“Are you really serious about the Arkadelphia Dream?” Rosemund asked again.
“Absolutely,” Ethan responded.
"We all are," Caleb added. "My brother would like to work with the goats, and we need him." Blushing, Caleb added, ‟He is almost as good as I am with goats and I am awesome, but he had a problem with gays—or did have. No danger of it happening, but if he were hired with the attitude he did have, I'd hit the road."
"Couldn't ask for a more powerful statement of devotion to a dream than that," Rosemund said as their salads were placed before them. "Here's the situation. I have two Latinos who were born here. They came here with their parents who had green cards and were eventually naturalized when the two boys were four and six. Their father worked for a landscaping company in Atlanta, and they started working for the company weekends—illegally—when they were thirteen and fifteen. After they graduated from Cold Creek High School south of Atlanta, they went to work full-time.
"When their parents retired, they went back to Ecuador and were murdered within two or three years, innocent or not so innocent victims of the drug war. After they were killed, the boys' grandmother who was left alone found her way across the border and called Alejandro, the older one of the two. He went to Arizona and brought her back.
“Alejandro is forty-two, single or maybe divorced. Ignacio is married and has two sons, eighteen and twenty, both have full ride scholarships—academic and soccer—at Georgia State in Atlanta. Recently the landscaping company was nabbed by both the IRS and the Georgia Department of Revenue for violations of the tax laws. The founder's son had taken over the business and pocketed tax money which was withheld from the employees as well as taxes the business owed. As a result, all the company's access were seized and the operation shut down.
“Without a job, they lost the lease on their townhouse and were out on the street. The grandmother remembered they had a cousin living on a farm somewhere in south Georgia. The son got busy on the internet and located him. He works on a farm out on Flowing Springs Road. The cousin, his wife, their five children and his mother-in-law live in a small ranch style house down the road from the farmhouse. Ignacio had laughed and said ‘Latinos often have many people living in a house," then added, ‘Alejandro and I have a Latino heritage, but we are Americans, and our cousin's house had more than many living there before we arrived. You can hardly move for the people.'
“Since they are Latinos, potential employers know they must be illegal and therefore expect them to work for nothing, do scut work and be paid under the table. Estella, Ignacio’s wife, worked in a child care center in Atlanta and found a similar situation in Braggton, but quit when she realized she was not making gas money.”
“Sounds to me as if what we need and what they have to offer is a perfect match," Ethan said. "Have them call me to set up interviews—as soon as possible. Basically, I'll tell you we pay better than average, better than any plantation around here. We provide health insurance and pay into a retirement account. Ordinarily, we have provided housing, and it appears that would be important to the . . .
“Martinez-Ortega.”
“Martinez-Ortega brothers and we can probably do it, but it may take awhile. We’re pretty much out of houses right now although I think we have a couple which might be renovated.”
“Frankly, Ethan, I think they’d live in the barn to get out of the situation they are in.”
“Have them give me a call,” Ethan said as their entree arrived and talk turned to other things.
<>
On the way home, Ethan recalled Sally Ann saying she’d be back late, but before curfew, turned to Caleb and said, “Caleb, I have the house to myself until 11:00.”
Caleb grinned and said, “In that case, I think we can find something to do.”
Ethan and Caleb had been existing on a kiss now and then and were ready for some serious making out. They were barely in the door before clothes were flying in every direction. Soon they were making up for the kisses they had been missing, and both were streaming precum. Caleb soon had Ethan lying under him and was kissing his neck and nipping his earlobe. He pushed Ethan's arm above his head and used his mouth and tongue to pleasure his armpits before moving to his nipples. He sucked and bit first one and then the other of Ethan's beautiful nipples.
He tongue bathed Ethan's stomach paid particular attention to his belly button and he moved toward his goal, Ethan's manhood. Finally, he slipped between his lover's legs and turned so he could look into Ethan's dark eyes. He started playing with his lover's balls then kissed Ethan's crown before covering his throbbing cock with his hot mouth. As he did so, his mouth was flooded with the taste of Ethan. Both had been frustrated by their lack of time together and were often too exhausted to do more than fall in bed and were asleep by the time their head touched the pillow. It was not surprising, therefore, that seconds after Caleb covered Ethan's cock, his mouth was filled with hot salty sweet cum. Ethan's eruption was enough to cause Caleb to erupt as well. After they had cleaned up, they snuggled on the couch to watch a movie but were asleep before the opening credits finished. They slept for half an hour, and when they awoke, Ethan made love to Caleb with his mouth, requiring that they clean up again.
After they had cleaned up, Ethan grabbed a couple of beers and some snacks. As they snacked, Ethan said, "The electrician called Friday and promised to have the wiring of Cade's apartment completed by Tuesday. When I called Francis, he said thought he might be able to finish the apartment within the week.
“Speaking of housing,” Caleb asked, “What are you going to do about housing if you hire the Martines-Ortegas?”
“I need to take a serious look at what’s available if the Martinez-Ortegas come to work. Maybe we still have time to do that. I also need to spend time with Kayden and Taylor.”
“Jamie told me I should spend some time in the blue lupine,” Caleb said. “Why don’t we call Ash and Kathy and see if they would like to have some playtime? We could take the boys and go look at houses and stop by the blue lupine.”
“You sure? This was to be our time.”
"Ethan, you come with a family—Sally Ann, Kayden and Taylor—I'd be a damn fool to think otherwise. However, and it's a big however,I love your sons very much and don't get to spend nearly as much time with them as I'd like. Fortunately, I do get to spend time with Raphael and Andrew. Ethan, I love kids—two-legged as well as four—and especially the two-legged Arkadelphia and Philos kids."
Ethan called Ash, and she said she and Kathy would be delighted to have some time to themselves. "Fine, Caleb and I will pick them up in fifteen minutes. When do you have to have them back?"
Ash laughed, "Next week? Actually, we were planning on a picnic. How about you meet us at the pond at 6:30? We'll feed you."
“It’s a deal.”
The housing situation didn't look good. There was a small four-room house left at Arkadelphia and a similar one at Pleasant Grove. The Martinez-Ortegas would be stuffed like sardines in either, but Ethan didn't know whether they'd like to be separated. He'd have to ask.
The real surprise came when they got to the blue lupines. Clearly, Kayden and Taylor were their Uncle Jamie and Andy's nephews. As soon as they were out of the truck, the two ran into the flowers and started spinning and dancing, arms outspread, heads thrown back, laughing. When Ethan thought they had wound down, they flung themselves to the ground and lay on their backs, arms outstretched. Caleb had spread a blanket in the midst of the flowers and lay down, watching the two boys. Ethan was showing them how to pop the seed pods, and they were busily popping them at each other. When they finally wound down, they snuggled against Ethan and Caleb, and Ethan told stories about the people and animals in the fluffy white clouds above them.
At 6:15 they gathered up the blanket and both boys who were each carrying an armload of lupine to give to their mothers. When they reached the pond, Ash was swimming. Kathy was sitting on a blanket beside a cooler and picnic basket. "Guarding the treasure?" Caleb laughed as he walked up. "Not a member of the polar bear club?"
Kathy stood and embraced both men and took the flowers Kayden offered her. "Ash tells me the water's fine, and it may be, but the thoughts of swimming outdoors in March is enough to convince me the weather is not warm enough. Obviously, you two took the boys to the magic blue lupine meadow."
"We did, and you should have seen them. Somehow or other the two boys are related to Andy and Janie." He then told her about their exuberance in the flowers.
"They are as related to Andy and Jamie in spirit as they are to Jamie by blood," Kathy said. Ash got out of the pond as soon as they arrived knowing if she stayed Kayden and Taylor would start asking to go swimming. She and Kathy spread the picnic, and all enjoyed the food. They left the pond as the sunset painted the western sky.
When Ethan, Caleb and the boys got back to the Ash and Kathy’s house, the young ones were ready for bed. Caleb and Ethan gave them a bath, put them in their PJs and Caleb sat on their bed, a boy under each arm and read them a story. Five minutes after he started, the two were sound asleep. He kissed each of them on the forehead and put them to bed.
Back home, Ethan swept Caleb into his arms as carried him to his bed. Clothes were abandoned, and the two started deep kisses while caressing each other. Soon Caleb lay atop Ethan, thrusting, sliding, their cocks pressed between them. Each having had a very satisfactory climax in the afternoon, their lovemaking was slow, gentle and long.
Monday morning when everyone was together, Ethan told them about the possibility of hiring the Martinez-Ortegas. “However, I do foresee one problem, namely housing.”
“May have a solution in the future,” Dek spoke up. “Guess now is as good a time as any to make the announcement. If we ever get over the spring rush, I’m taking off a week for a honeymoon.”
“Think you can last a week, old man?” Andy kidded his dad.
"Yeah, sonny boy, it's like drinking fine wine, slow and easy, enjoying every minute. Anyway, Andy is seldom home now and will be moving out when his house is finished. Charlotte, my fianceé, and I were out walking and looked into the little house vacant here. She said she thought it would be nice to have a small house. ‘We’re not getting younger,’ she said, ‘and less time I have to spend keeping house, the better I like it.’ If you fixed up that small house, the one we’re in would be more than adequate for the Martinez-Ortegas. The upstairs hasn’t been used in years, I suspect . . .
"Not since before we moved in," Randy said. "Add skylights and a shower and toilet, and you'd have four rooms up."
“Well, Dek, if you are agreeable, I’ll have Francis get on adding a bath and renovating the small house as soon as he can.”
"Andy can share the small house until he is done," Dek said.
“No, when you get back from your honeymoon, he’ll be living with us until his house is finished,” Jamie said.
Alejandro called half an hour after everyone had left the meeting and Ethan set up an interview for 11:00. He called Jamie, Andy, Randy, and Davis to ask them to be present for the interviews. He then went to work on scheduling for the next couple of weeks.
Alejandro and Ignacio arrived at 10:45. Molly showed them into the conference room. “Gentlemen, I am Ethan Taylor, manager of the pecan operations here at Arkadelphia and Pleasant Grove, Mr. Davis Edwards, owner of Arkadelphia and Pleasant Grove plantations, Randy Ashton, manager of the cattle stations, Mr. Andy Hickey and Mr. Jamie Taylor, owners of Philos Plantation which, at the moment, is primarily involved with goats. Before you introduce yourselves, please, we are not ganging up on you. As I hope you'll come to understand, we all need to be in on hiring interviews because if you are hired, you will be employees of Arkadelphia Plantation LLC which is made up of two plantations, Arkadelphia and Pleasant Grove, however, you will doubtlessly be assigned to work at Philos from time to time.
“I wondered there for a minute if this was an interview or a get the Latinos meeting," the taller, more slender of the two said with a laugh. A good sign. "I am Ignacio Martinez-Ortega, and this is my older brother Alejandro Martinez-Ortega." Everyone shook hands as Molly served the two coffee.
“If it's okay with you, we go by first names here," Ethan said. "Ms. Rosemund Crawford told me something of your situation, and I hope told you something of ours." Both men nodded. "Before we get into other details about what you would be doing if employed, it is important that you understand what we all call the Arkadelphia Dream." Ethan, with the help of the others, told the brothers about the dream. "From past experience, it seems the only part of the nondiscrimination policy that is a problem is that relating to sexuality. So let me be upfront. You work here, you will be working with at least one gay person.
“Another potential sticking point is the fact that I am a manager, and therefore a boss and only have been able to buy beer legally for less than two years.”
The Martinez-Ortegas and the Arkadelphia folks talked for almost an hour, asking and answering questions. After they had talked a few minutes more, Ethan got a secret thumbs up from everyone. "These folks are going to work now, and you and I will discuss what we have to offer and Mrs. Davis will talk with you about salary and that kind of stuff. She will give you the details, but in addition to the salary, we pay for health insurance and make a contribution to a retirement account. A major benefit has been housing. Unfortunately, we are kinda out right now. After he explained the housing situation, Alejandro said, "Mr. Taylor . . .
“Ethan, please.
“Ethan, if it's all right with you, our cousin has a travel trailer which we have been using to relieve some of the overflow. He told us we could use it to reduce the money we spend on gas if we go to work here. I don't think our grandmother would do well in it although she lived in less most of her life in Mexico, we could set it up here and Ignacio and I, with his wife, could use it until a house is available."
“No problem. No problem at all. So talk with Mrs. Edwards, and then I'll show you around and explain the work we do.
Molly had lunch ready when they got back at 1:00 and after lunch, the two left to pack up and bring the travel trailer.
The addition of the two reduced the workload, but the plantations were still on ten hour days and five and a half day weeks.
<>
The frustrations Caleb and Ethan felt because of not having privacy added to those caused by the workload. Finally, Caleb decided to do something about their situation. He called Dr. Pearson, Cade's psychologist, and made an appointment to see him. As soon as he was in Dr. Pearson's office, he told him who he was and then said, "Dr. Pearson, I need to give you the situation and ask your advice since it concerns one of your patients, Cade Hall.
"Cade is my brother and lives with me. Sooner or later he'll have his own apartment which will give us both much more privacy. Right now that's on hold because of a glitch with getting the wiring done.
"When Cade first came to stay with me, he had a problem with the fact that the plantations do not allow any form of disrespect or discrimination including discrimination because of the one's sexuality. He asked and was told at least one gay person was working on the plantations whereupon Cade revealed he was very homophobic. After his time in Jacksonville, he seems to have made progress overcoming his problem with gays.
"Now we come to the crux of the matter. I am gay, but to the best of my knowledge, Cade doesn't suspect that. To make matters worse, my boyfriend also works on the plantations. We were barely beyond a kiss on a cheek when Cade went to Jacksonville, but while he was there, our relationship advanced. Technically, I guess we are still virgins, but increasingly very frustrated virgins.
"My boyfriend has been head of his family for several years and has a younger sister living with him. A terrible experience in a previous relationship had a very negative impact on his whole family, so he is hesitant about announcing ours.
"So, he has his sister, and I have my brother, and we have no privacy. I am ready to change that by telling Cade I am gay and demanding privacy in my own house. I suspect as soon as I come out, my boyfriend will want to announce our relationship. My question is what do you advice regarding Cade. I don't think not telling him is an option."
Dr. Pearson thought for a few minutes and said, “This is going to be a real shock to Cade since he is still somewhat convinced he can spot a gay man. He does love his job and certainly appreciates having a place to live. He also loves you very much and holds you in the highest esteem. No question about it, it will definitely be a shock, but I think his self-interest and his respect for you will curb any excessive reaction. I think it will hold him in check while he deals with having a gay brother.
"The question of your boyfriend may be another matter. He still feels very protective toward you and may react unfavorably toward your boyfriend. That may create an internal conflict, but I believe he can deal with it. In short, he's in for a shock but will come through it. If he needs to see me more than once a week for a short time that can be arranged. You'll have a rough patch to deal with, but in the end, I think you both will be glad to have been honest with each other."
Caleb went home feeling better about what lay ahead, but anxious as well. The drive back gave him time to reflect and he knew now was not the time to add another load to the one they all were carrying. He’d wait.
Monday morning the third week of March, Alejandro and Ignacio were added to the crew. They joined Michael, Ash, and Dek who were working in the orchard battling pests and fungus. They had some help from Ethan in previous weeks, although more and more Ethan found that his time was consumed trying to hold it all together. With the addition of the two, there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
The same was true of Cade and Caleb as they looked over the last group which had kidded and selected the nannies which were to be sold and the doeling which would replace them. That done, they castrated the billies which would not be sold immediately. With the last kidding done, Cade and Caleb were able to handle the goats on their own and Jamie, and Andy were freed to work cattle, relieving Randy, Christopher, and Alfred who had their hands full with calves and calving cows.
A week later, much of the pressure was off, but there had been no time to relax and recuperate. Ethan suddenly realized that when as they were headed to the university Friday afternoon and Christopher said, “Today is the last classes before spring break. Guess we’ll all miss the drunken orgy on the beach.”
Ethan usually had classes and labs from the time he arrived on campus until he climbed back in the van and headed for Arkadelphia, but his evening class wasn't going to meet, so he finished at 4:00. Some of the others weren't so lucky. When he left his last class at 4:00, he walked over to the student center, got a Coke and sat down at an empty table. The emptiness of the student center reminded him that today was the last class before spring break. Before he had another thought, a shadow fell across the table. He looked up and saw Doug grinning at him.
“Must be some serious thoughts you’re having,” he said and raised an eyebrow, asking to sit down.
“Have a seat,” Ethan smiled up at Doug. “I was thinking about spring break and the fact that it was work as usual at Arkadelphia.”
"I guess it is a busy time. I've been swamped as well putting the finishing touches on a book. I've missed seeing the Arkadelphia people. Rich says I have become a hermit, and he's pretty much right, but I sent the manuscript off to my editor today. Rich is hoping to get some free time as well so we can get away some next week. He's been gone a lot working with the Macon office on some big case. So what's going on at Arkadelphia?"
"Goats are kidding, cows dropping calves and the groves weeks ahead of schedule. We've all been working our asses off—more ten hour days and five and a half day weeks. We have got two new people which has taken a lot of the load off, we're finished with the goats and cows giving birth and all that goes with that. You know how it is: rush, rush, rush then things slow down for a bit. Christopher mentioned on the way in that next week was spring vacation for school, but not for the plantations."
“Pity you all can’t get some time off. Maybe we can get together during the break. Right now I’ve got a conference with three jocks who are failing. The three handed in identical midterm papers.”
“No doubt the coach has been in to see you.”
Doug laughed. "How did you guess? Tried to say it was a coincidence."
After Doug left, Ethan began thinking about what he said about it being a pity Arkadelphia folks couldn't get part of spring break off. He took out his schedule book for work at Arkadelphia and looked at what he had scheduled for the following week. After studying it for several minutes, he called Cade, who was usually in the library at this time, and asked what was scheduled for the goats. As he looked over what was planned for the three plantations, a plan began to form in his mind.
Jamie and Andy’s 4:30 class was dismissed at 5:30 and the two decided to go to the student center. When they walked in, they spotted Ethan, got Cokes and sat down at his table. “What’s happenin’” Andy asked.
“Thinking about spring break,” Ethan responded and shared his thoughts with them.
By the time Michael joined them, the three had hatched a plan.
On the way back to Arkadelphia, Ethan said, “Short day tomorrow, but we all get together at 9:00.” Once home, Ethan went to his office and worked on the work schedule for the following week.
He was still at it when Keith brought Sally Ann home. When she noticed the light on in his office, she came with juice and cookies. “Time to forget about plantations, Ethan,” she said.
“Right,” he agreed. “Ready for spring break?” She had asked about going to North Carolina to visit Keith’s grandmother, uncles and cousins and Ethan decided since they were high school seniors, she was soon going to be on her own anyway and said yes. She had to—not patiently—endure a lecture by Jamie, but both brothers were finally okay with it. Each had, however, threatened Keith with his life if anything happened to Sally Ann.
“Yes and no to being ready. We are both ready to have a break from school but agreed we'd finish our senior projects and two papers we have for two joint enrollment classes before we left. We had a set back on the project which has thrown us behind on our papers. Means we aren't leaving in the morning. If we do finish papers and projects, we'll have smooth coasting the rest of the year plus a chance to re-write the papers if we get a bad grade as though that was going to happen. What's your spring break look like?"
“Not sure at this point. I will be keeping the boys at least part of the week. I haven’t seen much of them recently. Which reminds me, you have any thoughts about child care? You know Mrs. Kistler . . .
“Ethan, ever wonder why everyone uses first names around here, but we all call Mrs. Kistler Mrs. Kistler? She had finally given up on asking to be called Naomi.”
“Never thought about, but it just seems right.”
“How about Estella? She's raised two boys, and I know she worked in a child care center. Looking after four boys is a lot different from sharing care of fifteen, and I guess what you guys pay Mrs. Kistler is less, but she might be interested."
“Thanks, Sis, I hadn’t thought of that.”
Saturday morning Jamie and Andy joined Randy and Davis in the plantation office conference room at 8:00. “Jamie, Andy and I came up with a plan for next week,” he said and went on and presented what they had arrived at.
"I like that," Davis said. "I like that very much." He and Randy had a few suggestions, but overall the spring break hatched in the ASU student center was ‘the plan.' A few minutes before 9:00, the five moved to what Molly had dubbed the bullpen, the larger conference room built onto the mudroom and equipment shed. The rest of the Arkadelphia and Philos crew were busy fixing coffee or ice tea.
As soon as everyone had gotten a drink and had settled down, Ethan said, "As we all know, we have been working our butts off with ten hour days and five and a half day weeks for some time now. When Christopher mentioned in the van yesterday that next week was spring break, I realized that while the pressure was off, we had not had time to relax and recuperate. As we gathered at the student center after classes, Jamie, Andy and I came up with a plan for next week. We checked it out with Caleb and this morning with Randy and Davis.
"Basically, we divided the scheduled work for next week into three groups: things that we'd like to have done, but which are not necessary, things which need to be done but can be put off and things which have to be done. We will only be doing things which have to be done next week. With only the necessary things to do, a half crew can run things. Since half the crew can do the work, half the crew is free. Accordingly, ladies and gentlemen, half of you are off from Monday through Wednesday and half Wednesday through Friday. You all need to decide who gets off when. Ignacio, Alejandro, since you haven’t been around long, you get the short end of the stick. You can have Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday off, but you will be needed Wednesday.” It was a much happier crew which left the meeting than the one which had entered. As everyone started drifting away, Ethan said, “Cade and Caleb, see me.”
When Cade and Caleb came up, Ethan said, "Unless it throws a real monkey wrench into things, would you two mind splitting and one doing the front of the week and one the end? I'm sure whoever is here could deal with the goats, but I'd feel better with one of you here."
“I wouldn't mind at all," Cade said. "I had a call from a Marine buddy who also got messed up in Afghanistan. He lives on the beach in the panhandle and invited me down, but I didn't think I'd be free. Would like to have the front of the week." Philos was paying Cade, but he still was not officially an employee but was treated as such.
“Fine with me,” Caleb said.
After everyone except Caleb had gone, Ethan pulled him to himself and kissed him deeply. “If a certain goatboy invited me to share his bed while his brother’s gone, I’d say yes.”
“Don’t know about a certain goatboy, but you have a standing invitation to share this goatboy’s bed.”
“Think we could handle having a couple of boys sleeping in the next room?" Ethan asked. "I really do need to keep Kayden and Taylor, so Ash and Kathy can get away,"
“Knowing those two, once they are out, that's it. With Cade gone, they can have his bed, and we could hear them with the door closed if they call."
“Hope you haven’t come up with plans for the last part of the week.”
“When have I had time?”
“Good. Let me handle that.”
Ethan managed to catch Ash before she left for home and told her he’d keep the boys the first part of the week if she and Kathy would like to get away.
“We certainly would. Thanks for the offer. I’ll get their things together and bring them over as soon as we can get ready to leave Monday morning. We had talked about what we’d like to do for spring break, but never dreamed it would happen.”
Telling Ash he’d keep his sons several days reminded Ethan Arkadelphia had a child care problem. As he walked home, he spied Estella watching the four boys in the playground—he and Jamie, with help from Christopher—had built a fenced playground across the drive from the house a year ago. Seemed a good time to talk to her about a job.
He went over to where Estella sat under the massive old oak in the center of the playground, sat on the bench across the table from her and said, "Stuck with the Arkadelphia and Philos hellions, I see."
“Don’t talk about the boys that way,” Estella admonished him. “They are good boys. I didn’t know Kayden and Taylor were your sons until Ash told me a few days ago. Should have known since they definitely have some of your features.”
“Yeah, they are mine, and I will have them the first part of the week. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with them recently, so I'm looking forward to having them. Change of subject, but how's the job hunt going?"
“Poorly. Found a couple of places with openings, one in Braggton and one in Audubon, but the pay being offered would barely cover the gas. The one in Braggton is not up to standards unless I am mistaken. I’m sure if someone is willing to cut corners which endanger kids they’ll do anything.”
“Maybe able to help out. You know Mrs. Kistler is taking over Molly's job?" Estella nodded. "I think she's ready to take over and needs to because the Edwards are going on an around the world cruise at the end of summer and she will be on her own. That means Jamie, and I need someone to care for the boys. I know you worked in a child care center, but would you consider taking over care of our four boys? Mrs. Kistler's grandson will be here as well when school's out, and you'd have Claire Bell's grandson occasionally. I'll have to talk to Jamie and Kathryn, but we'd follow the usual Arkadelphia/Philos policies which means you'd be paid better than the two offers you've had I'm sure. You're already on Ignacio health insurance, but he's paying the premium. Arkadelphia would pick up that, and of course, we are getting a house ready as quickly as possible.
“Sounds ideal to me," Estella said. "I'd not have to drive to Braggton or worse Audubon. I like all four and relieve Naomi from time to time so she can work with Molly. Gives me something to do. Living in a travel trailer doesn't give you a lot of space to have to clean."
“I sincerely hope you won't be in the trailer much longer. Francis has a crew working on the small house, and once that's done, he thinks he can do what is needed at your place in a couple of weeks.
As I said, I need to talk to Jamie and Kathryn, but I think you have a job. By the way, can I assume you speak Spanish?”
“I do.”
“How about teaching the boys Spanish? Good age to learn and it would be natural. That would sure beat trying to learn from a book when they are teenagers.”
“Would love to,” Estella said.
One problem solved. Now a biggie. Ethan was torn. He was hesitant about telling Sally Ann about his relationship with Caleb, but if he was sharing his goatboy's bed, he had to have some explanation.