Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2021 20:50:25 -0500 From: William Marshal Subject: Quarterback Keeper 23 Quarterback Keeper: 23 Let's Make a Deal Joe's life had finally settled into a rhythm. The drama of summer and the first football game had been replaced by the day to day life of a high school teacher and coach: lesson plans, grading, lectures, class discussions, and of course practice. Joe was enjoying a pleasant autumn Sunday morning on the deck. He liked to get up early on a Sunday, grab a cinnamon roll, a cup of coffee, and then read the newspaper, before getting ready for church. The lead story on the Enid News & Eagle's sports section was the emergence of Salt Fork as a football power in Class B. In the article Coach Wilson, made sure to spread around the praise, but he singled out the Tyler's and Avery's coordination as a key to the team's offensive success. Wilson said, "Whenever your quarterback and your offensive coordinator are on the same page, then good things are going to happen in a game. So, as long as our defense can keep us in the game, we have a really good chance that the offense will find a way to win us the game." When asked about District play, Wilson said, "I hate to say something trite like we play `em one game at a time, but this week we have to focus on Pioneer-Pleasant Vale. Not only are they a good team, but it's our homecoming game. That's enough of a distraction for any team." Joe had forgotten about homecoming until just then, so when Tyler and Ian joined him for breakfast, he said, "Next week is homecoming." "I've heard kids talking about it," Ian said, "but I really don't know what it is about." Tyler jumped in and said, "Homecoming is the best week of school ever. There are Spirit Days, and class competitions, then the the game is huge, they crown the homecoming king and queen, and of course it's the first dance of the year. You're going to have a blast." Ian didn't respond with the excitement that Tyler thought he would. Joe looked at Tyler and said, "Let me guess, you were homecoming king." "Well, yeah." "Tyler, I bet you had a date for the homecoming dance." Joe said. "Of course, but .... Oh, I see," Tyler suddenly realized why Ian wasn't excited about homecoming, "Michael isn't going to be here this weekend, is he?" Ian shook his head. "How about if I call Mindy," Joe said, "and see if we can rearrange the visitation schedule so Michael can come this weekend." Ian suddenly brightened and gave Joe a big hug. "Hey," Tyler said, "I was a homecoming king, don't I get a hug too?" Ian bowed and said, "Pardon me your majesty." "I see that Elizabeth has trained her subjects well," Tyler said with a grin. "Yes," responded Ian, "Just don't expect me to kiss anything." While Tyler and Ian got ready for church, Joe called Mindy. "Hey, Joe. What's up?" Mindy asked when she picked up. "This is Salt Fork's homecoming. I know Michael isn't scheduled to be here this weekend, but it would sure make a Scottish lad very happy." Mindy said, "Let me check with Michael." Joe heard Mindy and Michael's conversation over the phone. "Michael, Uncle Joe is on the phone. Salt Fork's homecoming is this week, and he is wanting to know if you would like to visit next weekend." "Hell yes." "Michael Sinclair, watch your language!' "Yes ma'am. Please tell Uncle Joe that I would be delighted to attend the Salt Fork homecoming festivities with that charming young man, Ian Ramsay. Mindy laughed and then said to Joe, "Did you hear what I have to put up with." "Like father, like son," Joe said. "This actually makes our life a bit easier. Charles and I are going to be in Enid to look at properties, and we want to make it a couple's weekend. We weren't exactly sure how we were going to tell Michael we were going to Enid, and he wasn't invited." "That is great. What time will you be here?" "Is it a problem if we come Thursday evening? Charles wants to look for temporary office space for the Wind and Solar Division on Friday." "Not a problem. I'll see if I can get permission for Michael to attend classes with Ian. He can list it as an anthropology lesson in small town Okie Culture." "Sounds good, we'll see you Thursday." As Joe, Tyler, and Ian walked to church, Joe said, "I've got some bad news Ian. Charles and Mindy are busy this weekend, and can't bring Michaal on Friday." "I understand," said a disappointed Ian. Joe put an arm across Ian's shoulders and said, "Sorry buddy,... but they're going to have to bring him on Thursday. I hope that is okay with you." Ian got emotional whiplash as he went from disappointment to joy in a millisecond. During church, Ian sat with Kevin, Avery, Zach, and Mike and Jack, Kent Walters' two little hellions. Joe wasn't sure how much Ian was paying attention to the sermon, but then he thought about how little he had listened in church at that age, and smiled. While Ian might not be into the sermon, he was into the singing. He had a fantastic voice and his range was such that he could sing either tenor or baritone. Actually all of the boys were good singers, and the church music director was trying to convince them to perform at an evening program and coffee shop. After church, Claudia McNutt met Joe and Tyler on the church lawn. "Boys, do you have dinner plans?" "Not really," Joe said. "I was hoping you didn't. I would like you guys and Ian to have dinner with Ian and me." Claudia had clearly been planning for company. The table was set for five and she and Kevin soon had the table loaded with a large platter of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, salads, vegetables, and dinner rolls. After grace and the food was passed, Claudia got down to the motive for the dinner invitation. "I met Mindy Sinclair a couple of weeks ago. She said he is house hunting. From what she said, she has quite a tall order to fill." "Yes," Joe said, "She found one small craftsman bungalow just down the street that would work for Tyler's mother, but there are no houses even close to what Tyler and I need, let alone Cooper and Dana. It looks like we will have to build, but we can't even find lots for sale." "Kevin told me about meeting Mary that Saturday you guys took him shopping. Then when I heard she might be one of my neighbors, I just had to see how the house search is going." "We've put an offer in on the bungalow," Joe said. "So we are waiting to hear back whether it is accepted. If it is accepted, there isn't much we need to do to make it ready for Mary." Tyler said, "Really the only thing that had to be done before mom moves, is we want to add a handicap accessible bathroom onto the master. She doesn't need it now, but we don't want to have her living there during a remodel. We also want to add a large back deck on the back. Mom likes sitting outside, and she will love being able to do that. Plus, she definitely does not want a wheelchair ramp in the front yard, so we are making that part of the deck." "Well," Claudia said, "When you build that deck, make the ramp is large enough for a mobility scooter. I don't need one yet, but I don't want anything like a ramp keeping me from visiting my new friend. I've already told the city manager, she'd better get the sidewalks on this street widened and that they better be smooth all the way to Matty's." Tyler laughed, "It sounds like you think this house is a done deal." "It is," Claudia said. "What?" Joe and Tyler said in unison. "Martha Whittley, the lady that lived in that house, was a dear friend of mine. She died over a year ago and left the house to her daughter, Abby. Abby and her husband live in Wichita and really don't want the house, but she has had a hard time letting go. Every time an offer has been made it is either too low, or Abby gets too emotional to sell it." "So when I met Mindy and she told me who was buying the house and why, I called Abby. Growing up, she would often help me with chores to earn a little spending money. When I told her that Joe was the real buyer, she was excited. She remembered having Joe for a teacher, and I think had a secret crush on him. Anyway, the offer was accepted, and the real estate agent will be over for dessert and to get the papers signed." "How did you get a realtor to drive all the way from Enid on a Sunday afternoon?" Joe asked. "The commission on that house isn't really very much." "You seem to be underestimating the allure of my strawberry shortcake." Claudia said with a smile. "However, I suspect she is hoping to earn bigger commissions down the road if she can get you guys and the Cooper Sinclairs homes." "She's going to have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to do that," Tyler said. "There are just no houses for sale in Salt Fork." "Yeah, Mindy can't even find land to build on closer than five miles from town." Joe added. "Aside from enjoying the company of the Bartlett-Simmons-Ramsey family at dinner today, I also wanted to make you an offer," Claudia said. Joe smiled, "I see, this suddenly turned into a business meeting. I've seen you negotiate, Claudia McNutt. I might have to get four Sinclair lawyers out here to level the playing field." Ian and Kevin were enjoying the banter and the business lessons. Lesson one, business deals are best closed over a good meal. Lesson two, often it isn't what you know, but who you know that matters. Lesson three, it's better to have friendships than business arrangements in small town Oklahoma. "I've seen you negotiate as well, Joseph Bartlett. The only thing those lawyers would get is a lesson on how to make a deal." "Okay, now that we've buttered each other up, what are you trying to sell me?" Claudia pointed to the dining room's picture window. "I own that piece of land. It's 80 acres. Half is zoned residential and half mixed use. I bought this house from the farmer that owned that piece of property. He had it platted for development before he died. His son decided to build a trailer park and an industrial park on the land." "I don't want to sound like a snob about trailer parks, because some are quite nice, but I knew what a trailer park in oil company could quickly turn into. I just didn't want a bunch of drillers and roughnecks as neighbors. So I decided to buy him out. Fortunately, I was, as we used to say, keeping company with a banker in Norman who was willing to make me a personal loan. So I've enjoyed a clear view all the way to the river for all these years. However, I think it's time to see that land developed, and I want to set aside money for Kevin's education." Claudia looked at Kevin and said, "FYI, you're going to college. So you'd better start applying for admission." Kevin smiled. "So what do you want for the land?" Joe asked. Claudia pointed to Kevin and Ian. "The boys are done eating and we, are waiting on dessert until the realtor gets here. Before we get started. Should we send them off to play?" Joe said, "I think their curiosity is up, and this is a good education." Then he looked at the two and said, "You can stay if you like, but neither Claudia nor I want our finances bantered around at school or in town. People know I have money, but part of the reason I live in Salt Fork is to be as regular a person as possible. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded. "Then, let's start," Claudia said. "I had it appraised for both agricultural use and as undeveloped residential and commercial. I think the fair market value is $225,000. I also know that is a drop in the bucket for you, so I don't think we need to negotiate on price. But I do want to talk about the land's use and a couple of bonus projects." "You're right, the land price is actually more than fair since it is the only land for sale in the area." Joe said. "So what's the rest of the deal?" "First, the Senior Center in Salt Fork sucks. It's on the edge of town, no good sidewalks, and there's nothing going on around it. I want a new Senior Center downtown," Claudia said. "Do you have some place in mind?" Tyler asked. "Yep, the old high school gymnasium. Since the school built the new athletic facilities that building had just been used to store junk. It's across the street and not connected to the school, there's plenty of parking, good size restrooms, and the concession stand could be turned into a kitchen. Also, a couple of the locker rooms could be remodeled in the event Salt Fork needs an emergency shelter. Most importantly, the grocery store, the bank, and Matty's are all within a block." "It seems you have given this a lot of thought," Joe said. "I have, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I figured out who could make it happen," Claudia said with a smile. "You said that was the first condition. What else is there?" Joe asked. "I want to see the land developed. As you know Salt Fork doesn't have available housing for sale or for rent. I think we have a lot to offer families, but right now they are closed out of the market. However, I want the development to look like a small town, not a suburb." "What do you mean when you say you want it to look like a small town?" Ian asked. "That's a good question," Claudia said. "In the suburbs, everyone's the same. Because developers build each section with a particular price range of houses, everyone in the area has the same socioeconomic status. However, historically in small towns, people lived jumbled up. The banker might live next to a mechanic, and the school teacher might live next to a retired farmer. On any block the houses would not only be different styles, they would be different sizes and house very different types of people. I think it is a problem when we live where everyone looks like us, acts like us, dresses like us, and thinks like us." "I like that way of thinking," Ian said. "So do I," Joe said. "Joe, I hate to pour cold water on this idea," Tyler said, "but when are you going to have time to add real estate developer to your portfolio?" "I don't," Joe said. "Dana started this whole thing when she convinced Cooper to move to Salt Fork so the kids could have the rural and small town experience. I will fund the project, but she's going to have to agree to make it work. Is there anything else?" "Just two more things. I would like the part of the property that butts up to the river to be turned into a public access nature walk and outdoor classroom. I have enjoyed walking the deer trails along the river and would like more people to have that experience." This time it was Kevin that popped up. "That is a great idea and I know who could help with that. Mr. Jeffers, the high school biology teacher, is always bringing in specimens and pictures from his walks along the river. It would be cool if that could even be a class project." "Riley Jeffers was a couple of years ahead of me at NOSU," Tyler said. "He is a ball of energy, and this would be just the kind of project he would absolutely dive into." "Well Claudia," Joe said, "unless your last requirement is a deal breaker, I think we can make this work." "The other day I was taking cookies to the pastor, when I heard the most beautiful music coming from the sanctuary. I recognized Ian, but not the woman with him. Pastor Ann said that it was Kendra Sinclair, and she came out once every couple of weeks to give Ian lessons. Pastor Ann also told me about Kendra's impressive professional resume. I am on the Salt Fork Arts Council and am responsible for the December program. Would you ask her, if she knows of anyone who would do a program for a reasonable fee?" "I think Ian is the one to ask her," Joe said. "Ian is her prodigy." Ian blushed. The doorbell rang and Claudia sent Kevin to answer. "So Joe, do we have a deal?" "I think we do." Claudia clapped her hands together and said, "Good, let's sign some papers, and eat strawberry shortcake." That evening Joe called Mindy to tell her about the deal he'd made with Claudia. "So, do you think Dana will be willing to take on this project?" "I don't think she had much of a choice if she and Cooper are serious about moving to Salt Fork," Mindy said. "Plus, Cooper had told me several times that Dana feels like she doesn't really have an identity beyond being a wife and mother. She's smart and creative, this should give her a chance to grow." "What was Dana's major?" "Agriculture Leadership with an emphasis on Extension Education. She wanted to pursue a career as a county extension agent." "I think she is just the type of person for this job," Joe said. "As I talked with Claudia, she is less interested in this being about real estate development, and more about it being rural and community development." Spirit Week Monday was the start of homecoming week at Salt Fork High School. The first spirit day was College day. All of the students were expected to wear clothes from their favorite college or university. At breakfast, Tyler looked at Ian and said, "You're not participating in Spirit Week?" "I don't have any college stuff," Ian said. Tyler pulled a bag out from under his chair and said, "Now you do." When Ian opened the bag there was a new NOSU sweatshirt and Ian's face was all smiles. "Thank you," Ian said and slipped the sweatshirt on. "This is great." Joe gave Tyler a kiss, and said, "You're a good uncle." After breakfast Joe and Tyler went to finish getting dressed. When Ian saw them he whistled and then said, "You two are fucking hot." Joe had on a long-sleeved white dress shirt with a charcoal tie and the NOSU logo in silver. Tyler was dressed the same except his tie was red. What Ian also noticed was that Joe and Tyler were each wearing a black band on their ring finger. He took Tyler's hand to get a closer look. The ring was made of silicone and had 12.24.18 etched in red. "What is this?" Ian asked. "It's our engagement announcement." Tyler said. "It is customary for the guy in a straight relationship to get the bride-to-be an engagement ring, but there really isn't a tradition for gay engagements. So, I found these rings online from a company called Groove Life and thought they were cool. Plus, I have to tell the rest of the world this stud is mine; keep your hands off." Joe smiled and gave Tyler a kiss. "Guys, I am really happy for you, but if you're going to be all kissie face and moon eyes from now until you're married, I'm going to be sick." Joe said, "You're just jealous because my man is here, and yours is in Tulsa." "Damn right, I'm jealous." "Poor baby," Joe said. Then he added, "We'd better get going or we'll be late." "Late?" said Ian, "We've got over an hour before school starts." Joe and Tyler both smiled. Finally Ian caught onto Joe's innuendo. Ian rolled his eyes, "And they say teenagers are sex crazed?" During first period, a couple of girl's in Tyler's class noticed his ring, and by second period students had also noticed Joe's ring. At lunch the Salt Fork rumor mill was at full steam. Ian found himself surrounded by a group of girls all anxious for information. "Time to dish," Zoey Buchanan said. "Are Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Simmons engaged?" "What makes you think that?" Ian asked as he tried his best to appear clueless. "The rings," Emma Pierce said. "They are both wearing matching rings." Ian looked at Joe and Tyler, who were standing at the cafeteria door doing their lunch duties. He smiled, then turned back to the girls and said, "You're right they are wearing rings." Emma asked, "Don't guys in Scotland give their girl's engagement rings to let everyone know they plan to get married." "I suppose the guys from proper families do," Ian said, then added with a wicked smile, "but in my family, we just wait until the lass starts to show, then it's off to see the Registrar Office for our legal papers." "C'mon Ian, you can tell us," Zoey said. "Oh yeah, and I could also just stand on this table and yell to everyone in the room. If you want to know, just ask them." "Okay, I will," and Zoey turned on her heels, and headed toward Joe and Tyler. When Zoey got to where Joe and Tyler were standing, Bill was talking to them about baseball scheduling for the spring. Zoey just stood there until Bill finally asked, "Do you need something Zoey?" "Yes, I need to see Mr. Simmons' hand." Tyler held out his right hand. "No, I need to see your left hand." Zoey looked at the ring and then asked Joe if she could see his left hand. "What is special about December 24?" Zoey asked. Joe looked at Zoey and said, "I thought you have gone to church long enough to know that December 24 is Christmas Eve." "I know that," Zoey said. "Why do your rings both say 12.24.18." "Because that is the day Mr. Simmons and I are getting married." Zoey screamed. The entire cafeteria looked to see what was going on. She then looked at her friends who were still standing beside Ian and nodded. The girls on the other side of the room also screamed. "I guess the cat is out of the bag," Tyler said with a smile. "Yep," Joe said, "and we ain't getting it back in." If anyone was monitoring the Twitter activity for Salt Fork, they noticed a spike in activity on the first day of spirit week. It didn't take long before Principal Mayfield was walking into the cafeteria. He walked over to Joe and Tyler, "Is it true?" "Yes," Joe said, "I hope we didn't just kick up another dust storm." "Who cares," Mayfield said. "I have only two concerns. First, please tell me you guys aren't leaving Salt Fork. Second, are Francis and I invited to the wedding?" "No, we aren't leaving," Joe said with a smile, "and of course you and Francis are invited to the wedding." Just then Bill came in wearing a scowl. "So, we've been friends since college, and I have to find out you're getting married on Twitter." "Sorry buddy. I really didn't think this would blow up like this. I was coming to see you during my planning period. I swear." "Okay, I'll forgive you," Bill said, and then he pointed to Tyler and said, "but you buddy are on my shit list." "What!?" Tyler protested, "What did I do?" "Someone's got to be on my shit list, and buddy, for better or for worse, that's you," Bill said with a grin. For the rest of the day Joe and Tyler were overwhelmed with congratulations and questions. When Joe and Tyler finally plopped into bed, they were both mentally exhausted. Tyler rolled over and put his head on Joe's chest. "Are you tired babe," Joe asked. "Yeah, I really wanted to tell everyone we are engaged, but at the same time, I was scared." "I know." Joe said and he rubbed Tyler's back, "There may still be some people who say hateful things, but the student and staff reaction was better than I would have ever imagined. I hope that if Ian and Michael marry, they don't even have to give announcing their engagement a second thought." Tyler ran his fingers though Joe's chest hair and circled his right nipple. Then he said, "Is it okay if we just cuddle tonight?" "Of course babe. Cuddling, kissing, talking--everything we do with each other is just as much making love as is sex." Eventually Tyler fell asleep in Joe's arms. Joe listened to the gentle breathing of his fiance and couldn't imagine how he thought his life was fulfilling before they met. Tyler completed him, and Joe would do anything to keep him safe, and make him happy. Tuesday was "Who is your Hero Day. Ian found an old plaid blanket, a torn brown T-shirt, and leather boots for his costume. H then painted his face with black and yellow paint. To finish his costume, he used yardsticks, cardboard, and foil to make a sword. "Who are you Tyler?" asked. "I'm William Wallace," Ian said. "Funny, you don't look like Mel Gibson." "William Wallace is a national hero in Scotland, and I'll not have you comparing him to that homphobic, Australian cunt." "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Joe said. "Sorry Tyler. I was just up late last night studying for a test. It seems there is one asshole teacher at Salt Fork who doesn't know it's Spirit Week and scheduled a test." Tyler looked at Joe. "Hey," Joe said with a grin, "The Student Council should have checked with me before scheduling Spirit Week. Besides, why are you stressed? You and Zach have the highest grades in the class." "That's it. Zach and I have a bet on this test, and I don't want to lose." "What's the wager?" Tyler asked. "If I win, he has to eat haggis. If he wins, I have to eat Rocky Mountain oysters. When I made the bet, I thought a Rocky Mountain oyster was a shellfish, at worst a snail. No one told me they were calf nuts." "Oh come on," Joe said with a laugh, "When was a gay guy ever afraid of the taste of testicles?" "Yeah," Tyler said, "They are really good eating." "Ich," Ian said. "I don't even want to think about it." "Let's leave, grumpy boy alone and go get our costumes on," Joe said. When Joe and Tyler returned, Joe was wearing an old style Yankees baseball uniform with a number 4. "Who are you?" Tyler asked Joe. "I am Lou Gehrig, `The Iron Horse'." Then he kissed Tyler. Tyler was wearing a fedora, black rim glasses, and an undersized white dress shirt unbuttoned halfway to expose a superman T-shirt. He said, " Lou Gehrig may be the Iron Horse, but I'm the Man of Steel." "How much time do you guys spend thinking up these obscure connections?" "Oh, they just kind of come to us in the middle of the night," Tyler said. "TMI--TMI!" Ian was sitting in the cafeteria waiting for the first bell to ring when Avery and Zach arrived. They were dressed identically to how Joe and Tyler had been the day before, except Zach was carrying a baseball Avery was carrying a football. From across the room Joe yelled, Avery Anders and Zach Hill get your butts over here. Avery and Zach looked at each other with concern. "I hope they don't don't think we're mocking them." Zach said. "I don't know, but we'd better get over there," Avery said and the two boys made a beeline to where Joe and Tyler were standing. "So, just who the hell do you think you are?" Joe barked. "I'm Tyler sir, and Zach is you," Avery said. Joe looked ast Zach, and said, "So do you think this is funny?" "No coach, we...," Avery started to say. Joe snapped. "Was I talking to you Avery." "No sir." "Then why are you talking to me?" Tyler had moved out of Avery's and Zach's sight because he couldn't keep a straight face. Zach started, "Coach we didn't mean anything bad. It's just you and Tyler are our heroes." "Is that so ..." The boys looked like they were about to piss their pants, and Joe couldn't keep the act up any longer. Joe cracked a smile and said, "Tyler and I are very honored," and the boys let out a sigh of relief, and the onlookers laughed at how well Joe had played the two. "However," Joe said, "if you are going to be Tyler and me, you have to learn to tie a double windsor." Joe and Tyler untied the boys' ties and retied them with proper knots. Tyler smiled as he was tying Avery's tie, "Don't feel bad. Until I met Joe, I was wearing clip-on ties." Zach was surprised that having his coach carefully fixing his tie was erotic, and his cock actually twitched. He wondered if Avery was having the same experience." The bell finally rang and everyone was off to class. Ian had band first period. The band had spent the last three weeks working on a new routine the members hoped would be something special. Part of the performance included Ian playing the bagpipes. When the band instructor saw Ian's costume, he asked whether Ian would be willing to wear it during the performance. Ian wasn't sure, but said he would work on it. The rest of the day went quickly. At lunch, Avery asked Ian if Michael was coming for the weekend. Ian smiled and nodded. "Would you and Michael like to double-date for the homecoming dance?" "Yes, I think that would be fun." Ian replied. "Good." Then Avery looked at Kevin, "Do you have a date for the homecoming dance?" "I am taking Zoey Buchanan, well actually she is taking me," Kevin said. "Wow," Zach said, "you are jumping into the deep end of the pool." "Yeah, I'm a bit scared. I don't know what I will talk about with her." Avery laughed, "Oh you don't have to worry about talking. Zoey has that covered for the both of you. Do you want to make it a triple-date?" "I would but..." Zach said, "Let me take care of this." He got up and walked over to a table where Zoey was sitting with her friends. "Zoey, Avery and I, and Ian and his date are double-dating to the homecoming dance. We asked Kevin if you and he would join us, but he said that would be up to you." Zoey got up from her seat and headed for Kevin. "Oh shit," Kevin said. Avery laughed, "I think she's about to rope, tie, and brand your ass." Zoey sat down next to Kevin, reached between his legs and gave his balls a hard squeeze. "Ow! What the hell was that for?!" "Just making sure you have some." "I do, or at least I did." "Then start to use them. First, I had to ask you to the homecoming dance, and now Zach has to ask about going on a triple-date. I will not date anyone who is timid. I know I am loud and brassy, but I have known your aunt all my life. If you've got any of her in you, then ...." Kevin leaned forward and gave Zoey a kiss, and for once she was speechless. Then Kevin said, "Zoey Buchanan, will you go to dinner with me and my friends Saturday evening, and then be my date to the homecoming dance." "I would very much like that," Zoey said with a smile. She then leaned in and whispered in Kevin's ear. "The kiss was very nice, but we need some practice. Lots and lots of practice." She then gave Kevin a kiss on the cheek and scurried back to her friends. Kevin looked at Ian and said, "Thank you." "For what?" Ian asked. "For kicking my ass the first day we met, and then having the grace to pick me up. For being the friend I needed." After cross country practice, Ian rushed home to see if he could try making his William Wallace costume into something he would feel good about wearing in front of a crowd. Things weren't going well, and Ian was getting frustrated. He yell, "Fuck it," and threw the costume on the table just as Joe walked in. "What's going on?" Joe asked. "First, you rush home from practice without telling me you were leaving. Now, you're upset with a costume." "The band is doing a Celtic halftime show, and I am playing the pipes. I really wasn't sure that was a good idea, but the rest of the band thought it would be great. Now, Mr. Weston saw me in this stupid costume and wants me to wear it Friday night. I don't want to look stupid, especially when Michael is watching." "I see," Joe said and walked to his bedroom. A few minutes later, he returned with a garment bag and handed it to Ian. "I was going to give this to you later, but I think you need it now." Ian opened the bag and his eyes began to well with tears. Inside was the kilt in Ramsay blue tweed, a Prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat, shirt, bowtie, shoes and all the accessories. Ian said, "This must have cost 900 pounds. I can't accept this. It's way too much." "I can't send it back. It's a custom outfit. I ordered this from Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers the day before we left Scotland. So, if you don't want it, it will just go to the thrift shop. Plus, Michael will feel funny if he is the only one wearing a kilt to the dance." "Michael has a kilt? How did you get my size?" "Yes, I also ordered one for him, Tyler, and myself. They of course don't know yet, so don't tell them. Michael will love it, but I can't wait to see the look on Tyler's face when I tell him he's chaperoning the dance in a kilt. As for size, you and Michael could be twins. Mindy gave me his sizes and I just told them to make your's the same." Ian hugged Joe and simply said, "Thank you again Uncle Joe." Avery and Zach were finally in bed and Zach asked, "When Coach fixed your tie this morning, did you feel anything?" "What do you mean?" "I don't know, did you feel ... a bit turned on?" "Uh ... I guess ... a little." "I did. It was weird. Coach wasn't doing anything but fixing my tie, but it was hot," Zach said. After a bit Avery asked, "Would you ever do anything with Coach." "Okay, I love you more than anything, so this is going to sound bad. ... But if Coach Bartlett told me to suck his cock, I would drop to my knees in a heartbeat." "I'm the same with Coach Simmons," Avery said. "Why do you think we'd do that?" "I suppose it is hero worship. During a game, I will do, or at least try to do, whatever Coach asks me to do," Zach said. I just want to make him proud of me. It's funny, I never really cared what my father said about my play, but a good game or a fist bump from Bartlett is like gold." "I used to hear of priests, scout masters, coaches, and people like that taking advantage of guys and would say I would never let them do that to me," Avery said, "but I can see why it happens. It would be hard to say no to your hero, to someone you love and trust." "Do you think Bartlett or Simmons would ever?" Zach asked. "No, never. They would never take advantage of people's trust or weaknesses. Why the question? Are you concerned?" "I just saw my father do it so many times. With men it was to get money. With women it was to get sex," Zach said. "He was charismatic. People fell under his spell and he used that to get what wanted." Avery pulled Zach in and kissed him gently. "Hey buddy, you're safe. You've got me, my family, Coach Bartlett, Coach Simmons, and an army of friends. Your dad is never going to fuck with your life again." ******************************* Thank you for reading "Quarterback Keeper." I very much appreciate the comments and words of encouragement I have received from readers. I also have three other stories, "Tough Love in Kansas City" https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/beginnings/tough-love-in-kansas-city/ "Saving Jordan" https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/beginnings/saving-jordan "Aging Out" https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/beginnings/aging-out/ If you would like to be included in updates on my stories, send me an email. 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