Spanish Bay (20 page)

“Are you guys seeing anyone? I mean, romantically?” Neil blushed a bit as he asked the question, unsure if we has overstepping his boundaries.

“Not really. I know Jack isn’t. He doesn’t seem interested. The girls he dated in high school were floozies, and these days he thinks the ranch is more important. I’ve dated a few guys, but nothing serious. I don’t know. We’re in Texas. If I were to become serious with a guy, the expectation is that I marry him, give birth to a bunch of kids and do charitable work when the household chores are done. I don’t want that life for myself. I want to work, and I like being my own boss. It’s funny really, but Jack and I are almost like twins, even though he’s almost two years older than I, but we see things the same way, and we both want what’s best for the Double J Ranch. What’s good for the ranch is good for us. If I ever find a guy who’s happy to work here with us, and who’s not some dip-shit cowboy who wants to tie me to a stove and a washing machine, I say ‘bring him on!’ Until then, I’m fine just the way I am.”

Neil contemplated her response, and they sat in silence for a while, before Jessica asked him, “How was it for you guys? We never spoke about it, Chris and I. How did you boys meet? At a gay club? Online? How do gay people meet these days?”

Neil had to chuckle. “I think I’m the only gay guy in California who’s not on Grindr or any of those apps. I used to, but nobody ever contacted the cripple, so I gave up. No, Chris and I met by chance. He rescued me, literally, from a group of bullies who’d been chasing me outside the café where he worked. I fell out of my chair, and he helped me get back up. I mean, I would’ve managed myself, but he was so sweet and worried. And cute. I fell instantly for him and went back to the café after school to meet him. We’ve been together ever since. Your brother has the kindest heart of any human I’ve ever met. Come to think of it, so do you, Jack, Frank and Junior. Seems to be a Miller family trait…”

Jessica laughed at that. “If you discount my mom, my dad and Alexandra, maybe. I think some of us were just shaped differently by circumstances. I don’t think Alex is a bad person; she’s just playing the hand she was dealt. I’d like to believe so were Mom and Dad. Anyway, I think you’re right, I need to get back upstairs and reapply my face. I must look awful.”

“No you don’t, but yes, your mascara needs to be fixed. You’ll be fine. I’ll go check on Frank, and when Chris gets here, we’ll all drive down to school with you. We won’t let you out of our sight today. Let me see if I can find Jack somewhere.”

***

The graduation ceremony was very different from the one in Carmel the year before. Jessica’s school was a lot bigger, and the entire ceremony made Neil feel as if he were on a different planet. It was good fun, though, and Jessica smiled at them when she got her diploma, and they all felt the relief she must’ve felt at that moment, when she finally ascended into adulthood, for real.

Afterward, she even decided she’d stay with her friends for a little bit, and Neil encouraged her. Knowing how much time she spent on the ranch, it would be good for her to spend some more time among people before digging her heels into the dirt to build the Double J Ranch into something spectacular. And it would be; of that, Neil had no doubt.

Chris finally arrived at the house just a few minutes before they would’ve been late into town, and they needed to go see Mr. Jackson at the funeral home to prepare things for old Murphy’s—Steve’s—funeral. Neil had found it difficult to reconcile the mental image of old Murphy implanted on the day Chris had taken him up on the little hill between the two ranches, and the man Steve he had met just a day ago. It was such a shame he wouldn’t get to know Steve better. He seemed to have been one hell of a man.

Mr. Jackson was polite as ever. “Gentlemen, I wish I could say it’s nice to see you again, and it would be, under different circumstances. Allow me, first and foremost, to extend my deepest sympathies on your loss.” He went around and shook everyone’s hand. To Jack he said, “I understand that you and your sister had gotten quite close to Mr. Murphy in the past year. Now since he has no living relatives—”

“That’s not quite true,” Chris interrupted. “He did sign papers to assume fatherhood over Frank, our youngest brother. The papers have been properly filed with the courts. And as Frank’s legal guardians, Neil and I would be allowed to make decisions that become necessary, on Frank’s behalf.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea. Let me jot down a note to get a copy of those papers. Not that I don’t trust or believe you, but I’d rather have the paperwork in order before I commence the arrangements. Now, how do you want his service to be conducted?” He looked from Chris to Neil, who was sitting next to Frank, but it was Jack who answered.

“I’m pretty sure Steve had a will. Maybe he stipulated something in there? We haven’t had time to check with his lawyers yet. It’s all been happening so fast.”

“I see, yes, that would make sense. I’ll give them a call. We play squash together every now and then, so I know Marc Sturgeon quite well. He still handles the Murphy account, does he not?”

“Yes, he does. He drew up the contracts when I became foreman of the ranch,” Jack confirmed.

“Is there any way to speed things up a little?” Chris asked. “I need to get back home to my business, and Frank and Neil are missing school.”

Mr. Jackson thought for a moment and then nodded. “Let me check with the morgue to see how far they’ve come with the post mortem, and I’ll talk to Marc. I’ll swing by the ranch tonight if that’s all right with you boys?”

“Absolutely,” Jack said, and they left the funeral home to drive back to the ranch.

***

Four days later, the service for Steve Murphy was held at the funeral home, and it was well attended. Old Murphy was rich; he was well known in Lubbock, and no doubt many came in search of a last morsel of gossip to munch on in the weeks to come, though there were not many to be had. Jessica and Jack said a few words, as did the chairman of the local farmers’ association—even the mayor publicly paid his respects. In all, it was a dignified farewell to an old man who had lived out his life.

What the good people of Lubbock didn’t get to witness was the opening of the will, which took place after the ceremony, inside Mr. Jackson’s office.

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Marc Sturgeon. Marc, I believe you know Jessica and Jack, and this is their older brother, Chris, his husband Neil, and this is Frank. You know of course who Frank is.”

“Hello, everybody, hello, Frank. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Chris, Neil. I am sorry that we meet under such dire circumstances, but we all know that Steve’s health hadn’t been the best for a couple of years now, since his beloved Emily passed. They are now back together again, and it gives me great comfort in this difficult hour.

“I have been named the executor of Steve Murphy’s last will and testament. There have been a couple of revisions, after he acknowledged Frank as his son in February. We had a long conversation just a few weeks ago, after he’d hired you, Jack, as his foreman, and he asked me to alter his provisions one more time. I think he knew he didn’t have much time left.

“So here it is. Steve is leaving the entire ranch with all the properties to Jessica and Jack.”

A communal gasp filled the room and the Miller kids looked at each other.

“But,” Marc Sturgeon continued, “there are stipulations. Steve wants you to combine the two ranches into one. If you are unwilling to do that, the Murphy ranch will be sold to the highest bidder, and the profits from the sale will go to his son, Frank. However, if you decide to run the two ranches as one, Frank will only receive the financial assets that are not tied to the ranch itself, bank accounts, bonds, stocks, and so forth.”

“Why would he do that to us?” Jessica seemed upset. “Why would he make me choose between my brother and the land I love and work on?”

Marc raised his hand. “That’s not what he’s asking you to do. If I’m not mistaken, the Double J Ranch is currently owned by four Miller siblings, is that right? Frank being one of them. If the Murphy ranch is incorporated into the JJ Ranch, everyone wins, including Frank. But Steve knew how much you love this land. He was confident you have what it takes to make this a successful ranch in the future, but only if you see all of it as one. He didn’t want you to have to make one decision for the Murphy part and one for the Miller part. Do you understand?”

Jessica buried her head in her hands to think, while Jack seemed pensive.

“I think Steve was right,” Chris said. “If you have to prioritize between harvesting a field on one ranch or the other, which would you choose? The one you own alone, or the one you own with your brothers, to whom you feel obligated? Can you honestly say you’d be able to make the best business decision? Speaking on behalf of my brother, Junior, and as Frank’s guardian, I think this is a very smart decision.”

Marc nodded. “Why don’t you all go home to talk and sleep on it? There’s no rush here. I just needed you to know what Steve had in mind.”

BACK IN CALIFORNIA, life went on. After returning from Texas, Neil decided to focus more on his studies and enrolled full-time at the local college. Frank was doing so much better; with the rapid improvements in his speech and his motor skills in general, he was becoming less dependent on help, which freed up a lot of time. The café continued to flourish, and since it was summer and school was out, Neil and Chris were able to share the burden. Natalie had quit to move to Los Angeles with a guy she’d met, but Chris and Neil found an amazing replacement in Ruth, a forty-something former housewife who had been struggling to get back into the workforce and was given a break by the boys.

Watching Ruth in action, Neil was amazed. She reminded him a little of Sally. Her mothering antics needed curtailing a bit, but she added a warmth and a welcoming atmosphere to the café, not to mention that she was willing to part with some of her grandmother’s recipes for cakes, adding more variety to the café’s menu.

The back of the café had been completed and offered a quiet seating alternative for patrons who flocked to the café on dates. Neil was convinced that Sally’s was the primary dating venue in all of Carmel. And it wasn’t just the straight kids who showed up; it was a welcoming place for everyone.

Summer went by quickly, fall came, and before long it was Christmas again. This year, Junior didn’t make it, and he was sorely missed at the family dinner at Grandma Sue’s. Neil was busy with his studies, and his tutors encouraged him to apply to a major university—San Francisco, Oakland or Los Angeles—but in the end, Neil opted for California State University in Seaside and a teaching major. It would allow him to remain at home with his family, and it was not up for debate.

With Sue still able to pitch in, and with Ruth working full time at the café, they were able to work out a schedule. It meant early mornings for Neil, and often times late nights, studying behind the café counter while Chris put Frank to bed, and then spending the rest of the evening with his head in the books, until closing time, when he and Chris would cuddle on the couch. Life was busy, but it was good.

***

When Neil graduated from college, with a bachelor in teaching the liberal arts, the entire family gathered for a grand reunion. It had been a long time since everyone had the chance to really just kick back their legs and enjoy a few days off. Ruth had secured help from a few high school kids to make sure the café was manned and give Chris some peace of mind. Junior had taken an extended leave of absence from the navy to spend the summer with his family, having promised Jessica and Jack to help them out with a new project on the Double J Ranch.

Frank was about to begin middle school; he was almost twelve and finally ready to join a regular class. His speech—apart from the occasional muscle spasm—was normal. He had enough control over his arms to push his own chair, his legs were getting stronger, and his overall motor control was improving all the time, thanks to his own hard work, with support from Neil, Chris and his physical therapists. The latter were still convinced that one day, he might walk.

“We’ll see about that,” Frank would joke.

Chris had driven out to the airport to pick up Jack and Jessica, who’d flown in from Lubbock for Neil’s graduation. It was their first trip ever on a plane, and also the first time they’d left Texas. These days, Jack looked almost like a carbon copy of Junior, and Jessica was glowing. When Neil saw her, he wondered if maybe the Miller clan was about to grow in size. They spoke on the phone regularly, but Jessica had never mentioned a guy. Neil made a note to find out.

Jack and Jessica were staying with Sue, as there was no space in the apartment with Junior staying there, and Sarah and Joe were redecorating the house. Phil had graduated the summer before and had begun to study at UCLA. He was driving up with his latest girlfriend to attend the ceremony, and they were staying in Phil’s room, which should have left Neil’s old room free for either Jack or Jessica, but it wasn’t a bedroom anymore.

“Mom, why do you need a hobby room?”

“You never know when it might come in handy. I might retire soon.”

“Come on, you’re not even fifty-five yet, and you don’t have any hobbies.”

“See, Neil, this is exactly what I’m talking about. I need to get me a hobby, or maybe you could get me more grandkids so I can retire and still feel useful…”

“What about Dad? Doesn’t he need a hobby room, too?”

“What are you talking about? He’s been using the garage to that end for years…”

It was impossible arguing with his mother.
Grandkids? More? Wasn’t Frank enough? And wouldn’t Phil provide some, too, at some point?
Neil chuckled at the memory of this particular conversation. He had no idea why his mom had brought up more grandchildren.

The day of the ceremony was crazy busy. Coordinating all the transport from three different houses to campus, and then back to the venue near Spanish Bay—where they had celebrated Neil’s high school graduation five years earlier—was a logistical nightmare. With several strong-willed heads butting together, it took all of Neil’s patience to mediate between Grandma Sue, Chris and his dad.