Page 91 of Big Britches

“What will I do? I don’t have a job. I have to work, T, and no one will hire me now. Silas knows everyone. He’ll see to it.”

“Look into my eyes. Do you think I’d ever let someone take you from me? It’s not gonna happen. You just let me and Tuttle worry about it. We’re going home now. I’m gonna get you behind the gate and I’m not letting anyone in, you hear me?”

Pedro nodded.

Titus held him as he ushered him out of the cell. When they passed Junior, Titus scowled at him. “There’s a special place in hell for people like you and Silas. Bullying and scaring people for what? Their size? Their skin color? Who they love? Fuck you, Junior.”

Junior’s head dropped.

Titus and Pedro continued down the hall, but Tuttle remained.

“You did the right thing just now, son, whether or not you know it. I suspect you do. And I hope you learned something. You’re young. You’ve still got time to become a decent human being.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, nodding. “Um, you’re not gonna tell my daddy, are you?”

Twenty-One

Titus took Pedro home. They drove through the gate, went into the house, and straight to the bedroom. Roz was quiet when she saw them, unlike her usually quippy self, allowing them their space.

They both undressed. There was nothing at all sexual about it. Both remained in their underwear and got into bed. There, Titus held Pedro close, enveloping him with his presence, calming his occasional tremors and keeping him warm.

At one point, when Titus heard Pedro softly snoring, he tried to slip out of the bed for a quick break, but Pedro awoke, grasping for him.

“Where are you going? Are you leaving?”

“No,” Titus said, slipping back under the covers and whispering in his ear. “Never. I got you. I’m not going anywhere. You rest. I’m here for as long as you want.”

Things got better, as they do when time passes. They had their meals with Roz and the kids, sat around the pool, or watched movies.

Daily, Pedro scanned the paper for job opportunities. Titus told him he needed to stop obsessing, that he needed to just recharge and get some well-earned rest.

“Leave everything to me,” he said.

Pedro accepted the care-taking, but it was difficult. He had never been one to sit back and wait for things to happen. His work ethic had always been sound, and he was good at setting goals and working toward them. He understood how the immigration process worked, and that citizenship was not just handed out; it was earned. Whenever complications or self-doubt surfaced, he just put his nose to the grindstone and worked even harder, trusting that one day his efforts would pay off.

He had never expected to fall in love, though. That wasn’t part of the plan.

Titus had blown into his life like a summer storm, swift and tumultuous. And like a storm, following the disruption was a soothing tranquility, one Pedro was growing used to, and could no longer imagine his life without. Titus was more than a lover. He was a caring, giving, and nurturing partner.

Support of this nature was new to him. Often, Pedro questioned whether he deserved it. He knew the reason, but it wasn’t until the third morning following his arrest that he found the courage to broach the topic.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Titus rolled over to face him, groggily. “You’re gonna tell me how good looking I am, aren’t you? Even with some serious bed-head and the sleep still in my eyes, I’m still a ray of pure fucking sunshine, ain’t I?”

Pedro chuckled. “You are. Even though I know you’re joking. It’s kinda true.”

“What’s going on?”

Pedro heaved an enormous sigh. When the trailing exhalation faded, he began: “Remember that time I said I said I’d done things I wasn’t proud of? I guess I kinda glossed over it.”

“I do, and you did. Do you remember me telling you that when or if you ever told me, it wouldn’t make a difference? I still stand by that.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m hoping you haven’t killed someone. That might be a red flag. But, honestly, the way I feel about you, P. I’d probably just ask your reasons and if you hid the body well.”

Pedro smiled, blinking languidly. “It’s not that bad. It’s not great, though.”