"Yeah? Some of us have been working for ages already, hotshot!"
They shoved shoulders, trying to push each other out of the way. "You and me are having words later. They figured you out."
"Oh, shit. No way! I was good."
"So good you can't work a time clock to save your life!" Jimmy grinned. It wasn't Mike's fault he was an idiot.
Coop waswatching them with a bemused expression; he still hadn't heard the full story about the impersonation. That would have to wait for another time, when they had a chance to talk and weren't too distracted by...other matters.
Jimmy grabbed some more food and claimed two seats, pulling one out for Coop, keeping him close. He served his boyfriend, ignoring the amused, tolerant smiles that earnedhim from his folks. He made sure Coop had some of everything on his plate but didn't draw attention to him by encouraging him to eat. Everyone else was eating like the food would cease to exist if it wasn't consumed immediately, and Coop would either dig in or he wouldn't. No way would Jimmy embarrass him by making it sound like he had issues with food. Even if he did, they weren't his fault.
Jimmy ate as much as he could as fast as he could while trying to take part in three scattered conversations at the same time. Then he had to go. He stood up and put an arm around Coop, giving him a very gentle hug goodbye, then he made eye contact with his brothers one by one, giving them the death glare. "Do not get him into any of your schemes."
"We would never!" Mike said, grinning evilly.
Luke raised his hands and looked far too innocent.
"Mom." Jimmy turned to his mother, appealing for her protection.
"We'll look after him. Properly. Won't we, boys?" Mom's words were calm, but her tone brooked no nonsense.
"Yeah. Absolutely."
"Yes, Mom."
Jimmy nodded, satisfied. "See you later, Coop. Love you."
"Uh, you too." Cooper was blushing really hard now. Crap, maybe he wasn'tcomfortable saying that in front of people? Jimmy would apologize later; now he had to run.
Dad rose before he reached the door and hugged him. He hadn't spoken through breakfast, instead paying intent attention to his food, but the hug was warm and his smile reached his eyes. Dad was never his best before noon, but he still cared.
#
It was difficult notto be jealous of Jimmy'sloving parents and large, happy family. It was impossible not to be enchanted by all of them and the farm itself. The brothers were charming and wild, and he didn't try to resist them; they wanted to show him the farm, so he went along. It was a fruit and meat farm, a small one, apparently, though he wouldn't have known it. It seemed to stretch on forever.
The Holdsts raised grass-fed artisanalbeef and "pastured pork," which meant pigs who ate grass, as well as acorns and apples, pastured partly in an oak-wooded area and finishing in the orchard part of the farm on any dropped apples.
At the barn, they let him meet some piglets and stroke the soft noses of several small brown calves. Coop was a city boy, and had never been exposed to farm life. He was enchanted, and didn't mind theirlight teasing about his ignorance.
"They seem tame. I mean, as tame as any farm animals. Aren't they scared of you for being wolves? Or don't they know?"
The smile he got in response was indulgent. "Oh, they know. But we treat them right. They live all their lives with us. They're used to us. Humans are predators as well, you know."
He felt foolish for having asked.
Jimmy's brotherswere as beautiful as he was, all big and blond, bright smiles and big muscles. They seemed to like him, and he was pretty sure he couldn't have said no to them.
At least they didn't involve him in their impromptu scrapping matches and unexpected punch-on-the-arm contests. They seemed much more wild than Jimmy, and it wasn't hard to tell them apart after a few minutes. He knew Jimmy so intimatelythat only sometimes, seeing one of them out of the corner of his eye, did he think they looked exactly like him. But all three brothers were cut from the same cloth, and all of them were gorgeous.
At the end of the farm were quite a lot of woodland, a small stream, and a little pond. The boys took him there after the barn, and a female cousin accompanied them, the Karen that Jimmy had talkedabout earlier. She seemed much more level-headed and less rowdy, but she was also friendly and seemed to have taken Coop entirely into her liking.
When the brothers started stripping down and whooping and hollering at each other at the stream's edge, Coop didn't know where to look. Karen scolded them and told them to behave like adults. Instead, they ran off down the stream, naked as the daythey were born, chasing each other into the water and farther. He listened to the echoes of their shouts.
"Jimmy's much more grown-up," said Coop.
"Yeah, but get the three of them together." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not always sure why he left the farm in the first place." She looked around at their now-peaceful surroundings: trees swaying slightly in the breeze, offering a lot of enjoyableshade, and the cool water and some bird sounds. It was beautiful and peaceful here.
"Then I see you, and I get it," she added apologetically. "He needed to find his own way. And it's not like we've lost him. He just isn't here constantly anymore."
