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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Well, if we advertise his real name I'm afraid that some of these Mexican drug lord people, or even his real father might show up and try to claim him. The boy begged us for a chance at life. He swore that he'd never live that way again. He was almost dead when Sean found him," Joe said shaking his head. "I'm not letting him go. No way."
"Here's what we'll do, Joe, and we never had this conversation. We're gonna advertise, but not in the Janesville Gazette. It so happens that the Beloit paper is acceptable, too, but it's circulation is much smaller. Now judging from what you told me, it sounds like John found himself on a road somewhere north of Johnstown Center toward Milton. That's not in the Beloit newspaper's circulation area even though it's still Rock County. We'll also make this a John Doe case in that we'll claim we don't really know his name. Besides, he's still a minor. I'm the Attorney here, and let me put it this way: if I talk to the D.A. he'll let that slide as it's really a mercy case. You can trust me on that.
"In the meantime, I've already got John's statement and photographs of his injuries. As it is, I'd rate the chances as ninety-five percent or better in John's favor. I'd take those odds. Here's another thing I never told you: if anyone shows up and says they want him back, offer them money to disappear. If they say they'll take it, you let me handle it. If they say they won't, well, you let me handle that, too... See, I know guys in law enforcement and the Courts that, shall we say, would not take kindly to that. They know how to handle thugs roughly and make it look like it's the thug's fault. It's all quite sub rosa..."
"I get what you say, George," Joe winked, not letting on that he had guys he could use for muscle, too, of need be. "He's getting to be an expensive kid, but I'll do what I have to do. All he wants is a chance in life, and I can't turn him away. I just can't..."
"I didn't think ya could, Joe. I'm glad I got him registered yesterday, too. By the way, Bill McVay wants you to give him a call direct about setting up a meeting for Andy's bullying victim fund."
"Jesus, how'dja do all that?" Joe asked,
"Bill and I go way back. Went to St. Mary's Catholic School from first grade. We played on the Craig football and basketball teams, Class of `81. I've handled a few estate planning and legal matters for his family over the years, too. Joe, what is this world anyway if a kid falls on your doorstep in need, only wanting a fair chance for a decent life and we don't help? That's God telling us we damn well better help, and if you and I are better placed than most, well, guess what, it is what it is. God forbid John went into the juvenile system. Lord only knows what kind of a house he'd end up in, or with whom, how they'd treat him, or what kind of a chance he'd have at life... It's a government racket is what it is most of the time and it's just like every other government racket: it doesn't work, but no one can get rid of it, either. That kid fell on your doorstep for a reason, Joe, so fuck it, we're gonna help him. Like God intended us to."
"You're right, George. I never questioned that. I just didn't know how I was gonna deal with the Courts on this. I'm a business guy, not so much a legal guy. I gotta tell ya, I'm indebted. For sure."
"Bullshit! Your sons helped my son when he really needed it. That's how we roll in a small town like this. That's who we are. There's no debt here. By the way, I gotta tell ya, that Sean, he's the balls. Lemme tell ya about the joke he hatched..." George told Joe all about the duplicate clothing, and the fooling Brett and Danny story. Even though Joe already knew about it, he pretended not to, and laughed with his friend about the hijinks their boys got up to.
"George, I gotta tell ya, so far I'm really glad we moved here. These past couple of months, or so, have been a huge upheaval. I haven't had a minute's rest, but now that we're here, I feel that I have real friends, I feel like I fit in, and I feel like I'm a family man again. Nothing will ever replace Val's loss, but I know I can't bring her back. The addition of Andy and John to my life has filled a huge gap. I've seen so many things fall into place..."
"Glad ya feel that way, Joe. Wanna know what I think? I think it's gonna be fun watching these kids finish growing up. I dunno, but I have a feeling they're gonna be together a lot longer than High School. And that's gonna include John."
"Yeah," George laughed, "I suppose they are. Listen, the boys are coming over for dinner tonight. You know Tim's cousin is in town, and they all want to get together. We're just gonna let'em have the back yard for the night. Why don'tcha stop over?"
"Sounds good. I know Sean and Andy were excited to see Jim and Danny. OK if John tags along with them? I could use a night off after this..."
"Sure thing, George! And if the boys end up staying over, no sweat, we got the room..."
Earlier that morning, Brett's dad called him on his cell. "Brett, it's dad. What time should I pick you guys up for breakfast?"
"Dad, just let us know where to meet you and a time. We all got emails and texts last night that there's a mandatory team meeting at school for the Varsity squad. Yeah, it's 1:00 this afternoon, so it'd probably be better if Tim and I met you and then we can get going to where we need to be."
"That's fine. Let's meet for an early lunch then. How's Chinese? How about Cozy Inn on West Milwaukee about 11:00?"
"That's great, dad. We'll see you then!" Brett hung up and hollored for Tim, "Tim! Hey, Tim!"
Tim appeared with wet hair and a towel wrapped around his waist giving Brett an instant boner. Brett still could not help but gape at his lover's taut, jock body with the dusting of dark red chest hair, bubble butt and muscular legs.
"I see whatcher lookin' at, there, sweet cheeks. So what's the plan?"
"Dad says we should meet him at 11:00 at the Cozy Inn downtown for lunch. That'll let us have lunch and then boogie over to school for the meeting."
"Sounds good. Hey, is that a hammer in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"
"It's a hammer, Mr. Dickson, so why don't you just shut up and fuck me?"
With that, Tim grabbed Brett's arm and fairly hurled him into the bedroom like he was a football, for Brett had the same effect on Tim as Tim had on Brett. Their relationship, while characterized by true love, respect and tenderness was also one of unbridled animal lust which persisted from the first hour they met at the Mall.
"Fuck me now, Tim! Fuck me now!" Brett rasped.
Tim had three lubed fingers inside his lover's ass after spending twenty minutes eating his hole until he could verify Brett's producing a river of precum. He withdrew all but one finger which he used to massage Brett's prostate. The river ran faster as Brett writhed under Tim's ministrations. "Tim! I'm almost there! I think I'm gonna cum!"
Tim withdrew his finger and stopped Brett who was madly jacking his steel-hard dick. "No jacking, bud! This is gonna last and I want your cum sprayed all over me!"
Brett trembled on the precipice of orgasm for several moments, but gradually calmed down. "Sweetheart, sit on my dick. I want to see you cum and spray all over me. Cum in my mouth!"
Tim twisted around until he was on his back and pointed at his throbbing cock. "Sit on it, lover boy! I'll paint your insides!"
"Aaaahhhhh!" Brett groaned, impaling himself on Tim's solid member. There was no hesitation as Brett sat right down on it up to the hilt. For his part, Tim felt the thick, rubbery sphincter muscle hugging the head of his dick, then gradually giving way as his lover sat down bathing Tim's dick in a warm, wet embrace that had Tim right on the edge.
"Ride me, Brett! Ride me rough! Fuck yourself on my pole!" Tim hissed, bucking his hips, thrusting his cock in and out of Brett's ass making sure to drag it back and forth over Brett's receptive prostate. Brett seethed, riding his bucking bronco for all he was worth. Tim massaged Brett's sensitive nipples with his left hand and began to jack Brett's blood- engorged member with is right. Brett's river of precum flowed onto Tim's hand which Tim insatiably lapped up. "I'm eating your precum, hot stud. Mmmm you taste so good! I wanna taste your cum in my mouth."
"Fuck! I'm getting hotter!" Brett raggedly mouthed as he slammed himself onto his lover's pole. "Jack my dick! Fucking jack me! Faster! Do it!"
Tim did as he was bidden, but suddenly Brett grabbed his dick out of Brett's hand, beating it like he stole it. He clamped down hard on Tim's dick buried inside him. "Cum for me, Tim! I want your hot cum in me! Oh shit, I'm gonna fuckin' cum! Uhhhhh, fuck! Yeah! Shit! I'm cummmmming! Cum in me, Tim! NOW!" Brett's already swollen dick seemed to Tim to increase in girth at least an inch, then throb a few times before forcefully spewing Tim with rope after rope of hot, steamy sperm. Two shots landed in Tim's mouth. Tim tasted and smelled his lover's musk and salty-sweetness.
"Fuck! Shit! Take my load, Brett! I'm cumming inside you! Take my fucking load! Fuck! Ohhhhhhhhh! Shit!" Tim's body quaked, coating Brett's intestines with what felt like a half gallon of cum that wouldn't stop shooting from his cock. Brett felt each and every contraction and the hot spots of his lover's load ever higher in his abdomen. Brett almost shot another load. "Fuck me, Brett! What you do to me!"
"You do to me, too, Tim... I love you so" Brett whispered as he leaned down taking Tim's broad shoulders in his hands and lifting him up for a tender kiss. "I love you so..."
The two lovers held fast to each other, their hearts beating through their chests in unison, their breathing gradually returning to normal, fastened together by Brett's cum. After some minutes, Tim whispered, "Hey, hot stuff, we better shower up and get going to meet your dad, hey?"
"Yeah, let's get ready and get this over with..."
"Brett, now I toldja everything would be OK, and I toldja I always win `em over. Just wait and see! You'll see!"
"Oh, I'm not worried. But I do want to just get it over with so I know what the lay of the land is, ya know?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right... OK, let's get ready!"
Showered and dressed, Tim and Brett piled in to Peg's car and took off for the little Chinese restaurant downtown. Tim chose to dress fairly conservatively in beige cargo shorts, a burnt orange polo shirt to set off his auburn hair, and leather sandals. As a sporty touch, he donned his Milwaukee Brewers cap but chose not to wear it backwards. Brett was similarly dressed in dark blue cargo shorts, and a white wife beater with a white short-sleeved Oxford shirt over the top left untucked. For shoes he chose a pair of Tim's white leather trainers with ankle socks.
"Hey, Brett, how much money you got? I got about $80.00 but I just wanna make sure that we both play whip-out with our wallets when the bill comes. Dads respect that."
"I got about the same. Don't worry, dad will probably insist on paying I bet, but if he doesn't then we pay stag. That's fine."
Once downtown, the boys walked into the restaurant. At a corner booth, Herb Dowling was already seated. "Over here, guys..." Herb called out. Brett felt a little bit of a cold sweat. Not Tim. To Tim, ever uncomplicated, this was just meeting someone for lunch and however it went it wasn't up to him anyway, so why be bothered about it?
In his open way, Tim stuck out his hand saying with a genuine smile, "Hey there, Mr. Dowling! Good to see you again!"
Meeting Tim's hand Herb replied, "Good to see you, too, Tim. Call me Herb, OK?"
"Sure thing! So are we all hungry? I could eat a horse!" Tim replied.
Brett could see that his dad looked a bit uneasy, like someone who knew what they had to say but just wasn't finding the words. Brett decided he might as well get the ball rolling. "Well, dad, thanks for inviting us to lunch! We should do this more! I was just wondering...well...you look like you have something you want to say. I guess...well...go ahead if you want..."
Herb, still not speaking, looked quizzically at the two boys.
Tim looked at Herb, then over to Brett, then back to Herb. This was an uncommon instance where Tim measured the situation and did not say the first thing that came to mind.
Herb took in a deep breath, finally beginning, "OK, guys... Right... This isn't easy for me, so I might just as well get down to brass tacks. I know you're both, um, well...gay. I can't say that I totally get this because if I said I did I'd be a liar. Don't have any experience with it. What I mean is... Alright, look, Brett this was about the last thing I ever expected. I don't get how two guys can be attracted to each other, I really don't get it. And I'm not gonna lie to ya, I'm not ecstatic about this whole thing, either. But it is what it is and I gotta deal with it. I just gotta ask ya both if you're sure about it. Well, maybe that's not the right way to put it, but you get the point. I'll let you guys talk now and I'll shut up."
"OK, dad," Brett opened, "Before we start, I don't know if you or mom heard yet, but I made the Varsity football squad. First string.
"You did?" Herb replied, chuckling. "Well, Jesus Christ... Congratulations, son. I mean that."
"Thanks, dad. I hope you and mom come watch me play. I'd be real proud if you did, too. But, to answer your question as I understand it to be, well, dad, I've known I was gay for sure since I was maybe thirteen, fourteen, or so. I didn't choose to be, but I am. It doesn't define me, but it, well, let's just say it narrows the field of potential mates a little bit, and they won't have tits. I never said anything because I kinda knew you'd have a hard time with it. I was gonna wait until I was out of the house and in college to tell you. I didn't mean for you to find out the way you did, but I guess that's just one of those things that happens. I'm still your son, I'm still a straight-A student, and I still have the same goals in life. It just means that I'll be with a guy. That's all it means. As much as I've enjoyed staying with Tim, it'd be nice if I could come back home and we could get back to normal. I love you, dad... And yes, I'm sure about it and I'm sure I love Tim, too. He'll win you over, dad. You'll see!"
"OK, what about you, Tim? What's your two cents here?" Herb asked.
"Well, I dunno how much I have to add here, but I can tell ya how I figured out I was gay. I need to talk about that anyway, so here goes..." Tim then recited his inner turmoils, his loneliness, and his despair until Brett came into his life. "And, so yeah, that's about the size of it. As for winning you over, Herb, I absolutely intend to do that, and I never fail." Tim then added, looking down and with eyes just perceptibly misty, "And I hope I'm good enough for your son..."
Herb sat stone-faced and silent. The waitress came with their food, and the three men ate in virtual silence. Brett worried inside that the lunch meeting was turning out to be a fiasco. Tim wondered to himself just what the hell was going on, but reasoned that his role was to stand behind Brett and to be there for him, but not to try to lead conversation. Finally, Brett could take no more and broke the silence. "OK, dad, I guess you heard what Tim and I had to say. So...can you...um...you know, let us know what you're thinking? I mean, it's just that nobody's said much for about 15 minutes here..."
Placing his fork down, wiping his mouth with his napkin, Herb took a slow drink of ice water and began. "Brett, Tim, like I said, I'm not ecstatic about this. I can't hide that, and I won't lie, but I guess I have to deal with it in the sense that there's nothing I can do anyway even if I wanted to. I don't want our family torn up over this, Brett. I really don't. You're a son that would make any dad proud in a lot of ways. And I am proud of you. Tim, I like you, kid. You got cajones. I can see that. And I don't think you're playing games here. I can't pretend to see what it is that you guys see in each other in terms of...um...being...um...uh...a couple, if that's what it is, but I'm not you. So, there's no sense in me being a dick about it. In time I might feel better about it than I do now. But the bottom line is I ain't gonna stand in your way. You're both almost eighteen anyway. Besides, Brett, your mother pretty much told me to get my head out of my ass..." Herb chuckled, "...so I guess that's where I am with it. That OK?"
"That's fine, dad. That's all I could have asked for today and not been a prick myself."
"What about you, Tim? That OK with you?" Herb asked.
"Yeah. Yeah it is. Say, my cousin's in town and we're having a bunch of the guys over later. Why don't you and Brett's mom come over, too? I really want you to meet my mom and dad. Brett's gonna be there. You're gonna meet them anyway, so why not tonight?"
"I'll ask Brett's mother and let you know. I appreciate the invite. Well, guys, it's 12:30 and I suppose you better get over to the school for your meeting. Let's settle up the tab here. I know that you both want to pay your own bills, and I ain't gonna say no, either. You're growing up, and that hadda happen, too."
"Well, I sure hope you guys make it tonight!" Tim smiled. "Our address is 502 Seminole Road. I think 6:30 would be good."
"Well with an invitation like that, we'll be there!" Herb said. "OK, guys, money and tip's on the table so let's vamoose!"
"Tim, you go on ahead to the car. I just want a quick word with my dad before we go." Brett waived Tim off. Once Tim was a good distance away Brett turned to his dad and extended his hand. "Shake my hand, dad. I know this took a lot for you. You said you were proud of me, well, I'm proud of you, too. I won't let you down and neither will Tim."
Herb clasped his son's hand, looking up at him because Brett was now almost four inches taller than his dad, "I'll get through it, son. And I'll see you guys tonight. Now, go on! You got a team meeting!"
One in the car, Tim looked over at Brett asking, "Well, what's the verdict there, stud muffin?"
"Dad's gonna be OK. He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve a lot, Tim, but he likes you. He said so, and that never would have come out of his mouth if he didn't. He said he won't stand in our way, and that's as much as I could have hoped for today. Sometimes progress is only measured in inches, but it's still progress, you know?"
"Yeah, I kinda got that, too... See, I toldja it would work out OK! I never doubted it for a minute. Say, there's someone I wantcha to meet tonight. I'll make sure they come over. They'll break the ice with your dad once and for all, I guarantee it!"
"Oh boy..." Brett sighed, rolling his eyes, laughing. "You and your bright ideas, Timmy, I tell ya...."
"You'll see!" Tim grinned.
At school the Varsity football team gathered in the gym. One section of the basketball bleachers was pulled out to allow for seating. The players were milling around, exchanging greetings, the first stringers congratulating each other, high-fiving and basically behaving like any group of high school jocks. Presently, Coach Slater and the rest of the coaching staff strode in.
"Gentlemen, be seated!" Slater began. "Thanks for coming in on short notice, guys. I'll make this as brief as possible. I called the meeting for today because we've got a short week to get ready for our first game. As you know, due to a problem at the WIAA offices the schedules weren't out until late yesterday afternoon. I'm going to go over the schedule quickly, and preview the game plan for Week One in some more detail, but again as quick as I can. Men, we've drawn Madison LaFollette first. We play away. Now, I'm not gonna bullshit here, on paper they're a weaker team than we are. But they're gonna be out to win just the same way we are. The game plan, which we will drill this week, is gonna come down to running our high-level offense to begin with and as long as we can. If we find that doesn't get us where we need to be in the game, we'll settle back to the conventional read option that I'm sure you can all run in your sleep. Both of our Quarterbacks will see play. Dickson will start. Wyman, you will call the plays when Dickson is in. Dickson you will call the plays when Wyman is in. Defense is going to be straightforward. We can switch out between 3-4 and 4-3, but nothing fancy. We're just gonna shut down their offense. Their Quarterback was Jayvee last year, so I wouldn't expect a whole lot of passing out of `em. If it looks like we're gonna be ahead enough to invoke the mercy rule, I'll pull the starters and put the second, and maybe third stringers in. I intend we shall play the full game time. As always, gentlemen, the biggest mistake any team, or player can ever make is to underestimate their opponent. I want you guys mentally ready. I fully expect us to beat LaFollette, but you guys have gotta want it more than they do. If you don't, you'll be in for a rude awakening, trust me."
Coach then went on to briefly go through the rest of the season's schedule. Sean was surprised that they'd again drawn Kenosha Tremper for their non-conference game, played this year at Kenosha. Coach finally wound up, "And last, but certainly not least, we finish the regular season with probably our toughest conference opponent, the Madison West Regents. We get a break here, guys. It's a home game. Our whole season between today and up to, and including West will be based on one thing: winning. That will be the goal every time we take the field. Winning every time and all the time. I can tell you that we'll need an undefeated record to get past West. They're that good. That's all I have for this afternoon, gentlemen. See you at practice on Monday. You are dismissed."
Brett and Tim ran into Sean, Andy and John on the way out. "Hey, Wymo! Cass! J.R.! You guys are coming over tonight, right?"
"Yeah, Dix! 7:00 right?"
"Yuppers. I think about 10-12 other guys from the team will be there, and you know Danny and Jim will be there!"
"Sounds awesome!" Andy said. "Do we need to bring anything?"
"Nope, we got it covered! Mom's working away on the food as we speak, and dad said we'll have a few cases of beer, so we're all set!"
"See ya then, Dix! See ya then, Dowls!" Sean called.
Once in the car, Tim turned to Brett, "Hey Prince, this just popped into my head, but I think when we get home you better call your mom."
"Why's that?"
"Well, your dad agreed to come over tonight, but what about your mom? I'd really like it if they were both there, ya know?"
"I hadn't thought of that, but you're right. I think we got this whole thing 90% behind us, but why don't we just put it to bed. I never would have got through this without you, Tim. You were a rock at lunch."
"Hey, I just did my job and told it like it is. Oh, tell your mom & dad to dress casual. You know how things are around my place..."
"Yeah, I better do that. I'll call as soon as I get home. Love you!"
"I love you more, sweet cheeks..."
"Hey, mom?" Brett opened. "Yeah, mom, Tim and I met dad for lunch today. It went OK, it really did. Listen, we invited you and dad over to Tim's house tonight at 6:30. Please come! You're gonna meet Tim's mom and dad sooner, or later and since we had a good lunch with dad today it's probably best to do it now. Besides, George and Peggy are great people. They'll put dad right at ease. You can meet a bunch of my team mates, too! Oh, and dress casual. The Dickson's do informal."
"You're right, honey... I already know Tim's mom, but that's a great idea. I'll call your dad and make sure we're on for 6:30. I wanna get the hell out of this hotel anyway!"
"OK, bye mom!" Brett then turned to Tim, "Hey, how come we're telling mom & dad to be over at 6:30 and everyone else at 7:00?"
"Easy, weedhopper!" Tim replied. "I want at least a half an hour between when we introduce the in-laws until there's a teenage guy party going on. You and I need to be there to steer things along if we have to, and to make sure that everyone's a happy camper. We just need to be available..."
"I gotta hand it to ya, Tim, I might get straight-A's but you're better at what makes people tick than I am."
"Hey, I'm not givin' up any secrets, there, honey bunches! We both need each other. Just remember, together we're more than the sum of the parts. Your brains outshine my people skills any day. I just get people to do what they should do on their own anyway, but I'm not the one with a chance of being Valedictorian..."
"That's right, Dickson and don't you forget it, either! Let's put it this way: I'm the book, you're the street..."
"Yeah, I wouldn't have left my cell phone lying around where mom and dad could see it!"
With that, Brett punched Tim in the shoulder.
"Jesus Christ, fuckhead! That hurt!" Tim laughed.
"Good, it was meant to. Even if you were right."
"Yeah, but look at it this way, Golden Boy, all's well that ends well, and just like I said it would, it ended well. Anyway, you help me, I help you. That's how this whole thing works!"
"I know, and I love you more than you know. You pushed me to see my potential in some ways that I wouldn't have thought possible, but you didn't try to mold me, or change me. You let me be me, and you made me see that's pretty damn good. I fucking lucked out, my dear..."
"We both did. Now let's face the future. We got in-laws to get together, a championship to win and then after that, who knows. Let's do this!"
"Let's do this!"
Back at the Dickson's Tim and Brett walked in. "Hey, mom! Dad! We're home!"
"Oh, there ya are now, you two little shits!" Peg said coming around the corner from the kitchen. "Well, whadya got for me, now! Tell your mom what the deal is here, why don'tcha!"
"OK, mom, is dad here?"
"He just got back from golf. I'll tell him to get a move on! You two look like you got somethin' to get off your chests, I can see that now! George, getcher ass in here! Timmy and Brett wanna talk to us, once!"
"I'll handle this, Tim" Brett sideways mouthed.
Tim nodded once. None of this went unnoticed by Peggy.
George came in, hair still wet from the shower and looking mildly perturbed at being interrupted.
"Make it fast, I gotta take a dump!"
"OK, George, I'll make it fast." Brett answered, "As you know we're having friends over starting at 7:00 but my mom and dad are coming over at 6:30. Tim and I had lunch with my dad today. It went OK. So, I guess there's gonna be an in-laws meet-and-greet tonight. That's it. You can go take your dump now..." Brett grinned, deeming his last remark to be one George would get a kick out of.
"You're top-shelf, Brett!" George replied. "OK, I'll be ready a half hour early. You OK with that Peg?"
"Oh, ya, don'tcha know! I figured this would happen anyway so I been ready for it for a while now! Go take yer dump! And clean up yer skid marks when yer done! We're havin' company and I got too much cooking to do to be cleanin' out toilets! Now, Tim and Brett, you guys be ready, too. I wanthcha just to go along with Old Peg here..."
"Don't worry, Peg, we know how to turn on the charm, and how to show some testicular fortitude! How come you think I fell for Tim in the first place, other than he gets tongue- tied?" Brett said.
"Well ya got me there, Brett. Timmy's mouth always did start talkin' before his brain told it what to say..."
"You two both suck!" Tim said, red-faced yet laughing. "My mom and my husband both ganging up on me! Well, screw the both of ya's!"
"Oh, go on now, Timothy, ya can't take a joke now..." Peg said.
"Of course I can, mom! Now, Brett and I are gonna disappear for a minute. We gotta talk about some shit before his parents show up!"
"Tim..." Brett said once they were away, "You referred to me as your husband. What did you mean by that?"
"Um...yeah...about...that...." Tim stuttered. "Let's go out back." Once on the back patio, Tim continued, "Sit down, hun... Look, I just wanna not only concentrate on today, but I wanna plan for the future, too. My future is with you, Brett. I turn eighteen on October 23rd. When's your birthday? Can't believe I don't know when it is, but we never talked about that..."
"Shit, Tim! Mine's October 21st! We're gonna be eighteen right at the same time! Anyway, what are you planning, a birthday party?"
"We could do that, too, but that's not why I wanted to come out here and talk. I...um...what I mean is...uh...um...um...fuck it! Will you marry me, Brett? I mean once we're eighteen? Will you marry me?"
Brett's mouth almost hit the patio deck. He began stuttering unintelligibly, then looked at the ground, then speechless and with big eyes looked back up at Tim.
"I knew it! You're gonna turn me down!" Tim blurted out, tears in his eyes. "You're gonna tell me no, aren't you..." With that, Tim got up and started to run into the house.
"Timothy Bruce Dickson! Stop right there! Now!" Brett commanded.
Tim halted, turned 180 degrees and still with tears in his eyes faced Brett. Brett strode over to Tim, took Tim's chin in his hand, looked him dead in the eye, softly saying, "Ya big galoot! Of course I'll marry you! You think you're gonna escape my clutches? You just surprised me is all..."
"Wow!" Tim said, smiling through the tears. "Fucking wow! Husband..." Tim and Brett pulled each other into a warm lover's hug seeming to last forever.
"Husband..." Brett returned with a whisper.
Peggy saw the two boys enter from the patio. Something about the way they looked struck her as odd. "OK, you two hoodlums! Yer up to somethin'! Ya both look like the cat that ate the canary, now... Spill it, boys! Ya can't fool me, nosiree! Now what's goin' on over there..."
"Uh, it's...uh...nothing, mom...um, really...nothing..."
"Oh sure, Timothy, and a bear's Catholic and the Pope shits in the woods, too..."
Brett looked at Tim, giving his head a short nod indicating that Tim should spill it. "Well, mom, ya see, it's...um...it's, well... Screw it! Brett, you tell her!"
"OK, Peggy. Here's the deal. Tim asked me to marry him after we both turn eighteen and I said yes."
"I thought he was gonna turn me down for a minute, mom, but he said yes! He really loves me, mom! Mom?"
Peggy was gobsmacked. Tim had never known his mother not to have a pithy, snappy comeback but this time she simply stared. Time that felt like an hour passed before Peggy opened her mouth. "I see... No, that's whatcher father would say... OK, let's sit down for a minute. Go on, the both of ya's, over to the table and sit down."
Upon being seated, Peggy went on, "OK, well I wasn't ready for this but if that's what you guys are gonna do, then you just made me the happiest mom in the world. I love ya both, and Brett like you were my own son, too, don'tcha know. When were ya thinkin'?"
"Well, Peggy, my birthday is two days before Tim's, and he literally just asked me, so we didn't talk about that yet, but now that we are, I'm thinking sometime in the Spring would be good. Maybe just before, or just after graduation?"
"Yeah, I guess I hadn't thought about that part..." Tim said sheepishly.
Both Peggy and Brett looked at Tim, laughed and rolled their eyes. "Don't suppose ya did, now, Timmy!" Peggy half chided her youngest son.
"OK, you two, I'm not sayin' a word to anyone about this, including George, and neither are you! We gotta get through tonight without any more surprises... We can tell everyone when the time is right, but not before then. Now, Timothy, I don't suppose ya thought far enough ahead to get Brett an engagement ring before ya popped the question... Am I right?"
"Um, no...I mean, yeah... You're right, mom, I didn't..."
"OK, guys, here's my credit card. You two go pick yerself out matching rings. No more than $1,000 each, and no diamonds, or stones. Just simple men's rings. You give me the card back when you made the purchase."
"Um, Tim?" Brett asked, "Believe it, or not I already gave some thought to if we ever got married what our rings would be, and I think I already know what we should get. You gotta agree, but I think you'll like it. And, Peggy, they'd be maybe $250 each, no more than that."
"What did you pick?" Tim wanted to know.
"Go get your iPad and I'll show you..." Upon returning with the iPad, Brett called up a webpage and showed Tim and Peggy a stunning black tungsten men's Claddagh ring with Celtic decorations. The style was called Helios. Both Tim and Peggy nodded approval.
"Very masculine, Brett!" Peggy said. Tim concurred, adding, "I really like it... It's very understated, but it's elegant. I agree. I never liked bling. Yes, that's it!"
"OK, you, two, that's fine but we still gotta figure out when you're gonna make the announcement. You're not gettin' up `till we got a game plan, here..."
"OK, mom," Tim said, "I don't think we should say anything during football season. I mean, I'm not worried about any of the guys on the team, and I really don't give a rip what anyone at school might say but I just think it could be a distraction. If we're gonna get married in June, then we should make the announcement around Easter. Sometime around there..."
"I agree." Brett said. "Where should we have the wedding? Wow, we got a lot of shit to think about..."
"Well, I think I'd like a church wedding. We go to St. John Vianney, so let's have it there!" Tim beamed.
"Timmy..." Peg chimed in, "you know that you're not gonna get a gay wedding in a Catholic church."
"We'll just see about that, mom. I'll talk to Father Taylor and I'll make it happen. Are you OK with a church wedding, Brett?"
"Well, yeah. That's fine. I dunno what mom and dad will say because we're Episcopal and St. John's is Catholic, but as long as we have a nice ceremony, and as long as we end up married it could be on the moon. Marrying you is what matters to me, Tim."
"Now, Timmy, Brett, we gotta get through tonight and this is one of those times where less is more. No telling even your friends tonight, OK there you two?"
"I'll be fine," Brett said, "but, um, Tim you better try, just this once, to engage your brain before your mouth..."
"I won't say a word," Tim said, laughing. "I know I have no filter, but mum's the word tonight. I promise!"
"I just wanna tell you two, I was gonna hafta say it sooner or later, but you have my blessing. I see how you two look at each other, and how you support each other. Brett, you're gonna make the best son-in-law ever!" Peggy said, clasping both of their hands across the table. "I never thought my youngest would be the first to get married, but here we go! Listen, you two Indians, I gotta get to work so stuff will be ready for dinner. You guys disappear for a while, OK?"
"OK, mom. Brett, let's go! I said I had someone I wantcha to meet, so let's go do that now!"
Brett and Tim exited the house out the front door, "Follow me, it's just across the street!" Tim said. Arriving at the front door of Ginny Miller's home, Tim pressed the residential doorbell.
"Timmy! I haven't seen you all Summer! C'mon in! Well, well, well...who do we have here! Say, you're a cutie! You guys want a beer?"
"Sure, I'll take one, Ginny! You want a beer, Brett?"
"Oh, so your name's Brett now is it... Well, there gorgeous Brett, how `bout a cold one?"
"Sure..." Brett answered thinking that this woman was, at minimum, a bit eccentric.
"OK, here's your beers, guys!" Ginny said, handing both boys a can of PBR each. "Say, I know that look! You guys both have it! Now, Timmy, Brett, I'm not usually wrong about this kind of stuff. I knew Sean and Andy were a couple before they did... You guys are together, aren'tcha... C'mon, spill it... Tell Old Ginny what the deal is here..."
"OK, Ginny, but first I gotta tell Brett something... Brett, Ginny's been our neighbor forever. She lived here even before I was born. I've known her all my life, and there's not a better neighbor on the planet. Any time I needed a friend, Ginny's always been there. So, let me introduce you two: Ginny Mills, Brett Dowling. Brett Dowling, Ginny Mills."
"Well, pleased to meetcha there, Brett! If I was 45 years younger, I'd figure out how to get in your pants, you! You're a hunk! Now, you tell Old Ginny what the deal is here..."
"Tim, I mean, like, is she for real?" Brett laughed in a friendly way. "OK, Ginny, yeah, Tim and I are a couple. We met by accident at the Mall..." Brett went on to tell Ginny how they met as a result of Andy's crutch impaling Brett's toes. "And, so that's how it happened, Ginny!"
"Brett, I want you to listen to me when I say this to you. Off and on in my life, I see things most people don't see. Always have. I don't know what it is. Call it intuition. Now, I wasn't there at the Mall that day, but I can tell you what happened was no accident. You have to believe me. It was meant to be. You two are the wind beneath the other's wings. I see that your hearts beat as one heart. They always will. You two are a power couple. Andy and Sean, now they're a practical couple. They'll sail through life no muss, no fuss. You are a power couple and you're gonna rock `n' roll through life. In ten years you tell me if I wasn't right. I see what I see. Now, whadya say, let's drink up!"
Tim and Brett drank their beers, talking with Ginny about general stuff such as what they saw themselves doing after High School, the refurbishing of the Alamo, and off beat topics like how to invest money, what the best way to grill salmon is and other things that just flowed from normal conversation. They told Ginny of Brett's dad's difficulty in accepting the situation, and bid Ginny to come over about 10 minutes after she saw Brett's dad's Buick LaCrosse pull up.
"Never fear, boys, Ginny's here! I'll charm the shit out of `em, don't you worry about that! Besides, I need to set up an appointment with your dad for next week anyhow."
Finishing their beers, the boys took their leave. "Wow, that old broad it totally whacked!" Brett said once they were outside.
"That she is, sweetheart, but she's as good as gold. She's the one that sold Wymo's dad the Alamo. She's been around forever, and when they made her they broke the mold. She's rich as fuck, but you don't know how much she's given back. You remember when they remodeled the school? Remember when they couldn't get the bond issue through on referendum to include the athletic field house? Lemme tell ya something, and this is just between you and me. Ginny went to the school board, wrote them a check for ten million dollars and told `em to either get it done, or, and these were supposedly her words, "I'll just buy the fucking school, do it myself, and you people will be out of the picture." If you look where the bricks are from folks who gave donations, she's got one. It's the first one, and all the bricks say how much everyone donated. Except hers. The rumor's always been that her husband, he died about ten years ago I think, had shit tons of money and that his dad made the money from rum running all through the Midwest during prohibition. Supposedly, he was Al Capone's supplier. I kid you not. The story is they'd ship the booze in to the GM plant here with engines and shit that came from Detroit because Detroit's right next to Canada that never had prohibition, and then ship it out in the finished cars. No one ever thought to look, I guess... I heard one time that when the old fucker died he had like $400 million in cash in a bank vault downtown, never mind whatever else he had, and that Ginny had no idea about it until they opened the vault. It's all hearsay, but Ginny DID say she'd buy the fuckin' school, and I've never known her to bullshit. My dad handles all her legal stuff, but never at the office. He only does it in her house, and never comes, or goes with any papers. He's never says nuthin' about it, either."
"What the fuck?" Brett stammered. "Wow. I guess I'll just have to turn on the charm then, huh..."
"You got nothing to worry about. She likes tall, good looking blonde guys. You and Wymo are right up her alley! She told Wymo he made her moist."
"No, Sir!" Brett giggled.
"Uh-huh! She did, too!"
At exactly 6:30 p.m. the doorbell on the Dickson home rang. "You nervous, Herb?" Marilyn Dowling asked.
"Not really," Herb answered. "Brett says Tim's parents are nice people, so I'll just go with that. You know I don't say much anyway until I get the lay of the land. I'm fine. From the looks of this place, they've got more money than we do, that's for sure..."
The door opened with George Dickson standing behind it. "Well, there, you must be the adult guests for the evening! C'mon in! George Dickson by the way! Good to meetcha!"
"Nice to meet you, too, George. I'm Brett's dad, Herb, and this is his mother, Marilyn. Thanks for inviting us..."
"Yes, thank you, George. I was wondering when we were going to meet!" Marilyn said, giving George a covert wink. George nodded knowingly, and showed the Dowlings in. Both Herb and Marilyn were duly impressed by the Dickson home's spaciousness and clean, mid-century modern Eichler-style design and accoutrements. George called Peggy out from the kitchen.
"Peg, these are Brett's parents, Herb and Marilyn Dowling. Herb, Marilyn, my wife Peggy."
"Well, good to see you two, don'tcha know!" Peggy said, smiling. "I remember Marilyn from Parent-Teacher conferences when Brett was in my math class over at Marshall! Seems like yesterday!" not letting on their recent behind-the-scenes doings. "Ya know, that boy was straight-A's back then, and I hear that sure hasn't changed, now! Well, Jesus on a stick! C'mon in! George, why don'tcha get `em a beer, or a cocktail there once!"
"Peggy, do you need any help in the kitchen? I'd be happy to lend a hand, and George and Herb can get acquainted!"
"That's great! I sure could use the help, ya know! That OK with you guys?" Peggy asked George and Herb.
"Sure" Herb replied, smiling just a bit at Peggy's down-home manner. "Say, Peggy, do I detect a Milwaukee accent there? You sound a lot like my Grandmother. She grew up on the South Side."
"Oh, ya..." Peggy replied. "I grew up on the South Side, too! I'm a West Allis girl. `Stallis, don'tcha know! West Allis Central High, class of '83! I grew up down by 74th and National!"
"My Grandmother grew up around 20th and Lincoln. That was back in the day, for sure. Whole different ball game now..." Herb replied.
"Oh, ya, you can sure say that again!" Peggy smiled. "OK, Marilyn, let's get to the kitchen and put the pedal to the metal!"
"Care for a beer, or a drink, Herb?" George asked.
"I'll take a beer if ya got one. Thanks..." Herb replied.
"Well, let's go to the family room, right this way over here! What's your pleasure for beer? I think I got Miller Lite, PBR, maybe an IPA, or two..."
"Lite's fine, thanks."
"Glass?"
"Nah, I'm a straight-from-the-can guy, George!" Herb replied beginning to feel at least somewhat more at home.
"Here ya go, then! Well, let's drink to the boys! Gotta tell ya, Herb, this is new for me, too, but whaddya gonna do? You and Marilyn got a fine son there, Herb. I wantcha to know every time he's been here he's been a pleasure to have around. First time I met him, he didn't hem and haw and act like most kids do that adults are best avoided. No sir, when he talked to me he looked me straight in the eye like a man."
"Thanks, George. I guess he is a good kid at that... I wanna apologize for any inconvenience that there was by him staying here for a few days. That was all my fault."
"Eh, it is what it is. Ya know, these things happen in families sometimes, and it's just how it goes. No harm, no foul. Anyway, I hear Brett made the first string Varsity! Tim says he never played football before, either! Ya know, Herb, Tim seems to think this year's team has a real shot to win State. That'd just be the fuckin' balls!"
"George, I never figured Brett would go out for sports, never mind football. You know, not even a year ago he was about 8 inches shorter than he is now, and way too shy for anything like that. I guess I hafta admit now that I think about it, Tim's really brought him out. And I wanna tell ya, too, I like your son. He seems pretty self-assured, and he's got good manners."
"Well, Timmy wasn't always so self-assured. Before he met Brett, Peg and I thought he might need counseling. He was depressed for about the last nine months or a year. Oh, sure, he tried his best never to show it, but we could tell. Peg and I wondered where our normally happy, go lucky son was, but the day he met Brett all that vanished and we had our son back again. We had an idea what was going on, but we felt Tim would come to us if he needed to. He did that, but it was already after he met Brett. He was honest with us, and once they get to this age, that's all you can ask. I gotta say, because someone has to say it, that those two are good for each other."
"I wasn't thrilled about it. I guess that's an understatement. Honestly, I'm still not totally thrilled. I might never jump up and down about it, but it's just reality, I guess. And like I said, I like Tim. I really do. If Tim were a girl and they were dating, then I would jump up and down, but he's not, I'll accept that, and like I told those two at lunch today, I'm not gonna be a dick about it. My wife reminded me, in saltier terms, that life is too short... Anyway, they're both fine young men, a hellluva lot better than some of the kids ya see around these days, that's for sure."
"That they are, Herb. That they are..."
George was interrupted by the doorbell. "Must be some more guests. Tim and Brett have some team mates coming over, and one of their dad's is coming, too, so lemme get the door. Be right back."
Opening the door, George saw, as expected, the Wyman clan on the stoop and a surprise in Ginny Miller. "Well, Joe, guys, Ginny, c'mon in! Right this way! Guys, Brett and Tim are out back so you go right ahead. Joe, Ginny, this way! Peg! Joe and Ginny are here!"
"Marilyn, let's go meet the others!" Peg called.
Marilyn, for her part, didn't mind but wondered how her husband would react to more people around in a rather delicate situation.
George, as host, performed the introductions, "Herb and Marilyn Dowling, this is our friend Joe Wyman, and our neighbor Ginny Miller. Joe, Ginny, meet Herb and Marilyn."
Joe laughed, "George, Herb and I know each other from down the plant. He's a Foremen. Good to see you, Herb! Pleasure to meet you, Marilyn! Say, my son Sean is on the team with Tim and Brett, too! Tim beat Sean out for first string Quarterback, but he's only a Junior, so there's always next year! We're gonna have a housewarming at the Alamo one of these weekends, and I'd like to see you all there! You'll be stunned at what Andy did with the place, Ginny. It looks like a million bucks!"
"Good to see you, too, Joe." Herb replied.
"Oh, that sweet little Andy! How's his leg doing? I lost sleep over that, Joe... And that Sean! If I was 45 years younger, I'm tellin' ya, Joe, he wouldn't be safe! Now you two must be Brett's mom and dad! Tim introduced me and Brett this afternoon! I gotta have a contest between him and Sean to see which one makes me cry more! Those two could do a swimsuit calendar! Just the idea of it," Ginny said, fanning herself, "I need a drink, George!"
Herb and Marilyn secretly thought to each other in their own ways this was not a hundred percent what they expected. Between George's hail-fellow-well-met demeanor, Peggy's homespun kindness and Ginny's brash outrageousness this might just prove to be an interesting evening. Herb felt gratified, at least, that all of the other adults seemed to uniformly take to Brett.
"Here's your cocktail, Ginny, Glenfiddich and water I believe?" George said handing Ginny a highball glass.
"You know it, George! I need to cool down!" Ginny then retired to the living room where she had a clear view of all the young men in the back yard.
"George, I'll be right back. Just a sec!" Joe said. Stepping to the patio door, Joe called out, "Sean, Andy, John! C'mere for a minute!" Once in the house, Joe told the boys, "OK, I'm just gonna introduce you to Brett's mom and dad, so just say hello, make nice, and you can go back outside." Following Joe into the family room, Joe lined up his boys. "Sean, Andy, John, I want you to meet Herb and Marilyn Dowling. They're Brett's parents. Herb and Marilyn, this is my son Sean, my ward Andy Churchill, and my soon-to-be adoptive son John. Sean and Andy are Juniors at Craig this year and John's a Sophomore."
The boys shook Herb and Marilyn's hands, Sean with his smirky grin, Andy in his straightforward fashion, and John with his dark eyes and angelic smile. Marilyn was enchanted. Herb was impressed, although he took Sean to be at least somewhat cocky.
"Well, I better get the burgers started. You guys wanna give me a hand? George said to Herb and Joe.
"Right behind you, George!" Joe said. "Just tell me where you need me!" Herb replied.
Once the burgers were on, the older men made the rounds meeting the football teammates that had come that night. Herb was pleased that they all had good things to say about Brett. Herb spied Tim, and went over to say hello. "Hey, Tim, I see you changed your clothes there!" Herb said.
"Excuse me? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not Tim. I'm Tim's cousin Danny from Kenosha. And you are?"
"Oh, sorry! I'm Herb Dowling. Brett's dad. Jesus Christ, you..."
"I know, I know...I look just like Tim... Me and Tim, we've gotten that all our lives... Nice to meet you Herb, and this guy here's my boyfriend, Jim Nolan. Jim went to school at Tremper last year with Sean Wyman. We're just here visiting over the weekend, but I was born here and lived here until 8th grade. I'm a year older than Tim. We lived just a couple streets over back then... Hey, gotta tell ya, we met Brett earlier today. You should know Tim's a lucky dude. Brett's first class."
"Nice to meet you, too, Herb!" Jim Nolan said. Yeah, I'm a Senior at Tremper this year. Played ball with Wymo up until last year. We're havin' a really good time! Met a lot of nice guys from the Craig team tonight. I guess we'll be playin' `em again at some point this season. They'll crush us."
"Well, thanks, guys. Ya know, I'm kinda new to this, I mean this gay shit, and, well, I mean, what do I need to know about it? I mean as a dad? I kinda blew my stack when I found out about it, and I'm not real happy about it, but is there anything I need to know?"
"You mean like secret handshakes and stuff?" Danny winked.
"OK, OK, Danny. Very funny! No, I mean just as a dad..."
"Well, not really. I mean from what Tim's told me, Brett's on the football team, has a job, and is probably gonna end up as the Valedictorian this year. So, I mean, I don't think there's too much to add to that. He's a good guy as far as I can see. He can bring Tim to heel, which ain't always easy. And they're good together. I think ya just gotta let nature take its course here."
"Herb?" Jim cut in, "I'm gonna give you the two minute story of my family life..." Once Jim was done, he continued, "So, I can see you're a dad that really cares. I never had that. I think maybe it's best left that way. Brett's lucky. And so are you."
"OK, thanks, guys. Maybe you're right... Guess I'll get back to helping George out over there. Thanks again."
George, Joe and Herb got the burgers and brats on for the boys, then retired inside to have the adult dinner in the dining room. The conversation strayed to what Brett and Tim, who were the Senior boys this year, were planning after graduation. "Well, Timmy's already applied several places," George began, "but he'll probably end up at UW-Madison. Our other two boys aren't interested, but it's always been Tim's plan to take over the law office. He says he wants to do Summer School and get it over with as fast as he can. He thinks it will take him five years that way."
"What about Brett?" Ginny asked, sensing that the Dowlings didn't have resources equal to the Dicksons, or Joe Wyman.
"Well, Brett's said what he'd like to do is to be an Attorney and an M.D.," Marilyn answered. "That's going to take years and cost a lot of money. We told Brett he better apply for every scholarship there is in the world. Oh, I think he could do it if that's what he sets his mind to, but I couldn't even start to add up how much that'd cost."
"That's certainly ambitious!" Joe said, "How'd he come up with that?"
Marilyn continued, "Last year in one of his classes they had to do career research, and Brett kinda stumbled on it, but he found out that in the entire State of Wisconsin there's only four people that are both Attorneys and M.D.'s. With litigation the way it is now, he thinks he could write his own ticket..."
"He could," George deadpanned. "Take it from me, an old Country Lawyer, he could. He'd probably be a millionaire by the time he's 35."
"That reminds me, George," Ginny said, "I've got a matter I'd like to see you about. Think you could stop by tomorrow morning before you go to the office?"
"Oh, sure, Ginny. I'll be over about 8:00. How's that?"
"I'll have the coffee on for ya, just walk in and come to my office..."
"What about Sean and Andy, Joe?" Ginny asked.
"Well, I haven't heard them say anything definitive, they're only Juniors, but Sean's kinda moving back and forth between UW-Madison and joining the Navy, believe it, or not... I think wherever he goes, Andy will go. Those two are like Mutt and Jeff. I always pushed Sean toward the Business School, but I've learned he'll make his own decisions. John is anyone's guess. I need to make sure that boy has some stability first and then I can figure out what's the best way to work with him on his future choices. By the way, since we're talking about people's careers here, Herb, I got some news for you and Marilyn!"
Herb looked up, somewhat surprised.
"Yeah, Herb, I was gonna call ya in Monday morning and everything, but we're all here, so why not now? OK, Herb knows this, but the rest of you probably don't. Our General Foreman down the plant is retiring and I've got to replace him. I interviewed Herb and all the other Foremen for the job. Herb, the job's yours if you want it. You had by far the best interview, but you also showed me that when things might not always go the way you anticipated, you're willing to find solutions and are good at teamwork. You also listen. I need a guy with those talents, you know, a guy who can see the big picture. So, yeah, the job's yours. If you agree, then on Monday I'll put the paperwork through to start as soon as the current General retires."
"I'd be glad to take that opportunity, Joe. And I won't let you down. Of course, I won't say a word about it to anyone. I'm not sure that would be smart."
"No, probably not..." Joe replied. "But I'll let you know tomorrow the date I'm gonna announce, and a month before that I want to see both you and Marilyn taking a two week vacation. I'm gonna need you rested up and ready to go!"
"Herb would never turn down a vacation!" Marilyn laughed.
"Brett's welcome to stay with us, don'tcha know!" Peggy chimed in.
"If he was single, I'd figure out a way to get him to stay with me!" Ginny chuckled.
In the back yard, Danny and Jim approached Sean. "Hey, Wymo!" Jim said, "We wanna ask ya somethin'..."
"OK, shoot! Whatcha got?" Sean asked.
"Is your dad really gonna rent that apartment over the garage?"
"I assume so, why?"
"Well, Danny and I were talkin'...now, I'm gonna be on the Tremper team this Fall, and Danny's at Carthage ya know..."
"Wait a minute, you're gonna play this year?"
"Well, yeah...I mean none of the guys that pulled that shit over at Brade's are allowed to play. Brade's still in jail. I didn't like the way the School Board tried to hang Coach out to dry, either. Coach never did anything wrong, and I only told him I wouldn't play with any of those other guys. Rege is playing, too, but I gather Andy and Rege made their peace, so I kinda felt it was a duty to Coach... You OK with that?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I am. I won't question your judgment, Noles. And I think you're right. None of it was Coach's fault... Coach handled it all the right way."
"Oh, ya hear? That bitch, the Superintendent, tried to have some paperwork put in Coach's file and Coach blew his stack. He had his Lawyer go to the Board and tell `em that they'd end up with a ginormous lawsuit if that happened. The Superintendent bitch insisted and the Board fired her! When I talked to Coach he was still going on about you telling her the truth is the same old story! He thought that was hilarious!"
Glad he did! And nah, I get whatcher sayin'! I guess I'll see ya later this season, man! Anyway, what about the apartment?"
"Well, Danny and I were talkin..." Jim then relayed all that had happened with his living situation, his `parents,' Danny's Grandmother, and Jim and Danny's plans for the future, "I wanna transfer down here for the second semester of Senior year, and Danny's going for a business degree. UW-Whitewater has a good Business School, and it's way cheaper than Carthage. Whitewater's only 20 minutes away, and it kinda makes sense. There's nothing in Kenosha any more, and we can rent out Granny's house for a good price, or sell it when we want, but Danny owns it now anyway... Can you see if your dad would consider it?"
"Jesus, Noles! That'd be awesome!"
"Yeah, I mean, we couldn't move in until the end of the year, but if your dad wanted a deposit on it and for us to pay the utilities from now until we move in, we'd do that! And I mean, it's not like it's a tenant you don't know! Depending on the rent, we could pay a whole year's rent up-front!"
"That's awesome, Noles! I'll bring it up with my dad sometime in the next week, or so. How's that?"
"Cool, man. I already got my stuff ready to transfer to Craig next semester, and Danny's application at Whitewater is already in."
Inside, the adults were winding down the evening. Joe walked Ginny to her door across the street, and the Dowlings took their leave, Peggy having suggested that Brett was more than welcome to spend the night, but not before Herb verified with Brett that he'd be home Sunday night. The Dowlings thanked George and Peggy for an enjoyable time, both couples agreeing to get together at some point in the near future.
Out back on the patio, some of the guys were leaving, and the rest pitched in to help Tim and Brett clean up. Once done, and with all the other boys having gone, Tim, Brett, Danny and Jim made sure the outdoor lights were out, and satisfying themselves that the yard was clean retired into the house. "Hey, I'm not tired yet! You guys wanna maybe go downstairs and catch a movie, or something?" Tim asked.
"Sure, sounds good..." Jim Nolan replied. "You got Netflix? If not, we do and we can sign in on our account... I think there's about a case of beer left, too!"
"OK, let me just go tell mom and dad where we're gonna be..." Tim said. Entering the living room, Tim spied his parents. "Mom, dad, we're gonna go downstairs and watch a movie. There's about a case of beer left, so we'll take that with us. We already cleaned up the yard and everything, too. OK, night!"
"Night, son! Just keep it down a little bit if you can!" George answered.
"Sure thing, dad! See you tomorrow!"
Bounding downstairs to the basement entertainment room, Tim saw Jim setting up Netflix on the TV, and the other two sitting in two of the big La-Z-Boy recliners. "So, what are we watchin?" Tim asked.
"Get over here, Timothy!" Brett said, patting the wide seat on his chair. Tim was there in a flash, his arm around Brett's shoulder, locked in a kiss and his free hand at Brett's crotch noting how Brett instantly boned up. "Think we should tell em?" Tim whispered into Brett's ear. Brett merely nodded his assent, and whispered back, "OK, but you hafta tell em, not like with your mom when you got all tongue tied and I hadda do it... Go on, Tim, tell `em!"
"Alright, what's goin' on over there..." Danny said with an evil grin.
"Hey, we got something to tell you guys. Besides my mom, you're gonna be the only ones who know so no telling anyone, even George!" Brett said with a serious look. "You gotta promise!"
"Which one of you is pregnant?" Jim asked.
"Fuck off!" Tim laughed. "OK, I'm gonna tell ya, but first I need a beer!" Tim went to the refrigerator, got himself a beer, chugged it and gave birth to a belch that could have awakened the dead.
"Nice one..." Danny deadpanned. "That was about 8.0 on the Richter Scale. Now what were you gonna say?"
Tim popped another beer open, took a long swig, and began, "Well, this afternoon I asked Brett if he'd marry me after we turn 18. And Brett said yes! So, probably next Spring we'll be married!"
"Are you fucking crazy!" Danny said, standing up. "You're nuts, Tim. I mean, I know you go off half-cocked a lot, but really? You're insane!"
Tim and Brett's mouths hung open in shock.
END CHAPTER TWENTY ONE