“What was I right about this time?” Ben asked with a grin.
“That this was important.”
Ben finished cleaning Thom and together they put his clothes back in place. Thom reached out, laying his hand over the erection pressing against the front of Ben’s jeans. “I can’t do much right now. The angle is bad and this hand is so awkward, but I want to touch you, too.”
“Yeah? I think we can figure something out.” Ben started unfastening his jeans, pushing his boxer briefs down so that his cock fell out, bobbing against the side of the bed. Thom turned his hand over and managed to reach inside Ben’s underwear to cup his balls. He liked the way they hung, one lower than the other, lopsided like Ben’s dimple. He wiggled his fingers, enjoying their weight in his hand. Ben hummed his approval and started stroking his own cock, thrusting long and slow into the tight circle of his fist.
Thom couldn’t take his eyes off him – everything focused on one point – the heat and weight of Ben’s balls, the scent of his arousal, the little huffing sounds he made. He moved his hand up, to the base of Ben’s cock, and Ben took it, lacing his fingers with Thom’s and holding Thom’s hand with his own so that Thom could feel him thrusting, slipping in and out of their joined hands. At the last minute Ben grabbed the washcloth, using it to catch his cum as he moaned into his release, bending to kiss Thom’s lips.
“You’re so tidy,” Thom quipped when Ben ended the kiss and finished cleaning up.
Ben laughed. “I don’t want to have to change the sheets.” He bent over to kiss his lover again. “You’ll be ambidextrous before you know it.”
“We’ll practice as often as you want.”
“Be right back.”
When Ben came back in the room the serious look was back.
“Okay, something’s up. What is it?”
Ben pulled one of the dining chairs over to the bedside and sat, taking Thom’s hand in his.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the future. My future, our future, the future of the vineyard.”
Thom froze. He tried to pull his hand away, but Ben’s grip was too tight. Was this Ben’s way of letting him down easy? Use sex to get him blissed out and then drop the boom? Ben looked at him, eyebrows drawn together over the bridge of his nose. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now. No bullshit.”
“Are you trying to tell me you’re leaving?” Thom felt too raw to skirt the truth.
“What the hell? No. Of course not.”
“It sounded like, maybe—”
“No. Just listen.”
Thom nodded.
“I’ve been talking with Steve about what needs to be done, what can be done, with the north section. We can replant it, but it will be several years before production is back up to current levels, right?” Thom nodded again.
“So I was talking to Uncle Chuck and Al, at Bent Brewing, and I’ve got this idea for the upper field. They both think it’ll work, and Steve says I should go for it.”
Thom was silent, waiting for Ben’s big reveal.
“Hops.”
“Hops? You mean, growing hops?”
“Yeah. Al can get me rhizomes, including some rare hybrids. We can test them in the coming year, and go full scale the year after that. They’d be up to speed faster than the grapes, and we’d have that crop bringing in money while the north section rebuilds.”
Thom considered it. He trusted Chuck and Granddad – if they thought it was a good idea it probably was, and that field wasn’t producing now as it was. “Okay. It can’t hurt to try.”
“There’s more, though. Although, a lot of this part is about me. But it’s also about us.”
“Now I’m confused.”
“I want to get certified as a craft brewer.”
Thom studied Ben’s face. It wasn’t that simple, and he knew it. “What does that entail? For you and for us?”
“Long-term, if you agree, I want to start a microbrewery, right here on site, just like the winery. Adjacent, with a shared tasting room. And we can use our own hops that we’ve grown ourselves. If anyone else is doing this, I haven’t found them yet.”
“And short-term?”
“I have to get the training. Most of it will be online, here. But there will be an apprenticeship requirement. If I can’t find a local brewery to take me on, I’ll have to go away for a few weeks. But that won’t be for a few months.”
Thom studied Ben’s face. “This is what you really want?” He asked. “The hops and the brewing?”
“It is. But it’s going to be a lot of work for me. Studying and apprenticing and getting the hop field going and the north section replanted. And if we do it, it’ll start soon and happen fast.”
“I’ll be able to help by spring.”
“Yeah, but you can’t study for me, and I may have to go away for a little while. I’m not going to do this if you’re not on board.”
Thom looked at Ben’s beautiful, hopeful face, and was suddenly exhausted – this conversation was requiring more brain power than he was used to expending after sex.
He knew what this was – and this was huge. This was Ben not just saying he was staying, but actually doing it. Making plans and talking about more than just being part of Thom’s dream, but pursuing a dream of his own. Here.
He opened his mouth to tell Ben he could have anything he wanted. That if doing this would mean building a future together and Ben wasn’t leaving, that he could plant as many hops as he wanted and do three apprenticeships. All of this was on the tip of his tongue as he opened his mouth, but he was asleep before he could get the words out.
Ben adjusted the covers, then leaned over to kiss Thom’s forehead.
“I love you, Thom Caldwell,” he whispered against the other man’s skin. “Whether you like it or not.”
He wandered onto the front porch.
“Hey, Ben,” Jon looked up from the crossword puzzle he was working. “How is he?”
“Asleep.”
“Did you have a chance to talk?”
“Yeah. I told him what we talked about. About the hops, and the north section, and the craft brewer training.”
“What did he say?”
“He fell asleep.”
“Well, he’s had a pretty big day. Did he seem receptive to the idea? Before he fell asleep?”
“I think so. I think if he’d been opposed he would have forced himself to stay awake and argue. He looked like maybe he was okay with all of it.”
“So what are you going to do? You should get that application sent in if you’re going to go for it.”
“I’m going to submit it. If I talk to him later and he’s against it, I don’t know. It’s something I really want. Even if we don’t start a brewery here, I could still do something. Start small in town, maybe. But it feels right.”
“Go do it now. The others will be back soon and we’ll have dinner.”
Ben nodded and turned to go inside.
“Ben?”
“Yeah, Dad?” he asked, turning back.
“I’m proud of you. I think it’s the right decision, too.”
“Thanks.”
Chapter 21
Thom made his way slowly back to the waiting room. He was walking better, but still needed a cane. The radiologist was reviewing his x-rays now, and he hoped that Dr. Sterling would clear him for climbing stairs. He couldn’t wait to sleep in his own bed again.
Ben looked up from his tablet and paused the video he was watching. “Well?” he asked, taking off his headphones.
“Should know in a few minutes. What were you watching?” Thom lowered himself into the chair next to Ben’s with only a slight twinge in his hip and shoulder.
“A lecture on lab practices.”
“Lab practices?”
“Cleaning and sterilization of equipment.”
“Oh, of course. If you needed to study, I’m sure Mindy or Jon could have brought me for my appointment.” Even as Thom spoke the words, he realized he
was selfishly glad to have Ben all to himself for the car rides to and from town.
“I can watch the video anytime or anywhere,” Ben took Thom’s hand in his own and squeezed it. “And this way we get to spend some time together.”
“It’s not exactly romantic, though.”
“Ooh, Mr. Caldwell. Are you feeling romantic?”
Thom blushed. “I mean, it’s not like it’s a date or anything. I remember thinking, after we got the harvest in, that I wanted to take you on a proper date. Then everything – happened – and I never got the chance.” He looked up to see Ben smiling, a soft look in his eyes.
“You wanted to take me on a date?”
“Well, yeah.”
“I wish I could hug you without it hurting.”
“My lips don’t hurt.”
Ben raised one eyebrow. “Really? Since when are you up for kissing in public?”
“It’s not public. There’s nobody here but us.”
“Okay, you asked for it.” Ben lowered his lips to Thom’s for a kiss that was almost, but not quite, chaste.
Thom pulled back, blushing, when he heard a throat being cleared.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.”
“Sorry, Dr. Sterling,” Ben said. “Guess I got carried away.”
“No problem. But I thought Mr. Caldwell would like his results ASAP.”
“Yes! Absolutely.” Thom started pushing himself out of the chair. “Do we need to go back to your office?”
“No, this will only take a minute, if you don’t mind Mr. Loomis being present?”
“No, it’s fine.” Thom reached out and Ben took his hand.
Dr. Sterling pulled over one of the other chairs and sat facing them.
“I’m very pleased with how everything is coming along. Being young and healthy has played a big role in that, as we’ve discussed before. Based on what I see on the x-rays, you may be able to come out of the sling in a week or so. I’d like to see you back the same time next week and we can decide then.”
“And my hip?”
“Has Alex had you walking without the cane yet?”
“A little, just in the last three or four days.”
“And how is the pain, on a scale of one to ten?”
“A two at first. A three if I go too fast or too far.”
“Keep using the cane unless you’re working with Alex, and we’ll talk again next week.”
“What about stairs? I really want to sleep in my own bed.”
“I’m going to okay that, as long as you keep it to the absolute minimum, and under no circumstances are you to try using the stairs alone. Make sure someone is with you and supporting you until I say otherwise. And Mr. Loomis will be under strict orders to rat you out if you overdo it.”
Ben nodded. “I will.”
“I promise. I don’t want to do anything to screw up my recovery.”
“As long as you stick to the plan, everything should be fine.”
“Any other limitations?” Ben asked.
“No lifting, no carrying. If something hurts, don’t do it.”
They wrapped up the appointment, and Ben and Thom headed for the exit.
“There’s a café in the next block,” Ben told Thom as they exited the hospital. “Want some lunch?”
“Sounds good. Close enough to walk?”
Ben thought about it for a few seconds. “Probably. We can give it a try, anyway. I can always run back and get the car if I need to .”
Ben started leading Thom toward the café Chuck had taken him to when Thom was in the hospital. “You know, lunch is kind of a date.”
“Not a proper date, though. I’m talking about going somewhere special, or doing something. Like a play or dinner or even an afternoon at a park. Not grabbing lunch after my doctor’s appointment.”
“Okay, okay. You plan a date, and I’ll be there. Anything you want.”
“Not until I’m out of this sling, though.”
“Fair enough.”
* * *
As they pulled into the drive leading up to the house, Ben saw Ross’s truck at the job site.
“Ross is here. Do you want to stop and get an update?”
“Yeah. Let’s get it over with.”
Ben laughed. “Poor Ross.”
“Poor Ross my ass. I think he must be a sex addict.”
“I think he’s lonely.”
Thom turned to look at Ben. “Seriously? Ross, lonely?”
Ben shrugged. “You tell him no, I tell him no. I know someone in town who would tell him yes, but for some reason Ross doesn’t ask. I never really see him do much other than work. I don’t know, I get the feeling part of it is an act to cover up how lonely he is.”
“Geez. You need to stop talking or I’m going to start feeling sorry for Ross and the world will tilt on its axis.”
Ben laughed and put the truck in park, cutting the engine. “Don’t move.” He jumped down and ran around to the passenger’s side to help Thom down.
“I don’t need help getting out of the truck.”
“I don’t want to take any chances that you’re not able to get upstairs tonight.”
“Fine. I can’t argue with that.”
Ben helped Thom down from the truck, and hovered while Thom got his balance on the rough ground. With one arm around Thom’s waist, he led him over to a makeshift table where Ross was going over the plans with another man in a hardhat.
“Hey, Thom. Ben,” Ross greeted them as they approached. “Lookin’ good there, Thom. You’ll be chasin’ Ben all over the house before you know it.”
“Don’t you ever give it a rest, Ross?” Complained the other man at the table.
Ross rolled his eyes. “This is Randy. He’s the lead electrician. Randy, this is Thom Caldwell and Ben Loomis.” The men shook hands, exchanging greetings.
“So, is Ross driving you crazy, too?” Ben asked Randy.
“Not like you mean,” Randy replied.
“Nah, Randy’s as straight as they come. Terrible waste if you ask me.”
“No one’s asking, Ross.” Randy told him. “I’d better get back in there. Thom, Ben, good to meet you. Watch out for Ross, he’s in a special mood today.”
“What’s up, Ross?” Ben asked after Randy had gone into the building.
Ross shrugged and turned back to the plans on the table. “Nothing. Don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Ben and Thom exchanged a look. Something was eating at Ross, but it was clear the big man didn’t want to talk about it.
“How’s construction coming along, then?” Thom asked.
“Ya want me to show you or tell you?” Ross asked, nodding at Thom’s cane. “I can give you a tour if you’re up for it.”
“Let’s give the tour a shot. We can cut it short if we have to.”
Ross handed them both hardhats and they made their way across the yard and into the open side door of the new structure. Inside, the concrete floor was level and free of debris, so it was easy walking for Thom. They followed Ross around the interior as he pointed out where walls and doors and tanks would eventually be located.
He led them back outside to the worktable. Sorting through plans, he pulled out the survey.
“Look, I know you said you wanted the option to add a brewery,” he looked up and Thom nodded. “But I just don’t think it’s going to work the way we talked about. Not as a separate building, anyway. You wouldn’t have room left for parking or an outdoor space.”
“I was afraid of that,” Thom said. “Do you have any ideas?”
“If we enlarge this structure, expanding it a bit in this direction,” he outlined the area with a finger, “you can have both in one building. Add a second story, and move the offices, lab spaces, and tasting room upstairs. Put a glass wall on one side of the tasting room, overlooking the tanks and operations – customers would love it. Parking would move here, along the side, and you can have an outdoor space here. You’d need to do a little rearranging insid
e, but I can make the configuration work. The division between the two spaces could be flexible, so you can expand or reduce as necessary. This also has the advantage that you could have just one office, if you don’t mind sharing, and that would save a little space. Alternatively, you could build a separate brewery beyond the house. It would be closer to the hop field, which could be picturesque, but it would cost more.”
Ben looked at Thom, trying to gauge his opinion, but wasn’t getting a read on it. “Tell you what, Ross. Let us talk about it, and we’ll let you know. If we decide to go with plan A, when do you need to know?”
Ross pulled out his tablet and checked the calendar and schedule. “It’s almost the weekend now. If you can let me know by Sunday night, that would be best. It would minimize any delays or rebuilding.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. What do you think, Thom?”
“Yeah. Okay. We’ll let you know this weekend. Thanks, Ross.”
Ben helped a quiet Thom back into the truck and handed him his cane. “Don’t think about it right now. Get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow morning we’ll sit down with Steve and Dad and Mindy and hash it out.”
“With everybody?”
“Well, Steve, obviously, because it’s his vision too. But Dad is helping bankroll my training, and Mindy is scary smart and organized and almost has her degree in civil engineering. So, unless you object, I’d like to include everybody.”
Ben watched, and waited, as Thom’s gaze drifted into the middle distance. “Okay,” Thom said after a minute. “Family meeting tomorrow morning.”
Ben leaned in and smacked a noisy kiss on Thom’s cheek. “Excellent decision. Now let’s get you home.”
* * *
“Stop hovering.”
“I’m not hovering. I’m two steps behind you, and Dr. Sterling said not to let you do the stairs alone.”
Thom growled under his breath and hauled himself up another step. Two more to go. The porch steps had been easy, but the stairs to the second floor were steeper and there were more of them. Climbing stairs was using his muscles in new and uncomfortable ways.
“Almost there,” Ben said when they both finally stood at the top of the stairs. Thom nodded, leaned on his cane, and started towards his bedroom.
Saving Grapes (Cable's Bend Book 1) Page 16
