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"Oh my god, you're getting married aren't you?" Gervais says before Blue can even open his mouth.
"You are? Oh congratulations." Ocean says flinging his arms around Blue and then Will.
"I wanted you to know first. We've not even told our parents yet, so please keep it quiet." Blue says.
"You best be quick because I am no good at secrets." Ocean says bouncing around the room.
"Are you okay G?" Will asks.
"If you treat him right. What's the rush? I mean you've not been back together long. We only split a few months ago." Gervais asks. He's heartbroken and happy at the same time and really struggling.
"I love Will in a way that is different to how I love you. I will always be grateful to you for rescuing me for getting me back to how I should be. But we have always been a project to each other. One of us is broken and the other fixes it. Never on an equal footing." Blue says.
"Too much drama." Gervais says.
"Too many secrets." Blue says.
"He better treat you right." Gervais says.
"He will. And I will treat him well." Blue says.
"This might be poor timing. But I am loving my work here and I want to settle. I want kids, you know that. And while I love my space here I would like a home nearer you guys with more space. If anything comes up please let me know. We're at a stage where I can drop my hours here as people are being trained up. I'd also like Andy and Larry to take on some kids and oversee that too." Gervais says.
"Right now I don't. I will let you know if I hear anything. Are you looking elsewhere too?" Blue asks.
"Yes, and closer to the city. Mostly I want to be closer to you guys for support. I know it won't be easy." Gervais says.
"We'll work something out, even if we have to build somewhere. Actually there is a spot near the lake that might work. Given you don't need a farm. Come up on Wednesday and we'll walk through it." Blue says.
"Really?" Gervais asks.
"Yeah I want to be uncle Blue to your kids. We always shared that dream, kids running through the fields, home cooked food. We're just not both going to be dads." Blue says.
"Thanks Blue. When is the wedding?" Gervais asks.
"We are planning new years eve. Outdoors, and then party in a barn." Blue grins.
"That sounds very you, it Will getting any say?" Gervais teases.
"I suggested new years. I think we just want friends, family and good food. The rest is just details." Will says and Gervais hugs him tightly.
Blue and Will go to their apartment and call their parents. Blue is really nervous about meeting Will's family, they retired to Barbados and Will has not seen them much, they came to his first wedding and he hasn't seen them since.
"They're not coming. They didn't spend all that money on their retirement home to spend one minute of winter back here." Will says.
"Momma and Bea and her new man are coming. And Katelyn and Roe. I really need to tell Chris before it gets out further. You don't talk about your parents and I can see why. They are dumb and you deserve better." Blue says.
"I have better." Will grins.
"My family, other than Katelyn will be here before Christmas and will stay a while after. I hope that is okay." Blue says.
"Of course it is. Chris should be having lunch soon. Lets go and tell him the news. You warned Bea not to tell?" Will asks.
"Yeah of course. That doesn't mean she won't call to wind him up." Blue grins and they race downstairs.
"When's the wedding?" Chris asks as Blue and Will meet him in the soup queue.
"Did Bea get to you first?" Blue asks.
"No, oh for real? You're getting married? Oh bro that is amazing." Chris says and hugs Blue and then Will.
"The wedding is going to be new years eve. Are you okay that we are leapfrogging you and Larry?" Blue asks.
"I'm delighted. And it might get Larry to hurry up and agree to a wedding, before I graduate." Chris grins.
"Sorry you are not the first to know, I had to tell Gervais and then mom, and I couldn't tell mom and not Bea so they all know and now you." Blue says.
"Then Andy and Spence and everyone back home." Will says.
"We should call Gladys." Blue says.
"You two are a perfect match. Will I totally trust you to take care of my big bro." Chris says and shakes Will's hand.
The three sit down and eat together before Will heads off to take a class and Blue goes home. He want to talk to Andy, although expects he already knows from Larry or Katelyn.
"Congratulations." Larry says as Blue approaches, Sunny has alerted everyone to Blue's presence by yelping and jumping up at Blue.
"News reached you before I could. Are you okay with us jumping ahead?" Blue asks.
"You to have waited more than long enough. I am really pleased for you." Larry says and hugs Blue.
"Is Andy around?" Blue asks.
"I am, just about to go over to the orchard though. They need some help felling a tree." Andy says.
"And they can't get the tree surgeon in like anyone else because?" Larry asks.
"Because I am a soft touch." Andy says.
"I'll come with. Come on Sunny." Blue says and the dog jumps into the back of the truck.
"I love your dog. I wish I'd had one at the old place, its nice to have friendly company." Andy says.
"You should get one now. Sunny would love a playmate." Blue says.
"I am hoping Spence will get me one for Christmas. I don't feel we can until we have the main house sorted properly." Andy says.
"Your house will be done by then?" Blue asks.
"Yeah I think so. Spence is at the end of being able to live rustically, he doesn't say so, but I know he is throwing money at the construction crew." Andy laughs.
"And spending more time at the hotel." Blue says.
"Exactly. Only needing each other only goes so far. Your renovations look close to being done too." Andy says.
"Yeah everything is done, we just need to decorate. Which I am putting off. It was meant to be Ocean's room but it won't be now." Blue says.
"You miss him living with you?" Andy asks.
"He needs to be close to the gym. And he and G are company for each other. For Chris too." Blue says.
"You and Will need to live alone at the start of your marriage." Andy says.
"I guess we do. I am so excited. Are you okay with it?" Blue asks.
"I am so happy for you. You are happy, Will is happy. You don't need to waste a minute." Andy says.
"I proposed in the tub. I was washing Will's back and it just came out." Blue says.
"That is so you. You're so measured and a planner and yet all the important stuff happens on a whim. The soup, your marriage, your new protein cookie venture. Moving here." Andy says.
"Here was planned. We looked into lots of places. It just turned out I already owned this one." Blue laughs.
Blue is surprised at how much more frail Kayden's parents seem than just a few weeks ago.
"You're worried about them." Blue says quietly.
"Pulling away is not that easy." Andy says.
"Oh Blue how lovely, I was just doing my Christmas baking, could you come and help?" Kayden's mom asks.
"Of course." Blue smiles and follows her indoors.
"Is your brother okay? Terrible business at the college, cancelling the veterinary courses." Kayden's mom says.
"Chris is still in school, training to be a vet." Blue says.
"Oh dear, maybe he's too embarrassed to admit the truth." Kayden's mom says.
"Or maybe your son was fired for sexual harassment." Blue says bluntly.
"Oh no, that couldn't have happened, Kayden is gay." Kayden's mom says.
"And he asked my brother for sex in exchange for a grade." Blue says.
Kayden's mom sits down shocked. Blue hates to hurt an older lady but he isn't prepared to lie, especially not where Chris is concerned.
"I think you had better leave." Kayden's mom says when she finds her breath.
"Yes." Blue says and heads out to find Andy.
"Is this place too much for you guys?" Blue asks bluntly when he finds them, its clearly only a small problem with a broken branch that didn't need extra help.
"It's lonely just the two of us in winter." Kayden's dad admits.
"Honestly I think you should think about moving on. You and your wife don't look well and asking for help with minor issues is, well quite frankly you're playing on Andy's good nature." Blue says and Andy stands like a goldfish.
"We have to keep working. Especially now Kayden isn't working at the college, we're having to make up what he has lost so he can cover his final loan." Kayden's dad says.
"Seriously, he gets fired for being a fool and you are rewarding him with money? No wonder your son is a total cunt." Andy says frankly.
"Oh he wasn't fired, they closed the veterinary department. I hope your Chris is okay and could transfer." Kayden's dad says.
"No, he was fired for offering sex for grades to Blue's brother." Andy says and Blue is glad he isn't the only one feeling blunt.
"No. No that cannot be true." Kayden's dad says.
"It is true. I uh, I just told your wife the same thing. Your son really needs to give people a heads up before telling such ridiculous lies." Blue says.
"I think you better go." Kayden's dad says.
"Look we might be able to come up with a way to help. Andy would be happy to buy out your lease and we could find a house for you." Blue says.
"We don't need your charity and I would appreciate if you back off as you are not here in your capacity of landlord." Kayden's dad says.
Blue nods.
"Look we're almost done here. Let's finish up and then we'll go." Andy says.
Blue takes Sunny and waits in the truck, feeling bad but also frustrated.
"Is he okay?" Blue asks.
"He's a fool and so is his wife and I expect they'll come to you in the new year asking to go." Andy says.
"They both looked awful. Kayden hitting them up for money is clearly a strain." Blue says.
"They are adults, they could have said no. Called his bluff over whatever threat he pulled." Andy says.
"I can't believe he turned out to be such a horrible person." Blue says.
"We all dropped our guard. It's funny you rejected him straight off. I think we should have all taken note of that." Andy says.
"I wanted Will back. I had wanted Will back for months. Long before I ended it with Gervais. Dating anyone else wasn't on my radar." Blue says.
"I guess. Still now he has been fired or whatever we don't even have to be nice to him for Chris's sake." Andy says.
"I didn't know he had been fired. I guess he was asked to resign." Blue says.
"Probably. I'd be happy for them to stay in the house, if I took over the orchards." Andy says.
"This is going to make me sound awful. I want the house for Gervais. He is wanting to start a family and I think it would be perfect. It's that or building a house around the lake from me, near the woods." Blue says.
"Oh, oh it's a really good house for a family. It would be perfect for G." Andy says.
"Right and I don't know if I am trying to push them out, being a terrible landlord, because I want Gervais, and you to have what you want. Or if I am genuinely looking out for them. I guess it lies somewhere in the middle." Blue says.
"I'm the same. I never know if I go over because I want to help or if it is to check on my future. They need more help. They are broke. It's funny, you know I think they would love to have a suite at the hotel and work with the charity. I think they'd be great." Andy says.
"Agreed but we can't railroad them in to it." Blue says.
"No but you can apologise and invite them to the Christmas event and you can get one of the kids to show them round." Andy says.
"That sounds like one of my plans. I will bake something and visit later. Try and clear the air." Blue says.
"As long as you bake double so I can have some." Andy says straight faced before laughing.
"I miss your kitchen hugs." Blue says.
"Me too. I hope you come and bake at my place when it's ready. I can't believe you didn't extend your kitchen when you got the work done." Andy says.
"I don't want to be the default host." Blue says.
"But do you feel properly yourself when you use Chris and Larry's place to bake?" Andy asks.
"I have my big kitchen at the hotel. I just don't have you lot there." Blue says.
"I guess I just want things back how they were. You with your garden and big kitchen and the chickens. I know you want to scale back on the hosting and you have the protein cookie business. But don't you want what we wanted before? To grow what you cook? I know you love your view but you don't have much space to grow anything." Andy says.
"You do that for me." Blue says.
"No chickens?" Andy asks.
"Not after having to leave them at the last place. I was kind of traumatised that I forgot about them." Blue says.
"You're not going to have a breakdown if you do things you used to." Andy says.
"I am happy. Just because I am not that Blue any more doesn't mean I'm not happy." Blue says.
"Last weekend selling pies you were you." Andy says and they get out the truck.
Blue and Sunny run home and Blue bakes apple and plum dumplings. He leaves Sunny snoozing in front of the fire and heads up to the orchard.
"I am really sorry for this afternoon. I don't want you to feel insecure in your home. I brought you these and I'd love it if you could come to any of our Christmas events next week in the city." Blue says handing the couple a flyer.
"We owe you an apology too. I called an old friend at the college and he confirmed what you said. We are so embarrassed." Kayden's mom says.
"No problem, I totally understand he didn't want to disappoint you." Blue says.
"Didn't want to stop the gravy train. In the new year we will talk about here. No way we can deal manage this place too much longer and we can't afford help. Andy does far more than he should." Kayden's dad says.
"Please visit the hotel next week. Find me or Gervais when you do. I have an idea that might help." Blue says and heads to the farm to drop off the rest of the dumplings.