As the road changed from pavement to dirt, the tires of the Galaxy spun out, causing the large sedan to fishtail for a few feet. Lowering the speed accordingly, Steve navigated around several potholes in the right-hand lane, keeping a close eye on the rearview mirror as he watched the clouds of dust billowing behind them.
"Welcome to country life." Mike announced and theatrically held onto his fedora with one hand, the other one clenching the doorframe.
"Yeah…well something tells me that going twenty miles down this road will take as long as it took to drive the eighty miles up north on the interstate."
Getting off in Carmet, they had quickly checked in with the local authorities before grabbing their directions for Paradise Ranch and heading northeast. As the bright afternoon sun heated up the interior of the Galaxy relentlessly, both detectives noted the absence of traffic on the rural dirt road.
Magnus had been surprisingly accurate when describing the location. According to Sheriff Dawson, they would be going east, eventually coming across a densely forested area, then find a small town from the lumber era where they could overnight.
From there on out, the ranch was another five miles northeast.
Thankfully, the road ahead was reasonably wide.
Mike figured that logging trucks or even tractors were using it occasionally. It was crowned in the middle and offered a small ditch on either side for water runoff. Looking around, he wasn't sure if some of the clear-cut areas were ill maintained pastures or abandoned farm fields. Like a dark cloud, the thick pine forest loomed a couple miles ahead.
"We've been going without a break since noon. Let's take five minutes to stretch.", Mike suggested, causing his partner to slowly pull the tan sedan over and park it in a nearby meadow. "Something tells me those logging trails will challenge our senses. Might as well rest to get ready."
He exited the car and took a walk in the nearby field, enjoying the smell of wildflowers and dirt roads he so rarely encountered these day.
The overgrown plants and weeds were pulling on the pant legs of his dark grey suit, and Mike couldn't help but indulge in the tranquility of the area for several long moments.
When he returned to the Galaxy, he found Steve basking in the sunshine. Wearing his dark glasses, and his tie hanging loosely over his shoulders, the young Inspector had bedded himself down in the grass next to the Galaxy.
After contemplating for a few seconds, Mike decided to join him.
Picking a small yellow flower, he absent-mindedly rolled the stem back and forth between his fingertips as he sat down, then sighed, letting his mind drift into as more relaxed state.
"What's your take on this whole…homosexual thing?" Steve asked out of the blue, keeping his eyes closed beneath the dark glasses. And yet Mike knew he had his partner's full attention.
Pondering the answer, he let his eyes drift shut for a moment of peace and quietness.
"Well, I guess it is difficult to discriminate against love."
Next to him, Steve grunted before shifting his back and bringing his knees closer
"What about your Catholic background? Doesn't this kind of stuff bother you? Doesn't it say that marriage is only between a man and a woman?"
Surprised to hear him bring up religion to begin with, Mike looked over and teasingly tapped his partner's chest.
"According to Catholic religion, you can't have intercourse before you are married. Not to mention prohibiting the…shall we say…the use of preventative measures to avoid pregnancy."
Steve laughed out loud, before shaking his head.
"Well, that went south quick."
They both remained still for a few minutes and Mike enjoyed the warm gentle breeze flowing over the field and enveloping his face. Checking his watch, he knew that it was time to get moving again, but the beauty and serenity of the land almost begged him to stay.
"If you ask whether or not I condone homosexuality, buddy boy, I guess I am not sure.", he finally admitted.
Next to him, Steve pulled the sunglasses off his face and looked at his partner questioningly, waiting for him to continue.
"I believe in things like love, and respect and forgiveness. And I have made it a career to fight evil the best way I know how. We both have seen many examples of people who started out loving each other and then…well, things fell apart. In the worst case, it ended in murder. This has been the case for people who were straight, and gay."
"You don't think this is a psychological phenomenon caused by a traumatic childhood like some people are saying?"
Steve's question was in earnest, and Mike fought the urge to remind his partner of his own less-than-ideal relationship with his parents.
"It could be. Or not. You are the one with the psychology minor.", slowly sitting back up, Steve wrapped his arms around his knees, his curious green eyes never leaving his partner and mentor, "All I know is that I am not qualified to judge what true love means to other people."