Varsity Low Ch. 11

"Remember when I told you that you could ask me for anything? Ask away, but you might not always get it. Very cool that you were so open and honest with me." he said quietly. "I'd better get in my own bed. Don't wanna freak out Gran." He pulled on his clothes and sneakers, kissed me. "Sleep well, swimmer boy."

"Mmmmm. I am sooo sleepy. Goodnight, stud." I said. He slipped quietly out the door, and I slipped naked into the cool white sheets that smelled of bleach and lavender, falling fast into deep drooling sleep.

I was up with first light, slipped on old sweats, Merrells, and a loose fitting baby blue tank top. I headed to the main house, kitchen door from the back porch unlocked. They never locked any doors, which I still found mildly alarming. I was the first up, and brewed a full pot of coffee, quiet as a cat burglar. I took a huge mug out to the front porch and settled in one of the old wicker chairs to savor the dawn.

A sleep rumpled Sam stepped out the screen door onto the porch, Duke at his heels, with a big mug of coffee. "Morning Trav. Mind if we join you?"

"Good morning, Sam. Please do." Duke wagged, poked me with his snout, and settled at Sam's feet.

We slurped coffee. "Thanks for making coffee, Trav. You brew a good pot, strong enough to get my old heart started for the day." he chuckled.

"My pleasure Sam, glad you like it." happy with his compliment. We sat in comfortable silence, hearing only the storm of morning songbirds, watching the mists rise from the vast soybean field across the road, distant woods just an abstract smudge of green at the far edge, all of it Sam and Lydia's. The dewy lawn rolled gently down to the road. Cool air already giving way to the heat of the August day. An ancient Buick LeSabre rolled slowly past, Sam and I both waved.

"You get it, don't you Trav? You see this place. The soul." Sam asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, I really do. There is a quiet magic here. The green and blue. The sense of seasons. The way the air feels on my skin. The clean taste of well water. The slant of sunlight in the late afternoon."

Sam chuckled. "I knew it. Some people don't get it. At all. But you do. You understand Anders, too. I see it. I know you boys are more than just friends, and that is OK. I just want him to be happy, to have some peace after the terrible thing that happened with his parents. I am glad he found you, Travis."

I was touched, felt my eyes getting wet. "Thank you Sam. I am the lucky one. I think I am watching over Anders, but more often than not, he is watching over me."

More comfortable silence. Songbirds flew in and out of the huge old oak tree at the foot of the drive. A trio of fearsome dragonflies cruised past. A great swath of naturalized daylilies bloomed around the slightly crooked mailbox down by the road.

"Well, I better get dressed for the day." Sam sighed. "Anders and I need to call on one of our tenant farmers whose fields are under-performing, remind him of the terms of our contract. We will also call on my neighbor with the blueberries and Christmas trees. I've offered to buy their land, have them stay on and run the operation. Just need to coax them along towards the right decision."

"Cool. Sounds like you've got plans." I grinned. The affable farmer vibe cloaked something steely and enterprising in him, and he just pointedly gave me a glimpse. I saw that he and Jasper would get along like a house on fire, after they sized each other up. I had to smile. Little pink houses for you and me.

He rose, still spry and manly in his seventies, alpha dog. "Thanks for the coffee, Travis. You are a good man." Duke followed him inside.

I sat for a while, letting Sam's words into my soul, then headed back to the kitchen for more coffee. Anders was at the range, running his big breakfast game with skillets of eggs, griddles of bacon and French toast. He wore one of Lydia's flowered aprons over baggy boxers and an old tee, backwards baseball cap, looking silly and hot at the same time.

"Mornin' Trav!" He looked me up and down. "Nice tank top, swimmer boy!" running his pink meaty tongue over full lips, lusty gleam in big green eyes.

"Mornin'. Should I brew another pot?" I asked.

"Yeah, that would be helpful, swimmer boy." he sang back.

Lydia sat at the table with a mug of coffee, beaming at the sight of her strapping grandson expertly making breakfast for all. "Mornin', Travis. I am just sitting here like a queen, letting Anders make breakfast." she laughed.

I smiled. "You are a queen. Queen Lydia of the Heartland, reigning from your kitchen throne." I teased, kissing her on the forehead.

"Oh, Travis, you are a silver tongued devil. You should run for office!" she teased.

"I might just do that one day, your royal highness." Anders plated and served his awesome breakfast, I poured from a fresh pot of coffee. Sam came down, dressed for his day, Duke slow at his heels. We lit into our plates, going quiet.

Lydia spoke up. "Travis, we'd like to have you out to the farm to share Christmas with us. We cut our own tree from up the road, and decorate it with all the old family ornaments. I'll teach you more baking if you want."

Anders pitched in. "Mmm. We can go sledding if there is enough snow; Clayton and me know all the best spots. There's ice skating too, at his uncle's pond. S'mores and Jack Daniels by the fire pit in the snow."

"Yeah, thanks, sounds great, a real country Christmas. I will need to clear it with Vera and Jasper, see what they may have planned. They entertain a lot over the holidays, so it won't be like they are sitting home alone. Sometimes I think they forget I am even there." I responded, instantly relishing the prospect of being excused from Vera and Jasper's relentlessly catered holiday circus at our Richmond manse, with their professionally selected and perfectly decorated tree, braying swarms of social climbing guests.

"It will be too cold for Trav to stay in the cabin house. We'll clear out the spare room, get a new full size bed, fix it up just for him." Lydia planned out loud.

"Yeah, new full bed and paint. Anders should have a new full bed for his room. I'll pay Clayton to help with the hauling and painting. Get whatever you need. We'll spruce up the living and dining rooms too. Fix up the old place. I want the boys to be comfortable whenever they stay here." Sam directed, giving me a quick wink over the top of his 'South Bend Tribune'.

"We attend midnight services Christmas eve. You will be joining us." Anders declared.

"Yeah, I have been to church before. I can probably go again." I clowned.

"Travis, you are such a card this morning! Anders, ain't he a card?" Lydia guffawed.

"Trav is sometimes a card, but he is always a silver tongued devil." Anders gave me a lusty grin before returning to wolfing his breakfast.

Plans were being made. I was part of those plans. It felt real good.

WG