18. Axel

Chapter 18

Axel

Axel parked his truck in front of Kipp's ranch house and watched with a smile on his face as Arlo jumped out of the passenger side and made a beeline to his Little friends as they waited for him over by the play barn.

And with the Daddies waiting for Axel with ice cold beers in their hands and burgers on the barbeque, Axel was very much in the mood to let loose and enjoy the moment – and there very much was a reason to celebrate too.

In the weeks since Jack McPherson had instructed his lawyer to fight Arlo's case, things had moved pretty quickly. Not only did the military back down and accept that Arlo was unfairly dismissed, but they also agreed to accept responsibility for the bullying and negligence of Arlo's mental health he had experienced too. It was nice to get a financial compensation package for this, but what Axel truly loved was seeing how much the news freed Arlo up mentally and allowed him to be his full self all the time .

Arlo wasn't living in fear any longer.

There were no clouds hanging over Arlo that could bring him down or make him feel bad about himself. It was true that going back into the military was never going to happen, but Arlo was able to slowly embrace the fact that he broke barriers in the first place, aced his training, and made an impact in his own way.

As far as Axel was concerned, he was incredibly proud of how his special boy had set out to achieve something, done it, and was now able to walk away with his head held high.

Being a true Daddy, Axel's priorities were firmly aimed at ensuring that his baby boy was happy and living his best life, and now he knew that this was the case it was an incredible feeling. With the support of his fellow Eagle Ridge Daddies, Axel had given Arlo the gift of a new life, and the fact that he got to spend it with his boy was the cherry on top of the cake.

And it was with all this in mind that Axel and Arlo arrived at Eagle Ridge Ranch on a balmy Sunday afternoon…

‘Hey, it looks like the whole gang is here!' Axel bellowed as he embraced Kipp, Trey, Max, and Jack. ‘Thank you so much for doing this, Kipp. The place looks great.'

‘Hey, I couldn't have done it without you,' Kipp replied. ‘The orchard is coming along nicely too. Here, have a beer. The first of many!'

Axel gratefully received an ice cold beer and took his first glug. As the cold, amber nectar flavor hit his tongue, Axel felt a surge of happiness come over him. Surrounded by his friends and with a gaggle of excitable Littles making noise in the distance, this was a truly wholesome situation.

‘So what's new?' Axel asked, his eyes flashing over to the barbeque and hungrily eyeing up a burger.

‘Well I do have one little bit of news…' Kipp said, walking over with Axel toward the flaming hot burgers, wieners, and corn on the cob. ‘I'm looking for some more investment to help with the ranch refurbishment and Jack is going to step up and put some money in.'

‘That sounds positive,' Axel said, knowing that being a Daddy, Jack McPherson would be all in favor of the ranch becoming a true spot for Littles and Daddies alike.

‘We're going to build a swimming pool,' Kipp said, a broad smile on his face. ‘Half indoors, half outdoors. A couple of water slides. A jacuzzi on the side. Even a steam room too.'

‘I guess Jack is investing some seriously big bucks then,' Axel laughed, impressed at Kipp's ambitious plan.

‘It's not nothing, that's for sure,' Kipp laughed, placing a burger in a sourdough roll and handing it to Axel. ‘And we were thinking you could populate the indoor section with some tropical plants. You know, some real exotic kinds.'

‘Now you're talking,' Axel smiled, his mind already running wild with ideas over what kinds of spectacular plants he could source.

‘I've got some real plans for this place,' Kipp said, a look of ambition in his eyes. ‘I might even be looking to take on someone on to work with me full time. Nothing concrete yet, but it's something that I'm going to need to explore at least. So if you hear of any Daddies looking for some rough and ready ranch work, let me know.'

‘I sure will,' Axel replied, the mention of hiring a new employee setting off a thought process in his mind too.

Suddenly, the sizzle and smell of the food had drawn the whole gang of Daddies around the barbeque.

And as the beer fizzed and the banter flowed, Axel felt thankful for having such a great community of friends in his life. Working as a tree surgeon meant that Axel was alone for most of the day, so it was great to have times when he was around his fellow Daddies.

However since Arlo had been coming on his jobs with him, Axel had started to wonder whether his solitary work experience might not need to be a permanent thing after all.

But whether Arlo would actually want to officially become Axel's work partner was another question entirely. Axel decided that it might just be time to bring this up with Arlo and see precisely how he felt about the matter. And while he would be disappointed if Arlo didn't want to take him up on his matter, Axel felt sure enough in their relationship to know that whatever the outcome it would be all good between them.

After all, Arlo was Axel's boy and as long as he was giving him the opportunity to live his most fruitful life, then that was good enough for him.

Arlo's my perfect, sweet little boy.

There's nothing I wouldn't do for him .

I'll nurture him and help him grow to be the best Little he can be…

After a fun-filled party at Eagle Ridge Ranch, Axel and Arlo were back at Axel's house and had just enjoyed a nice, long soak in the tub.

With Laser fast asleep downstairs and the night sky dark outside, Axel was feeling ready to hit the sack and allow his body to rest ahead of a busy morning that would soon be upon him. But it wasn't only Axel who would be busy, or at least that was what he hoped…

‘I've been thinking,' Axel said, standing next to Arlo as he brushed his teeth in front of the bathroom mirror, looking extra cute in his plaid pajama set. ‘You enjoy coming out with me for work, don't you?'

‘ Uh-huh ,' Arlo replied, a little froth of toothpaste escaping out the side of his mouth as he brushed enthusiastically. ‘I wuv it.'

‘You can totally say no to this, but…' Axel said, a flicker of nerves coming over him as he continued to watch his darling boy get his teeth all sparkly and clean. ‘How about becoming my apprentice? I'll teach you everything I know. We can work together, maybe even expand the business. Two of us will be able to cover more ground, maybe even go further afield with the work. There are some amazing woodlands I'd like to help with. Okay, I'm waffling now. I'll shut up.'

Axel waited as Arlo wrapped up his tooth brushing. But if he was worried as to what Arlo might say when he was done, he shouldn't have been. In fact, Axel knew from the second that his darling boy put his brush down and washed the paste from his mouth that this was going to be a moment he'd never forget.

‘Yes! A million times yes, Daddy!' Arlo said, jumping up and down and launching himself up into Axel's embrace. ‘I thought you'd never ask. This is a dream come true.'

Axel felt Arlo's legs wrap around his waist and he held him in close. This was the perfect response. Axel knew that Arlo was passionate about the outdoor lifestyle, and he was a hard worker with plenty of determination too. The fact that Arlo just so happened to be the cutest boy he'd ever seen was merely an added bonus.

However there was one condition that Axel had to lay down before they could make things truly official…

‘Early bedtimes on workdays,' Axel smiled, knowingly patting Arlo on his plaid-covered butt. ‘And that's non-negotiable.'

‘ Poop ,' Arlo replied, his disapproval soon giving way to a big smile. ‘Fine. But only if those early bedtimes mean lots of stories, snuggles, and naughty fun stuff too.'

‘I wouldn't have it any other way,' Axel replied. ‘I love you, Arlo. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.'

‘I love you too, Daddy,' Arlo replied, his wonderful smile filling Axel's heart with nothing but the purest joy imaginable.