“Yeah.”
“She mentioned that Ruth had some plans for the future?” River prompted after another short silence.
I took a sip of my water and nodded. “I mean, yeah. More like her dream, I guess. We have several volunteers. Some come by once and we never see them again, others have been around for years, showing up pretty much for every shift they have. They’re also all kinds of people. From elderly to teenagers, and in the last few years we’ve been seeing more young LGBTQ people.”
River hummed thoughtfully. “It feels like a safe haven to them, maybe?”
“Right. That’s why we were going to talk with Sierra’s ex’s employer, about having the kids there come over on set days to help out. But then Ruth had this other idea and…” I trailed off and sighed. “She bought the nearly ten acres to add to the property and we’ve mainly used it for paddocks. She wanted to build a dorm of sorts.”
Lake frowned, looking thoughtful. “Okay…?”
“She wanted to have a sort of program for LGBTQ youth. Have them living on the property.”
“Isn’t licensing for that sort of thing a pain in the ass though?” River asked. “I know it is in New York for shelters and stuff.”
“Yeah. The little we researched it, she thought it might be a bit of a hassle with background checks and all.” I felt a rush of shame, which must’ve shown in his expression.
“Why would that be?” Lake’s tone was careful as he peered at me.
“I may have gotten caught taking a leak while drunk back in Texas. Close to a community center I didn’t even know was there.” I put my utensils away and rubbed my face. “While there was a bat mitzvah celebration going on inside.”
Everyone else made a face.
“Shit. That’s not good,” Lake commented.
“No, no it’s not. It was a bad night, I’d gotten some bad news from home. Anyway, I drank all afternoon and then wandered toward my friend’s place, had to piss, and almost ended up on the sex offender registry, because there were kids around the corner.”
“Holy crap,” Rey whispered. “But you didn’t?”
“No. In the end, no. But if anyone calls that town’s Sheriff’s station and asks about the incident…”
“Right.” Lake frowned. “Well, I’d say that Ruth’s plan is out the window with that.”
My stomach dropped at the casual way Lake expressed it. “You could fire me—”
“No, absolutely not. It’s not an option, and I’m not even talking about her will.” Lake took a long sip from his water. He seemed to think for a while, then said, “Look, it’s not a bad idea. I guess everyone around this table knows how things can be for young LGBTQ people. So how about this? We figure out housing for volunteers. Make it more of an LGBTQ-oriented place? Maybe advertise it at the youth center or something? For people of age, of course, not teenagers because that’s a problem with background checks and stuff. But they can’t tell us who we can or can’t hire, right?”
I hummed as I picked up my fork again, spearing a piece of melt-in-your-mouth chicken. “That could work.”
“Word of mouth is important. If there’s a young person out here who needs shelter, they search online, listen to friends, that sort of thing. If we make it clear on the rescue’s website that we’re open for that sort of thing, then people will at least contact us, if not just show up, you know?” River spoke with conviction. It was obvious that he knew a lot about the issue.
“If it becomes a thing, then we build more housing as needed,” Lake said, as if it was a done deal.
I cleared my throat. “It’s…expensive. Building like that. Plus there’s the fact that we’re going to lose more donors if we do it openly. Mr. Moneybags wasn’t the only one who would take offense.”
“Then we find other donors. I’m sure we can rustle up some rich queer people if we contact some of the people we know back in New York.” Lake seemed to attempt a nonchalant tone, even though it was glaringly obvious that he didn’t like something about that idea.
“Right, and I’m sure Hudson can help with it, too. He seems to know a lot of people.” River smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it all out.”
An odd sort of relief rushed through me at the simple declaration. As if it was a done deal that they’d honor Ruth’s wishes and fulfill her dream in whatever way they could.
I felt a little choked up, so I nodded and finished my meal as the boys chatted about inconsequential things, giving me some space.
* * * *
After dinner, I said goodnight and went to do one more check of the stable, then retired to my cabin. I liked my place, the loft area in the back with the king-size bed and some storage, and the bathroom underneath it. The rest was open space, had a little kitchenette and a living area where I had my couch, bookshelves, and TV. I didn’t need much, but what I had, I was proud of.
Ruth had always told me I should treat myself more. The truth of it was, I didn’t feel like spending money on myself. Instead, I made sure Bucky and the other dogs were fed a raw food diet in the mornings and best quality kibble in the evenings. I called the veterinarian over for the slightest reason, and I even made sure the barn cats were treated for everything possible.
