by A. M. Arthur
They found the Briggs-King family in a cluster of chairs around a wide, round coffee table. Faith was sitting on the floor, using the coffee table for her food. Samuel and Rey were sharing a love seat. George chose a chair across from the couple, and Levi sat on his left. George was curious about the pair but he wasn’t used to initiating getting-to-know-you questions with perfect strangers.
“So Samuel and Rey are here for their honeymoon,” Levi said after a few minutes of eating in silence.
“Really?” George stared at the pair. “You brought your daughter on your honeymoon?”
“It’s a second, longer honeymoon vacation,” Rey replied with a chuckle. “Samuel and I did the whole marriage thing backward. As soon as it was legal we went down to the justice of the peace to get hitched, and then our friends threw us a bachelor party. But Samuel and I are both workaholics, and I have a small business back in Pennsylvania. We haven’t been able to have a real vacation in years, but the stars aligned this month with vacation time and Faith being out of school.”
“Why here?”
“I love horses,” Faith piped up. “I got to ride a pony once at the state fair, but not a real horse yet, and we’ve been learning about the Old West in school. And Papa and I like to watch old western movies together on weekends.”
Samuel pointed at himself, indicating he was Papa.
“You guys are from Pennsylvania?” George asked, surprised by the distance they’d traveled. “How’d you hear about Clean Slate way out there?”
“A client, actually,” Rey replied. “I’m a private caterer, and one of our regulars mentioned vacationing here this past spring. Once I looked at the website and saw how tolerant and gay-friendly the place was, I was sold. Selling Samuel was a bit harder, but he’s also a city boy.”
“Former city boy,” Samuel said. “I love our small town and can’t imagine moving.” The pair exchanged lovey smiles, and George’s insides burned with jealousy. Would George ever have that kind of genuine affection for a life partner? “And before you ask, I’m a police officer. Have been for a long time.”
“Oh, wow.” George had mad respect for police officers and first responders, putting their lives on the line to save others. “Sounds intense.”
“TV makes it way sexier and more dramatic than it really is. Most days, it’s just walking around and helping everyday folk fix everyday problems. Especially in Stratton.”
“So what do you do, George?” Rey asked.
George carefully chewed and swallowed his bite of broccoli salad. “I create closed-captions for video content for various websites. It’s freelance work so I make my own hours.”
“That’s cool. I’ve never met anyone with that job, but I guess someone has to do it, right?”
“Yeah.” He took a big bite of his sandwich in case Rey decided to pry into which websites. The conversation had him squirrely but not anxious. The two men were kind and polite, and Faith was adorable and sweet. This was...sort of fun.
As if sensing George’s discomfort—how did he always do that?—Levi asked, “So how did you two meet?”
George vaguely listened to a story about a diner, a broken mirror, and a head injury while he finished his lunch, while also observing the room. Everyone seemed to be in their own clusters. The family of four. The quartet of friends. The gays.
Except Levi wasn’t technically gay if he identified as bisexual. Either way, this thing George had with Levi was just friendship. It couldn’t be more.
Faith finished eating first and got up to explore the wide bookshelf full of various board games. Not exactly authentic to the Old West but people needed ways to entertain themselves in the evenings, because George didn’t see a television anywhere. Levi and Samuel volunteered to take everyone’s plates and utensils to the bus bin in the dining room, and George found himself sort of alone with Rey. He was older than George, probably a bit closer to Levi’s age.
“Your daughter looks like you,” George blurted out.
Rey grinned. “Biologically, she’s mine, but Sam is her father in every other way that counts. And we have a great group of friends. My family is everything to me.”
“That’s good. Sometimes family is too complicated.”
“Like yours?”
“Understatement. But I have my brother and he’s my best friend.”
“You have a brother? Older or younger?”
“Older by about four minutes. We’re identical twins.” Off Rey’s surprised look, George found a photo of them on his phone.
“Holy crap, I can’t tell which one is you,” Rey said.
George wasn’t sure if Rey was telling the truth or if he really couldn’t see the differences in how much thinner George’s face was. How less haunted Orry’s eyes were. Then it didn’t matter, because Levi and Samuel returned, and Rey showed Samuel the photo.
“I’ve never met identical twins before,” Samuel said. “Why didn’t your brother want to come this week?”
“He couldn’t get off work. This was very last minute for me and Levi. Thanks for a favor I did for him.”
“Must have been some favor in exchange for a week’s vacation.”
George deferred that to Levi, who told the Thanksgiving story and about Ginger’s recovery at George and Orry’s apartment. And he showed off pictures of all three cats. Faith cooed over them for a while, so Levi brought up a video of them tussling in the grass for her to watch.
“Wait, George and Orry,” Rey said. “Why do I know those names?”
“North and South, babe,” Samuel replied. “The one with Patrick Swayze?”
“Oh, right. I guess your parents were fans.”
“My mother was obsessed with it before we were born,” George replied. The food he’d eaten sat heavily in his stomach with the mention of his parents.
Rey seemed to understand right away. “What are you guys most excited to do this week? To be honest, I’m most looking forward to having someone else cook for me, three meals a day, for a whole week.”
Levi laughed. “Patrice is a great cook. I’ve had her food on more than one occasion. And tonight’s welcome barbecue is a real treat. Best barbecue in Northern California, even if Arthur Garrett says so himself. He can’t eat it anymore for health reasons, but he’s still down here every Sunday cooking for his guests.”
“He’s the owner, right?”
“Yeah, he’s a great man. There’s a reason people come here to work and don’t want to leave.”
“Hey, if you find a place that makes you happy, why leave?” Rey leaned more heavily against Samuel’s shoulder. “And we got completely off track. What do you guys want to do this week?”
“Well, I’d say I’m looking forward to riding horses,” Levi said in a perfectly deadpan manner, “but that’s sort of my day job, and that job is way more exciting than trail rides. However, I am a fan of camping. The weather is supposed to be nice enough that we should have at least one overnight camping trip available.”
“Faith likes to camp in the backyard in the summer but we’ve never been out in the wilderness before.” Trepidation flashed briefly across his face. A father’s fear for his child’s safety. A look George didn’t remember ever seeing on his own father’s face, not even when George was hospitalized.
Levi leaned forward. “Don’t worry, the guides keep a shotgun on the chuck wagon in case of emergencies. My best friend used to be a horseman here, and he told me they’ve never had a camper injured on an overnight. Well, except for Wes Bentley, but that’s also part of the ghost town legend at this point.”
“The legend?” Samuel asked.
Levi launched into another amusing story George also knew, about a camper whose horse spooked and dragged terrified Wes across Garrett land to the remains of an old ghost town. He liked listening to Levi talk. He had a soothing cadence to his voice that kept Georg
e grounded and calm, despite being in a strange place, surrounded by strangers.
The guesthouse door swung open and heavy boots thumped inside. A tall, older hand George didn’t know stood there, eyeballing everyone. “Just a reminder, folks,” he said, “that for anyone hoping to ride our horses this week, there is a required lesson in the main corral that starts at two o’clock. I hope to see everyone there in about thirty minutes.” The cowboy tipped his hat and left.
“Damn, have we been talking that long?” Rey asked. “I’m sort of nervous-excited about this. I’ve never been near a horse, much less on top of one.”
“It can be intimidating at first,” Levi replied. “But these are all gentle mares with good temperaments. And the horsemen are trained. You’ll all be fine, I promise.” He met George’s eyes and the sentiment reflected silently back.
George nodded slightly, trusting his friend.
“What do you say, Faith?” Rey asked. “Ready to go see the horses?”
“Yes!” She gave Levi his phone back and rushed toward the door. Rey sprinted to catch up with her, laughing the entire time. Samuel followed them at a much more leisurely pace.
George remained seated until the guesthouse emptied, everyone apparently on board with learning to ride. Or at least watching their loved ones learn. George was curious, and he probably could have gotten a private lesson from Levi at some point, but this was part of the vacation package. Might as well take full advantage of the amenities.
The other guests were scattered around the perimeter of the large main corral. No one was inside the corral yet, but just inside the entrance to the big barn, George spotted a person moving around, putting gear on a horse. He and Levi stopped near the Briggs-King family. Faith was already bouncing on her toes, and he guessed her to be around nine or ten. Making happy childhood memories with her parents.
George had to think hard to find many of his own.
Don’t go there. Enjoy the moment.
Reyes entered the corral leading a big horse saddled up and ready to go. “Good afternoon everyone,” he said. “As Ernie announced earlier and as is explained in the welcome packets, anyone interested in riding one of our mares this week must take today’s basic lessons. We’ll go over mounting, riding and leading the horse. It also gives myself and my fellow horsemen a chance to observe everyone’s basic skills, so we know which horse to pair you with this week.”
One of the teenagers raised her hand. Reyes nodded. “Why do we have to ride the same horse all week?”
“For your safety as well as the horse’s. Horses are more sensitive than a lot of folks give them credit for, and we need to match their temperament with yours. I tried riding a horse once that didn’t like me, and I ended up sitting on an ice pack for the rest of the day.”
“Got it.”
George wasn’t entirely sure how true that story was, given Reyes’s experience, but it definitely made his point. Then again, George had once been a novice skater and had fallen on his ass on the ice dozens of times. No one was born knowing how to do every physical skill.
“Mounting a horse is fairly easy once you get the hang of it.” Reyes pointed to wooden set of three steps. “But for you younger riders and folks who are a little nervous, we do have steps. However, we do not have steps out on the trails if you get off your horse, so it’s best to give it a try at least once.”
A soft murmur went through the guests. Two more cowboys, Hugo and the older guy from the guesthouse, came out of the barn leading horses of their own.
“Now, this beauty to my right is Attitude, or Tude for short,” Reyes continued. “Hugo over there has Valentine and Ernie’s with Hot Coffee.”
“Tude is Mack’s horse,” Levi whispered. “And Hot Coffee is Reyes’s.”
Huh. Seemed odd to use personal horses for ranch demonstrations, but maybe that was part of keeping them in the barn? George had no idea how the ranch worked behind the scenes, and he was glad Levi knew a few of the details. It kind of gave them an advantage over the other guests.
“We’ve also got another experienced horseman in the group this week,” Reyes said. “Mr. Levi Peletier over there works up at the ghost town during the on season, doing trick riding and demos. Maybe we can persuade him to do a little demo for us later in the week.”
“Yes!” Faith piped up. “Let’s see that.”
Levi chuckled, then braced one foot on the bottom of the corral fencing and raised himself up off the ground. “I can be persuaded with a six-pack of Grand’s Cream Soda,” he joked before stepping back down.
“You work cheap,” Reyes replied.
“Eh, I’m on vacation.”
The easy banter relaxed George even more as they watched Reyes demonstrate the right way to brace their left foot in the stirrup, grab the pommel, and push off with the right leg. He made it look so damned easy, but the guy also had years of practice under his belt. Reyes talked about adjusting the stirrups to the correct height for each rider, followed by an admonishment not to ride too long the first time.
“Sitting astride a saddle stretches your thigh muscles a lot, and the longer you stay in the saddle, the more uncomfortable you’ll be once you dismount.”
Levi’s lips twitched, as if finding a joke in the phrasing but George didn’t get it.
Hugo mounted Valentine and showed them how to make the horse start walking by nudging her flank with his heels, leading with the bit, and gently pulling the horse to a stop. Seemed like basic things George had seen time and again in movies and on TV, but he’d never done any of it himself.
Hell, this was the closest he’d ever been to a live horse in his life.
Reyes did a demo of dismounting, and by that time, George noticed a new, familiar face had joined them at the corral: Miles Arlington. Reyes’s husband and head chef at the ghost town’s saloon. He was out of work, same as Levi, and from what gossip George remembered the pair lived in a cabin here at the ranch. Probably watched the tourists for something to do.
“Now,” Reyes said, “we’re going to separate you all into three groups and give you each more hands-on time with the horses.”
Hugo ended up with the older quartet, while Ernie took the family unit. George let out a breath, grateful to be working with Reyes and Levi his first time mounting a horse. Everyone was let inside the corral and their groups broke apart. Miles remained outside the corral but followed them to where Reyes led them.
“Have you ever ridden a horse before, Miss?” Reyes asked Faith.
“Only a little pony, but Dad says I’m big enough to ride a big horse on my own if I want,” Faith replied in a soft, earnest voice. “Am I big enough?”
“I’d say so but how about I walk beside you the whole time.” To Rey, he said, “We do have safety helmets if you prefer she wears one.”
Rey cast a look at Samuel, who shrugged with his eyebrows. He’d only known the men for a few hours, but Rey definitely seemed like the nervous parent in the pair. “I’d prefer a helmet, yeah. Sorry, sprout, but at least this first time.”
She frowned but didn’t question him.
Reyes shouted at someone to bring a junior helmet and the steps. “You’re old enough to ride, but definitely not tall enough yet to mount without help.”
“Okay, sir. I’ve never ridden a horse before but I really want to.”
“And you will in just a few minutes, Miss.”
“Faith.”
“Miss Faith.”
The entire exchange was both touching and adorable. George leaned against the corral with Levi nearby, watching while Reyes helped Faith adjust the strap on her helmet. He led her to the steps and gently showed her how to put her foot in the stirrup and swing her other leg over. She let out a giggle of delight when she was finally on Tude; the horse barely twitched.
“Look, Dad and Papa!” She grinned so widely she showed off a sing
le missing tooth. “I’m on a horse!”
Both dads had their phones out, snapping pictures, and it was one of the most affectionate, familial scenes George had observed in a long damned time. Reyes adjusted her stirrups, and then carefully led her around the corral. He let her try to rein Tude in herself, sticking close the entire time. Samuel filmed the whole thing while keeping a tight grip on Rey’s hand.
Faith rode for a while, having the time of her life up on Tude, until Reyes asked who wanted to go next. She said her dad had to go. It took Rey a few times—and a bit of a boost from Reyes—to get up, but he managed. Samuel went next, and since Levi didn’t need to practice—the lucky son of a bitch—all eyes were now on George.
Reyes impressed the hell out of him by allowing Levi to coach George through it. “The saddle gives a little,” Levi said. “Don’t let it scare you. You just pull yourself right on up. You’re an athlete. I know you’ve got the muscles.”
His confidence in George boosted his own self-confidence a bit more. He put his hands everywhere Levi indicated, got his left foot situated in the stirrup. Took a strong hold of the pommel...and shocked the crap out of himself by actually dragging his ass up and into the saddle. “Wow,” George said, keenly aware of exactly how high off the ground he was now. “Dude.”
“Great job. I am so proud of you.” He clapped George’s thigh once, then went about helping to adjust his stirrups. He had shorter legs than Samuel. “Get yourself situated and then nudge her in the flank with your heels.”
George adjusted himself so his junk wasn’t pressed painfully into the hard leather saddle and his feet were more secure in the stirrups. Then he risked starting the big beast by pressing his heels against her where he’d seen everyone else do it. Tude lurched forward, and George swallowed a yelp, reins tight in bloodless fists. After that first lurch, she plodded forward, and George figured out how to roll with her steps to avoid feeling seasick.
This was a completely new experience for him, and it was...kind of fun.