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Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:30:25 -0500
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From: Troubador <llywarch_hen@btinternet.com>
Subject: ST: Brothers in Arms - Breaking Free Ch 07 (M/M, Hist)
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Six weeks after Chris and his mum arrived they sat beside Harald in his truck as he drove them out of the city toward his distant property. The last six weeks had been eventful for Chris, being introduced to horses as a mode of transport rather than something he would see grazing in fields, learning to ride and to care for them.
      "Have you told Jamie anything?"

      "Absolutely nothing. I'm planning a big birthday surprise for him. Teach the little git to make my life hell for the last two years!"

      "Tomorrow." Chris said.

      "He's out checking fence lines with two of our hands at the moment. He'll be back later today."

      "Jamie on horse back." Chris said in wonder.

      "Told you, it's the only way to get around out here when your working day to day, it's why I insisted you learn to ride."

      "I finding it a little difficult to picture Jamie on a horse."

      "He's good, took to it immediately. I taught him to ride myself when he first got here. I had Craig teach you because there are exigencies involved for amputees and it's best you get taught by a specialist. Speaking of Craig, he told me you got on well with your lessons once you overcame your fear of the nags."

      "After the first day I thought about how it was a little odd for a farmer's grandson to fear live stock like that so I just sucked it up and thought about my mum, her family and their farm."

      "Did you say 'sucked it up', Martha? Hell, Chris, you've been around Craig too long, man."

      "I guess."

      "And you, Martha. Did you enjoy your stay at the hotel?"

      "Harald! I can't remember the last time I did nothing but sit around, to relax and have someone else pamper and care for me. I almost didn't want to leave."

      "Well, I'll have a word with the owner and we'll come to some arrangement so you can come into town and stay for a few weeks."

      "Let's get Chris and me settled in first, we can talk about future arrangements later."

Harald braked the truck down, down shifted before he turned the truck off the highway and onto a bumpy, pitted road.

      "You'll have to forgive me for the quality of the ride now, things will be getting a little bumpy from here on out."

      "This really isn't anything when compared to thundering across the desert in a Sherman tank." Chris said as he put his arm a round his mother's shoulder.






     As day turned toward evening and the light started to fail, Harald slowed the truck and turned off the track allowing Chris to take in his first sight of the house were Jamie had been living for the past two years. It was a rambling, single story building, coated with stucco and painted white. The corners remained unpainted and an attractive, translucent brown stone marked the corners of each wing of the building. The roof was low and ran in a single slope toward the rear of the property and two low, squat chimney breasts marked the ends of the house proper.

To the right and left out buildings were connected to the main house by connecting corridors and on the right hand side a low string of buildings with farm equipment parked outside connected the last wing of the house to three huge barns and accompanying silos. As they continued their approach Chris gently shook his mother's shoulder to allow her the chance to wake before they got to the house

      "The big rectangular building in the middle is the main house, to the right is the blockhouse were the temporary hands I take on during the summer live; they've left for the season and the place is locked down for the winter. I've three lads working for me permanently and they have their own rooms in the main house.

      "The outbuildings to the left, house the kitchen, the woodpile and the emergency generator and the covered walk way beyond connects the main house to the garages and the barns so that in the dead of winter we've no need to slog through the snow to get out to our duties for the day. During the winter we keep the cattle close in to the property or, during the most bitter days of winter, we enclose them in the barns. In spring, after the melt, we drive them up to the high pastures on the mountain slopes."

      "Harald. May I ask you a question?"

      "You can ask, Chris, but whether or not you'll get an answer question entirely."

      "How do you feel about my relationship with Jamie?"

      "I'm not sure what you're asking, Christopher."

      "Most people think it's not natural for two men to enjoy what Jamie and I have!"

      "I should have liked to have heard the patter of bitty feet around the old place again. Some things are just meant to be and love blossoms in the most unexpected of places. Some things are private and best left to individuals and shouldn't be governed by legislation. 

      "Frankly, I don't care what you and Jamie enjoy when you're alone and in bed together. My lads are tolerant, too, Jamie talks to them about you all the time, tells them what you and he used to get up to in that little tent by the shore in Wales."

      "Everything?" Chris muttered.

      "Well, maybe not... everything." Harald smiled.

Harald stopped the truck and stepped up to open the the door to the house as Chris helped his mother out of the truck and turned to retrieve their bags from the load compartment.

      "Chris! Leave the luggage, Alex and Tom here will bring it up to the room for you. Jamie's room is up the stairs, third along on the right hand side. The room's big enough for two and the optimistic little git bought a double bed as soon as he got here."

      "Come on, mate," one of the lads approaching from the house said. "let's get your bags up to your room. I'm Alex, Tom here's big on silence so don't expect to much from him."

      "Hey, Chris! Nobody around here gets to say to much when Alex is around because his lips are always busy flapping; he can keep a room filled with his voice alone."

      "Come on, you big lummox, let's get lover boy here up to his room so he can get ready to give Jamie Boy his birthday present."



      With the talkative Alex keeping up a running commentary and the more taciturn Tom assisting Chris managed to get his bags stowed in the room. He sat on the bed after they left and waited for Jamie to return; sitting there he could smell the faint odour that reminded him of Jamie, he picked up a pillow and held it to his face and the scent of Jamie was so strong that the warm tears begin to flow, for the first time since the hospital ship he broke down and cried. He hugged the pillow tight to his chest and breathed deeply the smell of Jamie, he rocked himself back and forth as he finally admitted to himself how wrong he'd been not to come to Canada with Jamie when had first proposed it.

Later, once the tears had stopped he prowled the room and smiled at the way Jamie had settled in, the room was arranged just like the bedroom of their little flat in Meadowhall. Suddenly he heard the front door bang open and the crump of heavy boots on the wooden floor in the hallway. Chris crossed to the bedroom door and cracked it open slightly and as he did so, he caught Jamie's East London accent as he spoke, still as strong as ever even after two years away, Chris bit his lip as he smiled.

      "We checked the paddock lines along the east and the north sides, there are some places that need attention. I'll give Alex and Tom the locations and they can get on with the repairs over the next week. Mike and I will ride the west and south lines tomorrow; we'll set out after breakfast.

      "Speaking of food, who's in the kitchen cooking up that gorgeous odour. I know it, uncle, you burn water when making tea."

Chris grinned surprised at how confident and assured Jamie sounded.

      "You know something, Jamie lad, I think I'm going to return your birthday present tomorrow and ask for a refund for casting aspersions on my culinary attempts! You stay out of that kitchen Jamie! You'll get to meet our cook tomorrow. I think you need to get yourself up to your room and take a look at your birthday present. Tell me if you like it."

Chris backed away from the door and sat on the edge of the bed. He worried as he heard the sound of boots clumping up the stairs, approach along the hallway and finally stopped outside the door. The door opened slowly and Jamie walked in, his head turning to look around the room for his present. At first he didn't see Chris seated on the bed and turned back toward the door with a puzzled look on his face. He stopped in the doorway and slowly turned back toward the room and as he caught site of Chris his jaw dropped in amazement.

      "Hello!" Chris said.

Jamie walked over slowly and reached out to touch Chris' face.

     "Oh... my... God!" Jamie whispered.

Chris stood and looked into Jamie's eyes, the tears flowed again but this time he didn't try to stop them. Chris traced his fingers along Jamie's jaw before he threw his arms around him and kissed him. The tears flowed as they both broke down with the emotion of the moment; Chris released Jamie so he could pull back.

      "When did you get in?" Jamie whispered. "How?"

      "To the ranch or to Canada?"

      "I don't understand?"

      "We got to the Ranch today but our ship docked six weeks ago."

      "Six weeks? Where have you been fro six weeks?"

      "You're uncle arranged for me to have riding lessons out at Craig Stallard's place."

      "We? Is Rick with you?"

      "No! My mother; my father died a while ago and I couldn't leave her there alone."

      "So that's whose cooking in the kitchen!"

      "My dad made two people very happy by dying when he did."

      "Your mum will be very welcome here; our last house keeper left after one too many practical jokes. Uncle Harald tries his best while the lads and I are out working but he's not eactly a dab hand with the old pots and pans."

      "Listen! You don't want to be playing practical jokes on my mother; she's death on two legs with a soup ladle!"

      "Wasn't me! It was Alex, maybe if you're mum puts a dent in his head it'll shut him up for a bit! I'm sorry to hear about your dad!"

      "No your not! I'm not, my mother isn't and I don't think you are. The old bastard did everything in his power to split us apart and he damn near succeeded. I'm never going to leave you again. You still want me?"

Jamie replied wordlessly as he kissed Chris and kicked off his boots.

      "I desperately need to shower; I have to wash to the smell of cattle and horses off me."

      "Oh, I don't know, it smells kind of earthy and natural."

      "Huh! We'll see if you think that after a few months of it getting in your clothes and on your skin! Working on horseback gives you a different perspective of horses."

Jamie walked to the door opposite the one they'd both entered by and pushed it open to reveal that more than half the room was taken up by a huge shower enclosure. 

      "Bit big for a shower, isn't it?"

      "I chopped the old bedroom in half and asked my uncle for the money to install this. I want a bit of luxury when I shower and I never gave up hoping you'd join me one day. Come over here!"

He pulled Chris over to the closets and opened two of them... they were empty. 

      "I meant for these to be yours. I've never used them, I've always hoped you'd be here to use the one day. This is our room and I always meant for it to be. Chris, if it were possible, I'd ask you to marry me."

      "I'm sorry." Chris whispered in Jamie's ear.

      "What for?" Jamie replied, looking puzzled.

      "For not having the courage to come with you. For breaking your heart! I promise, though it might take the rest of my life I'll make it up to you."

      "Oh, don't be fucking stupid! You're here with me now and that's all that matters to me. Everything else is water under the bridge. Past, Forgotten and Forgiven! If any one should be saying sorry it's me, for the way I treated you the night before I left."

Chris moved back toward the bed, dropped his trousers and sat to remove them and to his prosthetic leg, as he unbuttoned his shirt he watched as Jamie stripped.

      "Christ, Jamie! That's one hell of a tan you've got there!" Chris exclaimed.

      "You'll be getting one too! Working out doors around here in the summer with your shirt off and I'll be able to show all the mates how lucky I am!"

      "We'll both end up in prison then; because I doubt I'll be able to keep my hands off you without your shirt on."

      "Chris! We could work naked around here and no one would ever know. Nearest neighbour is about forty miles away."

      "Help me into the shower and then we can christen the bed."
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