Craig looked up from the paperwork he had been studying to glance over at the young man quietly peering back at him expectantly. "Looks like the investment banker has done a fine job with your inheritance, Brian," he told him, confirming Brian's thoughts. "I'm glad they followed through for you. I have always thought highly of their integrity and business acumen. You should have quite an impressive nest egg to do whatever you want to do in the future."

"Thank you, Mr. Taylor," Brian told him sincerely. The two of them had forged a civil, if not pleasant relationship with Justin as their anchor; they wouldn't ever be the best of friends, but by now Brian was convinced that Justin's father knew he only wanted the best for his son, and that he would never purposely hurt him. He had to respect a man who watched over his children the way that this man did. "I thought they were doing a good job, but it's a relief to get another opinion, especially from someone whose specialty is accounting."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about," Craig assured him as Brian nodded in satisfaction. He paused. "May I ask you a question, Brian?" he inquired quietly as he studied the young man who had become such an integral part of his youngest son's life.

"Of course."

Craig nodded. "Speaking of the future, you realize that my son will be heading off to college in the fall."

Brian swallowed hard. "Yes, I realize that," he replied softly, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap. In fact, it was uppermost on his mind most of the time; that, and how fucking difficult it would be to say goodbye to the boy he had come to love, and presently had the luxury of seeing every day. The boy who had turned his life around, but also toppled his world upside down, but in a good way. Pittsburgh and its attractions seemed like a world away now, and not nearly as enticing as they once had seemed.

"I know the two of you have grown very close over the past year." Craig could no longer deny that their feelings were genuine. He still wasn't 100% comfortable with this older boy being so deeply involved with his impressionable son, but he also knew Brian wasn't going away. At least, not as far as he knew. "What are your plans, Brian? You don't seem like the type to be some lifetime sulky driver; no more than my son could be."

"No, Sir," Brian told him firmly with a shake of his head. "I mean, it's definitely a rush, and it's exciting when I'm racing around the track with True Blue," he admitted. "But that's all it is; a temporary thrill. I'm not planning on following in my cousin's footsteps."

Craig studied the young man thoughtfully. "I think that's a smart decision." He paused for a moment, thinking Justin might not be too happy with what he was about to do, but feeling a need to do it anyway out of concern and love for him. "I admit I don't really know a lot about you. About what your goals are. You do have some, I assume?"

Brian instantly bristled inside, but ultimately decided not to be offended by that question; rather, he chose to view it as curious interest and just be upfront with the man. "To be honest, I wasn't the most...diligent student growing up." He grimaced. "And good old Mom & Dad weren't very supportive, either. Frankly, they thought I was a piece of shit, and they treated me that way, too."

"That must have been difficult for you."

Brian snorted. "That's an understatement. Let's just say they didn't bring me up the same way I'm sure you and Mrs. Taylor raised Justin and Jared. They didn't care if I roamed the streets at night, or skipped school. Not as long as I did it on the QT, and didn't do anything to publicly embarrass them." He laughed derisively. "I guess I slipped up when I stole that car, and wrecked it. That sort of brought things out into the spotlight."

Craig couldn't help grinning slightly over that remark, despite his abhorrence for deliberately thumbing one's nose at the law. "Yes, I suppose it would," he told him dryly before he grew more serious. "Brian...surely you are interested in something else...other than my son, that is."

Brian felt his face grow warm; it was a bit odd talking to his lover's father about that subject. "Of course I am," he replied a little defensively. "I'm not dumb."

"No, I would never think that," Craig assured him. "In fact, I suspect you are highly intelligent. A little stubborn and rebellious, perhaps. But not dumb. I'm just trying to figure out what makes you tick."

Brian smirked over the choice of words. "Makes me tick?"

Craig shrugged. "What drives you. What makes you get up in the morning." Now it was Craig's turn to feel embarrassed as he realized what he had just said. "You know what I mean."

Brian nodded, deciding to let that innuendo drop. "Well...I like photography," he told him. "I like to see things from different angles. And I told Justin that besides sports, there was one area in high school that I was good at - business."

Craig's eyes widened in surprise. "Business?" That would have probably been the last thing he would thought this boy would say.

"Well, marketing, actually, to be specific. In school, I used to go through all these magazines in the library to find various kinds of products, and then I would develop a different way to sell it; a more innovative way." He shook his head. "Some of the ads in those magazines were so lame. I could have sold a hell of a lot more with what I came up with than those morons must have done with their ads. The whole key is finding out what the right demographic is, and then appealing to that market. Those suits up in their glass towers never seemed to understand that. But my marketing instructor said I had a knack for it. And I liked it," Brian revealed with a shrug.

Craig nodded, noticing how animated the boy had become as he talked; it reminded him a lot of how Justin always talks about his art. He smiled. "I can see you did like it. I can hear it in your voice."

Brian blushed. "Well...yeah..." he mumbled, feeling a little awkward. "I was good at it. And when the teacher used to tell me how impressed he was with what I came up with...it made me feel good, too," he admitted.

Craig silently digested all this information. He had already figured out that the Kinney boy was intelligent, and bordered a little bit on the cocky side. But what he hadn't figured out was how much vulnerability and even insecurity lay beneath the otherwise self-assured surface. He could see how Justin might be drawn to this young man, for once you spent some more time with him, it was easily apparent that he was much more complex than one would think. "Well, then...if that is something you enjoy, Brian, then you should pursue it."

Brian pondered Craig's statement. "Maybe," he conceded. "But it's not quite that easy. I didn't get the best of grades in school - except for my economics and business classes," he told him.

"But you said your teacher was impressed with your work in those areas."

Brian nodded.

"Well, then how about getting him or her to write a letter of recommendation for you?"

Brian frowned. "A letter of recommendation for what purpose? A job?" He laughed. "There aren't exactly a lot of jobs for marketing out here in the sticks."

"No," Craig admitted with a small smile. "But with the type of investment you have - with the size of it, and with smart choices in the future under the guidance of a good investment banker - you could go anywhere you want for a job."

Brian studied the other man intently, wondering if there was more to what he was saying. He wasn't sure, but he still had to ask. "You mean...away from Justin." To his surprise, however, Justin's father seemed to take offense at that statement; if he had been a cat, Brian thought the hackles would have been raised on his back.

"No, Brian, that is NOT what I'm saying," the man growled. Craig let out a deep breath to calm himself. When he next spoke, his voice was dramatically calmer and quieter. "I'm just saying that neither of you should plan your entire life according to what is happening now...nor should you limit your opportunities based on some romantic Romeo and Juliet notion that the two of you might have."

Now it was Brian's turn to become offended. "You make it sound like it's some sort of fly-by-night type of relationship that will change like the wind does."

Craig sighed. "Brian, you're 19 years old...and Justin is 17. Both of you still have your lives ahead of you. Believe me, you will go through many relationships before you finally find the one you want to settle down with."

Brian pursed his lips tightly together in irritation before asking, "And how many relationships did YOU have before you and Jennifer met and got married?" He watched as Craig squirmed in his chair.

"That...was different," Craig replied quietly, not quite sure he believed that, however.

"Oh? Do tell. How was it different, Mr. Taylor? How old were you and Mrs. Taylor when the two of you met?"

"That's not the point," Craig maintained. "We were both in college by then."

"What difference does that make?" Brian countered. "You didn't answer my question."

Justin's father rubbed his face across his jaw before he revealed, "Jennifer was very smart for her age, and took advance placement classes in high school. So she was able to enroll as a college freshman at UK when she was still 17. I met her when I was a sophomore, so I would have been...19 then." He didn't realize what he had said until Brian suddenly developed a 'cat-in-the-canary' look. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. He shook his head as Brian smirked back at him. "We were the same age as you and Justin are now."

Brian's grin turned broader. Touché. "Exactly. And how many boyfriends did Mrs. Taylor have before the two of you met?"

"Well..." He sighed heavily this time. "I think maybe a couple in high school...for proms and other dances. I was her first serious relationship, though." He stared over at the perceptive young man peering back at him. "You think it's the same thing." It wasn't really a question.

"Yes, I do," Brian told him quietly. He paused for a moment. "Mr. Taylor, you might not believe this. But I love Justin. I probably did from the first day I saw him by that fence. I was just too pigheaded to realize it at the time. And when I saw him at the swimming hole later..." His face turned red as Craig gave him a curious stare. Obviously Justin hadn't shared that particular experience with his father - and for good reason. "Well...let's just say that I was fascinated with him. He was feisty, independent...and the most beautiful boy I had ever seen."

Craig had to smile slightly over the last part. He had never heard anyone else call his son 'beautiful' before, except for Jennifer. "And Justin fell just as hard," he admitted. "Maybe even harder. That's what made your fooling around with Jared so painful for him."

Brian nodded, wincing at the sound of 'fooling around.' "I know. But that's exactly what it was...fooling around. Like I always did. But with Justin, it's different. It's always been different somehow."

The corner of Craig's mouth quirked upward. "Yeah...I guess love has a way of doing that to you." He paused as he studied the earnest-looking young man in front of him. "I do think you have good intentions regarding my son, Brian," he told him. "Whatever happens between the two of you when he heads off to college, I want you to promise me that you won't hurt him. He may be feisty and independent as you say, but he can also be very tenderhearted. And he's fallen hard for you. That much even I can tell."

"I guess no one can totally promise that they won't hurt someone else if they are being completely honest," Brian admitted. "But I give you my word that I will never intentionally do anything to hurt Justin. I love him, and, yes, I want to be with him, but above all else I want him to be happy."

Craig slowly nodded. "Well, then, we are in complete agreement on that." He reached his hand over the desk as he told Brian, "I'm glad this talk wasn't just about your finances. I think my son could have done a lot worse than you."

Brian barked out a laugh as he shook his hand. "Thanks...I think."

"It's a compliment," Craig assured him as Brian nodded, pleased that Justin's father was slowly coming around to accepting them as a couple.

"Well, I've taken up enough of your time," he told Craig. "Thank you again for reviewing my portfolio. And for the other advice as well." He scooted back from his chair to stand.

Craig nodded as he watched the Walkers' nephew turn around and head out of his study, mulling over their conversation carefully before he slowly turned back to his ledger work.

Spring - Walker Farm - Mid-Afternoon

Sarah twisted her head to peer at the back screen door as she heard scuffling feet, smiling as she recognized their visitor. "Justin! Come on in, Sweetheart. I just baking a lemon pie, and one of the pieces has your name on it."

Justin grinned as he opened the screen door and walked inside. "I hope it's a big piece," he teased her. He took a whiff. "Your kitchen always smells so good after you've been baking."

Sarah beamed. "Well, thank you; I'll take that as a compliment." Justin walked over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Here you go," she told him, cutting a large piece of the still-warm pie and placing it on a medium-sized plate. "That's about the right size for a young man with such a healthy appetite," she told Justin, who turned red in the face with embarrassment. "Nothing wrong with that," she hastened to add as she pulled out a nearby kitchen chair. "I'll get you some milk."

"Thank you, Ma'am," he told her with a smile. "Uh..."

"He's in town with his uncle, picking up some feed," she replied with a grin as Justin peered back at her sheepishly. "But they should be back soon." She noticed a folded, white piece of paper sticking out of Justin's shirt pocket. "Was there something you wanted to tell him?" she asked curiously, noting how the young man was practically bouncing in his chair.

"If I don't tell him soon, I'm going to bust!" he exclaimed suddenly.

Sarah chuckled over his statement; she poured the milk out and walked over to place the glass down next to Justin's pie, taking the seat directly to his left. "Well, from the look on your face, I would say it's good news. Would I do until he gets back?"

Justin pushed a large bite of his pie into his mouth and swallowed a few times before he nodded back at her, a radiant smile on his face. He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and wordlessly handed it to her, watching as she opened it up and began to read it. Her smile almost rivaled his own as she realized what she was reading. "Justin! Oh, my stars! You received a full scholarship to Vanderbilt for the entire four years?"

Justin nodded, his eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "I got it in the mail today. Isn't it amazing? I still can't believe it! My mom and dad are over the moon for me. Now I can't WAIT to go to school!"

Sarah smiled at him tenderly; Justin was almost like another son to her by now. "Well, I'm proud of you, too." Justin beamed at her as she told him, "You know, I'm really going to miss you when you head off to school," she said, her eyes misting up. "You have always been such a blessing to Will and me. I'm sure your parents will really miss you, too."

"Yeah...I'll miss all of you, too," Justin murmured, his face falling just a bit as another thought came to him. He had been so excited about showing Brian his scholarship letter that he had forgotten the Walkers and his parents weren't the only ones he would be leaving behind. How was he ever going to say goodbye to Brian, even if it WAS temporary? He knew Brian was planning on staying here to help out his aunt and uncle, but they would only see each other mainly during holidays, or when one of them could briefly get away. Vanderbilt was just far enough away to be TOO far for a convenient, quick jaunt. To Justin, it might as well be a world apart.

"He's going to miss you most of all," Sarah whispered as Justin turned his face to look at her, his eyes watering as he swallowed hard.

Sarah's heart went out to her young neighbor; she could tell how deeply he and Brian both cared about each other, and she knew Justin had to be torn about his decision to go to school. "Justin...Honey, I know you hate the idea of you and Brian being apart. But it's only temporary. If it's meant to be forever, you will still be together when you finish. And I happen to think you two were made for each other."

Justin's eyes widened. "You do?" he croaked out, his voice raspy with emotion.

She smiled. "Yes, I do," she assured him. "Will always says I'm way too sentimental for his taste. But even HE knows how perceptive I am. I have good instincts. And my sixth sense tells me that you and Brian will be together for a long time to come, no matter where the two of you might be."

Justin nodded, blinking back tears. "I do, too," he told her softly.

Impulsively, she leaned over and embraced him tightly against her chest. "It'll all work out, Justin. I'm sure of it. You'll see."

Justin sniffled before pulling back to nod at her gratefully.

"Now eat your pie before Brian gets here. Something tells me he won't let you finish if you don't."

Nodding at her, Justin did as she urged, wondering how his heart could feel like it was bursting with excitement one second, and then ready to break the next.

Ten minutes later, both of them could hear Will's truck heading up the dirt road, gravels flying under the tires as he slowed down in front of the barn and came to a stop, stepping out of the vehicle to attend to some bundles of straw in the bed. Justin had just finished his pie as he scooted back from his seat and started to walk toward the kitchen sink.

"Shoo," Sarah gently prodded him. "I'll take care of this. You go find Brian."

He nodded eagerly at her before heading over to the screen door, just in time to observe Brian with his shirt off, standing in the back of the truck bed as he threw the bales into a large wheelbarrow that his uncle was holding. Once the wheelbarrow was full, Will would cart it into the barn, and then the process would start anew.

With one, last, grateful look at Brian's aunt, Justin pushed open the creaky screen door and stood on the back porch, his heart lurching as Brian turned to look at him and smiled that smile that made him weak in the knees. It was a smile that he discovered over time that he only reserved for him, and it made his pulse race as a result.

"Hey!" Brian called over to him as he finished with the last of the straw. He jumped down from the back of the truck to head toward him as Justin bounded down the steps. He waited until his uncle was inside the barn before he hurriedly swept Justin up onto his tiptoes and gave him a brief but passionate kiss before putting him back down. "What's up?" he asked. "Besides the obvious," he added with a smirk, taking a moment to squeeze the item in question, and earning a groan in reaction.

Justin jumped out of his reach and laughed. "Stop that!" he scolded him, as Brian pulled his tongue into his cheek. "Can you take a break? I have something I want to show you."

"Why, what a coincidence," Brian murmured, his voice sultry. "I have something I'd like to show YOU, too." He chuckled as he received Justin's typical response to their sexual repartee: a blush. And he always found it incredibly appealing.

"Brian! Will you cut it out?" Justin could feel his face growing hot in embarrassment, wondering if Brian's uncle had heard him.

His companion leaned in closer to whisper in his ear, "You weren't telling me to stop last night behind the barn." He chuckled as Justin turned even redder. "How about we visit the silo tonight? I'm feeling a little horny...I meant corny."

Justin giggled. "I think you were right the first time." He reached over to grab Brian's hand. "Come on; it won't take long."

"The hell it won't!" Brian protested; he laughed as Justin rolled his eyes at him. "Uncle Will? Can I take a short break?"

His uncle nodded as he observed the two together. It was a common occurrence by now; where one went, the other one wasn't far behind. "I reckon that would be okay," he decided. "Just don't take too long, Brian; we still have those fields behind the barn to plow. Supposed to rain this weekend."

"Yes, Sir," Brian told him. Smiling at Justin, he allowed the boy to lead him where he wanted to go. Frankly, he didn't give a damn where they went, as long as he was with Justin. "Do with me what you will, then, Farm Boy," he proclaimed with a grin.

Soon, they found themselves at their favorite log near the swimming hole. Over time, it had been the place they always went to whenever they wanted privacy, whether that meant sex or not. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't.

A few minutes later, Brian sat down besides the younger boy, who was practically buzzing with excitement. "Okay, so tell me what it is before you self-destruct," he teased him. "You're wound up about something." He watched as Justin reached inside his jeans and pulled out a slightly wrinkled piece of paper. Wordlessly he handed it to Brian, who unfolded it.

He immediately noticed the Vanderbilt University logo and name at the top of the linen sheet; obviously it had something to do with Justin's college plans. As he began to read, however, he realized why Justin had been so psyched up earlier. "Wow," he murmured in awe as he skimmed over the details outlining the scholarship Justin was being awarded. He lifted his eyes to peer into the younger's boy's, noticing how brilliant they looked. Justin was practically thrumming with excitement as well as what appeared to be a sense of accomplishment. "They gave you a full ride?"

Justin grinned with a nod. "That's a good way to put it, since I'll be majoring in equine therapy." He shook his head in wonder; it was still hard for all of it to sink in. If he couldn't feel Brian's thigh touching his as they sat side-by-side, he would have sworn that he was dreaming at the moment.

Brian peered over at him in amazement as he commented, "I imagine there aren't many students at Vanderbilt who are awarded a full scholarship to attend."

"I know! I'm still trying to believe it's all real. I never in a million years thought this would happen to me!"

"Well, I'm not surprised," Brian maintained. "But I am a little surprised that they're just now awarding it. Don't they usually do that a lot earlier in the year?"

"It depends on which scholarship it is," Justin told him. "I applied last year as a junior, but they didn't announce the winners for my program until this week." His eyes were lit up; if he had had to keep this information one more second from Brian, he thought he probably would have self-combusted. "Brian, do you know what this means?"

Yeah, Brian couldn't help glumly thinking. There's nothing now to stand in your way. He forced himself not to show how sad that fact made him, because this was about Justin and HIS happiness, not his. "Yeah...it means there's nothing in your way now, Justin. You can finally concentrate on pursuing your dream, rather than worrying about where all the funds are going to come from." He paused before telling him softly, "You know, I would have made sure you got to go, no matter WHAT happened." And he would have, no matter how much his heart would be breaking as a result. That was how much he fucking loved this boy.

Justin's eyes glistened over the thought of how Brian always took care of him. "I would have never asked you to do that, Brian," he murmured.

"I know you wouldn't have. But I would have done it just the same."

Justin reached out to place his hand against Brian's cheek. "Brian...I love you so much."

Brian swallowed hard, his own eyes beginning to prickle with the first sign of tears. But he wouldn't let Justin see how much this was affecting him; how much his whole fucking life was about to change soon. So much had happened since he had come here to live with his aunt and uncle; but this would be the most life-altering event of all - and the most traumatic. "And you know I feel the same," he finally replied with a half-smile. "You are going to make such a difference in the world, Justin Taylor. You will affect who knows how many kids' lives because of your art...and because of who you are." One side of his mouth crooked upward as he added only half-facetiously, "And I can tell all your admirers when that happens that I knew you when." His eyes closed briefly as Justin lazily stroked his thumb over his face, relishing his touch while he tried to quell the sadness in his heart.

"Brian...you won't have to tell them that. I'm never going to forget you. I never could." He pressed his lips firmly together to try and prevent the tears that were threatening to fall, but it was no use; a few escaped anyway. He moved to drop his hand from Brian's face to hurriedly wipe them away, but Brian caught his hand in his and held it against his chest.

"You say that now," he told him. "But you'll be in another state, starting out on a new adventure and in a new place. You'll have so much to experience, and you'll be on your own for the first time in your life. Not to mention that every gay boy in that school will want to get into your pants the second they see you...especially you riding a horse." Justin scoffed at him as Brian explained, "Things change, Justin. People change. You can't promise that you won't do the same...or that you won't find someone else there." Even though it would break my fucking heart.

Justin prickled at the thought. "Don't try to see inside my head, Brian! You're wrong. I won't find someone else. I won't fall in love with anyone else." He shook his head. "Don't you see, you stubborn idiot? My heart has already been stolen by you; I don't have one to give to anyone else."

"Justin, you're still so young. Except for traveling because of your racing, you've never even been outside the state. This will be a totally different experience for you."

"I don't care," his companion stubbornly insisted, his eyes flashing. "Are you trying to break us up?" he asked incredulously.

Brian's grip on his hand tightened imperceptibly as he responded firmly, "No! I'm just being realistic. In a few short months - and it will go by faster than either of us can ever imagine - you'll be packing up your things to head off to school. And I'll still be here. It won't be that far away...but it might as well be another fucking country." He looked away, dropping Justin's hand as he stared straight ahead at the shimmering water, unable to look Justin in the eyes for fear the other boy would see too much in his face. He felt utterly exposed at the moment - and it made him uncomfortable. He had used the mask of bravado for so long that he had almost forgotten what it was like to just be himself. But with Justin, he found that he didn't need so much deception. On the other hand, however, he didn't want him to know how much he was dreading the arrival of August, either.

Justin pursed his lips together in irritation. Damn, stubborn mule. He placed his fingers under Brian's chin and turned his head toward him. "Look at me. Look at me," he repeated louder until Brian's eyes peered tentatively into his. Justin could clearly see the pain behind the familiar, hazel eyes. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I won't let you."

"Do you think I want that?" Brian croaked out, his voice cracking. He reached to cup his hand over Justin's to pull it down once more to rest against his chest, right over his heart. "You hear that?" he whispered. "You're not the only one whose heart has been stolen. And I won't ever take it back, Justin. And I won't ever give you yours back, either." He blinked, unused to the swell of emotion rising inside him. He took a deep breath as he leaned over until their foreheads touched, releasing it with a sigh. "What are we going to do?"

Justin pulled back to gaze into his eyes, his own heart heavy. "We're not going to waste one second of our time together," he told him. "And when the time comes..." He didn't even want to think about it, but he knew they had to. "Well...we'll think of something."

Brian nodded. "Well, whatever happens between us...No, let me finish," he added, pressing his fingers against Justin's lips as he noticed him about to undoubtedly protest, "...when the time comes for us to say goodbye, promise me that you will go through with your plans...and not look back. Promise me, Justin."

"That won't be necessary," he insisted. "It won't BE goodbye."

Brian smiled sadly. He knew no matter how they put a spin on it, the fact remained that Justin would be in Tennessee at Vanderbilt, and he would be here...with his aunt and uncle. "Okay, Racer Boy," he agreed. "We will agree never to say goodbye." Even though he knew that's exactly what it would be.

Justin nodded with a smile of his own. "Good," he told him, satisfied. He still had no fucking clue how they would pull this off, but he was determined they would find a way. They wouldn't be the first pair of lovers to have a long-distance relationship. And while it would hurt like crazy to be away from Brian, he was also confident their love would stand the test of time and space. There was no other option in his eyes.

Brian leaned in to gently kiss him on the lips, his mouth lingering on Justin's before he pulled back. "Well, I'm glad that's settled," he replied softly, even though he knew it was anything but. "Now...if you don't mind, I'd like to experience my first fuck with a college man."

Justin grinned. "I think that can be arranged."

Later that Day...Taylor Farm

"That is one fine animal," Emmett quipped as Brian pulled up nearby with True Blue.

"Yes, he is. I'm glad Brian's been working him. That horse never DID belong out in some pasture, languishing away."

Emmett smirked. "Who said I was talking about the horse?"

Vic chuckled as the bare-chested boy slid off the sulky seat and pulled his helmet off. The sweat gleaming on his lightly muscled body glistened under the bright, spring sun as he gave the horse an affectional stroking on his neck. "Good Boy," he murmured as True Blue softly whinnied in response. He unhitched the horse enough to loosen the animal to be freed from his confines. "There you go," he encouraged him. "Time to take it easy for a while." He scratched behind the horse's ears for a few moments before he led the animal over to the fence separating the race track from the pasture area, making sure to close the gate behind him before he picked up his shirt draped over the fence and returned to Vic and his nephew, who had once more returned for a visit.

"Good run," Vic told him as Brian nodded with a smile.

"Thanks; weather's perfect for it today." He noticed Emmett's open look of admiration as he grinned. "Enjoyed the view, did you?" he asked him, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Yep," Emmett verified, not missing a beat, and not feeling one iota of embarrassment. "Magnificent view," he agreed as Brian grinned at him. He sighed as the fingers of his left hand took a leisurely trip down the side of Brian's arm. "But alas, I can only window shop. I don't think a certain sulky driver would let me take you out for any test drive."

"You got THAT right," a voice stated from a few feet away. The three men turned around to observe Justin walking up to them. He silently removed Emmett's hand from Brian, and slid his arm around his lover's waist - a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Vic and his nephew, who exchanged an amused look over his not-so-subtle possessiveness. They watched as Brian smirked at him smugly as Justin rolled his eyes in reaction. "You're all sweaty," he told him, his eyes flicking down over his boyfriend's chest.

"Yeah...I am," Brian agreed with a grin. "What are you going to do about it?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Come with me, and I'll show you," was the saucy reply as Brian chuckled in approval.

"I'm all yours; lead the way."

"Vic, would you and Emmett excuse us?" Justin grabbed Brian's hand and pulled him determinedly toward the Walker farm, his intention crystal clear. The only question to the two men left standing there was where he would carry out his 'mission.' They watched the two boys talking between themselves before they heard Brian let forth with a laugh, just before they finally disappeared from sight.

Emmett sighed. "I so envy them, Vic."

Vic smiled at him. "Why, Em?" He thought he already knew the answer to his nephew's question, however; he was very familiar with how sentimental and romantic Em could be.

"They are so in love."

Vic nodded; yes, that was what he had figured Emmett would say.

"And they're about to have their hearts broken in two."

Vic frowned, his brow creasing; that wasn't what he had expected. "Why?" he asked, turning to face his nephew.

"Because Justin will be heading off to the big, bad world of being a college boy," Emmett explained. "It will be the first time the two of them have been apart since Brian came to stay here with the Walkers."

Vic nodded in understanding. "Yes. It will hurt, I imagine." He paused to carefully consider his words. "But if you're in love as much as I suspect these two boys are, they will find a way to be together."

"Maybe," was the skeptical answer. "But just seeing each other occasionally on weekends has a habit of making relationships dim, even the strongest ones." He sighed. "I think it's just a fact of life, Uncle Vic."

Vic eyed him in amazement. "You? Doubting young love? I never thought I would see the day."

Emmett shrugged. "I'm just being realistic."

"You wouldn't be trying to pick up where Justin left off, would you?" Vic teased, a twinkle in his eye. But he knew better. Emmett may be a softie at heart, and a sappy romanticist, but he wasn't a boyfriend stealer, either.

Emmett bristled. "Of course not!"

Vic smiled. "Calm down; I was only kidding." He peered over at True Blue, who was placidly grazing nearby. A flash of inspiration hit him as he turned to peer back at his companion. "Maybe there's something we can do to help prevent our two star-crossed lovers from meeting a fate worse than death."

Emmett smiled at him in eager interest. "Really? What?"

"Come help me get the True Blue and the other horses back in the stables, and I'll tell you."

Emmett grinned with a nod as the two men headed toward the pasture.