Making sneaky plans felt different when they weren’t going to result in a prank.
Tay was on their best behavior at work—which wasn’t even a chore—and they were keeping a very close eye on what Guilia was getting up to. Just as they’d suspected, she’d headed over to talk to Hannah about the prospect of savory ice creams, and Tay had paid particular attention to that conversation.
Olive-oil ice cream and goat-cheese ice cream…
If they could persuade Hannah to prep the accompaniments, they thought that they could possibly manage to produce a little of each of those. That way, not only would they be fulfilling their punishment by spending time and effort making handmade ice cream, but they would also help Guilia actually see what delicious ideas she’d come up with.
It was a near flawless plan, aside from the fact that Tay had to actually do the making of the cream. So instead of taking their lunch break, they’d grabbed a sandwich and spent more time than they’d expected beating the leftover skim from the milk to make heavy cream.
But that was only the start.
They’d managed to take photos of most of Guilia’s recipe ideas while she’d been in the bathroom before work, and now Tay snuck peeks at them throughout the day. They wanted to get the ice cream as close to perfect as possible, even if that meant only getting a couple of scoopfuls of each flavor.
As dinner service drew to a close, Guilia asked Tay if they wanted to go back to her suite.
“Actually, Daddy,” they said, forgetting where they were for the moment. “I’ve got to sort out the ice cream so that it can set overnight and I can give it to you to taste tomorrow.”
Their Daddy was disappointed, Tay could tell, but she covered it up with an overly bright smile, that felt completely out of place on the woman’s face. “Si si. I shall see you tomorrow then?”
Tay almost threw themself at Guilia in attempt to stave off such sadness in her eyes, and the only thing that stopped them were the curious looks from the team. “I had hoped on coming over once I’ve finished and grabbed some extra clothes from the Littles’ Wing.”
Guilia’s shoulders dropped and her smile dimmed. Much better. Tay didn’t like that fake smile—it was a little creepy, for all its wattage.
“Si. I shall see you later, tesore.”
When Guilia finally left the kitchen, Tay explained her plan to Hannah. “I’m not asking for help with the ice cream—that’s my job, and it’s part of my punishment—but I would really appreciate sneaking some of the rosemary cake and figs you were talking about later.”
Hannah not only agreed but got some extras for Tay to try while they made the ice cream, so that they could make sure that they were getting the balance right.
Making ice cream was hard work though; especially when they’d made the heavy cream that made up the main ingredientthemself. Tay’s arms ached and their fingers were numb from holding the cold refrigerated metal cannisters in which their cream sat. Eventually, their experiments were ready to be placed in the freezer and left overnight so everything settled properly.
Tay wasn’t sure whether they’d ever been more nervous about anything in their life. Or at least, about anything since they’d come to Rawhide Ranch.
As they made their way up to their room in the Littles’ Wing, they thought about their experience over the last few years. They’d been lucky enough to share their room with lovely queers—Mandi and then Holly—and the both of them were sweet and funny and had felt like family quicker than Tay could ever have expected.
Their childhood home hadn’t felt this much like family.
They paused for a moment then. Since developing this dynamic with Guilia, they’d considered their bio family more than they had in a while. Their two older brothers, a father who hadn’t known what to do with an enby child, and their mother whose ignorance felt very much like hate, even now.
Rawhide Ranch was their family, as much as it was Guilia’s.
Tay knew the phrase “found family,” but it hadn’t meant anything to them. Just something they’d read about or dreamed of but coming here all of that had changed. They had their friends in the Littles’ Wing and their friends in the kitchen, and they had Guilia.
Ever since arriving, they’d had Guilia.
She’d been the person to interview them, alongside Master Derek, and had immediately taken Tay under her wing. It had been a couple of months since Tay had made fresh pasta, stuck as they were at the diner flipping burgers, but when they started rolling out the pasta for the first time in the Italian kitchen, they’d found themself crying.
Guilia hadn’t made a fuss, hadn’t hovered or tried to cajole the reasoning out of them. Instead, she’d made them a bowl of ice cream. Apricots, with chunks of fruit amidst the dairy goodness. Tay had dried their eyes, served up the pasta with some sugo, and then ate the most delicious ice cream they’d ever had the pleasure to put in their mouth.
And from that moment on, Tay would have done anything for the quiet Italian chef who looked after everyone in their kitchen.
CHAPTER 22
Guilia
Guilia must have looked fairly lost when she left the kitchen that evening, because Lily had placed a hand on her arm and asked if she’d like to hang out for a bit, while Tay was finishing up.
It was a warm summer’s evening, so Guilia followed the other woman out to the front of the main building, where they found a swing on the porch to sit on.
