“Hey.” Bede, still on top, shifted down till he could cup Galen’s cheek with his warm hand. “It’s all going to work out. I promise you. You’re not alone. You won’t be. I’ll be there. I’ll work hard. It’ll all be great. You’ll see.”
“You seem so willing.”
Galen paused, because his surprise at Bede’s willingness felt a little unkind. Sure he’d had his doubts about all the ex-cons, but that had been in the beginning. Since then, Bede had worked hard at learning the ways of the valley, just as Galen had worked hard at overcoming his own prejudices.
Still, if they were going to continue together, it was better to be honest up front.
“When I first read your file,” said Galen slowly as he looked up at Bede. “You didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would work hard at anything. And yet?—”
“I’ve fallen in love with the valley,” said Bede with a smile. He planted a kiss on the tip of Galen’s nose. “With being a country boy. Plus, you were so sexy on horseback this morning, if I wasn’t already in love with you, I would have fallen at your feet right then and there.”
“You make me want to dream again,” said Galen, whisper-low. “Like it was years ago, before my dad got sick and died, and everything was easy.”
“I’ll do anything, even clean up goat shit,” asked Bede, totally breaking up the mood, making Galen laugh in spite of the serious twist in his chest. “Cause we’re going to get goats and bunnies and chickies and kitty cats. Everything sweet. Everything.”
“Oh my God.” Galen pushed at Bede’s chest pretending to be completely unamused, but all the while he could feel the blossom of hope and joy where for so long it had been a deep dark hole in his heart. Then he softened and curled his fingers around Bede’s neck and brought him close for a long, slow kiss.
Maybe this would turn out okay. Better than okay. It would be wonderful because maybe in spite of everything he’d thought when he’d started, an ex-con was exactly the man he needed in his life.
Epilogue - Bede
The snowfall was faint, a suggestion of white, but it limned the air with frost, and sketched a white ring around the sun, which was still shining even though it was snowing because that was Wyoming.
Wyoming in the middle of October was different than Wyoming in August or even September. In fact, the entire state was a fickle mistress who did what she wanted, when she wanted it.
You bowed to the weather and obeyed the seasons. And, as Bede hefted the axe over his shoulder, tightening his shoulders before bringing the axe down to split the round log he’d stood on its end, he knew he’d never been happier in his whole damn life.
At the end of summer, he’d gotten his certificate, a thick, sheet of parchment paper tucked in a fancy envelope. He’d been presented the certificate at the closing ceremony in September, held in a white pavilion in the woods, elegantly arranged with bunting and colorful native flowers like cornflowers, and primrose, and wild bergamot.
Every parolee from each part of the program sat in folding chairs, while all the team leads had stood in a row, a receiving committee of sorts.
Then there’d been a few speeches—Royce’s had been way too long and had mostly been about flowers in bloom—then Micah, the counselor, had handed out the envelopes of certificates.
Along with the rest of the parolees, Bede had gone down the row of team leads and gotten a handshake from each and every one. They’d shaken Toby and Owen’s hands, as well. It had felt like high school graduation, a ceremony that Bede didn’t remember very well because he’d been drunk at the time.
Galen had been at the end of the line of team leads, and Bede had just about been blinded by the pride in that smile. And undone by the fact that Galen had risen on his toes, and added a quick kiss to Bede’s cheek, right there in front of everybody.
Then there’d been beer to celebrate. Ice cold beer from a pony keg, served in red Solo cups, just like it ought to be.
In the learning next to the pavilion, a buffet had been set up worthy of any football game or rugby match, complete with hot wings and celery strips with blue cheese dressing to dip them in. There was also mac and cheese, and Galen’s favorite chocolate cake for desert.
Gabe had brought out a very nice, very large bottle of Jameson 18, which he poured generously into those Solo cups, and that’s when the ceremony had turned into a party.
Beck had brought his Sucrets box full of joints, and had passed them around like a proud father would at the birth of his first son.
Bede had looked at Galen.
Galen shrugged and said, “You are your own man.”
So Bede had taken a joint, the smallest one he could see, lit it up from Beck’s joint, and enjoyed the slow slide into total relaxation as he smoked.
The team leads had looked the other way, at first, then Royce, of all people, had given in and shared a joint with Jonah. Bede might have been drunk, might have imagined it, but Royceand Jonah had actually shotgunned that joint, which brought catcalls from Beck and put an expression on Gabe’s face that said,I think this is getting out of hand.
But that was okay because it was the end of summer, and it was important to mark the occasion.
When Bede had finished his joint, he threw away the last stub of it, a fold of paper with a few ashes, and reached out to take Galen’s hand.
“The future starts now,” he said, feeling poetic vibes down to his soul.
