Note: Chris has given a home to both Vin and JD, having adopted them when Vin was 16 and JD was 11. Both boys had been living in a children’s home that Chris had raided on a drugs tip-off when he’d been a cop. In this story, Vin is now 17 and JD 12. Chris gave up his job as a cop when he adopted the boys and he joined a project that Josiah, a social worker and counselor, set up which offers accommodation to temporarily homeless people. Now Chris is going to be asked to take in another lost soul. Can he and the boys cope? Thanks to Sonia for helping to sort out a few things in my mind. Thanks also to Dusty for checking the story over and giving me a few suggestions.
Chris, the blond, green-eyed ranch-owner sat staring into space. It wasn’t often that he was inactive, but today he felt slightly lethargic. He’d folded his six foot frame onto the couch half an hour ago and done a bit of thinking. His two adopted sons, Vin and JD, were outside with the horses and the house was serenely quiet, which helped him remain in his thoughtful state.
He reminisced about his late wife and son who had been killed in a house fire eight years previously. He still missed them terribly but having volunteered to care for Vin and JD for the past year had meant that he’d gained a new purpose in life. With their help, he had finally come to terms with the loss of his blood family. The fact that he also had strangers staying temporarily in his house every so often, when a halfway house was needed, meant that he didn’t have much time for brooding nowadays anyway. He enjoyed his new occupation and he really felt that he was doing some good in the world. Not that being a cop had been a waste of time, but this job had so many rewards too.
The phone rang shrilly in the silence, startling Chris from his musings. He got up wearily from the couch and wandered to the table to answer it. Really must move the phone and then I wouldn’t have to get up each time, he groused.
“Larabee.”
“Hey, Chris, it’s Josiah,” the voice on the other end said.
The blond leaned back against the wall. “Hey, big fella. What can I do for you?”
“You got room for another lost soul?” the social workerasked hopefully.
“Sure. What’s up?”
Josiah sighed as he crossed his fingers. The tall man really needed Chris to take this person in because he was the last resort. “I’ve got a young man, bit older than Vin, who really needs a place to stay. I warn you, though, Chris, he’s got a few problems.”
“What exactly? I’ve got the boys to consider in this, too,” the blond replied seriously.
The older man nodded. “I know you have and I ain’t forcing you to take him in. It’s just proving real difficult to place him. He needs stability ‘cause he’s had nothing but trouble in his life, son. I admit that I worry about him a lot.”
“Why are you having such problems finding a home for him?”
“It’s a bit complicated, Chris,” Josiah said quietly, not wanting to give out too much information at this early stage.
The blond realized that Josiah was avoiding answering him directly and that worried him. The social worker seemed more than a little reluctant to divulge too much information over the phone. “Can you come over and tell me everything? How soon would you need an answer?” Chris asked, definitely wanting to know more before agreeing. He was willing to take in anyone but only as long as he knew what he was up against. He didn’t want Vin or JD upset in any way.
“Well, he’s here with me at the moment but I can’t keep him forever, as much as I’d love to. I don’t usually take anyone in at all but I was struggling to get him in elsewhere and I’ve now grown quite attached to him. I can come over tonight if you’re free. I’ll find someone to keep an eye on Ezra while I’m gone.”
Chris assumed that Ezra was the person whom Josiah wanted to stay. “Why? Surely he’s old enough to stay on his own, isn’t he?” Chris said, thinking that it was odd that the man needed a babysitter.
“Yes, he is, but...look I’ll explain when I see you, okay, Chris?” Josiah sighed, knowing he probably wasn’t helping his cause by being so evasive. “As I say, it’s complicated and I don’t wanna talk about Ezra when he can maybe overhear. I’d rather do things face to face.”
Chris nodded at the explanation and stood up straight. He was definitely going to get to the bottom of Ezra’s problems when Josiah came that evening though. “I want Vin and JD to sit in ‘cause it’s their decision, too.”
“Fair enough.”
“Okay, see you later,” Chris said as he put the phone down and wandered to the window thoughtfully.
He smiled as he saw Vin and JD exit the barn and head across to the house. It looked as though they were having an animated discussion about something or other.
He thought back to when he’d first taken them in. JD, he recalled, had been a very clingy child. He’d been very insecure and had taken to following the blond around seeking approval and checking that he was really there to stay. Even when he’d been legally adopted it had taken him a long time to really accept his new life. Now he was turning into a boisterous boy who lived life to the full. Vin, on the other hand, had always been a very quiet boy and had spent an inordinate amount of time by himself. It had taken quite a long time until he’d begun to open up, but he’d always been very loving and protective toward JD and, now, to Chris too. JD was still prone to bouts of melancholy, odd behavior and insecurity but they were lessening as time went by. Vin was always even-tempered and although the two of them were very different, they got on tremendously well together.
The topics of his thoughts came into the living room and smiled at him.
“Everything okay?” Vin asked when he detected that Chris was a bit unsettled.
“Yeah, Josiah’s just called and he’s coming over to tell us about a new lodger. I want both of you to be here when he comes because this one’s a special case.”
“Special how?” Vin asked as he tilted his head on one side and put one hand in his pocket.
Chris shrugged. “I don’t know really, but Josiah was a bit cagey on the phone. The person’s got some problems so I want you to be aware of what we’re letting ourselves in for before we agree to take him.”
“Okay, that sounds fair. When’s Josiah coming?” Vin asked, still with head cocked on one side.
“Tonight.”
“We’ll be here,” JD said, wondering what all the fuss was about.
****************************************
The social worker drove out to Chris’s ranch, sincerely hoping that he wasn’t wasting his time. He’d never had problems with temporarily re-housing people before and he was beginning to let Ezra’s situation get to him.
Josiah pulled in at the front of the ranch house and saw the blond waiting for him on the porch.
“Hey, Josiah,” Chris called in greeting when the older man climbed out of his truck.
Josiah was almost a father figure to him. There was only about ten or so years between their ages but the older man had a fatherly way about him, although he’d never married and had a family of his own. He’d been a missionary during his younger years, traveling all over the world, but had come back to America to continue his good work, but for a different cause. Instead of spreading the Lord’s word, he was trying to ease the suffering of lonely, homeless people.
“Thanks for at least hearing me out, Chris,” Josiah said gratefully as he strode forward and shook hands with the man. The social worker then caught sight of Vin and JD in the doorway. “Hey, guys, how’s it going?” he greeted.
“Fine, thanks. Who’s coming to stay this time?” JD, the younger son, asked eagerly. He loved meeting new people and was developing a gregarious personality.
Josiah wandered through to the living room with his friends and sat on the couch. There was an open fire in the hearth and the heat flooded out into the room in waves. It gave the room a friendly feel and Josiah always loved visiting.
“Well, I’ve got a young man called Ezra who needs a place to stay,” the social worker said in answer to JD’s question.
“Why?” Vin asked. He always asked the same question. Although he knew all the people they put up were homeless, he wanted to know the circumstances behind their situation. He was a very caring person, despite, or perhaps because of, the trials and tribulations of his own childhood.
The older man looked at the teenager and smiled sadly. “Well, he’s kinda been shoved from pillar to post throughout his life. He’s got a few problems to contend with, son.”
“Like what exactly?” Chris asked, wanting to find out what Josiah had been so reluctant to tell him on the phone.
“He can be aggressive or withdrawn. He finds it hard to trust anyone and that can make him volatile. He needs to be shown that he’s cared for and wanted.” Josiah smiled. “He was sent away to boarding school at age seven, which I think he found real hard. He’s highly intelligent but he had a real troubled childhood.”
“Like me,” Vin said. “Troubled childhood, I mean, not highly intelligent,” the long-haired teenager pointed out with a grin.
Josiah smiled as Chris passed over a whiskey. “Kinda. Unlike you, his mother’s still alive but she’s never played much part in his life. Well, that’s a lie really. She raised him until he was seven and then almost washed her hands of him. During the school vacations he was handed out to relatives or foster parents. He didn’t see much of his mother at all. Think she lives in Canada now and doesn’t have a lot of contact with him. Ezra’s never been shown any real love and as a consequence feels like an outcast. It’s really affected him. He always had good schooling, though, so his mother was good in some ways.”
“He ain’t violent in any way?” the blond asked nervously.
“No, just hard to handle on occasion and he doesn’t take criticism well. I haven’t had much trouble with him since he’s been with me, but he’s still trying to find his feet. Once he’s settled somewhere his problems may surface again. He has good days and bad days, so you’d have to take things one day at a time with him.”
“How old is he?” JD asked, his big hazel eyes wide with curiosity.
“Eighteen.”
Chris frowned. “Has he ever had a job?”
“Not for long. He’s moved from place to place so often that it’s been hard for him. He can’t settle and seems to rub people up the wrong way,” Josiah admitted as he looked over the three people in front of him. “He was in an accelerated learning program in High School and he graduated from that as he turned 17. I think he heralds from the south somewhere originally, but he lived in Washington for a good few years. Before his world really fell apart, that is.”
“What do you think, guys?” the blond asked as he turned to consult his companions.
“He needs help, like we did. We should give it a go, Chris,” JD said with a shrug.
“Vin?”
“Ain’t right to turn him away,” the blue-eyed teenager said with a decisive nod.
“One other thing, Chris,” Josiah said quietly.
Chris looked at the man sharply and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why don’t I like the sound of that? You saved the worst till last?”
“Sorry,” Josiah replied, looking uncomfortable. This last piece of information had been the reason no one else would take Ezra in. His heart started pounding as he wondered whether the same would be true here.
“Well, what is it?” the blond demanded.
Josiah paused and looked at his companions nervously. “He’s just recovering from a suicide attempt.”
Chris came out in a cold sweat at the news. This was something he’d never even contemplated and he couldn’t understand how someone so young had become so disillusioned with life that he wanted to end it. “Jeez, how did he try to kill himself?”
“Slit his wrists and he was only just found in time. After he was released from the hospital, he spent some time in a psychiatric facility. Maybe if he’d sought medical help earlier he wouldn’t have got so low and taken such desperate measures.”
“Why did he do it?”
“He was bereaved. I don’t know all the details, because he doesn’t like talking about it, but I think it was a friend, his only friend, who died. Anyway, it was the last in a long line of unhappiness and he couldn’t cope. He’s been suffering from depression from age sixteen, you see? Personally, I think he was suffering from it a long time before that, though.”
Chris rubbed a hand over his face, his mind in turmoil at the change of circumstances. He looked at Vin and JD and chewed his bottom lip as he contemplated what Josiah had just told them. It put a whole new complexion on their decision and he really didn’t know what to do. He knew Josiah was desperate to find Ezra a home and he really didn’t want to turn him down. On the other hand, he had two other people to think of. Their welfare was just as, if not more, important. He continued looking at both his sons and a sudden thought came into his head. There but for the grace of God go I. If I hadn’t taken in JD and Vin when I did, either of them could have got into the same circumstances as Ezra is right now. I really want to help him and give him the same opportunities that they’ve had.
“Chris?” Vin said quietly as he watched his adoptive father closely. “Can’t we help him? He must be feeling real low, so we can’t turn him away. I know what it’s like to have nowhere to turn.”
The blond nodded distractedly and looked his youngest son. “JD? What do you think, son? Don’t feel you have to say yes just ‘cause Vin has.”
JD shrugged uncertainly. The mention of suicide had struck fear in his heart and he was suddenly worried about having an unstable person in the house. He could see by the look on his father's face, though, that he wanted to take Ezra in. Despite Chris’s words, JD didn’t want to be the one who said no, so he nodded and said, trying to sound brave, “But I want to. I agree with Vin. Let him come.” He hoped he’d done the right thing.
“Okay, there you have it, Josiah,” the black-clad man stated with a shrug. He wondered what they were letting themselves in for. He chastised himself for those thoughts and vowed to be much more positive in future.
For himself, Josiah couldn’t help smiling broadly. He was so relieved. “Thanks, guys. I really owe you. He’s on medication, Chris, so make sure he takes it ‘cause he gets real depressed if he don’t. Don’t be surprised if he cries for no reason too ‘cause he’s just real jumbled emotionally and can’t help how he acts. Nate knows everything about his situation so call on him if you need to.” Nathan Jackson was a doctor and good friends with Josiah and Chris. Josiah coughed and said, “I’ve agreed to act as Ezra’s mentor so I’ll come and visit him every so often. I’d have come anyway, ‘cause as I said, I’ve grown rather fond of him. I’ll call him every few days too, just to keep tabs on how he is mentally, but you can always call me in-between times if you’re worried. I’m available 24/7, you know that, don’t you?”
Chris nodded as he stood and shook hands with Josiah before escorting him out to his truck. “Sure, I do. I’ll see how things go to start with, but feel free to come, or call, whenever you like. I’ll be glad to touch base with you as well.”
**********************************
“Here ya go, son. This is your new temporary home,” Josiah said as he drew up outside the ranch house the following day. He looked across at his silent passenger to see what his initial reaction was. As usual, he couldn’t read the carefully composed features.
Ezra climbed out of the truck and looked around at the house and yard. He was apprehensive about meeting his new housemates and he shuffled from foot to foot, unable to keep still.
“Come on in and meet Chris and the boys,” Josiah said as he put an arm round Ezra’s shoulders and herded him toward the house. He felt a bit of resistance, so he tightened his hold, hoping in consequence to ease the very obvious tension in Ezra’s body. He wasn’t sure that he was succeeding, because Ezra seemed to be trying to escape his grip altogether.
The blond stepped out onto the porch after seeing Josiah’s truck arrive. “Hello, Ezra. I’m Chris Larabee. I hope you’ll be happy here.”
The younger man stepped forward and held out his hand uncertainly. “Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Larabee,” he said very formally.
Chris was taken aback at the language used by Ezra. In this day and age it was rare for a young man to speak in such a way and it momentarily threw the blond’s concentration. “Call me Chris,” he said hastily, when he realized that he’d been staring at the newcomer.
Josiah squeezed Ezra’s shoulders. “Oh, he won’t do that, will ya, Ezra? He calls everyone Mr,” Josiah replied with a laugh.
“What? Even ladies?” Chris said, trying to make the younger man feel at ease. Although it was hard to tell from his expression, the blond knew that Ezra must be feeling like a coiled spring. “Come inside and meet my sons.” Chris beckoned forward his two adopted sons. “Vin? JD? This is Ezra.”
“Hey, glad you came, Ezra. We’ve been looking forward to it, ain’t we, JD?” Vin said quietly as he stepped forward and patted the newcomer’s back.
“Yeah, we have. Anything ya need, just ask,” JD said generously and in relief.
He didn’t know what type of person he’d been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t Ezra. In his mind’s eye he’d envisioned someone who was disheveled and who had a slightly crazed expression. Ezra on the other hand looked totally normal, just a bit quiet and withdrawn. JD was pleased that maybe his fear about having a suicidal person to stay wasn’t going to be as bad as he thought. He looked Ezra up and down speculatively as if sizing him up but he felt an elbow in his ribs from Vin. JD looked at his brother and saw him shake his head gently. He turned back to Ezra and wiped all previous expression from his face.
“Thank you,” Ezra said softly as his gaze flicked between the two of them. He was pleased to see that there was someone of his own age in the household. That, for some reason, made things seem much better.
Chris, meanwhile, was also studying Ezra. Although he dressed the same as anyone else his age, he looked different. He had a certain polish about him. His jeans were faded but they hung nicely and his shirt was tucked into them properly. He wasn’t the run-of-the-mill eighteen-year-old.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your room and help you get settled in,” Chris said as he took hold of Ezra’s bag and led him out of the room.
“He don’t look like a candidate for the nut house,” JD said, voicing his previous thoughts, as he crossed his arms decisively.
“Is that right?” Josiah asked ominously, feeling upset on Ezra’s behalf. “What should he look like?”
JD shrugged and frowned, wary of the man’s tone. It didn’t stop his tongue running away with him, though. “Don’t know, but he don’t look like a fruit loop,” he said unwisely.
The social worker couldn’t help snapping back his reply. “He ain’t crazy, son, just immensely sad. There’re a lot of reasons why people need psychiatric help. Would it surprise you to hear that I once spent time in a psychiatric facility?”
JD nodded and looked astonished, not knowing what to say. Josiah always seemed so self-assured and level-headed to him.
Josiah knew that he shouldn’t give into his temper, but he would always defend Ezra, no matter who was involved. “Well, I have, so never judge a book by its cover, son. Ezra keeps things buried real deep but you’ll see some of the signs he exhibits later on,” he managed to say in something close to a normal tone.
******************************************
Upstairs, Chris showed Ezra through to the guest bedroom. It looked out to the front of the house and had a lovely big picture window. Ezra wandered over and looked out. He could see the barn, the yard and even some of the horses.
“Okay, Ezra? I hope you’ve got everything you need. There’s plenty of closet space,” Chris said as he pointed the facilities out.
“Thank you.”
The room was indeed better than any he had ever stayed in before. Usually he was given a small poky room with a tiny window. With this one, though, he didn’t quite know how he’d cope with so much space. He was surprised, but worried, and wondered if Chris had given him the wrong room. In the past, he’d always interpreted the size of the room to mean how much he was wanted in the house. A small one had always meant that he wasn’t really welcome and that the person hoped he wouldn’t stay long. Maybe this was truly different, but he would have to wait and see to be sure. He wondered whether it was reverse psychology being employed this time - making him feel uncomfortable by being too welcoming.
Chris’s voice cut into his thoughts. “Let me show you the bathroom and then we’ll go back downstairs. You can get settled properly when Josiah’s gone.”
Ezra followed the man along the hallway and was shown another large room containing all the necessary equipment. The corner bath was huge and he could imagine wallowing for hours in it. This was luxury compared to what he’d been used to.
“You’ll share this with Vin and JD, okay? I’ve got a bathroom attached to my own room, so you won’t be bumping into me in the middle of the night.”
Ezra smiled shyly, not quite sure how to respond.
Chris smiled and took him back downstairs where they walked into the tail end of the discussion between Josiah and JD. Chris could detect the faintly strained atmosphere in the room and he looked at the three occupants, seeing different emotions on each face. JD looked startled and unsure of himself, Josiah seemed angry and Vin appeared to want to stay out of whatever was going on.
“Everything okay?” Chris asked curiously.
“Yeah, fine. Just disagreeing about who’s gonna win the Super Bowl this year,” Vin said quickly as his eyes begged his father to drop the questioning.
The black-clad man nodded and said, “Yeah, well, that ain’t surprising. The number of arguments we’ve had over the years outweighs the number of hot meals I’ve ever had.”
“All set then, Ezra? Got everything you need?” Josiah asked, turning the subject back to the most important person in the room.
“Yes, thank you. I appreciate you accommodating me over the past few weeks, Mr. Sanchez.”
“It’s been a real pleasure, son,” the social worker said as he stepped forward and gave the man a brief hug, which Ezra wriggled from as soon as possible.
Chris noticed, but put it down to Ezra not wanting to be hugged in front of others. Hell, Chris thought, I stopped wanting to be hugged, by a male or female, when I was eight or even before. What boy didn’t? Way too uncool
Josiah left the room after saying his good-byes to the rest of the room’s occupants.
Chris went onto the porch with him and put a restraining hand on his arm before he could leave. “What was that all about in there? It sure as hell wasn’t about the Super Bowl, Josiah.”
The big man turned to face Chris and bowed his head in shame. “I just lost my cool with JD a bit. He said something about Ezra not looking crazy enough to need being in a psychiatric hospital. You know my feelings on that sort of thing and I just snapped. He wasn’t being nasty. I don’t think he’s got a nasty bone in his body, but it rattled me just the same. I’m sorry, Chris.”
The blond nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. I’ll have a word with him. He sometimes opens his mouth without thinking. His intentions are always good, though. As you say, he never means to be nasty, but he can be a bit childish. Hell, he is a child.” Chris patted the big man’s back. “I knew it didn’t have anything to do with the Super Bowl ‘cause Vin and JD prefer baseball much more.”
The blond waved in farewell once Josiah started on his journey home. Chris then turned on his heels and went back indoors.
He ended up standing beside Ezra. “How about a tour of the ranch? Vin, can you show Ezra everything?”
“Sure,” Vin agreed as he took Ezra out into the yard.
“JD? A word,” Chris said to his youngest son, taking the opportunity while they were alone, to speak his mind. “Josiah told me what the disagreement was about earlier. Just take care what you say, especially around Ezra, will you, bud? He’s obviously got a few things to contend with and I don’t want a silly comment upsetting him.”
JD seemed suitably chastised and looked up at Chris sorrowfully. “I’m sorry. I was just saying what I thought and being honest. He seems nice although he talks real weird. He just don’t look crazy.”
Chris sighed. He couldn’t complain about JD’s honesty, but there were some things better not said at all. “I know, kid, and that’s real good, but as Josiah told you, Ezra isn’t crazy. He’s just real depressed.”
JD pursed his lips and nodded as he squirmed slightly. “I know and I’m sorry, but I just don’t know how to behave around someone like him,” he admitted.
JD was at a turning point in his life. This section was his rite of passage, his coming of age. He was going to change from the sometimes self-centered person he could be, into a really caring, thoughtful young man.
Chris studied his dark-haired son and softened his tone. He had to admit that he’d been thinking the same as JD. It truly was a difficult situation, but he tried to be practical. “I understand, but he isn’t any different from us. It’s not like he’s from another planet. I know we’ve never had to deal with someone who’s tried to kill themselves before, so we’ll have to learn as we go along. Just try and treat him as you would anyone else; don’t think of him as someone who’s attempted suicide. I know we don’t know all the details surrounding what happened to him yet but I’ll try and get him talking so that we know exactly what we’re facing. Just take care, all right?”
“Okay,” JDsaid as he wandered away into the living room, not particularly placated by what Chris had just said.
Outside, Vin began his tour. “Do you like horses, Ez?” he asked as he took Ezra over to the barn.
Ezrascowled at the shortening of his name, but he answered Vin’s question amiably enough. “Can’t admit to having had any contact with equines before. Why?”
“Oh, we breed them. There are loads here and we ride most days. This is a great place to live.”
“I’ve never even sat on a horse before,” Ezra admitted shyly.
“We’ll teach ya to ride if you like,” Vin offered generously.
“Maybe,” Ezra replied, with an uncertain shrug of his slim shoulders. He probably wouldn’t be around long enough for that. “I expect that both you and your brother are expert horsemen,” he said.
“Well, let’s just say we can ride pretty good.” Vin paused. “JD ain’t my real brother, Ez. Chris adopted us both a year ago, but we still like to use our own surnames, so we ain’t a Larabee; only on paper, I mean. I'm a Tanner and JD is a Dunne. His real name's John Dunne, we just shorten it to JD,” Vin babbled.
“Oh, thank you for enlightening me, but being adopted doesn’t mean that you are any less of a family.”
Vin looked at Ezra and wondered if he should ask him a question about his mother or keep his mouth shut. Given the obvious bad relationship between mother and son, Vin didn’t want to upset the man on his first day by saying the wrong thing. He decided to word his question as a casual observation. “Josiah said your mother lives in Canada .”
“I have no idea where she is to be honest. We haven’t communicated for quite some time although a letter arrives out of the blue sometimes. She obviously keeps track of my movements somehow,” Ezra said with an uncaring shrug. “I think you are probably in a much better position than me by being adopted, Mr. Tanner. Mr. Larabee obviously loves you a great deal.”
“Yeah, he’s been real good to us. He had a wife and son, but they were killed in a fire. He don’t like talking about it, but if he mentions the names Sarah and Adam, at least you’ll know who he’s talking about,” Vin said, giving a bit more family history.
“Thank you. I will take care in conversations with him,” Ezra said gratefully. At least he felt that he now had something in common with the blond man. They had both lost people they cared about deeply, so Chris would understand his feelings about his own friend’s death.
Ezra couldn’t help wondering why Vin called Chris by his given name. He expected him to at least call him Dad. Perhaps they just preferred it that way, he thought to himself.
Vin nodded and continued with the grand tour of the barn and outbuildings, ending up back in the kitchen.
“All right, Ezra?” Chris asked as he looked up from where he was heating up some food.
“Yes, thank you. You certainly possess a substantial establishment,” Ezra replied as he stood awkwardly just inside the door. He didn’t feel comfortable enough to just walk in and sit at the table until he was invited to do so.
“Yeah, we breed horses, but I expect Vin’s already told you that. He’s my partner in the business, but I bet he didn’t tell you that,” Chris said wryly as he exchanged glances with his shy older son.
Vin had never been particularly academic and when he had moved to live with Chris he’d opted to work rather than continue in High School.
“No, he didn’t. You are a dark horse, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra said with a quiet smile when he realized his pun.
Chris grinned. “Well, everyone who stays with us usually lends a hand around the place. Is there anything that you’d like to do?”
Ezra squirmed and shrugged in indecision. “Well, I’m not suited to manual labor and I know nothing about equines.”
“We’ll see what we can find for you, so never mind for now. You hungry?”
“Yes.”
Chris was trying very hard to make Ezra feel welcome, but he could see that it was going to take time. Ezra seemed terribly tense, rather like a horse in fight or flight mode. “Take a seat, then. Nettie made us pasta and I’m just reheating it. She’s a neighbor and can’t help mothering us. I don’t reckon she thinks we can take care of ourselves,” he said with a smile as he pointed to a chair for Ezra to sit in.
Ezra took up position, not relaxing in the seat at all. Once a plate of food was put in front of him, he ate quietly as he studied his companions surreptitiously. They seemed nice and were definitely friendly but he couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before they tired of him. It would happen, it always did.
JD, meanwhile, was thinking about what Chris had said earlier regarding how to treat Ezra. He decided to put those thoughts into action. “Where are you from, Ezra?” he asked, trying to get the silent man talking. He then held up his hand and smiled, stopping the conversation before if had even started. “No, let me guess. From your southern accent I think you’re from Alabama .”
“No, Georgia,” Ezra replied quietly.
Vin laughed. “JD likes to try to guess where our guests are from. He always chooses Alabama, though, and, so far, no one has been from there.”
The dark-haired youngster narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “Someone will one day,” he said, sounding sulky. “You got any other kin?” he then asked as he turned back to Ezra. “Sister, maybe? I’d have liked a sister, but instead I got stuck with Vin.”
Ezra didn’t answer and looked highly uncomfortable at the questioning.
“JD? Leave it, son. This isn’t twenty questions, okay? Let Ezra finish his meal,” Chris chastised, staring at his youngest son to make him remember the other conversation they’d had.
JD winced and looked down at his plate of food. “Sure, sorry, Ezra.”
Ezra looked back and forth between the two, unable to understand what had passed between them. “Nothing to apologize for, Mr. Dunne,” he said with a frown.
“What would you like for dessert?” Chris asked, seeing the disconcerted look on the man’s face. “I’ve got apple pie, or some chocolate sensation that Vin’s been slaving over. He made it especially for you. He’s a real good cook.”
“Oh, well, in that case I will indulge in a bit of waist-expanding delectation,” Ezra replied with a smile.
“Huh?” JD grunted, wondering what the hell Ezra was saying.
“He means my chocolate surprise,” Vin explained proudly with a smile.
“Just watch out for the surprise, Ezra. Knowing him, he may have put a lump of rock in the middle of it so that you break your teeth,” JD warned sourly as he looked at his brother in a challenging fashion.
“He’s only kidding, Ezra,” Chris said reassuringly. “It’s more than Vin’s life is worth to do such things. He’d find himself doing a week’s hard labor on the muckheap if he did.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ve already got one gold tooth,” Ezra said as he flashed it so that they could all see. He considered having one gold tooth sophisticated, but that was the limit - any more would be tacky. “I don’t desire having all my teeth replaced in such a fashion,” he said.
Vin stood and went to get his precious dessert as he winked at Ezra. “Nor would I. Might get mugged and the thieves would chip each tooth out to sell on.”
Ezra looked appalled at the thought, but remained silent. He did, however, run his tongue over his one gold tooth just to check that it was indeed still there.
“Come on, guys. Stop teasing Ezra and let’s eat Vin’s pudding,” Chris ordered. “Looks great, Vin,” the blond praised, as a dish of dessert was placed in front of him.
“You ain’t tasted it yet,” JD whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
Vin pretended to slap his brother and Chris and JD laughed. Ezra smiled shyly but didn’t laugh out loud. They then settled down to eat Vin’s food and despite JD’s warning it tasted delicious.
After Ezra’s brief show of personality, the shutters came down and it was almost as if he regretted letting his guard down. For the rest of the day, Ezra kept to monosyllabic mutterings and watched his companions interplay from the sidelines, not participating despite their attempts to include him. Chris knew that they faced an up-hill task to make Ezra really feel at ease with them. There seemed to be a very thick protective wall that needed to be broken through to get to the real Ezra.
*******************************************
Later that evening Josiah called Nathan to update him. The two men had been communicating regularly about Ezra and that wasn’t going to change just because he was now living with Chris. Both men were still going to be very much involved in his life in the near future.
“Hey, Nate,” Josiah said as he call was answered. “I dropped Ezra off at Chris’s today.”
The medic nodded and sat down on a nearby chair thinking he might be in for a long conversation. “How did he seem?”
“Bit quiet, but you know what he’s like,” Josiah said with a shrug.
“How did he interact with Vin and JD?” Nathan asked with interest.
Josiah thought back to the introductions and he shrugged. “Didn’t really while I was there, just to say hello or whatever. Chris took him up to show him his room, though, and he seemed kinda pleased when he came down. JD and I had a bit of a disagreement while they were gone, but I’ll tell you about that later.”
Nathan nodded. “Okay, well, I’ll try to go out and see Ezra at some point, too. How are you keeping in contact?”
“I’ll phone every other day and I said I’d go over and visit, too,” Josiah said. “You know how I feel about him. Even if I weren’t his mentor, I wouldn’t want to be seen as deserting him now that he’s moved on.”
“Yeah, I know you’re real fond of him. Speak to you soon,” Nathan said, surprised that the call was ending so soon. When Josiah got onto the topic of Ezra he had been known to talk for an hour.
“Yeah, bye.”
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The sun rose to start the first full day of Ezra’s stay at the ranch.
He awoke to the noise of JD’s high-pitched voice and the sound of stomping feet. Ezra rolled over and sat on the side of the bed as he wriggled his toes on the soft carpet. He then stretched before rising, getting dressed slowly and making his way downstairs.
The noises he’d heard grew in intensity as he descended the stairs and he followed the sounds to the kitchen, where chaos seemed to reign.
“Hey, Ez,” JD greeted as he looked up. The kid then went back to what he was doing, which seemed to be tipping out the entire contents of the laundry basket onto the floor. He proceeded to sift through it, throwing aside the odd smelly sock in his quest for something of obvious importance.
Ezra watched, and hoped that JD wasn’t looking for a dirty pair of underpants to wear. As the youngster was already dressed, though, that didn’t seem an option, but Ezra couldn’t really think why else JD would be looking in the washing.
Ask, and you might find out, he thought to himself wryly. “What’s all the excitement?” he asked wearily as he ruffled his hair, realizing that he hadn’t yet combed it.
“I’ve gotta go to school. Bus will be here any minute and I can’t find my cell,” JD explained as he picked up a pair of boxers between thumb and forefinger and put them aside.
The green-eyed man had totally forgotten that his young house-mate was of school age. He’d been so wrapped up in his own change of circumstances that it had gone clear out of his head. Come to that, he hadn’t even realized it was Monday. Days tended to merge one into the other and he just drifted along on the ebb and flow of life.
Chris hurried into the room, looking slightly harassed, and smiled at Ezra. As the day before, Chris was dressed from head to foot in black. Ezra wondered if the man possessed any other color, and why he chose to wear such a morbid hue. Maybe because of the loss of his family, Ezra thought to himself.
“I’ll get some breakfast for you in a minute, Ezra, once JD’s got out of our hair,” Chris said distractedly. The blond walked on through and yelled out the door to the yard, “Vin? Find Arnie and give him his breakfast, will ya?”
“Sure,” came the faint reply.
Ezra stood by the sink and watched as JD shoved the dirty clothes back in the basket with an exasperated sigh.
“No luck, kid?” the blond asked.
“No,” JD replied. “I only used it last night.”
“What’s that over there? Is that it?” Ezra asked as he pointed to a cell on the shelf next to the cereal packets.
JD turned to look and smiled broadly. He strode forward, collected the cell and stowed it safely in his pocket. “Great eyesight, Ez. I owe ya one.”
“I’m gonna tie it round your damned neck one day, JD. I’ve lost count of the times we’ve had to search for it in the morning. Put it away in yer backpack when you’ve finished with it, will ya?”
“Yeah,” JD replied with a frown as he looked round the floor in mystification. “Where is my backpack?”
“Jesus,” Chris cursed as he shook his head in despair. He moved forward and pretended to slap his youngest son. “It’s in the living room. Go get it and get out of here before I have a breakdown.”
JD laughed as he ran and collected his bag, and then waved cheerily as he came tearing back through the kitchen and disappeared outside to go and catch his bus.
“Thank God. Might get some peace now. He’s like a damned human whirlwind sometimes and it wears me out just watching him. We sometimes call him Taz after the Tazmanian dust devil cartoon character.”
Ezra smiled. “Is it always like this? Pandemonium, I mean.”
“School days, yes. JD’s very good academically, but he’s hopeless at organizing himself. He’s always losing something and he tends to leave things to the last minute. I’m not going to do everything for him ‘cause he’s gotta learn to cope on his own.”
Ezra nodded as he thought back to another question he’d wanted to ask. “Who is Arnie? Is he a hired hand?”
Chris laughed and held out his hands to say he didn’t mean any offense. “No, he’s my dog, but he’s very independent. It’s a definite case of cupboard love with him. He spends all his time outside and sleeps in the barn, only showing himself when there’s food to be had. I forgot to introduce you to him yesterday.” Chris saw that Ezra was still standing awkwardly by the sink. “Make yourself at home, Ezra. What do you want for breakfast?”
“I can do it if you’re happy for me to look around to find what I want,” Ezra said, hoping that would mean he’d be left on his own for a while.
“Sure, knock yourself out. You already know where the cereal is,” Chris said with a grin, “but if you want something cooked, all the pans are over there in that closet. Help yourself to anything in the fridge.”
Ezra looked round the room to orientate himself properly. “Thank you.”
“You okay if I go and see to the horses with Vin?” Chris said as he watched Ezra head toward the fridge.
“I’ll be fine.”
Ezra opened the fridge door and looked on the shelves, deciding what he wanted. He first cooked British-style fried bread, putting the slices of loaf in lots of bacon grease and frying it before adding some bacon and eggs to complement it. When it was all cooked to his satisfaction he took it over to the table and tucked in. He’d just mopped up the last of the egg yolk when Chris and Vin came back in.
“Jeez, that smells good. I’ve already had breakfast but I could sure eat another after smelling yours,” Vin said with a smile as he headed to the sink and washed his hands.
“Take a seat and I’ll cook you something,” he offered as he took his dirty plate to the sink.
“You don’t have to,” Vin said, picking up a towel to dry his skin.
“I want to. Would you like something, too, Mr Larabee?”
The blond nodded. “Yes, please, but you shouldn’t be waiting on us.”
“I’m just cooking you breakfast. If you’ll take it better, make it a thank you for taking me in,” he said shyly.
Chris studied the young man and then nodded, knowing that to turn down the offer would be seen as an insult. “Great, that’s real kind, Ezra.”
“Well, you said make yourself at home,” Ezra hesitated, wondering if he’d done wrong, “so I’m trying.” He couldn’t quite read Chris’s face and he clenched his jaw nervously.
The blond smiled broadly when he saw the real uncertainty on Ezra’s countenance. “Great. We live real free and easy, Ezra. We don’t stand on ceremony or anything.”
Ezra got to work and soon placed a plate of steaming food in front of each of his companions.
“Thanks, Ezra. Looks real good,” Vin said as he licked his lips.
They both tucked in with gusto and then sighed happily when they’d finished.
“That was terrific, especially the bread. Never had that before. Food always tastes better when you haven’t cooked it yourself. You’re a damned good cook, Ez. If you don’t watch out we could get used to this sort of treatment every day. Thanks very much,” Chris said as he reached out and patted Ezra’s back when he came to collect the crockery.
Ezra blushed. He’d never been complimented about his cooking before and he had to admit that it felt good.
“Well, what do you wanna do today, Ezra? Chris has given me the day off, so I can show you round a bit more if you like. We can go out into the country,” Vin offered.
“I’d enjoy that,” Ezra replied, after a moment of contemplation.
“Okay, are you sure you’ll manage without me, Chris?” Vin asked as he looked at the blond questioningly.
“I’ll be all right. You two go and have fun. Just be back for putting the horses to bed, though.”
“Sure thing.” Vin turned to Ezra. “Can you ride a bike?”
“Yes. I haven’t done so for years, but you never lose the ability so they say.”
Vin took Ezra over to the barn and produced two ancient bikes. “Prefer motorbikes myself. Beats all that pedaling,” Vin said with a laugh.
“I think I rather agree,” Ezra said as he studied his rusting machine in despair. It certainly wasn’t in its first flush of youth.
A bark sounded and a large black Labrador appeared out of nowhere. The canine immediately headed to Vin and ran round him excitedly.
“Hey, Arnie. Finally come to see Ezra, have you?” Vin said as he bent down and patted the dog’s belly.
Ezra smiled and fondled the dog’s ears. “Nice to meet you,” he said.
Vin stood up and straddled his bike. Arnie barked, and as Ezra got on his machine and set off, the dog followed along behind.
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