Everett’s. “I’m going to encourage Jesse to go to the police with a list of names of the boys responsible for this.”
“They’re kids,” the principal tried to argue.
“Kids who beat another kid so badly they had to bring in a plastic surgeon to sew up his face.” Gray straightened. “You do me a favour. You tell those little fuckers if they want to go toe to toe with a fag they can come out to the ranch, and I’d be more than happy to take them on.”
Principal Everett’s eyes rounded at the admission. “I realise you’re upset, but please remember where you are.”
“I’m done here. All I need from you is my niece.” Gray hoped Raleigh wouldn’t hate him for pulling her out of school, but he suspected things in Wellington were about to get ugly.
* * * *
“Uncle Gray, why did I just see Dr Moore help Jesse up to the loft apartment?” Raleigh asked, stepping into the dining room.
“Why would you ask that? You know what happened to Jesse today. You think I’m gonna just stick him out in the bunkhouse looking the way he is?” Gray filled a glass with lemonade.
“Doesn’t he have a home? Why’s he our problem?” she continued.
Before Gray could answer, Ram reached out and covered Gray’s hand. “I went to Jesse’s house today to find his mother. Believe me, he’s a lot better off here with us. At least we’ll know he’s warm and eating.”
“Can you do that? I mean, won’t you get into trouble?” Raleigh asked.
“Jesse’s eighteen. If he wants to go back to that he can, but for now, he said he’d rather be here.” Gray studied Raleigh for several moments. “What did you hear around school after it happened?”
Raleigh shrugged. “Just that some of the guys caught him looking and decided to teach him a lesson.”
Ram laughed. “All guys check each other out in the locker room. They may not admit it, but they do. If Jesse got beat up for it, I take it people know he’s gay.”
“Yeah, well, they know he’s not like the rest of them. It’s Wellington. Anyone who’s different gets picked on,” Raleigh explained. “I’m okay with him being here.”
Gray glanced at Ram. He needed to tell both Ram and Raleigh what he’d done. “I came out to Principal Everett.”
Raleigh’s face paled. “Please tell me you’re lying?”
“Nope. I was mad, and I guess I just wanted him to know this wouldn’t get swept under the rug. I’m sorry if it causes more problems for you.” Strangely enough, despite his fears, Gray felt liberated by the admission. There would surely be fall-out from his choice to step out of the closet, but if Jesse had the balls to accept who he was, Gray owed it to the kid to do the same.
“What about the business?” Ram asked.
“I guess we’ll see.”
Chapter Seven
Gray was at the perfume counter in Brower’s department store doing a bit of last minute Christmas shopping when he felt eyes on him. He glanced over his shoulder to find Ted, an old friend from the hardware store staring at him. “Hey, Ted.”
The older man gestured to the bottle of perfume in Gray’s hand. “That for you or that new manager you have working for you?”
Gray set the bottle on the counter before he was tempted to throw it. Although he and Ram had received their share of stares and odd looks since the news of their relationship hit the town, Gray hadn’t yet had to deal with a verbal assault. The way Gray saw it, he had two options. He could break the fool’s nose or back off and be the bigger person. “It’s for my niece.”
“Is it true?” Ted asked.
Gray didn’t need to ask for clarification. He knew exactly what Ted was asking. “You’ve known me my entire life, Ted. Does who I choose to love really matter to you? Ram and I aren’t planning to corrupt the town or have parades down the centre of Main. All we want is the kind of relationship you have with Debbie. Is that so wrong?”
“Don’t you dare compare my marriage with what you and
“They’re kids,” the principal tried to argue.
“Kids who beat another kid so badly they had to bring in a plastic surgeon to sew up his face.” Gray straightened. “You do me a favour. You tell those little fuckers if they want to go toe to toe with a fag they can come out to the ranch, and I’d be more than happy to take them on.”
Principal Everett’s eyes rounded at the admission. “I realise you’re upset, but please remember where you are.”
“I’m done here. All I need from you is my niece.” Gray hoped Raleigh wouldn’t hate him for pulling her out of school, but he suspected things in Wellington were about to get ugly.
* * * *
“Uncle Gray, why did I just see Dr Moore help Jesse up to the loft apartment?” Raleigh asked, stepping into the dining room.
“Why would you ask that? You know what happened to Jesse today. You think I’m gonna just stick him out in the bunkhouse looking the way he is?” Gray filled a glass with lemonade.
“Doesn’t he have a home? Why’s he our problem?” she continued.
Before Gray could answer, Ram reached out and covered Gray’s hand. “I went to Jesse’s house today to find his mother. Believe me, he’s a lot better off here with us. At least we’ll know he’s warm and eating.”
“Can you do that? I mean, won’t you get into trouble?” Raleigh asked.
“Jesse’s eighteen. If he wants to go back to that he can, but for now, he said he’d rather be here.” Gray studied Raleigh for several moments. “What did you hear around school after it happened?”
Raleigh shrugged. “Just that some of the guys caught him looking and decided to teach him a lesson.”
Ram laughed. “All guys check each other out in the locker room. They may not admit it, but they do. If Jesse got beat up for it, I take it people know he’s gay.”
“Yeah, well, they know he’s not like the rest of them. It’s Wellington. Anyone who’s different gets picked on,” Raleigh explained. “I’m okay with him being here.”
Gray glanced at Ram. He needed to tell both Ram and Raleigh what he’d done. “I came out to Principal Everett.”
Raleigh’s face paled. “Please tell me you’re lying?”
“Nope. I was mad, and I guess I just wanted him to know this wouldn’t get swept under the rug. I’m sorry if it causes more problems for you.” Strangely enough, despite his fears, Gray felt liberated by the admission. There would surely be fall-out from his choice to step out of the closet, but if Jesse had the balls to accept who he was, Gray owed it to the kid to do the same.
“What about the business?” Ram asked.
“I guess we’ll see.”
Chapter Seven
Gray was at the perfume counter in Brower’s department store doing a bit of last minute Christmas shopping when he felt eyes on him. He glanced over his shoulder to find Ted, an old friend from the hardware store staring at him. “Hey, Ted.”
The older man gestured to the bottle of perfume in Gray’s hand. “That for you or that new manager you have working for you?”
Gray set the bottle on the counter before he was tempted to throw it. Although he and Ram had received their share of stares and odd looks since the news of their relationship hit the town, Gray hadn’t yet had to deal with a verbal assault. The way Gray saw it, he had two options. He could break the fool’s nose or back off and be the bigger person. “It’s for my niece.”
“Is it true?” Ted asked.
Gray didn’t need to ask for clarification. He knew exactly what Ted was asking. “You’ve known me my entire life, Ted. Does who I choose to love really matter to you? Ram and I aren’t planning to corrupt the town or have parades down the centre of Main. All we want is the kind of relationship you have with Debbie. Is that so wrong?”
“Don’t you dare compare my marriage with what you and
Similar Books
