her
place, and take everything Jacob needs back with us. His bed, desk, all that."
Jacob looked at Tor, but didn't say anything.
"And then," Jake drawled, "Jacob and I get to stay in a house empty of everything but a few dishes and our clothes?" Well, that sucked.
Elias winced. "Brought you a nice tent," he mumbled. "And sleeping bags and air mattresses. Least you have running water."
Jacob's eyes widened. "Seriously? Cool!" He grinned and looked at Jake. "You can sleep in the house. I'm going in the tent."
72
Chris Owen
Chapter Twenty
After Elias and Tor had eaten, and after Jacob had claimed a few more empty boxes for his stuff,
Cath headed home to get a good night's sleep. "I'll be back by seven in the morning," she said, rolling her eyes. "So you make sure everyone is up and the coffee is on. I wasn't born to keep these
hours, you know."
Jake showed Tor and Elias all the separate piles of things, pointing out everything that had to be
moved out to the yard in the morning and what had to be loaded for drop-off, and then the three of
them sprawled out on the couch, half watching Jacob play his video game and half sleeping.
Jake was hardly surprised to find himself leaning into Tor's side, though he didn't remember doing
it. Tor didn't seem to mind, one arm sliding over his shoulders as easy as anything, fingers petting
Jake's arm.
"You'll be home on Friday?" Tor asked quietly.
Jake nodded. "Yeah. I'll make sure we can drop the rental off in town on the weekend, though we
might have to go out to the airport to do that. It'll work out."
"I'm done with school on Thursday at noon," Jacob put in, glancing over his shoulder at them. He was sitting on the floor, his good hand flying as he manipulated the joystick tucked up against his
cast. "We can go then, can't we?"
Jake shook his head. "Could, but we won't. I want you to have at least the afternoon to see your
friends."
Jacob shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."
"It will."
Jacob shrugged once more, his attention going back to his game, but the silence felt heavy again.
Jake looked at Tor, not sure how to fix it, or if it needed fixing; he just knew he didn't like to see
Jacob hurting.
"Got something in the truck for you, kid," Tor said, his foot reaching out to nudge Elias' leg.
"Going," Elias grumbled as he levered himself up. "This old body wasn't made for sitting in a truck that long. Lord." He groaned and headed out the front door, both Jake and Jacob watching him go
before turning to look at Tor.
73
Natural Disaster
"Just hold your horses," Tor said. "It's not much, not a real present, just something he might like to see."
Jake was almost as eager to see what Elias had when he came back in, his curiosity growing when
he saw it was a big, flat envelope.
"You want to do this?" Elias said, holding it out to Jake and Tor.
"Go ahead," Tor said before Jake could reply. "I'm comfortable right here."
Elias snorted and sat on the floor next to Jacob, both of them turning to face the couch. "Your uncle will die of curiosity if he doesn't get to see," Elias said to Jacob as he reached into the envelope and pulled out a pile of photographs. "Me and Tor were thinking, when we realized we'd have to get
your stuff to the ranch before you. It's only fair you get to pick your own room, and you can't do
that right if you don't know what your choices are. So we took a mess of pictures, then we went for
a ride and got pictures of the rest of the place." He pointed up at Tor and added, "Even found someone with a little prop plane and went up and got some aerials."
Jake turned his head to stare at Tor. "You what?"
"Got some pictures from the sky."
"Yeah, I got that part." Jake grinned and kissed Tor, hard and fast. "Great idea."
Tor's ears turned pink.
On the floor, Elias started spreading out photos, grinning from ear to ear. "This here's the house,"
he said to Jacob, who had abandoned his game. "And this is the bunkhouse, where I live."
Jacob
place, and take everything Jacob needs back with us. His bed, desk, all that."
Jacob looked at Tor, but didn't say anything.
"And then," Jake drawled, "Jacob and I get to stay in a house empty of everything but a few dishes and our clothes?" Well, that sucked.
Elias winced. "Brought you a nice tent," he mumbled. "And sleeping bags and air mattresses. Least you have running water."
Jacob's eyes widened. "Seriously? Cool!" He grinned and looked at Jake. "You can sleep in the house. I'm going in the tent."
72
Chris Owen
Chapter Twenty
After Elias and Tor had eaten, and after Jacob had claimed a few more empty boxes for his stuff,
Cath headed home to get a good night's sleep. "I'll be back by seven in the morning," she said, rolling her eyes. "So you make sure everyone is up and the coffee is on. I wasn't born to keep these
hours, you know."
Jake showed Tor and Elias all the separate piles of things, pointing out everything that had to be
moved out to the yard in the morning and what had to be loaded for drop-off, and then the three of
them sprawled out on the couch, half watching Jacob play his video game and half sleeping.
Jake was hardly surprised to find himself leaning into Tor's side, though he didn't remember doing
it. Tor didn't seem to mind, one arm sliding over his shoulders as easy as anything, fingers petting
Jake's arm.
"You'll be home on Friday?" Tor asked quietly.
Jake nodded. "Yeah. I'll make sure we can drop the rental off in town on the weekend, though we
might have to go out to the airport to do that. It'll work out."
"I'm done with school on Thursday at noon," Jacob put in, glancing over his shoulder at them. He was sitting on the floor, his good hand flying as he manipulated the joystick tucked up against his
cast. "We can go then, can't we?"
Jake shook his head. "Could, but we won't. I want you to have at least the afternoon to see your
friends."
Jacob shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."
"It will."
Jacob shrugged once more, his attention going back to his game, but the silence felt heavy again.
Jake looked at Tor, not sure how to fix it, or if it needed fixing; he just knew he didn't like to see
Jacob hurting.
"Got something in the truck for you, kid," Tor said, his foot reaching out to nudge Elias' leg.
"Going," Elias grumbled as he levered himself up. "This old body wasn't made for sitting in a truck that long. Lord." He groaned and headed out the front door, both Jake and Jacob watching him go
before turning to look at Tor.
73
Natural Disaster
"Just hold your horses," Tor said. "It's not much, not a real present, just something he might like to see."
Jake was almost as eager to see what Elias had when he came back in, his curiosity growing when
he saw it was a big, flat envelope.
"You want to do this?" Elias said, holding it out to Jake and Tor.
"Go ahead," Tor said before Jake could reply. "I'm comfortable right here."
Elias snorted and sat on the floor next to Jacob, both of them turning to face the couch. "Your uncle will die of curiosity if he doesn't get to see," Elias said to Jacob as he reached into the envelope and pulled out a pile of photographs. "Me and Tor were thinking, when we realized we'd have to get
your stuff to the ranch before you. It's only fair you get to pick your own room, and you can't do
that right if you don't know what your choices are. So we took a mess of pictures, then we went for
a ride and got pictures of the rest of the place." He pointed up at Tor and added, "Even found someone with a little prop plane and went up and got some aerials."
Jake turned his head to stare at Tor. "You what?"
"Got some pictures from the sky."
"Yeah, I got that part." Jake grinned and kissed Tor, hard and fast. "Great idea."
Tor's ears turned pink.
On the floor, Elias started spreading out photos, grinning from ear to ear. "This here's the house,"
he said to Jacob, who had abandoned his game. "And this is the bunkhouse, where I live."
Jacob
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