Published: 24 Jul 2025

While Dana and the boys were hunkering down in the old Tudor house that afternoon, Seth and Justin were weathering the storm at the acreage.

Justin had been on pins and needles when the storm began. He hated to have his husband caught in it. He prayed for his safety.

Seth had driven his pickup that day. Fortunately, the Tundra had four-wheel drive, making it much more stable than the old-fashioned ones with rear wheel drive. He had been very careful, so the trip took nearly twice as long as it normally would have. He’d not be able to call or text Justin because his phone was in his backpack instead of being hooked up to the truck. By the time he realized it, he’d been afraid to stop lest he get stuck or be hit by another vehicle.

When Justin saw the vehicle coming up the lane, he heaved a sigh of relief.

“I’ve been worrying about you,” Justin said, as he embraced his lover.

“Sorry. You know my phone is usually like an extension of my right hand, but it was muted and in my backpack because of classes.”

“I figured as much. I don’t mean to be like a helicopter parent.”

“I’m glad you love me enough to care!”

“You should probably call the boys because they checked in with me a bit ago. Jerrod had picked up Kayden from school late because both had obligations. That put them in the midst of the sleet. They’re home safe and that girl Konnor’s been seeing is with them.

“I wonder about the sleeping arrangement.”

“I’ll bet they put her in the guest room. Konnor’s a gentleman and he’s taking it slowly. He doesn’t want to see either of them get hurt.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have made a flippant remark.”

Justin prepared one of Seth’s favorite dinners which included roasted chicken, baked potatoes, squash, and broccoli. As the aroma filled the kitchen, it made the house feel warm and comfortable. That, along with logs burning on the hearth, dispelled the wintry gloom.

“You always cook my favorite foods,” Seth noted.

“That’s because you like about everything you eat.”

Both ate well, leaving very little in the way of leftovers. Justin would probably have those for lunch on Monday.

Around 9:00 they showered together and climbed into bed.

“Storms always make me horny,” Seth said. “I don’t know if it’s the change in barometric pressure or what.”

“Name three things that don’t make you horny!” Justin teased.

“Um, tampon ads on TV, funerals, and, um, I’m sure there must be something else.”

“See, you couldn’t come up with a third.”

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

Instead of answering, Justin lay on his back with his knees pulled up against his chest. He could sense that his lover wanted to top. Seth accepted the invitation with vigor. The howling of the wind outside was no match for the expressions of love he uttered.

Half an hour later, they lay cuddling in the afterglow. Interestingly, the storm seemed to die down as they came down from their emotional high. It was almost as if their passion had fueled the weather.

Although the junior college was canceled for the day, Seth still had schoolwork to do. Having a free day would allow him to work ahead on his online classes.

He had barely gotten a start on them when he received a text from Konnor wondering if the younger boys and he could come out to put the blade on the pickup to use for plowing driveways for some of their customers. Seth responded that it would make more sense for Justin and him to reattach the plow, and he would drive it into town. He would study in the office while they worked, and then he would drive it back to the acreage later.

Jerrod and Kayden loaded up the snowblower and a shovel which were kept at the shop, after they’d plowed the driveway. Then, they were off to clear as many drives and walks as they could for the rest of the day. They were sure to make a tidy sum for their efforts.

Konnor stayed at the shop to take care of any customers who might come in. There were only a couple of those, so he spent most of the time puttering around and chatting with Dana.

In their conversations, they learned a lot more about each other. Dana’s boyfriend had been loving and considerate in the beginning but had gotten hooked on drugs after taking painkillers. He had become like Mr. Hyde in the story. She didn’t think he was capable of murder, but she had become afraid of him. She had been relieved when he’d been picked up in a drug bust and was sentenced to prison. She had grieved his suffering as well as her loss of companionship. She had returned to school in hopes of starting over.

Konnor shared some of the details of his loss, including that Kayla had taken her own life after being raped by her cousin. The time they spent together that day was therapeutic for both of them and would begin a new direction in their relationship.

Seth was unaware of any of this because he remained buried in his studies.

When Jerrod and Kayden returned from their profitable day, Seth took his leave. He was pleased to see that the boys had filled the fuel tank before bringing the truck back.

April brought no unexpected snow that year. There was quite a bit of rain, however. That was welcomed because the previous years had been on the dry side. Hopefully, this would be a positive step toward restoring the underground reserves.

Justin had had a company install a rather large cistern at the back of the house to store water from the eave throughs. He wanted to have extra water for Konnor to use in his vegetable garden without putting stress on the well. The work had been completed in time for April showers to fill it.

April also saw an uptick in business at the nursery. Many trees and shrubs found new homes in subdivisions. Perennials could also be planted without fear of frost. Annuals wouldn’t be flying off the shelves for several weeks, but some people would come by to reserve plants to make sure they got top quality products. Walmart and some grocery stores would be competition, but the old master gardeners preferred stock which had been locally grown.

It was also in that month that Kurt was cleared of having anything to do with his nephew’s death. He had been a person of interest for several months. However, a guy named, Mike, who was in jail bragged to his cellmate, Jack, about offing Mark Hamer. Since both of them had a grudge against him, Mike assumed his secret would be safe. However, he hadn’t realized that Jack’s family had been Kurt’s neighbors several years ago, and Jack had great respect for him. After wrestling with his conscience, Jack told the police what he knew. With the details they learned, the cops were able to find evidence without anyone’s knowledge that the tip had come from Jack.

The college semester ended in the middle of May, much to the relief of several students. Seth was chief among them. He had felt swamped with studies and work overlapping during the week before school was over. He was young and knew he could get it all done. However, it was wearing on him.

Obviously, the nursery business really picked up that month. Kayden was probably just as stressed as Seth was. He had finals and graduation which kept him occupied until the first part of June.

Although he’d moved in with Jerrod on the day he turned 18, his parents still wanted to host a big party for him like they’d done for Konnor. He was fine with that. His family had a nice house on a lot large enough to set up a volleyball net. Their garage was immaculate and commodious enough to accommodate many tables and chairs which they’d rented for the occasion.

Of course, he invited the guys he worked with as well as his friends from school and church. There were also several relatives in attendance. No one seemed to be offended when he introduced Jerrod as his boyfriend. He felt that was a good sign for the future.

Once the festivities were over, it was back to the usual summer grind. Kayden became the cute kid on the mower because Seth had bigger fish to fry. He was rapidly making a name for himself in the realm of designing landscapes for homeowners who could afford his services as well as a few businesses. He managed to enroll in a couple of online classes toward his degree at the same time. It looked like more stress than it actually was. First, he enjoyed what he was doing. And second, some of his projects would earn him credit. Like before, his teachers were pleased by the fact that he could put his ideas into practice.

About a week after Kayden’s party, Seth took a couple of days off. It had been a year ago that Justin and he had tied the knot.

To celebrate their first anniversary, Justin and Seth took their original wedding party, plus Dana, out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Seth and Justin included her because Konnor seemed to be spending more time with her. If the two of them were to get serious, the guys wanted her to get used to being around gay couples for Kayden’s sake. Well, actually for Konnor’s sake as well, since part of the problem with his relationship with Kayla had to do with her attitude about Konnor’s associates. If Dana had a similar outlook, it would be better to get it out in the open and deal with it.

Thankfully, all of their guests got along fine. Because Dana had hung around the floral shop on occasion, and had been with the boys during the storm, they were already acquainted. If this was a test of her ability to fit in, she passed it with flying colors.

After dinner, Seth and Justin proceeded to their honeymoon hotel and repeated all the activities they’d done the year before, including the walk to the small lake. This year, the weather was again perfect for their outing.

Several improvements had been made to the area since their wedding day. The city was doing an admirable job of turning what had been a kind of waste dump into a place of beauty suitable for fishing and recreation.

The trail had been in place for several years, but now that it was upgraded, it was more user-friendly. A number of people were out strolling in the early evening. That included families as well as couples. It appeared to be a safe area in the heart of the city. Seth had a few ideas of how the design could be improved but felt that the city was probably doing the best they could on the budget they had to work with.

As the men made their way back to the hotel, the sky began to cloud over and there was lightning in the not too far distance. Counting the seconds between the strikes and the thunder, the guys estimated that the activity was only about three miles away. They picked up their pace, making it into the front door of the hotel just before the rain pelted down.

“Oh boy, I’m in for the ride of my life tonight,” Justin quipped.

“What?”

“I know how your libido parallels the fury of the weather.”

“Yeah, it does seem to increase because of the storm.”

“As I’ve said before, I’m not convinced that your mood doesn’t influence the weather!”

A year of marriage hadn’t diminished their attraction and love for one another. In fact, they seemed to be more in sync than they had ever been in the past. Sex was always good, but the deep affection they felt for each other was even more satisfying. Justin could foresee himself growing old with his young lover.

Seth felt the same way. Their union was destined to last.

END

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