Earth and Sky

take him to his room.”

    Almost immediately they heard a stampede coming down the stairway, and Bernie arrived, looking very pleased with herself, as usual. “Sure, sis. Come on, Danny.”

    Danny looked up at Hunter, pleading to let him stay, so Hunter rubbed his hand through Danny’s hair. “I just got home, kid. Why don’t you run upstairs so I can talk to Nan and Izzie, and I’ll be right up, okay?”

    That seemed to appease Danny, who let go of Hunter and, still rather reluctantly, followed his aunt Bernie up the stairs.

    Hunter waited until Danny was out of sight. “So what’s going on here?”

    Izzie wasn’t looking at Hunter, though. “Hell, Grant. Did you get beaten up as well?” Her eyes were full of worry.

    Grant shook his head as he let her touch him rather intimately to assure herself he was okay. “I’m fine. Few broken ribs and a bruised pelvis. Got thrown off my bike by a monster truck.”

    “Hunter told me about the accident.” Izzie turned her gaze to Hunter. “You didn’t tell me he looked this bad!”

    Hunter shrugged. He didn’t want to tell her the whole truth just yet, at least not until he got to the heart of the matter first. “Never mind Grant,” he told his sister. “What happened while I was gone?”

    Izzie pulled Hunter into the living room. Hunter checked to make sure Grant followed and helped him get comfortable on the couch while Izzie closed the door and returned to them with a conspiratorial smile. Hunter could tell it wasn’t all bad.

    “Jack got a record deal for his band with a country and western label in Tennessee. Lisa apparently has been seeing Jack, and they’re eloping.”

    Hunter was baffled. “Last thing I knew she was still married to Hugh.”

    Izzie smiled triumphantly.

    “And you’re happy because, with Lisa out of the way… Izzie! Our sister left her son behind to go off cavorting with his uncle?”

    Hunter’s heart sank when he saw his sister’s mood deflate. “And his aunt is sleeping with his dad. Yeah, I know. They couldn’t have written it any better if it were a soap opera.”

    Hunter scratched his hair. “So Lisa and Jack and you and Hugh? Nothing ever happens when I’m home, but I leave for a weekend and”

    Izzie’s triumphant mood returned. “Hugh and I have been going on almost longer than you and Grant, Hunter. Bernie’s usually pretty flaky, but she said you hadn’t noticed yet, and I didn’t believe her.”

    “Well, you said that you had a soft spot for Hugh but couldn’t do anything about it because he was married to Lisa. That’s all I knew!”

    “I was trying to tell you about us, but I guess you being a guy and all, I should have given you clearer hints.”

    Hunter wrapped his arms around his sister and picked her up, twirling her around. He didn’t let go once he set her back on the ground. Instead he gave her a tight hug. “I’m happy for you, sis. Are you happy?”

    “If I’d known that you turning gay meant you’d become a hugger, you should have done it years ago!” she giggled.

    “That’s not what I meant,” Hunter said, blushing like a girl and feeling mightily embarrassed about it.

    “I know,” she said calmly. “Yes, I’m very happy. And don’t worry about Danny. He was crying when Lisa left without as much as a warning, but I called Hugh, and he’s on his way here. I’m sure seeing his dad again will help Danny get over it.”

    “So is Hugh moving back here?”

    Izzie bit her lip. “I haven’t broken it to Mom yet. I want him here when we tell her. I have a feeling she’ll be furious, so the more support I can rally the better. I’m glad you got here just in time.”

    Hunter looked over at Grant, who’d been sitting on the couch, watching all of the proceedings quietly. “We sort of have an announcement she won’t be very happy about either.”

    “Oh, God!” Izzie exclaimed. “You’re going to come out to Mom?” She covered her mouth with her hand.

    “Grant needs some looking after in the next few days while he recuperates, and I’m not letting him sleep in the crew house where there’s nobody to take care of him. It’s only fair I explain to Mom why I’m letting him stay in my room.”

    “You rascal,” Izzie teased. “I don’t know if I want to ask you not to say anything right away or whether I’m going to let you divulge your dirty little secret first, just to take the heat off mine.”

    “Where is Mom, anyway?”

    “Where she