Nathan and Alfie already knew which room was theirs and made their way with their suitcases. With the scent of fresh pine, the house felt like a warm embrace. Daddy Spencer took his hand and led him upstairs to their bedroom. Jamie dropped his bag on the bed, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he had moved into Daddy Spencer’s home. Their home now, maybe.
Daddy Spencer stepped up behind him, pulled him close, and kissed the top of his head. “Welcome to Saddle Creek,” he said. “This week is just for fun. No stress, no drama.”
Jamie sat on the edge of the bed in Daddy Spencer’s room, their room now, apparently. He stared out the frosted window at the endless stretch of snow. The Montana sky was soft gray, the kind that made everything feel hushed and far away.
He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. The room was warm, the bed soft, the scent of Daddy Spencer’s cologne still lingering in the air as he’d unpacked. Everything was beautiful. Cozy. Safe.
And yet, Jamie felt like he was floating.
He didn’t know how to feel. There was no anchor. No familiar ocean breeze, no crashing waves, no palm trees swaying in the sun. Just snow and silence and a house that felt too big, too still. He’d spent so long dreaming of being with someone who wanted him, who chose him, but now that he was here,really here, it all felt surreal. Like he’d stepped into someone else’s life and forgotten the script.
But he was happy. God, he was happy. Daddy Spencer was everything he’d ever wanted—steady, kind, protective. But there was a quiet fear curling in his chest, one he hadn’t expected. What if he didn’t belong here? What if the snow and the quiet and the wide-open sky swallowed him whole? What if he missed the beach too much? What if he missed himself?
Back in Brentwood, he’d known who he was. Even though life with Tom was messy and hard, he had his routines, his places, and his people. Here, everything was new. Even the way he moved felt different, like he was trying to figure out how to exist in this new version of his life.
He glanced around the room—Daddy Spencer’s room. The dark wood furniture, the thick blankets, the framed photos of horses and family. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t his. Not yet. He didn’t know where to put his things. He didn’t know if he was allowed to.
Jamie let out a slow breath and rubbed his hands together for warmth. He was happy. He really was. But happiness didn’t erase fear. It didn’t erase the ache of leaving behind everything familiar. It didn’t erase the voice in his head whispering, What if you don’t fit here? What if you’re just a guest in someone else’s life?
Still, when he thought about Daddy Spencer, about the way he looked at him, and the way he held him like he was something precious, Jamie felt a flicker of hope. Maybe he didn’t have to have it all figured out right now. Maybe it was okay to feel lost, as long as he wasn’t alone.
It was a new beginning.
“Come down when you finish dressing. I have a few things to check.” Daddy Spencer kissed him and then left.
As soon as he left, Jamie shut the door and pulled out his binky. He sucked on it while he changed into warmer clothes—thick socks, a soft sweater—and put his binky back in his pocket. Then he headed downstairs. The living room was straight out of a holiday dream. The Christmas tree stood tall in the corner, decked out in gold and red ornaments and with twinkling lights wrapped around every branch. Garland lined the fireplace, and a miniature electric train table sat near the window, complete with a tiny snow-covered town.
Alfie was already crouched beside it, eyes wide with delight. Jamie joined him, and within seconds they were both giggling, sending the train around the tracks and making up stories about the little townspeople.
Jamie leaned in close and whispered, “I’m nervous. It’s so different from California.”
Alfie smiled without looking up. “Yes, it’s no California. But you picked the right someone to love.”
Jamie watched the train circle the bend, heart thudding in time with its rhythm. Yeah. He really had. Jamie had barely settled into the warmth of the ranch house when the energy in the room shifted. An older woman stepped into the living room, her gray hair pulled back tight and her expression already halfway to disapproval. She looked like she’d been born knowing how to scowl. Daddy Spencer lit up the moment he saw her and rushed over, wrapping her in a hug.
“It’s so good to see you back home,” she said, her voice firm but not unkind.
“I brought some friends,” Daddy Spencer replied, gesturing toward the group. “You already know Nathan and Alfie.” Then he turned to Jamie, smiling. “And this is Jamie. He’ll be staying here with me.”
Jamie felt the woman’s eyes land on him like a spotlight. She scanned him from head to toe, and not in a curious way, but in a judgmental, measuring way. Jamie’s stomach tightened.
“Will he work here?” She asked as if he weren’t in the room. Her tone was flat.
“He’s not an employee,” Daddy Spencer said before Jamie could answer.
Jamie stood there, trying to keep his face neutral, but inside, something twisted. He waited for Daddy Spencer to say more—to say he’s my boyfriend, he’s important to me, he’s family now. But Daddy Spencer didn’t. And the silence hit Jamie harder than he expected. It reminded him of Tom. In the way Tom would act like Jamie didn’t exist when someone showed up unannounced. Jamie was just part of the furniture. Like he didn’t belong.
Daddy Spencer turned to him, trying to smooth things over. “Jamie, this is Aunt Millie. She’s my grandfather’s younger sister. She takes care of the cooking, grocery shopping, and cleaning for me. Well, she does everything.”
Jamie forced a polite smile. “Nice to meet you, Aunt Millie.”
She didn’t smile back. “What will you do here?” She asked, still looking directly at Jamie like he was a stray dog Daddy Spencer had dragged in.
Daddy Spencer jumped in again. “He’ll be going to the University of Montana in Missoula, and I’m going to train him to help me at the animal hospital.”
Aunt Millie didn’t respond. She just turned and walked toward the kitchen, tossing a final, “Dinner will be in one hour,” over her shoulder.
Jamie watched her go, heart thudding. He felt like he’d just been weighed and found lacking. Alfie leaned in beside him.
