26. Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-six

After everyone left the ranch that night, all promising to return the next morning to celebrate Christmas, Matt and Ryan played with the little puppy while Tim found a box in the basement to make it a bed. He told Matt he was hoping to save them from a massive cleanup the next day by not allowing the dog to roam the house freely until it was potty-trained.

The three of them finally took the dog for its last walk and when it was time for bed, Ryan asked to sleep in a fort like they'd made at Thanksgiving. Of course, Matt couldn't say no.

The bull rider built a small fire while Tim turned on the Christmas tree. Holiday music was softly playing in the background as the three of them held each other tightly, dozing off. Corky was next to Ryan's feet, and thankfully, he settled down right away in his temporary, cardboard bed.

His boys, as Matt thought of them, dozed as quickly as the dog, but every time Matt closed his eyes, images of Ryan missing from his life appeared, startling him awake. He needed to call Jon to come up with a more permanent solution to keep Bertie from having any claim to Ryan. It was essential she'd never be allowed to take the boy away again.

Matt woke at six in the morning, having seen the clock on the cable box turn over to four before he finally dozed. He was pretty sure he was lucky to have slept the two hours he had all things considered.

He slipped upstairs to the bathroom to shower and dress for the day because the work on a cattle ranch didn't stop simply because the owner failed to get a good night's sleep. He thought he'd heard Danny's truck passing the house on the way to the barn earlier, and he really wanted everything set up for Josie before Josh brought her over. When Ryan finally made it to the barn to see her, Matt wanted the boy to be happily surprised.

He slipped on his old boots and checked his phone, seeing it was an unseasonable fifty degrees outside, so he skipped the coat and went out the back door toward the barn.

When he arrived at the door, it was open, which worried him. Danny didn't open the barn doors when he arrived. He always went directly to the machine shed.

" Whoa!" The shout came from inside the barn.

Matt wished he'd brought the shotgun that was locked up in his office because he didn't recognize the voice. If someone was trying to steal from him, he was about to take out all his pent-up anger for Bertie on someone's unsuspecting face.

When Matt walked into the barn, there was a tall guy standing next to one of the stalls where a huge black horse was tied. The guy was brushing him and attaching a ribbon to the mane.

"What the hell?"

The man turned around and smiled. "Well, hey now, bull rider. This is supposed to be a surprise. You best get outta here, so you don't ruin Tim's fun." It was Mickey from the Katydid, and Matt started laughing because he was wearing a Santa cap atop his cowboy hat.

"Where in the hell did that horse come from?" Matt approached the beast, seeing it was one of the most beautiful stallions he'd ever laid eyes on.

Mickey stopped what he was doing to turn to Matt. "Look, I was told to drop him off here along with a saddle and fix him up a little. What're you doin' down here?"

"I came to do the same for Josie. You comin' over later?"

Tim had bought Mickey a gift and Matt hoped the guy would come for the celebration. He knew Tim thought of the guy as a good friend, and he wanted Mickey to feel welcome in their home. Maybe he could help Matt talk Tim into finally moving in permanently so Mickey could have Tim's bigger room at the Katydid? It wasn't exactly a bad idea.

"Yeah. Josh insisted Tim wanted me to come. I also got a message from your father-in-law. Quote, ‘Tell Matthew he better make Tim believe this stud horse is the best gift he ever received. Tim's worried he won't like it, and Matt better love it, or I'll come over and kick his ass until he figures it out.' Unquote. I don't know nothin' more than that to tell ya. I'll fix Josie up for ya, too. Just get outta here so you can fake your total surprise. I'll make it nice I promise." Mickey gave him a big grin.

Matt nodded and hurried out of the barn and back to the house, leaving his boots on the back deck so he could sneak inside and start the coffee. He heard the dog whining, so he rushed to the family room to get him before he woke Tim or Ryan.

He grabbed the pup and took him out into the back yard along with a couple of paper towels to pick up the waste because he didn't want the backyard to become a shitty mess. He put the puppy down and watched it sniff and wander all over the backyard, heading toward the fence separating the yard from the cow pasture.

"Ho! Hang on, bud." Matt caught the dog just before he went under the fence. He wished he'd brought the damn leash, but luckily, he'd averted a disaster.

After the dog did his business, Matt cleaned it up, mildly complaining, before he carried the little dog into the house, putting him just inside the back door after stopping in the garage to open a big trash bag to put the dog crap and paper towel inside.

Matt would need to decide what to do with the little presents the mutt would leave behind because he didn't want it being stepped in and brought into the house. There would have to be new rules for boots because now they had cow, horse, and dog shit to worry about being dragged inside. Cleaning those floors wouldn't be anything Matt looked forward to doing.

He glanced at the clock, seeing it was six forty-five in the morning, which he determined was late enough. He grabbed his cell and hit the contact information for Jon Wells. He pressed the button to call him and chuckled to himself, sure the man wouldn't answer. It rang twice.

"Wells," Matt heard his attorney answer. Clearly, he'd awakened him, and it brought a big grin to his face as he considered how much he was about to fuck up the man's holiday weekend.

"I oughta sue ya for malpractice, ya prick." Matt was joking, but maybe not entirely? If Jon hadn't suggested the damn joint custody clause in the first place, Matt wouldn't have lost his son for the thirty-six hours it took to get him back.

"Who the fuck is this?" Jon Wells didn't sound very happy.

"Can't you read? I know you have my number in your cell."

Matt had lost a lot of sleep because he couldn't shut down his imagination regarding all the scenarios which could have occurred when Bertie took his son. It seemed fitting Jon Wells should suffer a little bit as well since he'd been the one to leave the door open for Bertie to take the boy in the first place.

"Aaron? What the fuck, man? You know what time it is? I thought you and Ricky were well on your way to St. Kitts for your honeymoon. The roaming charges will eat you up, man." Jon chuckled, which brought a laugh from Matt as well.

Matt heard someone in the background. "Get off the fuckin' phone, Jonny, and fuck me."

The voice was soft, but it was definitely low-pitched. Matt had never asked about Jon's personal situation, having assumed the man was straight. Obviously, his gaydar was for shit.

"It's me, Matt Collins. Because of your fuckin' joint custody clause in the divorce papers, my ex-wife kidnapped my boy from school on Christmas Eve. I had to get a goddamn Special Forces soldier to help me get him back because the cops wouldn't do a goddamn thing about it. You said to put it in the papers so we could get the fuckin' thing over with faster, and the cops told me I didn't have a goddamn leg to stand on when it came to gettin' him back.

"Now, you're gonna fix that shit, Jon. I ain't gonna have my son taken from me again, so I'd suggest you think on it and come up with a fix so it doesn't happen again." Matt's words were harsh, but not unjustified.

There was a quiet " Oh shit!"

Yeah, you better be worried, you pricey motherfucker!

"Tell me what happened. I can't do anything today, but Monday, I can file a TRO and a motion for sole custody," Jon suggested.

"I don't know what the fuck that is, but you better file somethin'. That joint custody shit shoulda never happened so you better fix it. Rob and his family are here, so you might wanna come out and pick his brain about how to handle Bertie and her mom because he used to be married to the woman. I don't wanna give ‘em money, but if it's all I can do, then so be it.

"We're celebratin' Christmas today, so I know Rob and DeAnne will be here. Come talk to him cause I ain't flyin' your ass to El Paso again on my dime. You fucked it up by not wantin' to drag out the divorce. Well, I paid ya an assload of money to handle it, but this is a clusterfuck, as I see it. Time you started earnin' that big check." Matt hung up.

He didn't dislike Jon Wells, but he felt the man deserved some of the blame for the agony he and Tim had endured while they tried to find Ryan. It was time to do something about it once and for all.

As he made himself a cup of coffee from the fancy machine, Matt heard the delightful giggle of his son. "Stop, Corky. My feet are ticklish."

Matt laughed as he filled the side tank on the coffee maker with more water and put in a small foil-covered cup to fix a coffee for the man he loved. He continued to listen to Ryan laughing, which was a fucking great sound to hear, considering Matt, at one point, wasn't sure he'd ever hear it again.

As he'd told Ryan about Tim more than once, the sound made his heart happy.

After Tim's coffee finished, Matt made hot chocolate for Ryan. He went to the cookie jar his mother had put on his counter and pulled out a handful of sugar cookies, putting them on a plate. He grabbed a big baking pan to use as a tray, putting the mugs and the cookies on top to carry them into the living room.

He saw Ryan and the dog snuggled together with Tim watching the two of them as they appeared to be dozing.

Matt smiled. "Merry Christmas, baby." He sat, juggling the pan. He held it out for Tim, who sat up to take his cup of coffee and a cookie.

Suddenly, Ryan's eyes popped open. "Is that hot chocolate I smell?"

"Yeah, but before you get it, go to the john and then get your dog some water. I'm gonna call Papa Marty to pick up some dog food for Corky. We fed him ham last night, but he can't eat a steady diet of it. We'll get him a proper bed and stuff on Monday, so he doesn't have to stay in the box.

"When you take him out to do his business—and he is your dog so you're gonna be responsible for him—you need to put him on a leash until we can get a different kind of fence around the back yard so he can't get to the cow pasture. The cows would step on him and hurt him. We also need to get him an appointment with Doc Grant to check him out. I'll call on Monday. Now, scoot. The grandparents will be here at nine."

Ryan gave him and Tim smacking kisses on their cheeks before he ran up the stairs with Corky stumbling up behind him. Matt scooted into the fort next to Tim and kissed his cheek. "How'd you sleep?"

Tim yawned and smiled. "Okay, but we gotta get those damn sleep pads. This hardwood is hell on the back."

Matt thought for a minute and decided to pursue a line of questioning he never imagined he'd consider. "Would you rather have carpet in here? I mean, we can get carpet if you want, or do you wanna redo the whole place? We can paint or put new tile in the kitchen. We can get new furniture, too, Tim. Whatever you want.

"I want this to be a home you want to come home to . I love you, Timmy, and I want you to live here with us. Please, move in."

It wasn't really in Matt's DNA to beg for anything because he was used to being an alpha male where things came easily to him. Recent events taught him it was smart to appreciate the people in his life, and after all, Tim had come through for him in spades more often than Matt could have ever anticipated.

The shit he did to bring Ryan home was beyond Matt's comprehension, but he knew Tim loved the boy as much as he, and Matt wanted the three of them to share their lives. It was Matt's Christmas wish.

"Keep your eyes closed," Matt told Ryan as he carried the boy down to the barn on his shoulders. They'd left the dog in the laundry room for a few minutes because he'd likely scare the horses, who were already trying to adjust to their new home. Matt knew Corky would have to get used to the animals on the ranch, but that would come with time. Right now, it was the moment for great surprises.

"Where we goin'?" Ryan asked, excitement evident in his voice as he held his hands over his face as he'd promised.

"Don't you worry about it. Just keep your eyes closed. Santa made a special trip to deliver your gift last night, so let's be grateful."

Tim looped his hand through Matt's crooked elbow as the three walked up to the barn. Tim opened the door and glanced in, turning to smile at Matt and Ryan.

They all walked into the barn, and Matt stopped in front of Josie's new stall. He reached up and took Ryan down from his shoulders, holding him against his hip. He saw the boy's nose wrinkling as he sniffed, and he was pretty sure Ryan was onto the surprise, so Matt said, "Open ‘em."

Ryan dropped his hands and climbed from Matt's arms onto the gate to see the little female donkey inside with a red and green bow tied around her neck. She was eating from a grain bin Matt had hung low on the stall wall. Ryan looked at Matt and Tim, and then back to Josie as if he didn't believe it was true.

"Oh, Daddy!" he gasped as he threw himself back into Matt's arms and hugged him tightly. Matt felt tears on his neck, and he gave a watery smile of his own. It was exactly as he hoped it would be.

They all heard a snort behind them, so they turned to see the huge stallion Matt wasn't supposed to know about. "What the hell is… Where'd that come from?" Matt tried hard to keep a curious look on his face.

"Surprise?"

Tim's half-hearted response was nervous as the three of them stepped over to the stall. The stallion walked over to Tim and swung its head over the side of the gate, whinnying softly as Tim stroked his head.

"Matty, this is Ebony Prince Charles. I've been calling him Charlie, but you can call him anything you want. He's a Kentucky Saddler, and Uncle Josh says he's an amazing ride. I haven't ridden him yet because he's yours. Merry Christmas."

Ryan looked at Matt and grinned, announcing, "We both got horses, Daddy. This is the best Christmas ever! " Matt had to agree.

The rest of the day was full of surprises for the family. Somewhere along the way, Tim had the foresight to ask Aunt Katie to drop off the gifts for Cindy and Rocky Whipple on Christmas morning. She took footage on her cell phone and showed it to them later that afternoon.

Rocky opened the front door, running back inside, and returning with his mother, who started to cry as she saw the red, crushed-velvet bag. There weren't many dry eyes among the group as they all watched the scene unfold on the cell phone screen.

Ryan took great pride in taking his new grandfather, Rob, down to the barn to show him Josie and his new saddle. Matt smiled at the fact Ryan hadn't opened all his gifts because he wanted to wait until the next day when he could be alone with his dad and Tim so they could add to their family traditions. It brought a sentimental smile to Matt's face.

Matt took great pride in showing off the stud horse Tim had given him for Christmas. The horse was magnificent, and Matt was anxious to take him out into the pasture. The saddle wasn't fancy, but it was broken in, which was exactly what Matt loved about it.

Tim explained to him his desire to commission a fancy saddle for Matt, but he quickly dissuaded his lover from pursuing anything of the sort. Matt wasn't the "fancy-saddle" kind of guy, or so he told Tim. The old rough-out was perfect for him in every way.

Tim's face glowed with happiness when Matt took him downstairs to show him the vintage Pac-Man video game he'd managed to buy from the guy who owned the pizza place in town. He explained to the man he loved how he planned to have the basement finished to make a game room, along with two bedrooms and a full bath. He told Tim they'd thank themselves when Ryan got older because he'd have a place to entertain his friends, and Matt and Tim could have some peace in other parts of the house. The passionate kiss he received in return made his blood roll through his veins from his quickly beating heart.

As everyone stood in the living room with drinks later that afternoon, Matt whistled to get everyone's attention. When they all turned to look at him, his heart was full. There were family, old friends, new friends, but at the center of all of it stood Tim and Ryan with joy shining on their faces. Of course, there was a mangy little mutt running around pissing on the hardwood, but time would cure all ills.

"I'd like to thank all of you for joining us to celebrate the first Christmas of our new family. As I look around, I see a lot of family and people who are gonna become family. I have a lot to be grateful for this Christmas, and I wanted to thank all of you for supporting us through the trials and the blessings. Merry Christmas." Matt lifted his glass in a toast.

He pulled Tim close and kissed him before he picked up Ryan to hug him as well. In Matt's opinion, the holiday had started out rocky, but it ended up being the best Christmas he'd ever had in his life. He said a silent prayer that it was the first Christmas of many to come.