Hard Ride (Clean Slate Ranch)

by A. M. Arthur

After cake, Dad pulled out their battered box of The Game of LIFE, and they gathered around the board to play. Well, Mom, Dad, Conrad, Sophie and Derrick gathered around, while Slater sat with Mia sleeping in his arms. They had a crib for her in one of the spare bedrooms, but Slater seemed content to hold the baby. LIFE had been a favorite growing up, and while everyone else played with the same enthusiasm as always, Derrick found less enjoyment in the task of traveling from college to retirement, marrying and packing up kids along the way.

  Who said life had to include marriage and kids?

  Derrick watched Slater and Mia when it wasn’t his turn to spin the wheel. It still surprised him sometimes when he remembered Slater had a nearly-grown daughter of his own, but he was so natural with Mia. And from what little he knew about Slater, arguably a confirmed bachelor. Probably wouldn’t want to adopt and start a family.

  Not that Derrick wanted to adopt kids, or that Slater was his future. Birthday musings, that was all. But the entire evening was so perfect and comfortable, with Slater fitting right in and Derrick’s parents accepting him.

  Sophie won the game. Slater was drooping around the edges and still on his final two weeks of rest, so Derrick made their excuses. With some leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, he helped Slater say goodbye and got him into the car. Derrick dropped kisses on little Mia before hugging his family and leaving with his “boyfriend.” Slater dozed on the way home, and he was so lethargic when Derrick parked that he got Slater undressed and into bed before he fetched the leftovers from the car.

  It had been a perfect birthday. The exact right way to ring in the big 3-0. And as Derrick slowly fell asleep later that night, he couldn’t help wondering if someone special would be there with him next year to celebrate thirty-one.

  * * *

  The strangest thing happened the Saturday after Slater’s follow-up appointment: his friends from Clean Slate showed up again with food and to play poker. This time it was Mack, Reyes, Colt and Robin, so fewer people, but it meant the absolute world to Slater. They ate, joked and had a great time, and when they left that night, Slater told them to bring their significant others next time.

  If they came again.

  All that following week, Slater used his hands-free crutch more often and three nights he had simple dinners ready for himself and Derrick when Derrick came home, thanks to Dez and her kitchen wizardry. He and Dez spent their afternoons together crafting, either at her place or in the foyer, depending on Dez’s project, and whether or not she needed the sewing machine. Slater was learning to cross-stitch and kind of enjoyed it. He got headaches, sometimes, because of how small the stitches were, so he mixed it up with latch hooking, which was less a strain on his eyes.

  So far, his first three weeks as Derrick’s fake boyfriend were off to a great start, and they got along like peas and carrots. Bacon and eggs. The perfect platonic couple, and on the third Saturday in May, Slater woke up with morning wood for the first time in weeks.

  The alarm hadn’t gone off yet—usually they slept in but today was wedding number one—and Slater slept flat on his back, because of his ankle. So the coverlet was impressively tented by his erection, and he stared at the hump in front of him. Unsure what to do about it, he stared at the ceiling and tried to focus on anything except the softly snoring man in bed beside him. The king mattress was big enough that they rarely touched at night, but all Slater had to do was reach out an arm. Brush warm skin.

  No. Platonic relationship, that was it. No matter how much fun dinner at the Massey house had been, they weren’t a romantic couple.

  Slater also hadn’t gotten it up in weeks, and the urge to slip his hand beneath the covers and fist his erection was overwhelming. But he couldn’t beat off in Derrick’s bed, especially not while the guy was two feet away. He could do it in the bathroom. The problem was, even though Slater now managed to sit up in bed without help, he often let out a morning groan of stiffness and pain that always woke Derrick. So he tried to ignore his bladder until Derrick’s alarm went off and he wasn’t disturbing the other guy.

  He poked at his sore ribs until the problem boner started to fade. Sore ribs that weren’t as awful as before but still an issue with general movement. He was getting better with the hands-free crutch, though, mostly using it around the first floor between theirs and Dez’s place. He’d been briefly introduced to Orry Thompson but not the reclusive brother George yet. And the single father and daughter pairing who shared the other second-floor apartment were sweet if standoffish.

  Slater didn’t take any of it personally.

  Derrick’s alarm went off at eight, giving them both plenty of time to wake up and get Slater settled on the futon before Derrick showered. The preprogrammed coffee maker spat out its nectar and Slater managed to serve his own cup, without sloshing on himself or the floor, thanks to the hands-free crutch. He even had waffles in the toaster by the time Derrick emerged, dressed for the day in black slacks, a white button-up shirt and a green tie.

  Dude liked green.

  And he looked really, really good in it.

  Slater let out a soft wolf whistle that made Derrick grin. Someone knocked, ruining the moment before either of them could actually flirt—which they’d been doing a lot of. Subtle flirting that teased and poked without turning into an outright pass at the other guy. Slater crutched to the door, not surprised to see Dez on their stoop with a shirt box in her hands.

  “Morning guys,” she chirped. “I meant to drop this off last night but Morgan had me way distracted.” Her shining eyes suggested they’d been distracted in the bedroom.

  “What is it?” Slater asked.

  “Your pants.”

  “My what?”

  “Come see.” Dez strode to the dinette set and put the box down. Slater and Derrick crowded around as she whipped the box top off to reveal a pair of black slacks. “Derrick told me your size, so I made you custom slacks that are flared on the right side so the material will close around your cast. You won’t have to hit a wedding in sweatpants.”

  Slater lifted the slacks and inspected the right leg. Dez had sewn extra fabric into both seams, which made the calf area wider. “Yeah, but how do I get my cast into the slacks?”

  Dez beamed and shocked the crap out of him by ripping the right side open from waist to ankle. “Velcro. I patterned it after those sweatpants that runners wear and can just rip off without stopping, but I only did it on the right side. So you put your left leg in like normal and then Velcro it up around your right leg. Easy peasy.”

  “Wow.” Slater stared at the slacks, completely humbled by the unexpected gift. “You have to let me pay you something for these.”

  “It’s taken care of. Besides, you keep me company while I’m working, and I was more than happy to do it.”

  “These are fantastic, Dez,” Derrick said. “Thank you.”

  “Yes, thank you.” Slater didn’t usually hug, but he wrapped one arm around Dez in a loose, sideways embrace, anyway.

  She hugged him back, then leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “You are more than welcome. Now, go get dressed. I want to see how they fit.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Slater went into the bedroom, detached the crutch, and shucked the sweats he’d put on. He’d always been a right-leg-first guy when it came to putting on his pants, but he sat on the bed and slid his left leg into the regular side. After a bit of fussing with the seams, Slater got the Velcro smooth and even on all sides of his right leg and around the cast. The crotch was a tad tight, but once he put the crutch back on and stood, everything evened out.

  Dez beamed at him when Slater returned to the living area. “They look like they fit okay. Turn around and show that ass off to your man.”

  Slater hid his initial surprise behind a cough. “They feel great, thanks. And Derrick will have plenty of time to ogle my ass later.”

  “Th
ey look great,” Derrick added. “You’re a crafting wizard, Dez.”

  “Friends help each other out, right?” Dez punched Derrick lightly in the shoulder. “You two have tons of fun today, okay? Eat all the free food you can.”

  “Trust me, I will. My cousin had this one catered by the ladies at her church, and they make fantastic food. It’s the same church I attended when I was a kid, so I know their food.”

  “Do you still go to church?” Slater asked, unsure why that had popped out of his mouth. He’d never seen Derrick leave on Sunday mornings. Derrick usually slept in until ten or so on Sunday.

  Dez said goodbye and ducked out before Derrick replied, “Our parents took us when we were young, but they also said when we were fourteen we were old enough to choose if we wanted to continue. I did for a few more years because I enjoyed singing in the choir. But as I started figuring out I was attracted to women and men, I started seeing the latent homophobia, and after I graduated high school, I stopped going. I still attend Easter and Christmas Eve services with my parents at their new church, but that’s about it.”

  “Oh.”

  “How about you?”

  “Nah.” Slater brushed a bit of lint off his new slacks. “Dad wasn’t into that kind of thing, and some weeks we barely had enough to survive on cabbage soup, nevermind tithing anything to a church. It’s like they tax their members to sit there for two hours a week and be told how to think. No thanks.”

  Derrick chuckled. “You aren’t wrong about that. I also prefer the term spiritual to religious, anyway.”

  “Same.” Slater liked knowing they looked at religion and spirituality in a similar way. The one and only time he’d been inside of a church was when Dad married Kim, and he’d found the place dark and creepy and somber. Definitely not for him. “What time are we leaving? If you told me, I forgot.” The memory slips irritated him less and less, because they were simply part of his new normal. TBIs sucked.

  “In about an hour. The ceremony starts at noon, and then the reception is directly after in the church’s auditorium. But it’ll take us about forty-five minutes to get there, depending on traffic.”

  “Got it.” Slater eased onto the futon and unstrapped the crutch so he could elevate his ankle for a while. He probably wouldn’t get many chances to today. “Can you make sure we don’t forget my pills?”

  “On it already.” Derrick was at the counter and he held up a tiny pill carrier.

  “When did you buy that?”

  “I already had it. In my early twenties, I went on a huge health-nut kick and took all kinds of vitamins and supplements. I used this to take pills to work with me.”

  “Oh.” The health-nut kick had paid off, if that’s how Derrick got such a fine body. And this knowledge made Derrick’s steady diet of frozen meals and takeout even more amusing.

  Derrick fussed in the kitchen for a few minutes before joining Slater on the futon. They watched part of a movie they’d both seen before, so it didn’t matter they didn’t see the ending before it was time to leave. Slater used his regular crutches to get outside to the car, because strapping in and out of the hands-free was sometimes a pain. He probably wouldn’t use the hands-free until the reception, so he could play his boyfriend role and mingle with Derrick’s family.

  Slater wasn’t familiar with this side of the Bay Area, so he trusted Derrick to navigate them. They hit a small traffic snarl that seemed to make Derrick nervous about being on time, but they pulled into the church parking lot with ten minutes to spare. Other people were still streaming in through the church’s front entrance, and Slater followed Derrick’s lead as they left the parking lot and went to join the throng.

  Showtime.

  Chapter Eleven

  Derrick had discreetly taken an antacid before leaving the house, and he had a few more in his pocket, wrapped in a tissue next to Slater’s pills. Bringing his “boyfriend” to meet his parents had been minimally stressful compared to this moment, walking up familiar stone pavers toward the front of the church he’d grown up in. Familiar faces and family and friends all around him.

  The program attendants were second cousins Derrick didn’t know well, so he thanked them for his and Slater’s programs. He spotted Sophie and Conrad in the large vestibule, which was still somewhat crowded, and Derrick helped Slater navigate his way through on crutches. Several of his already-married cousins were cooing over Mia, who looked adorable in a yellow dress and bow headband.

  “There’s my princess,” Derrick said as he dropped a kiss on Mia’s forehead.

  “This is her first big outing,” Sophie said, her fatigue overshined by her proud mama bear smile. “So far, she’s been a hit.”

  “Of course she has, she’s amazing.”

  “Hey, Derrick, good to see you,” his cousin Trevor said. They shook hands. Trevor was two years younger than Derrick and had gotten married four years ago. His wife, Trish, was already expecting their second, and their eldest clung to Trevor’s pant leg.

  Trish gave Derrick a hug around her big belly. “So did you actually bring a date to a function for a change?” she asked.

  “I did.” Derrick angled so Slater was more prominent in their group. He kind of wanted to hold Slater’s hand to sell it more, but the crutches made it difficult. So he gently squeezed Slater’s forearm instead. Trevor knew he was bi so this should be easy enough for a first introduction. “This is my boyfriend, Slater. Slater, my cousin Trevor, his wife, Trish, and their boy, Gus.”

  “It’s a pleasure,” Slater said. “I’d shake your hands, but I’m just trying to keep my balance here.”

  “It’s all good,” Trevor replied. “How’d you bust your leg?”

  “Work accident.”

  Ushers began urging everyone into the sanctuary, so their conversation ended. Since they were family on the bride’s side, their group sat together in a pew with Mom and Dad, who’d been waiting. He and Slater ended up on the far right side of the sanctuary, so Slater could lean his crutches against the wall and stretch out his leg without worrying about tripping the bridal party.

  Slater leaned over and whispered, “So far, so good.”

  Derrick winked.

  The ceremony was a bit long for his tastes, with a lot of music and even a number by the church’s choir, which left Derrick a bit nostalgic for his choir days. But he couldn’t see himself joining a church just to sing when he could do it at home. The entire production took close to an hour before the minister finally pronounced them man and wife, and the happily married duo walked down the aisle together.

  Derrick applauded along with everyone else, but he wasn’t able to picture himself as the groom. Hell, if Derrick ever did settle down and get married, he’d probably just want to drive out to City Hall and have it done there. No big ceremony or public displays of mutual adoration. A wedding certificate was just paper, after all. Nothing to fuss about.

  Since the reception was attached to the church, they didn’t have far to go. Round tables covered in white cloths and blue lantern centerpieces dotted the room, with a long table at one end for the bridal party. Church ladies were setting up a hot and cold buffet, which wasn’t open yet, but a drinks station was already seeing brisk business. Their entire group settled at one table, then Derrick and Trevor volunteered to get everyone drinks.

  “So how long have you and Slater been dating?” Trevor asked as they joined the line.

  “About two months, give or take a week. He works out at Clean Slate Ranch.”

  “The place near the ghost town where Sophie and Conrad got married?”

  “That’s the one. We met the same day Sophie had Mia and we hit it off. Kept in contact. When he busted his ankle, things got a bit more serious between us.” They poured the requested drinks for their table. Not everyone wanted something yet, or they’d have needed an extra set of hands. Derrick gave Slater his cola, a
nd their fingers brushed lightly. They shared casual touches all the time but something new buzzed across Derrick’s skin.

  Slater’s bright blue eyes met his, wide with surprise, before he looked away.

  Since Mia was the newest member of the extended Massey clan, their table got busy very quickly with family members eager to meet the tiny angel. Slater surprised Derrick by holding his hand on top of the table, claiming ownership of his “boyfriend” to anyone who stopped by. It also pleased Derrick all over the place, because it clearly showed his family that him being bi was not a phase. He also loved that Slater had reached for him first, which he hadn’t expected.

  He introduced Slater to anyone who asked, until the hired DJ asked everyone to please be seated for the arrival of the bridal party. The DJ introduced the pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen one at a time, until it was time to welcome the newly married couple. Derrick only released Slater’s hand long enough to clap. Then the DJ said everyone could get their plates before the speeches.

  “Do you want me to go get your hands-free from the car?” Derrick asked. “Or I can make you a plate.”

  “The crutch would be great, thank you.” Slater didn’t look excited to be left alone but at least he knew the friendly faces at their table. And it didn’t look like Mom and Dad were getting up for food just yet. He’d be fine for three minutes.

  “Be right back.” Derrick stood and, on a whim he couldn’t explain, leaned down to kiss Slater’s temple.

  Slater flashed a wry grin that seemed to say, You’re a big dork.

  “I know you are but what am I?” Derrick darted away from the table before Slater could properly retort.

  He got caught in two brief conversations on his way to and from the car, so it took nearly ten minutes for him to get back. And his heart melted at the sight of Slater holding a sleeping Mia. Sophie and Conrad were in line for food, but Trevor and Trish were back with loaded plates. The scents made Derrick’s mouth water.

  “What’s that contraption do?” Trevor asked.