. Brian sat at the kitchen table while he waited for everyone to appear. They were his support system, he thought, and he was glad to have them coming with him. But he’d rather not be doing this at all.

Why did so many things turn out to be all about him? This had started as a simple newspaper article about the Jason Kemp Center and now it was a goddamned intervention to defend his fucking reputation. Like it was ever going to change anything anyway. There would always be someone with a grudge or a supposed slight who was ready to take on the infamous Brian Kinney. That seemed to be his lot in life.

Brian remembered the days when he didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought of him. He wondered what had happened to those days. He supposed Justin had happened, and then Gus, and later Bree. Things had changed so much over the years. He actually had a fucking good reputation to defend. And he had people who were ready and willing to defend it. How times had changed!

“Brian,” Justin said as he came out of the bedroom. “You ready to go?”

“Just waiting for the denizens of the other side of this habitation to put in an appearance. Maybe they’ve changed their minds and decided not to come.”

“No way!” Justin replied quickly. “You know they’d defend you to the death.”

“Yeah,” Brian sighed, “just like someone else I know.” He looked into Justin’s eyes.

“You know I’ll always defend you, you big smoosh.”

“I used to be the Big Asshole,” Brian replied.

“That was a long time ago.”

“I just realized that.”

“About time,” Justin said setting down a folder so he could put his own coat on.

“What’s this?” Brian asked indicating the folder.

“Um … nothing,” Justin said quickly. When Brian raised an eyebrow, Justin added, “Just some notes that I made.”

“You wrote down things to defend me?” Brian asked in surprise.

Justin shrugged. “I don’t think Dennis Hawk is going to be interested in my opinion. But I’m prepared in case he asks me anything.”

“Thanks,” Brian said simply as he kissed Justin’s temple.

“Let’s get going,” John said as he hurried in from his side of the cottage. Bobby followed right behind him. “We want to get there before Hawk does.”

“Shouldn’t I make a grand entrance,” Brian asked, tongue in cheek.

“Just behave yourself, and let the rest of us do the talking,” Bobby admonished.

“Why the fuck am I even going?” Brian griped.

“Because Hawk has some ulterior motive where you’re concerned, and we’re going to find out what it is, and put it to rest once and for all.”

“If you say so, boss,” Brian snarked.

They made their way out to the car.

*****

John’s big Lincoln Navigator entered the suburbs of Pittsburgh. In another few minutes they would be at Liberty Avenue and then the Jason Kemp Center.

“Brian, you okay?” John asked.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve been so quiet all the way here.”

Brian looked down at his hand. It rested on the seat beside him, Justin’s fingers woven into his. “What’s to say?”

“It’s going to be all right,” Bobby said trying to be reassuring.

“I fucking hate this,” Brian retorted. “Why the fuck do I care what that asshole writes about me.”

“It isn’t just you,” Bobby reminded him. “He’ll be writing about the Center too. Hunter doesn’t need bad publicity.”

Brian sighed. He knew Bobby was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. He had always refused to defend himself and his actions. His mantra had been to let the assholes think what they wanted. He never cared. Now it seemed he did care, and that fucking made everything a big mess.

Justin squeezed Brian’s hand. “It’s going to be fine,” he whispered.

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Justin said firmly. “I refuse to let anything bad happen to you or the Center.”

“Sure, All Powerful One,” Brian said sarcastically.

“I’m JT, remember. I make things right for Rage.”

Brian snorted. “You and Mikey and your fucking comic book heroes.”

“You’re my hero, always have been, always will be,” Justin whispered as he leaned over and kissed Brian’s cheek.

Brian turned his head and kissed his husband in earnest. “I hate bringing all this on … everyone.”

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want to be,” John assured him.

“I know, but…”

“There is no but, little bro’. We’re family; we stick together. And nobody gets away with threatening anyone that we love,” John said adamantly.

“Got that right,” Bobby agreed.

“Jeez, it’s embarrassing being around you fucking pair of Pollyannas,” Brian said, although the sarcasm didn’t quite come across.

John and Bobby kept their faces pointed forward, so Brian couldn’t see the smiles that Brian’s statement brought to their visages. They both knew the old Brian Kinney was back when he talked like that.

“I love you,” Justin whispered. “We’ll get through this with flying colors.”

“Yeah,” Brian said, and there was an edge of steel in his voice.

John pulled into a parking space outside the Jason Kemp Center.

“Showtime!” Bobby said as he got out of the SUV.

*****

“Here you go, Mr. Hawk,” said a thin androgynous looking person who handed Hawk a plate of surprisingly appetizing looking hors d’oeuvres.

“Thank you,” Hawk replied politely. “Um?” Hawk had a confused look on his face.

“Lacy, and don’t worry, I get that a lot,” Lacy said with an amused smirk.

“How do you know Hunter?” Hawk asked as he took a cautious nibble on a Swedish meatball. Hunter had asked Lacy to do the catering, since she was one of the center’s most accomplished graduates and one who decided to give back to the center and the neighborhood.

“Everyone on Liberty Avenue knows of the Hunter-man.”

“But do you know what they do here?” Hawk leaned in to speak to Lacy confidentially.

“Yes, I do,” Lacy answered seriously. “If it wasn’t for Hunter and Brian Kinney I probably wouldn’t be alive. Or if I was, I’d probably be dying of AIDS or some other disease and most likely coked up. You see, Mr. Hawk, I’m one of the grads,” Lacy announced proudly.

“But you’re a girl!” Hawk declared the obvious.

“And you didn’t know that until I began to talk to you. No one knew and I kept it that way while I was on the street. It kept me alive while I hustled.”

“You mean hooked.”

“No. I was good working in the shadows, not letting my tricks cop too much of a feel and I have a great ass. That’s all they wanted, so I hustled, until Hunter, Brian and Justin helped me. And now I help them, whenever I can.”

“How?” Hawk set his plate on a nearby table to take out his pad. “Do you mind if I write?”

“No, but before I go on, what are you really doing here?” Lacy asked as she narrowed her gaze on Hawk’s face.

“I’m doing a story on the kids that Hunter and the clinic helped,” Hawk said with as much conviction as he could muster.

“Mr. Hawk, it may be years since I turned my last trick but I know when I’m being hustled. Brian Kinney and Hunter have saved countless lives via this clinic, mine included. And they’ve raised the economic status of this area. This street was once lower than pond scum, but now it’s beautiful and full of life. And that’s because of Brian and Hunter.” Lacy picked up Hawk’s plate then walked away.

“Trust a fag to insult a lesbian,” Melanie growled at Hawk. She had come into the clinic just in time to witness Hawk’s exchange with Lacy.

“Do I know you?” Hawk asked Mel.

“Yes, we’ve met at a few GLC functions and at the local GLBT business association. Melanie Marcus, attorney,” Mel said as she extended her hand.

“Yes, Ms. Marcus, I remember,” Hawk replied as he shook her hand firmly. “You’ve been a member of the GLC for...”

“Longer than I care to admit. I hear you’re doing an exposé on Brian Kinney.”

“Who told you that?”

“I like to keep tabs on Kinney’s dealings.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like him. I’ve never liked him, but unfortunately I’m related to him. And other than him being an asshole, he’s been a model citizen and an asset to our community for a lot of years now.”

“How are you related?”

“He fathered my son.”

“You had Kinney’s son?”

“Fuck no! My partner is the biological mother. I wouldn’t touch that cocksucker’s sperm with a ten foot pole.”

“You don’t like him, but you’re defending him?”

“I’d defend anyone who was being railroaded for no good reason,” Mel said honestly.

“And you believe that Kinney started up this clinic for the simple reason that he wanted to clean up the streets.”

“Nothing is simple with Brian. He’s the most complicated person I have ever met. But for lack of a better explanation, yes. Brian’s one of those kinds of people one would call a visionary. He literally had a dream and it frightened him. Instead of ignoring it like most of us would, he did something about it. As a result not only did he create this clinic, but he made it possible to educate and employ the kids that graduated out of here.”

“And how are these kids employed? Just what do they have to do for Kinney?”

“For Kinney? What the hell are you talking about? Brian has sunk his money into the clinic and that’s it. He networks in the community and provides pro bono PR.”

“What does he ask in return?”

“You see that poster over there, the one under Jason Kemp’s picture?”

“Yes.”

“Read it. It’s the mission of this place. That’s what Brian asks in return.”

Mel joined Lacy who was serving lunch to the guests, as Hawk went to read the poster.

“Do you think he’ll get it?” Lacy asked Mel as she handed her a salad.

“I’m not sure. He’s gunning for Brian and I don’t know why.”

“Could he have been one of Brian’s tricks?”

“You know about them? It was a very long time ago.”

“I know but some people have long memories on the avenue. The kids don’t give a crap; it’s only your generation that sometimes gets obsessed with the past. At the diner when the night shift gets off, the older guys will come in for dinner or a cup of coffee before they drive home. They talk, they remember the good old days when Brian Kinney would fuck his way through Babylon.”

“And they’re nostalgic about it?”

“They’re men,” Lacy answered shaking her head and then giving a shrug of her shoulders.

“Hmph, men,” Mel grumbled, shaking hers as well.

Brian, Justin, John and Bobby entered the clinic as Dennis Hawk was reading the rules.

All About Brian

Chapter 11

“Hey, guys,” Hunter said as he approached the Edna’s Treasures family. “Glad you got here.”

“We thought we’d arrive before Hawk got here,” John said.

“Too late. That’s him over there,” Hunter replied cocking his head towards the reporter who was stuffing finger foods in his mouth, as he read the mission statement for the Center.

“Lovely,” Brian said sarcastically.

“Do you recognize him by any chance?” Hunter asked.

“No, should I?”

“Just wondered if maybe you had, you know…”

“Fucked him?” Brian asked with a derisive grin. “Not that I remember, but that doesn’t mean anything. If he’s gay, there’s a good chance…”

“Brian,” Justin interrupted slipping his hand into Brian’s. “You don’t need to… What’s done is done.”

“Yeah,” Brian conceded. He glanced at Hawk who seemed to be giving them the once over. Brian wasn’t sure what he saw in Hawk’s expression. “Who are all these kids?” he asked looking at the young people.

Hunter chuckled. “The graduates of the Center.”

“I don’t recognize any of them,” Brian said looking around.

“Yes, you do. Lacy, and of course Frankie.”

“Frankie’s here?”

“Yes, he is.”

“How’s he doing?” Brian asked.

“Just great. Why don’t you go talk to him?”

“I could use a drink,” Brian said.

“We don’t have any alcohol.”

“A fucking soda! Or coffee,” Brian reacted.

“Here you go, your majesty,” Bobby said sticking a can of Diet Coke in Brian’s hand. “If your throat dries up take a sip.”

“You’re just full of good advice, Red.”

“That’s me,” Bobby laughed. Brian felt some of the tension ease out of him. Bobby grinned at him and then squeezed his arm reassuringly.

“Mr. Kinney,” a young man said rather tentatively.

“Frankie, right?” Brian asked, as the rest of Brian’s support group moved away, leaving Brian and Frankie to talk alone.

“Yeah, I wanted to thank you for starting the Center and helping me find a life.”

“Then it all worked out properly,” Brian said with a small grin. He remembered how seeing Frankie on the street that day so long ago had affected him. He didn’t want any young person to have to live like that.

Justin moved over toward Hawk, while Brian was occupied with Frankie. “Hello,” he said to the reporter, when the person he had been talking to moved away.

“Yes?” Hawk asked imperiously. He liked letting people know they were beneath him. Then he realized that he was talking to Justin Taylor, Kinney’s partner and a world renowned artist.

“I’m Justin Taylor.”

“Yes, I recognized you. Still with Kinney?”

“Yes, and will be for as long as we live.”

Hawk snorted. “I doubt that.”

“I don’t know what you think of Brian, but obviously it isn’t very much. I want you to know that Brian Kinney has changed over the years. He’s my partner, my husband, father to our children and a very successful businessman. He’s not the philandering asshole that some people remember.” Justin looked pointedly at Hawk, clearly placing Hawk in that latter category.

“I get it, okay?” Hawk said. “You’ve done your job as faithful spouse and lap dog.”

“I beg your pardon,” Justin reacted.

“You heard me. You’ve done the required job of praising your spouse.”

“It’s good to know that I’ve met the expected criteria,” Justin said sarcastically. “Here’s something unexpected. Read this!” Justin pulled a paper out of the folder he had brought from home. He shoved it towards Hawk knowing that the man probably wouldn’t bother to read it.

“What is this?” Hawk asked scanning the page.

“It’s a paper written by a 16 year old kid whose life was saved by the Center and by Brian Kinney. Not that you want to hear anything good about the Center … or about Brian.”

“How do I know you didn’t write this?”

“I wouldn’t waste my time on you, Mr. Hawk. It just so happens that Curtis had to write this paper for school. He sent Brian a copy. I thought you might be interested in what he had to say, but I guess it was a waste of time bringing it. Read the last couple of paragraphs if nothing else. They’re very enlightening.”

Justin turned abruptly and made his way over to Lacy. He was afraid if he said anything more, he’d call Hawk the pompous asshole that he found him to be.

*****

“Hey, Sunshine, whatcha doin’?”

“Jesus, Brian, do you have to sneak up on me?”

“It’s one of my foolish pleasures.”

Justin chuckled. “Asshole,” he said affectionately.

“Ah, I see you’ve been converted to the dark side,” Brian said looking over at Hawk.

“Never.”

“So what were you giving Hawk – a bribe, your number…?”

Justin shook his head, but couldn’t help smiling. There would always be some of the old Brian Kinney inside the new Brian Kinney. “Neither,” Justin said emphatically.

“What was it?” Brian asked.

“I thought you were talking to Frankie.”

“I was. He’s doing … good. So, what were you slipping to Hawk?”

“I wasn’t slipping him anything. If you must know, I gave him a copy of Curtis’ paper.”

“Someone’s been snooping,” Brian said acerbically.

“Sometimes someone has to.”

“Does Curtis know?”

“I have his permission. That’s who I was on the phone with just before we left home.”

“Ah, home, can we go there now?”

“Not yet,” Justin said bluntly.

“I was afraid you were going to say that.”

“You know me so well.”

*****

“Judge Schultz, fancy meeting you here,” Hawk said as the family court judge entered the room.

“Mr. Hawk, I heard you were here trying to cause trouble for these good people. Don’t you have other more deserving organizations to harass?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Why are you here?”

“Just making sure the whore of Liberty Avenue isn’t taking any liberties with these kids. But apparently even if something illegal was going on around here these ‘good’ people wouldn’t tell me about it.”

“That’s because there’s nothing to tell other than this center has saved a lot lives and has significantly lowered the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDs in teenagers in this community. Mr. Hawk, be straight with me...”

Hawk chuckled.

Ignoring it, the judge continued. “What exactly is your beef with the Center and with Brian Kinney?”

“Last summer I got a tip that a teenage boy came through the Center and was turned down for services. I tried to track down the kid but was informed that all records are confidential. The caller also implied that the reason he was turned down was because he wouldn’t put out for Kinney.”

“The records are confidential especially if the child is under age. The counselors consult with me or my colleagues at family court and a guardian is appointed.”

“So why would a kid be turned down?”

“I don’t know. Did you bother to ask Hunter or Karen?”

“Would they tell me the truth?”

“Depends on how you ask the question. Why don’t we ask now? Karen, would you mind joining us,” Judge Schultz called over Hunter’s right hand woman and co-counselor. Karen had been with the Center almost from its conception.

“Judge Schultz, so good to see you. What can I do for you?” Karen asked trying to be cordial in spite of Hawk’s scrutiny.

“Karen, did a boy come through here last summer and get turned down for services?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, there was. Although that’s not quite how it happened.”

“And I’m sure you have a plausible explanation,” Hawk said as sarcastically as he could.

“Yes, I do, the young man was lying,” Karen stated plainly.

“Lying? Why would anyone lie about being homeless or hustling for lunch money,” Hawk asked incredulously.

“Several reasons, but let me give you a little background on how we work around here,” Karen said as she led Hawk and Judge Schultz toward the poster with the rules and mission of the clinic. “Our kids come to us desperate, battered, hungry, without hope, with little self respect or confidence. Sometimes they’re runaways, sometimes they’ve been kicked out because they’re gay or perceived as gay. And sometimes they just fall into a bad crowd and don’t know how to get out. They’re hungry, dirty and more often than not, sick. We clean them up, feed them, get them medical attention and counseling. We offer whatever services that are appropriate to the individual. You’ve met Frankie, he was our first. He was a runaway. He thought he couldn’t go back to his family because he was gay and was hustling. Ultimately, with help from some of our supporters, we were able to reunite him with his father. He’s doing very well.”

“That’s nice to hear but what does this have to do with the other kid? Does he have a name?”

“Of course he does, but he’s underage and even though he never was officially one of our kids, I must protect him.”

“Great, so it’s your word against his,” Hawk said as he turned to walk away.

“Mr. Hawk, I wasn’t done,” Karen said in a tone that brooked no argument. She had dealt with much tougher than Dennis Hawk. He didn’t intimidate her.

“Get to the point,” Hawk demanded.

“The young man in question knew enough of how we operate to try faking being homeless to get employment placement and temporary housing. He was neither homeless nor in need of one of our jobs.”

“How did you know?”

“Mr. Hawk, I’ve been a family counselor for a very long time. I’m not that easy to fool. He wasn’t underweight, dirty enough or desperate enough. And I recognized his picture from the society pages of your newspaper.”

“What?”

“Junior prom king, I believe at St. James Academy.”

“Shit! So I was scammed?”

“Apparently. I put an end to the sham pretty quickly and escorted the young man to the door.”

“But what does this have to do with Mr. Kinney?” Judge Schultz asked.

“From what I remember Brian was spending a lot of time at Kinnetik which is not too far from here. He has a habit of coming here, checking things out and making donations,” Karen explained fondly with a smile. “Most people on Liberty know about Brian Kinney and his association with the clinic, perhaps the young man was angry at me and decided to hurt us through Brian.”

“You’re smiling,” Hawk stated the obvious.

“I can’t help it. You have to know Brian to understand.”

“I know Brian Kinney,” Hawk grumbled. “What type of donations does he make?” Hawk asked clearly.

“It depends. Sometimes it’s food for the pantry or new bedding for the dorms or toiletries for the bathroom. One time we got a delivery of computers and a variety of music CDs. He just pops in and things show up within a day or two.”

“And he never asks for anything in return?”

“Just that the kids work hard to abide by the rules,” Karen replied.

“Mr. Hawk, I’m curious, why now? You say you got this alleged tip last summer. What took you so long to investigate?” the judge asked.

“Timing, lack of information and although I did try to find the kid, he seemed to have disappeared. When he didn’t pester me to follow up, it got pushed aside. I just recently found my notes. I thought I’d poke around and shake things up a bit.”

“Got a little bit more than you bargained for, didn’t you?” the judge asked.

“Kinney was a bastard,” Hawk sneered. “I never believed he could change.”

“Mr. Hawk, change is what this center is all about,” Karen said. “Our kids come here to turn their lives around. Perhaps the Brian Kinney you knew, no longer exists.”

“So I’ve been told,” Hawk said as he shook each lady’s hand then walked away.

“Think he got it?” Karen asked with a sigh.

“Maybe,” Judge Schultz replied.

*****

“Hawk! I want a word with you,” John growled as he stepped up to Dennis Hawk. John had waited until Hawk was alone. Hawk had had a brief but eye opening interview with Frankie. He took one large step back, as the angry Brian lookalike stepped into his personal space.

“And you are?” Hawk asked softly.

“John Anderson, Brian Kinney is my brother and I’m warning you, we will sue you for slander if you print anything...”

“Mr. Anderson, let me assure you, my article will be a positive one and only about the Center itself. If I do mention Brian Kinney, it will only be to give him credit for having the forethought of thinking up the idea for the clinic,” Hawk said quickly.

“What changed your mind?” John asked, his anger all but dispelled.

“The Jason Kemp alumni and the Center’s supporters. No matter what I may personally think about Brian Kinney, I can not dispute the facts. But mainly, I can read the writing on the wall,” Hawk said as he cocked his head toward the poster under picture of the clinic’s namesake.

John nodded his head then rejoined his family.

*****

After a few hours, the reunion was winding down. Before leaving, the graduates each gave their heartfelt thanks to Hunter, Karen and to Brian and his family. Dennis Hawk had his interviews and was preparing to leave as well. He cornered Brian who was speaking with Lacy.

“You still want to take a shot at me?” Brian asked Hawk.

“No. It would serve no purpose other than get me in a hell of a lot of trouble with several prominent people, including a family court judge and a lawyer known for advocating for the underdog. I just want to know one thing.”

“And that is?” Brian could only surmise what that one thing was.

“Is it true you gave up tricking?”

“Yes.”

“I was a pretty good fuck, back then, still am,” Hawk said as a come-on but with a tone of defiance.

“I don’t doubt it,” Brian said in a dolce voice. He had had thousands of nameless fucks. Some better than others, some downright pathetic.

“So why were you such an asshole with that one time only rule?” Hawk asked as Justin walked over to them to stand at Brian’s side. Brian smiled softly at Justin.

“Because, why settle for pretty good, when I already have the best,” Brian replied as he bussed Justin’s temple. Draping his arm over Justin’s shoulder Brian led his family out of the clinic and onto home.

All About Justin

Chapter 1

“Whatcha doin’, Sunshine?” Brian singsonged as he sauntered into the sun porch. He was carrying a mug of coffee for himself and another for his spouse. He handed one mug to Justin who was sitting on one of the chaises with sketchbooks spread around him, all over the chaise and the surrounding floor.

Justin took a sip of coffee before answering. “I’ve been thinking about something Sidney said to me about the London show.”

“What’s that?” Brian asked as he sat down on the chaise across the pile of sketchbooks from Justin.

“He said I should ‘chronicle Justin Taylor’.”

Brian frowned. “Is that why you included some of your early sketches of me in the London show?”

Justin smiled at Brian. “Kind of… There are some early nudes of you that I really like.”

“Don’t they all!”

“Certainly the staff at the London Gallery enjoyed them,” Justin chuckled.

Brian grinned. “But you’re not quite finished with Sidney’s idea, are you?”

“You are the smartest man…”

“I’ll accept the compliment, but it’s really only because I know you so well.”

“Do you?”

Now Brian frowned. “Don’t you think I know you?”

“I think you know me as much as any person can know another.”

“Have you been talking to Ben?”

“Huh?”

“You’re going all Zen on me.”

Justin chuckled. “Is that what you think?”

“Where did all this deep meaning for everything come from otherwise?”

Justin shrugged. “I was looking through these old sketchbooks. I drew … pretty well back then.”

“You drew damn well back then.”

“Thanks, but…”

“Then Chris Hobbs happened, and everything changed.”

“Yeah,” Justin said sadly. “I used to love to sketch, especially … you.”

“I know,” Brian smirked.

“Do you remember that sketch of you that I submitted to the GLC Art Show right after we first met?”

“You mean after I picked you up on Liberty Avenue for a one night stand.”

“Yeah, the one night stand that’s lasted eighteen years.”

“On and off,” Brian said with a smirk.

“But mostly on.”

“Yes, mostly on,” Brian admitted.

“Do you remember that sketch?”

“Of me in bed with my dick hanging out from the sheet?”

“That’s the one.”

“I remember. Your mother wasn’t too fond of it, as I recall.”

“I didn’t know she was going to be there,” Justin said shaking his head.

“But you were glad she came, even if the sketch scared the shit out of her.”

“Yeah, it was a big step for her.”

“And I believe it was the first picture you ever sold,” Brian said.

“Yeah, I’ve always wondered who bought it.”

“Have you?” Brian asked with a funny look on his face.

“It would be interesting to include it in a show as the first work of Justin Taylor.”

“It wasn’t your first though. You had all kinds of sketches already, if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah, speaking of Chris Hobbs. I used to draw him in his football uniform, in his track shorts, naked…”

“How did you know what he looked like naked?” Brian asked.

“We were in the same gym class. Showers!” Justin said like Brian was completely dense.

“Of course, so what have you been plotting with all these sketchbooks you’re going through?”

“It’s just an idea, but I was thinking about taking some of my best sketches, and then doing a painting to go along with each of them. Some of the paintings could be abstract or representational or somewhere in between. Whatever seems to come to mind or suit the sketch.”

“Sounds like genius to me.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but choosing the sketches is going to be the hard part,” Justin said with a sigh, gesturing to the mountain of sketchbooks beside the chaise. “And this is just the first pile.”

“You can do it, Sunshine,” Brian said standing up. He leaned over and kissed the top of Justin’s head. “If you need help picking the best ones of me, I’ll be glad to help.”

“Or you could pose for some current ones…” Justin suggested.

“You know I will.”

“Just one of the many reasons I love you.”

Justin went back to flipping through his sketchbooks as Brian walked back into the kitchen.

*****

“Justin,” Brian called from inside the house.

“What is it?” Justin called back. He was almost through the pile of sketchbooks he had been reviewing. He wanted to finish them today. There were more he’d look at tomorrow.

“Can you come in here for a minute?”

“Do you really need me?” Justin asked. “I’m almost finished here.”

“I think you need to see this.”

“Fuck!” Justin muttered as he shoved some sketchbooks out of his way. He laid the one he was looking at on the chaise so he could find where he had left off. He walked into the house. “What’s so impor…” The word died on Justin’s lips, as he looked at what was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs. “Where … where did you get that?”

“I bought it.”

“You bought…”

Brian nodded. “Yes.”

“You bought it? And all this time…”

“I’ve had it stashed away.”

“And you never told me?”

“I … I was going to, but the time was never right,” Brian said lamely. This wasn’t going the way he thought it would. The look on Justin’s face worried him.

“You?”

“Yes, me.”

“How could you?”

“I liked the sketch and I … wanted it.”

“I thought I actually sold a picture that night, but it was just you…”

“What the fuck do you mean, just me?” Brian asked. “I paid good money for this sketch.”

“But you weren’t a real buyer.”

“The fuck I wasn’t!”

“You … you were my boyfriend, being nice, condescending to pay for something you could have had for free, building me up when there was really nothing there…”

“Are you fucking nuts?” Brian demanded. “You’re a world famous artist. I knew quality when I saw it.”

Justin continued to stare at the sketch with unbelieving eyes. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“I bought the fucking sketch. What’s the problem?”

“It was all a lie. I didn’t sell a picture that night. It was you.”

“In case you have forgotten, Sunshine,” Brian said sarcastically. “I was not your boyfriend. I was not being nice. I did not do nice back then. I did not condescend to pay for this sketch. I wanted the fucking thing. I liked it. It … meant something to me. So I bought it, like any buyer of a piece of artwork they liked would have done.”

Justin tore his eyes away from the sketch and finally looked up at Brian. “Really?”

“You know I don’t lie,” Brian said.

Justin felt a little smile crinkle the corners of his mouth. “I … I’m glad it was you who bought it. I’m glad you still have it.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” Brian replied with a sigh of relief, as he crossed the short distance between them and pulled Justin into a hug. “I should have told you a long time ago, but the truth is, I’d forgotten all about it until you mentioned it.”

“Where have you had it all this time?” Justin asked from the shelter of Brian’s arms.

Brian chuckled. “You know the big Prada box that’s been on the shelf in my closet for all these years?”

“The one that holds the first good suit you ever bought when you started making real money?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Justin shook his head. “You never did show that suit to me, even though I asked to see it several times.”

“I managed to find ways to distract you.”

Justin smiled. “Because it really held this sketch.” Brian nodded. “Thank you, Brian Kinney.”

“For what? I thought you wanted to shoot me a few minutes ago.”

“I did, but … I’ve changed my mind.”

“Good.”

“Thank you for appreciating my art, even way back then, and for being the first person to buy a piece of it.”

“It was my pleasure then and now. Always has been, and always will.”

The smile was radiant before it was crushed under the force of Brian’s lips claiming Justin’s in a passionate kiss. It was a good thing Bree wouldn’t be home from school for a couple of hours.

*****

“Hey,” Justin said as he walked into the kitchen. He had just come from Bree’s room after reading her a bedtime story. “She’s waiting for you.”

“Me? You’re the bedtime father.”

“Usually, but she wants to ask you a question,” Justin said with a crooked smile.

“Ah. In other words she wants to see if she can sweet talk me into something,” Brian said knowingly with an arch of his brow.

“Probably.”

“So what do you suggest, oh great wise disciplinarian,” Brian said opening his arms wide making Justin giggle.

“I suggest you stand tall. You have a backbone, use it. You aren’t generally swayed by a pretty face.”

“Unless that pretty face belongs to a Taylor,” Brian said as he steeled his back then walked down the hall to his daughter’s room.

“Hi, Dada,” Bree greeted her older father with a sleepy sunshine smile.

“Hey, Squirt, why are you still awake? It’s getting late and you have school in the morning.”

“I waited for you,” Bree said as Brian sat on the edge of her canopied princess bed. He tucked the blankets under her chin then smoothed them out.

“I’m here. Daddy said you had something to ask me.”

“Uh huh,” Bree yawned.

“You better ask me fast before you fall asleep.”

“Can I have a birthday party?’

“I think that can be arranged, but we’re not going to have an extravaganza like we did when you turned five.”

“Okay, Dada,” Bree said as she closed her eyes. “Love you, Dada,” Bree mumbled as she drifted off.

“I love you, Squirt,” Brian said as he gently kissed his daughter’s cheek. Brian sat on the edge of Briana’s bed for some time just staring at her sweet innocent face.

“Bri?” Justin said as he slowly open the bedroom door and peeked in. “Everything okay?” he whispered.

Brian nodded.

“What are you doing?” Justin quietly asked as he stepped into the room.

“Just watching her sleep,” Brian murmured.

“A guilty pleasure?”

Brian nodded again. Justin walked to the other side of the bed to sit on the edge. He stretched out his hand which was met by its mate.

Hand in hand Bree’s fathers watched her sleep.

*****

“What did she want?” Justin asked as he rested his head against Brian’s chest, as they snuggled under the blankets.

“She wants a birthday party.”

“Not an unreasonable request. What did you tell her?”

“I told her yes, but no three ring circus. She agreed.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“For what? For not caving into an almost seven year old?”

“A very persuasive almost seven year old.”

“She takes after her Daddy.”

“More likely, she takes after her Dada.”

“So do we have a party?”

“She enjoys sleepovers. What if we have a sleepover party? She can invite five of her closest friends.”

Brian remained very quiet. Justin twisted around so he could look at Brian’s face.

“You don’t like that idea?” Justin asked with some concern.

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is?”

“We’ll be overrun with girls,” Brian groused.

Justin chuckled. “I’ll protect you, my big smoosh,” Justin whispered as he kissed Brian’s chin then tucked himself under it.

“My hero,” Brian said giving Justin a little squeeze as they fell into a contented sleep.

*****

“Knock, knock,” Justin said as he rapped on the door jam of Bobby’s office door. “Your assistant said I could come in.”

“Sure, come on in, have a seat,” Bobby said indicating a chair in front of his desk. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“No, thanks.”

“What are you doing in Harrisburg?”

“I was picking up some supplies and thought we could do lunch.”

“And?” Bobby asked knowing his young brother-in-law very well.

“And I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Susanna found a ledger that may have belonged to JAB Kinney.”

“A ledger? What type of ledger and where is it?”

“Apparently Kinney made land grants and monetary loans to his neighbors in an effort to stop the landowners from selling up and moving away.”

“I take it this happened prior to his meeting of Patrick and their subsequent flight.”

“Yes. Susanna says Kinney kept meticulous records. She happened to come upon the ledger in the Bridgeton library in their book vault. She says some of it is still legible but if it’s not conserved soon it will become a pile of dust.”

“Do you think Sidney can have the ledger conserved?”

“I did mention it to Sidney. He wants to have a look at it. It’ll have to be carefully moved.”

“Okay, but I don’t hear a question in all of this.”

“If Kinney made loans but wasn’t ever paid back, would the descendants be responsible? Does the land still belong to the Kinney family?”

“Are you looking to go after the money?”

“No! Of course not, but what if the land is just there and legally belongs to John and Brian. Maybe they can do something with it.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Turn it into farmland or maybe a museum.”

“A Kinney museum?” Bobby chuckled.

“Maybe. Or maybe a park. The land could be a dump site. If we take ownership we could clean it up, turn it into something nice,” Justin said as he batted his lashes at Bobby.

Bobby laughed out loud. “Oh you are good,” Bobby laughed. “Okay, first let Sidney get some clear photos of as many pages of the ledger as he can before he starts working on it. We have many examples of Kinney’s handwriting. It won’t be difficult to authenticate. If we can trace the loan recipients we might, and I mean, might have a case. I doubt if Brian or John would displace anyone that’s been living on the land for years.”

“Yes!” Justin said as he pumped his fist into the air.

“You’re such a kid sometimes,” Bobby said shaking his head. “So do I still get lunch out of you?”

“Yeah, come on,” Justin said. Bobby shut down his computer then accompanied his brother-in-law out for lunch.

All About Justin

Chapter 2

“Hi, Pop.”

“Hey, Sonny Boy, nice of you to make my once a week call,” Brian said facetiously into his phone.

Gus groaned. “Are you ever going to let that go?”

“Not planning to.”

Gus laughed. “Now I know why people call you an asshole.”

Brian snorted. “I’ll have you know that I have been the recipient of some glowing testimonials lately, so watch the asshole cracks.”

“I could say something about asshole cracks, but something tells me I better not.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Good choice.”

“And what’s this about testimonials?”

“Oh, nothing … just kidding.”

Gus frowned. When his father said something was nothing, it usually meant it was something. He’d have to look into this when he got home. “How’s everybody?” he asked changing the subject.

“Up to our asses in work.”

“I could have guessed you would be with the new Kinnetik Isles, but what about Justin? Isn’t he taking some time off after his success in London?”

“That was supposed to be the plan, but he’s done a slew of commissions, and now he has a new idea,” Brian explained.

“I could ask if those new commissions meant that I might get my Fur-Harry?” Gus proposed with a laugh.

“Keep laughing, Sonny Boy. No Ferrari for you, until you earn it yourself.”

“That’s what I thought,” Gus sighed. He really wanted a car, even some old piece of junk. “What’s Justin’s new idea? Does he need a filmmaker?”

“Not this time. It’s painting and sketching.”

“Too bad. I could use some extra cash.”

“You need money?” Brian asked, instantly aware that Gus had made that implication. There was being conservative about money, and then there was being cheap. Brian Kinney was not going to be relegated to the latter category.

“No, Pop, I’m fine. But money means new toys, that’s all.”

“Boys and their toys,” Brian chuckled. “Say, Sonny Boy, are you going to make it home for Bree’s birthday?” There was a long silence on the line. “Gus?”

“Um, I…”

“I feel a no coming on.”

“I’ll be studying for finals and finishing up assignments. I…”

“It’s okay, Gus. We’re not having a huge party or anything. Bree’s going to invite five friends for a sleepover,” Brian explained.

“You and six little girls?” Gus asked in disbelief.

“You think I can’t handle it?”

“I know you can’t handle it,” Gus laughed.

“Oh ye of little faith, but you’re probably right.”

“So Justin will be looking after them.”

“As much as possible.”

“You are so bad.”

“Goes without saying. Oh, and Gus, you better make sure you do something special for Bree’s birthday when you finish your year at Penn.”

“Of course I will, Pop.”

“Love you, Sonny Boy.”

“Me too, Pop.”

Brian cut the connection and smiled to himself. He had such a good kid. It never ceased to amaze him that he could tell Gus that he loved him. How things had changed in the new Kinney family!

*****

“Daddy,” Bree said.

“Yes, Bree,” Justin said. He was fixing Bree and Patrick a snack. They had just come home from school.

“Should I invite Winona to my sleepover?”

“The question is ‘Do you think you should invite Winona?’.”

Bree sighed and picked up a carrot stick off the plate that Justin set in front of them. “I don’t know,” she said with a frown, and then snapped off a bite of her carrot stick.

“I don’t think you should invite her,” Patrick stated emphatically. “I think she’s yucky.”

Justin smiled to himself as he waited for Bree’s reaction.

“You don’t like Winona,” Bree told Patrick.

“That’s right, and neither do you.”

“I … sort of like her,” Bree clarified. “Sometimes.”

“Do you want to invite her?” Justin asked again. He set a glass of milk in front of each child.

“I know she’ll be mad if I don’t. I don’t like hurting her feelings.”

Justin ran his hand over the top of Bree’s head. He loved that his daughter was sensitive to the feelings of others. “You think she would be hurt?” Bree nodded. “Would it make you feel bad if she was hurt?” Another nod. “Then maybe you should think seriously about inviting her.”

Patrick shook his head. “I wouldn’t.”

“But you’re a boy,” Bree said, like that explained everything.

“I think you’ll be spending a lot of time in your end of the cottage with your dads that day,” Justin said squeezing Patrick’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Patrick agreed.

“Have you decided who else you want to invite?”

Bree looked thoughtful. “Ashley.”

“Of course,” Justin chuckled.

“JR.”

“Are you sure she’ll want to come with all you youngsters?” Justin asked.

“Sure,” Bree replied.

“I think you better ask her.”

“Okay,” Bree agreed. She had just assumed JR would want to come to her party. “I was going to invite you, Patrick.”

Patrick’s eyes got huge and his mouth dropped open. “You can’t have boys at a sleepover,” he informed his cousin.

“Why not?”

“Boys don’t go to sleepovers with girls,” Patrick replied.

“Not until the boys are much older, and then they can hardly wait for an invite,” Justin said with a chuckle.

“Huh?” two voices asked simultaneously. The children looked up expectantly at Justin for an explanation.

“Um… Who else are you going to invite?” Justin asked hoping he could divert the children from that question.

“Maybe Brenda and Hannah.”

“They’re okay,” Patrick said giving his two cents worth.

Bree frowned. “This is very cop-a-clated,” she said.

“Yes, it is,” Justin agreed. “Give it some more thought, and talk to JR.”

“’Kay, Daddy.”

“Eat your snacks and then you can tackle your homework.” Justin went back to the counter to get his chicken ready to go in the oven.

*****

“Hey Sunshine,” Brian softly called out into the sun porch. Justin had been painting and sketching ever since the dinner dishes were washed and put away. It was now two in the morning and Justin showed no signs of going to bed anytime soon.

“Hey,” Justin looked up from his easel with a sleepy smile.

“Your eyes are barely open. Are you sure you can see what you’re painting?”

Justin’s smile grew brighter. “I don’t need to see when I’m painting you. I can paint or draw you blindfolded,” he said smugly.

“Blindfolded, huh?” Brian said low and breathy. He wrapped his arms around Justin. Justin was still holding his paint brush. “I think I’d like you blindfolded.”

“Yeah?” Justin replied looking up at Brian’s smiling eyes. Justin was beginning to come down from his painting high and now feeling exhausted. He began to lean against Brian.

“Yeah. You, me, a couple of silk ties, our great big bed,” Brian purred into Justin’s ear.

“Mmm, our bed,” Justin murmured as he leaned further into Brian. Brian took the paint brush out of Justin’s hand then stuck it in its container of cleaning fluid before gently leading his sleepy artist toward their bedroom door.

“Nice warm bed with fluffy pillows and a thick duvet,” Brian drawled as he took Justin into their bathroom and sat him on the toilet seat as he turned on the shower. Brian stripped his paint speckled lover before stripping himself then walking them both into the warm spray of their shower.

With the efficiency of years of experience showering and putting to bed his drowsy artist, Brian had Justin showered, dried, dressed in warm sleep pants and snuggled under their warm blankets in under an hour.

“Brian?” Justin mumbled as he was tucked under Brian’s chin, his eyes shut by their own volition.

“That’s me,” Brian whispered as he gently rubbed Justin’s back.

“No blindfold?”

“No blindfold,” Brian chuckled.

“Then why is it so dark?” Justin yawned against Brian’s chest.

“Because you’re asleep.”

“Oh, okay. Night Bri,” Justin murmured as he snuggled even more into Brian’s arms.

“Good night, Sunshine,” Brian replied to his already sleeping Sunshine.

*****

“Well?” Justin asked Bobby as they were examining a couple of photos of the Kinney ledger.

“If the endowment was a straightforward grant with no caveats then the land belongs to whomever it was given. Loans on the other hand should be repaid.”

“So in theory, the Kinney estate could be owed a lot of money.”

“In theory,” Bobby concurred. “Justin, I have to ask, why? Why are you pursuing this? These grants and loans if made by Kinney to his neighbors were done two hundred years ago. What good would it do to dredge it all up?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Let me be very frank with you. I know for a fact you haven’t discussed this with John, because John would have spoken to me. Can I safely assume that you haven’t talked to Brian about this either?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“What are you hiding? Why are you hiding?”

“I don’t know,” Justin said with some frustration. “I really don’t know.”

“Do you admit that you were obsessed with Kinney and Patrick and their whole romantic mystique?”

“Yeah, I do,” Justin said as his shoulders slumped. “Bobby, I have no fucking clue why this is so important to me.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“What are you implying?” Justin was beginning to dislike being interrogated by his attorney, even if said attorney was his brother-in-law.

“I’m implying nothing. If this ledger does prove to be Kinney’s and the land or the funds are still available somewhere, technically it has nothing to do with you, or me, for that matter. If there are any proceeds to be had, it goes to John and Brian, to Claire, possibly Joan and her daughter. Then there’s Gus.”

“Your point?”

“My point is that you and I are at the bottom of the pile, not that we need any of the money.”

“Money isn’t the point,” Justin almost shouted.

“Then what is?” Bobby asked in his calm quiet lawyer’s voice.

“Roots. Ancestry. A sense of belonging, of community. Of being a part of a bigger picture. Kinney was forced to give up his family and his community because of what he was and who he chose to love. Many of us have had to do that same thing in order to fit in or survive in a world where being different is still not wholeheartedly accepted.”

Justin took a breath out of necessity.

“Bobby, it’s so obvious, at least to me, that my homosexuality is tolerated because I am ‘Justin Taylor’, the little artist that could.”

“That is so not true.”

“Bullshit! Brian always said that there are only two types of straight people, ones who’ll talk bad about you to your face, and the others who’ll do it behind your back.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“Maybe. Sometimes. Bobby, he grew up being so alone.”

“Who did? Kinney?”

“Maybe, but I was thinking about Brian.”

“Oh for God’s sake, that was years ago. He’s so not alone now and neither is John. They both have family. They’ve both been so fucking happy for such a long time that it practically wipes out those early years when neither one of them had a father. So I ask again, why?”

“Because I have to! I just have to know.”

Bobby burst out laughing. Justin was red in the face with anger and frustration.

“I’d say you were like a pitbull, but you’re more like a Jack Russell terrier with a bone. You’ll never give it up.”

“No, I guess I won’t,” Justin said with a sharp exhale and a smirk. His ire was waning.

“You still want my help with this?”

“Yes.”

“Even though I piss the hell out of you?”

“Especially because you piss the hell out of me. You keep me on my toes. And make me face myself and question my motives.”

“So it’s not all about you then,” Bobby asked with a smile.

“No it's not always about me. The good of the many...”

“Outweighs the good of the few?”

“Or the one. Yeah, I guess that’s what I mean.”

“Okay, all Star Trek references aside, I will help you, but on one condition.”

“Which is?”

“Tonight, we tell John and Brian.”

“Okay,” Justin said as he got up to leave Bobby’s office. “Oh, one more thing.”

“What?”

“Bree is planning a sleepover for her birthday.”

“Isn’t that over a month away?”

“Forewarned is forearmed.”

“Consider me forewarned,” Bobby said with a smile. “Now, get out. I’ll see you guys later.”

“Later!” Justin said over his shoulder as he left Bobby’s office.

*****

“You found what?” John asked as they were finishing up dinner. He nearly dropped a dish as he was loading the dishwasher.

“You want to fucking do what?” Brian shouted at the same time.

Justin rapidly explained what Susanna had uncovered and what the general plan was.

“Are you out of your fucking mind? Don’t you have enough work to do without hunting down more Kinney mysteries? Who the fuck cares if there’s another rock out there that might be on Kinney land. We certainly don’t need the money,” Brian ranted.

“And I’m not going to evict someone on a technicality,” John added.

“I’m not suggesting that,” Justin tried to explain. “All I’m saying is that we get the ledger and have it restored. If and only if we can track down the land and it’s laying fallow somewhere, what’s the harm in claiming it? What if it’s a public nuisance? Or a horrible dump site? What’s to prevent us...?”

Bobby loudly cleared his throat.

“I mean, you, the two of you as direct Kinney descendants, what’s preventing you guys from cleaning it up?”

“So let me get this straight,” Brian said as he scrubbed his hand over his face. “You want us to get the ledger, have it conserved and researched to prove that it belonged to Kinney then track down the recipients of the loans and then make them pay up.”

“Yes. NO! Not make them pay up. But what if they’re living under a cloud?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Brian, wait, I think I get it,” John interjected.

“At least one of us does. Can you give me a fucking clue, please,” Brian growled.

“Brian, when you found me and my mother, I had no clue about the Kinney land or legacy, or that the house I grew up in technically wasn’t ours. It belonged to Patience and Aidan Kinney. We had no legal right to it. You did.”

“I know the story. I was there, remember,” Brian snarked.

“Well, what if the descendants of the original loan recipients do know? What if through family stories the explanation of how they got the land they’re living on has been retold and retold throughout the generations.”

“Don’t you think someone would have spoken up by now?” Brian asked.

“Not necessarily. Family stories and legends are usually skewed along the way. It’s like playing telephone, the original story changes to something totally different when it gets to the end,” Bobby added reasonably.

“Okaaay. So what are your intentions?” Brian asked as his gaze bored a hole through Justin and Bobby, Edna's Treasures latest co-conspirators.

“We intend to find as many descendants as we can and with your permission,” Justin said softly as he looked up at Brian and John, “we’ll formally have the papers drawn up so that the land can be given to current tenants.”

“That may not be so easy,” John said.

“We know,” Bobby began. “But we’ll make every effort to make sure no one will lose a home. And who knows, maybe it’ll help someone.”

“How do you mean?” Brian asked, his curiosity peaked.

“Well, what if you were living on a plot of land in a modest home all your life, having inherited that house and land from your parents and their parents? You now want to retire to a warmer climate. What would a reasonable person do?”

“Sell up, take the money and move to Key West,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Right. However, you’d have a problem when the realtor or the county tried to track down the original deed to the place and found it no longer existed, or that the land was never officially yours to begin with,” Bobby further explained.

“So you’re going to right a wrong, then?” John asked.

“If that’s where this leads to, then yes,” Justin answered.

“And if the land is now the city dump? Or an old abandoned mine?” Brian snapped back.

“Then as Kinney descendants and the rightful heirs, we’ll clean it up,” John replied.

“What do you get out of this, Sunshine?” Brian asked as he swung Justin around to look into his deep blue eyes.

“I’m not really sure,” Justin said honestly. “I only know that I have to play this out until the end,” he added as he placed his hands on Brian’s arms.

Brian searched his lover’s eyes for a moment then nodded his consent.

All About Justin

Chapter 3

“Ashley, do you think I should invite Winona to my birthday sleepover?”

“No,” Ashley replied immediately.

Bree laughed. “You didn’t even think about it.”

The two girls were outside the school for recess. They were sitting on the edge of the sandbox which was kind of soggy and still had a little bit of snow in the corners. It would soon be spring and they could actually play outside without all the snowsuits and boots that they had to wear in cold weather.

“Winona isn’t very nice to me,” Ashley clarified.

“Did she say something bad?” Bree asked with a frown.

“No, she didn’t say anything, but she never talks to me. It’s like I’m … invisible. She only sees you, not me.”

Bree frowned even more. Patrick didn’t want her to invite Winona. Now Ashley felt the same way. Maybe she shouldn’t invite the older girl. Nobody seemed to like Winona very much. But that was part of the reason Bree intended to invite her. She didn’t like to see anyone excluded from things. She hadn’t liked it when the other kids were being mean to Ashley. Maybe if she invited Winona and Ashley to her sleepover they would get to know each other better. Maybe Winona would like Ashley as much as Bree liked her.

“Are you going to invite her?” Ashley asked in a tentative voice.

“Will you come to my sleepover if I do?”

“Sure, you’re my best friend. I won’t miss your party.”

“Thanks,” Bree said with a big smile.

The two girls hugged.

“Are you going to invite her?” Ashley repeated when they let go of each other.

“I don’t know,” Bree admitted. She was having major misgivings about inviting Winona.

“When will you know?”

“I don’t know.”

“Your birthday’s way long from now, isn’t it?” Ashley asked.

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Then you don’t need to worry about it.”

“No, I don’t,” Bree said with a gentle smile. “As long as you’re there.”

“I’ll be there,” Ashley promised.

Just then the bell rang and the two girls headed back into the school.

*****

“Brian?”

“No, it’s Justin,” Justin replied into the phone.

“It’s Hunter. Is Brian around?”

“No, he’s gone to pick up the kids from school.”

“Oh, I wanted to speak to him.”

“I’ll be happy to pass on a message,” Justin said. It wasn’t like Hunter to be reticent about telling Justin something that he wanted Brian to know.

“Um, okay, I had a call from Dennis Hawk today.”

“Shit! He’s not coming after Brian again?” Justin asked, his worry barometer shooting way up.

“No, no,” Hunter said quickly. “It’s nothing like that.”

Justin let out a sigh of relief. “What does he want then?”

“Hawk had a call from Farringer Flooring.”

“Who the hell is Farringer Flooring?” Justin asked.

“Mr. Farringer is the owner of the flooring company. He read Hawk’s article about the Center and wanted to make a donation.”

“That’s good, but what does this have to do with Brian?”

“Apparently Farringer had once tried to hire Brian for an ad campaign, but they had some sort of disagreement.”

“Disagreement? That doesn’t sound like Brian. He rarely lost an account in those days, or these days either, for that matter.”

“I don’t know what the story is, but apparently a condition of this donation, which is quite substantial, is a meeting with Brian.”

“Christ, not another old trick?” Justin said with a sigh.

“That occurred to me too. That’s kind of why I didn’t want to mention it to you.”

“Thanks for considering my feelings, but I know what Brian is and was. It doesn’t surprise me that some of his old tricks are coming out of the woodwork,” Justin said.

“So, you’ll pass the message on.”

“Yeah, I will.”

“Thanks, Blondie.”

“You’re welcome, Hustler Hunter,” Justin said with a laugh. Trust Hunter to make him feel better.

“Tell Brian to give me a call with his decision,” Hunter added.

“I will,” Justin said before hanging up on his old rival. He smiled at that thought. And then he recalled this Farringer guy. The blasts from the past just kept on coming.

*****

“Justin?” Lindsay said into the phone when she heard Justin say hello.

“Hi, Lindsay. What can I do for you?”

“I called to let you know that the first of your commissions has been shipped and received.”

“Did they like it?”

“I think like is an understatement. They loved it, so much that they added a bonus to the agreed upon price. Justin, Sidney and I have gotten so many requests that I think you’ll have to clone yourself to keep up with them all.”

“Wow!”

“Justin, we don’t want you to burn yourself out, so please pace yourself. Take your time and by all means don’t stop working on your other pieces. Sidney told me about your project, chronicling yourself and your artistic career. It’s intriguing.”

“Not to sound too clichéd but it’s like a walk down memory lane. I’ve been looking through all of my old sketchbooks and they still amaze me.”

“Because of the quality?”

“No,” Justin chuckled. “The naïveté of them. I was so naive back then, I thought I could take on the world all by myself. Little did I know.”

“Justin, you have taken on the world and very successfully at that.”

“But I’m not sure if I’m doing what I had set out to do.”

“What did you set out to do?”

“To be the best that I can be," Justin said automatically.

“Then you have succeeded. Think of it this way, the commissions pay the rent and for your supplies and give you the freedom to do your other projects,” Lindsay said wisely.

“Yeah! Thanks, Lindsay.”

“My pleasure. Please say hi to Brian for me.”

“I will. Bye, Lindsay.”

“Goodbye, Justin.”

*****

“Justin, what are we doing here?” Brian asked with just a touch of annoyance. He, Justin, Bobby and John were standing just inside the vestibule of the Bridgeton Public Library. Justin rolled his eyes before he answered his impatient spouse.

“You know something, Brian, I think you came home from London with a touch of snobbery. I think you should look toward your roots and then ask your question again,” Justin stated.

Properly chastised, Brian re-asked his question. “What is your plan, Sunshine?” Brian asked in a much sweeter and more sincere tone.

Justin smiled his approval. “The plan is to see the ledger, and if we can verify that it was Kinney who wrote it, then we’ll ask if we can take it with us,” Justin said as he held up a special case that Sidney gave him to transport the ledger safely back to Pittsburgh.

“You and John are here because you’re both the rightful Kinney heirs. Bobby’s here because he has the papers we’ll need to legally take the book if the librarian gives us trouble.”

“And you, Sunshine?” Brian asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“I...” Justin had prepared an explanation of why he wanted to be a part of this, but at the moment he couldn’t find the words.

“You want another happy ending,” Brian stated as he kissed the top of Justin’s head. Justin nodded below Brian’s chin. “Then shall we check out this book?” Brian smirked at his double entendre. John and Bobby groaned as Justin again rolled his eyes.

“Handle it gently,” the head librarian, Mrs. Gerald, cautioned as she opened the book vault then carefully set the ledger down on a table.

Justin donned special cotton gloves that Sidney had given him. Then using a special page turner, Justin gently opened the ledger.

“Look,” Justin said with a gasp as he turned to the cover page. Standing behind Justin the Kinney brothers and Bobby were able to read the still legible and recognizable script of JAB Kinney.

This ledger is the personal property of John Aidan Brian Kinney. I shall endeavor to faithfully record my dealings and business transactions with my friends and neighbors in an effort to secure our community during this terrible time of drought and misfortune.

JAB Kinney

Bridgeton 1824

“May we take this with us?” Justin pleaded with the librarian. “I promise we’ll take very good care of it. Sidney Bloom of the Bloom Gallery is going to have it conserved,” Justin quickly added in an effort to persuade the woman. “We have the paperwork,” Justin said as he poked Bobby with his elbow. Bobby reached into his briefcase to take out the necessary documents proving ownership.

“I’ll take your documents as a matter of proper business and for our records, but I immediately recognized both of you," she said indicating Brian and John. “The ledger belongs with the Kinney family. It’s my honor to reunite it with you,” Mrs. Gerald said sincerely.

“Thank you,” Justin countered with his sunniest smile.

Gingerly, Justin turned page after page as Bobby took pictures before Justin placed the ledger in a protective sleeve and then in the specially padded case. An hour later the boys were on their way to Pittsburgh with their precious cargo.

Having made arrangements for Bree and Patrick to be picked up by Rachel and to spend the evening with her and George, the boys decided to visit with some of the Pittsburgh family and to have dinner at the diner.

*****

Brian, Justin, Bobby and John were ensconced in the back booth of the Liberty Diner. They were thoroughly enjoying their burgers and fries, all having decided that they had eaten healthy enough for the last while to indulge in some of their favorite foods.

“Freshen your coffee?” Lacy asked.

Everyone held up their cup to be refilled, except for Justin.

“Justin?” Lacy asked waving the coffeepot under his nose.

“I’d like a chocolate milkshake,” Justin said decisively.

“Justin?” Brian asked raising an eyebrow.

“What?” Justin said as Lacy beat a hasty retreat. She knew that tone in Brian Kinney’s voice.

“How high are you trying to get your cholesterol to go?”

John and Bobby almost choked on their burgers.

“Brian!” Justin admonished. “This is a celebration. We got the ledger, and Sidney is going to have it preserved. I want a chocolate milkshake to celebrate. Cholesterol be damned.”

“Okay,” Brian said shaking his head. “If you can’t get that ass of yours into your pants for your next show…”

“You’ll be thrilled,” Justin interrupted. “My bare ass is one of your favorite fetishes.”

Brian looked like he was about to argue, but then thought better of it. He picked up a French fry and bit off a piece. He decided silence might be his best option in this particular case.

“What’s going on?” Michael asked as he and Ben entered the diner and made their way to the back booth.

“Perfect timing, Mikey,” Brian said. Justin glared at his husband.

Michael looked at Brian and then the others, waiting for an explanation. None was forthcoming.

Finally John interjected, “Join us for dinner?”

“We already ate,” Ben replied. “We thought we’d come for coffee and dessert.”

“Have a seat,” Bobby said scooting over closer to John.

Michael and Ben sat down and ordered apple pie and coffee when Lacy arrived with a tall frothy milkshake for Justin. Everyone watched Justin sip the thick foamy liquid through a straw. Justin’s eyes closed in pure bliss as he continued to drink. When he opened his eyes everybody was staring at him.

“This is so good!” he exclaimed. “It’s worth every calorie.”

Everyone continued to stare at Justin not saying anything.

“You just want some too,” Justin chuckled. “You know you do.”

John was the first to laugh, then everyone else joined in.

“You are such a glutton,” Brian said kissing Justin’s cheek.

“You’re all jealous, cuz I’m not afraid to ask for what I want.”

“Hey, Lacy,” Bobby called. “Bring a couple more chocolate shakes. We’ll share.”

Soon everyone was sharing milkshakes, laughing and enjoying themselves. Even Brian had a few sips of Justin’s.

They were just finishing up their shakes, when Hunter and Nick walked in. After the usual round of pleasantries, they sat down in the next booth and decided to order milkshakes too. Michael and Ben moved into that booth with them. That way everyone had more room.

Brian asked Michael about his success at the comic convention. Michael was in his glory telling them all about the interviews and speaking to the assembled masses. He had really enjoyed himself. Lacy chimed in every once in a while with some of her own stories about the trip. She was happy to have represented Rage at the convention. She had some tales about the Twins of Triumph to tell.

When those gathered together had pretty much finished their food and the milkshakes, Hunter turned around in the booth to speak to Brian. Justin realized that Hunter was probably going to bring up the matter of Farringer’s donation to the Center. Justin shook his head and looked pleadingly at Hunter.

Hunter frowned, realizing that Justin didn’t want him to say anything about the Farringer donation. Instead he said something about what a great idea it was to have chocolate milkshakes. “It’s been years since I had one,” Hunter said.

“Nobody should be having those things. Instant heart attack in a glass,” Brian told him.

“One milkshake every few years isn’t so bad for your heart,” Nick said in his professional doctor voice.

“See!” Justin said.

“Bullshit!” was Brian’s reaction.

“It’s true,” Nick replied. “A little bit of anything isn’t too bad for you.”

Brian snorted. “A little bit of arsenic goes a long way.”

“Actually, arsenic in tiny amounts…” Nick began.

“Gotta pee,” Justin said sliding out of the booth. He gave Hunter a look before heading for the restrooms.

Justin had relieved himself when Hunter walked into the room.

“Be sure to wash your hands,” Hunter said with a smirk.

“I always do, and I don’t need hygiene lessons from you,” Justin replied as he lathered the soap on his hands.

“But you do need lessons in passing on messages apparently.”

“I…”

“Did you even mention that I had called?”

Justin rinsed his hands and shook his head. “I didn’t want to upset Brian.”

“It’s twenty thousand dollars we’re talking about,” Hunter said sharply.

“Twenty…?”

“Yes, twenty thousand.”

“Isn’t that an awful lot of money for a donation?”

“I guess, but the Center can always use it.”

“I don’t doubt that, but what does this guy want with Brian?” Justin asked with a frown.

“I don’t know. All I know is that he wants a meeting with Brian.”

“Hunter … I don’t think Brian needs another Hawk incident right now.”

“The Hawk thing turned out all right.”

“I know,” Justin said with a sigh. “But you don’t see how it upsets Brian. The not knowing what’s coming is the worst part of it. This sounds like something very similar.”

Hunter stared into Justin’s eyes. “So what do you want to do?”

“I … I was wondering if I could meet with Farringer … you know, find out what he wants.”

“I doubt he’ll go for that.”

“Look, if he won’t, I’ll give you the fucking twenty thousand myself.”

“Justin, I don’t want your money. The Center doesn’t want your money,” Hunter protested.

“Then arrange the damn meeting for me,” Justin said as he strode out of the restroom.

When Justin got back to the table, Brian could see that he wasn’t happy. And an unhappy Justin made for an unhappy Brian. Brian glanced at Hunter who plopped himself back next to his Dr. Nick. Brian was about to question Justin when a fuchsia and paisley tornado flew into the diner.

“Teddy, it’s true!” Emmett called out as he sashayed through the diner door and over to the booths where the members of his family were ensconced. Emmett and Ted had heard through the gay grapevine that the Kinney-Taylor clan was making a visit at one of their old haunts. Emmett and Ted couldn’t resist joining the party, so to speak.

Emmett and Ted squeezed themselves into Brian’s booth.

“I thought you and Drew were spending the winter hibernating in your cottage?” Brian asked Emmett.

“We are but we have to make an appearance in the Pitts once in a while,” Emmett explained. Brian understood. As much as Brian would love to never leave Edna’s Treasures, he did have a business to run. Emmett was in a similar situation.

“And what’s your excuse, Schmidt? I don’t pay you for wasting time hanging around the diner all day,” Brian growled.

“True but you do pay me to keep an eye on your investments,” Ted stated. “And since Lacy and the diner are one of your investments, it behooves me to drop in and keep an eye on it.”

“Uh huh,” Brian said with an arch of his brow. “Which means that Allen is away on tour and you didn’t feel like eating dinner alone,” Brian said smugly. Ted smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“So what are we all talking about?” Emmett asked cheerfully as he looked around the table at his friends. When no one spoke up, Brian decided to offer a topic.

“Our little Mary Sunshine has found a new Kinney mystery to unravel,” Brian drawled.

“Oooo, tell me more!” Emmett exclaimed as he leaned in closer. Brian smirked as Justin perked up, and he began to tell Emmett all about their latest find.

All About Justin

Chapter 4

“Hello?” Justin said as he answered the phone.

“Jester, I’m glad you’re home.”

“What’s up, Mol?”

“Owen and I just arrived at the cottage for the weekend,” Molly informed her brother.

“I didn’t know you were coming up. You haven’t been around much since you started your new job.”

“I’ve been busy.”

Justin laughed. “No shit! I suppose you’re going to tell me what a place of slavery Kinnetik is. How’s Taylor?”

“I wondered if you’d like to spend some time with him. He’s getting to be such a big boy. He has two teeth.”

“Fuck!” Justin reacted. “How did that happen?”

“It’s called time,” Molly chuckled. “He’ll soon be a year old.”

“I … I can’t believe that a year has gone by.”

“Well, you’ve had plenty of milestones to mark the year,” Molly replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh Justin, for God’s sake. There’s Taylor’s birth, Gus’ eighteenth, and your triumph at the London Gallery. It’s been a fabulous year for you.”

“Yeah, I guess it has,” Justin said thinking about all the things she had just mentioned. “It’s not a bad year for you either. Taylor’s birth and starting a new job.”

“True.”

“How’s the job going?”

“I thought I might walk up the lane with Taylor and tell you about it,” Molly said rather enigmatically.

“Is something wrong?”

“Can I come up there? I’ll tell you all about it then.”

“Of course you can come here any time you want. You don’t have to ask,” Justin reassured his sister.

“I wouldn’t want to … interrupt anything.”

“You’d never interru…” Justin’s voice trailed off. “Oh that!” he chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that. Bree’s home on the weekends.”

Molly giggled. “I’d like to see the little princess too.”

“She’ll be thrilled you’re here.”

“Coming up right now,” Molly said before clicking off.

Justin started a new pot of coffee.

*****

“So Daddy and Dada said I could have a sleepover for my birthday,” Bree informed her favorite aunt.

“That sounds like fun, peanut.”

“’Cept…”

“’Cept what?” Molly asked with a frown.

“She’s having trouble deciding who to invite,” Justin supplied as he sipped his coffee. They were sitting around the kitchen table eating cookies. Brian had gone into Bridgeton to his favorite nursery to get some fertilizer for his gardens. It wouldn’t be long until he could get started working on them.

“I’ll come,” Molly volunteered.

Bree giggled. “You’re too old, Auntie Molly,” Bree told her.

“Well, that’s a kick in the pants,” Molly said, making Bree giggle more.

“You’ll figure it our eventually, won’t you, sweetheart,” Justin said to his daughter.

“I guess so,” Bree sighed.

Just then Taylor let out a little cry. He had been asleep when Molly arrived, carrying him up from her cottage. They had put him in the middle of the brass bed in the sun porch to finish his nap.

“I’ll get him,” Justin offered.

“Thanks,” Molly replied. “So, what’s the problem about who you’re going to invite to your sleepover?” Molly asked Bree.

“There’s this girl, Winona…”

“Yes?” When Bree didn’t offer more, Molly ventured a guess. “I imagine Winona isn’t one of your favorite people, but somehow you feel you should invite her to your party.”

Bree’s eyes got very large. “How did you know?” she asked in a voice filled with awe.

“The way you said Winona’s name made me think you didn’t like her, and then I seemed to remember something about a problem at summer camp with a girl named Winona.”

“Yeah,” Bree said nodding her head.

“Why are you even thinking about inviting her to your party?”

“I don’t know,” Bree sighed.

“Yes, you do.”

“Winona is kind of … all alone. I don’t mind her too much anymore. She’s all right, most of the time, I guess.”

“But your other friends don’t like her?” Molly asked.

Bree shook her head. “Patrick says I shouldn’t invite her and so does Ashley.”

“Is Patrick sleeping over?” Molly asked with a chuckle.

“Nope, and Ashley will come even if Winona is here.”

“Then invite her.”

“But I don’t want her to ruin the sleepover. Winona can be … mean.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And she has a crush on Dada,” Bree added.

“She does?” Molly asked stifling a laugh. “Then by all means invite her.”

“You think I should?”

“Um…” As much as Molly would love to see Brian Kinney deal with an infatuated child, she didn’t want to suggest something that would ruin Bree’s party. “I think you should do what seems right to you. If you want to invite Winona then invite her.”

Bree heaved a large sigh. “That’s what everybody says.”

“Here’s the young man,” Justin said carrying Taylor into the kitchen. “He is now dry and ready for a snack.”

“Here,” Molly said taking a teething ring out of her bag. “He’s cutting another tooth, and he can almost walk.”

“Really?” Justin asked setting Taylor down between his legs once he got himself situated on the kitchen chair. Taylor leaned against Justin’s legs and sucked on his teething ring. Justin could tell it wouldn’t be long before Taylor took that first step. “You’re getting to be such a big boy,” Justin cooed.

Bree slid off her chair and stood beside Taylor, making faces at the baby and getting him to giggle.

“Let me get his bottle of juice,” Molly said rummaging through her bag.

“I’m home,” Brian called from the doorway as he entered the house.

“In the kitchen with an almost walking, talking, teething dynamo,” Justin called.

“Oh, that must be you, sister-in-law, dear,” Brian replied as he entered the kitchen and saw Molly. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“Ass…” Molly started and then thought better of it with Bree there. “As you can see, Justin meant my very precocious son,” Molly said instead.

“Hey, big guy,” Brian said bending down to scoop up Taylor. The baby studied Brian’s face before breaking into a big smile. “He remembers me,” Brian said softly.

“Of course he does. Here, give him his bottle,” Molly ordered as Brian sat down at the kitchen table.

“How are you enjoying your job?” Brian asked as Taylor started sucking on the bottle of juice.

“Very much, but I’m sure you get reports,” Molly told him.

“You’d be wrong. I only hear about disasters, and nothing you’ve done so far has fallen into that category.”

“I’m so relieved,” Molly replied sarcastically.

“I’m not keeping tabs on you, Molly. If you’re doing your job well, which I’m sure you are, I won’t hear a word.”

“Then I guess it’s safe to tell you that I love the job. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. And Taylor is thriving in the daycare.”

“You mean the school,” Bree corrected.

“Right, the school. The ladies there are just wonderful.”

“I liked them a lot,” Bree said. “Could I go see them sometime?”

“That sounds like a plan, Squirt,” Brian agreed as he burped Taylor. “We’ll have to find a way to get you there when you don’t have school. Maybe when the teachers have a conference day.”

“Good, Dada.”

“I’m glad you like the job, Molly. If you didn’t…”

“I’d be the first to tell you.”

“I’ll count on that,” Brian said. He set Taylor down on the floor and watched him hold onto Brian’s legs. They grew up so fast.

*****

“Sooo, what did your creative writing professor think about your paper?” Lindsay asked hesitantly. She knew Melanie wasn’t very happy with the assignment but did the best she could. Unfortunately, Mel had one of those compulsive, competitive personalities that demanded the highest possible grade.

“He liked it,” Mel said nonchalantly.

“Were you graded?”

“No. We’re doing these assignments for the learning experience, not for a grade.”

“But?” Lindsay knew there was more to it.

“I asked that if the paper were to get a grade what would it be?”

“And?”

“B+.”

“Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, it is,” Melanie answered sincerely. “And damned if I know why I’d accept a B+ in anything, but I did learn a lot about myself and about writing. It’s one thing to write about a topic that I’m an expert in, but it’s a whole other thing to be able to pick up a pen and write something on the spur of the moment. I have a newfound respect for people who can come up with that special line or jingle or...”

“Or?”

“Fuck!”

“What?!”

“I was about to say, an ad. Shit, I just paid Brian another compliment,” Mel said as she smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. She and Lindsay stared at each other for a second then broke out into laughter.

“Face it, Mel, Brian Kinney is just a part of our lives,” Lindsay said as she embraced Melanie.

“I guess he always will be,” Mel confirmed as the girls kissed, and then all thoughts of Brian vanished.

*****

“Justin, my boy, thank you for promptly returning my call,” Sidney gushed into his phone.

“Your message sounded urgent,” Justin said with concern.

“We’ve made a discovery.”

“What kind of discovery?”

“Kinney kept meticulous records and also kept copies of deeds and promissory notes.”

“I didn’t see any notes but then I was too scared to turn the pages. They looked very fragile.”

“Some of them are but the vault kept the book well preserved, as well as the other documents toward the back of the ledger.”

“The back of the...”

“Yes, Justin. The Kinney ledger records his transactions, what he loaned out and what was repaid. However, there are special pockets in the back of the ledger where the signed notes were kept.”

“Shit! Are there a lot?”

“I’m not very good at reading land measurements.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Several of the documents included the precise land markings in longitude and latitude. Justin, we’ve taken many photos of the papers that have been found. I’m going to email them to you. I think you should have your lawyer look them over.”

“Why?”

“Well, if these loans have never been repaid then the Kinney estate may include most of Bridgeton and surrounding counties.”

“Fuck me!”

“Exactly.”

*****

“Daddy, when are we going to send out invitations for my birthday party?”

“Your birthday isn’t for a while yet.”

“I know, but we had pretty invitations for my other birthday.”

“Yes, we did, but that was much fancier than your sleepover’s going to be.” Justin thought about all the over the top things they had done for Bree’s fifth birthday. This one was going to be a lot different, a lot less extravagant. He didn’t want his daughter expecting ponies, multiple new dresses and hundreds of guests for each of her birthdays.

Bree frowned and looked thoughtful. “I wanted pretty invitations,” she said.

“You’re only inviting a few friends,” Justin reminded her.

“I still want pretty invitations,” Bree restated.

Justin shook his head. When his daughter got something into her head there was little hope of changing it. However, he had learned from long practice that a distraction might work just as well. “What if we designed a personal invitation for each of your guests?”

“What does that mean, Daddy?”

“We could use your craft paper and art supplies to make a special unique invitation for each person who will be coming. What about that?” Justin asked hopefully.

“Can we make them pretty?” Bree asked.

Justin smiled at his little girl. “I think we’re both good enough artists that we can make them very pretty.”

“’Kay, Daddy,” Bree said cheerfully when she heard her father refer to them both as artists. She liked that. “Can we make them now?”

Justin hesitated. He had one more commission to complete and he wanted to work on his Chronicling Justin Taylor project. He also should talk to Bobby about what he had found out in regards to Kinney’s ledger. He looked at Bree whose big, bright violet eyes stared up at him with such innocence and eagerness.

“Yes, Bree, we can start right now,” he said gently.

Bree wrapped her arms around her father and held on tight. “Thank you, Daddy, I couldn’t do it without you.”

Justin smiled one of those blazing Taylor smiles that would have taken Brian’s breath away if he had been there to witness it. “Let’s go see what we’ve got to work with,” Justin said.

They went out into the sun porch to Bree’s little table and the chest that housed her arts and crafts supplies. Brian made sure it was all neatly organized. Justin lifted the lid and looked at the neat piles of different types of papers, and the markers and crayons all in their packets. Bree pulled the drawer out down below, revealing all kinds of beads and sequins and stickers and every kind of frilly artsy thing that a little girl might want.

“I think we have lots to work with,” Justin said.

“Yes, Daddy,” Bree said with a frown on her sweet face. “But how do we start?”

Justin looked over at his commissioned painting that wasn’t nearly as close to finished as he would like it to be. It didn’t look like he’d be getting back to it any time soon either. He heaved a sigh as he sat down on one of the little chairs beside Bree’s work table. “We could approach this like I approach a commission,” Justin suggested.

“What’s a … commission?”

“It’s when someone pays me in advance to paint a picture for them.”

“Is someone going to pay me?” Bree asked, remembering when her Dada had paid her for her rainbow design.

“No, no one’s going to pay you for these invitations.”

“Oh,” Bree replied looking slightly crestfallen.

“What I meant was that we could use the same process I use when I have a commission. I have to know who the people are that I’m making it for. I want to know what they like or dislike, what their favorite colors are, maybe their favorite shapes.”

“Okaay,” Bree said.

Justin could see that she still wasn’t sure what he was talking about. “Let’s start with who this first invitation is going to be for,” Justin said.

“Ashley,” Bree responded without a moment’s hesitation.

Justin chuckled. He should have known. “So what is Ashley’s favorite color?”

“Pink.”

“Isn’t that your favorite color?”

“Yes, but Ashley likes it too.”

“Okay, pink it is,” Justin said pulling a piece of pink paper out of the pile of craft paper.

“Ooh, that’s perfect,” Bree said. “I love that color.”

“And Ashley will too?”

“Yep!”

“Okay, so what does Ashley like?”

“Like?”

“What are some of her favorite things?”

“She likes peanut butter sammidges.”

Justin laughed. “I don’t think a pink peanut butter sandwich would make a good invitation.”

“Oh,” Bree said wrinkling her brow. “She likes to play princess with me.”

“You and Dada,” Justin chuckled, remembering the picture he had taken of Brian and his princesses. Bree nodded. Justin thought for a moment. “What if we cut the paper in the shape of a princess’ gown? It could fold open at the skirt and the invitation message would be inside.”

“Huh?”

“Here, I’ll show you,” Justin said. He picked up a piece of plain white paper and quickly sketched his best version of a princess’ dress. He folded the paper at the edges of the skirt so that they met in the middle of the dress. He then took scissors and cut out the silhouette of the dress. He showed Bree how the folded parts could open and they could write inside.

“That’s … beautiful, Daddy,” Bree said, staring at what he had made with something akin to awe. “But it’s apposed to be pink.”

“This is our rough draft. When we get it right, we’ll make it out of your pretty pink paper. You can decorate it with sequins or lace or whatever you want.”

“’Kay,” Bree said happily.

They spent the next hour or two making prototypes of the princess dress and changing it till they had something that both of them liked. They were just composing the message when Brian arrived home.

“Dada, come see what Daddy and me made. It’s for Ashley.”

Brian looked at the princess dress and Justin showed him how it opened. “I have some Lettraset up in my office if you want professional lettering,” Brian suggested.

When they both agreed, Brian got the peel off letters from his attic office and they carefully placed them on the inside of the princess skirt. That took a lot longer than they had expected, Brian being very anal about keeping the letters perfectly aligned. Finally, it was completed, or so they thought.

“It doesn’t say, Ashley,” Bree informed them as she studied the beautiful little creation they had made.

“We can put that on the envelope, and maybe you could make one of your famous rainbows on it too,” Brian suggested.

“Yay!” Bree said enthusiastically.

“You got any envelopes that would fit?” Justin asked Brian.

“I think so,” Brian said as he went back up to his office.

After another extended period of work they had the envelope completed and the invitation inside. They were all happy with what they had done.

“I love it!” Bree said happily. “But that was hard work.”

“Yes, it was,” Justin admitted.

“It’s dinnertime,” Brian said looking at the clock.

Justin sighed as he looked over at his commission which was exactly how it had been when he woke up that morning. He had accomplished nothing.

“Thank you, Daddy,” Bree said wrapping her arms around his neck as he sat on the little chair. “We only have four more to make.”

Justin tried hard not to groan.

All About Justin

Chapter 5

“Brian, I’m going into Pittsburgh today,” Justin said as the family was eating breakfast.

“You are?” Brian asked. “I thought you wanted to spend as much time as possible on your commissions.”

“They’re coming along okay, and … Sidney wanted to talk to me.”

“Hasn’t he heard of that wonderful new invention called a telephone?” Brian asked sarcastically.

“I’m sure he has, but he wants to go over my Chronicling Justin Taylor idea again. He has some … um, ideas about marketing it,” Justin tried to explain.

“I thought marketing was my department.”

“Not in the art world … so much,” Justin added lamely. That sounded like a put-down and that wasn’t at all what he had intended.

Brian opened his mouth to reply and then shook his head. After a minute he said, “You haven’t even started that project. How is he going to market something that doesn’t even exist yet?”

“I guess that’s what we’re going to talk about,” Justin added.

“I’m supposed to take the kids to school, so you better take the ‘Vette.”

“Oh, a real man’s car,” Justin said with a grin, hoping that might cheer up Brian and change the subject at the same time.

“And there better not be a mark on it, when it comes home,” Brian warned.

“Scout’s honor,” Justin said raising his hand in the appropriate gesture.

“That might mean something if you had been a Scout.”

Justin laughed before wiping his mouth. He got up from the table and carried his cereal bowl over to the sink. “I better get going.”

“It’s early,” Brian reminded him.

“Um, I’m meeting Sidney at the gallery before it opens.”

“I see.”

Justin hurried out of the room before Brian could ask him any more questions.

“Why is Daddy going to Pittsburgh?” Bree asked with a little frown.

“That seems to be the six million dollar question, Squirt,” Brian replied staring at the door to their bedroom through which Justin had just disappeared. Then he glanced over at their very smart daughter who didn’t seem to buy Justin’s story either. “Go get Patrick, Squirt. Time for school.”

“’Kay, Dada,” Bree said sliding off her chair and running into the sun porch to go over to the Morrison-Anderson’s.

Brian debated confronting Justin about what he was really going into Pittsburgh to do, but then decided that his husband was a big boy. He could look after his own business, and Brian had to believe that Justin would tell him what was going on when the time was right.

*****

Justin maneuvered the Corvette onto the highway. He felt bad about lying to Brian but he needed to do this. His mind wandered to how he might handle the meeting. He ran through several scenarios from confrontational to pleading to the big ‘fuck off’. He couldn’t decide which one to use. Maybe none of them was right. He was probably going to have to fly by the seat of his pants. He could handle whatever confronted him, he told himself, hoping that he would believe it. He kept telling himself that, as he took the cut-off into Pittsburgh.

When he pulled up at the Clinic, he still didn’t know what he was going to do. He got out of the car and headed into the Jason Kemp Center. He hoped this was a good idea. It had seemed like it was … not so long ago.

Hunter was in his office. Justin stopped at the door. He waited until Hunter hung up the phone before entering.

“That wasn’t Farringer canceling, was it?” Justin asked almost hopefully.

“No,” Hunter chuckled. “I was ordering some supplies.”

“Oh?” Justin said.

“You don’t want to do this, do you?” Hunter asked as Justin slumped into a chair.

Justin shook his head. “I can think of a million things I’d rather be doing.”

“Then why bother?” Hunter asked. “The Clinic will survive without Farringer’s money.”

“I told you I’d make up the difference,” Justin assured Hunter.

Hunter shook his head. “And I told you I won’t take your money, Blondie.”

“You are fucking hard to deal with.”

“Have to be in this business.”

“I guess. How did you get Farringer to agree to this meeting?”

“Well, I…”

“He thinks Brian’s coming, doesn’t he?” Justin asked as the light dawned.

Hunter nodded. “He wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

“Then why is he coming?”

“I … sort of implied that I’d arrange the meeting. I just neglected to specify who with.”

“That would be funny if it wasn’t so scary.”

“Well, if he doesn’t like it, we’re no worse off than we were before this meeting,” Hunter said philosophically.

“I suppose,” Justin agreed. “Unless he kills me.”

“I promise to stay nearby. Scream if you need help.”

Justin stuck out his tongue just as someone cleared their throat in the doorway.

“I’m looking for Hunter Novotny-Bruckner,” the man said, sizing up both men in the room.

“That’s me,” Hunter said standing and extending his hand.

The rather good looking middle aged man shook the hand and then looked questioningly at Justin. “Robert Farringer,” he said. “I was expecting someone else to be here. Hasn’t he arrived?”

Justin stood up. “I’m Justin Kinney-Taylor,” Justin said holding out his hand. “Brian Kinney’s life partner and husband.”

“Husband?” the man asked incredulously.

“Yes, husband. I’d like to know what business you have with my husband?”

“I asked to speak to Brian Kinney,” Farringer replied bluntly. “That’s the only person I wish to speak to.”

“To get to Brian, you have to go through me. If I don’t like what you have to say, no meeting with Brian.”

Farringer drew in a breath and considered what he had just heard. “No twenty thousand dollars if I don’t see Kinney,” he said to Hunter.

Hunter nodded in acknowledgement. “I’ll leave you two alone.” He walked out of the office and closed the door behind him.

Farringer sat down. Justin did the same and they stared at each other.

“If you wanted to see Brian, why didn’t you go to Kinnetik and make an appointment?” Justin finally asked.

“I did, and I ended up meeting with someone named Cynthia.”

“Ah,” Justin said. “Brian must have refused to meet with you.”

Farringer nodded. “I had almost given up on having a meeting with Kinney when I saw Hawk’s Prey. I couldn’t believe that the same Brian Kinney I had dealt with could possibly be the person in that article.”

“Why not?” Justin asked with a frown.

“The Kinney I knew had the reputation of being the slut of Liberty Avenue. But the first time we met, he was just starting out in advertising, and he came up with this great campaign idea. I was all set to sign on with the Ryder Agency until I found out who and what Brian Kinney really was.”

“And you wanted a piece of him,” Justin stated.

“Good God, no!” Farringer said. “I’m not gay. I wanted to switch to another ad exec at Ryder, but keep the ideas Brian had already drawn up.”

“So, you weren’t after Brian?” Justin asked. “Just his ideas.”

Farringer nodded. “When Kinney found out that I was trying to get Ryder to make the switch, he went ballistic. He said he would rather lose the account than let someone else claim his ideas and his client. I tried to reason with him, promising him his cut. I just didn’t want to deal with…”

“The gay slut of Liberty Avenue.”

Farringer nodded again. “I thought it would reflect badly on my company which was still in its infancy.”

“Homophobia notwithstanding,” Justin said bitterly.

Farringer couldn’t look Justin in the eye. “I … Let’s just say that it was a big mistake.”

“About time you realized it,” Justin said. “Twenty years later.”

“I told you I’ve tried to see Brian and he won’t speak to me.”

“There has to be something else,” Justin replied. “Brian doesn’t hold a grudge for nothing, and he’s dealt with lots of homophobes over the years.”

“I … suppose you could say that I stole his campaign ideas for Farringer Flooring.”

“You stole…?”

“Yes, although at the time, I merely saw it as payback for his lack of cooperation.”

“Didn’t Brian try to stop you?”

“By the time I got another ad agency to draw up most of Brian’s ideas, and they were finally put out to the public, Brian’s original work had been destroyed. There was little or no proof of what I had done, and from what I understand Ryder didn’t want to make a fuss.”

“No wonder Brian was pissed.” Farringer nodded in agreement. “So, what do you want to say to Brian?” Justin asked wrinkling his brow, trying to figure out what this guy was up to. “I’m sure Brian has forgotten all about your theft.” Justin couldn’t resist using the word.

“I guess I want to make amends. I thought twenty thousand for Brian’s pet project might make up for what I did. I don’t like my company being built on a foundation of … impropriety.”

“You mean theft,” Justin repeated.

“Okay, theft,” Farringer admitted.

“Does Brian know you’re … sorry?”

“How would he? He won’t speak to me.”

“But you could have told Cynthia.”

“You think I want anyone else knowing what I did?”

“I… Brian isn’t going to like this.”

“I know, but I’d like to apologize to him … face to face.”

“He might punch you in the face.”

“I’ll take my chances. That wouldn’t be anything I didn’t deserve.”

“Okay, Mr. Farringer, I’ll give Brian your message.”

Farringer gave a terse nod and walked out of the room. As soon as he left, Hunter rushed back in.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, sort of. I don’t quite know how I’m going to explain this to Brian.”

“You know you can do it, Blondie,” Hunter said sympathetically.

Justin hoped he was right.

*****

Justin carefully drove the famous ‘Vette through the streets of Pittsburgh over to the gallery. He didn’t want his entire visit to the land of Liberty to be a total lie. He hated fibbing, lying, to Brian. It was primarily Justin’s lies that caused trouble between him and Brian in the past. Their lives now were just short of miraculous. Justin couldn’t take the chance of ruining it.

He parked the car, set the alarm then walked to the gallery.

“Hi, Justin!” Lindsay greeted their artist cheerfully. Justin mustered up a weak smile.

“Hey.”

“We weren’t expecting you today.”

“I know. I decided to come in.”

“What’s wrong?” Lindsay asked knowingly. After years of spending time around Justin she knew the look.

“I think I did something really stupid,” Justin said with a very dramatic sigh.

“With a painting?”

“No, with Brian.”

“Do you want to talk about it? I have a pot of hot water ready; I was just about to make some tea.”

“Yeah, sure,” Justin said glumly as he followed Lindsay to her office.

Justin explained the situation as he cradled his mug of tea in his hands. He found the warmth comforting after the cold feeling he experienced when he lied to Brian.

“What should I do?” Justin asked Lindsay, already knowing the answer. Lindsay merely stared back at him. “Yeah, yeah, dumb question. I’ll talk to him when I get home.”

“You and I both know Brian is not the same man he was when you first met. He’s matured into a wonderful person. He’ll understand.”

Justin nodded. He knew all that, and was the first one to say the same to anyone who thought Brian Kinney was still the asshole. Justin finished his tea then headed back home to Edna’s Treasures.

*****

Justin was a few hours away from finishing another specially commissioned painting. He was working at an almost frantic pace. He was committed to complete each commission within a reasonable amount of time, especially since the finished product would eventually be shipped overseas.

Bree, however, had a different agenda in mind for her younger father.

“Daaaddy,” Bree began using the universal tone recognized by most experienced parents as the “I want something and know how to get it,” voice. Justin had taken a momentary break so that he could step back to view his painting in total.

“Yes, Baby Girl,” Justin mumbled around the end of a paint brush that was stuck in his mouth.

“Can we work on the rest of my sleepover invitations now?” The first mock up of Bree’s personalized invitations had taken hours to make. They still had several more to do.

“Um,” Justin murmured with a sigh.

“Pleeezzz, Daddy. I hafta finish ‘em!” Bree was beginning to whine.

Justin was at war with himself. He wanted to complete his current project, he had several more to take its place plus his chronicling of Justin project was being neglected and he really wanted to continue his Kinney research. So much to do, so little time to do it, and Bree’s big blue eyes were staring up at him.

“Briana Victoria,” Brian’s stern voice came from overhead. He had heard Bree’s plea and suspected she was about to try to manipulate her beleaguered younger dad.

Bree knew her Dada meant business the second she heard her full name. When she looked up at the balcony, her father was standing there, scowling.

“Yes, Dada,” Bree said as sweetly as she could batting her long blond lashes at her Dada the way she knew her Daddy did time and time again.

“Come up to my office, please,” Brian said in a low calm voice.

“Yes, Dada,” Bree said with a hesitant sigh as she began the long climb up the spiral staircase to her fathers’ office. As she rounded the top step, Brian was there. He extended his hand for Bree to take. Without hesitation she took her Dada’s hand and together they walked into his office. As they reach Brian’s desk, Brian lifted his petite daughter up to set her on his desk. When he sat down in his great chair, they were almost eye to eye.

“Briana, do you know what a commitment is?”

“Not ‘xactly,” Bree replied.

“A commitment is a promise, a very special promise. Your Daddy made a commitment to his art patrons to complete their commissions. Knowing your Daddy the way I do, it’s very important to him to fulfill his promises. Your Daddy also has a new project that he’s been working on.”

“But what about my invitations?” Bree pleaded.

“Briana, when is your sleepover?”

“In April.”

“And what month is it now?”

“March.”

“Let’s look at the calendar.” Brian lifted Bree up off his desk to gently set her back on the floor. Together they crossed the office to the back of her younger father’s desk to look at the big yearly calendar that was tacked to the wall. Their ever growing family meant ever growing family events. Justin noted each one on his calendar with the same commitment he showed to his own projects.

“Show me the weekend of your sleepover, Squirt.” Bree smiled brilliantly at her Dada; she was his Squirt again. Bree pointed to the weekend in April that she and Justin had indicated for her birthday sleepover.

“Show me today’s date.” Bree pointed to the correct date. “And how many weeks do we have until then?”

Bree counted six.

“I believe we have plenty of time to send out your invitations,” Brian declared.

“But Dada, they’re special invitations and Daddy and me hafta make them. And I want my friends to come to MY party.”

“Bree if you send out invitations too far in advance, many times they get lost and forgotten. You see your friends every day at school. There’s no reason why you can’t remind your friends about the party and let them know an invitation will be sent in the mail soon.”

“But Dada, Daddy hasta help me make them!”

“Show me.”

“Huh?”

“Show me the special invitation you and Daddy made,” Brian demanded. Bree nodded her head, bouncing her pigtails at the sides of her head. Bree led her Dada down to her art table in the sun porch.

Justin was still painting, totally unaware of the drama surrounding him.

“Here, Dada,” Bree said as she handed Brian the mock-up princess invitation. “It’s very cop-a-clated,” Bree stressed.

“Hmm. Let’s move your table into your room so we don’t disturb your Daddy,” Brian commanded. Bree’s table was on wheels so it could be easily moved from room to room. Bree ran down the hall to open her bedroom door as Brian carefully pushed the table.

Father and daughter sat on the edge of Bree’s bed so they could both examine the invitation.

“So the premise is to personalize the invitation for the person you’re sending it to,” Brian said in a very professional tone. Bree wasn’t quite sure what her father said but she wisely waited for him to continue.

“This is the special one for Ashley.” Brian noted the princess dress shaped card.

“Yes, Dada. Me and Ashley love to play princess.

“Yes, I know,” Brian said with a smirk. “And what about your other friends? What are their interests?”

Bree didn’t know why her Dada wanted to know about her friends; he wasn’t the artist in the family but she answered anyway. “Brenda likes computers.”

“Hmm,” Brian mumbled as he rummaged through the drawers of the table. He retrieved an old magazine that was hidden in one of the drawers. When they came across a magazine that contained interesting pictures, Bree or her Daddy would tear out the page to keep for the future. Even Patrick benefitted from the stash of pictures for many of his school assignments.

Brian found a picture of a PC. Following Justin’s example, Brian took a blank sheet of paper, folded it to the appropriate size. He then attached the computer picture to the card with a paper clip.

“But what about the writing?” Justin had hand-written the information on her sample in very elegant script befitting a princess.

Brian stared at the card for a moment then picked up a pencil.

In the old style, binary shaped lettering that primitive computers were only able to create, Brian copied the information for Brenda. He held up the card for Bree’s approval.

“Huh!” Bree gasped. The mock-up invitation looked perfect. “But...?” Bree was astonished that her not artistic father came up with a perfect invitation. Suddenly Bree’s eyes filled to the brim with tears that soon overflowed her lower lids to stream down her face.

Briana’s very astute other father put two and two together. Brian hugged his weeping daughter to his chest. “Oh Squirt, I may not be a famous artist like your Daddy but I know how to sell things. I use words and pictures to do it.” Brian felt Bree nod against his chest.

“Sorwy, Dada,” Bree sniffled.

“Sorry is...is, bullshit,” Brian said with trepidation but the expletive fit the situation.

“But I am, sorry, Dada.”

Brian leaned back to see his daughter’s red puffy eyes. “I know, Squirt. Learn from this. Never underestimate people because when you least expect it, someone you know just might amaze you. And you might find a friend for life.”

“Like Ashley?”

“Maybe. Or maybe Winona might turn out to be a good friend,” Brian said with experience. He could think of at least two of his original circle of so-called friends that turned out to be his closest friends and confidants.

Bree nodded again.

“Let’s see if we can come up with ideas for your other friends,” Brian suggested. They dug into her art table for the right supplies and pictures then began to finish the mock-ups for her invitations.

By the time Bree and Brian were finished with her invitations, it was time to start dinner.

“Bree, I’m going to put your table back where it belongs and then start on dinner. Why don’t you wash up and then you can help me,” Brian said to his daughter who was feeling so much better. Her cards were well on their way to being a reality and more importantly, her beloved Dada wasn’t angry at her.

All was right in Bree’s world again.

*****

“Daddy, dinner’s ready,” Bree said quietly from behind her Daddy who was putting the finishing touches on his painting.

“Okay, Baby Girl, give me a minute,” Justin said as he continued working. Bree patiently waited until she heard her Uncle John call her.

“Princess, come to the table, please,” John called from his side of the conjoined cottages. Even though Brian had cooked, the family decided to eat together on the Anderson-Morrison side. Bree looked at her Daddy who made no indication that he was going to join them for dinner. She sighed then shuffled toward the kitchen door. As her Dada passed her coming out, he winked and patted her head.

“Sunshine, are you able to take a break?” Brian gently said so he wouldn’t startle his artist.

“Mmm,” Justin mumbled without thinking. After a few seconds, Justin became more aware of his husband staring at him. “What do you think?” Justin asked Brian.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Brian said honestly regarding the large portrait in front of them. Justin’s stomach concurred, loudly. “I also think it’s time for you to put away your stuff, wash up and come eat dinner with your family,” Brian said in a voice that brooked no argument.

Justin concurred. Within a few minutes Justin’s paint brushes were in their cleaning fluid, Justin was washed up and was sitting at the dinner table.

The Edna Treasures family enjoyed their simple repast together.

All About Justin

Chapter 6

“Do you intend to pursue this land thing?” Bobby asked Justin as they loaded up the dishwasher with the dinner dishes.

After dinner, John and Patrick retreated up to John’s office to go over Patrick’s homework and to talk about the progress John was making in his thesis. Brian and Bree went back to their side to clean up the kitchen. That left Justin and Bobby alone to discuss the Kinney promissory notes.

“Of course, I intend to pursue them.”

“To what end?”

“What do you mean? You already know that I won’t evict anyone.”

“I know. Do you intend to have the guys sign the deeds over to whoever is living on the property?”

“Yes. And if the property is a wreck, we’ll clean it up.”

“Okay, just checking. Sidney emailed me the copies of the notes he found. He’s right about it being a large tract of land. Kinney apparently was trying to prevent his community from being ruined. He probably would have succeeded if he didn’t eventually have other pursuits that took precedent.”

“You mean Patrick.”

“Yes. I’m having an investigator track down each parcel of land and the current owners.”

“But I thought...”

“Justin, I realize that you wanted to do the investigative work yourself but do you really have the time it takes?”

“No, I really don’t. I have so many commissions to do and I really wanted to work on my sketch project.”

“Then let my investigators do their work. This is all they do and they do it well. Once we have all the facts then we can formulate a plan.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

“What also sounds reasonable is that you take some time from your painting to spend with your family. I’m giving you the same advice I gave John when he began to work on his thesis. Build in time in your day to spend with Bree and Brian. They need it. You need it.”

“Okay,” Justin said contritely then hugged his brother-in-law closely to him.

“A-hem!” John stood in the door way clearing his throat loudly.

“My sentiments exactly,” Brian said with an arch of his brow. “Looks like our twinks are conspiring,” Brian teased.

“I’m not a twink!” came the patented response then matching sunny smiles that melted the Kinney men’s hearts.

“Let’s go home, Sunshine,” Brian said as he held out his hand for Justin. Fingers entwined, Brian and Justin went back to their side of Edna’s Treasures.

“Everything all right?” John murmured into Bobby’s ear as he embraced the younger man.

“Everything’s just fine,” Bobby assured his spouse as they walked into their living room.

*****

When Brian came home from the garden center he found Justin sitting in the sun porch looking over the mock-up invitations that he and Bree had created. It was still cold outside, too cold to do any real gardening, but the March sun had warmed the soil just enough to allow a few crocus and grape hyacinths to make their appearance. Spring was in the air; Brian was ready for it.

“Whatcha doin’, Sunshine?” Brian pulled up a chair to sit next to Justin.

“Looking at the cards you made up. You did a great job.”

“If I can sell disgusting wine coolers, made by a well known homophobic bastard, to gay men, I think I can handle selling a party to a bunch of little girls,” Brian said smugly.

“Yes, you can. You can do anything you’ve set your mind to. You have so much confidence in your abilities. I’ve always admired that quality in you.”

“Justin...”

“Don’t, Brian, don’t say it. I know I’m a good artist. I wouldn’t be this successful if I wasn’t. That’s not the point.”

“What is the point?”

“Your integrity. Your honesty.”

“Justin.”

“Bri, even in the bad old days, you were always honest with me. You never lied. You told me that at the time you couldn’t say the words, even though I know that somewhere in your heart you did love me. You were straight with your tricks. And you had integrity when it came to your career.”

“I like to think I still do.”

“Yes, you do. I’m sure your clients can all attest to that.”

“What is it, Justin? You can tell me anything.”

“I did it again. I went behind your back.”

Brian bristled as he arched his brow waiting for Justin to continue. Justin took in a big gulp of air then proceeded to tell Brian of his encounter.

“So let me get this straight. This Farringer person wants to donate twenty thousand dollars to the clinic, but first he wants to apologize to me in person for stealing my ad ideas over twenty years ago?”

Justin nodded.

“Well fuck me!”

“Do you remember the guy?”

“Vaguely. Flooring you said?” Justin nodded. Brian searched his memory banks for anything about the client. “Farringer Flooring. I think the TV ad was going to show just bare feet running through a house. A mother and a father chasing their toddler through a house. Each room was going to feature a different type of flooring. Yeah, that was it. Very benign and hetero friendly. But I figured it was a young company and they needed something more mainstream to give them a good start. I was going to suggest to Ryder that when they renewed their contract that Farringer expand to include the alternative families. But we never got the chance. Farringer pulled the ad. I later saw something like it in print ads, but I don’t think they ever went with the TV ad. And now he wants to make restitution after all this time?”

“Apparently. He read Hawk’s Prey and now wants to right a wrong.”

“So why the long face, Sunshine?”

“Because I lied to you. I went to the Pitts to see Farringer, not to meet with Sidney.”

“But knowing you, you went to the gallery anyway.” Justin nodded. “A little white lie. No harm, no foul.”

“You’re not angry?”

“No. You probably thought I’d go ballistic and punch out the guy.”

“Something like that.” Justin thought that was exactly what Brian would do.

“I think I’m too old for that shit and if you ever repeat that I will have to kill you,” Brian snarked, as he snaked his arm around Justin’s shoulder. Justin chuckled with relief.

“I’ll never tell.”

“See that you don’t,” Brian said as he pulled out his cell phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“The master of social work. I want him to set up the meet. If it means more money for the center, I can play nice. And who knows, maybe this Farringer person has seen the light. Maybe he’s ready for some real advertising,” Brian said with a straight face.

Justin broke out into laughter. “Always thinking about the bottom line, aren’t you?”

“Always thinking about your bottom line, Sunshine,” Brian said as he patted Justin’s ass. “Hunter!” Brian said with enthusiasm into his phone. “How’s it hangin’?”

Justin laughed as Brian schmoozed with Hunter.

*****

“Daaady.”

“Yes, Baby Girl,” Justin said as he was preparing another canvas.

“I think I’ve decided to invite Winona to my sleepover.”

“Oh? What changed your mind?”

“Dada said that I should never underestimate people because they may surprise me and I might have a friend for life.”

Justin stopped what he was doing so that he could face Bree. “Do you know what that means?”

“I think so.”

“Tell me.”

“I think it means like what Rage says in the Diversity DVD. Never judge a person until you really get to know them, and that it's good to have all kinds of friends. And Dada said that he knew two people that turned out to be his best friends of all time. Who, Daddy?”

“I think Dada means Uncle Teddy and Auntie Emm, sweetheart.”

“Oh. But Auntie Emm and Unca Teddy are Dada’s bestest friends.”

“But they weren’t always, at least I didn’t think they were. But they turned out to be Dada’s bestest friends.”

“I’m glad they are, ‘cause I love them.”

“So do I, Baby Girl, and so does your Dada. He loves them with all his heart,” Justin said as he hugged his daughter. “How about we make up a card for Winona before I start to work on my painting.”

“Okay, Daddy. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Baby Girl,” Justin said giving Bree a kiss on her cheek. Father and daughter went to Bree’s art table to work on their project....together.

Up above, just out of sight Brian, working in his attic office, smiled.

*****

“Patrick, are you sure you don’t want to come to my birthday party?” Bree asked. The children were sitting at Bree’s table in the sun porch. He was helping her put some finishing touches on the invitations for her party.

“Not with all those girls … and Winona,” Patrick said emphatically.

“Winona’s a girl.”

“Not so you’d notice.”

Bree stared at her cousin. “I’d like you to come to my party,” she said sweetly, batting her blonde lashes at him.

“That’s not going to work, Bree. I’m not coming.”

Bree sighed. “Pweeze,” she couldn’t resist saying. It was worth a shot.

“Nope!”

Bree knew then that she was not going to get her way on this one. “Okay,” she said dejectedly.

“You don’t need to sound like that,” Patrick said. “You girls can play princess and giggle and talk about other girls. You don’t need me there.”

Bree frowned. “How do you know that’s what we’ll do?”

“That’s what girls always do,” Patrick replied, like it was a foregone conclusion.

“Maybe,” Bree admitted. “Patrick, if Winona is mean, can you yell at her for me?”

Patrick laughed. “I think your dads should do that.”

“Oh.”

“Winona wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”

“I listen to you.”

“I know you do. I like it when you listen to me.”

“You’re smart.”

“Thanks,” Patrick said with a big smile.

Bree grinned at one of her favorite people in the whole world.

*****

Justin stood staring at his blank easel. He knew he should be starting another one of his commissions, but something else was gnawing away inside him. He glanced from the blank canvas to his sketchbook which was propped up carefully on the table beside him. He looked at the sketch of Brian that he had remembered from so long ago.

The sketchbook was starting to disintegrate. The bottoms of all the pages were burnt. The charred, brown edges still held on some pages, but gradually they were breaking away, and there was little Justin could do to prevent its disintegration.

It was open to a sketch of Brian with a rather severe look on his face. This was one of the early sketches of Brian before he found the happiness that he now seemed to have in his family and his business and himself. The sketch spoke of a seriousness, a determination and an integrity that Justin had always seen in his husband. Not everyone else would have spotted that in Brian.

Justin realized that his talk with Brian about Farringer had caused him to dig out this old sketch. He also realized that he wanted to preserve that look and that integrity. The sketchbook was the one he had saved from his burning locker at St. James, when Chris Hobbs and his buddies had set it on fire.

Now all he had to decide was how he was going to paint this portrait of Brian. He was toying with abstracting certain aspects of Brian’s face to portray what he saw in his husband, but the more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea of abstraction. He wanted to preserve this Brian from the sketchbook. He would make it as close to the sketch as he could, and the colors would be totally realistic too. That wasn’t much like what his paintings looked like nowadays, but he somehow knew that this should be the way this particular portrait should look.

He studied the sketch a little longer. He remembered the shirt that Brian had been wearing when Justin had made the sketch. It looked dark in the sketch, but it was really the soft blue-gray one that Justin had loved on Brian. It had long ago gone to shirt heaven, but it was still one of Justin’s all time favorites on Brian.

Knowing that, Justin picked up a pencil and started to sketch the face of God on his canvas.

*****

When Brian came down the stairs from his office some time later, Justin immediately flipped a cover over his work.

“What’s up with that?” Brian asked. Little got past his observant eyes.

“What?” Justin asked in return, trying to sound totally innocent.

“You haven’t covered up your work like that for years. You’re usually happy for me to see it. I thought you valued my opinion.”

“I do,” Justin said sincerely. “You know I do.”

“Then what’s with hiding it from me?”

“It’s something I don’t want you to see until it’s finished,” Justin explained.

“But I thought you were working on one of your commissions. Why don’t you want me to see it?”

“It’s not a commission. It’s something … very personal,” Justin said, deliberately being vague.

“I’ve seen your nudes of me before.”

“It’s not a nude,” Justin chuckled.

“Am I doing something naughty?”

“It’s not a nude,” Justin repeated.

“Something nasty?”

Justin laughed out loud. “No.”

“I don’t need to be totally naked to do naughty or nasty things,” Brian reminded his husband with a waggle of his brows. “You should know that.”

“Oh I do!”

“Then let me see it.”

“Unh unh,” Justin replied.

“What is it?” Brian asked, now getting quite curious about what Justin was creating.

“Can you be patient for a couple of days until it’s finished? I think you’ll like it, but I want it to be a surprise.”

“Hm, surprises. They don’t always turn out to be what they are billed as.”

“True, but this one will.” Justin was very happy with how the painting was going so far.

“Okay, I’ll wait. I am a man of infinite patience,” Brian professed.

“Riiight,” Justin said, as Brian advanced on him and gave him a toe curler of a kiss. “No sneaking a peek while you’re kissing me,” he advised when Brian let him come up for air.

“Daddy, Dada,” Bree called as she ran into the sun porch from John and Bobby’s side. Patrick was close on her heels.

“What is it, Squirt?” Brian asked, not releasing Justin from the hug he still held him in.

“We’re hungry,” Bree said.

“Yeah, real hungry!” Patrick emphasized.

“Don’t your fathers have food over there?” Brian demanded.

“Nothing we want,” Bree said matter-of-factly.

“And just what is it you want?”

“Cookies,” both children stated.

“Cookies?” Justin asked.

“Yep, it has to be cookies. Can we bake some?” Bree asked.

Justin shook his head as Brian finally released him. “We have to teach Bobby or John Susan’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies.”

“They don’t want to learn it,” Brian said knowingly.

“I kind of thought so.”

“Have you got time?”

“I need a break,” Justin replied. “Can you get out the stuff we need, and I’ll put my painting up in the rafters.”

“Does that mean you don’t trust me not to look?” Brian asked with a smirk.

“Better not to leave temptation in your path.”

Brian nodded in agreement. “Come on, tater tots, let’s get started on those cookies.”

“We’re not tater tots, Uncle Bri,” Patrick protested.

“No, you’re a pair of cookie monsters.”

Bree and Patrick giggled as they followed Brian into the kitchen.

Justin lifted the cover on his painting. He loved the way it was coming along. He dropped the cover back down and cranked it up into the top of the sun porch. He would have lots of time when Bree was in school to work on his masterpiece.

All About Justin

Chapter 7

Brian drove into Pittsburgh for the arranged meeting with Farringer. Hunter managed to convince Farringer to meet Brian at Kinnetik. Brian liked to be in a position of advantage, in more ways than one, but more importantly, his visit to his first branch was overdue.

He parked his Corvette in his usual space then casually strolled up to the front door of his agency. Brian smiled at the fading “Men Only” sign that he refused to remove. He loved the irony of it. Men, women and children passed through these doors practically every day and Brian was proud of them all. Clutching his briefcase, Brian entered his kingdom.

“Hi, Brian!” Cynthia cheerfully greeted her boss with an unexpected kiss to his cheek. He arched his brow then smiled fondly at his right hand woman and his most trusted partner in advertising and in Kinnetik.

“Hey, Boss!” Ted called out as he rounded a desk to say hello. His arms were overflowing with papers.

“Did the shredder explode?” Brian growled at Ted.

“What? Oh, humor. No, Bri, just helping Briggs make sense of these old accounts.”

“Why don’t you take them into one of the conference rooms? You’ll have room to spread out,” Brian suggested as he headed for his old office.

“Great idea, Boss,” Ted gushed.

“That’s why they pay me the big bucks, Schmidt,” Brian remarked as he shut his door. “Cynthia!” Brian bellowed after a few minutes.

“Right here, Brian,” she answered, cup of coffee in hand to give to her friend and colleague. Brian took a large appreciative sip as Cynthia made herself comfortable in one of the chairs. “What brings you here today?” Cynthia ventured when Brian was sufficiently caffeinated.

“I’d like to say a potential client, but that would be a lie.” Brian then told Cynthia about the circumstances surrounding his meeting with Robert Farringer.

“I remember that ad. We were both so young back then and you were so cocky. I was amazed when you came up with such a, a...”

“Straight?”

“I was going to say sweet ad. I was so disappointed that we couldn’t follow it through. And I was pissed when I saw your ideas credited to another firm. Doesn’t it anger you that he’s practically blackmailing you now?”

“It’s for a worthy cause.”

“I know, but hell, I’d give Hunter the money. Why are you being so nice? Wait a minute. Are you thinking of stealing his business back?”

“Would be poetic justice, wouldn’t it?”

“Who’s doing his PR now?” An evil grin came to Brian’s lips. “Oh no, you don’t mean?”

“Yup! Our old friend Gardner Vance.”

“That would be a kick in the pants,” Cynthia confirmed. She stood to go out onto the main floor. “I’ll show Mr. Farringer in myself,” she said with a smile. “I love my job!” Cynthia said as she left the office. Brian nodded as he heard his door close behind her.

*****

“Brian, Mr. Farringer is here,” Cynthia said rather formally as she showed Robert Farringer into Brian’s office. “Shall I bring in some coffee?”

“No thank you,” Farringer said quickly. He wasn’t quite sure of the reception he’d receive, so Farringer wanted to keep the meeting simple.

“We’re fine, Cynthia,” Brian said as he stood up to greet Farringer.

“Then I’ll leave you to it,” Cynthia said as she excused herself from the room, leaving the door open just in case.

The two men eyed each other for a moment then Brian indicated Farringer should take a seat. He waited for Farringer to speak.

“You’re not the easiest man to get to see,” Farringer began.

“You seem to think I’m very easy,” Brian replied with a touch of snarkiness.

“I believed in the rumors.”

“And now you’ve come to set the record straight.”

“Yes. I want to apologize.”

“For believing the rumors back then, or stealing my ideas?”

“Both.”

“Apology accepted.”

“That’s it?” Farringer asked incredulously.

“That’s it.”

“If I were you, I don’t think I’d be this gracious.”

“You’re not me and I don’t have time to waste on holding a twenty year old grudge. I’ll be perfectly honest with you. Back then the rumors regarding my extracurricular activities were not mere rumor. Perhaps you were correct in your decision to not go with me and Ryder. You’re apparently a very successful man.”

“I sense a but.”

“No buts, what’s done is done. Are you still as successful as you were back then?”

Before Farringer had the chance to answer, through Brian’s office door burst a tiny blond whirlwind. He toddled in with his mother not far behind.

“Hey, little man!” Brian said as he quickly scooped his nephew up into his arms. Taylor gave his uncle a toothy grin then giggled loudly. “Where did you come from?”

“I’m so sorry, Brian. I was feeding Taylor his mid-morning snack in the school and he got away from me. Please forgive our interruption,” Molly said as she looked at Farringer.

“He’s a beautiful boy,” Farringer commented. “How old is he?”

“He’ll be a year old in April,” Molly replied as she took her son from Brian.

“I have a grandson his age; they grow up very fast,” Farringer added. Molly smiled her own sunny smile, as Brian chucked little Taylor under his chin then blew a raspberry on Taylor’s cheek making the baby giggle again.

“I’ll take him back to school,” Molly said as she and Taylor bid a hasty retreat.

“School?” Farringer asked as quiet returned to the office.

“My daughter was jealous that her older cousin went off to school everyday without her. They spent most of their time together when Briana was an infant. To get Bree to come to daycare here with me we decided to call our daycare a school. We hired school teachers to run it so the children get a little more than just story time. Our parents love it and so do the children. Bree didn’t want to leave when it was time for her to go to real school. The teachers have a little graduation ceremony each time one of our children is ready to move on.”

“Forgive my naiveté, I don’t wish to be rude, ruder than I already am, but what does a gay man know about daycare?”

“First of all, Mr. Farringer...”

“Robert.”

“Robert. I admire honesty and frankness. If you have a question then ask it. Now to answer your question, I have two children. My oldest is in college. Bree, who will be seven going on twenty-seven this year is in first grade. That little blond tornado is my nephew. We have many children in my family and in our Kinnetik family. Kinnetik prides itself on being on the cutting edge in many areas, including making accommodations to be family friendly. Most of the employees that started out with me when I first opened this branch are still with us. They have families.”

“You have other branches?”

“Yes. Harrisburg, L.A., New York, and we just acquired a small agency in London,” Brian said proudly. Farringer appeared impressed. “Would you like a tour of our facility?” Brian asked. He got the feeling that Farringer might just be interested in a new ad agency after all.

Farringer nodded then followed Brian out into the main office.

*****

“I’d take you in, but I believe it’s nap time,” Brian said in hushed tones as he spied the big clock on the wall of the Kinnetik school. The lights were dimmed in the large room. Robert Farringer was able to get a good look through the window of the door. The younger children were curled up on large soft mats, each with their own blanket. The babies were safely tucked in their cribs and the older children or ones who didn’t want a nap were quietly drawing at a table near the light.

“Amazing. I can’t get my own grandkids to settle down, yet your teachers have a dozen kids sleeping.”

“Only the best for Kinnetik.”

“I can see that. Mr. Kinney...”

“Brian.”

“Brian, the clinic will have its donation. It had it the minute your partner nearly bit my head off when he defended you.”

Brian snorted but couldn’t help the big smile that broke out on his face. “Yeah, well, blond tornadoes tend to run in my family. Thank you for your donation. The Jason Kemp clinic will make good use of every penny.”

“My company likes to ‘adopt’ worthy causes. I can’t think of any other cause more worthy than our children. I can’t imagine what I’d do if I lost one of my kids to the street.”

“Neither can I,” Brian said with all seriousness, as he held out his hand for Robert to shake.

As Brian showed Farringer out, Farringer paused at the faded Men Only sign. Brian smirked as he arched his brow.

“My contract with your competitor is up in a few months.”

“You thinking about taking a walk on the wild side?”

“I’d like to think I’m broadminded.”

“Then we’ll see you in a few months,” Brian said politely but with a smug tone that made Robert chuckle, as he walked down the front steps then toward his car.

“I love my job,” Brian murmured as he went back inside Kinnetik.

*****

“So, how did it go?” Justin asked as soon as Brian got out of his Corvette. Justin had been waiting and watching for the last hour for Brian to come home from Kinnetik and his meeting with Farringer.

“Not bad.”

“That means good, right?” Justin asked, as he walked with Brian into the house. “I thought you’d call.”

“There was nothing much to tell. It was all very civil.”

“Details, Brian, I want details.”

“Okay, okay. Can I at least take a whizz before I spill my guts?”

“Only if you hurry,” Justin told his husband, as Brian hurried away to the bathroom in their bedroom. Justin poured two cups of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. After several minutes Brian finally emerged from the bedroom dressed in his jeans and a black wifebeater. “You look good enough to eat,” Justin said with love, or maybe it was lust, in his eyes.

“Later,” Brian replied with a grin.

“Okay, so what happened? You didn’t hit him, did you?”

“When have you known me to hit anybody?” Brian asked with a smirk.

“Almost never, but sometimes you look like you want to, and you can be terrifying when you get like that.”

“Terrifying?” Justin nodded and Brian chuckled. “I think I like that.”

“You would,” Justin said with a grin. “Tell me what the fuck happened.”

“Farringer came in, apologized, I accepted it and we made nice.”

“That’s it?” Justin asked.

“Taylor escaped from school and joined us for a minute or two,” Brian added with a chuckle.

“Oh my God,” Justin laughed. “What did Farringer say?”

“He thought Taylor was a cute little guy, just like … all of us do. As a result, we got into a discussion of family friendly environments, and I gave him a tour of Kinnetik so he could see the school. Taylor makes a good icebreaker.”

“So there was a little more to the meeting than just a handshake,” Justin said taking a sip of his coffee.

“A little.”

“What else?”

“I think Farringer may be back at Kinnetik in a couple of months when his contract runs out with his current ad agency.”

“No shit!” Justin chuckled. “You got a new client out of this.”

“Kind of looks that way … and I haven’t told you the best part,” Brian smirked.

“What?”

“Guess who the ad agency is that he’s currently with.”

Justin thought for a second then a big smile blossomed across his face. “Vangard!” Brian nodded. “Talk about poetic justice.”

“Just a tad.”

*****

“Have you got your invitations to take to school?” Justin asked his daughter.

“Yes, Daddy,” Bree replied as she spooned some porridge, fixed just like Hudson made it, into her mouth.

“Where are they?”

“In my backpack.”

“And you know who you’re giving them too?” Justin quizzed her.

“Yep. Ashley and JR and Brenda and Hannah and Winona,” Bree rhymed off.

“That’s good,” Justin chuckled, “but I don’t think you want to take JR’s invitation to school with you. We could mail it, or Dada could take it into Pittsburgh the next time he goes.”

“Can we mail it?” Bree asked. “JR likes getting real mail.”

“Especially such beautiful mail,” Justin said as he fished the invitations out of Bree’s backpack. He found JR’s with her name beautifully printed on the envelope and Bree’s signature rainbow colored along the bottom. “What did you and Dada make for JR?”

Brian, who was pretending to read the paper and drink his coffee, was listening to all this. He smirked to himself. He thought JR’s invitation had turned out to be the very best of all the ones he had helped Bree make.

Justin opened the envelope and pulled out the card. It showed a sweet young girl sitting on a swing in a beautiful garden. Like the original invitation Justin had helped Bree make for Ashley, the center of the invitation folded out on each side to reveal the time and date and other information for the sleepover. It was all neatly printed in gold.

“This is perfect,” Justin said. “JR will love it.”

Brian smiled to himself, but didn’t say anything.

“Dada makes good cards,” Bree said smiling at her other father, and batting her lashes at him.

“Thanks, Squirt,” Brian said and smiled back at her.

“You do wonderful work,” Justin said leaning down to kiss Brian’s lips.

Brian looked up into Justin’s eyes. “You don’t have to flatter me.”

“I’m not. This is beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Brian whispered softly.

“JR will love it. You’ll have to tell her that you helped Bree make it.”

“Maybe.”

“Brian…?”

“I’ll tell her, Daddy,” Bree volunteered.

“Thanks, sweetheart. JR said she could come for that weekend?” Justin asked to be sure.

“Yep,” Bree replied.

“Thank the gods,” Brian whispered. He was counting on JR to entertain and help look after the other little girls.

“So, you’ll hand out your invitations when you get to school?” Justin asked. Bree nodded.

“Let’s go, Squirt,” Brian said standing up. “Your Daddy needs to get back to his painting.”

Bree ran to get her coat.

“Thanks for helping her make those invitations,” Justin said to his husband.

“You don’t need to thank me. We had fun. And I got to be creative. Besides, we’re a team.” Brian kissed Justin’s cheek and followed Bree out of the kitchen. Justin just stood there and smiled.

*****

“Bye, Dada,” Bree called as she ran to meet her friends. Brian got back into the SUV and watched Bree pull the invitations out of her backpack. There were lots of squeals and smiles from the little band of girls that surrounded his daughter.

He couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm as he put the car in gear. The invitations were obviously a big success. As Brian backed out of his parking space, he saw Winona standing next to the school building, watching the other girls with a funny look on her face. He wondered if she understood that Bree might not want to invite her to the party. She looked so alone. Brian shook his head and reminded himself to ask his daughter about Winona’s reaction when she got her invitation.

“This is so perfect,” Hannah cooed as she opened and reopened her invitation. “I love it, Bree!”

“Mine is so beautiful,” Ashley said with reverence.

“I love mine too,” Brenda chimed in.

The girls started comparing their invitations and looking at all the special features they contained. While they were gushing and chattering away, Bree looked up to see Winona standing by the school watching them with sad eyes. At that moment she was glad she had an invitation for the older girl. Clutching it in her hand, she left her friends and ran over to Winona.

“Hi, Winona,” Bree said, putting her hand holding the invitation behind her back so Winona couldn’t see it.

“Hi,” Winona said softly.

Bree could hear the sadness in her voice. “Here,” Bree said holding out the invitation to her sometimes friend.

“You’re inviting me?” Winona asked, her eyes lighting up and a smile radiating from her face.

Bree was so happy she had decided to invite Winona, when she saw the look on the girl’s face. “Sure,” Bree answered.

Winona pulled her invitation out of the envelope. It was a garden of flowers with a beautiful pink rose much larger in the middle of the other flowers. The rose opened to reveal the information inside.

“This is beautiful, Bree,” Winona whispered.

“I’m glad you like it. My Dada helped me make yours. Each one is different,” Bree explained.

“Your Dada?”

“Yep.”

“I love it,” Winona said sincerely. “I bet it’s better than the other ones,” she added, suddenly realizing that she was sounding rather sappy.

“They’re all very good,” Bree said with a frown. “Nobody’s is better.”

“Mine’s the best,” Winona repeated her declaration.

Bree sighed. “Whatever,” she said rather annoyed. “If you can come to the sleepover after you show your mother, let me know.”

“I’ll be there.” There was no hesitation in Winona’s voice.

Bree began to wonder once more if Winona would spoil the party for the rest of them. “Winona, please be nice to my other friends?” Bree asked.

“I’m always nice. My mother tells me that all the time.”

“Okaaay,” Bree sighed. “Let me know if you can come.” Before Winona could say something else to annoy her, Bree ran back to her other friends.

Winona stared at the beautiful invitation before carefully sliding it back into its envelope. Just then the bell rang for them to go into the school. As Bree and the other girls ran past her, Winona clutched the invitation to her chest. She smiled and felt so happy that she had been invited. She had been so afraid she was going to be left out … again.

Bree glanced back at Winona as she waited for her friends to enter the school. She was happy to see the radiant smile on Winona’s face. It reminded her a bit of her Daddy’s smile. That was one of her most favorite things in the whole world.

All About Justin

Chapter 8

“Hey Justin,” Bobby said as Justin walked into Bobby’s office. “Twice in one month, I didn’t think you cared,” Bobby teased.

“Har, har. You make a much better lawyer than you do a comedian,” Justin commented as he plopped himself into a chair.

“So you’ve driven all this way into Harrisburg to insult me?” Bobby said as he began to laugh.

“No,” Justin said trying to keep a straight face. “I wanted to know if your investigators came up with anything.”

“And this couldn’t wait until I got home?”

“I needed more paint and pencils anyway.”

“You’ve been working very hard lately. Your hand okay?” Bobby asked in all seriousness. After all these years, Justin still felt the after-effects of the bashing.

“I’m fine. I’ve been switching back and forth from painting to sketching. That seems to help.”

“Good. The big guy gets himself all worked up into a snit if he thinks you’re hurting.”

“I know, nothing gets past his eyes. So, have your investigators reported back to you?”

“Actually they did. I just got the preliminary report a few minutes ago.”

“And?”

“You’re not going to believe this.”

“What?!”

“Well, we knew about Claire’s house and surrounding land which includes the farm.”

“Yeah.”

“But other deeds and notes also include most of Bridgeton and some derelict mines.”

“Mines? As in coal mines?”

“Yup, and a few more properties close to our lane.”

“Wait a minute! Did we buy back our own land?” Justin asked as he rolled his eyes in disbelief.

Bobby chuckled. “No, but you’re getting warm.”

“Not the new Muncherville! Melanie would have a cow.” Justin and Bobby cracked up.

“No, no. But there are a few small plots of land near Camp Little Flowers and the kids’ school.”

“Which plots? Are there families involved?”

“Just one, most of it is public land.”

“Who’s the family?”

“Ashley and Susanna St. John.”

“Fuck!”

“Yup.”

“So what do we do about it?”

“Go home and tell the guys. They are the rightful Kinney heirs. Truthfully, I’m more concerned about the mines.”

“You mean the danger?”

“No, the waste. The byproducts of mining can be hazardous to the environment.”

“Would we be responsible?”

“Legally? I doubt it. If the property was legally leased then it should be the responsibility of the mining company to clean up after itself. I can get an environmental agency involved to do some testing. But I’d prefer to discuss that when we’re all together.”

“Then I think we should go home.”

“Justin, before you go I want to hear it from you again. What do you intend to do about this?”

“I want to give the land over to the people who are living on it.”

“But this is not about you.”

“So we’ll talk to John and Brian.”

“And Brian will do exactly what you want him to, because he’ll hear your PSA, see those big baby blues of yours and sign on the dotted line. He may growl and grumble but he will do it. John, will listen to the facts, he’ll probably read all the reports then go out to investigate on his own. He is the rock man like Brian said. But he will do what you want as well.”

“What are you implying?”

“Justin, you know as well as I do the power you have over the Kinney men.”

“What are you saying?!”

“I’m saying that Brian Kinney looks at you and sees that beautiful naive seventeen year old full of life and champing at the bit to learn all there is to learn about being gay. He does all that’s in his power to keep that smile on your face.

“John looks at you and sees what you represent. A sort of freedom, a truth. You were the first gay man he met, out and proud and willing to talk about it.”

“But Brian...”

“Brian’s different. He’s out, but not obvious. His reserve is something John can relate too.”

“And I’m obvious.”

“Not in a bad way. He’s fascinated by your love and passion for life, and your love and passion for Brian. Before meeting you and Brian, John never knew such love.”

“But he loves you so much.”

“I know that and I love him. We complement each other; he’s the other part of me. But there’s something about you that he can’t resist.”

“But I never...”

“I know that too. I think it’s that Taylor loving Kinney gene. The Kinney men can’t help but fall in love with you.”

“John’s not in love with me.”

“No, he’s not. He has paternal feelings for you apart from his fascination for you. He believes in you and admires your perseverance. Justin, let me present the facts to both of them. They will do the right thing. You know they will. I just want them to make up their minds about it without trying to please you. Besides, you are a big flirt,” Bobby teased, trying to take the sting from his words.

“Okay. And I’m not a flirt!” Justin insisted.

“Oh bull. You were probably born with a flirt gene. I can see it now, little baby Justin, three white blond hairs on your head and big blue eyes. Bree has it and so does Taylor. It’s an innate thing and when there’s a Kinney within a hundred yards...bam! The Kinney walls come tumbling down. They don’t stand a chance.”

“Now I know why you’re such a great lawyer.”

“Why?”

“Because you were born with the bullshit gene.”

“And here I thought it was my years of study and my logical mind.”

“Nope, pure bullshit. However, I do see your point. This isn’t all about me. This is something the guys should make up their own minds about without any pressure from me. I didn’t realize how much trouble this can potentially cause. So we should go home and you can present your report logically.”

“I agree. Meet you there,” Bobby said as he began to pack up his briefcase, placing the report safely inside it. Justin nodded as he left the office for home.

Shortly after the children went to bed, Bobby gathered the men of Edna’s Treasures into the sun porch.

“I have the preliminary report from the investigators who are looking into the Kinney deeds and notes,” Bobby began as he passed copies of the report to John and Brian. “As you can see, most of the land is public and state land although according to the first survey, it looks like the school that our kids go to may sit on a piece of it.”

“Is this the camp?” John asked. He had no problem reading the survey.

“Yes,” Bobby confirmed.

“I see no problem, here,” Brian started as he looked over his copy of the report. “On Monday, we sign over the land to the school and the camp. We’ll make any necessary repairs or environmental restitutions if need be.”

John nodded in agreement. “Brian,” John said as he concentrated further into the report.

“What is it?” Brian looked up at the frown on his brother’s face.

“Bobby, did you read this?” John asked. Bobby nodded. “Do you understand what these symbols mean?” John asked as he pointed to the survey map. Bobby nodded again.

“Well, that’s nice,” Brian growled. “Mind letting me in on the secret?”

“See here and here?” John asked as he pointed to the map.

“Yeah,” Brian answered. “What does it mean?”

“It means the Kinney land turned out to be a lot richer than farmland, at least for a little while,” John started to explain.

“And what the fuck does that mean?” Brian said losing his patience.

“Mines,” John answered before anyone else could.

“Mines. As in coal mines?” Brian asked in astonishment, he had only joked about the possibility of there being a mine on the Kinney property. He knew several people whose grandfathers and great grandfathers used to work the mines. Many of them had been lost to mining accidents and black lung disease. “Are we responsible?” Brian made the same connections as Justin did when he learned of the survey results.

“No. Kinney had either forgiven the rent on the land for a specified time that his tenant lived there, or a landowner owner borrowed money from Kinney using his land as collateral. The mining was done at least a hundred years later. There wasn’t any known Kinney descendant to lay claim to the land and most of the current landowners except for Bridgeton had forgotten Kinney existed. Grandfather Aidan most likely never knew about the arrangements since his father never spoke of Kinney.”

“But that doesn’t excuse the ethical issue,” Brian immediately responded. “John, can you have someone check out the mine sites for, for...I’m not sure what I’d want them to look for.” Brian felt helpless at the moment.

Justin did too. He was beginning to understand why Bobby had questioned him about pushing the investigation in the first place.

“Brian, I already contacted an environmental agency. It’s one that John’s company uses when there’s a question of hazardous materials in a building,” Bobby assured them as he glanced at John. John smiled his approval.

“So what do we do?” Brian asked, not liking the fact he couldn’t snap his fingers and have all his answers.

“We wait for the results. But think about it, we would have heard a long time ago if the water table was contaminated or if there was an open mine shaft somewhere. Those things don’t go unnoticed for long,” Bobby said by way of assurance.

The guys took some comfort in that.

“Can we at least have the land around the camp and school checked out, for starters? I never liked that vacant lot behind the school,” Brian grumbled. He wanted to do something.

“We can do that,” Bobby said making his brother-in-law feel a whole lot better.

“Bobby,” Justin finally spoke up. His eyes gave Bobby a pleading look. It did not go unnoticed by his mate.

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Sunshine,” Brian said as he arched a brow.

“I...”

“Justin dropped in this afternoon after his shopping spree at the art supply store. I briefly showed him the report.”

“And?” Brian asked waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“It turns out that some of the land near our lane may be in question,” Justin continued.

“Please don’t tell me we bought our own land,” Brian said with exasperation.

“No,” Justin chuckled. He and Brian had come to the same conclusion.

“Not Muncherville?!” Brian asked in horror.

“No,” Bobby giggled. “Closer to the school. A small piece of land, only one house is involved.”

“Do we know them?” John asked.

“Yes,” came Bobby’s answer. Justin nodded.

“Who?” John and Brian asked in unison.

“Ashley,” came the answer from Justin and Bobby.

“Fuck!” John and Brian said, as Justin and Bobby agreed.

“Coffee,” Brian grumbled as he turned on his heels and strode into his kitchen. John, Bobby and Justin weren’t far behind.

*****

“Well, this is a fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into,” Brian groaned as he started the coffeemaker ignoring the fact that it was after nine at night. “Sleep is highly overrated anyway,” he mumbled to himself as he reached for his coffee mug. “You want some?” Brian offered as he waved his mug in the air. Three heads nodded in agreement. Tomorrow was Saturday, they’d make up the sleep over the weekend or so they hoped.

“I’m the one who got us into this mess,” Justin said softly. He was beginning to have regrets.

“Justin, no apologies, no regrets. We get all the facts then fix what we can. Ashley and Susanna won’t be homeless,” Brian said, as he could practically see Justin’s gerbil running in overdrive in his head. “Sunshine,” Brian said as he put his mug down on the counter so that he could hug the younger man to his chest. “The minute we have all the facts, we'll call some sort of meeting. Since the school is involved I wouldn’t be surprised if the principal allowed us to meet at the school. We’ll get everyone who can potentially be affected by this discovery together and let them know our intentions. I’m sure it’ll be all right.”

“I hope so, Bri,” Justin murmured into his spouse’s chest.

“It will be,” Brian said as he gazed back and forth from John to Bobby seeking his own reassurance. When both men nodded with confidence, Brian hugged Justin a little tighter.

*****

“Brian, are you angry at me?” Justin asked as they locked up the house and prepared for bed.

“Why would I be angry at you?”

“For starting this whole thing.”

“Of course not. It’s not like we’re hiking through the jungle again. I just don’t like waiting for all the answers.”

“You are more of an instant gratification kind of guy,” Justin said with a leer in his eyes.

“They didn’t call me a slut for nothing,” Brian said proudly as he stripped down to his briefs.

“Mmmm,” Justin purred as he admired his spouse’s forever trim body. His eyes darkened to a sapphire blue with his increasing lust.

“What were you saying about instant gratification?” Brian said low and breathy. He could feel his erection growing, about to peep out over the waistband of his briefs.

“No more talking,” Justin demanded.

No more words were spoken for the rest of the night.

*****

“Mother, am I calling too late?”

“No, Jackie, never. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s really wrong.”

“But?”

“We found more of Kinney’s influences.”

“What do you mean by influences?”

“Apparently during times of drought or hardship, Kinney would loan money to his neighbors or waive rent on the land he owned. We recently found evidence that his holdings were a lot more vast than we had originally thought.”

“Just how vast?” Claire suspected, but she had to hear it out loud.

“He owned most of the county including some land that’s around here.”

“That’s a lot of land. Why didn’t we know of this before?”

John explained about the ledger and their intentions once the final reports and surveys came back.

“Jackie, didn’t you tell me he married a wealthy woman?”

“Yes, Martha’s father had land and since he had no sons to pass it on to, the land was entailed to Kinney at the time of their marriage. And since Martha never divorced Kinney, he and his heirs still owned the land.”

“So if Jack ever...”

“Mom, please, no what ifs. You and I had a wonderful life on the farm. I have no regrets.”

“No apologies, no regrets,” Claire parroted back the mantra she learned from Brian a long time ago.

“Yes.”

“Jackie, you’re doing the right thing. I’m very proud of you.” Claire could sense the tension leaving her son even over the phone.

“Thank you.”

“Oh honey, you’re a good man, a very responsible man. And so is Brian. I know the two of you will make it right. Now, get some sleep.”

“Yes, mother,” John said with a little mirth in his voice. “Good night, Mom.”

“Good night, Jackie. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“You feel better now?” Bobby said as he rounded the stairs to the attic office.

“How much did you hear?” John asked as he felt his neck and face turning red.

“Enough.”

“I must look spineless to you.”

“Not at all, Babe,” Bobby said as he approached his lover with open arms then embraced him tightly. “John, for forty years you and your mother were a family of two. She’s not just your mother; Claire is your best friend. Your most trusted confidante. And sometimes a guy just needs to talk to his mother.”

“So you don’t think I’m a wimp?” John asked as he hung onto Bobby, burying his nose into his fine red hair.

“You are a bona fide macho cowboy construction man and you belong to me.” Bobby felt John chuckle.

“Can this bona fide macho cowboy construction man take you to bed?”

“I was hoping you’d ask.”

John and Bobby locked up their end of the cottage then went to bed.

All About Justin

Chapter 9

“Halloo, halloo,” Emmett called as he came in through the sun porch.

Brian opened one eye, and turned to look at Justin. Justin slept on oblivious to the intrusion. Brian glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It read 8:12. “Fuck!” he muttered as he closed his eye and pulled the pillow over his head. Surprisingly he didn’t hear another sound, and he gradually drifted back to sleep.

About a half hour later Brian’s eye opened once more. Noting that it was almost nine o’clock, he wondered why Bree hadn’t come to their door to waken them. He slid out of bed and pulled on some sweatpants and a T-shirt. He left Justin sleeping as he headed for the kitchen and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Bree must have pushed the button on the coffeemaker.

As Brian neared the kitchen he heard voices. He was about to step in when Bree’s distinctive voice wafted out towards him, and then he heard Emmett answer her. He stopped and listened.

“So, everyone you invited is coming to your sleepover party?” Emmett asked.

“Yep,” was Bree’s terse answer. “And my invitations were soooo beautiful,” she added.

“Were they now?”

“Yep, my daddies helped me make them. Each one was different and special, and everybody loooved them.”

“Your daddies helped you, as in both daddies?” Emmett asked skeptically.

Brian ground his teeth at the implication that he couldn’t have helped Bree make her invitations. He was about to set one Emmett Honeycutt straight, when he heard Bree’s reply.

“My Daddy and me made the first one. It was for Ashley and it was a pretty pink princess dress, and it opened up and all the information was inside. Ashley thought it was beautiful. Me and her play princess sometimes. Then Daddy got really busy with his painting, so Dada and me made the rest. Dada knows how to find really good pictures on the internet. He showed me how to Google,” Bree giggled. “That’s a silly word, but it works good. And we found a computer for Brenda and a flower garden for Winona and…”

“You have been a busy little thing, haven’t you?” Emmett interrupted. “You and your Dada.”

“And her Dada is perfectly capable of making party invitations, Honeycutt,” Brian said as he strode into the kitchen. He grabbed a coffee mug and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“And a cheery good morning to you too,” Emmett responded. “And I didn’t say you couldn’t make invitations. I was just surprised that you did. And don’t call me Honneycutt.”

“Any other orders?” Brian snarked.

“Dada, be nice to Auntie Emm. He’s helping me plan my party,” Bree said with all the wisdom of the twenty-seven year old whom Brian was sure was hiding in that tiny body.

“Your wish is my command, General Squirt,” Brian replied making a mock salute to his daughter before sitting down at the table with her and Emmett. “So what are you two plotting?”

“Auntie Emm says we should have some games to play when everybody gets here,” Bree explained.

“Hm, not a bad idea, Honeycutt. What games would you suggest?”

Emmett glared at Brian for calling him Honeycutt again, but then he decided to take a different tack. “You realize my party planning expertise does not come cheap.”

“I’ll owe you one,” Brian muttered as he sipped his coffee.

“Oooh, it’s always nice to have you owe me one,” Emmett gushed.

“Don’t press your luck.”

“Oh, pshaw! You know you love me.”

Brian did not answer, knowing that he did love Emmett. He thought, however, that at that moment silence might be his best course of action.

“What games should we play, Auntie Emm?” Bree asked when no one said anything more. She wondered why adults were so easily distracted.

“I think you should start with Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey,” Emmett suggested.

“That old thing!” Brian reacted.

“It’s always a children’s favorite in spite of what you might think, Mr. Kinney. And if you persist in these rude comments, I have a definite suggestion for who should be the donkey.” Emmett looked meaningfully at Brian.

Brian stuck his tongue out at Emmett, and mumbled, “You wish.”

“Bad, Dada,” Bree said. “Daddy said I should never stick my tongue out at anybody.”

“Your Daddy is correct,” Brian agreed. “Auntie Emm knows I’m just teasing, don’t ya, Honeycutt.”

“Pfft!” Emmett said. “You could have your friends fingerpaint,” he suggested with a wicked look at Brian who groaned audibly as he thought of the potential mess.

“Oh yes, Auntie Emm, that’s a good idea,” Bree agreed.

“We’ll see,” Brian said in his most non-committal voice.

“Have you thought about where the munchkins are going to sleep?” Emmett asked next.

“Some in Bree’s room and some in Gus’ room,” Brian replied.

“We want to be together, Dada,” Bree said.

“How about setting up the sun porch?” Emmett suggested. “We could bring down the futons from the two offices and use the big brass bed. That should sleep six girls.”

“If they sleep at all,” Brian grumbled.

“We could put some pink tulle around the room and make it like a fairy princess palace.”

“Heavy on the fairy,” Brian threw in.

“I think I have a roll of pink tulle left over from a wedding,” Emmett said ignoring Brian’s comment. “We could make you each a princess bed to sleep in.”

“Oh, Auntie Emm, could you?” Bree asked her eyes getting huge with the idea of princess beds for all her friends.

“I most certainly can, little princess,” Emmett responded.

“Emmett, you don’t have to,” Brian said quietly.

“I want to,” Emmett informed him. “Bree is like my daughter too, and I want her to have the best party. I’ll look for that roll of tulle as soon as I go back to Pittsburgh.”

“Thank you, Auntie Emm,” Bree said wrapping her arms around Emmett’s neck.

“No problem, sweetie,” Emmet said kissing her cheek. “And we have one more thing to discuss.”

“What’s that?” Bree asked.

“Your birthday cake. Of course, I’m going to make it.”

“Really?” Bree asked.

“Yes, and I thought I’d make a Barbie cake, all pink and princessy since that seems to be the theme of this shindig.”

“I love you, Auntie Emm,” Bree said with reverence in her voice.

“I love you right back, sweetie,” Emmett replied. “Have you got an old Barbie doll that I can have for the cake?”

“I need my Barbies,” Bree said as the thought of losing one of them struck her. She didn’t like that idea.

“I just need to borrow her,” Emmett said patiently. “You’ll get her back after the party.”

“Okay,” Bree agreed. She slid down from her chair and ran off to her bedroom to find a Barbie.

“You don’t have to go to all this trouble, Emmett,” Brian said as soon as Bree had left the room. “Or if you do, at least let me pay you.”

“I am mightily offended, Mr. Kinney. I love that little girl. She’s like the daughter I’ve always wanted. I choose to do this for her, and I don’t expect anything in return … even you owing me one.”

“Emm,” Brian said gently. He realized he had offended his friend. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I would really appreciate any help you can give us. The thought of six little girls overnight is scaring the pants off me.”

“Ooh, something good is coming out of this,” Emmett joked.

“Honeycutt!”

“I want to help with Bree’s party, Brian. We’ll make this a terrific sleepover for the little ones.”

“Thanks,” Brian said simply, earning a gap-toothed grin from the big old queen.

“Here, Auntie Emm,” Bree squealed as she ran back into the kitchen clutching one of her more ragged Barbie’s in her hand. She offered it to Emmett.

“We need to fix her hair, but she’ll do nicely. I can dress her up exquisitely, in pink, of course.”

Brian chuckled as a sleepy Justin came into the kitchen. “What’s going on in here?” he asked.

“Party Planning 101,” Brian replied. And that said it all.

*****

Justin stepped back and stared at his painting. It was almost right, almost but not quite. He studied Brian’s eyes in the painting. They were perfect, dark and deep.

The hair was the slightly unruly, slightly disheveled, slightly mussed up mess that always made Brian look so sexy, so adorable, good enough to lick, good enough to eat, good enough to fuck.

“But I digress,” Justin murmured and gave himself a mental shake. “Concentrate,” he ordered himself. He willed his cock to stop having a mind of its own.

Justin studied Brian’s nose as he had painted it. It was perfect in his estimation. Brian had a rather large nose, but it suited his face totally. Justin looked more closely. Yes, it was just right. Nothing needed to be changed there.

He looked at Brian’s ear that was visible. He had nibbled on that ear many’s a time. He traced the curves of the outside of the ear with his eyes. That ear was ingrained in his memory and it looked just the way it should. He looked at the interior of the ear. All the light and shadow was in the correct places with just the right contrast values. Not the ears then.

The mouth was a little severe, but that was what he wanted to portray. He wanted it to be determined and serious. The mouth was exactly the same as in the sketch.

Justin took a step back from the portrait. The picture was almost perfect, so what was it that was bothering him? Justin glanced over at his sketchbook where it was propped up on the table. The partially burned picture of Brian stared back at him. He looked back and forth from one to the other. Everything was exactly the same, the way he had intended it to look. And yet … it just wasn’t right.

Justin frowned and tried squinting at his painting. Maybe the narrow view through his partially closed eyes would tell him what was wrong. It didn’t help. Everything seemed to be the way he had wanted it to look.

With a big sigh, Justin walked across the sun porch and slumped down onto one of the chaises. He stared across at his portrait. This was going to be his first in the ‘Chronicling Justin Taylor’ series that he wanted to do. And now it was all wrong. He couldn’t paint what he wanted to. He was fucked. Why did he start these idiotic ideas? He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what would make the portrait look right to him. Nothing much came to mind. All he could picture in his mind’s eye was Brian, the way he had looked before he had gone outside a bit earlier to straighten up the shed and get ready for his spring plantings. He pictured the Brian who now loved to garden and make beautiful flowers grow.

“Not bad,” a voice said through the haze of Justin’s thoughts.

Justin slowly opened his eyes and saw Brian standing in front of his easel.

“You weren’t supposed to see that yet,” Justin said in a petulant, little boy voice. “It’s not finished.”

“It looks pretty finished to me, and if you don’t want me to see it, you shouldn’t leave it uncovered like this.”

“It’s not right,” Justin said heaving a beleaguered sigh.

“What’s not right?” Brian asked as he studied the portrait. It certainly looked like him.

“That portrait. It’s supposed to look like that sketch,” Justin said gesturing towards his work table and the burned sketchbook.

“It looks exactly like that,” Brian stated after studying Justin’s work for a minute.

“Then why isn’t it right?”

Brian opened his mouth to answer, but he wasn’t sure what Justin was getting at. “Maybe I have too many clothes on,” Brian said after a minute. “You paint me best when I’m naked.”

Justin chuckled in spite of his funk over not being able to capture on canvas what he thought he saw in his head. “That’s true, but I’m supposed to be replicating some of my early sketches.”

“I’d say you’ve done that … precisely.”

“You think so?” Justin asked in surprise.

“Absolutely,” Brian told him. “This portrait is exactly like the sketch.”

“Then why isn’t it right?”

“What’s not right about it?” Brian asked.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but I don’t like it. It’s … not what I wanted it to be.”

“Tell me what you wanted it to be.”

“When I look at that sketch of you, I see the man I fell in love with, a man that was visible only to me. I see the sexy, surface, but I also see your integrity, your determination and how committed you were to the life you led back then. That’s what I wanted to capture.”

“Hm,” Brian said as he studied the portrait with a fresh view of what Justin was trying to do. “I’d say you captured all that.”

“Did I?” Justin asked with a hopeful glint in his eye. Maybe his painting wasn’t so wrong after all. Then he looked at it again, and he knew it was wrong, was probably never going to turn out right. He walked over to the portrait and lifted it down from the easel. He turned it around so all that anyone would be able to see was the back of the canvas. He leaned it against one of the windows in the sun porch. “I don’t think I’ll work on it anymore,” Justin said almost in a whisper.

“You don’t like it, do you?”

Justin shook his head. “I thought I could capture you when I first met you,” Justin said softly. “But maybe I can’t.”

“I think you did capture me the way I was back then.”

“Then why is it wrong?” Justin asked in bewilderment. “I should love that portrait.”

Brian thought about that then he picked up the canvas and set it back on the easel.

“Don’t…” Justin said.

“Just a minute. Let me look at this.”

Justin shook his head, but he let Brian study the picture. Meanwhile Justin walked over to the chaise where he had sat before, and he sank down on it again. He decided that his original idea had been a big mistake. Maybe you really couldn’t go back, and that had been what he had tried to do. It had been an exercise in futility.

“You wanted to show integrity, determination and the man I was at the time that you drew this sketch?” Justin nodded. “I think you’ve done that.”

“And I was just thinking that you can’t go back, can’t go home again. You know what I mean?”

“Yes, I do, and I think you’re right.”

“So I should just scrap the whole idea. Right?” Justin asked with a grimace. It had sounded like a good idea when he started the portrait, but now he knew it wasn’t meant to be.

“No, I don’t think you should scrap it,” Brian replied. “Even though I like the nudes much better, this is a very good portrait. There’s just one problem with it.”

“I know, and I think we just said that you can’t recapture the past, so I should abandon the whole idea.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I did,” Justin averred.

“You’re wrong.”

Justin snorted. “I can’t fix it. I don’t like it.”

“That’s because the man you painted in the portrait doesn’t exist.”

“Yes, you do. You’re right here.”

“I’m here, but he’s not,” Brian said nodding towards the painting.

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t be painting him,” Brian stated.

“Huh? You still have integrity and determination, all the things I wanted to show.”

“Yes, but … I’m so much happier than he ever was. I can still have integrity and determination, but I don’t have that hard edge, that … cynicism that I see in your sketch and in this portrait.”

“Hard edge?” Justin said thoughtfully.

“I think it’s the mouth that’s wrong,” Brian said. “It’s too severe. That man doesn’t exist anymore. You softened me and opened me up to the joys of the world.”

“I did?” Justin asked with a big smile. “That is a beautiful thing to say to me.”

“And it’s true.”

“I love you,” Justin whispered.

“I love you too, but what you need to paint is the here and now. That’s what you do best. This guy in your sketch is the man I was then. It’s the companion piece to your painting. But your painting needs to reflect all the ways you’ve changed me, made me a better person, helped me find love and happiness that I never believed I deserved … back then.”

“That’s it!” Justin gasped. “You’re absolutely right. I know what to do now.”

“Paint me happy?” Brian asked.

“Kind of.”

“No goofy, toothy, Emmett grins for me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Justin chuckled, picking up one of his paintbrushes. “I need to paint the inner peace and serenity that you’ve achieved,” Justin said definitively.

“Good luck capturing that,” Brian chuckled.

“I can do it.”

“I know you can,” Brian said kissing Justin’s cheek. “I need to go pick up the kids from school.”

“I may have a much better portrait to show you when you get back,” Justin said with a smile as he started mixing some flesh colors for Brian’s mouth.

“I look forward to seeing it,” Brian replied with a smile before he hurried out to get the children.

All About Justin

Chapter 10

Brian arched his back and let out a moan. This was one helluva dream he decided in some faraway part of his brain. He felt the fire spread through his loins, up his spine and explode in his brain.

“Aaaah!”

“That’s it! Come for me!”

“UUUHHH!” Brian felt his cock shoot long and hard into the warm confines that held it tight and secure. He slowly opened his eyes, unwilling to have the lovely dream be over. His eyes gradually focused on a certain blond with a very smug look on his face. Said blond was licking his lips in the most tempting manner, and seemingly enjoying every morsel of what had covered them. “You’re real?” Brian asked as the world seemed to drop back into focus.

“That was your morning wake up call,” Justin grinned.

“I … I thought I was dreaming.”

“As long as it’s me you’re dreaming about…”

“Always you,” Brian said, reaching around behind Justin’s head and pulling his husband up towards him. “You taste … yummy,” Brian whispered as his lips captured Justin’s.

“Hm,” Justin said with a big smile when he was released from the warm, sensual kiss. “I see you’ve taken to quoting our daughter.”

Brian chuckled. “I only quote the best.”

“She is the best.”

Brian nodded as Justin settled his head atop Brian’s heart and listened to the steady thumpa thumpa.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, and I do mean pleasure, of this wake up call?” Brian asked after a moment.

“It was a thank you,” Justin whispered letting his lips slowly pass over Brian’s nipple as he spoke.

“A thank you?”

“Yep.”

“For what?” Brian asked with a frown. “Did you buy something extravagant that I’m going to get the bill for?”

Justin laughed against Brian’s chest. “Yep, my shiny, new red Ferrari will be here tomorrow.”

“Hey, I thought that was my kind of car,” Brian laughed.

“We all have our fantasies.”

“Yes, we do.”

“I think the shiny, red Fur-Harry is actually Gus’ fantasy,” Justin said, using Bree’s pronunciation of the car’s name.

“In his dreams,” Brian responded.

“Yeah, but we all have those dreams.”

“Seriously, Justin, what was my delightful thank you for?”

“For helping me fix my painting.”

“I didn’t help you do anything,” Brian protested. “You’re the painter.”

“I know, but I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the painting, and you saw it right off the bat.”

“You give me too much credit.”

“No I don’t. Usually you don’t get enough credit.”

Brian snorted. “I’m not looking for credit, but I do enjoy the fringe benefits,” Brian said running his fingers through Justin’s hair.

“Glad to be of service.”

“I could reciprocate,” Brian suggested with a waggle of his eyebrows as Justin looked up at him.

“In a minute,” Justin replied. “I want to run something by you.”

“Oh, what?”

“You know I started looking through my sketches so that I could ‘Chronicle Justin Taylor’?” Justin asked using the name Sidney had applied to his show in London. Brian nodded. That was going to be the official name of this new series, and probably the show that would follow.

“Yes, I know all that. I think it’s a good idea.”

“I did too … at first,” Justin said with a thoughtful look on his face. “But then I ran into that problem with your portrait, and I realized that you can’t go back, because nothing’s really the same when you try to.”

“I get that. But what’s the problem with the title.”

“I woke up this morning with the idea that I should call this series ‘Then and Now’. I think it should be the sketch that inspires me, but the paintings that I make for them will be wild and abstract and innovative, except for the one of you that I just finished. It’s perfect the way it is … now.”

“Hm,” Brian said as he watched Justin’s face. It glowed with creativity and he talked at lightning speed when he had been struck with inspiration. Brian loved to see that look on Justin’s beautiful face.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re a genius. I always think that.”

“I didn’t feel like much of a genius when I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with that portrait.”

“That was just part of the process to get you to this idea that I can already see you’re crazy about.”

“I am,” Justin said with a happy smile. “And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Happy to oblige,” Brian smirked.

“Can I use that sketch of you with your dick hanging out, the one from my first show at the GLC?” Justin asked.

“Sure,” Brian said. “You did flatter me … just a tad in that sketch.”

Justin laughed. “That’s how you looked to me.”

“I know, and I loved every minute of your adoration.”

“Of course you did, although you didn’t appreciate my adoration until much later in our … relationship.”

“More’s the fool me!”

“But you do now, appreciate my adoration I mean,” Justin said with a smirk. “And I promise your dick will be world famous before I’m done.”

“I thought it already was,” Brian said with his own smirk.

Justin giggled. “Perhaps.”

“Now it’s time for your reward for giving me the best wake up call I’ve had in ages,” Brian said. Just before he pounced on his unsuspecting artist.

*****

“This is our school, Dada,” Bree exclaimed stating the obvious as they slowly drove up to the vacant lot adjacent and to the back of Bree and Patrick’s school.

“Yes, it is, Squirt,” Brian replied.

It was early Sunday morning; the family was packed into John’s Navigator. With maps, a GPS device and the surveyor reports, the descendants of JAB Kinney and family were prepared for their day trip around the county. Their first stop was the school, then the camp and then on to the St. John house. They decided to save the trip into the countryside for later in the day.

“Do we know why this lot has stayed vacant?” Brian asked out loud to no one in particular. The lot looked full of rocks with bare muddy patches. It certainly wasn’t safe as it was.

“I’ve looked into some of the past town meeting minutes,” Bobby began to explain. “About thirty years ago the city council wanted to clean up the lot and perhaps turn it into a small working farm as part of an agricultural school, or build a new high school on the same campus as the grade school. But the council never found the original owner of the land so the proposal went nowhere.”

“Now we know why,” Justin added as John pulled away from the curb and on to the camp.

They found a similar sight near the camp, although they could tell the adjacent land would be full of weeds and possibly all manner of vermin during the warmer months.

Brian frowned. “Why haven’t I noticed this before? I’ve been dropping off Bree and Patrick to school and camp for over two years and I’ve never noticed they’re both situated next to garbage dumps.”

“Brian, this is hardly a garbage dump,” Justin said as he patted Brian’s arm. “But I admit, I never paid too much attention to the lots around the school and camp either.”

“Brian, the purpose of this field trip is to inspect the properties and take notes on what we have to clean up,” John remarked reasonably. “I’ve seen much worse. The theater and bowling alley were in far worse shape than what we’ve seen so far.”

“You taking notes, Sunshine?” Brian snarked.

“As a matter of fact I am,” Justin said as he took out a small notepad from his ever present messenger bag, waving it in front of Brian’s aquiline nose. “It’ll be okay,” Justin whispered to his worried spouse.

Brian refrained from snorting. Justin’s enthusiasm for this latest ‘project’ was just as catching as all his other family projects. Brian had no doubt that if Justin believed it was going to be okay then it would be. He leaned over to kiss Justin’s cheek.

“Is this Ashley’s house?” Bobby asked with a frown. He had never seen Bree’s best friend’s house before. The house was small and squeezed onto a tiny plot of land surrounded by an old fence that was on the verge of tumbling down.

“Yes, Unca Bobby,” Bree confirmed for her uncle.

“John, which piece is ours?” Bobby asked his spouse as John pulled over to park.

“Let me see the survey,” John requested. Bobby handed him the survey and they all waited quietly for John’s answer. “According to this, the Kinney property extends from the house back several hundred feet and toward the corner.” John indicated a plot of land four times the size of the current St. John home.

“I don’t understand why all these vacant lots were never developed,” Justin said with curiosity.

“The land goes fallow if the county can’t figure out to whom it belongs. And I recall many of the Kinney records were destroyed in a flood or something,” John stated. Justin nodded in agreement. The records had been lost. If the Kinney will hadn’t been found hidden behind one of JAB Kinney’s paintings, Claire and John’s house might have been lost too.

“Sometimes I forget how fortunate we are,” Bobby commented softly.

“We are, love, but we’ll make this right for Ashley and her mom,” John reassured his spouse.

“Brian, I know you wanted to arrange to speak to all parties involved at the school, but I suggest we speak to Mrs. St. John in private. No one else needs to know her business,” Bobby suggested.

“Bri, Bobby’s right. Susanna is going through a divorce. This should be handled carefully,” Justin said.

“You’re right. You’re both right. We’ll call her later. Bobby, you may have to confer with her attorney. I want to make sure Susanna and Ashley are protected,” Brian said with concern.

“Dada, will Ashley be okay?” Bree didn’t understand what was being said but she did understand that her fathers and uncles were concerned about her best friend.

“It’ll be fine, Squirt, I promise,” Brian said with authority.

“Okay, Dada,” Bree said, confident in her Dada’s abilities to keep her friend safe.

As they were driving closer and closer to Bridgeton, John made an announcement. “Grandma Claire and Grandpa Steve have been missing the two of you. We’re going to drop you both off so you can spend the day while we take a hike into the countryside for a while.”

“Dad, I can hike too,” Patrick said a little disappointed that he wasn’t included in the field trip.

“I know, son. But I’d rather take you when the weather is a little warmer. It’s still March and the weather can be unpredictable. Let me check things out first then I promise to take you. Gordon and I will be going back. You can come with us then,” John told his son.

“Okay, Dad,” Patrick said feeling a little better.

“Paaatwick, please stay with me and Gamma Claire,” Bree asked her cousin as she batted her blond lashes at him.

Patrick sighed; sometimes he could not resist those lashes. The three older men in the vehicle could all commiserate with Patrick. They understood the power in those blond Taylor eyelashes.

“Sure,” Patrick said.

“Yay!” Bree squealed with delight.

Very soon John’s Navigator was negotiating the lane toward his mother’s farm.

“Look who’s here!” Claire exclaimed as John parked the big SUV and the family spilled out. Claire was standing just inside her screened porch. Bree and Patrick ran to their grandmother to give her a big hug.

“I swear, you two have grown so big since you’ve been home from London,” Claire said. “Patrick, you’re almost as tall as your Poppa.” Patrick grinned from ear to ear. “Come on; let’s get inside before you all catch cold. Jackie, I’ve packed a cooler for you to take with you.”

“Mother, we’re not camping out.”

“I know that, but four men traipsing through the woods can work up an appetite. No arguments.” Claire glared at her son.

“No arguments,” all four men replied, gratefully accepting the cooler then placing it in the back of the Navigator.

They kissed the kids goodbye then headed out into the wilderness.

*****

“It doesn’t look like much,” Justin said as they stood at one of the entrances to the old mine.

“It shouldn’t. The mining company decided to collapse the tunnels when they closed the mine for safety reasons. It looks like Mother Nature has just reclaimed the land,” John explained.

“I guess that’s a good thing,” Justin commented as they wandered around what would have been the entrance to the old mine. “John, are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“According to the survey map and the landmarks, we are,” John answered with confidence.

Justin merely shrugged his shoulders.

“What were you thinking it would look like, Sunshine?” Brian asked as he handed Justin a thermos. Claire had filled several thermoses with coffee.

“I guess I was thinking it would look like in those old movies with a big sign No Trespassing! And wood beams around the entrance.”

“Disappointed?”

“Maybe a little but this is much safer,” Justin said with conviction.

“John, we should go to the other entrance,” Bobby suggested. “That’s deeper into the woods.” They all agreed. Gathering up their stuff, the men hiked back to the SUV to drive to the other entrance to the mine.

“This is more like it!” Justin exclaimed as he sprinted up to the mine entrance. The wooden No Trespassing sign had long disintegrated into dust but the wood beams of the entrance were still visible. The opening was packed with huge boulders.

“Justin, be careful!” Brian shouted. “I swear he thinks he’s still seventeen,” Brian grumbled as he stepped up his pace. “With my luck he’ll fall down the shaft,” Brian spat.

“Brian, they closed off this side too. It’s not as overgrown because this side is more rocky,” John explained.

“My brother, the rock man. I wish my partner would make like a rock and stand still for a minute. JUSTIN! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Justin asked as he poked his head in between a couple of large boulders that were blocking the entranceway.

“It looks like you’re trying to give me a heart attack.”

“Does anyone have a flashlight?” Justin asked ignoring his spouse’s curses and laments. Justin was waving his hand in the air. John placed a tiny flashlight that he always carried in his pocket into Justin’s hand.

Brian glared at his brother.

“I’m always poking around old buildings, a flashlight comes in handy,” John said with a smirk.

“So does my foot up your ass,” Brian retorted. John merely shrugged his shoulders. “What do you see?” Brian asked Justin with a sigh.

“Not much, just more rocks but there’s a cold draft coming through.”

“Justin, it’s March, it’s cold. You’re going to feel a draft,” Brian growled.

“That’s not what I mean,” Justin said as he withdrew his head from the boulders then glared back at Brian.

Bobby silently chuckled at the Brian and Justin show. Brian and Justin loved hard and fought hard. It was one of the reasons Bobby loved them so much.

“Guys,” John began, stepping up between them. “There’s probably a small opening that leads deeper into the mine. That’s where the draft is coming from. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. This opening is probably too small for a man; however, a child might be able to get through it. I’ll have it sealed up properly.”

“Fine. Can we go home now?” Brian grumbled.

“Someone has no sense of adventure,” Justin snarked as they turned to walk back to the Navigator.

“And someone has no common sense,” Brian growled as he grabbed Justin’s wrist then quickly drew the younger man to his chest. Brian held Justin tight with Justin safely tucked under Brian's chin. As Brian hung on, Justin whispered his assurances of love and well being to his overly protective partner.

John and Bobby held hands as they patiently waited.

All About Justin

Chapter 11

Justin’s arm moved with abandon. He felt so alive, so elated, as his creativity poured out of him onto the canvas. He dabbed his brush in a mound of brilliant orange and made the long bending swirl that would be the crowning color on his latest masterpiece. He let the brush run out of paint as he drew the bristles across the canvas.

“Yeess!” he murmured as he studied the effect.

It was perfect. Unlike his previous portrait, he knew this one was just the way he wanted it. He glanced over at the table beside him, and looked at the sketch of Brian lying with his dick hanging out, the one that Brian had bought at the GLC that night so long ago. It made him smile. He loved that sketch, and even more he loved that Brian had loved the sketch, and had actually purchased it.

Finally tearing his eyes away from the sketch, he focused back on his painting. The fleshy tones of Brian’s body mixed with the blue from the lights above the bed in the loft glistened from the canvas.

“Perfect,” Justin whispered to himself. The colors were just the way he remembered them from back then, but they were also so much more. They radiated with life and purpose and … joy. Yes, it was joy that Justin had experienced, no matter how briefly, with Brian. There had been moments of pure joy, but there had been so much more as well. There had also been hurt and heartache and sorrow, but all of that was forgotten now. This was the way Brian should be captured.

Justin stared at the last swath of paint he had added. He almost giggled out loud. Brian’s dick! So much of his life revolved around Brian’s dick. But in the overall scheme of things, there were a lot more important things about Brian than his dick. However, this painting was his “Ode to the Dick”. Maybe that’s what he should title it. A casual observer would have trouble recognizing it as a dick, unless they could see the sketch alongside it. They would see a powerful line of color, a dominant area of pigment set off from the rest of the more earthy tones. But Justin knew it symbolized the power that was Brian Kinney. He loved what he had created. With a happy smile he dropped his brush into the cleaning fluid.

“Watcha doin’, Sunshine?” Brian asked from the balcony of his office. He had been observing Justin for a few minutes. It seemed that Justin had finished his latest masterpiece in record time.

“Why don’t you come down here and see?” Justin asked suggestively.

“Anything you desire, O great and mighty artiste!”

“You are so full of bullshit,” Justin laughed, shaking his head at Brian’s antics.

“You never did know how to take a compliment,” Brian said as he came down the spiral stairs.

“Unlike you who expects them all the time.”

“Only when they are deserved,” Brian corrected his husband.

“I wanted you to see what I did with the ‘now’ of your sketch,” Justin said changing the subject.

“I can hardly wait,” Brian smirked as he started across the sun porch.

“Um, don’t be too shocked when you see it,” Justin cautioned, as it suddenly dawned on him that Brian might not like this abstract version of himself.

“As long as you made my dick big enough, I’ll be happy,” Brian joked. He stepped up to the canvas and studied the painting.

Justin watched Brian’s face. It revealed little. “You don’t like it, do you?” Justin asked after a moment, realizing that his worst fears seemed to have been realized.

Brian chuckled. “I love it. That’s the biggest dick I could ever hope for,” Brian replied, as he let his hand follow the large sweep of the orange paint across the canvas.

“You recognized it,” Justin laughed in response and in relief.

“How could I not … although, I might have expected it to be purple instead of orange.”

“I thought about purple, but orange is a more powerful color, and it’s a good contrast to the blue tones.”

“Then by all means use the orange,” Brian chuckled.

“Do you like the blue tones?”

“In memory of the blue lights above our bed?”

“I think by the time it was actually our bed, the lights were orange,” Justin reminded him.

“Role reversal,” Brian speculated making Justin raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“How so?” Justin asked.

“By the time you moved into the loft, you owned me heart and soul. You were the powerful one.”

“Are you serious?” Justin asked with a frown.

“I never let you know, and I would never have admitted it, but I probably would have done anything for you.”

“God, I love you,” Justin whispered as he walked into Brian’s waiting arms.

“You better,” Brian laughed.

“You have to be the loveliest man who ever lived,” Justin said burying his face into Brian’s chest.

“You might get some argument about that claim.”

“They’d be wrong,” Justin averred.

“As long as you think I am, I’m happy,” Brian replied, lifting Justin’s chin so he could kiss those full, luscious lips. “I love you, Justin Taylor.”

*****

“Come in, Susanna,” Justin greeted Ashley’s mother cordially. Brian had picked up the girls after school so they could play with each and do homework. It was also a good excuse to invite Susanna over so they could break their news about her property to her.

“Thank you. And thanks for picking up Ashley. Since I’ll be single again soon, I really need to get a good job. I’ve been going on interviews. It’s a lot easier to make appointments when I know I don’t have to rush.”

“We’re happy to help,” Justin said. “We love Ashley and it’s no problem to have her stay with Bree, anytime. I, um, hope you can stay for dinner. We have something to talk to you about.”

“What?” Susanna asked suspiciously as she followed Justin into the sun porch where the other men of Edna’s Treasures awaited her along with someone else. “Carol? What are you doing here? What’s going on?”

“Susanna, don’t be upset. These men have extraordinary news for you. I can hardly believe it myself.”

“I don’t understand; you’re my divorce attorney. How did they find you?”

“That was me,” Bobby spoke up. “Carol and I had a few classes together in law school, but in wasn’t difficult to figure which lawyer you’d choose. Besides, there aren’t that many lawyers in our neck of the woods.”

“Okay, that seems plausible but it still doesn’t answer my other question, and where is Ashley?”

“She’s fine,” Justin quickly said. “She and Bree are with Patrick in his room. He’s supervising at the moment.”

“And loving every minute of it,” John said with a serene smile. “He’s growing up.”

“Can I sit down?” Susanna asked. Justin led her to a chair. “Okay, can someone explain what’s going on here?” Susanna asked again as she looked at her attorney.

“I think Bobby ought to explain. I still don’t understand all of it myself,” Carol said as she took a seat. They all sat around one of the small wicker tables where Brian and Justin had prepared a tray of tea, coffee and small snacks. When they were all settled, Bobby went into lawyer mode.

“Susanna, the Kinney ledger that you discovered was more valuable than any of us originally thought.”

“How so?”

“As you found out, in hopes of keeping his neighbors and the neighborhood around the Kinney lands intact, Kinney made loans and grants to his neighbors. Most of the loans were repaid. Kinney was rather meticulous in his record keeping,” Bobby explained.

Justin snorted. He knew another Kinney with those same meticulous tendencies. Brian glared at his spouse who merely smiled and shrugged.

Bobby ignored them and carried on. “The land adjacent to the school and to the camp turns out to be Kinney property.”

“I remember my mother saying something about the town trying to expand the school or build a new high school, but it never happened,” Susanna said.

“That’s because they couldn’t figure out the true ownership of the land. It wasn't state or county land. We also discovered that an old mine toward the other side of Bridgeton is actually on Kinney land.”

“An old coal mine?” Carol asked.

“Yes, it’s been sealed but I’m having an environmental protection group come out to make sure it’s been properly sealed, and that there’s no risk of contamination to the ground water,” John added.

“But there’s one last property that hasn’t been reconciled,” Bobby went on.

“Who’s?” Susanna asked. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest.

“I need to ask you some questions first, and that’s why I asked Carol to join us. We all want to assure you that we’ll do everything to ensure your and Ashley’s comfort and safety.”

Susanna nodded. “All right.”

“How did you come to live in your present house?” Bobby asked hoping for the best of all possible answers.

“It was my parents’ house. Actually the house belonged to my mother’s family. When she married it just seemed logical that my father should move in, and then when they retired, they left the house to me. When I married Donald, he moved in.”

“And he had no objections to moving out?”

“Not really. He makes good money so he found a nice place to live closer to Harrisburg. That’s where he works. I asked nothing for myself, just child support and a little something to help me maintain the house for Ashley.”

“She’s been overly generous. I should have pushed for more. The house is falling down around them,” Carol said bitterly.

“Carol, all I want is my freedom and a quiet loving home for Ashley. Money isn’t everything.”

“You’re right, but maybe we can help with that,” Bobby continued.

“What do you mean?”

“Apparently your ancestor had borrowed against his property. Kinney loaned him a considerable amount,” Bobby started to explain.

“Oh no, does that mean my house isn’t mine?” Susanna asked in fear.

“NO!” all four men said at once as Justin wrapped a supportive arm around her.

“No,” Justin repeated as he picked up the explanation. “Your ancestor repaid the loan but the property lines got all screwed up over time. You legitimately own so much more!”

“I do?” Susanna asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

“Yes, you do,” John stated as he handed her a tissue. “The lot directly behind your house and the land up to the corner is all yours. From what little I saw of your house, it looks incomplete. Like a larger part of it was torn away leaving the smaller section that’s left.”

“But how does this help me?”

“You can sell some of the land then use the proceeds to renovate your house,” Brian suggested. “Or just borrow against it like your ancestor did to fix up your house if you don’t want neighbors encroaching too close.”

“No bank will loan to me. I don’t have a job.”

“Yet,” the men of Edna’s Treasures said in unison making Susanna laugh in spite of all the drama.

“Look, we plan on deeding the land back to the school and camp. We’ve already contacted them about it. The camp is already making plans to follow through with their idea to make a sleep-away camp and to buddy up with The Farm for horseback riding. The school wants to finally build that bigger campus. They’re going to need more teachers and soon,” Bobby let her in on the proposed plans.

“But how can you know that they’ll hire me?”

Several heads turned toward Brian who held his hands up with an expression of complete innocence.

“Go on, tell her,” Justin urged. “No more secrets about your contributions.” Brian arched a brow. “At least about this one,” Justin added. “If you won’t, I will,” Justin stated with determination.

Brian sighed. He had no power over a very determined Justin Taylor. The assembled masses understood this and smiled.

Brian cleared his throat then took up the gauntlet. “As a representative of the Kinney family, John and I spoke with the school board. As you can well imagine they were overjoyed to be able to finally clean up that plot of land and expand the school. John also suggested some renovations of the current school.”

“We’re not a very affluent school district. They can’t possibly afford what you’re proposing,” Carol stated. Her own children went to the same schools.

“They can if the school only has to pay for the materials and not the labor,” John elaborated. “Many of my men have grown up in Bridgeton and the surrounding towns. They’ve all gone to the same schools or have their own kids going there. This is a labor of love for them. And since this is going to be a rather large project, we’ll be arranging some local housing for the men that we’ll bring in from Pittsburgh.”

“Hunter’s kids?” Justin asked. John nodded. “It’ll be a great experience for them. John, can you set up those temporary buildings so that the grade school can be fixed up at the same time? And the old high school, when that comes down, what if we can use the land to build an athletic center. That soccer field can really use some work, and...and...”

“Justin! Breathe!” Brian bellowed stopping the PSA in midstream. “I bet he has soccer matches all lined up for the next twenty years.”

“The bottom line,” Justin began as he got himself under control then giggled as Brian leered at Justin’s bottom. “The bottom line is that if John can use several of his crews, the work can be done all at the same time and over the summer. Maybe by the next school year the kids will have a new school.”

“Justin, I’m good, but not that good. More likely next spring. My partner and I will have to work out the planning,” John said rationally. “But we can certainly do it with as little disruption to the children as possible.”

“But how does this get me a job?” Susanna was getting caught up in Justin’s enthusiasm, but couldn’t see how it would help her current situation.

“They’ve asked Brian and John as the representatives of the Kinney estate to be members of the school board,” Justin explained.

“And as such I suggested they consider closing some of the smaller schools around the area as they expand the main school. They’ll be sending out a formal proposal. No teacher will be out of a job. As a matter of fact they’ll be sending out letters to all licensed teachers within a fifty mile radius. We still have some bugs to work out, but it’s coming together,” Brian expounded.

“What about kids who can only afford to walk to school? You’re asking a lot, if parents can’t afford to drive their kids to school,” Susanna said reasonably.

“Ah, that’s where my little Mary Sunshine comes in.” Brian teased and got a swat in the gut for his trouble. “Ooof! It was your idea, Sunshine. So explain it to the nice ladies.”

“I know bussing students in for school has always been met with resistance, but out here it does make a lot of sense. The smaller schools are not really very economical and they just don’t get the latest equipment that the bigger schools get. So we’re seriously talking about setting up our own school bus system. The camp already uses it, but now it’ll be on a bigger scale.”

“The problem is money. Justin, I understand what you’re saying and it does make a lot of sense. Our school is centrally located so it makes sense to expand it, but there are some kids from the outer parts of the district that will have trouble making it here,” Susanna said.

“Not if we expand the bus system.”

“And where is the money going to come from?”

Three sets of male eyes turned toward one. Justin slowly raised his hand.

“This is something I want to do. Susanna, you told me that a lot of stuff has been written about us but it’s always been Brian. Sometimes I don’t know how he keeps all that stuff straight in his head. I know I certainly can’t and I’d like to think I’m a pretty smart man.”

“You’re the smartest man I know,” Brian murmured as he stepped closer to his partner. That garnered one of Justin’s sunny smiles aimed at Brian.

“I’ve learned a lot about giving back and the importance of family and community. Brian gives all the time but we just don’t know about it. With everyone’s help, I’m going to set up the bus system. Not only for the students but for the teachers who may not have a way of getting to the school. Not one child will be left behind, and I think it’ll be good for the kids to know their teachers as part of their community. I’m determined to make this work.

“You told me that one of the problems between you and your husband was that he didn’t embrace diversity. Having a bigger school will have a lot of diversity and it’ll make having an agricultural school make sense now. The kids that want to remain farmers will be exposed to the latest technology.”

“You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?” Susanna asked Justin.

“Yes, I have. I love painting, it fulfills me in so many ways and I’ve been very fortunate that there are people all over the world that want my paintings. I have the resources to do this and to do it right. This is our home, our community. Bree and Patrick go to this school, and will go to the new high school. I’m also doing it for their benefit because I can. Because I really want to.

“I hope you’re not angry that we’ve butted into your business. We wanted your lawyer here to make sure that whatever we did your house would be protected. We didn’t want you and Ashley to be homeless.”

“Never homeless, Sunshine. We’d just build them a cottage,” Brian said with a straight face, as he waved his hand out toward the land beyond their sun porch and garden. "I’m told we have room for several more cottages,” Brian said as he gave John a poignant look. John smirked and Susanna laughed.

“You know, I really believe you’d do that,” she said.

“Nothing has to be decided right this minute,” Carol said. “Bobby, can you have the papers sent to me? I’ll look them over and then I’ll know how to advise my client.”

“You’ll have them in the morning,” Bobby assured her.

“In the meantime, why don’t you ladies stay while we whip up some dinner,” Brian offered.

“He cooks too?” Carol asked Susanna.

“Yes, he makes a mean breakfast,” Susanna said.

“Then I guess I’ll stay,” Carol said as they made themselves comfortable. Carol then inquired about JAB Kinney. While Brian and Justin worked on dinner, John, Bobby and Susanna discussed what they had learned.

*****

“I’m proud of you,” Brian said as he took out several steaks and set them to defrost in the microwave. He was planning to use their indoor grill to cook them. Justin was taking out the fixings for salads and potatoes for roasting.

“Yeah?” Justin said with a smile that just about took Brian’s breath away.

“Yeah. You have a good heart. And you make me want to be a good man.”

“You are a good man.”

“If I am it’s because of you. You always find a way of giving. You always try to find the good in a situation and make it better.”

“Brian, that’s not always true. You’ve done some pretty important things for this family. Michael wouldn’t have his store, Ted wouldn’t be as successful as he is, and Emm, he’d still be stuck trying to make his canapes out of his apartment. You’ve helped all of them.”

“This is not about me, Sunshine.”

“Maybe not but it’s not all about me either.”

“Then what is it about?” Brian asked as he turned to take out a roasting pan. He didn’t have to see Justin’s face; Brian could feel a PSA coming on. Brian smiled to himself. He never really minded Justin’s PSA’s.

“It’s about family and community. It’s about being able to help without someone asking for help. It’s about being the best person you can be,” Justin said as he rinsed off a head of lettuce.

“Is that so?” Brian snarked.

“Yes, it is,” Justin said as he grabbed Brian to look into the hazel eyes he loved so much. “You taught me that. A long time ago, and I never forgot it,” Justin whispered as his blue eyes sparkled with love.

The lovers stood there for a moment, staring into each others eyes. Brian tilted his head forward so that foreheads touched. No words were necessary.

The timer on the microwave dinged signaling that the steaks were ready to be grilled. The lovers sighed as they broke apart but not before Brian kissed Justin’s nose. They silently resumed preparing dinner.

As dinner was about to begin in the sun porch, Brian’s cell began to vibrate in his pocket.

“Kinney. Hey, Emm. Yes, we’re a go for the sleepover.” Brian winked at Bree and Ashley. The girls were wearing ear to ear grins. “Yes, I know, a pink princess cake,” Brian said rolling his eyes. “You wanted what!? Jugglers? Renaissance acrobats?! Oh no, we are not turning this into another three ring circus. NO! What part of no, don’t you understand? Honeycutt, I will skin you alive!"

Justin jumped up to stop Brian from spewing forth a string of inevitable expletives in front of the children and their guests. Brian waved him away then walked to the other end of the porch.

“Listen to me, you nelly ass bottom queen,” Brian growled low into the phone. “Don’t you ‘your majesty’ me. We are having a nice quiet sleepover with lots of pink whatever the fuck material you’re using to make princess beds, and a large pink cake and that’s it. No jugglers, no acrobats. Or I will have your ass in a sling!” Brian held the phone away from his ear as Emmett squealed with delight at the unintended proposition.

Brian snapped his phone shut then threw it over the screen that hid the brass bed. It landed on the bed with a dull thud. He took a deep breath, steeled his back then turned to face the music.

“So who’s for steak?”

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 1

Justin’s brain had moved far south as a hot wet tongue was eagerly laving his most tender, most vulnerable and most sensitive parts. He was up on his hands and knees as Brian was doing what he did best, rimming. Brian smirked at the lovely little noises that emanated from Justin’s throat as he pushed his tongue in as deep as it could physically go. At some point, Brian replaced his tongue temporarily with his thumb as he began his assault on Justin’s balls and dick. Justin’s dick was leaking, and it was hard enough to pound nails, and Brian refused to allow Justin to touch it. Brian sucked on Justin’s balls, gently tugging the tender sack then teasing the crown and glans of his dick.

“Please, Bri,” Justin begged.

“What do you want?”

“Wanna come.”

“Patience, grasshopper,” Brian continued to torture his lover with his tongue. Justin felt the inner crevice of his ass rubbed raw from the stubble on Brian’s chin.

“God,” Justin moaned as his own god amongst men bit his ass cheeks then gave one a little smack.

“Fuck me!” Justin demanded.

“Whatever you say, Sunshine,” Brian quipped as he replaced his thumb with his slicked up dick. In one powerful move, Justin was filled. He gasped loudly with the pleasure and the pain then leaned back onto Brian’s dick.

“My little slut,” Brian murmured smugly.

“Fuck me, fuck me hard,” Justin ordered.

“Your wish is my command,” Brian purred as he slammed into Justin’s ass over and over again.

Justin lost command over complex language as Brian mercilessly pounded his ass.

“Yesss,” Justin hissed. Brian smirked.

Justin’s hand roaming between his legs was batted away by Brian as he was pulled backward impaling Justin further onto Brian’s dick. Brian’s hips kept up the onslaught.

“Coming!” Justin cried out as he shot thick hot ropes of cum across the sheets, onto his belly and chest.

As Justin began to collapse, Brian gently laid him down. Justin’s ass still slightly raised up in the air.

“Youth, built for speed not for stamina,” Brian smiled as he patted Justin’s well fucked rump.

Sitting back on his haunches Brian spied Justin’s deep pink ravished hole with Brian’s cum slowly oozing out. Fascinated as only a gay man could be, Brian was mesmerized, his gaze transfixed on a string of cum slowly dribbling down Justin’s perineum. Brian bent forward to lap up his cum from Justin’s pucker. Half in a sated sleep, Justin took a sudden intake of air as Brian’s tongue worked its magic.

Unbelievably, Brian felt himself harden. He smiled to himself, thinking that while he was aging, his body had yet to fail him. Soft snuffles coming from his lover told Brian that in spite of his ministrations, Justin was fading. Brian maneuvered Justin onto his side, Brian spooning closely behind, his cock slipping between the globes of Justin’s ass. Justin wriggled closer, rubbing his aching hole against Brian’s burgeoning cock. Wrapping his arm around Justin then burying his nose into Justin’s sweaty golden mane, Brian slipped into Justin’s loose, lubed up hole.

Their lovemaking, languid, Brian took his time. The air held the heady scent of sex, cum, sweat and ass. Brian inhaled deeply, appreciating the aroma of their combined scents. He nibbled on the back of Justin’s neck and ear as he slowly thrust in and out of his lover.

“Mmm,” Justin murmured

After some time, fighting through the exhaustion, Brian sped up. He reached down to tug on Justin’s cock as he fucked Justin harder. Within moments they quietly came. Feeling sympathy for Justin’s abused bum, Brian began to withdraw.

“Stay,” Justin mumbled as he held Brian’s arm fast. Brian snuggled closer, kissing a pale shoulder as Justin drifted off into a sated sleep.

Brian’s mind was racing, unlike his softly snoring partner. Brian smiled as he lightly trailed his fingers down Justin’s arm and hip, Justin’s skin glowing white in the moonlight coming through the window. Brian could see the deep pink and red marks on Justin’s hip, the imprint of their volatile lovemaking. Brian had no doubt that his own skin sported similar marks although less pronounced on his darker skin.

Pink, the color of Justin’s sweet tongue.

Pink, the color of Justin’s ravished pucker.

Pink, the color of the marks on Justin’s skin.

Pink, the color of more than half of Bree’s wardrobe.

And pink, the color that Emmett Honeycutt was planning to transform the sun porch for Bree’s sleepover party.

“Fuck!” Brian said out loud then quickly soothed his startled lover back into a deeper sleep.

It was times like this Brian wished he still smoked. Although if he did, he’d probably cough up a lung. Even a shot of Beam wasn’t as satisfying now as it was in the bad old days.

Brian sighed. Pittsburgh’s number one party planner was planning a pink princess party and Brian felt helpless to stop it. Well, not exactly stop it, rather keep it from turning into the social event of the season. Moderation, a word Brian never thought would become a part of his vocabulary, but that’s exactly what Brian was hoping for. Moderation, an important concept that Brian as a responsible parent was trying to teach his slightly overindulged daughter.

Justin mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep as he rolled over and snuggled closer into the crook of Brian’s arm.

Moderation, in all things except for one. Brian’s thought brought a satisfied smirk to his face. With the gods’ help he and Justin would be making love or fucking until their dying breath. And that, Brian prayed, wouldn’t happen for a very long time. Unless, of course, this party did kill him.

Brian curled himself around Justin’s smaller but solid body. Justin, even in his sleep, possessively wrapped his arm around Brian’s torso. Held safe within his lover’s grasp, Brian finally fell asleep.

*****

“So what got into you last night?” Justin asked with a satisfied smirk, as he stepped into the shower with his husband.

“I thought we got into each other,” Brian replied with his own smirk.

“You were merciless.”

“I didn’t hear any complaints. I thought that was the way you liked it.”

“Exactly how I like it, but you haven’t been so … ravenous in a long time.”

“Guess I was hungry for a prime piece of ass,” Brian chuckled.

“You know it’s yours whenever you want it.”

Brian nodded. “Sometimes inspiration just strikes,” he said mischievously.

Justin laughed as Brian soaped his hair. “You are definitely an artiste in matters of sex.”

Brian dipped his head in acknowledgement of the truth of that statement. “It’s nice to have my talents recognized.”

Justin stuck his head directly under the spray to rinse his hair. “Now that we’ve established your world renowned expertise, I think we better get moving or the little princess will be late for school.”

“We can’t have that,” Brian agreed as he turned off the shower. His mind immediately went to his thoughts of pink from the night before. He felt his cock start to swell at the memory, and then he thought about Bree’s birthday party, and that quickly put an end to any thoughts of morning sex.

*****

“Daddy, how many days till my birthday sleepover?” Bree asked as she ate her oatmeal.

“You can count them up on the calendar, can’t you?” Justin asked.

“Yes, but I wanted to be sure.”

“How many do you think there are?”

“Seventeen,” Bree said immediately.

Justin smiled at his daughter. She obviously had been counting. “See, you didn’t need to ask. You knew the answer all the time.”

Bree smiled at her father and batted her lashes.

“You just wanted to talk about your sleepover, didn’t you, Squirt?” Brian asked as he looked at his petite daughter over the top of his newspaper.

“Yes, Dada.”

Brian folded the paper and set it down on the table. Now seemed as a good a time as any to set some parameters for this party. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Um … are there going to be jugglers?”

Brian snorted. “Trust that big fairy to plant that idea in your head,” Brian said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to skin Emmett Honeycutt alive.”

“No, Dada, don’t do that!” Bree begged, her eyes full of worry. “I love Auntie Emm.”

“But you are not having jugglers at your sleepover,” Brian stated emphatically.

“I told Auntie Emm that I didn’t want jugglers,” Bree replied.

“You did?” Brian asked with a raised eyebrow. He had expected that Bree would be all for jugglers and any other ridiculous ideas that Emmett might have come up with. “What about Renaissance acrobats?” Brian asked, knowing that Emmett probably proposed those as well.

Bree shook her head. “I don’t know what Wren-a-sanz is, but I don’t want acrobats either.”

“Good girl,” Brian said with a smile. This was going better than he ever could have hoped for. It looked like Bree had shot down all Emmett’s crazy ideas.

“We have a very sensible daughter,” Justin said proudly leaning over to kiss Bree’s cheek.

Bree giggled. “Thank you, Daddy.” She looked back and forth from one father to the other. “I want Mid-i-evil knights on horseback.”

“Wha…?” Justin asked his mouth dropping open.

“What the fuck!” Brian reacted.

“Yes, Daddy, Dada, I want knights.”

“Was that fucking Auntie Emm’s idea too?” Brian demanded, knowing full well that of course it was.

“Yes, Dada. I think knights will be just right for my princess sleepover.”

Justin looked at Brian’s face and saw that his husband was about to explode. “Go get dressed for school, Bree,” Justin said quickly.

“’Kay, Daddy,” Bree said, picking up on the vibe that maybe this was the wrong time to pursue her quest for knights. She slid off her chair and ran to her bedroom.

“I am going to kill that big, idiotic, fucking fairy!” Brian exploded as soon as they heard Bree’s bedroom door close behind her.

“Calm down, Brian, you’re going to blow a blood vessel.”

“He’s going to be the fucking death of me,” Brian ranted.

“You can talk to him about this, can’t you?”

“I thought I fucking had! I told him no jugglers, no fucking acrobats! Who the fuck knew that I had to specify no medieval knights on fucking horseback?”

“I’m sure Emmett wasn’t trying to overstep the bounds.”

“The fuck he wasn’t! He wants another extravaganza like before. I won’t have it!”

“You don’t have to have it,” Justin counseled. “We’ll be the ones paying for all this and we can tell him we won’t pay.”

“He wants to do this for ‘the little girl he never had of his own’,” Brian replied, using Emmett’s own words.

“But…”

“You realize this may be the end of our friendship,” Brian said ominously.

“Brian…”

“Don’t Brian me! I can’t believe he did this.”

“Just talk to him before you jump to a million conclusions.”

“I…”

“Talk to him!”

“Fuck! Okay,” Brian said heaving a huge sigh of resignation. He wondered if Emmett had already booked medieval knights, from whatever fucking store sold medieval knights.

*****

“Hey Pop!”

"Sonny Boy, finally come up for air?” Brian snarked into his phone. Gus and Ray were spending Spring break together at Brian’s loft. Their relationship seemed to be progressing nicely, distance and college responsibilities notwithstanding.

“Oh Dad,” Gus said as he rolled his eyes. Ray giggled.

“Not nice to roll your eyes at your old man, Sonny Boy,” Brian said knowingly then laughed as he got stunned silence in return.

“Um, Dad, you have a surveillance camera hidden around here?” Gus asked as he looked around the great loft living room.

“Nope, but I was once a teenager with your Grandmaw Deb to answer to more often than not.”

“Say no more, Pop. I get it.”

“So to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” Brian asked stressing the pronoun.

Gus sighed. “Worst mistake of my life making that deal with you.”

“Some deals will haunt you for the rest of your life. Seriously, Sonny Boy, you and Ray okay? Having fun doing the nasty and dancing your asses off at Babylon every night?”

“I’m sure you know all about it. Your spies are everywhere.”

“Just as long as you’re aware that they are. Did Emm fill the fridge?”

“It’s overflowing. Grandmaw Deb sent over a tray of lasagna too.”

“Hey, her lasagna is worth fighting for.”

“I know, Pop. I think your refrigerator was about to have a stroke with the amount of food that was shoved in it.”

Brian laughed. “It hasn’t handled too much more than water, poppers and peanut butter in a very long time.”

“TMI, Pop.” Gus chuckled, so did his father.

“Did you check in with Cynthia yet?”

“Not yet but I called her. I have an appointment with her later. I was going to show Ray where it all began and then show him the clinic and the theater. Maybe we’ll go bowling.”

“You do that. It’ll be nice to get some vertical exercise as well as the horizontal kind.”

“What makes you think we haven’t done it vertically?” Gus said smugly as Ray turned a nice shade of pink.

“A chip off the old block,” Brian said proudly. “You two boys playing safe?”

“Yes, Daaad. We’re playing safe,” Gus replied, refraining from rolling his eyes a second time.

“Good boy. I want you both around for a very long time. Speaking of time, make some to spend with your mothers and your grandmothers. And check out the diner. Lacy has made some great improvements.”

“Will do, Pop. And Dad?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for trusting me with the loft.”

“Anytime, Sonny Boy. You take good care of it. I think it’s been waiting for a Kinney,” Brian said wistfully with memories of simpler times in days long gone by.

“You mean it, Pop!” Gus exclaimed excitedly at the implication.

“I do. Just…” Brian wasn’t sure how to express his hopes and his trepidations regarding the next Kinney generation.

“It’s okay, Dad, really. I’m not exactly like you,” Gus said softly hoping his father understood.

“I know, Sonny Boy. You’re not, you’re better in so many ways,” Brian said in a wave of parental reflection. “On the other hand, you still have a lot to learn. So go have fun in the shower and don’t be late for your appointment.”

“I won’t, Pop,” Gus said then after a moment. “The shower?”

“You didn’t think it was so big for nothing, did you?” Brian smirked as he could almost hear the gears in Gus’ head click into place.

“Oooh, shower. Gotta go, Pop. Me and Ray need a shower, a nice looong shower.”

“You do that, Sonny Boy,” Brian said as they cut the connection.

Some things never change, Brian thought to himself. And why should they? His loft, with its classic design would never go out of fashion. And why shouldn’t the next Kinney generation enjoy it? Brian thought about that with maybe just a touch of envy. Oh, to be young again. But right now he had other pressing matters like a six foot plus party planner planning a birthday nightmare. Brian sighed as he picked up the phone again.

“Emmett Honeycutt’s event planning, Emmett Honeycutt speaking.”

“It’s Brian.”

“Hello, Brian, what can I do for you?” Emmett said curtly. Their last conversation hadn’t been pleasant.

“I want to see if we can work out a compromise.”

“Oh?”

“Emm, the girls that Bree’s inviting, they...they’re not rich.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“We went overboard when Bree turned five and that was okay but some of these kids barely have half of what we have. How would it make you feel if you went somewhere and were constantly reminded that you don’t have what everyone else seems to have?”

“Oh. I get it. It wasn’t that long since I was in Hazelhurst.”

“Exactly. And not that long ago I was a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks. You remember when the guys first saw the cottage, they thought it was a joke. They kept expecting a mansion or something.”

“I remember. But your little cottage is so full of love it’s as big as a mansion. Okay, no medieval knights. Maybe I can have a knight tape something for Bree and the girls. You said Bree wanted to watch some movies. I can have a knight tape a special intro for each one. Oooo! I love it,” Emmett said suddenly proud of his own innovation. “Besides, I just got a call from Miss Molly. It seems that little Taylor is going to be a year old soon. Just after Bree’s party I get to throw one for him!” Emmett chimed cheerfully.

“You do that, Emm,” Brian said grateful that he just dodged the bullet.

“I’ll call you when I’ve firmed up our plans.”

“Okay, Emmett. And Emm?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, kind sir,” Emmett said with all sincerity before he hung up.

“Not so kind,” Brian mumbled. Now he had to face Bree.

“Hey,” Justin said as he rounded the stairs and walked into their attic office.

“Hey,” Brian said with a small smile.

“Everything okay up here?” Justin asked as Brian pushed himself away from his desk so he could stand to receive Justin into his arms.

“Fine,” Brian whispered as he gave Justin a hug.

“Gus having fun?” Justin murmured into his spouse’s chest.

Brian chuckled. “Just about now Gus and Ray are discovering the benefits of having a big shower stall.”

“You mean they hadn’t noticed how roomy it is?” Justin said. “Not that we needed all that room. As I recall, you had me pushed up against the walls on several occasions.”

“Mmmm, good memories. Alas, the fruit of my looms required a little push in the right direction from his old man.”

“You are the master when it comes to sex.”

“And you are the master when it comes to coming,” Brian purred. “Speaking of which, do we have time for a little afternoon delight before we get the kids from school?” Brian was rubbing his semi-erection against his lover.

“That's what I came up here to tell you,” Justin began while he still had functioning brain cells. “John is going to get the kids and Ashley. He’s going to spend some time at the St. John house to list the renovations that need to be done. They won’t be back until dinner.”

“So that means...”

“That means,” Justin said as he turned in Brian’s arms to face the desk. The big sturdy desk. Justin leaned over onto the desk sticking his ass up at just the right angle.

“That means…” Brian groaned appreciatively at the sight of Justin’s round jean clad ass. He gave said ass an admiring pat then began to divest it of its barriers.

Further conversation was no longer necessary.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 2

“So what are you going to say to her?” Justin asked as he lay beside Brian basking in the red hot glow of their recent coupling.

“Fuck if I know.”

Justin chuckled. “You could always be the brutally honest Brian Kinney that we all know and … tolerate.”

“Thanks heaps,” Brian responded sarcastically. “Um, maybe you could talk to her.”

“Unh, unh, this is your call.”

“I thought we were supposed to be partners.”

“Only when you find it convenient to remember,” Justin said with a chuckle that helped take the implied criticism out of his words.

“I believe we just consummated said partnership,” Brian smirked.

“For the trillionth time.”

“Hm, we’ve hit the trillion mark?”

“I think that came a few years ago. We’re well on the path to a quadrillion,” Justin laughed.

“And you won’t help me?” Brian looked over at Justin and batted his eyes in a very bad attempt at puppy dog eyes.

“You better leave that look to Michael. It just doesn’t ring true when you try it,” Justin advised him.

“Fuck!”

“Come on, big guy, we need to get showered and clothed before Bree comes home.”

“We could yell through the door and tell her to go to her room,” Brian suggested hopefully.

“You’re afraid of her, aren’t you?” Justin said with a laugh as he sat up in bed. “And don’t forget that Ashley is coming home with her.”

“Fuck!” Brian reacted at having his plan to hide from their daughter thwarted. But then something else hit him. “I can’t give her the bad news while Ashley’s here,” he said trying to sound very sincere.

“She’ll only be here for an hour or so until Susanna picks her up.”

Brian made a face before allowing his husband to pull him out of bed. They headed for the shower, Brian still wondering what Bree’s reaction was going to be when he told her there would be no medieval knights at her birthday sleepover.

*****

Dinner was just finishing up at Edna’s Treasures. Brian had conveniently found ways to stay busy so that he didn’t have to have his chat with Bree. He had let Bree and Ashley play until Susanna had arrived to pick up her daughter. Then he had made sure Bree spent some time on her homework and reading the book that she had brought from school. Then it was time for dinner. Brian realized that he had just about run out of excuses.

Justin gave Brian a look as he gathered up the plates from the table. Brian shrugged.

“Why don’t you and Bree go work up in your office?” Justin asked pointedly.

“I already did my homework, Daddy,” Bree said smugly.

“I know, sweetheart, but maybe you and Dada could have a little chat about your sleepover.”

Brian made a face at his husband, but then decided he might as well get this fucking talk over with. “Come on, Bree, we’ll have our chat.” He held out his hand towards his daughter.

“But what do we have to chat about, Dada?” Bree asked with a frown. “Ashley and JR and Brenda and Hannah and Winona are all coming to the sleepover. And I’m having med-i-evil knights and it’s going to be great!”

“Medieval knights?” John asked as he sipped his coffee while listening intently. He could tell something was up.

“Yep,” Bree said emphatically making her ponytail bounce as she nodded her head.

“I haven’t heard about any knights,” John observed, looking at his brother.

“It was Auntie Emm’s idea,” Bree told him.

“Why am I not surprised?” John said with a chuckle, eliciting a glare from Brian.

“Um, John, let’s go back to our side and make sure Patrick has all his homework up to snuff,” Bobby suggested. He could see there was trouble brewing.

“Good idea,” Brian said pointedly.

“But my homework’s done too,” Patrick protested.

“Let’s go make sure,” Bobby continued, standing up ready to retreat to their side of the cottages.

“Yes, let’s,” John agreed getting a good look at Brian’s unhappy face.

“Come on, Bree,” Brian said.

“I don’t want to,” Bree objected. She suddenly got the feeling that she wasn’t going to like whatever was about to happen up in her fathers’ office.

“Bree, come with me,” Brian said in his tone that informed her she better do as she was bidden.

“’Kay, Dada,” Bree said contritely, “but I don’t think I’m going to like this.”

Brian almost swallowed himself at her response, but he managed to keep a straight face. He cleared his throat to stop the chuckle that wanted to escape. Instead of saying anything he merely held out his hand and Bree inserted her small one into his. She trudged up the stairs behind him, looking very much like a condemned criminal on her way to the gallows.

“What the hell’s going on, Justin?” Bobby asked poking his head into the kitchen from the sun porch. Curiosity had got the better of him. “What’s Brian going to do to Bree?”

“He’s going to tell her that there will be no medieval knights at her sleepover.”

“Oh? Oh! Shit! She’s going to be devastated.”

“That’s why he’s petrified to do it, but it’s just too ridiculous to contemplate. Medieval knights at a kids’ sleepover,” Justin scoffed.

“Yeah, but we do have room for the horses and … jousting, and stuff,” Bobby said thoughtfully.

“You’re not saying we should have medieval knights, are you?” Justin asked in utter surprise.

“Well, um, no, but it would have been kind of neat,” Bobby admitted sheepishly.

Justin laughed. “I keep forgetting who the kids are in these cottages.”

“Can’t help it if I still have some fantasies,” Bobby said with a grin.

“Don’t we all.”

“Let me know how it all turns out,” Bobby requested as he exited the kitchen.

Justin was sure he was off to inform John and Patrick what was going on. He wished he knew himself how Brian was handling things up in the office. He hadn’t heard any wails from Bree or any shouting from Brian, at least not yet.

Meanwhile Bree was about to hear her sentence of doom. Brian had lifted her onto his lap and he held his arms loosely around her. He’d almost started to tell her the bad news a couple of times, but then he had chickened out. So he sat, holding his daughter and dreading what was about to take place.

Finally Bree couldn’t stand it any longer. “Dada, you’re not going to let me have my med-i-evil knights on horseback, are you?” she asked batting her blonde lashes at him.

“No, Squirt.”

“But why, Dada? I really want them.”

Brian hesitated. He had thought about lying to Bree and saying that they couldn’t find any knights for her party, but he knew he had always had a policy of total honesty with Bree and he didn’t want to start changing that now. “It’s too much, Squirt. Way too much for a kids’ party.”

“But I had ponies and clowns and things at my other birthday, Dada. Why can’t I have med-i-evil knights on horseback at this one?” she asked looking into his eyes.

“We were kind of extravagant and foolish for your fifth birthday. That was a once in a lifetime kind of party,” Brian said seriously.

“Oh?” Bree studied her father’s face. “I can never have another party like that again?”

Brian blanched. He hadn’t meant it to sound like that. “Maybe you can have a special birthday party for milestones, like when you’re sixteen or eighteen,” he suggested.

“That’s a long time,” Bree observed.

“Yeah, but it will come faster than you think.”

Bree heaved a huge sigh. “Why did Auntie Emm tell me about the med-i-evil knights on horseback if I can’t have them?”

“He just kind of got ahead of himself,” Brian replied hoping Bree would buy that explanation.

Bree frowned. “So what can I have for my sleepover?”

“You will have a princess cake, and Auntie Emm is going to make pink princess beds for each of you.”

“That’s good,” Bree said. “Anything else?”

“Well, we’ll have some games to play.”

“Like what?”

“Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and Twister and … stuff.”

“I like Twister,” Bree said.

Brian smiled. This wasn’t going so badly after all. Bree was being quite reasonable and she hadn’t cried even once.

“Will Auntie Emm be here for the games?”

“I can ask him,” Brian said willing to do anything at this point to keep Bree happy. “He might have to work though.”

“I want him here.”

“I’m sure he will be at your party if he can, but he has other parties to plan. That’s his job.”

“But he’s planning my party,” Bree declared. “He told me.”

Brian drew in a breath. “I know he’s planning your party, but he has other parties as well. Just today your Auntie Molly called him and asked him to plan a party for Taylor’s first birthday.”

Bree’s eyes grew huge as she took in what her father had just said. “You mean he’s doing Taylor’s party and not mine?” she demanded.

Brian felt Bree’s spine go rigid, and she pushed his hands away.

“No, that isn’t what I said,” Brian answered quickly. He felt all the good will between them slipping away. Why the fuck did he have to mention Taylor? He remembered now that Bree had been very jealous of the little boy when he was first born.

“Is Taylor having med-i-evil knights on horseback?” Bree asked with fire in her eyes.

“No, no, I doubt that he’ll have knights.”

“I bet he does!” Bree declared. “I hate Taylor. He always gets everything, and I don’t get nuthin’! I hate you all!” she yelled and jumped off Brian’s lap.

Before he could stop her she was running down the spiral staircase at break neck speed. “Bree!” Brian called as he reached the top of the stairs.

“Leave me alone!” Bree screeched. “I hate you!” She kept on running.

Justin heard the ruckus and started into the sun porch. “Bree,” he said as she ran past him.

“I hate you!” she screamed. She ran down the hall and into her bedroom. She slammed the door as hard as she could, and then turned to flip the lock. “I hate you all!” she screamed again through the closed and locked door. Then she threw herself onto her bed and wailed like her world was going to end at any minute. And as far as she was concerned, it was ending. She hated everyone and everything. She had never been so miserable in all her life. They all liked Taylor better than her. He got everything, and she got nothing. She pulled her grey bunny against her body and cried and cried her heart out.

“What the fuck happened?” Justin asked Brian as he came down the stairs.

“She thinks Taylor’s having her medieval knights at his birthday party, and she hates us all as a result.”

“What the fuck made her think that?”

“I … I guess I did … inadvertently.”

Justin shook his head. “Well, you handled that really well,” Justin said sarcastically, before heading down the hall to try to talk some sense into their daughter.

*****

“I fucked up,” Brian said with a sigh into his phone.

“How?”

“I told Bree that there wouldn’t be any knights at her party.”

“Did you tell her about the alternate plan?”

“No, I didn’t get a chance to. She screamed at me then ran into her room. She’s locked us out.”

“Us?”

“Me and Justin.”

“I see.”

“It gets worse.”

“Worse?”

“Besides her hating us, she also thinks that Taylor is getting her knights and that he’s getting you too.”

“Me?”

“Yes, she wants you at her party. And she hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, Brian, Briana loves you.”

“No, she hates me. And I...”

“What, honey.”

“I must be a very bad father,” Brian whispered, totally defeated.

“Oh honey, Princess Bree could never hate her most precious, most handsome prince. She loves you more than anything else in the entire world except for her other daddy.”

“No. She won’t open her door. She’s thrown herself on her bed and she’s crying,” Brian said with a hitch in his voice.

“How do you know she’s on her bed if she’s locked her door?”

“I went outside to look in her window,” Brian said pitifully. “Emm, what am I going to do? I ruined everything. I am a bad father.”

“Sweetie, you are the best father a kid could ever have. Bree’s inherited the best from the two of you.”

“And the worst.”

“She does do drama queen well,” Emmett chuckled.

“So what do I do now?”

“Would you like for me to talk to her? I could explain about the taped knight.”

“Could you?”

“Of course. I’ll be up in a minute.”

“In a minute? You’re here?”

“Honey, Bree’s party is in two weeks. And Taylor’s is about a week later. I have lots to do so I decided to spend a couple of weeks up here.”

“What about Drew?”

“He has some Ironman things to do and some stuff with his store. He’ll be up for the weekend.”

“Oh. Has he forgiven me?”

“Forgiven you?”

“About the Christmas tree thing.”

“There’s nothing to forgive and he’s learned a valuable lesson when it comes to Christmas trees and little girls.”

“What? Like never fuck with them?”

Emmett laughed. “Something like that. Brian, honey, don’t worry. Auntie Emm is here. Leave the princess to me.”

“What will you say to her?”

“Something a very wise man explained to me about moderation, restraint and that even though one can afford to have medieval knights at one’s party, it’s not always prudent to have them.”

“Think she’ll understand?”

“Well, I did talk her into going to her gifted class, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Then have no fear, your fairy godmother is here. I’ll see you in a few.”

“Okay, and Emm.”

“Yes?”

“You really are our fairy godmother,” Brian admitted.

“Oh honey, that’s got to be one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me.” Emmett hung up as Brian sat back on his chair.

“Brian?” John called out over his balcony rail to his brother. Brian stood up to walk to his balcony rail.

“Yeah?”

“Is it safe yet?” John asked with amusement, although he realized how devastated his brother was at the moment.

“No. But Emmett should be here any minute. He’s going to give it a try.”

“What’s he doing here?”

“Party planning. Ours and Taylor’s.”

“Ah. Are you all right?”

“Honestly? No, I’m not. Maybe I should just hire the knights.”

“Maybe you should listen to your original instincts and not hire the knights.”

“John...” John had come down his stairs, traversed the porch in several long strides and was at his brother’s side in moments.

“Brian, you can’t deny that Bree is spoiled but she’s not that spoiled. She’s the little princess in a house full of men. We all overindulge her. And I do mean all of us. We can’t help it. She’s a sweet beautiful child who happens to have Justin Taylor for a father. And for most of the time, she’s irresistible. Most of the time. But there are some times when you must put your foot down. And this is one of them.”

“I’m right about not having knights?”

“Of course you’re right! Has there been any doubt? Brian, just a couple of weeks ago Ashley’s mom was worried about paying the bills and having a house fall down around their ears. By some miracle they now can live comfortably. I say comfortably because even though Susanna will have a job soon, she’s not working yet and the child support just barely covers her expenses. This whole county is struggling to make ends meet. Who are we to flaunt our good fortune?”

“I was going to explain it to Bree but I never got the chance.”

“She’s too angry right now to listen. Give her time to calm down.”

“Patrick was never this difficult.”

“That’s because I’m his father,” John said with a smirk.

Brian searched his brother’s wise eyes. “Sometimes I wish...” Brian couldn’t finish his statement. John wrapped his paternal arms around his brother.

“I know, Brian. I could never be your father but I am your brother and your friend. I’ll always be here for you.” John bussed the auburn hair that showed little signs of aging. Brian gave John a squeeze. But before he could say anything, a certain fairy godmother made his dramatic appearance.

“Hellooo! Oooo, two of my very favorite Kinney men and looking oh so sexy together at that!” Emmett gushed over John and Brian. Brian gently pushed back from his brother to scowl at their cheerful friend.

“Honeycutt! What the fuck do you want?” Brian growled.

“Just here to confirm our plans for the princess’ party. She in her room?” Emmett knew that she was. “Breeeeee! Auntie Emm is here!” Emmett called out loudly. His flames were in full rage. As Emmett sashayed himself down the hall toward Bree’s bedroom, Brian groaned.

“May the gods have mercy on my soul,” Brian moaned as John patted his back.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 3

“Bree, honey, it’s your Auntie Emm. May I come in?” Emmett said through the closed bedroom door.

“Auntie Emm?” a tiny voice said from the other side.

“Yes, sweetie. I’m here to discuss your party plans. Can you open the door?”

“Okay,” Bree said with a sniffle. She climbed down from her bed to open her door. The minute Emmett entered the room, Bree threw herself into his arms.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Emmett asked as he carried her to the rocking chair and sat with her perched on his lap.

“My party is all wrong and my daddies don’t love me. No one loves me. They love Taylor better than me,” Bree said with a pout and a sniffle.

“Let’s take this one step at a time, shall we?” Bree nodded against Emmett’s chest. Emmett took a deep breath; he felt his chest tighten for just a moment. This is how it must feel to be a dad, he mused for a second. “There’s nothing wrong with your party. We decided that having knights on horseback wasn’t very practical for a sleepover and would be very stuck up of you.”

“Huh?” Bree said as she raised her head up to look at Emmett. Her teary violet blue eyes began to darken with rage. Her scowl was very reminiscent of her older father.

“You are having a sleepover, and if I’m not mistaken you’ve invited your guests to arrive for dinner. Now while it is getting lighter out at night it will be dark at dinnertime and it’s still very cold at night. A good hostess must take into consideration the comfort of her guests. What would happen if you all caught cold standing outside in the dark to watch some knight on horseback that you’d have trouble seeing in the first place?”

“Oh. I don’t like the cold, and Ashley sometimes gets scared in the dark.”

“My point exactly. So I have the perfect solution. We planned to have a special selection of movies to watch during your sleepover, correct?”

“Oh yes, Auntie Emm.”

“Well, what if a knight in shining armor introduces each selection with a special taped message?”

“You can do that?”

“Of course, I am a premiere party planner after all and your fairy godmother," Emmett said in all confidence.

“It’s perfect, Auntie Emm!” Bree said as she wrapped her little arms around Emmett’s neck.

“Your Dada thought so too.”

“Dada?”

“Of course. Your Dada and I consult regarding your party and he thought a taped introduction was brilliant,” Emm embellished.

“Oh,” Bree said as she thought for a minute. “But why would having a knight on horseback be stuck up?” She had just got the impractical part.

“Bree, you live in a beautiful home and have a beautiful room. And your Dada selects the most fabulous wardrobe for you because, let’s face it, your other father as much as I love him, doesn’t have one fashion sensed bone in his body. And he calls himself a gay man. But I digress. Your fathers work very hard for their comforts and choose the highest quality of items when they buy something. That’s why their furniture lasts and never goes out of style. They also manage their money very wisely. But it wasn’t always like that. Not for them or for me.”

Bree’s eyes grew very wide. She knew she always had pretty things. Even her gar-gar clothes were pretty.

“Your Dada didn’t always have such nice clothes when he was a boy. His father didn’t make a lot of money, so your Dada had to make do with whatever he had. Your Daddy was almost homeless at one point in his life, and if it wasn’t for some very special people in his life including Debbie and your Dada, your daddy Justin wasn’t sure where his next meal was going to come from.

“And me, well, it was always a struggle to live in Hazelhurst, for many reasons. Now some of your friends may not be as lucky as we all are now. You don’t want them to feel bad at your party, do you?”

“No, Auntie Emm. I want everyone to feel good!”

“Of course you do, sweetheart,” Emm said as he gave Bree another hug. “Then showing some restraint and moderation is part of being a polite and considerate hostess. You recognize that it wouldn’t be nice to flaunt what you have in front of your friends. Because they may not want to stay your friends after that. Do you understand?”

Bree nodded her head up and down.

“Your daddies love you so much. They want you to have friends, good friends, and they know that being a good friend means you’re considerate of people’s feelings. And that’s the reason why having a knight on horseback is not a very good idea. Maybe one day we can offer to take your friends to a Renaissance fair. Your daddies and uncles are very active in your community, maybe they can arrange a school trip or camp trip to a fair so that all the kids can enjoy it. How does that sound to you?”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful!” Bree said with a big smile. “Then all my friends could see knights on horseback!”

“Yes, they could.”

Bree’s face suddenly dropped to a frown. “But what about Taylor, is he going to get my knights?”

“No, sweetheart. First of all Taylor is too small to understand what a knight is and they can be very frightening to a baby. Second of all, your Aunt Molly wants a small quiet party up here at her cottage with just her immediate family. Just a small party with simple food. No knights, no horses.”

Bree appeared to be taking in all that Emmett said. “But what about you? Will you be at my party?”

“Honey, I wouldn’t miss your party for all the bears at Babylon,” Emmett said without thinking.

“Huh?”

“Silly me. I would never miss your party. You are my client, and as a party planner I would be very remiss in abandoning you at your time of need.”

“I don’t think I understand, Auntie Emm.” Bree wore a very perplexed look on her little face.

“What would a princess do without her fairy godmother? Of course I will be here for your party. I’ll even stay here at Edna’s Treasures overnight just in case anyone including your daddies needs me.”

“Oh thank you, Auntie Emm!” Bree threw her arms around Emmett’s neck again.

“You’re very welcome.” After a while Emmett made a very important suggestion. “Honey, don’t you think you have something to say to your fathers? You hurt them when you said you hated them,” Emmett said cautiously. He could hear Bree begin to sniffle again. Large tears began to stream down her face. “You don’t really hate them, now do you?”

Bree shook her head, no.

“Don’t you think it’s time you told them that?” Emmett looked down at the very forlorn and sufficiently humbled child.

Bree nodded her head, yes.

“Then let’s dry your tears and wash your face. And we’ll go and talk to your daddies.”

Bree blotted her eyes with a tissue then blew her tiny nose. She then scampered into her bathroom to wash her face. After a few moments and in true Kinney-Taylor style, she composed herself and announced she was ready to face her daddies.

“I’m ready,” Bree said.

“After you, fair maiden,” Emmett said as he opened the door and held out his hand. Bree placed her hand in his and went to face the music.

*****

“Do you think he’ll talk some sense into her?” Justin asked Brian. They were sitting at the kitchen table both looking very miserable.

“I hope so. I’m not sure how much more I can take of this,” Brian grumbled as he played with the handle of his coffee mug. They were waiting at the table from the moment Emmett entered Bree’s inner sanctum, sitting shoulder to shoulder awaiting the verdict.

“Daddy! Dada!” The blond tornado whirled in then jumped onto Justin’s lap stretching out her arms to give both her daddies a hug. Brian and Justin buried their faces into their daughter’s neck.

Brian looked up with moist eyes to gaze at Emmett. “Thank you,” he mouthed then hugged both his blonds closely to his chest.

Emmett smiled. “A fairy godmother’s work is never done,” he said with a toothy grin as he backed out of the kitchen to give the Kinney-Taylor family a little privacy. He strutted back into the sun porch.

“Mission accomplished?” John asked as he spied Emmett from his balcony.

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Emmett gave John a salute.

John smiled then returned to his research.

“Peace reigns again?” Bobby said from his doorway. Patrick was standing at his side. They made quite a striking pair.

“For now,” Emmett said reasonably.

“We’ll take what we can get,” Bobby said. Patrick nodded as they retreated to their own living room.

Emmett took a tape measure and notepad from his pocket then quietly began to take measurements in preparation for princess beds.

*****

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jus, it’s Molly.”

“Little sis, how are you doing?”

“Not bad, I’m down at the cottage. Wondered if you might like to join me for a coffee?”

“I just made a fresh pot. Why don’t you come up here?” Justin asked.

“Um … I have Taylor with me, and I didn’t know how welcome he’d be, if Bree was home.”

Justin chuckled. “She’s home, but Ashley’s here. They’re playing in the sun porch and planning big things for her sleepover.”

“Do you think it’s wise to let girls plan ahead for a sleepover?”

“Wh…what do you mean?”

“They’re probably figuring ways to stay awake all night, and cause you and Brian big problems,” Molly giggled.

“Is that what you did when you were her age?” Justin asked with a frown.

“I don’t think Mom let me have a sleepover until I was a few years older.”

“You think we’re letting her do this when she’s too young?” Justin asked uncertainly.

“No, no, that isn’t what I meant at all. I was mostly just teasing you … but you should be prepared to be vigilant the night of the sleepover. I wouldn’t want them getting into any mischief.”

“Emmett’s going to stay here that night, so we’ll have three pairs of eyes. And we’re hoping to tire them out before we put them to bed.”

Molly laughed. “Good luck, big brother. Little girls have far more stamina than you three … mature gentlemen.”

“You are instilling so much confidence in me,” Justin griped.

“So, are you still offering coffee, and can I bring Taylor?” Molly asked.

“Bree’s snit is over, so it’s safe. How did you find out anyway?”

“Ted, who heard it from Emmett.”

“Figures. Come on up. I’ll warn the princess.”

“Thanks,” Molly said as she cut the connection. “Taylor, let’s go for a walk to see your Uncle Justin.”

The little blond ran to his mother and held out his arms for her to put on his coat. Molly smiled happily. He was such a good boy … for the most part. Although he did have his moments, not unlike what Bree had pulled the other day. She hoped she would be able to handle tantrums like that when they occurred.

“Let’s go see Uncle Jus, Taylor,” she said holding out her hand.

“Kay,” he replied happily, placing his little hand in hers.

They walked slowly up the lane. Taylor toddled along beside his mother. He was walking quite well now. The only problem was that every blade of grass, every spring wildflower that was poking its nose up out of the ground was a source of fascination for her son. Whenever he spotted one he wanted to squat down and examine it. Molly wondered if they would ever get to Edna’s Treasures.

“Hey, Molly,” Justin called from the front door of the cottage. “I thought you must have got lost.”

“Unc,” Taylor yelled, and pulling his hand out of his mother’s, he ran towards his uncle. He almost got to the house when he lost his footing and fell flat on his face in the gravel. There was a long moment of silence and then the most ungodly wail known to man pierced the air.

“Taylor,” Justin gasped racing towards the fallen toddler.

“Oh my God,” Molly screamed and ran towards her son.

Bree and Ashley ran to the front door to see what was going on. Bree’s father was just scooping up a wailing Taylor, and her Aunt Molly was looking the baby over to determine if he was really hurt.

“What happened?” Bree asked.

“Taylor fell and hurt himself,” Justin said, as he carried the baby into the house.

“Will he be all right?” Bree asked with a worried look on her face. As much as she resented her cousin, she didn’t want him to be hurt.

“I think he’ll be okay, sweetheart, but he’s scared and hurt,” Justin informed his daughter.

Bree watched them go past her and head for the kitchen. She grabbed Ashley’s hand and pulled her down the hall to her bedroom.

Justin held Taylor near the sink where Molly got a paper towel and wiped away some of the dirt from his face.

“I think his teeth went into his lips. There’s a little bit of blood,” Molly said.

“Get the gel icepack out of the freezer and wrap it in a towel,” Justin instructed.

Molly did that and handed it to Justin. He gently placed it on Taylor’s swelling lips. The baby whimpered as it touched his mouth.

“Is he hurt anywhere else?” Molly asked.

“Look at his hands. They were the first thing to hit the ground.”

Molly turned one of Taylor’s hands over and wiped off the dirt. He had scraped his palms but not enough to break the skin.

“I think he’ll be okay,” Molly said gently. She had just about stopped shaking. She wiped Taylor’s other hand clean. “You’re going to be fine, sweetheart,” Molly said tickling Taylor’s tummy. He merely whimpered a bit more.

“I think he scared himself,” Justin observed.

“Scared the shit out of me too,” Molly replied.

“Auntie Molly,” Bree said as she and Ashley came back from her bedroom. “Taylor can have my grey bunny till he feels better. Bunny helps me when I don’t feel good.”

Molly looked down at the earnest little face that looked back at her. “That’s really nice of you, Bree.” She took the bunny and placed it on top of Taylor where he was still cradled against Justin’s chest.

Taylor wrapped his arms around the soft bunny and held on tight.

“I think he feels better already, Bree, having your bunny,” Justin said. “Thank you for bringing him.”

“’Kay, Daddy. Me and Ashley are going to the sun porch,” Bree said before the two girls ran back to continue whatever they had been doing before all the uproar.

“That was really sweet of her,” Molly said.

“She has her moments,” Justin agreed with a smile. “Pour some coffee and let’s sit down.”

Molly poured two mugs of coffee and carried them over to the table where Justin was still trying to hold the ice pack on Taylor’s mouth.

“I was worried Bree wouldn’t want Taylor here, and instead she does the sweetest thing. I know how much she loves her grey bunny.”

“She’s just full of surprises,” Justin replied.

“Is everything okay about her party now?”

“Pretty much. All we have to do is survive it.”

Molly laughed. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, I’m going to need it,” Justin said as he noticed that Taylor had been silent for a while. The baby’s eyes were starting to droop. Justin nodded at Molly to look.

Molly smiled. “He’ll be out like a light in a minute,” she said.

“Wow, he is,” Justin said with surprise as Taylor’s eyes had closed and his breathing had evened out.

“He’s like that. After an upset he sleeps it off.”

“Lucky you.”

“I know.”

“I’ll go lay him on the big brass bed. The girls can keep an eye on him,” Justin offered, as he stood up and then carried Taylor out to the sun porch. He slid back the panel that hid the bed. Ashley and Bree ran over.

“Is he okay?” Bree asked.

“Yeah, he was mostly scared.”

“Did the bunny help?” Ashley asked.

“It made all the difference,” Justin replied as he set Taylor down and placed a pillow on each side of him.

“Put the grey bunny beside him, Daddy. He might want it if he wakes up,” Bree advised.

“I will, sweetheart. Can you young ladies keep an eye on Taylor in case he wakes up and is scared?”

“Sure, Daddy,” Bree replied.

“We’ll look after him real good,” Ashley promised.

“Thanks, girls. I’ll be right in the kitchen with Auntie Molly.”

“’Kay, Daddy.”

Justin walked back towards the kitchen. He turned to look and make sure that Taylor was properly situated on the bed. He had to smile when he saw the two girls standing by the big bed staring at the sleeping baby.

“He’s cute when he’s not crying,” Ashley said.

“Yeah,” Bree agreed. “I don’t like it when he cries.”

“He hurt himself.”

“I know.”

“Do you think he’s okay now?” Ashley asked as they continued to study the sleeping baby.

“He must be or my daddy wouldn’t have left him here by himself,” Bree informed her friend.

Ashley nodded and they continued to stare at Taylor.

Justin chuckled at their loving comments. He went back into the kitchen to enjoy his coffee now that he knew Taylor was in good hands.

*****

“Gus, you asleep?” Ray whispered into Gus’ ear. It wasn’t really late; the boys were basking in the current afterglow from their latest round of lovemaking.

“Not really.” Gus scooted closer to Ray so that they were spooning.

“We only have a couple more days before getting back to college.”

“I know,” Gus said with some disappointment. “I can’t wait for this semester to end. Cynthia says it’s a go for me to spend August at N’rgy.”

“I can’t wait either,” Ray said with a sigh. “Are you tired?”

“What do you have in mind?” Gus asked as he ground his butt into Ray’s groin.

“Not that,” Ray said. Gus twisted around to look his boyfriend in the eye. “I mean not right now. I think you broke it,” Ray said as he lifted the sheet to look at his temporarily limp dick. Gus laughed at the pitiful expression on Ray’s face.

“Yeah, I can use a break too. What do you have in mind?”

“Dancing, at Babylon tonight. I’d really like to go. Do you think we can get in?”

“I’ll call my dad and ask him. I’m sure he’ll say okay provided we swear to behave ourselves,” Gus said with a grin.

“You mean only water and soda and no back room!”

“No back room!” the boys said together then laughed as they rolled around the big loft bed tickling and poking each other.

“Who needs a back room when we have this bed,” Ray purred.

“Yeah,” Gus agreed.

Staring into each other’s eyes the boys lifted the edge of the sheet to look at the twin erections that were growing under it. They then checked the time on the clock on the bedside table. It read eight.

“Plenty of time,” Ray said with a smile.

“Yeah,” Gus agreed. Their trip to Babylon could wait till later, much later.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 4

“Hey, Molly,” Justin said as his sister opened the door of her cottage to her brother’s knock.

“Hey, Jus, what brings you down here so early?”

“I wanted to make sure Taylor survived his fall with no ill effects.”

“He did.”

“Is he up?”

“Come on in and have a coffee with me. You can see for yourself,” Molly replied, stepping back to let Justin enter.

Justin could see Taylor sitting in his high chair at the little kitchen table. He had his hands in a bowl of something rather disgusting and was stuffing it into his mouth. “He looks fine,” Justin observed.

“His lip is still a bit swollen but it hasn’t stopped him from eating breakfast,” Molly chuckled.

“Kids are so resilient,” Justin said as he leaned over and kissed the top of Taylor’s head. “Hey, buddy,” he whispered.

Taylor gave him a two tooth grin in response. Food covered the rest of the area around his mouth.

Justin couldn’t help but smile. “You have one great kid here, sis.”

“I know,” Molly replied with a warm smile, “and so do you.”

“Thanks,” Justin said, “even though said kid was ready to disown your son.”

“You mean murder him, don’t you?” Molly chuckled.

“I think she’s over that…finally.”

“Sit down,” Molly said indicating the other chair at the table. She brought another mug and poured them both coffee. Once she was seated, she asked, “So what really brought you here this morning?”

“I … I told you I wanted to know how Taylor was doing,” Justin stammered.

“He was pretty well recovered from his fall by the time we left your place yesterday, so tell me the real reason,” Molly insisted.

Justin heaved a sigh. He had always had trouble trying to keep things from his sister. “I’m worried about Bree,” he said reluctantly.

“Worried? Why?” Molly asked in surprise.

“You didn’t see her when she blew up at Brian. She ran through the house screaming that she hated us. Then she locked herself in her room and wouldn’t open the door. I don’t know what we would have done, if Emmett hadn’t come over and talked her down. Where did we go wrong?” Justin stared into his coffee mug, looking more forlorn than Molly could ever remember seeing him.

“What do you mean – go wrong? You haven’t gone wrong at all,” Molly chided him gently.

“It should never have happened.”

“What? You think Bree’s perfect?” Molly asked sarcastically.

“Far from it,” Justin admitted. “But she shouldn’t have gone crazy like that.”

“She didn’t go crazy, Justin. She had a temper tantrum.”

“It was way more than a temper tantrum,” Justin replied. “It nearly destroyed Brian … and me.”

“I seem to remember a temper tantrum that you had, big brother. Remember that day after you came home from the hospital. You pushed Mom and you destroyed your bedroom.”

Justin shook his head at the memory. “I was out of control. I was lashing out.”

“And that’s what happens when we’re afraid or hurt. Bree was hurt. Remember? She thought everybody was giving Taylor all the things she thought belonged to her. She thought nobody loved her. It was understandable, if unfortunate.”

Justin thought about what Molly had told him. “I suppose that could be true, but what if this happens again?”

“It probably will.”

“What?”

“No matter how smart your daughter is, Justin, she’s still a child. Her emotions will get the better of her from time to time. So there will be more tantrums.”

“I don’t think I could stand it,” Justin whispered.

“Of course you can. And you will. You’ll handle it just fine too.”

“How can you know that?”

“I know it, because you handled this incident just right. You stayed calm, you didn’t yell or hit her…”

“I’d never hit her,” Justin stated emphatically.

“I know, but some parents would,” Molly reminded him. “Some would break down that bedroom door, and punish Bree for locking it. You respected her emotional turmoil and let her cry it out. That was the best thing you could have done.”

“You think so?” Justin asked with genuine surprise.

Molly nodded. “I do.”

“But what would we have done without Emmett?” Justin asked.

“You didn’t have to do without Emmett. I’m sure he was happy to help.”

“What if he isn’t around next time?”

“Then you and Brian will figure it out.”

“What if we can’t?” Justin asked, genuinely worried that they wouldn’t be able to handle Bree. Their emotions had been as raw as Bree’s.

“You have a whole support system, Justin. John and Bobby would talk to her. Hell, even Patrick would. And you could always call Debbie as a last resort.”

Justin laughed out loud. “I can just see that happening,” Justin said shaking his head and chuckling.

“But you see what I mean. I bet if you had waited an hour or two longer Bree would have let you or Brian into her room without Emmett being there at all. That little girl loves her daddies, and she knows how much you love her. She’d get over her tantrum eventually.”

“You really mean that?” Justin asked.

“Every word. You’re great parents, you and Brian. Don’t doubt yourselves.”

“You have no idea how good this makes me feel,” Justin admitted. “I’ve been almost afraid to discuss the party with her since her … tantrum.”

“She’ll be fine … and you’ll be fine,” Molly averred. “Besides, you and Brian are my model for parenting. I look up to both of you, and pattern what I do with Taylor after what you and Brian did with Bree.”

“Wow, does Mom know that?” Justin asked with a wicked laugh.

“No, and you better not tell her,” Molly said with a threatening look. “I learned a lot from her too.”

“But not so much from Dad,” Justin felt compelled to add.

“Let’s leave him out of the equation for now.”

Taylor took that moment to let out a little cry. He wanted some attention and he had finished his breakfast, what he wasn’t wearing anyway.

“I bet he’s wet,” Molly said.

“I’ll change him,” Justin volunteered as he wiped Taylor’s face then lifted the baby from the high chair and felt the damp diaper.

“Great,” Molly said with a smile. “Feel free to come here for advice anytime, if it includes free diaper changing services.”

“Nothing’s free,” Justin retorted as he headed for Taylor’s room.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Molly giggled, shaking her head at her big brother.

*****

Gus sadly set the alarm at the loft door then rolled the heavy door shut. With a sigh, he locked up, shouldered his duffle bag then stepped on the elevator that Ray had been holding for him.

“The week went fast,” Ray murmured as the old freight elevator descended to the first floor.

“I know,” Gus sighed again. “I loved every minute we spent together. I only wish we had more time.”

“The semester is almost over,” Ray said trying to cheer the both of them up.

“Not soon enough for me,” Gus grumbled.

“Gus,” Ray began, as he grabbed Gus’ arms to turn him so they could speak eye to eye. “You love it at Penn and the projects you’re doing for PIFA are amazing. And as much as I would love to drop everything to spend all my time with you, we both have a responsibility to finish college. Our parents would be so disappointed if we dropped out just so we can be together,” Ray said reasonably. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t spend our vacation time together,” he added cheerfully.

Gus smiled a brilliant handsome smile that took Ray’s breath away. “You’re so practical,” Gus said as he leaned down to kiss Ray’s mouth.

“I am older and wiser,” Ray said with a smirk.

“By only a year,” Gus said with a chuckle.

The elevator came to a halt at the first floor. Sadly the boys opened the gate then stepped out. A cab had been ordered to take Ray to the airport. Gus was going to spend the day with his moms then take the bus back to Penn the following morning.

“I love you, Ray. I can’t imagine you not being in my life.”

“Me either. I know it’s too early to talk about forever, but I want what my dads have, what your dads have.”

“Me too,” Gus agreed as he leaned down so he and Ray could touch foreheads. He had grown up seeing that gesture done by his father and Justin for most of his life. It meant love and commitment to Gus.

The boys parted as Gus opened the Tremont apartment front door. The taxi was already at the curb. The boys in true drama queen fashion loudly sighed then giggled at themselves as they rolled their eyes.

“I guess we’re more like our dads than we think we are,” Ray commented.

“Yeah,” Gus said as he opened the cab door. “I’ll miss you. Call me later.”

“Okay,” Ray murmured as they discreetly touched lips then Ray slipped into the cab.

Gus tugged the collar of his coat up around his neck, as the cold shiver of loss went through him while he watched Ray’s cab drive away. He adjusted his duffle bag on his shoulder then turned to walk to his mothers’ house.

*****

“What the fuck is all of this?” Brian bellowed across the sun porch.

Bree’s party was less than two weeks away and in the spirit of partnership and the fact that Brian still felt guilty about not doing more to help around the house, Brian was busy with Spring cleaning. He had torn apart the living room and breakfast nook and was about to tackle the kitchen when he decided to see what Justin was up to.

Justin still had a long list of commissions to be done but he was determined to spend a portion of his artistic day working on his ‘Then and Now’ project. Justin loved the concept of reproducing his earlier works into something modern. And even though Justin was resigned to the fact that he couldn’t go back, it was fun to look through his old sketch books to catch a glimpse of his younger self.

Right now, the evidence of that younger self was strewn across the sun porch. The artist in question was sporting a pair of headphones, one of Brian’s old denim shirts that Justin had appropriated as a smock and wiggling his luscious ass in time to the unheard music as he added paint to canvas.

Brian couldn’t help but smile even though he was sweaty, covered with the few dust bunnies that had escaped prior cleaning, and pissed that their once pristine sun porch now looked like a ransacked art gallery. Instead of futilely shouting again, Brian walked up to the easel Justin was working at and stood until noticed by his deeply engrossed artist.

“Hey, Brian,” Justin greeted his spouse with a cheery smile as he took off his headphones. “What’s up?”

“I could be, if you want to take a break,” Brian said with a smirk as he pulled Justin in close then planted a kiss on Justin’s full lips.

“Mmmm,” Justin murmured when released from the kiss to take in the necessary air. Justin inhaled the heady scent of a hard working Brian.

“I stink,” Brian said automatically as he took a whiff of his armpit, but knowing Justin had a thing for his sweaty smell.

“Yeah,” Justin whispered with lust filled eyes. Justin was on an artistic high, the sweaty subject of his current painting was in his arms and his dick was rapidly filling, straining at the zipper of his cargo jeans.

“Where’s Bree?” Brian asked in his low breathy voice.

“With John and Patrick at Ashley’s house. Susanna’s loan came through; she wants John to work on her house. They’ll be there for hours,” Justin assured his spouse.

“So...”

“So, why are we standing here when I can be fucking your tight ass off in our room?” Justin asked with a demanding tone as he ran his hands up and down Brian’s glistening arms.

Brian knew that look and there was no denying the command in his partner’s voice. Brian was in for a long hard fuck. His asshole was twitching in anticipation. His eyebrow arched as Brian searched Justin’s determined face then he turned to walk into their bedroom. Justin placed his paintbrush into the cleaning fluid, covered his painting then went to join his spouse.

Justin found Brian waiting, standing naked in the middle of their room with his arms out reminiscent of their first night together.

“Are you coming or going?” Brian murmured. “Or coming then going?” Brian again arched his brow. “Or coming and staying?”

“Staying. Definitely staying,” Justin said without hesitation as he took off his clothes. His hard penis sprang back against his abdomen. Justin walked into Brian’s arms to place a tender kiss on his lover’s lips, for the briefest of moments, silently asking permission. Brian imperceptibly nodded getting a licentious smile in return.

“Lean over the bed and hold on,” Justin commanded.

Brian did what he was told. The kitchen could wait until later, much later.

*****

“What’s got you grinning like a Cheshire cat?” John asked Justin as they were cooking dinner in the Anderson-Morrison side of the cottage.

After Brian’s ride, and renewed energy, Brian decided there was no time like the present to complete his cleaning of the Kinney-Taylor end of the cottage. It was Justin’s turn to cook, so instead of disturbing Brian, he began dinner with John.

“Brian and I had a very productive day today,” Justin said trying to look innocent and flashing John with a sunny smile. John had a good idea just how productive Brian and Justin were.

“I see. I take it it's this sense of accomplishment that has my brother humming while cleaning the oven and mopping the kitchen floor?”

“Must be,” Justin blushed, making John laugh.

“You two are priceless, do you know that?” John asked rhetorically. “After all this time, the mere inference of making love to your partner still makes you blush. Justin, you have been together for almost twenty years, taking the lead now and then is perfectly all right.”

“I know,” Justin murmured as he took a huge roasted chicken out of the oven to rest before carving. “Sometimes it still amazes me that he lets me top.”

“Why? He loves you, and more importantly, he trusts you. He knows you would never hurt him and he feels safe with you.”

“Safe?”

“Safe. He can allow himself to let loose and he knows you would never take advantage of him. For a man like Brian, knowing he’s free to indulge his fantasies is very reassuring,” John said wisely.

“Fantasies?”

“Justin,” John began as if speaking to a naive child. “Don’t you ever fantasize about Brian?”

“All the time,” Justin replied with a starstruck sigh.

“I know he has many fantasies that all involve you.”

“Has he told you about them?”

“A gentleman never tells, and Brian is nothing if not a gentleman. I see it in the way he looks at you.” Justin’s eyebrows rose high toward his forehead. “I’m not just talking about his lusty leers. His love for you is obvious, but it’s the way his eyes follow you around.”

“He has a thing for my ass.”

“Not just your ass, it’s the whole package.” Justin giggled at the double entendre. “You know what I mean. He loves every part of you from your blond head to the tips of your toes. During the summer when you’re out there wearing shorts, I catch him staring at your legs. I’ve even seen him go spitless at the sight of your belly.”

“Jo-ohn!” Justin blushed deeply then giggled again.

“I mean it!”

John and Justin shared a laugh as Brian peeked his head into the kitchen. He was about to ask if he had time to shower before dinner when the sight of Justin’s bright smile and the sound of his laughter stopped Brian dead in his tracks. He swallowed, fighting to regain control.

“Um, hi. Am I interrupting?” Brian asked as he cleared his throat.

“Not at all,” John said as he patted his brother on the back and then took the dishes out to the dining room to set the table.

“How goes the cleaning?” Justin asked with a loving smile.

“Fine. I’m finished. Do I have time for a shower before dinner?”

“Yes,” Justin replied as he stepped closer to inhale Brian’s scent and to give him a chaste kiss. “I love you,” Justin purred against his partner’s lips, the man who embodied all of Justin’s greatest fantasies. “I love you, Brian Kinney-Taylor.”

“Love you too, Justin Taylor-Kinney,” Brian affirmed as he drew the younger man into his chest then kissed the top of the blond head. “With all my heart,” he murmured as Justin nodded. Justin could hear that heart beating strongly and steadily in Brian’s chest.

“Go, shower, you stink,” Justin teased as he patted Brian’s ass.

“Yeah,” Brian said with a chuckle then left to take a quick shower.

“Everything okay in here?” John asked when he returned to the kitchen for the cutlery.

“Fine,” Justin answered, blushing.

John just chuckled as he shook his head. He and Justin took their time preparing the rest of dinner then getting it onto the table.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 5

“Hey, Pop.”

“Sonny Boy, where are you?”

“At the moms.”

“How was your break from university?”

“Fantabulous!”

Brian chuckled. “I guess the loft bed got a real workout.”

“Dad!”

“Well, it did, didn’t it?”

“Um … yeah, but you’re not supposed to know.”

“How naïve do you think I am, young man?”

“Not naïve at all.”

“So…”

“Okay, okay, Pop, can we change the subject, please?” Gus begged.

“All right, so is this my weekly call?”

Gus groaned as loudly as he could to let Brian know his displeasure.

“I like to know where I stand,” Brian chuckled.

“Consider this your weekly call then,” Gus snarked.

“When do you head back to Penn?”

“Later today.”

“Everything going okay in that regard?”

“I’m doing great, Pop. I’m so glad I can do the double major. It’s been wonderful working in both areas.”

“That’s what I like to hear, my man.”

“Dada, is that Gus?” a little voice asked.

“Yes, it is, Squirt. Did you want to talk to your brother?” Bree nodded her head enthusiastically.

“Pop,” Gus said quickly, having heard Bree’s voice. “She doesn’t know I’m in Pittsburgh, does she?”

“No, Sonny Boy. I’m handing the phone to your sister now.”

Bree took the receiver. “Hi, Gus, I miss you.”

“Miss you too, short stuff,” Gus whispered. He suddenly felt very guilty for spending the week in Pittsburgh and not telling Bree. She would be devastated if she knew.

“I wish you could come here for my sleepover birthday party,” Bree said in what could only be described as a pleading voice.

“I’m sure you’re going to have a blast with all your girl friends,” Gus said quickly.

“I know, but it would be better if you were here.”

“I’ll come to see you as soon as I finish my exams.”

“Promise?” Bree asked.

“Cross my heart.”

“I love you, Gus.”

“Love you too, Bree. And I know you’ll have a fabulous party.”

“Bye, Gus,” Bree said softly then handed the receiver to her father. She ran into her bedroom to get her grey bunny. She suddenly needed to hold onto him.

“Is she okay, Pop?” Gus asked, worry in his voice. He now felt guiltier than ever.

“She’ll be fine. She just misses you.”

“I miss her too. I feel like a shit for not seeing her while I was here in Pittsburgh.”

“She’ll survive.”

“I know she will, but I want her to be happy,” Gus stated, still annoyed with himself.

“You can’t be everywhere. It will all work out.”

“Did you get her that Barbie Fashion Model doll that I told you about?”

“Yeah, it’s been ordered along with several gowns including a pink ball gown that will look like a princess dress for her princess sleepover,” Brian said. “I’ll see that it’s wrapped and has a card from you.”

“Thanks, Pop, I really wanted something special for her birthday.”

“I think she’ll be thrilled.

“Great. Well, I guess I better go. Got to gather up some last minute things and get ready to catch the bus.”

“I expected a call asking me to drive you back,” Brian said seriously.

“I thought about it, but I know you’re busy this time of year, and the bus is not so bad. I can sleep or listen to music all the way.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“I will, and thanks again for the use of the loft. It was great.”

“I hope Ray got away on time.”

“Yep, he’s already back in New York.”

“Where you’ll be later in the summer,” Brian reminded him.

“Yeah, I can hardly wait.”

“I’m sure. Just study hard, and do good on those exams.”

“I will, Pop. I love you.”

“Love you too,” Brian said before he set the phone back on its base.

*****

“Bree, are you okay?” Justin asked as he pushed the door to Bree’s bedroom open. He could see Bree lying on her bed holding her grey bunny. Her back was to him and she didn’t turn over. When there was no response to his question, he moved over and sat down on the edge of Bree’s bed. “Sweetheart?”

“I’m okay,” a pitiful little voice responded.

“You don’t look okay,” Justin said as he managed to get Bree to turn over and look at him.

“I want Gus to come to my party, Daddy,” Bree said in a voice full of woe.

“You know Gus is going to be writing his exams. He has to stay at school and study,” Justin explained gently.

“But Gus is sooo smart, he doesn’t need to study,” Bree protested.

“Yes, he does, sweetheart. University is hard.”

“But…”

“Bree, sometimes people have other responsibilities that take precedence over what we want. I’m sure Gus would be at your party if he could. He loves you very much.”

“I love Gus,” Bree replied adamantly.

“I know you do. And he will come see you as soon as he can.”

“I want him now.”

“I know, sweetheart, but we don’t always get what we want.”

“Why?” Bree asked through her tear filled eyes.

“Um … that’s just the way it is. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, and how we handle it says a lot about who we are,” Justin added, deciding that this might be the moment for one of those life lessons that Bree needed to learn.

“It does?” Bree asked truly wanting to know what her father meant.

“Yes, it does. If you whine and cry about it, people get sick of that after a while. If you grin and bear it, and do the best you can, people usually appreciate that. And if you really accept what has happened and try to make the best of it, you learn a lot and you make other people happy.”

“Really?” Bree asked, a frown creasing her brow as she thought about what her father had just told her. “How can I make the best of Gus not being here?”

“Um…” Justin replied. He was hard pressed to come up with an answer. “Maybe you could send Gus a card, one with your rainbow on it, and tell him that you miss him, but you understand why he can’t come to your party. I bet that would make Gus feel a lot better. I’m sure he feels very bad that he can’t be here.”

“Will you help me?” Bree asked as she sat up on her bed and set her grey bunny aside.

“Of course I will, sweetheart.”

“Let’s go do it right now, Daddy.”

“Okay,” Justin said with a little chuckle. One never knew how quickly the wind could change when dealing with their mercurial daughter.

“Thank you, Daddy,” Bree said throwing her arms around Justin’s neck and kissing his cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Let’s go make that card.”

Bree slid off the bed and placed her hand in her father’s. They walked down the hall hand in hand, one of life’s lessons learned.

*****

“Honeycutt! What are you doing in here?” Brian growled. He was attempting to walk through the sun porch to get to his brother’s side of the cottage. John, inspired by Brian’s cleaning frenzy, was doing a little cleaning of his own, just not as obsessively as Brian’s spree. However, a certain party planner slash fairy godmother slash royal pain in the ass was blocking Brian’s way.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Emmett snarked back. Emmett was rearranging furniture and moving mattresses. It was hard strenuous work and the normally cheerful Emmett was in no mood to deal with a prissy Brain Kinney. In addition to shuffling furniture, Emmett had yet to hang his pink tulle.

“It looks like you’re destroying my house,” Brian declared with a scowl.

Emmett dropped the edge of one of the futon mattresses then turned to face his tormentor.

“Now hear this, you sanctimonious pain in my ass! I am turning this sun porch into a princess’ palace. I do not need any flak from you, Mr. Kinney! Now, if you are not going to help then shut the fuck up and get out of my way!” Emmett shouted at Brian.

Shamed into silence, Brian stood staring at Emmett awaiting a further meltdown or at the very least, a punch in the nose. All of a sudden Emmett’s anger melted into sheer panic, as his lower lip began to quiver and tears of frustration spilled from his eyes.

“Emm?” Brian began, not quite knowing what he should do. The only thing worse than Bree crying or weepy lesbians, was an hysterical party planner.

“Oh Brian!” Emmett moaned as he swooned into Brian’s arms nearly toppling them both onto the mattresses.

“Oof! I think you’re gaining weight,” Brian grumbled as he managed to keep them both upright.

“What’s going on out here?” John said as he sprinted into the porch, hearing the shouting. Emmett was in Brian’s arms being ‘consoled’.

“Our party planner is having a … a moment,” Brian stated as Emmett’s sobs became more pronounced.

“I see,” John said calmly. “Uh, I know I’m going to regret asking, but why?”

“I’m not quite sure. I came in here trying to get to your side and ran into a few obstacles,” Brian said as he gestured with one hand indicating the barrier of mattresses.

“Perhaps if we offered to help?” John asked with a shrug of his shoulders. He too, wasn’t quite sure what to do. The Kinney men were under the impression that a sleepover only required something to sleep on.

Apparently they were wrong.

“Emm, perhaps if you tell us how we can help,” John ventured as he slowly approached. Brian was patting the tall queen on the back.

“Help?” Emmett sniffled from the vicinity of Brian’s shoulder.

“Yes, Emmett, we’ll help,” John reassured him. “You’ll just need to direct us.”

“You’ll help me?” Emmett asked raising up his head but not relinquishing his hold on Brian’s arms.

“Yes, Emm, help,” Brian repeated somewhat reluctantly. He had a feeling he’d be regretting his words very shortly.

“Well, in that case,” Emmett began, his tears drying up, composure restored, he stepped back from Brian. Using a yardstick as a pointer, Emmett began to issue orders to his new and temporary minions.

The Kinney brothers were both stunned into silence and gawking at the flaming queen who was now flitting across the sun porch instructing the brothers on the proper way to drape the tulle. Which, by the way, was in several bolts sitting in the back of Emmett’s car and in several shades of pink, purple and white.

“Well, don’t just stand there!” Emmett commanded as he clapped his hands. “My car is just out front. Chop! Chop!” Emmett said clapping his hands again.

A groan of dismay was heard as the Kinney brothers embarked on their new career as party fairies.

*****

“No, no, no. That’s not draping. The fabric must flow in waves of color around the room!” Emmett was trying to explain the concept of draping fabric to John and Brian. However, he only succeeded in pissing off his helpers to the point of mutiny.

“Emmett, if you say drape one more time, I will drape you from the rafters! I need coffee,” Brian growled then stormed off toward the kitchen.

“But...”

“Emm, I think we can all use a break. We’ve been at this for several hours. The balcony rails and the staircases look wonderful but I’m hungry. I don’t drape fabric very well when my stomach’s complaining at me,” John explained as he followed Brian through the hall.

“But… Oh hell,” Emmett conceded when his own stomach protested. He went to join the Kinney men in the kitchen.

*****

“Soooo, do you like it?” Emmett asked Bree. They were all standing in the sun porch doorway at the garden entrance to get the full effect.

Taking advantage of the various hooks and pulleys attached to the rafters, waves of pink and purple tulle flowed across the upper half of the glass ceiling with some hanging straight down reminiscent of royal coats of arms. The balcony and staircase rails were draped in white with pink jeweled and sequined silk bouquets every few feet. The long back wall of the glass sun porch against which the dining table had been pushed, was lined with another bolt of pink tulle. And the chandelier was draped in royal purple, fit for a princess.

Overall, the sun porch had been transformed into a pink and purple palace.

“I love it, Auntie Emm!” Bree squealed as she ran around the room marveling at its transformation. “Oh thank you!” Bree gushed as she ran back to Emmett, jumping into his waiting arms as he squatted down. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re so welcome, my lady. But I think there are two more people you need to say thank you to,” Emmett suggested as he whispered into Bree’s ear.

“Okay, Auntie Emm,” Bree said as she released her fairy godmother. Bree walked toward her uncle. “Thank you, Unca John,” Bree said using the title from her toddler years even though she could and did on occasion, pronounce, uncle, correctly. “Thank you so much.”

John lifted his petite niece to give her a hug.

“You’re very welcome, princess,” John said as he gave Bree a little squeeze. Bree peppered several kisses on her uncle’s face. After a minute, John set the child down.

“Dada,” Bree said as she approached her older father.

“Yes, Squirt.”

“I love you,” Bree said as she lifted her arms.

“Love you too, Squirt,” Brian managed to say without choking, as he swooped his daughter up into his arms.

Giving father and daughter some privacy, Emmett and John retreated into John’s kitchen for some well deserved coffee.

“Where are Justin and Bobby? I expected to see them today,” Emmett asked John as they sat at the kitchen table with their coffee. They were nibbling at some of Emmett’s fruit tarts.

“Bobby’s putting in some extra hours today so that he can totally be at the princess’ disposal this weekend, just in case the princess’ fathers get overwhelmed. Justin went to Pittsburgh with a load of canvases in his car,” John explained.

“He’s been painting like a fiend since we got back from London. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this busy. Not even for his Seasons show. According to Brian, Justin has a new project that he’s been working on, plus all of his commissioned work. It’s a wonder when the man sleeps.”

“If he sleeps at all. Brian has some appetite. If you know what I mean,” Emmett said with a grin.

“Emmett, theirs is a true partnership. Justin has a similar appetite,” John smiled knowingly.

“Ooooo! Do tell!”

“A gentleman never tells.”

“Who said I’m a gentleman!” Emmett retorted. John wagged his finger at the party planner then poured them more coffee.

*****

“Hey,” Justin said into his hands free cell phone. He was about thirty minutes away from the cottage.

“Hey,” Brian murmured from the safety of their bedroom.

John was supervising homework time while Emmett was applying the finishing touches to the sun porch including hooking up Gus’s flat screen TV monitor in the sun porch for the planned movie time.

“You sound tired,” Justin commented.

“It’s been quite a day.”

“Sounds like there’s a story in that.”

“You don’t know the half of it. I’m sorry, Justin, I have no energy to cook dinner.”

“Don’t worry about it. I anticipated the possibility so I took out a tray of Debbie’s lasagna. It should be ready to heat when I get home.”

“You are a life saver,” Brian said with a sigh. Justin chuckled at the dramatics. “Was Sidney impressed?” Brian asked with a yawn.

“Yes, he was. I’ll tell you all about it later. Take a nap; I’ll wake you when dinner’s ready.”

“Okay, Sunshine,” Brian murmured barely hanging up before his eyelids closed.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 6

“Brian,” Justin said gently laying his hand on Brian’s shoulder. When Brian’s eyelids fluttered open, Justin added, “Dinner’s ready.”

Brian turned over onto his back. “Fuck!” he groaned. “I ache all over.”

Justin chuckled before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat at Brian’s sinister glare. “I saw your handiwork. The girls will be thrilled.”

“They fucking better be! I was up and down that goddam ladder a million times today. Honeycutt was just making adjustments left, right and center to see me haul my ass up and down that fucking ladder,” Brian snarked as he struggled to sit up.

“And a very fine ass it is.”

“I’m going to kill that nelly queen,” Brian moaned, ignoring Justin’s compliment.

“I’ll give you a massage before bed,” Justin promised, batting his eyelashes at Brian and hoping that would make his husband feel better.

“What kind of massage?”

“Whatever kind you want.”

“Deal,” Brian said perking up a little as he swung his legs off the bed. He managed to stand up and place his hands on his hips, before rotating them and testing whether his back would bend. “I may have been hasty,” he admitted quickly, as he felt his muscles protest. “A regular massage may be all I can handle. I feel like I’m a hundred and ten years old.”

“You look thirty,” Justin said promptly.

“You always know the right thing to say.”

“Years of practice.”

“Even if it’s not true.

“It is true. You look as good as the day we met.”

“I wasn’t thirty then,” Brian reminded him.

Justin chuckled. “You’ll always be young and beautiful.”

“Tell that to my aching back,” Brian griped.

“Come on; dinner’s ready. Debbie’s lasagna is calling your name.”

“Great, now I can be old … and fat.”

*****

A bit later the family was seated around the dinner table in the Anderson-Morrison side of the cottage. Debbie’s lasagna was quickly disappearing along with the massive salad Justin had concocted.

“More ‘sagna, Daddy,” Bree requested.

“Did I hear a please in there somewhere, Squirt?” Brian asked with an arched brow.

“Please, Daddy,” Bree amended.

“Coming right up,” Justin replied as he scooped up a small piece of the lasagna and set it on Bree’s plate. “Finish your salad too.”

“’Kay, Daddy.”

“Grandma Debbie makes the best lasagna,” Patrick said holding his plate out for another piece too.

“Yes she does,” John agreed, extending his plate for Justin to load it with another piece of the cheesy tomato concoction.

“You and Brian really outdid yourselves in the sun porch,” Bobby noted with a grin.

“It was that nelly ass queen who made us do it,” Brian griped. “He pretended to be swamped with all he had to do, and then my soft-hearted brother volunteered our services.”

“Whatever happened, it looks great,” Bobby told them.

“Yeah, but my back will never be the same,” John informed his husband.

“That makes two of us with bad backs thanks to Mr. Honeycutt,” Brian agreed.

“I’m going to massage it later,” Justin chimed in.

“I could do that too,” Bobby offered.

“Thanks,” Brian replied with a gleam in his eye. “Two twinks massaging me should do the trick.”

“I meant I would massage John’s back,” Bobby said with a laugh.

“Shit!” Brian replied, but everyone knew he was just kidding. “I’m stuffed,” Brian added pushing his plate away.

“Me too,” Bobby agreed.

“I could eat another piece,” Justin stated, dishing himself up another chunk of the lasagna. “There’s only one piece left – any takers?”

“I’ll have it if no one else wants it,” John volunteered. He looked at the kids who shook their heads and continued to eat what they had on their plates.

“Fat bottomed boys,” Brian felt compelled to state.

“Ooh, I love being called a boy,” John laughed as he shoveled in his lasagna, refusing to take Brian’s bait.

“And you love my ass whatever shape it’s in,” Justin retorted.

“Can I be a fat bottomed boy too, Dada?” Bree asked, thinking that the men seemed to be getting all the attention.

“Keep eating all of Grandma Debbie’s lasagna and you’ll fit right in, Squirt.”

“Yay!” Bree crowed when she heard her Dada’s answer.

Brian merely chuckled and shook his head.

*****

“So, do you think we’re ready?” Justin asked as they all stood in the sun porch and looked around.

“I don’t know what else you could do to make it any better,” John said.

“We could have had my med-i-evil knights,” Bree piped up.

“Briana Victoria,” Brian said ominously.

“Sorwy, Dada,” Bree replied quickly. “I love my princess castle,” she added hastily. She turned in a circle to take it all in.

“You and John and Emmett certainly outdid yourselves,” Justin told them.

“It was mostly Emmett,” Brian gave credit where credit was due. “John and I were just the grunts for Emmett’s ideas.”

“The girls will love it,” Bobby said.

“I think it’s too … pink,” Patrick threw in.

The men chuckled and Bree glared at her cousin.

“What are you serving for dinner?” Bobby asked.

“I thought we’d have a whole roasted pig that the girls could hack hunks of meat off of, and throw the bones to Beau,” Brian stated.

Beau who was standing beside them wondering what had happened to his calm, peaceful, non-pink world, barked sharply.

“I don’t want hunks of meat, Dada,” Bree said with a frown.

“I was kidding, Squirt.”

“Oh?”

“Maybe we should take Beau’s bed into our cottage,” John said. “He might be frightened by six little girls. He’s never had much feminine influence in his life.”

“Lucky him,” Brian snarked.

“Beau loves me,” Bree stated. She wasn’t sure she liked the way this conversation was going. “He can stay here with us.”

“I think he might be happier in John and Bobby’s cottage,” Justin told his daughter.

“Is this one of those times I should be happy about not getting what I want?” Bree asked, remembering the conversation she and her father had had a few days earlier.

Justin chuckled, while the others looked quizzically at the little girl. “Yes, Bree, I think it is. I’ll explain later,” Justin said winking at Brian.

“I’d say it’s bedtime for these young’uns,” John said deciding it was time to end this discussion.

Everyone headed for their own cottages and the prospects of getting ready for bed. Brian and John were looking forward to an early night and their promised massages.

*****

“Ungh.”

“Oh yeah, right there.”

“Mmmm.”

“Don’t stop.”

“Don’t sto....”

“Brian? Brian, you okay?”

Justin gingerly scrambled off Brian’s ass. He was using it as a comfortable perch while rendering a very therapeutic massage to Brian. It was so therapeutic that it put Brian into a deep sleep, if the tiny wheezes were any indication. Justin wiped away the excess massage oil then placed a tender kiss in between Brian’s shoulder blades. Then he covered his sleeping mate with their duvet. Not in the least bit sleepy, Justin went to their kitchen to give it one last inspection.

“Hi,” Bobby said as he walked into the kitchen.

“Hey. What are you doing awake?” Justin asked Bobby.

“I could ask you the same.”

“It’s too early to sleep,” Justin said as he glanced at the small clock radio on the counter. It was only nine.

“Yeah. John’s out like a light.”

“Same with Brian. They did work hard.”

“Yes, but it paid off. The porch does look like something from a fairytale. You must take lots of pictures.”

“I intend to.”

“So what are you doing out here?”

“I thought I’d get an early start on baking the cookies.”

“Cookies? Isn’t Emmett doing a massive cake?”

“I convinced him to make it a little less massive than he originally intended. But it will be pink.”

“Naturally.”

“And it will have some sort of Princess Barbie on it.”

“Of course. I thought Emmett was handling all the food.”

“No. Since he’s going to be the master of ceremony, I told him I’d handle the food. And I’m keeping it simple. Hamburgers, hot dogs and mini pizzas.”

“The English muffin kind?” Bobby’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah.”

“I loved those when I was a kid. You going to make enough for all of us?” Bobby shamelessly flirted, making Justin roll his eyes.

“I’ll make enough, you know I will.” Justin smiled at his brother-in-law. Then he began to take out the fixings for chocolate chip cookies. “I’m in charge of dinner, Brian will do breakfast.”

“He is the master of bacon and eggs,” Bobby added. “Want help?”

“Sure, but I thought you guys didn’t know how to bake cookies.”

“Um...”

“You shit! You guys do know how to bake, but you make me do it!” Justin laughed as he flung a handful of chocolate morsels at Bobby.

“Uh, uh, uh! You mess up Brian’s kitchen and there’ll be hell to pay,” Bobby advised as he picked up a few morsels off the counter then popped them in his mouth. Justin stuck his tongue out at Bobby but thought better of throwing anything else. Brian did work very hard at making sure the cottage was perfection. Not that it wasn’t perfection before.

“So are you going to help me or what?”

“Sure,” Bobby replied as he took out the eggs and butter.

For the next couple of hours the brothers-in-law worked in relative silence baking enough cookies for three parties.

*****

“Hey.”

Justin heard a raspy whisper emanating from their bed. “Did I wake you?” Justin asked as he stripped down to his underwear then crawled under the duvet. He snuggled close to Brian where it was warm and inviting.

“No, but I don’t sleep as well without you,” Brian admitted in a moment of vulnerability. Justin smiled against Brian’s chest.

“You smell like sugar and chocolate,” Brian murmured as he inhaled Justin’s own scent along with the sweetness.

“I was baking cookies for tomorrow,” Justin explained.

“Ah yes. And when might we expect to be invaded by the female hordes?”

“Why do want to know? Planning a sudden trip to Kinnetik.”

“You never know when there could be an emergency.”

“And what type of emergency can there possibly be in the highly volatile world of advertising?” Justin chuckled.

“Oh I don’t know, we might suddenly run out of blue ink and be forced to use only orange.” Justin giggled. “Or the copier could be on the fritz and reproduce only prop’art.”

“That would be a disaster,” Justin smirked.

“Or maybe as I work late in my office, a handsome young intern might knock at my door begging for a meeting.”

“A meeting?”

“Yes, perhaps to discuss my expectations.”

“And what might they be?”

“Complete devotion to me and my company.”

“Oh, of course, any intern of yours must be totally devoted.”

“And he must be flexible.”

“Oh yes, flexibility is a must. Anything else?”

“Yes, he must be willing to work long hard hours, deep into the night,” Brian murmured as he rolled over and on top of Justin. “And one more very important requirement,” Brian whispered as he settled in between Justin’s legs, nibbling at Justin’s ear.

“What’s that?” Justin asked as he stroked Brian’s back.

“He must smell like sugar and chocolate,” Brian said just before he divested Justin of his briefs then made love to his intern.

*****

“Helloooo!” A familiar greeting rang out from the vicinity of the sun porch.

“In here,” Justin called out from the kitchen.

The Kinney-Taylor family was wide awake and sitting at the kitchen table having a simple breakfast.

“Coffee?” Brian asked as he got up to get a mug for Emmett.

“My, my, my, you’re all bright eyed and bushy tailed,” Emmett commented as he took an appreciative sip of Brian’s excellent coffee.

“Bree’s very excited about her party, and Justin and I had a very relaxing evening last night. So we’re all ready for the festivities,” Brian explained with a smug look on his face.

“Hmm. And I see someone has been busy,” Emmett said as he spied a huge basket filled to the brim with cookies. Justin grinned.

“When are the guests set to arrive?”

“Four o’clock, but Ashley and JR might get here at three!” Bree answered enthusiastically.

“Well then, there’s nothing else to do but relax until then,” Emmett assured them.

“Auntie Emm, where’s my cake?”

“It’s safe, honey. I’ll bring it when the time is right.”

“Okay, Auntie Emm.”

“Bree, why don’t you go see what Patrick’s up to. He may want to spend some time with you before your friends arrive,” Justin wisely suggested.

“Okay, Daddy,” Bree said as she got down from her chair then walked toward the porch.

“Brian, would you mind helping me with the cake later? It will have to be driven down here,” Emmett asked.

“As long as I don’t have to eat it, I’ll be happy to drive it.”

“A small piece of cake won’t hurt you, you know,” Emmett observed. Brian hadn’t gained more than five pounds in all the years they’d known each other. And whatever weight he did gain was muscle.

“That’s okay, Emm. I got my fill of sweet stuff last night,” Brian said with a waggle of his eyebrows as he snaked his arms around Justin. He was rewarded with one of Justin’s sunniest before the lovers tenderly kissed.

“Oh how adorable!” Emmett gushed at the sight then turned to get himself another cup of coffee, affording the lovers a bit of privacy.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 7

“Wait, wait,” Emmett begged.

“What the fuck have you forgotten now?” Brian demanded.

“I just want to buckle my seat belt,” Emmett said testily. “Give me a sec.” He carefully adjusted the cake on his lap before reaching for the seatbelt and pulling it gingerly around himself, making sure it didn’t touch the cake.

“We’re only going a few hundred feet up the fucking lane,” Brian reminded him.

“And I don’t want my cake splattered all over the windshield.”

“Sissy,” Brian said revving the engine.

“Don’t you dare.”

Brian chuckled. “It’s so tempting.”

“Bree will lock herself in her room and never speak to you again, if you destroy her beautiful Barbie birthday cake. And I wouldn’t blame her.”

Brian shook his head, eased the car into gear and drove slowly up the lane to Edna’s Treasures. As he pulled to a stop, Emmett let out a sigh of relief.

“We made it,” Emmett whispered.

“Christ, it wasn’t like we were driving in the fucking Daytona Five Hundred.”

“I just want my precious cake to stay in one piece, well, three pieces actually.”

“Three?”

“Yes, this is the centerpiece. The other two pieces are on the tray in the backseat,” Emmett explained.

“I thought it was too good to be true that you had made a reasonable sized cake.”

“I always make reasonable, but fabulous cakes,” Emmett responded.

Brian snorted. “Let’s get your masterpiece inside.”

“Can you bring the tray from the backseat?” Emmett requested.

“Still your fucking slave, I see,” Brian said as he got out of the SUV and went around to the back door of the vehicle.

“I wish,” Emmett said with a giggle, as he slowly and carefully released his seatbelt and got out of the car, holding his cake in front of him. “The other two parts of the cake are on the tray, so be very careful,” Emmett admonished.

“Yes, your highness,” Brian snarked.

Emmett giggled like a schoolgirl as he made his way to the front door of Edna’s Treasures. He pushed the doorbell with his elbow, realizing that he didn’t have a free hand to ring the bell or open the door.

Justin opened the door to admit Emmett, who fluttered through with a cheery “Hi”, and headed for the kitchen. Brian followed, carrying the cumbersome tray with its contents covered in aluminum foil.

“Still slugging the heavy stuff for our party planning queen,” Justin said with a laugh.

“When this party is over I’m going to have him murdered,” Brian snapped as he hurried into the kitchen and set the tray on the counter.

“Gently, gently,” Emmett warned.

“What the fuck is this?” Brian asked.

“The rest of the cake. I already told you that.”

“But that’s the Barbie cake in your hand. That’s more than enough cake for Bree’s party.”

“There’s no place for her name and candles and Happy Birthday on this one, so I made a couple of companion pieces.”

Brian groaned. “More sugar and carbs. These kids are going to be flying higher than kites,” Brian observed.

“Pfft,” Emmett responded. “Where is the little princess? I don’t want her to see this until the appropriate moment.”

“She, JR and Ashley are over at John and Bobby’s getting Beau settled in before the other guests arrive,” Justin explained.

“Poor Beau,” Emmett chuckled. “I’m glad he’ll have a safe haven during the coming princess storm.”

“I wish I had a safe haven,” Brian griped.

“Where can we put the cake to keep it safe and out of the view of little eyes?” Emmett persisted, ignoring Brian.

“Bring it into our bedroom,” Justin suggested.

“Our bedroom?” Brian asked.

“Yes, our bedroom,” Justin replied with his eyebrow raised a la Brian Kinney. “No one goes in there but us. It’ll be safe.”

“Perfect,” Emmett agreed, picking up the Barbie to carry it into the master bedroom.

Justin looked meaningfully at Brian who shrugged in concession and picked up the tray he had carried in from the car. He followed Justin to the master bedroom. Justin opened the door for the two men who placed the cake and tray on the long dresser that was always kept clutter free.

“This will work just fine,” Emmett said. “I can assemble it in here and bring it out when we’re going to sing Happy Birthday to the princess.”

“Don’t get any crumbs on the carpet and no wax drippings,” Brian ordered.

“Is he anal or what?” Emmett asked.

“Definitely anal,” Justin chuckled.

“Justin,” Brian said ominously.

Once Emmett was sure his cake was safe, he looked around the room. “I’ve never been in here before,” he said observing the meticulously arranged furnishings, fashionable, but nothing like those at the loft. The room was homey and cheerful yet elegant. “This is just beautiful.”

“Well, get an eyeful. You’ll never be in here again,” Brian warned.

Just then the buzzer went off to indicate someone at the gate that led to Edna’s Treasures.

“I think our guests have arrived,” Justin said noting the car on the monitor and releasing the gate.

“We better get Bree,” Brian said with just a trace of panic in his voice. He was so not looking forward to this.

“I’ll get her,” Emmett said. “You go to the door and greet your guests.”

Emmett hurried out of the room and made his way through the sun porch. Brian and Justin headed to the front door where a car was just pulling up. Two little girls bailed out while the mother who was driving got out of her side of the car.

“Hello,” she called, “I’ve brought Brenda and Hannah. Can I help with anything?”

Brian was about to say, “Yes. Come in and take over,” when he felt an elbow to the ribs.

“Thanks, but we’ve got everything under control,” Justin called back.

“Okay, have fun, girls,” she said as she climbed back in the car and headed down the lane.

Bree and Ashley burst forth from the house, squealing and calling out the girls’ names. JR followed but stopped beside Brian and Justin to watch the girls hugging and bouncing up and down as they greeted each other.

“They’re so young,” JR observed earning a grin from Brian and Justin.

“I’m so glad you’re here to help, kiddo,” Brian said slinging his arm around JR’s shoulders. She smiled up at him.

Just then another car pulled up outside Edna’s Treasures. Brian recognized Winona and her mother. He let out a groan.

“This must be the infamous Winona,” JR said with a laugh.

“That would be correct.”

“Let the party begin,” Justin said as the young girl and her mother got out of the car. They marched towards the cottage.

“Mr. Kinney, lovely to see you again,” Winona’s mother gushed, ignoring Justin and JR.

“Hello,” Brian replied.

“I see we’re just on time,” the woman said.

“Very punctual,” Justin agreed.

“I debated being fashionably late, but decided that this was a little girl’s party, so we should be on time.”

“Thank you,” Justin replied not knowing what else to say to such a statement.

“You never know when something could come up,” Brian smirked.

Justin smothered a laugh.

“I suppose I can leave my little girl in your capable hands, Mr. Kinney?”

“Of course,” Justin said before Brian could make some caustic remark.

“I’ll be off then,” she said, kissing Winona’s cheek and heading for her car. Winona had stood silently beside her overpowering mother.

“Hi, Winona,” Bree said greeting her guest. “I’m glad you could come,” she added just as she had practiced with her Daddy. Justin smiled at her.

“Thanks,” Winona said with a smile as she looked at the other girls.

“Hi, Winona,” the other girls said together.

“Hi,” was Winona’s terse response.

“This is off to a great start,” Brian whispered in Justin’s ear.

JR heard the comment, and decided she should go into action. “Hi, everybody, I’m JR, Bree’s sister. If you have a gift for Bree, please bring it inside and I’ll show you where to put them.”

“Thanks,” Brian whispered before the girls lined up to follow JR. JR beamed at her uncle. The girls made their way into the house.

“I think I’m going to run away,” Brian said staring after them.

“Over my fucking dead body!” Justin retorted. He grabbed Brian’s hand and dragged him into the house.

*****

As Brenda and Hannah were oohing and aahing as they walked around the ‘princess palace’ sun porch, Brian and Justin were placing trays of healthy snacks on one of the wicker tables. Emmett had loaded up the CD player with the latest hits fit for the young princesses. JR was setting up Twister and then making sure the special DVD of the knight was ready to go. Winona quietly watched the proceedings from just inside the doorway.

Winona, being in the same grade as Patrick was older than Bree and her friends. Even though Bree was petite, Winona was still a head taller than the other girls, except for JR. Winona sighed, JR seemed to be getting along better with Brenda and Hannah than Winona did, and JR had only just met them. To top it all off, Winona was a bit self conscious about her appearance. While other girls were slim, JR was filling out in all the right places. Winona was neat and clean but she never lost her ‘baby fat.’ No matter how Winona tried, she never quite fit in.

The girls had paired off for the first round of Twister. JR was the spinner and referee, while Emmett was filming the game. With Gus’ computer equipment, Emmett was going to give copies of the sleepover DVD to each of the girls as party favors.

“Miss Winona, would you mind giving me a hand in the kitchen?” Brian casually asked as he finished ‘fussing’ with the table. “Justin has to run to the General Store. That’s if you can tear yourself away from the party.”

“Bri, I don’t...” Justin began then caught the Rageian glare. “Oh, yeah, the store, um, I’ll be right back,” Justin said as he went for his car keys and jacket. “What the fuck do I need from the store?” he mumbled to himself as he walked out the front door.

“Sure, Mr. Kinney!” Winona enthusiastically replied. Brian caught himself before he rolled his eyes. It was very evident that Winona hadn’t gotten over her crush.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help,” Brian said as he walked and Winona skipped into the kitchen.

There was very little left to be done other than cooking and serving dinner. And then of course, serving the cake. However, since the party planner was playing host, and JR was gracefully acting as hostess, Brian was left being the grunt, again.

“What do you want me to do?” Winona asked batting her eyes.

“I’m going to bring out the punch and juice. Can you take the cups and napkins?” Brian was holding a pitcher of juice in one hand and in the other a pitcher of punch. Winona grabbed a handful of napkins and a sleeve of cups then followed Brian back out to the porch.

The first round of Twister appeared to be over. The girls were sitting on the Twister mat and giggling madly. Even JR and Emmett were laughing.

“It looks like it’s your turn,” Brian said as he turned to Winona.

“I don’t like games,” Winona said defiantly.

Brian leaned over to whisper into Winona’s ear. “I understand, I never liked playing games either but I would consider it a personal favor if you would play a round of Twister with JR. It’s hard being older around all these little girls.”

Winona appeared to be deliberating Brian’s suggestion. “Okay, Mr. Kinney, I’ll do it,” Winona said with a big smile.

“Thank you, little lady,” Brian said with a handsome smile. He walked over to where the game was set up to appropriate the spinner card from JR. He said a few words into JR’s ear then kissed the top of her head. JR rewarded her uncle with a beatific smile then took off her sneakers to play a round with Winona.

“Ready, Winona? Let’s show them how this game is played,” JR challenged.

“I’m ready,” Winona said as she took off her sneakers.

Within a half hour JR and Winona lay in a heap of arms and legs, laughing hysterically on the Twister mat. Bree, Ashley, Brenda and Hannah were also laughing and clapping at the great game the older girls had played. Even Brian graced them with a smile.

“Did you get that on tape?” Brian discreetly asked the party planner.

“Yes, I did, and you are still the master,” Emmett commented knowingly.

“I have no idea to what you’re referring,” Brian stated with innocence.

“Of course, you don’t. Go on, get out of here. I’ll take it from here.”

“You want coffee?”

“I could use a cup,” Emmett said then he quickly turned his attention back to the girls. “Who wants some punch?”

“Meeeee!” came the collective answer. Emmett herded the princesses to the table to serve up some snacks and punch.

*****

“How was your trip to the store?” Brian asked Justin. Justin had returned from his ‘errand’ and was putting away his purchases. Brian was making a fresh pot of coffee.

“You mean my wild goose chase?” Justin said as he pulled his head out of the freezer.

“Sorry about that but I...”

“Brian,” Justin began as he drew his spouse into an embrace. “I know what you were doing and I love you for it,” Justin stated quietly as he gave Brian a chaste kiss. “It’s not easy trying to fit in when you feel so different, is it?” Justin asked as he studied the hazel green eyes that he loved so much. “We know what that’s like, don’t we?” Justin whispered. Brian nodded. “I love you, Brian.”

Brian gave Justin a hug then gently pushed him back. “What did you buy?”

“Something for us later,” Justin said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Something I’ll like?” Brian said with a leer.

“Definitely!”

“Sounds intriguing,” Brian said as he swooped Justin up into his arms to plant a searing kiss.

“Princesses now,” Justin said when released. “Pleasing my prince later,” Justin said wisely.

A frown of disappointment replaced the leer on Brian’s face. There was even a slight pout that made Justin chuckle.

“Big baby,” Justin muttered as he began to fire up their indoor grill to start dinner.

“When did I start to take a back seat to a bunch of girls?” Brian said with an exaggerated sigh.

Before Justin could answer, a strawberry blond whirlwind skidded to a halt in front of Brian.

“Dada! Come and see my mid-i-evil knight!” Bree exclaimed as she grabbed Brian’s hand trying to tug him out to the sun porch.

“Lead the way, Princess Squirt,” Brian said cheerfully as he was led to the porch.

“Never a back seat,” Justin said to himself as he began dinner. "You are my prince."

*****

The mid-i-evil knight on the screen held the children’s attention. Emmett had found the perfect actor and attire for the video. The knight was currently telling the children that they should get ready to play Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey.

“What’s that?” Winona asked suspiciously.

“It’s a game, sweetie,” Emmett replied.

Winona giggled. She liked being called sweetie. “I never heard of that game,” she added when her giggles subsided.

“It’s an oldie but a goodie,” Emmett told them.

“But Auntie Emm, we don’t have a donkey,” Bree piped up.

“Oh yes we do,” Emmett assured her.

“I don’t see a donkey.”

“It’s right here,” Emmett said with a flourish, extracting a foamcore board from behind a table in the sun porch. It revealed a picture of a large donkey minus its tail. “Now all we need is the tail, and voila!” Emmett gestured pulling a long tail complete with pin from the back of the foamcore.

“That’s a silly looking tail,” Brenda giggled. It was braided strands of multi-colored yarn with a large pompom on the tip.

“Yes it is,” Emmett agreed cheerfully. “And we’re going to see who can put this silly tail on this big old donkey.”

The girls giggled and Justin smiled at Emmett.

Brian raised an eyebrow. “Bet you can’t do it, Honeycutt?” he said wickedly.

“I’m not going to do it, the princesses are.”

“Bet ya can’t do it,” Brian taunted again.

“Of course I can. I’ll show you,” Emmett replied, taking the bait. He looked around for the necessary blindfold only to realize that he must have left it down at his cottage. “I seem to have forgotten the blindfold. May we borrow one of your ties, your majesty?” Emmett asked Brian.

“My ties are not blindfolds,” Brian reacted.

“Sometimes they are,” Justin whispered winking at his husband.

“I happen to have a real blindfold,” Brian stated before heading to the bedroom to get it.

“Oooh,” Emmett giggled making the children look at him quizzically.

“Why do you have a blindfold, Dada?” Bree asked.

“Um…”

“Sometimes I can’t sleep, and I put on the blindfold to block out light,” Justin said, rescuing Brian.

“Riiiight,” Emmett said as Brian placed the blindfold over Emmett’s eyes. The donkey had already been ensconced on one of Justin’s easels. “Now spin me around and put the tail in my hand,” he ordered.

Brian spun Emmett around several times and pointed him in the wrong direction. The girls giggled as Emmett stumbled across the sun porch. Brian put a finger to his lips to indicate they shouldn’t tell Emmett what he had done.

“You’re tricking me, Kinney,” Emmett stated when he bumped into one of the princess beds. “No fair.”

“All’s fair in love … and Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey,” Brian retorted.

“Will some fair maiden please point me in the correct direction?” Emmett pleaded.

“I will, Auntie Emm,” Bree volunteered. Brian scooped her up before she could assist her fairy godmother.

The other girls looked at Brian for permission.

“I’m waiting,” Emmett said tapping his foot.

“I’ll help you, Mr. Emmett,” Winona offered.

“Thank you, sweetie,” Emmett called as Winona ran across the porch and took Emmett’s hand.

“Follow me,” Winona said confidently, leading the man across to where the donkey was positioned on the easel.

“You are now my most favorite princess,” Emmett said as he felt the edge of the foamcore. Winona beamed with pleasure.

Emmett proceeded to stick the pin in the donkey’s eye. The girls roared with laughter. Emmett pulled off the blindfold and saw what he had done.

“Not bad,” he observed.

“But the tail goes at the other end, Auntie Emm,” Bree said.

“Yes, but at least I hit the donkey. That’s one point for me.”

That elicited more laughter.

“So, who thinks they can do better than me?” Emmett asked. “Would the birthday girl like to try?”

“Okay,” Bree said cheerfully. She was enjoying her party so far.

Bree managed to get the tail in the middle of the donkey. Brenda placed it under the donkey and Hannah on the donkey’s front leg. JR’s tail was near the top of the foamcore missing the donkey altogether. Ashley got it towards the back of the donkey and was closest at that point.

“That leaves you, sweetie,” Emmett said placing the blindfold on Winona who had hung back a little.

Emmett spun her around and pointed her towards the foamcore. The girls started yelling instructions and giggling as Winona tried to decide where to place the tail. She normally would have hated laughter at her expense, but this time Winona didn’t mind as she had witnessed the same thing happening with the other girls and with Emmett. She also liked that they were all trying to help her.

“There,” she said sticking the tail on the donkey, by far the closest to where it should be.

“And the winner is, Princess Winona,” Emmett announced lifting the blindfold from Winona’s eyes.

Winona smiled and took a mock bow as the girls clapped for her. This was something she had never experienced before. “Thank you,” she said genuinely meaning it.

“I think it’s time for dinner,” Brian announced, greatly pleased with himself and how the Winona situation was unfolding.

“I love this party,” Winona said as she followed the other girls into the kitchen.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 8

The birthday princess and her entourage were all seated around the decorated kitchen table. Justin had a tray of hamburgers, hot dogs and mini pizzas sitting in the middle of the table. With cups of punch and juice poured, dinner was ready to begin. Since Emmett was going to supervise dinner, a second tray piled high with burgers, dogs and pizzas, was ready to be walked over to the Anderson-Morrison end of the cottage. The men of Edna’s Treasures decided to have their dinner over there.

John, Bobby and Patrick came over to the Kinney-Taylor side to express their good wishes, greet the guests and help transport their dinner over to the other side of the cottage.

“Happy Birthday, Princess! Good evening, my ladies,” John very gallantly greeted the young princesses. All the young ladies giggled with delight as John made a very gentlemanly bow.

“Oh thank you, Unca John!” Bree replied. John kissed her cheek, smiled at the girls then gave JR a wink. He knew how vital JR was to the party. JR beamed back a smile.

“Happy Birthday, Sweetheart,” Bobby added as he also kissed his niece’s cheek. “I hope all you young ladies have a great time tonight,” Bobby said as he smiled handsomely at all the girls.

“Thank you, Unca Bobby. We will!” Bree said with a bright smile. The girls squealed, innocently flirting with the handsome redhead.

“Happy Birthday, Bree,” Patrick said quickly then turned to make his escape.

“Paaatwick!” Bree called out, stopping Patrick in midstride. He slowly turned around. Bree shamelessly batted her blond lashes. “Could you eat dinner with us?” Bree asked with wide innocent eyes. Ashley, Brenda, and Hannah huddled close as they giggled. Winona wasn’t that impressed, but she smiled anyway.

Patrick sighed, looking to his fathers for help. Searching for a logical excuse to get his son out of his present predicament and finding none, Bobby shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Patrick sighed louder then looked to his older but equally wise father.

“Sometimes a man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do,” John said to his son as he patted his forlorn son on the back.

Patrick lowered his head then sat at the head of the table.

“YAY!” the girls cheered. Even Emmett clapped as he bounced up and down on his toes.

“Just what we needed, a prince to grace our table!” Emmett gushed as he placed a cardboard crown on Patrick’s head. He then placed sparkling crowns on each girl’s head.

Patrick turned, his eyes pleading to his fathers, as they and his uncles bid a hasty retreat with their own tray of dinner.

“He’s such a great kid,” Justin commented to Bobby as he carried the tray.

“Yeah, he is. I’m so proud of him,” Bobby said with a chuckle.

Following behind Justin and Bobby were Brian and John.

“He never stood a chance,” Brian snarked as he shook his head.

“Nope,” John agreed. The Kinney brothers followed their partners to the other side of the conjoined cottages.

*****

A knock on the back door of the Anderson-Morrison cottage surprised all the men as they were munching on the tiny burgers, hotdogs and pizzas. John got up to answer the door.

“Come in,” they all heard John say.

“Sorry to interrupt your dinner. It’s still early, isn’t it?” Rachel asked.

“We’re on princess time now,” Brian responded, eliciting a laugh.

“Why aren’t you with the princesses?” George asked.

“We left them with Emmett. They’re having dinner,” Justin said.

“Do you think it’s safe to leave that group alone?” Rachel wanted to know, even though she said it with a laugh.

“Maybe not,” Brian said with a frown.

“I’m teasing,” Rachel replied quickly. “I’m sure they’re doing just fine.”

“And they have Patrick as a stabilizing force,” Bobby added.

“Patrick? And all those girls?” Rachel asked. “How did you get him to stay over there? I’m sure he’d much rather be with the menfolk.”

“Bree batted her eyelashes at him and said ‘Paatwick’,” Justin laughed.

“And he was doomed,” George chuckled.

“Correct,” John said, “and we did sort of abandon him.”

“That wasn’t very gallant of you,” Rachel said with a laugh.

“Why don’t you join us in our junk food feast?” Bobby asked his sister and her husband. “We have plenty.”

“More than enough,” Brian added as he finished his first and last burger.

George and Rachel sat down and helped themselves to some of the delicious finger foods.

“These are yummy,” Rachel said wiping her mouth with a napkin. “I bet the kids are loving them. Um … if it wouldn’t be an imposition, I’d love to wish Bree a happy birthday and see the princess palace Emmett has concocted.

“No problem at all,” Justin replied. “Bree will be very happy to see you.”

“As soon as you’re done eating we can go to our place,” Brian said. “And find out what kind of a mess Emmett has cooked up while we’ve been gone.”

“Brian!” the three men of Edna’s Treasures admonished. Brian merely smirked.

*****

“Another one, Patrick?” JR asked as she held out the tray of food towards him.

“Yeah, thanks,” Patrick said grabbing a couple of pizzas while the tray was in front of him. “These are great.”

“Why thank you, sweetie,” Emmett responded with his toothy smile.

“Sweetie?” Winona asked with a smirk. “That’s for girls.” Patrick glowered at her.

“It’s a name for people who are sweet,” Emmett corrected. “And for my very most favorite people, like Patrick.”

“You called me sweetie too,” Winona reminded Emmett.

“Yes I did. And you are one of my favorite people too,” Emmett stated, stretching the facts quite considerable.

“Really!” Winona said in surprise.

“I love all my princesses,” Emmett professed. “And my princes,” he added looking at Patrick. “Especially brave, gallant ones.” That made Patrick smile.

“My Patrick is the bestest,” Bree chimed in.

“On that we are in total agreement,” Rachel said as she led the group returning from the Anderson-Morrison side of Edna’s Treasures. “Happy birthday, Princess Bree.”

“Oh thank you, Auntie Rachel,” Bree chirped, before sliding off her chair to give a big hug to one of her favorite people.

“Best wishes from me too,” George said.

“Thank you, Unca George,” Bree gushed hugging her uncle.

“Are you ready to come home with us manly men?” Bobby teased his son.

“Yes, Poppa,” Patrick agreed quickly.

“Then let’s be gone, and leave the princesses to their festivities,” John said.

“You could stay, Patwick,” Bree said batting her lashes at her cousin.

“Yeah, you could stay, Patwick,” Winona parroted earning glares from both Bree and Patrick.

“I’m ready to go,” Patrick stated and headed for the door.

“Your princess castle in the sun porch is wonderful, Emmett,” Rachel complimented the man, earning a big smile. “Have a wonderful birthday sleepover, ladies.”

All the Anderson-Morrison family made their way back to the other side.

*****

“Fair maidens, for your viewing pleasure, may I present, “Shrek.” I am sure that this tale of love, loyalty and bravery will inspire you as it inspires me and my fellow knights!” the brave knight announced as he sat atop his armored horse holding a javelin. The princesses all giggled, falling in love with the brave knight as all princesses will often do. The girls were all comfortable sitting on their mattresses that were made up with soft pink and white jersey cotton sheets and thick comforters. With full stomachs and anticipation of dessert, the princesses elected to see one movie before enjoying the cake. The cake had yet to be seen, but no one had any doubt of its magnificence. JR started the movie to the applause of all present. Even Emmett pulled up a throw pillow to make himself comfortable as he joined the girls to watch Shrek.

“He’s like a big kid,” Brian commented from the doorway. He and Justin retreated to the kitchen to clean up and to prepare for the cake.

“But in a good way. And he’s doing us a big favor by hosting the party and spending the night,” Justin said reasonably.

“I suppose you’re right,” Brian admitted.

“You know I am, and he’s sleeping in Gus’ room. That bunk bed can’t be that comfortable when he’s used to sleeping in a big bed with Drew.”

Brian gave an exaggerated shudder at the thought of the hunky retired quarterback and Emmett together, in bed. “Ungh. You’re going to have to work real hard to get that image out of my head, Sunshine,” Brian drawled.

“Not with all the princesses in the house,” Justin replied, waiting for the inevitable fallout.

“See! I do take a backseat to a bunch of girls,” Brian protested.

“We could sneak out and go to Emmett’s cottage. I hear it’s rather cozy in front of their fireplace,” Justin said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Good thing you didn’t suggest their bed,” Brian purred as he drew the younger man to him.

“Never. Or we could do it in the back seat of my car,” Justin suggested with a leer. “I don’t think we ever properly broke it in.”

“Hmm, has possibilities.”

“But you do realize that if we disappear, our princess will be very upset.” Brian sighed. Justin chuckled. “You know, you’ve made it this far, and if Bree’s ‘Paatwick’ can make it through dinner then you can make it through the rest of the night and tomorrow’s breakfast. They’ll all be gone by noon.”

“That is something,” Brian conceded. “But Justin, no fucking? In our own room? Come on,” Brian said as close to begging as his dignity would allow him to get.

Justin laughed. “If you’re really quiet, I’ll blow you.”

“I can be real quiet,” Brian said with a smirk.

“I just bet you can,” Justin replied with a twinkle in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Brian’s waist.

Brian reveled in the feel of Justin’s solid body in his arms and he instantly relaxed, feeling better because of the closeness. The tensions caused by the party planning were slowly ebbing away.

“Come on, big guy, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. When the movie ends, and after we serve the cake, we’ll excuse ourselves to our room for your special treat.”

“Mmm, my treat. Will it be sugar and chocolate?”

“That’s a possibility but only if you’re very, very good.”

“I’ll be so good that I’ll be bad,” Brian murmured against Justin’s lips. That was followed by a toe curling kiss.

“Just how I like you,” Justin whispered when Brian released him.

With renewed energy the lovers went about making coffee and preparing for the cake.

*****

“Okay, munchkins,” Emmett called, “now that Shrek has saved the world, it’s time for birthday cake.”

“Auntie, Emm,” Bree said seriously, “Shrek didn’t save the world.”

“But he made things right,” Emmett amended quickly.

“Yes, he did,” Bree agreed bobbing her head up and down and making her ponytail dance.

“I love Donkey,” Ashley gushed.

“Me too,” JR chimed in. “He’s so funny.”

Emmett was about to ask what the other girls thought about the movie, but then thought better of it. “I think it’s time for birthday cake. Talk amongst yourselves until I get everything ready.” He hurried into the kitchen.

“What is your birthday cake like?” Winona asked.

“I haven’t seen it,” Bree admitted.

“They made it without you knowing what it would be?” Brenda asked in surprise. “My mommy always asks me what kind of cake I want.”

“I know what kind of cake it is. I just haven’t seen it,” Bree said slightly annoyed.

“I can hardly wait to see it,” Hannah chimed in.

“Me too,” Ashley agreed.

In the kitchen Emmett was making sure the cake was just right and placing the candles into the icing. He asked Brian to light them, while he got the ice cream out of the fridge.

“I have to admit, Honeycutt, now that I see the cake assembled, it does look pretty all right,” Brian said.

“All right? All right? It’s fabulous!”

“Okay, fabulous. Bree will love it. But does it taste good?”

“Do I ever make anything that doesn’t taste good?”

Brian raised an eyebrow.

“Never mind! Justin, can you call the girls in here?” Emmett asked. “I think we’re ready.”

“Sure,” Justin replied. He walked to the door of the sun porch and called, “Cake time for the birthday girl and her friends.”

The girls rushed into the kitchen almost trampling Justin in their haste. They skidded to a stop at the counter where the cake was all laid out. There were many oohs and aahs, as the girls saw the beautiful pink Barbie princess for the first time. The pink ball gown flowed around the Barbie doll which had been inserted into the middle of the bowl-shaped cake. The Barbie cake was placed dramatically between two beautifully decorated heart-shaped cakes that said “Happy Birthday, Princess Bree”. The candles burned softly on top of the two heart cakes.

“It’s so beautiful,” Ashley said reverently.

“Yeah, beautiful,” the girls all agreed.

“Are we really going to eat it?” Bree asked. “It’s so pretty.”

“I thought we’d eat the heart cakes first. Barbie’s dress is edible, but maybe we can leave that till last.”

Bree nodded in agreement. “I just want to look at her for awhile, Auntie Emm.”

Emmett smiled broadly, very pleased with the reaction to his cake. “Time for pictures and blowing out the candles,” he said with a little clap of his hands.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Justin said. Bree walked over to her father who lifted her up into his arms. “My beautiful girl, you’ll soon be too big for me to pick you up.”

“I love you, Daddy,” Bree said kissing her father’s cheek.

“Smile for the camera,” Brian ordered as he began snapping pictures. He got Bree’s kiss for her father and the girls watching as Bree blew out all the candles with one big breath, after making her wish of course. He snapped pictures of the other girls watching while Bree did this, and while Emmett then cut the cakes, making a little plate for each girl, and one for each of the men.

The girls sat down at the kitchen table where they had been for dinner. They started eating their cake. There were many cries of “This is sooo good!” Emmett smiled warmly, pleased that they liked the taste of the cake as much as they had liked the look of it. Even Brian and Justin let out satisfied moans as they tasted the cake.

“I want another piece,” Justin said.

“Me too,” Bree agreed as did the other girls.

“I might even have to have some more,” Brian conceded.

“You want another miniscule piece like the one you just had?” Emmett teased.

Brian glared at him, but then he asked. “Is this coconut cake?”

Emmett smiled with a faraway look on his face. “It’s Vic’s recipe for his fabulous coconut cake. I still miss him … a lot.”

“Me too,” Brian agreed.

“Is that the Vic that I’m named after?” Bree asked.

“Your name is Briana, not Vic,” Winona informed Bree.

“I know that,” Bree said sharply. “But my whole name is Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor.”

“Oh,” Winona said.

“Vic Grassi was Grandma Debbie’s brother,” Brian informed them all. “We all miss him a lot.”

“Is he far away?” Hannah asked.

“Vic died many years ago, before Bree was born,” Justin said softly.

“Oh,” Hannah said upset that she had brought that up.

“It’s okay, Hannah,” Bree said. “I never met Vic, but I know all about him.”

Emmett looked at Brian. “She knows everything she needs to know,” Brian added.

“Of course,” Emmett said. “I think it’s time to open all your presents, Princess Bree.”

“After I have another piece of cake,” Bree stated, looking to her fathers for permission.

They nodded in agreement and everybody had another round of Vic’s famous coconut cake and ice cream.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 9

The princesses, all full of cake and now dressed in their pj’s, were wrapped up in matching fluffy pink robes that the party planner had thoughtfully provided. They were sitting in front of the TV monitor watching Shrek II. This was going to be the last film for the night; however, Emmett had contingency plans just in case.

The men of Edna’s Treasures thought it prudent to be a part of the night’s entertainment. They too were watching the movie, albeit from way in the back. Patrick, whose favorite character besides Donkey was Puss-In-Boots, somehow wound up watching, sitting right next to the birthday girl. The men of Edna’s Treasures tactfully said nothing as Patrick meandered through the sea of princess beds to sit next Bree.

At the end of the film, the princesses and the family all cheered.

“My lady, Princess Bree,” the noble knight addressed Bree from atop of his horse, “and the princesses of the royal sleepover, I bid you all pleasant dreams and a good night!” As the knight finished speaking, he turned his horse to ride off into the sunset. The princesses clapped with glee then prepared to bed down for the night.

“Goodnight, ladies,” John said with a bow, as he took Bree’s hand to give it a small kiss.

“Have a good night,” Bobby called out by his door.

“Goodnight,” Patrick said then beat it to his room before someone could try to get him to sleep in the way too pink princess palace.

As Brian and Justin were seeing to their guests’ comfort and saying goodnight as well, Emmett was making some announcements.

“Ladies, the agenda for tomorrow will be a lovely breakfast with the family, and then craft time before your parents come to pick you up. I’ll be right down the hall if you need anything and the night light is on in the royal powder room. Sleep well, my lovely princesses!” Emmett said with his best smile. He made sure all the princesses were comfortable then switched off the great chandelier. The sun porch glowed, bathed in bright moonlight making the princess palace even more magical. The twinkling of stars added to the overall effect.

“It’s just like in a fairytale,” one of the girls whispered.

“Yeah,” they all whispered back.

For a few minutes the girls engaged in quiet conversation, talking about the party, the delicious cake and the handsome knight until one by one they each fell asleep.

Beau, who up until now had been hiding safely in the Anderson-Morrison side of the cottages, stepped through his doggy door to patrol the outside perimeter of his cottage and his lane. He peered through the glass walls of the sun porch. The girls were all sleeping soundly.

With the bright moonlight to guide his way, Beau took off through the garden and down the lane. He sniffed around the Brenner cottage but found it quiet and cold. No one was in residence at the moment.

Next Beau made a dash further down the lane, leaping and snapping at imaginary phantoms that only dogs could see. He came to an abrupt halt at the front door of Emmett and Drew’s dream cottage. With his sensitive nose up in the air, Beau sniffed. A dim light was coming from the home and a hushed conversation was in progress. Beau ambled to the window to take a look.

“Hey, Babe, the girls all bedded down for the night?” Drew drawled into his phone.

“All out for the count, honey,” Emmett replied.

“And the boys?”

“Retired for the evening.”

“I wish I was retired for the evening with you.”

“So do I, my sweet Drewsie. But it’s only for one night and the guys need me.”

“I know, Babe. They’re very lucky to have you there.”

“Aw, honey, that’s sweet of you to say but I wouldn’t miss this for all the world,” Emmett said with a sigh.

“Emm, Babe, do you really want children?” Drew asked with some trepidation. They had skirted around the subject for years. He knew deep down that Emmett missed that opportunity. And neither one of them were getting any younger.

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes I wish we had our own prince or princess but with our busy lives, it wouldn’t be fair to a baby, and I refuse to allow our child to be raised by a nanny.”

An uneasy silence hung in the air as Emmett turned down the bunk bed that would serve as his bed for the night. Drew got himself a beer before he ventured his next thought. Beau watched through the window, sniffing the air coming from the cottage. This member of his pack was distressed.

“Emm, we really need to discuss this in person, but what if we foster an older child or consider adoption like Raphael and Hector.”

“You would do that for me?”

“For us. I love you; I want you to be happy.” Drew could hear Emmett’s sniffles through the phone.

“Drewsie, I want you to be happy too. Don’t do this just for me.”

“It would be for me too, Emm. I see the way the guys are with the kids. And I have to admit I am very envious of the relationship between Brian and Gus. If I had a son, I’d want a relationship just like theirs. They love and respect each other and they have fun too. Gus is a wonderful young man.”

“I agree,” Emmett said with a yawn.

“Babe, get some sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Okay, honey. You coming up here for breakfast?”

“Sure, Babe. Wouldn't miss it.”

“I love you, Drewsie.”

“Love you too, Babe,” Drew said as he flipped his phone shut.

A slight scratching of Beau’s nails at the window caught Drew’s attention. Drew came to the window to open it. The big wolf-like dog looked up at Drew with big brown eyes.

“Hey boy, on patrol?” Drew said as he patted the big dog on the head then gave his ears a little scratch.

Beau’s tongue lolled out of his mouth.

“You’re a good boy, Beau. You keep an eye on that cottage of yours,” Drew said then bent lower to whisper in a furry ear. “Keep an eye on my man, okay boy?”

Beau gave Drew’s face a little lick then pushed himself off the windowsill. He made a quick circle around the property then barked a good night as he trotted past the window toward the lane.

“Night boy!” Drew called out just before he shut the window then went to bed.

Beau ran fast toward the stream which was flowing strong with winter melt and run off. He followed the path until it took him close to the newest cottage. Lindsay and Mel were spending the night. They too would attend breakfast at Edna’s Treasures in the morning.

Lindsay let out a frightened squeal when she turned off the light in her sun porch.

“What?” Mel said as she ran into the porch from her office.

“I thought I saw something out there,” Lindsay said with a tremble. Mel came closer then boldly walked to the door. “Don’t go out there.”

Ignoring her mate, Mel slid open the door. “Who’s out there?” Mel demanded.

A small woof was her answer.

“Beau?” the girls said at the same time as the big dog walked up to the door.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” Lindsay asked as she crouched down to give the dog a hug.

“I know,” Mel said.

“What?”

“He’s on patrol. Aren’t you, boy?” Mel patted the dog on the head. “John once told me that Beau patrols the lane and what he considers his territory.”

“But we’re so far away?”

“Not for him. Brian said our little brook comes from the stream in the back of his property. I bet Beau follows the stream to our cottage. It must be only a ten minute run from Edna’s Treasures for Beau,” Mel correctly surmised.

“Thank you, Beau,” Lindsay said to the dog as she gave him another hug then sent him on his way. Beau took off back toward the stream and on to home.

The girls locked up then went to bed.

As Beau made one last round of the lane including Rachel and George’s house, Brian and Justin were making their own rounds....of each other’s body.

“Mmm, I like this dessert,” Justin said as he sucked on Brian’s dick. Brian kept very quiet as Justin did sinful things with his tongue.

“More,” Justin quietly demanded. Brian obliged him with a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. Justin took the ice cream off the spoon, allowing it to melt in his mouth then he quickly descended back onto Brian’s dick. The combination of the cold confection and Justin’s hot mouth was driving Brian crazy.

“Have some,” Justin purred. Brian slipped a small amount of ice cream into his mouth.

The lovers shared some ice cream kisses.

Placing the carton down on the bedside table, Brian reversed himself on the bed. Quietly, the lovers sucked each other off until they came.

“That was great,” Justin murmured as he pillowed himself against Brian’s legs.

“A-maazing,” came the standard response. The lovers chuckled, righted themselves in the bed then went to sleep.

*****

Beau slipped through the doggy door into the screen porch. He glanced over at all the little girls sleeping on the futons. Everything seemed to be all right, so he stopped and lapped up half the bowl of water that stood beside his door.

As he was about to head back to the Morrison-Anderson side of Edna’s Treasures, he heard some whimpering sounds from one of the beds. His ears flipped up on full alert. One of his charges was in trouble. Silently Beau walked towards the futons and the pink fabric draped around them. In the closest bed one of his princesses was thrashing around in her bed and letting out little sounds that could be noises of distress. Beau walked over to the futon and looked down at the girl who was making the sounds. She continued to whimper. Beau placed his nose on her cheek and then gave her a little lick of reassurance.

Suddenly the eyes flew open and a stifled gasp was heard as the girl saw a wolf or a bear or a monster standing over her. She couldn’t make any sound as fear gripped her. Her hand touched the arm of the girl sleeping next to her. She gripped it hard.

“Ow!” JR cried as she woke up. “What is it, Winona?” she asked rubbing at her eyes.

“Look,” Winona managed to croak out.

JR opened her eyes and looked at Beau standing over them. “That’s just Beau. He’s a good dog. He lives here,” JR informed Winona. “You don’t need to be afraid of him.” She reached over and patted Beau’s head. “Hold out your hand to him, and he’ll make friends.”

“I … I don’t like dogs,” Winona said softly, making sure her hand was under the covers.

“Beau’s not a dog,” JR whispered. “He’s our guardian angel.” She scratched behind Beau’s ears, causing the big dog to lie down beside the futon so JR could have better access to the back of his ears. If dogs purred that’s what Beau would be doing.

“He won’t hurt me?” Winona asked as she watched Beau and JR.

“Nope, he’s never hurt anyone as long as I’ve known him. Except when he knocks Bree on her butt,” JR giggled.

“Bree? He knocks her down?” Winona asked, drawing back the hand that had almost come out from under the covers to pat the big dog.

JR chuckled quietly. She didn’t want to wake the other girls. “Yeah, when Bree was younger, she would try to go to the stream at the back of the property when she didn’t have permission. Beau would knock her down so she couldn’t get past him.”

Winona laughed silently, keeping her mouth closed so no sound escaped. She could just imagine the perfect Bree being knocked flat by the big dog. “I think I’m starting to like this dog,” Winona said when her silent giggles subsided.

“He’ll like you too, if you give him a pat. Hold out your hand and let him sniff it,” JR advised. Winona did as instructed.

Beau gave the hand a cursory sniff, and then allowed Winona to pat the top of his head. Clearly this human girl needed some practice in how to satisfy a dog’s needs for petting.

Winona was very tentative with her first strokes, but as Beau laid his head back down and didn’t move, she got bolder. She pressed the soft fur a little harder and felt Beau’s skin ripple under her touch. She liked that sensation.

“You’re doing great,” JR encouraged her. The two older girls had been assigned a bed together. JR hadn’t liked the idea much to begin with, but she wanted Bree’s party to go well, so she didn’t make a fuss. Besides Winona seemed to need a friend.

Winona smiled at JR. Bree’s sister was really nice … and kind. Winona knew somewhere inside that no one wanted to share a bed with her, and she had wondered if she would get Bree as her companion in bed. However, that spot was Ashley’s, as always. JR hadn’t made any nasty comments when they were assigned this futon together. For that, Winona was very grateful. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to face the others, if one of them had refused to sleep in the same bed as her.

“He is a nice dog,” Winona said softly. “My mother doesn’t like dogs and I’m kind of afraid of them.”

“You should be afraid of strange dogs, but now that you know Beau, you’ll be fine with him, and he’ll be fine with you.”

Winona smiled again as she continued to pet the hair on Beau’s head and down his thick neck. Even though it had been a bad dream that had awakened her, this was turning out pretty good.

“You go to high school, don’t you?” Winona asked after a minute. Her hand continued to rub the dog’s fur. She found that very relaxing.

“Yeah.”

“Is … is it hard?” Winona asked uncertainly.

“Some of the subjects are, but other than math I do really well.”

“You’re smart.”

“Thanks,” JR said with a smile. “I like to think I am.”

“You are … and nice too.”

“Thanks again.”

“Is … is it hard … making friends … and things … in high school?”

JR frowned. “You’re a little young to be worrying about that,” she said gently. “You’ve got years before high school.”

“I know, but I … think about it.”

“Just be yourself, and treat other people the way you’d like to be treated,” JR said sagely.

“I … guess I could do that,” Winona said uncertainly.

“Of course you can,” JR told her. “Time for you to go home, Beau. I need my beauty sleep and so do you.”

The big dog stood up and shook his fur out. He gave JR a nuzzle and then Winona who froze at his first touch, but then relaxed when she realized he was merely thanking her for the petting. “Night, Beau,” she said.

“We better get back to sleep,” JR said laying down and curling around her pillow.

“Yeah,” Winona agreed, lying back too. But it was a long time before she got to sleep. She had a lot to think about.

*****

“Look at them,” Justin whispered as he and Brian stood in the doorway of the sun porch. The sun was just rising, and the eastern sky was a glorious pink, adding to the plethora of pink inside the porch.

“They look like little angels,” Brian whispered as he stared at the girls. “Especially our little princess.”

Bree and Ashley slept in the big brass bed. They looked so tiny under the covers with their peaceful, lovely faces turned towards each other. Children had such beautiful faces when they were at rest like this. The only thing better was a smile on their faces or the sound of their laughter.

“I guess they got some sleep after all,” Justin observed.

“Appears that way. I didn’t hear anything during the night, did you?”

“Not a peep.”

“They really are good girls.”

“Even Winona.”

“Even Winona,” Brian agreed. “I was expecting the worst and they turned it into the best.”

“Thanks to Emmett for entertaining them and tiring them out.”

“I have to give it to the big fairy. He does know how to throw a shindig.”

“It is my job,” Emmett said as he came into the kitchen. He immediately flipped the switch on the coffeemaker, needing some of the hot brown brew to start the day off right.

“And a damn fine job you’ve done,” Brian stated.

“My goodness, is that a compliment, Mr. Kinney?”

“It is, and you deserve it.”

Emmett’s toothy grin spread across his face. “I appreciate that mightily, your majesty.”

“You’ve been a godsend, Emmett. Everything has gone so smoothly,” Justin said. “We never could have done this without you.”

“Sure you could,” Emmett protested. “But I do think things have gone extremely well.”

“They have,” Brian agreed. “What’s on the agenda for this morning?”

“You’re cooking the princesses one of your famous breakfasts.”

“I think we should have pancakes and bacon,” Brian stated after a moment’s thought.

“Ooh, carbs and fat, yummy!” Justin chuckled.

Brian glared at him, and then said, “It doesn’t hurt every once in a while, and this is a very special occasion.”

“And birthday cake for dessert,” Emmett chimed in.

“Don’t push your luck, Honeycutt.”

“Certainly not, sire,” Emmett said with a giggle.

“Uh oh,” Justin interrupted. “I think I hear the princesses stirring. Let the games begin.”

PAR-TAY With Bree

Chapter 10

“Hi!” Lindsay greeted Brian as she and Mel came through the front door. “Something smells heavenly,” she commented as they walked into the kitchen area.

“Coffee,” Mel grumbled, not fully awake and yet forced to get up early so she could join the family for the post sleepover breakfast.

Brian just cocked his head over to the pot at the coffeemaker. He had his hands full with pancake batter and the turning of strips of sizzling bacon. Lindsay poured herself and Mel a cup of the fresh brew then topped off Brian’s mug which sat on the counter nearest to the stove.

“Thanks,” he mumbled with a smile which got him a peck on the cheek from Lindsay. “Someone got lucky last night,” Brian commented as he spied the rosy glow to Lindsay’s cheeks. “And maybe this morning too?” He snickered.

“Oh can it, Kinney,” Mel chided before taking a large gulp of caffeine.

“Can we help?” Lindsay cheerfully asked ignoring Mel and sipping her own mug of coffee.

“Not in here, but maybe you can help them in the porch. We’ve decided to have breakfast together at the big table. The party fairy promised me he’d protect the table with a thick cloth if I let him use it for breakfast and then arts and crafts,” Brian explained.

“I’ll go,” Mel growled as she topped off her mug then hustled into the sun porch.

“What’s gotten up her ass? Have you been playing with toys again?” Brian asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. Lindsay blushed a deeper shade of red. “Oh I do declare!” Brian drawled in an exaggerated southern accent. “Why, Miss Lindsay, have you been pretending to be a gay man in a lesbian’s body again? Didn’t think that strap-on would ever see the light of day.” Brian snickered conspiratorially.

Brian got a smack on the shoulder.

“Hey! Hot stove here and don’t you make me ruin my pancakes.”

“Heaven forbid you should serve less than perfect pancakes.”

“Damn right. My pancakes are legendary.”

“At least on this lane. Seriously, do you want some help? I still can’t believe you hosted a bunch of girls and survived to tell about it.”

“And why not? We had the ultimate party planner to organize this soiree. Everything has been organized to within an inch of its life,” Brian said as he plated the first batch of pancakes then stuck them in the warmer.

“You amaze me.”

“Of course I do. Um, why?”

“Brian Kinney, the slut of Liberty Avenue.”

“Unh unh, former slut.”

“Former slut. Now the stalwart father of a seven year old princess, and cooking breakfast.”

“You make me sound boring,” Brian said with a frown.

“Never boring,” Lindsay said, as she sidled up to him, wrapping her arms around Brian’s waist from behind him. “Never boring. I’m so proud of you. I love you,” Lindsay added in a whisper. Brian leaned back to kiss her cheek.

“I love you too,” he replied. They both turned around at the sound of young feet coming into the kitchen.

“Auntie Emm asked us to help,” JR said. She had Winona in tow. JR was nonplussed at the sight of her mother being kissed by her Uncle Brian. In spite of his pretense of the stoic non-feeling man, JR knew that her uncle’s feelings ran very deep. And those feelings included a deep love for her mother Lindsay. Winona, on the other hand was very confused.

“Just in time, ladies,” Brian said with a very handsome smile that could dazzle even a lesbian.

“Stop it,” Lindsay said with a nudge and a giggle. She got the full Kinney-trying-to-be-innocent look that she knew very well. That made her giggle even more. JR giggled as well.

Brian put down his spatula then turned off the stove. He handed the girls plates and cutlery then sent them on their way.

“Why aren’t we using paper plates?” Lindsay asked.

“The party fairy suggested it, but I prefer my pancakes on a real plate,” he said as he fixed up the huge platter of pancakes and another for the bacon. Lindsay had the butter and syrup.

“What’s the hold up? We have hungry princesses waiting out there!” Emmett announced as he sashayed into the kitchen. He loaded up a tray with glasses, juice and milk. “Chop! Chop!” he said as he clapped his hands, spurring on his minions.

Emmett’s minions took the hint and breakfast was ready to begin.

“Oooh! Aaah!” the girls exclaimed as breakfast was artfully arranged on the big table. The Anderson-Morrison family was already seated and Drew was just coming through the sun porch door much to the pleasure of the party planner.

“My ladies and lords, let breakfast begin!” Emmett declared to cheers from the family as he, Brian and Justin began to serve up breakfast.

*****

After breakfast Emmett had the girls sitting at the table. There was container after container of colorful and sparkling beads. As Emmett was making copies of the party DVD’s, the girls were making necklaces and bracelets all fit for young princesses. This was a productive way to fill up the time until their parents came to get them. Lindsay and Mel volunteered to help with the dishes and the men were wrestling with the mattresses. Winona was sitting next to JR making a multi-colored necklace. JR had picked out some sedate looking beads to make bracelets that she could wear everyday.

“I thought your mommies only liked girls,” Winona whispered to JR as she leaned over closer.

“They do.”

“So why did your mother kiss Mr. Brian?”

“Because she loves him,” JR said matter of factly.

“Oh. I though Mr. Brian only likes boys.”

“He does.”

“But...”

“He loves my mom.”

“Oh. Don’t you get confused?” Winona asked as she held up her strand of beads. JR smiled her approval. Somehow the eclectic combination of colors and of sparkling crystal beads and opaque ones, worked. The necklace could be worn with anything.

“Nah. I’m used to it.”

“Oh. My mommy only likes my daddy.”

“That’s good.”

“Do you like girls?”

“Just as friends. I like boys,” JR admitted. “How about you?” JR asked forgetting that Winona was only in third grade.

“Boys are icky.”

JR laughed then she laughed louder as she thought of her brother together with Ray. “Yeah,” she agreed before she concentrated once again on her bracelet.

*****

“I made this for you,” Bree said, handing Ashley the bracelet she had just completed.

Ashley smiled and hugged her best friend. “Thank you.”

“I’m making one for each of you,” Bree said, as she looked at the expectant faces around the table.

“Are you going to have time?” Emmett asked knowing that it had taken quite a while for Bree to complete the little bracelet she had just given Ashley.

“I can do it,” Bree said confidently.

“Maybe your daddies and I could help,” Emmett suggested. He gave Brian and Justin a look. They had been standing by the windows watching the girls at work. Brian and Justin nodded.

“If you pick the beads you want for each of your princesses, we’ll string them for you,” Emmett instructed.

“Make mine, Mr. Brian,” Winona pleaded.

“Certainly, little lady,” Brian replied using his best imitation of his brother John. He squeezed into the space next to Bree. “You did good, Squirt,” Brian whispered in his daughter’s ear. Then he kissed her cheek.

“I know, Dada,” Bree smiled. “I share.”

Brian smiled openly and completely at the little girl who was the light of his life. “I love you, Squirt.”

“Love you too, Dada.”

“Who wants me to make their bracelet?” Justin asked.

“Me, me!” Brenda and Hannah both cried.

“How be I do yours, Brenda?” Emmett suggested. “Justin, you can string Hannah’s. Okay, girls?” Both girls nodded their approval.

“I’ll make yours later,” Bree said to JR, not wanting her sister to be left out.

JR smiled at Bree. “I know,” she said simply. She didn’t mind that Bree was making the gifts for the other girls first. She was having fun making a beautiful necklace for herself.

“I could string your beads,” Drew offered, seeing all the other men working away with the beads. He had just finished with the last mattress that needed to be hauled up to the offices.

“Oh Drewsie, you don’t have to,” Emmett cooed.

“If all you manly men can string beads, so can I,” Drew laughed taking a seat at the table.

“Okay, Unca Drew,” Bree said. “Start with these beads,” she ordered passing him five beads that she had just selected for JR. “And here’s some more for Winona’s bracelet, Dada,” she added handing Brian several more beads. “You’re doing good.” Brian smiled.

“How about me, sweetheart?” Justin asked holding up the beads he had strung for Hannah.

“Beautiful, Daddy,” Bree announced. She searched through several of the containers and handed her father some more beads.

“You’re quite the production line supervisor,” Emmett chuckled as Bree gave him some more beads for Brenda’s bracelet.

“I know what my friends like,” Bree stated. “I pick good combinations.”

“That you do, princess,” Drew tossed out as he struggled to get his first bead on the thin filament.

“Do it like this,” Emmett told his partner, showing Drew how to hold the bead for easy threading.

“I should have smaller fingers for a job like this.”

“Not huge hands made for throwing footballs,” Emmett said leaning down to kiss Drew’s fingers.

The little girls watched the display of affection and smiled. Winona wondered what her mother would say if she saw Mr. Drew and Auntie Emm together. She frowned as she wondered if her mother might say something rude. She hoped that wouldn’t happen.

“Did you pick out all these beads, Auntie Emm?” JR asked. “They’re beautiful.”

“Yes, I did,” Emmett replied. “And I’m so glad you all like them.”

“I’m going to have the bestest necklace,” Brenda told everyone present.

“Me too,” Hannah agreed. “And the best bracelet from Bree.

Bree smiled at her friends. “Auntie Emm has the bestest ideas. This is so much fun.”

“Thank you, sweetie,” Emmett said with his toothy grin.

“They really are big kids,” Melanie observed from one of the chaises where she was ensconced with a mug of coffee.

“Yeah, but they’re having fun … even Brian,” Lindsay said sitting on the accompanying chaise with her own cup of coffee.

“Who’d a thunk it?” Melanie asked.

“He always manages to surprise,” Lindsay laughed.

“That he does.”

The buzzer for the front gate on the lane went off at that moment.

“Someone’s mother must be early,” Brian said trying to string the bead he was working on before he had to get up to answer it.

“I’ll get it, Brian,” Lindsay offered.

“Thanks,” Brian called as he went back to what he was doing.

“I bet it’s my mother,” Winona sighed. “I don’t want to go home yet.”

Brian looked up and winked at the girl. “Maybe your mother would like a cup of coffee. She could drink that while you finish your necklace.”

“And you finish my bracelet,” Winona said with a happy grin on her face.

Lindsay returned to the sun porch. “It’s Winona’s mother. She wanted to know who I was,” Lindsay said to Melanie.

Melanie snorted. “She probably thought you were the hired help.”

“Could be,” Lindsay laughed. “I let her think I was the maid.”

“You’re so bad,” Melanie chuckled.

“I know, and that’s the way you like me.”

“Definitely.”

The front doorbell rang. “I better get that,” Lindsay said. “The maid is expected to answer the door.” Lindsay hustled back into the house.

“Offer her a cup of coffee,” Brian called.

They all could hear voices at the door. Lindsay repeated “Yes, ma’am” several times. In a couple of minutes Lindsay escorted Mrs. Vanderbrot into the sun porch. The woman held a mug of coffee.

“Oh?” Mrs. Vanderbrot gasped when she saw all of the people inside the large space. “I had no idea there would be so many adults. I thought I was early.”

“You are early,” Lindsay said. She couldn’t help herself. Mrs. Vanderbrot had been ordering her around ever since Lindsay answered the door.

“I beg your pardon,” Winona’s mother said huffily. “You don’t speak to guests like that.”

Brian was already on his feet. He sensed a fight brewing. In other circumstances, he would have liked nothing better, but he didn’t want Bree’s party to be ruined. “Mrs. Vanderbrot, nice to see you again,” he said quickly, taking the woman’s hand that didn’t hold the coffee mug, and kissing it while executing a slight bow.

“Ooh, Mr. Kinney, you have such lovely manners. It’s too bad your help doesn’t.”

Lindsay was about to let loose with some expletives, if the look on her face was any indication.

“There’s obviously been some kind of misunderstanding,” Brian said smoothly. “This is Lindsay Peterson, a very dear friend, and the mother of my son.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Vanderbrot reacted. “I could have sworn she said…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Brian jumped in. “Would you like to join us at the craft table? Winona wants to finish her necklace. Or would you like to take a chaise and enjoy the beautiful sunshine?”

“The chaise sounds lovely.”

“Let me introduce you to Melanie Marcus. She’s a lawyer and Lindsay’s life partner.”

“Oh…” Mrs. Vanderbrot seemed to have a lot to get used to. She knew Mr. Kinney was gay, but he certainly was charming. And now she had lesbians to deal with. “Are you nearly done, darling?” she asked her daughter.

“Not yet, mother,” Winona said. “Mr. Kinney is making me a bracelet.”

“How lovely.”

“I’m making you the bracelet,” Bree informed her guest. “Dada’s just putting it together.”

“Sure, Bree, sorry,” Winona backtracked.

“It’s very nice of Mr. Kinney and the other gentlemen to help you girls.”

“I guess I should make the rest of the introductions,” Brian said. He really didn’t enjoy the role of host in this type of situation. “You know Justin already.” Mrs. Vanderbrot nodded. “And this is Emmett Honeycutt, Pittsburgh’s premier party planner. He has made sure the girls had lots of fun. You had fun, didn’t you, girls?” There were lots of giggles and nodding of heads and “yeahs”. “And this is Drew Boyd, sports broadcaster and Emmett’s better half.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Vanderbrot said. That seemed to be her favorite word since she had entered the house. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Have a seat,” Brian said indicating a chaise near Melanie.

Mrs. Vanderbrot made her way over to the chaise and sat down with a sigh. “The girls seem to be having a good time,” she noted, looking at Melanie.

“They are,” Mel responded. “You should have seen this place earlier today. It was a princess’ fairyland.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, the girls all slept out here in their pink princess beds. It was magical.”

“I can only imagine,” Mrs. Vanderbrot said.

“Brian and Justin said the girls were very good, and even got a good night’s sleep.”

“My Winona doesn’t sleep well, so I doubt she got a good night’s sleep,” Mrs. Vanderbrot stated.

“Yes, I did, mother,” Winona called. JR gave her a poke in the ribs knowing that Winona had been awake for part of the night. “She doesn’t need to know that,” Winona whispered. “She might not let me do something like this again if she knew.”

“Oh, okay,” JR whispered back, as she was finishing her necklace.

“Is one of these girls yours?” Mrs. Vanderbrot asked Melanie.

“Yes, the girl next to Winona is our daughter, JR.”

“She’s kind of old for this party, isn’t she?”

“She’s Bree’s sister, and she was here to help with the party.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Vanderbrot said using her favorite word of the day. She sat back on the chaise and sipped her coffee. It seemed that when she opened her mouth to say something, she gave offense to one of the homosexual people present. She thought maybe it would be better just to be quiet.

PAR-TAY With Bree

Epilogue

“Bye, Hannah! Bye, Brenda!” Bree called out from her front door as Brenda’s mom was buckling the girls into the back seat of her car. She was waving her arms so enthusiastically, as if she was never going to see her friends again. The girls would all be seeing each other the next day at school.

“Bye, Breeee! See you in schooo-ool!” the girls called out, waving their arms madly too.

“We must be leaving as well,” Mrs. Vanderbrot stated as she quickly shepherded Winona out the door and towards her car. “Thank you so much for having Winona. I’m sure you’d all like to get back to doing...” Six pairs of eyes twinkled with mischief. Six smiles shone brightly back at Mrs. Vanderbrot. “Um, whatever you all do here. Come along, Winona.”

Brian and Lindsay, with their arms around each other’s waist had walked Winona and her mother out. They were followed closely by Justin and Mel who appeared to be extremely chummy and smiling goofily at each other. Emmett’s flames seemed to be set on high, and Drew’s drawl became more pronounced as they all wished the Vanderbrot women a fond farewell and a good day. Only Susanna with Ashley and JR remained safe in the sun porch with John, Bobby and Patrick.

“Bye, Bree.”

“Bye, Winona,” Bree replied then she scurried back into the house closely followed by the supposed adults.

“You know you guys are very bad,” John said trying to sternly admonish them but failing miserably as the motley crew came back into the porch. He got six pairs of seemingly innocent eyes all blinking at him in return.

Then they all cracked up with laughter.

“Do you guys always tease your guests like that?” Susanna asked as she sipped her iced tea in between giggles. Susanna, having spent some time with the family of Edna’s Treasures, and being very perceptive, was onto them.

“Not usually,” Justin admitted with a slight blush to his cheeks. “But, um...”

“We couldn’t resist, could we, Sunshine?” Brian asked with mirth in his eyes. They all joined John, Bobby and Susanna at one of the wicker tables.

Emmett poured iced teas for everyone then held up his glass for a toast. He announced, “I declare the pink princess sleepover a complete success!”

“Hear! Hear!” everyone joined in as they raised their glasses.

The April afternoon was warm enough so the girls and Patrick were out exploring by the stream. Beau was with them supervising. Emmett had brought in a tray of luscious things to nibble on as they all began to relax. The sun porch was almost back to normal, although pink, purple and white fabric was still draped along the railings and from the rafters. Emmett promised to return later in the week to remove it. Bree had begged her fathers and her uncles to let the sun porch remain a princess fairyland for just a little while longer. And as long as there was at least one easel Justin could use, no one had any objections. The fairyland would remain for a few more days.

“Will Ashley and Bree be all right out there?” Susanna asked. She wasn’t used to having her daughter running loose on such a large property.

“They’ll be fine,” John reassured her. “JR and Patrick won’t let anything happen to the girls, and Beau is the best early warning system you can ever have. Bree and Patrick have grown up here. They have a healthy respect for the land.”

“You must think I’m a worry wart,” Susanna said.

“Not at all,” Justin assured the woman. "Brian and I grew up in Pittsburgh. It took us a while to get used to living out here.”

“Do you miss the city?”

“Sometimes,” Justin admitted. “But not enough to move back. We love it here,” Justin added although unnecessarily.

“We love our cozy little cottage!” Emmett gushed. “Don’t we, honey?” he asked Drew.

“Yes, we do, Babe.”

“Ours is like a dream come true,” Lindsay commented.

“It’s a perfect getaway,” Mel added.

“Speaking of get away,” Drew began. “I think we should let these good people get back to normal,” Drew suggested with a poignant look at Emmett.

“Okay, honey,” Emmett said to Drew. Then he turned to Brian with a dramatic bow. “My liege, does this humble servant have your permission to take leave.” The family snickered.

“Get out, Honeycutt!” Brian growled unconvincingly. Emmett and Drew gathered up their jackets then walked out the sun porch door to the garden.

“And don’t call me Honeycutt!” Emmett shouted over his shoulder.

“I should get Ashley,” Susanna said as she got up.

“We need to get going too,” Mel said. “We have to close up the cottage then drive back to the Pitts. Not all of us get to live full time in paradise.”

The men of Edna’s Treasures saw their friends and family to the door.

*****

“Well, Sunshine, we managed to survive another cottage event,” Brian said removing his clothes to get ready for bed.

“Yes, we did. With a little help from our friends,” Justin said as he climbed into bed and cuddled close to his lover.

“You mean a lot of help from our friends.”

“Yeah,” Justin said with a yawn.

“Is this one of those times I should be happy that I don’t get what I want,” Brian stated, parroting back his daughter’s statement as he looked down his nose to the top of the blond head that was tucked under his chin. “Good night, Sunshine,” Brian whispered getting back only soft snores as his response. He kissed the soft blond hair then followed his lover into sleep.

*****

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“The end of the semester is getting closer.”

“Yeah.”

“I miss you.”

“Miss you too, Ray. What’s wrong? You sound funny.”

“I, um...”

“Ray?”

“It’s not what you think!”

“What do I think?”

“That I’m like that asshole, Cole, and that I fuck around.”

“Why would I think that?”

“This guy sorta came onto me.”

“And?”

“And nothing. I really, really don’t want anybody else.”

“So why the drama?”

“Because the fucker lives in the neighborhood and I’ve been getting some shit about him from some of the guys I hang out with and the more I tell them nothing happened, the more they tease me and they don’t believe me and I don’t want to ruin what we have and I really, really love you and...”

“And I think you better breathe!”

Ray took a big gulp of air then let it out. “The Memorial Day weekend,” Ray began.

“What about it?”

“Do you think your ‘rents will let you come here?”

“I can ask.”

“Please?”

“I’ll call everyone tomorrow and ask.”

“Thanks. Gus, I really, really love you.”

“I love you too.”

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. Shit happens; believe me, I should know."

"So are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good. Ray, we're really young and I want to be just your boyfriend and not fuck around but..."

"Shit happens? I get it. But I want to be upfront with stuff."

"Ditto."

“Good night, Gus.”

“Good night, Ray.”

*****

“So, what do you think of the idea?”

“Of adopting? Do you think we’d qualify for a child?”

“I don’t see why not? Ben and Michael adopted Hunter, and Raph and Hector adopted Curtis.”

“Honey, Ben and Michael are Mister and Mister Boring U.S.A. And Raph and Hector are such upstanding members of the community the judge couldn't turn them down.”

“And we’re not upstanding citizens?”

“Drew, you came out on national television and I’m an ex-internet porn star! What makes you think a judge would let us adopt a child?”

“Emmett, let me ask you something.”

“All right.”

“If no one cared about any of those things, would you want to be a parent? Now, answer me truthfully.”

“Truthfully, I really want to be somebody’s mother.”

“Then tomorrow I’m calling Melanie and we’re going to seriously look into fostering or adopting.”

“You mean it?”

“Babe, I’ve never been this serious in my whole life other than making you my partner.”

“Oh Drewsie! I love you.”

“I love you, Emm. And I’m making you a promise, by this time next year, you’ll be planning our own child’s birthday party.”

“Paaar-tay!”

-TBC-