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 Joseph s coming here?
Oggie dropped an armful of new towels, fresh from the dryer, beside Cullen.  Yeah.
You re not gonna run away again, are you?
Cullen picked up one of the warm towels and held it to his face. He inhaled several
times before starting to fold it.  I don t wanna leave, but it might be easier.
 No it won t. Oggie started a stack and reached for another towel.  I think you should
talk to Joseph.
Cullen shook his head.  I shouldn t have tried to kiss him.
Uncomfortable with giving advice, Oggie concentrated on the pile beside him until he
figured out how to proceed.  Do you think Joseph would ve pushed you away if he knew
you were of legal age?
 Being underage gives him an out. Cullen paused.  The attraction between us is there,
but I m no good for him. I thought being around him would be enough, but it only made it
harder.
 You have to tell him the truth, Oggie urged.
 I ve done a lot of crazy, nasty shit to stay alive. Joseph is the kindest, purest man I ve
known. Tears filled Cullen s light green eyes.  The best thing for him is for me to stay
away.
 He s a grown man. Why don t you let him make his own decisions? A horn sounded
outside the dormitory. Oggie got to his feet.  Finish those up. That s probably Nate with a
load of donated clothes.
* * * *
Drake stepped off the plane and shook his head. A brand new shuttle bus was parked
at the edge of the runway. It seemed Asa was going all out to help Joseph and the young
men. He turned to Joseph.  Asa s thought of everything.
Covering his face with a scarf, Joseph scanned the area. Although it had stopped
snowing, the wind was whipping what was already on the ground into huge drifts.  I hope
it s a four-wheel drive.
 Don t worry. If I know Asa, he s hired a competent driver. Drake waved the bus over
as the young men started to gather what little they d managed to salvage. He could tell
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Joseph was still rattled and hoped his mind would be eased once they arrived at the ranch.
 It ll be okay, he said, clapping Joseph on the shoulder.
 As you said earlier, we re all safe. That s the most important thing.
The bus stopped several feet from Drake and Mario grinned at him through the
windshield.  I ll be damned, Drake said.  That s Asa s partner, Mario Benta.
Drake walked over and knocked on the tall bus door. It slid open easily, and Drake
ushered everyone inside as they disembarked.  Talk about hands-on, he joked.
Mario shrugged.  Asa s been on the phone for hours. I figured I might as well put
myself to use.
Drake sat in the seat directly behind Mario, thankful that Joseph chose a seat towards
the back. He leant over and spoke for Mario s ears only.  There s not a kid in here that has a
coat. Please tell me Asa thought of that?
Mario nodded.  He sent Nate to Wynfield s with a blank cheque. They ll be the best
dressed kids in school. He looked in the long mirror overhead.  There re blankets up top if
anyone needs one.
 Thanks, the boy closest to them said, wrapping himself up.
 Hang on, Mario called out.  It might be slow going, but we ll get you to the ranch.
Drake sat back in his seat. He d been impressed by the young men and how they d
come together to take care of each other and Joseph in the wake of the tragedy. He wasn t in
the habit of wondering what his life could have been  if , but secretly, he was jealous of the
close-knit group.
Maybe the young men from Rainbow Youth House weren t the only ones who deserved
a second chance at life. He may be a hell of a lot older than the men in the back, but for the
first time, Drake yearned to change, to be part of something much bigger than his own
insecurities.
* * * *
After checking the house and the dorm, Drake eventually found Oggie in the barn.
 Hey.
With dark circles under his eyes, Oggie still found the energy to smile.  Almost done.
 What can I do to help?
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Oggie pointed towards a stack of hay bales.  You can put two flakes of that into each
stall.
While Drake did as he was asked, he couldn t keep his gaze off Oggie. He d worked
tirelessly all day to get the group of teens settled, clothed and fed.  You should ve called
Smokey in to help with the animals.
 The roads are too bad, and he doesn t get around well enough to walk through snow
drifts if he slides off the road. Oggie spread fresh straw into the stall he d just cleaned.
 Then you need to hire someone else. Drake knew Oggie had a soft spot for the aging
manager, but it was obvious he needed help.
 I know. I told Smokey I d hire a new foreman. I thought I d have more time, though.
Oggie chuckled.  Little did I know& 
Drake finished putting hay into the stalls, taking a moment to give each horse a scratch.
When he noticed another stall that Oggie had yet to get to, he backtracked to the tack room
and found another pitchfork and wheelbarrow. There was something about the slump of
Oggie s shoulders that worried Drake.
The moment they finished, Drake took the pitchfork out of Oggie s hand.  I ll put stuff
away.
 I m capable  Oggie tried to argue.
Already tired, Drake snapped.  Goddamnit. No one said shit about you being
incapable. Just fucking let me do something nice for you without gettin pissy about it.
Oggie slowly bent over and picked up the pitchfork. He handed it to Drake and leaned
in for a quick kiss.  You re right. I m sorry.
Drake stole another kiss.  Thank you. He put the tools away before turning off the
light in the tack room.  Let s get you to bed.
 I need to mix together a casserole for breakfast first. Oggie zipped his coat and put on
his glove before opening the single barn door.
Drake followed him out.  Want me to turn off the lights?
Oggie shook his head.  Leave  em on. They ll help keep it warmer in here.
Drake shut the door behind him and threw the latch to keep the wind from blowing it
open. The drift outside the barn was already up to his waist and would only get higher by
morning.  I ll get a couple of the guys to help me put up a snow fence tomorrow.
Oggie glanced back at him.  I already have the rolls of fencing in the equipment shed.
He shook his head.  I thought I d have more time to get it staked out.
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 Don t worry about it. I may not know a thing about cooking for a brood, but I m pretty
good with my hands. Drake used the opportunity to reach out and squeeze Oggie s ass.
 Yeah, I ve learned that about you. Oggie climbed the porch steps and stomped as
much snow from his legs and boots as he could.
Drake planned to get Oggie into bed as quickly as possible, so he wasted little time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]