15. Leo

CHAPTER 15

leo

I ended up going home that night because I didn't want to leave Major in the lurch. Still, leaving Love behind felt like the hardest thing I'd ever done.

"It's not like you're going to war, Leo. I'm coming to Seguin this weekend," Love said, far too reasonably.

"I know . But I'm gonna need lots of dirty texts and even dirtier FaceTimes to make it through."

A funny little grin quirked up the corner of their lush mouth. "I thought you said you were asexual."

"With exceptions!"

Stretching up on their toes, they gave me a sweet kiss and said, "I love being your exception."

The guys at the ranch made fun of us for being so schmoopy, but I didn't care. They could tease us all they wanted. I had Love back, and I wasn't ever letting them go.

The week felt like it had taken forever and a day, even though we'd only been apart for four nights. Love drove up on Friday afternoon, after a week of helping mares give birth, and we fell onto the couch with Jules and Ginger, rewatching Heartstopper for the millionth time. By the end of the third episode, Love had snuggled into my chest, snoring away.

Ginger and Jules looked at us, beaming with pride.

"I'm so glad it all worked out, Leo," Ginger whispered as I lifted Love in my arms.

She kissed my cheek, and I carried them up to my room. I had a massive king-size bed, and Love looked tiny on it when I laid them down. They must've been exhausted because they didn't even wake up when I took off their shoes and jeans, leaving them in their T-shirt and boxers for the night.

I got ready for bed and slipped under the covers, careful not to jostle them. They mumbled something under their breath, then curled up on my chest and immediately started snoring again. It was the best feeling ever.

We got up early the next day, had coffee together, and then headed out to Lupe. After we made breakfast for everyone, I introduced Love to the kids they hadn't yet met. One kid, Cat, was AFAB—assigned female at birth—and nonbinary, and they drifted next to Love, sticking by their side the entire morning.

That was surprising, given how little Cat liked most people. They'd repeatedly gotten into trouble at school, most frequently because of the innovative ways in which they prevented other students from getting in their space.

They'd only recently agreed not to scatter thumbtacks on adjacent seats in their overcrowded homeroom, which Ginger and I agreed was a win. However, Cat was endlessly inventive, and we feared for the alternative deterrents they could come up with.

"How did you become a veterinarian?" Cat asked, their eyes wide, as though Love simply being there had expanded their entire universe.

Love smiled at them. "I got a degree in animal science, and then I went to vet school, and, finally, I passed the licensing exam."

"That sounds like it took a long time."

"It did. But you asked a brilliant question, which is how I did it. I think it's important that when you find something that lights you up and makes you happy, you ask those kinds of questions. If you want to be a doctor, there's a set of steps that go with that. If you wanna work on cars, there's a set of steps that goes with?—"

"So, if I wanted to write plays," Cat interrupted breathlessly, "there's a set of steps?"

"You wanna write plays?"

They nodded. "I'd like to write big love stories about people like us, and I want to see them on Broadway."

"That's amazing. Tell you what, I don't know the steps for that, but I bet we can google it. And I have a friend who writes his own songs, and even though that's not the same thing, they're kind of related, right?"

"Maybe."

"Well, I'll ask him. Or have you already met Hendrix?"

"Hendrix? As in Hendrix Cavanaugh?" they asked, their eyes practically popping out of their head.

"The very same. Leo, here, is a really good friend of his, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind asking."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't mind at all. Hendrix likes to talk about his songwriting process, and I know the first thing he'd say is that you've got to be okay with a shitty first draft."

"Is that why I hate everything I write?"

"Probably," I said, shrugging. "Also, you're a kid. You're supposed to suck at things before you get better at them."

They looked at me and laughed. "I bet it's okay to suck at things as an adult, too."

"I'll try to remember that."

We finished breakfast, and Cat gave us their phone number, making us promise to text them when we heard from Hendrix. We warned them that he and Sawyer had a brand-new baby, and it might take a bit, but Cat was undeterred. "Just don't forget about me."

Love opened their arms, and Cat stepped into them. "That would be impossible."

Cat was only thirteen years old, but they were fierce, and I found myself thinking about them as we made our way to the Meeting House.

"I keep thinking about how lucky I was to be raised by my father and mother," Love said as we pulled into the parking lot.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, I had long periods of confusion about who and what I was, but I never had to factor in whether my parents would kick me out for not being rough-and-tumble like their two other boys. Like, the first time I painted my nails, it was awful. Truly the worst manicure ever. But my dad complimented my work and told me that with a little practice I'd be as good as Mom at painting my nails. Imagine a fifty-year-old man who looks a lot like Junior saying that."

"I'm so glad," I said, wrapping my arm around their narrow shoulders and kissing their temple. "I'm glad that there are parents out there like yours showing other people how to do it. Letting them know that it's completely normal and okay to have a kid whose gender presentation isn't typical. That kind of support is a big part of what allowed you to talk to Cat today, and to give them an idea of a future they could have. Maybe you should call your parents tonight and tell them they helped another nonbinary kid that they haven't even met."

"You know what? I will."

I hopped out of the truck and rounded the front end before Love could open their door. I opened it for them with a flourish, and their pensive expression melted into a smile. They took my waiting hand, letting me help them out.

I shut the door behind them, and before I could turn toward our destination, they stilled me with a touch.

"Hmm?" I asked.

They got up on their tiptoes and brushed a soft kiss across my lips. "Speaking of my parents… Mom wants to meet you."

I raised my brows. "Are you sure? Is she going to yell at me for destroying your heart?"

Love laughed. "No. First, you didn't destroy my heart. Second, she's not one to yell. If she hated you, she would quietly make you miserable for the rest of your life," they said with a twinkle in their eyes.

"Honestly, I admire it." I rubbed my chin, faking a thoughtful look. "And, sure, I suppose I'd like to meet your mom."

Love tickled my sides and laughed with me. "She's gonna love you."

"Of course she will. I'm awesome."

As we walked hand in hand toward the Meeting House, I was struck with a vision of the road ahead of us. I could see a future filled with Christmas mornings at the Underwood house, roughhousing with a bunch of kids, perhaps even kids of our own. Having Mr. and Mrs. Underwood treat me like a son, feeling like I had parents I could rely on.

My breath caught just thinking about it.

Ahead of us, a cardinal landed on a branch that stretched out over the sidewalk. It looked at the two of us with a curious tilt of its head.

"Hey, Mr. Paige," I said, rubbing my hand over my chest. "This is Love."

The bird let out a happy chirp, and Love laughed. "It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Paige. I've heard a lot about you."

Before I could get good and emotional about things, Beckett stuck his head out the door. "Leo! Just the guy I needed to see."

Mr. Paige took off with another chirp, disappearing into the trees.

"Is it me you want? Or am I simply tall enough for some project?"

He shook his head. "Leo, I don't need your height. I need your strength, buddy. Get it together."

I sent him a huge grin, then grabbed Love's hand and tugged them along as I jogged over.

Beckett's eyes ping-ponged between the two of us. "Now, this is something I like to see. Lovett, been a long time."

"That's Dr. Lovett to you. They're a veterinarian now," I said proudly. "They work out at our friends' ranches."

"I'd heard something to that effect. I'm sure that area is desperate for another good large-animal vet."

"I won't hurt for work, that's for sure," Love replied, leaning into me.

Beckett's eyes went shiny. He stepped in and gave me a tight hug that went on for a while. "I'm so glad y'all figured things out," he whispered, giving me a last squeeze before letting me go and leading us into the newly renovated space.

Beckett and company had expanded the dining room, and today was the day we were getting all the tables into place. Sawyer and Hendrix came in right behind us, with Dexter and baby Holly. Love and I took a selfie with Hendrix, and I texted it to Cat.

Their response was a bunch of exploded-brain emojis. Hendrix laughed and asked for Cat's number. When he texted them, they replied with several skull emojis. A few minutes (and several more texts) later, Hendrix said, "This kid is hilarious. I think I have a new best friend."

Sawyer smirked as he shifted Holly to his hip. "You being best friends with a thirteen-year-old tracks entirely."

Hendrix shot his beloved the finger, and Dexter shook his head. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he said, "Daddy, that was bad. We're in Beckett's God place."

"Dexter, honey, Beckett doesn't believe in God."

"Technically, he doesn't know if God exists," Dexter said, with his hands on his hips. "And you know what I mean by God place."

"Do you mean spiritual place?" I asked.

Dexter looked up at me. "Yes. Spiritual. A nice place for nice people to do nice things. And not send bad fingers," he said, aiming a mighty glare at his father.

Hendrix held up his hands. "You're right, little man. I apologize for throwing the finger in the spiritual place."

"Thank you, Daddy. That's all I ask."

Love and I shared a smile. When Dexter started reading at the tender age of two and a half, Sawyer and Hendrix had him tested. The testers said he had one of the highest IQs they'd ever seen. They hadn't even been sure that they could assess a child at that age, but it turned out that Dexter's grasp of language and pattern was so good, they hadn't had to come up with any accommodations.

That kid was going to be a very interesting adult.

Walker joined us, and he and I did most of the heavy lifting. By the time we got the dining room put back together, breakfast had long been burned off. One of our friends, the head of the local queer-friendly health services clinic, worked with their corporate overlords to provide lunch, which felt like progress.

Once we were finished at the Meeting House, we stopped by the coffee shop, and Love bought a bag of coffee beans to take back to the ranch with them. After that, we stepped into Ozzy and Joel's bar to say hi.

"Hey, Love! Walker said you were in town," Ozzy said, coming out from behind the bar.

"Uh, I'm here, too," I groused.

Joel hip-checked me as he passed by. "Yeah, but we see you all the time."

Love sent me a wink as both men engulfed them in a hug that, frankly, went on a little too long. Seeing my disgruntled face, our friends laughed and gave me an equally long hug, saying how happy they were to see us together. It was a little embarrassing, but something about Love's crooked smile made it not so bad.

When we got home, Love played with Camila while Jules, Ginger, and I completed our Saturday cleanup. Jules then pulled together some sort of creamy, lemony pasta dish, and it was delicious, even if Ginger did try to start a fight.

Gesturing at Jules with her fork, she said, "It's a good thing this one showed up when she did. I was just about to turn thirty, and me and Leo had an arrangement that if we were both still single then, we'd get married and have lots of kids."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "So. It was an actual arrangement. And what you're saying is that I could have a bunch of kids by now if Jules hadn't come along and ruined everything."

I turned to Love, expecting to see them laughing at the joke, but their scrunched-up expression said otherwise.

Jules took one look at Love's face and laughed. "Oh, I don't think they liked that at all."

Love, who had Camila on their lap, tried to growl, but it only made Camila—and the rest of us—laugh. "Mine," they said, grabbing my arm. " My man and my kids."

I nearly choked on my pasta. "Wait. You want kids?"

"With you?" they said, making funny faces at Camila. "Absolutely."

Ginger and Jules grinned, their eyes bright as they watched our exchange.

"Good to know," I said, delicately wiping my mouth with a napkin.

There was never anyone else.

After dinner, Ginger and Jules grabbed their bags and Ms. Camila, ready for an overnight stay at Lupe. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do," they chorused.

I put my hands to my heated cheeks. "I don't think you mean that. These walls aren't as soundproof as you'd like to think they are."

They laughed, kissing my cheeks as they made their way out the door.

Ginger stopped on the threshold, then turned to send Love the sweetest look. "I'm so glad you're here."

Love flushed at her words, and I shooed her out the door. After watching them back out of the driveway, make their way down the street, and disappear from view, I wrapped my arm under Love's ass, popping them up over my shoulder as I made my way to the stairs.

"What are you doing?" they asked breathlessly.

"We're alone. It's time to do dirty things."

They laughed and smacked my ass. "That is a plan I can get on board with."

It had been a long day of visiting with my friends, and maybe I should've been tired. I wasn't, though. My feelings for Love raced through me, giving me the strength of ten men.

I didn't know how we were going to make it all work, but I knew in that moment that I'd do whatever it took to keep Love in my life.