Cultivating Love

by Addison Albright

  Ed spun to Joe as a car turned into the drive and illuminated the scene with its headlights. Joe groaned, and his eyes fluttered open. His hand shielded his eyes from the glare of the high beams. The car stopped as Ed placed a hand on the side of Joe’s face. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” Joe’s voice caught, and he cleared his throat. “Did I faint?”

  “Looks like it. Your head okay? You didn’t hit it?”

  The newcomer, a sheriff’s deputy, squatted and checked the burned man’s wrist.

  Joe sat up and rubbed his head. “I don’t think so.” He nodded toward the man under the towels. “He alive?”

  The deputy glanced up. “Dunno yet.” He dropped the wrist and reached for a pulse point on the neck. Long moments later, he looked up. “Don’t think so. What happened here?” He nodded toward the man’s fallen shotgun. “That his or yours?”

  “His,” Joe replied. “He shot out our bedroom window there.”

  The charred side of the house was clearly visible in the headlights. The deputy sniffed the air, no doubt detecting the gasoline scent, and cast his eyes over the broken glass near the man’s body.

  The deputy sighed, apparently reaching the same conclusion Ed had reached earlier. “You two injured?”

  “Joe’s got glass in his foot.”

  “And shoulder,” Joe added. “And Ed’s arm is burned.”

  Ed looked at the wet towel Joe had wrapped around his forearm. He’d been so focused on everything else that he’d forgotten about his own injury. It throbbed under the towel now, though.

  Walking toward his vehicle, the deputy pushed a button on the radio he’d pulled from his belt. He turned to them before sitting in the car’s front seat. “Stay where you are. Don’t touch anything.”

  Hell, Ed didn’t have the energy to move anyway. More sirens approached, and Joe squeezed his hand, while Ed tried to make out the deputy’s words. He identified a few—“Molotov cocktails,” “coroner,” “ambulance,” “Stan Kramer’s truck,” and “shotgun.”

  Stan had been Ed’s guess, but between the burns and the darkness, he hadn’t been positive. He sighed, listened to the sirens, and waited for the long night ahead of them to play out.

  Chapter 13: Home Again

  Ed hung back and waved goodbye to the deputy as Joe manipulated the crutches up the porch steps. The lingering smell of char in the air nauseated him. Regardless of how he felt about Stan, it was still a horrible way to die, and he wouldn’t wish it on anybody. Even somebody who’d apparently wished it on them.

  Ed opened the front door and let out a heavy sigh. “Here, Joe. Sit on the couch with your foot up while I sweep out the bedroom and find some cardboard for that window.”

  God, he was so fucking exhausted, both mentally and physically. His gauze-wrapped arm fucking hurt like hell, but he didn’t want to take any pills that would knock him out. He dropped the plastic bag containing their grubby and ruined pajamas on the coffee table. Cleaning up broken glass was the last thing he wanted to do, but it had to be done. Life went on, and Joe needed to sleep.

  He supposed they could easily crash upstairs and wait for the folks he had no doubt would show up at their door as soon as the news spread, but he didn’t want to do that. Hell, knowing the grapevine in this town, he wouldn’t have been too surprised to have found that they’d already come and gone. Bill would probably be upset if they didn’t call him for help, but again, he hated to rely on other people if they could find a way to manage on their own. He sighed again and headed down the hall.

  “Wait.”

  He stopped, squared his shoulders, and defiantly raised his chin. “You’re not going to do it, Joe. Sit.”

  “I’m not a dog. Just wait. Come here a sec.”

  “What’s wrong?” He raced to Joe’s side. “You all right?”

  The crutches dropped, and Joe wrapped his arms around Ed’s shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. “I just…”

  “What is it?”

  “I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. I should have said it before last night. The idea of anything happening to you is so fucking scary. I just want you to know how much you mean to me.”

  Ed tightened his hold around Joe and landed a light kiss on his cheek before looking into his eyes. “You’re my best friend. I love you so fucking much. You’re everything to me.”

  Joe patted his back, then let go. “We’ll get through this.” He gave a weak smile. “You know, it’s pretty much time to take care of the animals, anyway. How about I work on the mess in the bedroom while you do the morning chores? I’ve got stitches in my shoulder and heel, but I’m not an invalid, and hell, you’re hurt, too. Then we can both crash for a few hours.”

  Ed paused a moment, staring at him, then nodded. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too, babe.”

  As Ed stepped onto the front porch to head to the barn, a truck pulled into the drive. Bill’s pickup. He waited for it to pull up to the house. The screen door squeaked open behind him. Apparently, Joe had heard it, too.

  When Bill stepped out of his truck, he pointed a finger at them. “You should have called me.”

  Ed’s stomach flip-flopped at the distress evident on Bill’s face. “I’m sorry. We thought we’d wait for a decent hour.” Hell, it was barely five-thirty, the sun just beginning to rise. “And you’ve got your own chores to deal with.”

  Bill grimaced when his gaze landed on the charred lawn. He scrutinized the side of the house around the bedroom window—or rather, the gaping opening where the window had been—then joined them on the porch. “We’re family now. You don’t hesitate to phone me when something happens. I’ve already made a few calls, and help is on the way.”

  “Much appreciated.” Joe’s hand landed on Ed’s shoulder. “But you’ve still got your own animals to take care of. We’ll be moving slow, but we can get it done.”

  “Enough!” They both jumped at Bill’s sharp tone. “There are plenty of people who can and want to help. Don’t insult me or them by refusing it.”

  Ed’s eyes widened, and he swallowed. They hadn’t thought it through, obviously. Of course, Bill would feel insulted. So would a number of their new friends. “Sorry,” he murmured, echoed by Joe’s apology. “It’s been a long night. I guess we’re not thinking straight.”

  Bill gestured toward the front door. “Let’s get you boys inside. Looks like Joe needs to get that foot up, and you sure as hell don’t need to expose that arm to all the germs in a barn.” Once inside, he headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll get some coffee going, ’cause folks are gonna want that. Maybe I’ll mix up a big batch of pancake batter. That’s easy enough and will fill their bellies.”

  Joe looked at Ed, and shrugged as Bill disappeared. “He’s right. That arm needs to heal before you deal with anything in the barn. I should’ve thought of that.”

  Ed dropped onto the sofa. “I guess.”

  “There’s no reason for you to delay taking those pain pills the hospital sent home with us.”

  “I will if you will.”

  Joe rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll take mine, too.” He hobbled to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water as Ed popped out their pills through the foil of the blister packs. They both looked up as a couple more vehicles turned into their drive.

  “That first one’s Ruby’s car,” Ed said. “Someone’s with her. Maybe Eliza?”

  “Probably. That’s Ben’s behind her.”

  “Looks like he’s got a couple passengers. I can’t make out who, though.”

  “Should be Ray and Scott,” Bill called from the kitchen.

  That made sense. Ray was a farmer, but lived at home. His father should be able to spare him for a day or so. Scott was a farmhand who also had good carpentry skills. He’d be able to evaluate what they needed to do for repairs, and Ben would be able to source the materials for them. Ruby and Eliza were all-around helpful. They’d take charge and organize everything.

  Ed popped a coupl
e pills in his mouth and washed them down. Joe did the same, then they went to the door to welcome their friends.

  “You boys look like hell,” was Ruby’s greeting. “Eliza, let’s get them settled in one of the upstairs bedrooms.”

  Ed certainly felt like hell, so her assessment was probably fair. Joe let out a breath that sounded like the relief one feels when the last of a mountain of responsibility slides away. Ed had to agree with that sentiment. It was nice to be able to give in and simply allow their friends to take over.

  They replaced the disposable scrubs the hospital had provided with fresh pajama pants and T-shirts. It took only a few moments after his head finally hit the pillow before he was out.

  * * * *

  A choking sound from the open doorway pulled Joe from his sleep. He lay on his back with Ed plastered against his side, his head nestled on Joe’s good shoulder, and his injured arm resting across Joe’s waist. Bright sunlight and a mild breeze came through the window.

  Eliza stood at the door with her hand on her chest. She glanced behind her before whispering, “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you guys are bi and interested in playing around with an extra?”

  “Wha…whasat?” Ed blinked a few times as he stirred.

  Joe sputtered. “Sorry. No on both counts. But thanks for the compliment?”

  “Oh, well. Had to try. No hard feelings? You’ll still keep me in mind when it comes time to hire a wedding planner?”

  “Sure will.” Joe’s reply seemed safe enough, considering they’d never discussed marriage. Besides, he couldn’t think of anyone who’d be better suited to the task.

  Ed rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. He made a few incoherent noises that didn’t sound like any recognizable words, but seemed to convey a general notion of “what the hell?”

  “Well, anyway,” Eliza continued, “you guys have been out for eight hours, and Mom’s casserole just came out of the oven. You ready to eat, or do you want to go back to sleep?”

  “Eat,” Ed muttered. “We should get up so we can sleep tonight.”

  “Yeah,” Joe added. “We’ll be down in a couple minutes.”

  “Good. We’ll see you in a few and get you up to speed on what’s been done.” With that, she turned, and her footsteps faded down the stairs.

  “So we’re getting married, are we?” Ed muttered.

  Joe shrugged. “We can if you want.” It made sense. They owned property together now, and more importantly, he couldn’t imagine life without Ed. They weren’t hiding their relationship, so why not formalize it?

  “You serious?”

  “Think of the tax benefits. Rights to make medical decisions for each other, that kind of thing.”

  Ed tensed and his brows knit together. He didn’t say anything, just stared back with a hurt look in his eyes.

  Oh. Joe’s stomach clenched. He’d screwed that up. Badly. He planted a light kiss on the corner of Ed’s lips, then added, “And because I love you with all my heart, I want to spend the rest of my days with you and only you, and I don’t care who knows it.”

  Ed’s answering grin sent Joe’s heart soaring. “Me, too.”

  Epilogue

  “You ready to do this?” Joe asked a second time.

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Hell, yeah, I’m ready!”

  “Then quit asking. It makes me nervous.” Ed ran his hands down the beige vest that covered the creamy linen shirts they both wore. Simple Levis and boots completed their ensembles, although Eliza had insisted they purchase new jeans and buff up the boots for the event. At least Ed was comfortable, physically, even though he could see that Joe shared his slight stress.

  “’Cause you’re having second thoughts?”

  “Stop it! You askin’ makes me think you are.”

  “No, way. You might want to remember I’m the one that did the askin’.”

  Ed laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s not an entirely accurate description of how it went down.”

  At least Joe had the good grace to blush. “I suppose we might need to give a little credit to Eliza for prompting it all.”

  Ed scanned their yard, which had been converted from a simple lawn to a country-themed party zone. People sat on covered hay bales, with pots of chrysanthemums arranged atop barrels, and a sunflower motif permeated it all. Picnic tables stood scattered about for seating at the barbeque they’d eat after the ceremony, with a portable dance floor for a hoedown later in the evening.

  “Probably true,” Ed admitted. “Who knows how long it would have taken us to come to our senses otherwise? She certainly deserves all the credit for this.” He moved his arm in a wide arc. “She’s done a fantastic job making the place festive, yet keeping it simple at the same time.”

  “Don’t forget within budget.”

  Ed jumped at the sound of Eliza’s voice.

  Joe laughed. “It was. Thank you. A million thank yous for everything you’ve done.”

  “You’re welcome.” Eliza preened. “I think I’ve had more fun planning this party than any I’ve done up to this point.”

  Scott and Penny wandered over, with Ray and Robin close on their heels. Scott pointed to his watch and cocked an eyebrow. “You boys getting cold feet?”

  “Not a chance.” Joe draped his arm across Ed’s shoulders and pulled him closer. “He’s not escaping now.”

  Ed bumped his hip against him. “Like I’d want to.”

  “Good,” Eliza replied. “Because it’s time.”

  The guests wore wide grins as Eliza herded them toward the seats. Bill sat in the front row, ready to get up for his reading. Beyond that, the ceremony, like the decorations, would be kept simple. When Ed had asked Joe if he wanted them to write their own custom vows, the horrified look on Joe’s face had put an end to that thought. It was just as well—it wasn’t really Ed’s style, either.

  With the guests all seated and peering back expectantly, the music started. The Beach Boys’ song “Forever” signaled it was time for them to walk the path to the officiant. When they reached the front, they turned to each other and joined hands. The officiant said a few standard words that Ed didn’t hear because all he could focus on was Joe’s rapturous expression.

  Bill stepped forward when introduced. Ed and Joe faced him. Bill cleared his throat. “First I’m going to read a passage from the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision for marriage equality. Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion has been mined for quotes to be read at weddings since it was first published, and with good reason.”

  He took a deep breath, lifted the paper clutched in his hands, and read from it.

  “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

  Bill dropped his arm and looked out at the crowd. “Ed Jamison and Joe Durham stand before us today full of that hope Justice Kennedy wrote about. They fully recognize and already live their lives embracing the ideals embodied in marriage. No one looking upon the two of them together can walk away doubting their mutual love. They are devoted to one another, stand here before you to promise their fidelity to each other, and we’ve all seen the sacrifices they’ve made. Joe’s family joins us today to honor this union, and I know, without a shred of doubt in my heart, that Ed’s father, Fred, is smiling down on us and offering his blessing to his son and to Joe. They’ve certainly got my blessing.”

  A tear traced d
own Bill’s cheek, and a few sniffles came from the seated guests. A quick glance confirmed for Ed that his future mother-in-law was a contributor, although Jenny, sitting beside her, wore a wide grin.

  Bill sat, and the officiant moved directly to the traditional marriage vows. Ed again faced Joe and clasped hands.

  “Edward, do you take Joseph to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, for as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.” Ed’s voice rang out loud and clear. He was proud to make that vow in front of anybody who’d listen.

  As the officiant repeated the same question to Joe, they locked eyes, and Joe’s grin spread from ear to ear. Ed didn’t hear the question, but he heard Joe’s reply. “I most certainly do!”

  Giggles mingled with the sniffs from their guests. The simple gold bands they’d purchased were brought out, and they said the traditional “with these rings I thee wed” statements, then he slipped one ring onto Joe’s finger, and shivered as Joe did the same for him.

  Just like that, they were officially pronounced “husband and husband.” Ed squeezed Joe’s hands like he’d never let go. His eyes filled with tears, and the officiant must have told them to kiss because Joe leaned in and pressed his lips to Ed’s.

  The officiant droned on about something, presumably closing remarks, but again Ed didn’t hear the words. When CeCe Peniston’s “Finally” began playing, they turned and walked—no practically skipped—toward the area where Sawyer’s restaurant was catering the barbeque.

  Joe pulled in Ed for a quick hug, murmured “I love you, husband,” then turned and hollered, “Let’s get this party started!” to a chorus of loud whoops and cheers.

  Ed laughed as the crowd swallowed them, and their friends patted their backs and voiced their congratulations. Joe finally teared up when his dad enveloped him in a bear hug and whispered into his ear something Ed couldn’t make out.