Adam was very surprised by Damien's sudden switch. Maybe if they if they did have dinner together, he could further build on Damien supporting him to the children. That would be very helpful. While Simon and Mary were good scholars, their attitudes towards the other children needed some serious work. If their father saw this, it would be a great improvement.
"Alright, Mister Sandow, I'd be happy to have dinner with you. It will give me a chance to further explain my course of studies for the children," Adam said with a smile. With all he'd been told about Damien, the sooner he could get the man on his side, the better.
"Let's say at six then? Shall I pick you up? I've heard you and your family moved into the Williams' house," Sandow said with a bright smile on his lips, his eyes sparkled with joy. He was surprised Adam said yes so quickly.
"No, I'll just meet you there. I have to do a few things first. I'll look forward to it. Give us a chance to know each other better. I want to build good relationships with all my parents," Adam said in a warm tone and smile to match.
Damien*s face fell and his shoulders slumped, a frown formed on his lips almost hidden under his beard. Adam was looking on this as a private parent-teacher dinner, he'd meant it to be more than that. Well, he would work to change it. "Perfect. I'll meet you in the lobby at six. I'll go now, get the children settled," the banker said as he stood. The two men shook hands. Damien left and Adam finished up writing the next day's lessons on the board.
The day in court was over. The Sundown Kid was in trouble, with Hunter's testimony there was no doubt of his guilt. His defense had been that he'd been falsely identified. It had been a far-fetched idea, but his lawyer had to try. The Kid was now sitting in a cell in the Great Falls jail.
"I want you two to get home and stay outta trouble. If I have to haul you in one more time, you'll face the Judge, now git!" Hunter said firmly to Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. The once fighting cousins now looked like docile sheep. Jail time had calmed them.
Without a word, the cousins left. Hunter laughed. "I'll give it a week. Tell ya what, John, if you'll stay, I'll take Mark and Shawn to dinner. Shawn? Mark, John, Matt and I are gonna play a couple games of poker. We'd love ta have ya join us," Hunter said as a smile played over his face. He really liked Shawn, he felt like he'd found a long-lost brother.
Shawn thought about it. Oh how he would love to have a night out, he just questioned that it was poker. Then he thought, as long as it wasn't excessive, and he set a limit, it would be alright. He made up his mind. "I'd love to. I just need to run home before we go to dinner," Shawn's eyes danced with delight as he spoke. He'd never been allowed to have friends or go out without Vince, and he couldn't wait.
"Good. We'll meet you at the hotel at six. If I see Hart, I'll invite him as well," Hunter laughed when he saw Shawn's face light up like moon rise on the Missouri river.
"Very good. He plowed the school garden for Adam today, so he might be too tired by now. I'll see you at the hotel," Shawn said as he left the office. He was nearly dancing and a smile shone on his beautiful face.
Adam finished writing the list of spelling words and looked at the clock. Five o' clock. He had just enough time to hurry to the Feed and Hardware store to pick up the seeds for the children, then run home for a quick wash up.
Sheamus Farrelly was helping Adam with the order for the school. Sheamus was a tall, pale skinned Irishman with bright red hair and a matching red beard and mustache. He was married to Jack Swagger, a shorter, stocky blond. Both men were strong and muscular from years of heaving heavy sacks of feed, grain and farm implements. They were the parents of Ian and Martha, they were trying for a third, but Jack was having a hard time so they left it in God's hands.
"Ian and Martha are really excited about school. I never saw them like this before. Well, this is it," Sheamus said as he placed the last packet of seeds into a small box.
"I'm glad. They are delightful children, you and your husband must be so proud. Now, how much do I owe you?" Adam asked as he pulled out his small leather coin purse.
"And yer not payin'. It's fer the school, I think we can afford a few packets of seeds to further learnin'" Sheamus spoke warmly, his Irish accent thick.
Adam smiled. "Thank you so much Mister Farrelly, that is most kind of you. It is so wonderful to see parents care about education. It shows; Martha and Ian are both champion spellers. Did they tell you?" Adam asked as he picked up the box of seeds.
"Aye, made us proud, they did. They are upstairs with their noses in their books. Usually Jack has to nag em' to the Saints to do their school work," Sheamus replied as he and Adam walked to the door of the store.
"I'm so pleased. I hope it stays that way. Thank you again for the seeds. Please, stop by the school anytime. Maybe you could tell us about Ireland," Adam encouraged. Hopefully the parents would do things like that on occasion.
Adam hurried home. Jason was at work and he could hear Shawn in the water closet, so he called out, "Poppa, I'm home, but I have to hurry. I'm having dinner with one of the parents!" He went in to his room to get washed. The teacher put down his books and box of seeds. He really needed to get a leather satchel. He removed his coat, slipped his suspenders off his shoulders, and took off his shirt, then washed and dried his face. Afterwards he carefully trimmed his light beard.
"Who are you having dinner with?" Shawn asked as he came to Adam's room. It was obvious he had just washed as well, as his hair was still damp.
Adam looked at his poppa. "You going out too? Mister Sandow. He came to complain not an hour after school. We were making progress, and he invited me to dinner. I hope to continue to win his support," he explained as he undid his pony tail.
"Oh, that's fine, but be careful, you know what people say about him. By the way, I'm having dinner out as well. Hunter is taking myself and the Marshal to the hotel. I'm going back to the Sheriff's Office after to play cards. Do you think that is alright?" Shawn almost sounded like the child, not the parent.
"I think that's wonderful, Poppa. It's about damn time you had a life and friends of your own. You never went anywhere in Boston without Father. Just don't gamble all our money away," Adam said with a laugh and a wink. He was truly happy his dear poppa was making a life for himself.
Shawn laughed, "I won't, and language please. I won't be late. I am looking forward to it," he replied as he watched his son redo his long pony tail.
"Oh, Mister Farrelly gave me all those seeds for the children's garden. Today was wonderful, Poppa. I'll tell you about it while we walk to the hotel," Adam said as he redressed and put his jacket back on. He wasn't going to change, after all this was a parent-teacher meeting.
Together, poppa and son walked to the hotel. As they walked, Adam told all about his first day of school. Shawn was so proud and happy for his baby boy. There was nothing so satisfying as a parent than to see their child succeed at fulfilling a dream.
"Mister Farrelly said his children were buried in their books as soon as they got to the store. Now, if I can just convince Mister Sandow to get on side, I may actually be able to call myself a teacher." Adam finished telling the days events as they arrived at the Helmsley Arms.
Shawn hugged his son. "I'm so proud and pleased for you. I hope your dinner goes well."
"I hope you enjoy yourself too, Poppa. Stay out as late as you want, have fun!" Adam returned his poppa's hug.
The parent and child went into the hotel. Adam introduced Damien to Shawn, then Hunter introduced Mark to everyone. In the restaurant, the groups sat at different tables on opposite sides of the room.
Wade Barrett was in the back corner, having his supper. He'd been surprised to see Adam, then even more surprised when he realized he was with Damien Sandow, of all people.
Bret Hart came into the restaurant. He stopped at Hunter's table, shook hands with Hunter and Mark, then kissed Shawn's cheek. He wanted it very clear that Shawn was his. It made Shawn feel good, he loved Bret's protectiveness. Bret said he'd love to join the card game but he'd promised Wade to have dinner with him. He would go to Hunter's office after dinner. Shawn was even happier knowing Bret would join in the game. He watched Bret's backside with an almost lustful leer as the rancher walked way, luckily neither Hunter nor the Marshal had noticed.
"Wade, I've never seen you this quiet. What's stuck in your craw?" Bret asked as April brought Bret's huge steak dinner to the table.
"Adam and Damien. They look... happy together. Uncle Bret, why doesn't Adam show me any interest?" Wade asked with a sad, deep sigh.
"I don't know, son. Shawn only lets himself go so far as well. He is so... guarded. I'm not sure, but I would say someone close to both Shawn and Adam has hurt them; badly. Shawn feels safe around me, but Adam may still be afraid to trust anyone other than Shawn and Jason. Remember, you are thirty, he's only eighteen and fairly innocent. If you really want Adam, build a strong, solid foundation of friendship and trust first. He's like that wild mare you tamed. Remember, how first you just talked to her, then fed her bits of apple. In a week she was eating from your hand, and after weeks of petting and patience, she's now your best friend and faithful companion. Tame Adam in the same way," Bret spoke with an elders wisdom, and the wisdom of a tamer of wild spirits.
Wade reflected as he ate. Chocolate cake came to his mind. The cake would be the "apple" he used to tame Adam. His goal was to get Adam to eat a piece of cake from him. When Adam did that, Wade would know he'd have Adam for his own.
Adam had seen Bret come in, but because his back was to the room, he had no idea Wade was there watching his every movement. Adam and Damien chatted casually about his course plan for the school. "… I hope in a few weeks they will all be caught up and can advance together. Sadly the town school has fallen behind the country schools. It's my goal to make the town school the best," Adam said, then took a bite of baked potato.
"I'm sure someone as intelligent as you, will pull the school up to standard. Adam, may I say you have the most beautiful and charming smile. You are very beautiful," Damien's tone was almost seductive.
Adam blushed. "Um... thank you. I was wondering, would you be willing to come talk to the children about the banking business? Maybe let them come see the bank during an outing?" He wanted to keep the conversation focused on the school.
"That's an interesting idea. That would be something useful to tell about, if they could understand it." Damien's tone still had that superior edge to it.
"Damien, they are very smart, all of them. Mister Farrelly will come speak on how to choose the proper crops and seeds to grow in the different types of soil, he's also going to talk about Ireland. I'm going to ask Mister McIntyre to show them how printing presses work and what a journalist does. The Sheriff, Judge and Lawyer Lawler could talk about the law and the justice system. All the towns people could talk." Adam's idea grew as he spoke. It would be a wonderful opportunity and could help the children decide what they wanted to do as a job.
"Adam, you are a very dedicated teacher. We were most fortunate when you came to town. So, tell me, where was home before? Obviously back east from your accent, but where?" Damien asked. He wanted to stop talking about school. He wanted to know Adam the man, not Adam the teacher.
"Yes, back east. Do you think I could bring the children to the bank, show them how it works?" Adam once again took the conversation back to education.
Damien sighed, then called April over and ordered his usual dessert for each of them, along with coffee. "Adam, my dear, I admire your tenacity as a teacher, but I would like to get to know you more personally. Perhaps even court you," Damien finally admitted his real intentions for their dinner together.
Adam sighed. "Mister Sandow, I appreciate the compliment, but I am here as your children's teacher. I am not interested in a courting relationship. So if that's all you wanted, I'm afraid I must be leaving." Adam started to get up. He was really disappointed in Damien.
"No, please wait. Adam, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spoil the evening. Your personal life is none of my business. Now, let us enjoy our dessert and you tell me more of your plans for our children," Damien said. He realized if he wanted Adam in his bed, he'd have to tread lightly.
Adam relaxed, and smiled when April put a piece of the chocolate cake and cup of coffee in front of both. "Thank you for understanding... love isn't for me," he said with a bit of a sigh.
"You are much too young to make that decision. However, I admire that you put your teaching first. Now, come eat up, this is the best chocolate cake in Montana," Damien said as he bit into the thick, rich layers of chocolate goodness.
Adam took a forkful of the cake. It made him think of Wade. He'd felt that if he ate the cake with Wade, it would mean he was interested in Wade. If he ate the cake from Damien, that was all it was, a piece of cake. He took the bite into his mouth, it was the most delicious cake he'd ever eaten, even his poppa's.
As Adam finished his third bite, Wade stopped at the table. "Adam, I hope you enjoy the cake." Wade's tone was almost sad. The teacher watched as the superintendent left the restaurant. It made Adam feel bad, but he wasn't sure why.
Damien didn't understand what just happened, but Adam had gone from happy to sullen. Was there something between Wade and Adam? All he knew was that the atmosphere had just changed. Well, he was going to have Adam, not Barrett.
"Adam, my dear, are you alright? Is your employer not happy with you? If so, I can call a meeting of the School Board, I am the Chairman after all," Damien said with a sip of his coffee.
"No, Damien, everything is fine between Superintendent Barrett and myself. I promise you. I didn't realize you were the Chairman of the School Board. I was most surprised when I was hired without meeting the Board," Adam said as he pushed away the plate of half eaten cake. Why did chocolate cake have to be so... dangerous?
"We told Superintendent Barrett, months ago, just find a teacher and we would accept his choice. We only meet once a term, or if there is an emergency," Damien explained. As the Chairman, he felt no need to call meetings and waste time with petty arguments, so they left it all to Barrett.
"I see. Well, I hope the Board will take a more active role, the Superintendent has his hands full with eight schools. Well, Damien, I have enjoyed our dinner very much, but I should be going home. I have ten eager pupils to prepare for," Adam said in a happier tone. He was glad to be done with dinner. He just wanted to get home. Something inside felt upset and broken and Adam just wanted home and hearth.
"I hope you enjoyed yourself, my dear. Please, allow me to escort you home. You are too beautiful to walk alone," Damien said as he laid the money for the meal on the table. Adam noticed he left nothing extra for April. Adam flushed a bit as he stood. He took the arm Damien offered and allowed the banker to escort him home.
Shawn, in the meantime, had watched his son. He felt bad for Wade, he could see the sadness in the man's face. He hoped Adam didn't choose Sandow over Barrett. Damien was Vince all over again. Shawn decided he'd have a more serious talk with his son.
Hunter, Mark and Shawn were enjoying their dessert of peach cobbler. "May I join you?" Bret asked as he walked up to the table.
"Of course you can," Hunter said with a laugh. He and Mark had told Shawn about a funny moment with the Wyatt cousins.
Bret leaned over and whispered in Shawn's ear, "You look beautiful. I've thought about you all day." The rancher's breath was hot in Shawn's ear.
Shawn had to bite his lip to keep from turning bright red. "I thought about you, too. Wade looked upset," Shawn said as he turned the conversation.
"He was. I'm afraid my nephew is in for a long battle. I'd like to talk to you about it. Maybe later, after the game?" Bret asked in a serious tone. He was very worried about his nephew. Wade had been hurt by love and Bret didn't want to see him hurt again. Shawn and Adam may have been hurt, but they weren't the only ones who'd been burned by the fires of love.
"I agree. I'm worried about Adam too," Shawn whispered softly. Maybe it was time to open up to Bret, just a bit.
"If you two are done making cow's eyes at each other, we're ready to go play some cards," Hunter said with a laugh and wink. He was happy that Bret and Shawn had found each other.
Both Bret and Shawn cast blush faced glares, but they weren't filled with anger, just annoyance. "Let's go and no carpin' when I take all your money," Bret said with a wicked laugh. He stood and offered Shawn his hand. Shawn placed his hand in Bret's, and they followed the two lawmen out of the restaurant.
As the four men entered the hotel lobby from the restaurant, Chris came out from behind his desk and went to his husband. "You behave yourself. No whiskey, or at least just one, and try not to lose all our money. I love you, Hunt," Chris said softly as he kissed and hugged his husband.
"I'll be good, I promise. I love you, Chrissy," Hunter leaned down and kissed his husband deeply.
Many people thought Chris and Hunter were a case of opposites attract, and they were. They loved each other and that was all that mattered, hang what anyone thought. They had been together fifteen years, so something had to be working. However, when they fought, the entire population of Great Falls knew it. One particular argument, a few years ago had given Chris and Hunter the nickname of Hurricane Helmsley, thankfully, their fights never lasted too long.
"Oh, please Chris, I haven't seen Jason to tell him where I am. Would you tell him? And let him know that Adam is home; alone. Thank you," Shawn managed to get his words out before Bret dragged him out of the hotel. Chris laughed and said he would.
Adam stopped at the gate of their new house. "Thank you for a pleasant evening, Damien. I enjoyed it," Adam said with a warm smile.
Damien thought Adam looked so beautiful in the moonlight, he wanted more time with the teacher. "How about a swing on the porch, I see you have one," the banker asked as he moved his hand to caress Adam's face.
Adam flinched away, a look of fear filling his eyes. "Um... it's late. I need to get some sleep, but I did enjoy it." He backed through the gate and closed it. It was a clear signal to the banker.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I did as well. Go get your beauty sleep. Good night, my dear," Damien said softly. He was disappointed, but there was time to win Adam's heart. Damien watched to make sure Adam got safely in the house. When he saw the light flick in the window upstairs, he left. Damien wasn't the only one watching.
Wade Barrett had followed as Adam and Damien left the hotel. He'd hidden in the bushes to make sure Adam was safe. When Damien had moved to caress Adam's cheek, and Adam flinched, he'd almost come out of hiding to protect Adam. The look on Adam's face told a lot. It confirmed what Wade already suspected, at sometime, someone had hit Adam in anger. He vowed to make sure no one ever raised a hand to Adam again.
When Damien vanished out of sight, Wade stepped out of his hiding place. He stood in front of number twelve Maple Street and looked up at the lit room. He sighed wistfully, and hoped that someday, Adam would be his, to love, honor and cherish.
At the Sheriff's Office, Hunter, Mark, Bret and Shawn were in the middle of a heated game of poker. Neither of the Hardy Brothers stayed to play, it was a busy night at the saloon. John had opted to go home and sleep a couple of hours. He would come back and stay at the jail to help Mark and watch The Sundown Kid.
Hunter, Mark and Bret were smoking cigars while Shawn enjoyed a cigarette that Bret had rolled for him. Vince always made him smoke cigars, when he'd rather have a cigarette. It was wonderful when Bret just rolled him one with a smile and no argument.
"So, have you heard from your step-brother lately?" Hunter asked Mark as he dealt the next hand.
"He's doin' pretty good. Got a letter from him a coupla day ago. He's a workin' on some big missin' persons case. Some rich banker lookin' for his husband or somethin'," Mark said as he picked up his hand, then made his bet.
Shawn's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. It couldn't be Vince looking for him? No, must be a coincidence. A U.S. Marshal here in Montana wouldn't have a brother in Boston. He took his turn and tossed in his bet.
"How does Glenn like Boston?" Hunter asked as he dealt the cards people traded for. This time, Shawn nearly dropped his cards. He had to take a deep breath before he came unhinged.
"Sunflower, you alright?" Bret asked in a worried tone. Shawn had suddenly lost all color and was nearly trembling.
Shawn laughed nervously. "Yeah. I'm just a lousy poker face. Roll me another, please?" he asked as he threw in his hand. He'd thrown away a full house he was so unnerved. He had to keep it together.
Bret laughed and happily obliged Shawn's request. He knew poker wasn't what was wrong, but he let it go. He only wished his Sunflower would open up, talk to him about what was troubling him, maybe learn something about his past as well.
Mark noticed with his well-trained lawman's eye that something had unhinged the beautiful blond. He just wished he'd noticed when it had happened. The lawman decided to probe a little. Mark shuffled and dealt the next hand. "Shawn, how long ya been in Great Falls?" He made his voice smooth and casual, and placed the unused cards down.
"Oh, a bit more than a month," Shawn replied with a bit of caution. He wondered if Mark suspected anything.
Bret threw in his bet, he then rolled two more cigarettes; one for Shawn and one for himself. "So what do you think is gonna happen to The Kid in yonder?" He wanted to get the conversation off Shawn. He gave Shawn's thigh a comforting squeeze under the table. Shawn understood and gave Bret a warm smile, and squeezed Bret's thigh in return.
Mark chewed on his cigar. "S'pose he'll bite the ground. He did kill that banker down south of Helena," the Marshal answered as he bit the tip off a fresh cigar and spit the end on the floor.
"It must be frightening to know that you're going to die. I hope he's squared up with God," Shawn said with a bit of a shudder.
"S'pose so, but think of the innocent man he killed, he never had a chance to say good-bye to his family," Mark drawled out. He was from Texas and had once been a Ranger.
"True enough. Still, he is so young, just a bit older than my Jason. I'm so thankful my boys are good boys," Shawn said with a sigh of contentment. Thinking of how lucky he was calmed him a bit.
"I was lucky with Wade as well. I think I did fairly well for bein' fifteen and takin' on a baby. I am glad his nurse was with us though. She was a dear heart," Bret said with a warm smile.
"Yes, she was. She helped Chris so much when Edward was born. Poor thing died a month later, she jest keeled over in the middle of church. Pastor DiBiase came after that. I think having Nurse Bess die in the middle of his sermon was too much fer Pastor Harp," Hunter replied.
"How do we always do this? We cover more subjects in five minutes than a quilt," Bret said with a laugh. They always wandered off topics, but they had some interesting conversations.
"How many boys do you have? You don't look old enough to have a twenty-one year old," Mark added with a thick, blue-gray puff of smoke. It curled around his head like a halo.
Shawn's nerves boiled to the surface again. He took a deep drag from his cigarette. "Thank you for the compliment. I have two boys." He gave a simple but polite reply. He folded another good hand, a flush. He could not concentrate on the game at all.
"Well boys, this is my last hand. Gettin' late for this old man," Bret said with an exaggerated yawn. He once again sensed Shawn's uneasiness, and wanted to get his Sunflower out of there.
"Yep. Chris will be mad if I stay longer. John is a commin' to stay with ya. I'll be here in the mornin', to help ya git on the train," Hunter said with a yawn of his own.
"Appreciate it, Hunter. I'll be back up dis way in a coupla weeks. Tell Chris to have my room ready," Mark half smiled as he blew another halo of cigar smoke around his head.
"Will do. Well, boys, full house, last kitty is mine. Sorry 'bout that," Hunter said with a sly smirk.
Shawn and Bret cleared away the poker things while Hunter swept the floor. Mark went back to the jail to check on his prisoner. John Orton came in just as Bret was helping Shawn into his suit coat.
Greetings were exchanged, then goodbyes. Shawn wanted to get away. When Mark shook his hand goodbye, he felt the Marshal staring into his soul. He wanted to run right then and there but he kept himself in check.
Bret helped Shawn up into his buckboard. The coppery blond laid his head on Bret's shoulder. He knew the older man was a comfort, he knew with Bret he was safe. That is, until he found out about Vincent.
"Sunflower... never mind..." Bret let his voice trail off. He knew it wouldn't do any good to ask yet again, but he wished Shawn would talk to him.
Shawn looked up at Bret. "Some day, I promise. Just... not now, alright?" His turquoise eyes filled with emotion, tears tried not to form.
At the end of Main Street, Bret stopped the buckboard. "Alright, Sunflower, but as long as you are mine, nothing or no one will ever hurt you. I don't care what your past is either. You could be a whore from the docks and I wouldn't care. You're mine now, Shawn. I'll take care of you," Bret said. He leaned down and kissed Shawn deeply to seal his words. He meant every one of them.
Shawn melted into Bret's embrace. If he could crawl into Bret's skin he would. He'd never felt so safe, secure and loved... yes, he loved Bret. The problem was he couldn't let Bret know or give him any false hopes. Oh, how he cursed himself for not divorcing Vince.
They broke the kiss. "Thank you, Bret, that means a lot to me. I hope you know that. No matter what, I will always remember you and your kindness," Shawn said as he finally let the tears fall.
Bret caressed Shawn's face, a look of fear in his eyes. "Shawn, why did that sound like you were trying to say goodbye?"
Shawn looked at Bret. "Isn't life full of goodbyes? We never know do we? Like that banker, the one The Sundown Kid killed. Do you think he woke up that morning and knew he'd be dead by nightfall? I wanted you to know I'd never forget you, if something ever happened," he tried to explain as best he could. He kissed Bret's lips softly and was soon pulled into a deep kiss.
When that kiss broke, Bret started the horses again. They walked slowly as they made the turn on to Maple Street. When they got to number twelve, it was nearing midnight. Shawn noticed Adam was still awake, or at least his light was on. Jason's room was still dark, he'd probably be home soon.
"Sit with me on the swing for a bit?" Shawn asked hopefully. He wanted as much time with Bret as he could get.
Bret nodded. He climbed down from the buckboard and helped Shawn down. Bret knew his mares would stand, and the brake on the buckboard was set, so he didn't bother to tie them.
Holding hands, the couple walked to the house, climbed up the steps and sat on the large, comfortable porch swing. Bret rolled two cigarettes as Shawn curled his legs under himself and laid his head on Bret's shoulder.
Bret lit both cigarettes with one match. "That was a good poker game. I was up two bits, how about you?" he asked as he inhaled, causing the tip of his cigarette to glow red in the darkness.
"I was up a dollar, but broke even at the end. I lost my concentration," Shawn said with a drag of his own smoke. He smiled as he saw Jason come through the gate and walk up the sidewalk.
Jason smiled as he reached he steps. He loved seeing his poppa so relaxed and happy. "Have a good time, Poppa? Evenin' Mister Hart," Jason said as he removed his scarlet coat. Bret nodded to Shawn's oldest.
"Yes I did son, thank you. Did you have a good day at work?" Shawn asked as he flicked the ashes from his cigarette.
"Yes, thank you. Lots of salesmen came on the nine fifteen, lousy tippers though. One got a little fresh with Heath, and Mister Chris sent him to the boarding house. He really is a good boss. I hope to own a hotel like his someday," Jason said with a suppressed yawn. The visiting newspaper men plus the salesmen made for a busy night, and he was tired.
Bret gave a bit of a snicker. "Perhaps you will," no one really picked up on his sly smirk.
"Go on in, son. I think your brother is still up. I'll speak to you before I go to bed. It won't be long," Shawn said with a tired smile as he finished his smoke.
"Thank you, Mister Hart for being so good to Poppa. I am so glad we came here, Great Falls is a wonderful place to call home," Jason said with a smile. He turned and unlocked the door and entered the house.
"He's a good boy, Shawn. He must be a great comfort to you," Bret said with a kiss to the top of Shawn's head.
"They both are, but yes, Jason has taken on the role of head of the family. We wouldn't be here without him..." Shawn's word's faded again.
"Oh, my precious Sunflower," was all Bret said as he pulled Shawn in closer.
"What did Marshal Calaway mean by telling Hunter, to tell Chris to get his room ready?" Shawn asked curiously. The Marshal made him too nervous.
"Oh, he goes from area to area. He'll stay as long as a month, then move to the next area. It gives people a chance to have federal matters taken care of. He covers about five hundred square miles. It must be hard, he doesn't really have a home and his only family, his half-brother Glenn, is in Boston. He's nice, but he's always so serious. He's always on duty, don't think he knows the word relax... and we aren't the best of friends," Bret explained at length. He did feel a bit sorry for Mark, being a Marshal was a lonely job.
Shawn and Bret shared another cigarette and kisses. Finally Shawn tore himself away from Bret. He'd been doing some serious thinking.
Bret stood up to leave. "Good night my Sunflower. I'll see you tomorrow, or later." He gave Shawn a last, deep, passion filled kiss.
"Good night, my darlin' Bret," Shawn said with a smile. He fought back the rising tears as he watched Bret drive away.
With a sad and heavy heart, Shawn went into the house and locked the door behind him. He went up the stairs and found Jason sitting on Adam's bed. He sighed deeply and joined them.
Shawn wrapped one arm around each of his boys and pulled them in close. "Boys, I hate to say this, but we can't stay here. We have to leave Great Falls; tomorrow." Shawn finally let go of his tears as he announced his decision. In order to stay hidden, he knew they had to leave.