Earth and Sky

children organized, while Hugh was setting the table for breakfast. Bernie was hovering around Grant when Hunter’s mother arrived.

    She was greeted by a chorus of “Morning” from everyone while she checked out what Grant was doing on “her” stove. “Looks good,” she eventually admitted.

    Grant couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard several relieved sighs from around the room.

    “Smells even better!” Bernie exclaimed in her always-enthusiastic voice.

    “Hope you don’t mind, ma’am,” Grant told the matriarch. “Bernie showed me where everything was, and I thought pancakes would be a good breakfast for a Sunday morning.”

    “Need some help?” Beth asked in her usual stoic manner.

    Grant couldn’t prevent a smile spreading over his face. Although she hadn’t explicitly shown her approval, the fact she hadn’t told him off or left the room was enough for him.

    “No thanks,” Grant answered casually. “Bacon and eggs are just about finished, and I have a stack of pancakes down here in the slow cooker to keep them warm, so we’re about ready to dig in.”

    “Bernie, go get the syrup from the pantry. Let’s show these kids what a family breakfast tastes like.”

    When Grant looked around, he saw encouraging smiles from Hugh and Izzie and a look on Hunter’s face he could only interpret as pride. They clearly all felt the same. It looked like he was now accepted into the family.

    The idyllic breakfast was a little tense at first, with quite a few people exchanging looks across the table and the kids being quiet among the more rowdy grown-ups. Hunter was glad to have Hugh back, and now that Grant was healed enough to rejoin the group, he felt the balance was tipping over to his side again. After everyone had stuffed themselves and Hunter’s mother had retreated to the living room, they excused the children and sent them outside to play.

    “Izzie tells me Christy left,” Hugh said casually after downing his last gulp of coffee.

    “Yeah,” Grant answered. He didn’t elaborate, and Hunter wasn’t sure how much Grant wanted Izzie and Hugh to know.

    “She’ll be back once she’s settled, I think,” Hunter eventually said, after trying to exchange a look with Grant and getting nothing. “She said something about finding a job in Las Vegas, right, Grant?”

    Grant nodded, his thoughts still miles away.

    “In the meanwhile, we’ll just make them feel welcome here, I suppose. We’ll need to turn the two guestrooms into children’s rooms so Danny can have his room back,” Hunter added. “And then once my house is built, we can move everyone across the yard.”

    “House?” Izzie said, almost choking on her coffee.

    Hunter looked at Grant, but instead of finding approval, he saw his lover still staring at the remnants of breakfast.

    “We don’t know how long they’ll be here for,” Grant said pensively.

    Hunter squeezed Grant’s thigh under the table. “Even if Christy comes to get them, we’ll make sure they have a room in the house, Grant. That way they can spend vacations here.”

    Grant nodded.

    “So you’re building a house?” Hugh asked, obviously nudged on by Izzie.

    “Yeah,” Hunter replied. “Been thinking it over for a while. The plans have changed a couple of times. Never thought we’d need that many bedrooms, for one, but if I build it here in the stretch of land between this house and the barns, we’d have our independence without having to move away. Wouldn’t be very practical for me to live outside the property.”

    “And this house is getting a bit crowded, with all the extra additions,” Hugh concurred. “Well, I’m not much of a carpenter, but if you need another set of hands, I’ll gladly help.”

    Izzie playfully punched Hugh. “We’re not even married yet and you’re already trying to get away from me?”

    Hugh wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, gently patting her bulging stomach.

    Although Hunter was very happy for his sister and his best friend, he also felt a little jealous. Hugh was going to see his child grow up; Hunter didn’t know if he would ever get that chance. Not that this was going to change his mind about not marrying Miranda, but it did bring it home to him that his choices had consequences, not just for him but for his unborn child. He looked at Grant, who was still brooding, and then realized it wasn’t a choice. His hand was still resting on Grant’s thigh, and that was