Chapter 12

Jeff made Breakfast, with a certain skip in his step, and the occasional reminder, that we both went rough this morning. "Are you ok?" I asked.

He turned a smile on his face, but my concern that I may have hurt him must have been apparent on my face, he frowned. "Oh yes, I am, it's just..." He turned red, "You're not staying...." I laughed and kissed him.

"I know, and that's ok."

He wiggled free from me. "Pancakes?" He asked.

"I think, bacon and eggs too, this has been a great day!" I smirked at him.

His checks grew a deeper red. "Yea." I got the plates, and table set, The same spring my step. We ate, and head out to our first ranch. A humvee met us on the last few turns. "Good morning?" I asked as I stopped.

"Sir!" The young airwoman said while inspecting the humvee, and us. "The commander sent us to keep an eye out on our allies." She clarified.

"I bet that went over big." I sighed.

"We were told, to let you do the talking." She said.

"Very well, anyone in or out?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, they don't even know we are here." I nodded and drove us into the ranch.

The welcoming party was much larger this time. "I think they know." Jeff sighed. I nodded in irritation. I got out my arms up.

"There ok!" The rancher shouted, everyone lowered their guns, but quite enough to make Jeff comfortable, I put my hand on his shoulder. "I said they're ok!" He shouted rather annoyed. Most everyone walked off. "I hope you have a reason why I now have two groups of friends, on my driveway." I nodded, and chuckled at his exaggeration, but from his point of view, he was the only thing on either side for miles.

"There has been a change of heart." I moved my arms in a calming gesture. "At least for right now, but it feels pretty genuine." The Rancher glared down into my soul and then nodded like he found something he needed. "I am to offer his protection, two humvee's checkpoints...."

"I don't want them poking around, or changin their minds, and cuttin me off..." He interrupted angrily.

"That happens, I'll handle them." I said, his look glared at me, demanding more information. "It's hard to find a sniper, a mile away,."

He nodded. "You'd do this?" He asked.

"Of course." Jeff nodded confidently.

"I will, not us." I scolded Jeff, by giving him 'the look'. "But I will, I am not playing games, not with what boils down to people lives... If i can give you some advice, let them stay, it gives any trouble makers second thought, I can just keep my ears out for trouble..."

"I take it, you ain't far?" I nodded. " Have'em stay off the road, I'll shoot a blue flare towards Cheyenne if they backstab me."

"How did that medicine worK?" I asked.

"Verry well, Thank you." He noded.

"Well...." I nodded slightly at Jeff, who got the starter kit I made for them. "That is very good news. and I can always bring you more, but I have a proposition for you."

"Oh really?" He asked skeptically.

"If you can make enough and build a surplus, I can get you, power, keep the airforce on their toes, you could be the provider for the antibiotics, as well as food, for Cheyenne."

"More work, more responsibility, they already got nothing we need."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." I sighed at him. "We can get you power, and the protection he can offer will eventually be needed." The rancher shot a glare at me. "Do you really think, a few hundred cattle aren't going to be high jacked eventually?" He slowly nodded at me. "Right now your generosity, can buy you a lot more later on. Besides, we all have to do what we can, to rebuild...." I left the last few words hanging, he nodded like a fished globbing up a hook.

"I guess this takes over voting as a civic duty." He nodded. I let out the breath I hadn't known I was holding. "Come, I know Gene will want to feed you." He motioned us in towards the house.

Jeff moaned as the familiar smell of fried chicken wofted over him. "I thought ya was going to make roast?" The Rancher chuckled at his wife.

"I saw, who it was, and changed gears." She smiled at Jeff, then looked at me. "The two most honorable men in the world." She beambed, her glow could have been mistaken for the 'light at the end of the tunnel'. It was reassuring.

"Thanks!" Jeff smiled at her, he went to hug her but hesitated, she chuckled and did what he couldn't, and pulled him in for a hug.

"Of course!" She smiled. "You too!" She waved me over, as she hugged me, I felt Jeff and I may have worked our way as replacement sons. Her hugs we warm and long like my own mom's, I wouldn't object to the reminder of hugs from my own mother. "Thanks for letting us know about DC."

"Mamm." I said stiffing, recalling her scream, when she found out.

"Don't you fuss over it." She huffed at me like my mother would, I relaxed. "Now there is no doubt, no more sleepless nights." She pushed us away, towards the table. "it's almost ready!"

The racher was in the fridge, i heard it close, and the whip, of a can of beer. "Please." He gave one to Jeff and my self. "The last three, for the last three honest strangers."

"Thanks!" Jeff and I Chirrped up.

"Don't believe him!" Gene chuckled. "He makes beer like you make Penicillin."

"Even some Colorado Special, for my son!" He raised his bottle at us. "Spose you two would like that."

"See that is the power of bussiness." I worked in my pitch. "Men of good conscious can do great things."

"Gene? Do you smell smoke?" He leaned back in his chair and laughed.

"It's more than the beer." I sighed while sipping it. "It takes someone who knows how to speak business to rebuild our industry. The key to any society."

"Ohh, no you ain't pinning some business kingpin, on my name badge."

"Pin in your cap?" I chuckled. "No, but there are those who speak, others around them listen." He slowly leaned in nodding and took a sip of his beer, the chilchie hook line, and sinker came to my mind. "Let me deal with the management side of things, not the first country I have helped 'build.'." I paused, the pain they induced was five hundred paper cuts. "Just hope it's my last."

I could see the questions, what I had done, where I had served, build in him, I was going to make him ask, but he didn't.. "Well if you handle the POL-lictical stuff." He drew, like the drone from bagpipes. "Just stay honest!" He said firmly, pointing firmer at me. "You keep him honest." He chuckled at wagged his finger at Jeff.

"Yes sir!" Jeff chuckled.

"I suppose as long as you can get me power, I can introduce you to a rancher who will shoot you before he asks who you are if you come without a friend." I glanced at the rancher then at Jeff, then back. He stood, and walked to the fridge grabbed another bee, and handed it to Jeff. "Try it and tell me what you think." Jeff took a few sips, agreed it was better than the last, and took a few more sips. "Hon, why don't you see what we can scrounge up for them, while we are gone."

"I can't go!?" Jeff protested

I winched preparing for the battle. "Is the beer good?" Jeff nodded, confused. "good it's a colorado special, in an hour the only thing you going to want is some french fries and to listen to music." The tancher chuckled.

"That's a nogo for you kiddo." I chuckled.

"Thanks for the warning!" Gene glared at her husband.

"I cut a few pounds, last night when I couldn't sleep." He grinned at her. "Come on, it's best we leave now, It never been good to show up unexpectedly and stay past dinner." He groaned as he stood.

Jeff stood in protest, face flushed in anger, and the fear from any Military spouses, before deployment. I took him and held him close. "I'll be fine," I whispered.

"Be safe!" He whispered.

"I will so I can come back to you." I kissed his head,.

"You better!" He said pushing me away, and still his hands tired to cling to me.

"Come, on." Becky said while looking at Jeff. "You get to help make these french fries." She waved at him. I nodded a little thanks at her, and we headed to the rancher's truck.

"He's a good guy, just a bit cautious."

"When the world ended he said. "I told you so"?" I asked.

"Bingo was his name oh." He drove us to the ranch, about twenty minutes away. "Uh, yea, it's probably best off not mentioning that you have a boyfriend, are gay, or even looked at another man that way before." He warned.

"Ahh, yes, one of those." I sighed.