The next Monday was Joe's day off. He and Levon had looked over the number of personal days and sick leave days they had left and decided that the best use of their time would be for each of them to take a personal day on the other one's day off for the next couple of weeks. That would give them both two days a week off and they would be able to work together at getting moved.

They went back out to the ranch on Sunday after work, deciding to get an early start on Monday.

They hadn't even looked at the foreman's house when they had checked the main house out the previous Monday so they decided to check it then.

The foreman's house was closer to the bunkhouse, stables and barn than it was to the main house. It was a single-story, wood-frame house, painted white like the main house. It wasn't peeling quite as bad as the main house and would also be easier to paint.

Going inside they found that it was empty. Their footsteps echoed as they walked through the rooms.

"Reckon the foreman had time ta get his stuff moved." Levon commented.

"Yeah," Joe said in a thoughtful tone, "This is good."

"What?"

"That this house is empty. The main house is gonna need to be cleaned. We're gonna need to sort through and do something with all that furniture. You've got furniture, Lundy, lots of it."

"So?"

"So, instead of moving straight into the main house, we move what we really need into this house. We bring out your bed and set it up to sleep on. We bring dishes, cookware and groceries for the kitchen so we can cook. We bring enough clothes for... say a month, we oughta have the main house ready by then. We can do that tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, cowboy. In case you haven't noticed, the power's on." He reached over and flipped the kitchen light on.

"Damn. That means there could be a whopping electric bill!" Lundy groused.

"Hey, it beats having to get it turned on. That can take days! We'll go down tomorrow, see what's owed, pay it, have the names changed on the electric bill. If it's being billed to Riverby Ranch, we might not even have to change anything, except the owner's names. Which reminds me, we need to get a business license for this place, set up a business account. And a phone line, we need a phone, something else that can take days. Might be best to just have a car phone put in the Jimmy for now."

"A car phone? In the Jimmy? I knew when you got rid of the Cobra it was only a matter of time till I had a phone in my truck! Okay. What do you want to do first?"

"First we get brooms, mops, and cleaning supplies. Then we clean this place up, shouldn't take more than an hour to do the work." He grinned, "It goes a lot faster when there is nothing to have to move out of the way. The floors can dry while we go get the bed and stuff."

"All right, back to my place for cleaning supplies," Lundy sighed.

"Uh-uh... my place. I got a citrus-based non-chemical cleaner that I use for everything from windows to walls to bathtubs to mopping floors. It works great and I'm not allergic to it. We are not using that ammonia stuff you got, I won't be able to breathe in here."

"Whatever, long as the place is clean."

"It'll be clean, cowboy. You can bet your best boots on that!"

______________________________________________________________

It was midnight before they called it a night but the foreman's house was habitable. The bed was up and ready to be slept in. The kitchen was set up, right down to the coffee maker being ready to just turn on in the morning. They'd even brought Lundy's roll top desk and the bulletin board that had hung over it and set it up.

While they were setting up the desk had seemed like a good time to Joe to broach the subject of the financial arrangements for the ranch. They really hadn't discussed them before.

As Lundy stepped back from straightening the chair into its 'proper' place before the antique desk Joe said, "You know, Levon, we haven't talked about the financial setup for the ranch. Maybe now would be a good time...."

Levon turned to look at him, "Joe, it's your money...."

"No. It's our money. Like this is our ranch, our business and... and you know how I am with money. I think we should open a business account for the ranch and you should handle the books on it. After all you're the one who will be doing the stock buying, etc. You know what we need, I don't."

Lundy thought about it a minute. He did know that Joe just plain didn't seem to have any money sense. He'd really feel better handling the money himself but he didn't want Joe to think that he didn't trust him with his own money and it *was* Joe's money. "Exactly what did you have in mind?"

"We got four hundred and twenty five thousand for the Cobra. After it was paid off, and all my bills were paid I've still got over three hundred fifty thousand in the bank. I was thinking that I'd put three hundred thousand into the business account. That would be to fix that place on the porch, paint all the buildings, repair the fences and whatever else you see that needs to be done... pay the utilities, have a separate phone line put in for the business, pay for that...."

"You sure you want to put that much into the business right to start... I mean I haven't really put up anything...."

"Levon, look at this place. What is it worth? Huh? A million bucks? Two million? It's ours. Free and clear... no mortgage. You put up that. Latimer sold it to us the way he did because of you... because you were the grandson of his best friend and former partner. The property, itself, is your contribution. That and all the know-how and knowledge that you will be bringing to the ranch. You are putting a lot more here than I am. This whole thing depends on you. If we succeed, it's because of you, because you know horses, because you know breeding, because you know what you're doing. I don't have a clue. All I have to offer *is* the money... and a willingness to work, to do anything I can to help you make this place a success."

Lundy gave his head a small shake and stood up, holding out his arms, "Come here."

Joe looked puzzled but came, stepping into the circle of Lundy's arms.

Levon hugged him tightly then kissed him, drawing back after a minute he murmured, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I was thinking in dollars and cents. Feeling like I wasn't putting anything here. Thank you for reminding me that being partners, being equal doesn't mean being the same."

Joe chuckled, "Thought you knew that, we've been partners for quite a while and we are certainly not the same!"

Levon chuckled too, pulling Joe close again and nibbling at an ear, "That's for sure! God! I love you boy!" He nibbled his way around Joe's jaw to his mouth and kissed him again, hungrily.

"Hummmmm! Oh, yeah. Levon." Joe pulled back just enough to say, "Why don't we hit the shower and head to bed, where you can show me just how much you love me?"

"Sounds like a plan. Past midnight now. We got lots to do tomorrow." Lundy turned and began backing Joe down the hall towards the bedroom where they had set up the bed.

______________________________________________________________

Miguel watched the lights go off in the foreman's house. Coming home after spending the day hunting work and not finding any to see the red Jimmy parked beside the foreman's house had been a shock. He'd quickly hidden his bike and slipped into the main house through the unlocked root cellar door. It had taken him a bit to find Tokyo and Silent. He had known that they would be on the second floor, it was the easiest to hide on. There were more rooms, with more connecting doors and also closets to hide in.

Andre had gone into town with Miguel that morning and not been at the meeting place when Miguel came looking for him. He'd probably spent the day with his mom and her boyfriend or at the motel looking after the other kids while the two adults hunted day labor. With luck he was staying over at the motel with them, if not, he was on the streets somewhere.

"When did they show up?" He asked when he finally located the two girls in one of the second floor bedrooms, standing near a window that looked out towards the foreman's house.

"They came a little after four o'clock." Tokyo told him. "They did not come into the main house at all. They came and looked at that house then went away. They came back and cleaned it up then left again. The last time they brought furniture and moved it into that house."

"They will be staying there then. I did not expect them so soon. I had thought we would have until the first of the month. The dark haired one said that he would give up his apartment then."

"What will we do? We have not had time to find another place. I like this place."

"So do I." Miguel sighed. He turned and looked at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired... but I am all right.... Miguel, I do not want to go back into Houston. He will find me there. I do not want to give up my baby."

"I know. I will think of something." He hesitated. "This is a big house. If they work somewhere, perhaps they would hire someone to help them here."

Tokyo's eyes lit up, "If you could get them to hire you, do you think that we could stay here?"

"I could tell them that you are my wife. We could keep Silent hidden. It would not be so difficult as trying to keep us all hidden."

It was not a very good plan but it was all they had. Miguel did not want Tokyo to go back into Houston either. He had never liked the charming, handsome man that had seduced Tokyo and gotten her pregnant... only to suggest that she sell the baby when it was born. He had seen the man do the same thing before. He knew that at least one of the girls he'd gotten pregnant had died.

When Tokyo had refused to consider giving up her baby, the man, known on the streets as Charmer, had become violent, beating her and telling her that she would do as she was told or he would kill her. She was terrified of being found by him. She had fled from her American father who drank and beat her only to find herself trapped by another abusive man.

Then she'd met Miguel. He'd come across her and Charmer in an alley where Charmer was beating her. He'd stopped Charmer and taken Tokyo back to the warehouse that he was living in at the time. Charmer had found her of course but she had escaped from him and returned to Miguel. Shortly after that Miguel had found this place and so far Charmer had not found them again.... But if they had to leave and return to living on the streets in Houston it would only be a matter of time until Charmer or one of his many 'helpers' found her.

______________________________________________________________

Joe and Levon were both awake at the crack of dawn. Even as late as they had gone to bed, they were too excited to sleep late. There was so *much* to do.

Levon smiled down at Joe, "Didn't expect you to be awake this early."

Joe chuckled, "Guess you're wearing off on me. I'm getting contaminated with your early rising habits."

Levon laughed, "You plan to live on a ranch, Boy, you'd better get used ta early rising! There's always gonna be chores ta do before work. Speaking of which, we're gonna have ta fix up a stall in the stables for Fooler... and I reckon we oughta go ahead and buy you a gelding ta start learning to ride and take care of."

"Thought you were gonna buy mares?" Joe sounded puzzled.

"Am for breeding but if we want to have horses to ride, to do the work on the ranch with, we're better off with geldings. Takes eleven months to produce a foal. There'll be a good while that I can't ride Fooler. Sides if I wait till I can't ride her anymore then go buy a gelding she'll get jealous, be mad as heck at me. Better to buy it now, let her get used to sharing me with him before it gets to where I can't ride her at all."

"So when are you gonna breed her?"

"Be January or February . It's too late in the year to breed her now. She'd be coming to term in July-August if we bred her now. The heat'd be bad on her. Better to wait. Same reason I ain't gonna buy another mare till then... or just before... unless I find a deal too good to pass up. No need to pay to tend one all winter when we can't breed her till the spring."

"I got a lot to learn, huh?"

"Yep. Good thing you're a fast learner."

"Ya think so?" Joe practically purred as he slid down Levon's slender form, licking and kissing as he went.

"Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Right there. Uh-huh. Just like that." Then Levon gave up talking in favor of deep-throated moans as Joe took the head of his cock into his mouth.

Joe chuckled and the vibrations made Levon arch up, both hands reaching down to tangle in Joe's hair. Joe continued to lavish all his attention on Levon's cock until it jerked and filled his mouth with cum. Then with another chuckle he slid up to give Levon a quick kiss before rolling over and coming to his feet.

"Up and at'em, Cowboy! We got lots to do today!" He bounced towards the bathroom, obviously vibrating with energy.

"Jesus! Boy, ya wring me out like a dish rag then expect me ta get up!?" Levon groaned but after a minute he rolled off the bed and trailed Joe to the bathroom.

______________________________________________________________
By seven o'clock they were finishing breakfast and washing up the dishes. As they were putting them up a knock came on the door.

"Who could that be?" Levon asked, "Didn't think anybody knew we wuz here."

"Go answer it." Joe shrugged.

Levon headed for the door, crossing the living room-dining room-kitchen combo and opened it.

A teenaged Mexican boy stood on the steps trying to look older and more self-assured than he was.

"Cain I help you?" Levon asked as Joe came up behind him.

"I am looking for work, Senor. Always before when I come by... this place has been empty. Today, I see the car and thought... perhaps you are hiring?"

"I'm sorry but I don't think that we're ready to take on any hands just yet." Levon told him.

"Oh. I see. Thank you anyway, Senor." The disappointment on the boy's face was hard to miss.

"Wait a minute." Joe cut in. He motioned the boy to wait there then turned to Levon, "Look we've gotta go into town. God only knows how long it's gonna take to get all that stuff done. It'd be a help to have someone who could start doing the cleaning up around here. I know we can't pay him a lot but..."

He turned back to the boy, "What does day labor usually pay?"

"Twenty dollars a day. Sunrise to sunset."

Levon still looked doubtful as Joe went on, "I'll tell you what. Why don't we try you for today? If you follow instructions, do as you're told we'll keep you on."

He turned back to Levon, "How about it, Cowboy? We could give him say twenty-five dollars a day... and a place to stay. He can live in one of the second floor bedrooms, eat with us."

Levon studied the boy a moment longer. "All right. What's your name, son?"

"Miguel. Miguel Alverez."

Levon turned back to Joe, "So, what do you want him to do?"

Joe thought a minute, then asked Levon, "You want to bring Fooler on out today?"

"I'd like to."

"Okay." He turned back to Miguel, "Can you do stable work? Clean out a stall and get it ready for a horse?"

"Si."

"Good. That's the first thing I want you to do. Then I want you to go up to the main house."

He turned to Levon, "Give him the spare key, Levon."

Then he turned back to Miguel, "I want you to start in the attic. Move everything you can carry alone down to one of the big bedrooms on the second floor. Shove everything else to one side. Then sweep, and mop the attic. Clean the windows, the attic fan vents and everything. I'll give you the cleaner I want you to use and the cleaning supplies. If you finish that before we get back. Start on the second floor. Strip all the bed linens off the beds, take all the mattresses and pillows outside and lay them out to sun. Take up all the rugs that come up. I don't think there is any carpeting, thank god!"

"Why 'thank god' for no carpet?" Levon asked.

"It's a bitch to have to clean. If that whole place was carpeted, we could spend our entire lives just shampooing carpet! By the time you got one floor done it'd be time to do the other one again. Anyhow, take the rugs out, hang them on the clothes line. If there isn't a clothesline, find some rope and string one. I think we'll be back before you get that done but if we aren't, go ahead and sweep and mop the second floor. Put the bed linens in to wash... no we haven't brought out any detergent and stuff yet. Just leave them in the utility room and we'll buy laundry stuff while we're in town."

He turned back to Levon, "There was a washer/dryer in that utility room off the kitchen. Wasn't there?"

"Yeah. I think so... and I reckon if the power's on here it ought ta be up there too. You can't use that all around cleaner for the laundry?"

Joe thought a minute then said, "Yeah... I think you can. Have to read the instructions." He turned back to Miguel, "If so you can start the laundry if you have time." He paused, "You got all of that?"

"Si, Senor." Miguel nodded, "First get the stable ready for a horse. One horse?"

"Yeah, just one for now."

"Then clean the attic. If I finish that and you have not returned, clean the second floor. You will provide the cleaner and supplies. Correct?"

"Right." Joe laid a hand on his shoulder and guided him towards the kitchen, "Come on and I'll get them for you. Now, You do a good job, but don't hurt yourself. Understand. If anything is too heavy to move you leave it and work around it. We'll be back soon as we can. There's nothing that needs to be done so bad that it's worth you getting hurt."

"I understand. I will do a good job and I will not get hurt."

Joe led the boy into the kitchen and gave him a broom, mop and bucket. He showed him the cleaner and how to mix it for different uses, giving him a spray bottle of it already mixed to clean windows and countertops, etc.

Just as they started out the door, Levon turned back, "Have you eaten?"

"No, Senor, not this morning."

"There's coffee in the coffee maker. Eggs and bacon in the refrigerator. Bread on the table. Fix you some breakfast. If we aren't back by lunch, there's some sliced ham and cheese in there too. Some soup in the cabinet. Fix yourself some lunch."

After that they climbed into the Jimmy and left him to his work.

_____________________________________________________________

As soon as they were gone Miguel returned to the main house. He rushed upstairs to the room where Tokyo was still resting. "They hired me! If I do good today they will let me stay here, keep working for them!"

"Did you tell them about me?"

"I did not have a chance to tell them. They were in a hurry to go to town... but when they return I will tell them that you are my wife that you came and helped me. If we do very good, I am sure they will let you stay too."

He smiled, "They said that I could fix myself some breakfast and lunch as well if they were not back before then. We can share the food. Get ready and we will go eat."

While they were fixing and eating their breakfast, he told her, "I am to fix a stall in the stables for a horse then start cleaning the attic." He thought a minute. "They also want the second floor cleaned, if I have time. You can start there, strip all the beds and wash the bedclothes. They said to use the washer and dryer in the utility room downstairs. I do not think that they know there is also a utility room on the second floor. It would be easier for you to use it."

Tokyo nodded. "What will you do first?"

"They said the stable then the attic but... if you strip the beds I can take the mattresses and pillows down and lay them outside. They can be sunning while I do the other work. We can use the elevator, now that we do not have to worry about anyone knowing that we are here. Then I will do the stable and start on the attic. After I get as much of the stuff in the attic moved as possible you can use the vacuum cleaner to clean it. I will wash the windows and mop the floor while you come down and vacuum the second floor. If they are gone most of the day, we might get it all done."

Tokyo smiled at him. "I will strip the beds as soon as I have washed these dishes."

______________________________________________________________

Joe and Levon's first stop was at City Hall, to apply for a business license. The application took over an hour to fill out. Then they were told that it would take at least a week, maybe more, to get the license issued.

The next stop was to register a brand for the ranch. After two hours of arguing, then checking a brand only to find that it was already in use then arguing some more, they finally registered the Rafter Double L as their brand. By that time Joe had already started suggesting, to Levon's utter chagrin, that they register a pair of interlocked hearts with the two L's in them. After all, he reasoned he hadn't seen *any* other brands using the heart symbol so it was *sure* not to be in use.

Then they went to Levon's bank, to open the Ranch account. That at least was a pleasant event. The bank officer they dealt with was delighted to open a new account with a starting balance of three hundred thousand dollars.

The trip to the utility company to check on the power and water was a surprise too. The power wasn't on. Which led them to wonder how they had power at the house. They went through the routine of getting it turned on then decided to stop by Latimer's and ask about how they had power and water if they didn't have it turned on.

*************************************************

The old ranger laughed, "When the power was turned off it automatically switched over to the emergency generators. There's two of'em. One for the main house is in the basement. Runs off a propane tank out behind the house. One for the foreman's house is in a little shed out back'a the house. The tank for it's behind that. Long as there's propane in the tank they'll run. If nobody's been using much power it'd last a while. Soon as the power comes back on it'll auto switch back to the main power lines."

Joe grinned and shook his head, "That's a really smart set up."

"Well, we had a couple of major power outages. I decided that we couldn't afford to be without power for long periods. So I had the emergency system put in, hard wired to the main power boards so that anytime there was no power coming down the lines from the power company, the generators'd kick in."

"Anything else we oughta know about, Capt'n?" Levon asked.

"Well, now. Let me think. Ya got three central heat and air systems. One in the foreman's house. Two in the main house. One is for the ground floor, the other for the second floor. Also got an attic fan system. All of it's wired to a thermostat. It gets seventy-eight degrees in the house, the attic fan comes on. Gets on up ta eighty-eight and that turns off, the vents close and the central air comes on. You can turn either system completely off by itself. You can close off the vents to any room you don't use or need to have cooled. Real efficient. I had the place insulated. That did wonders for the electric bill. Heating system is set ta come on at sixty degrees. Saves heat. Ya can always put on a jacket if ya get chilly."

He thought a minute then added, "All the water heaters, stoves and dryers are gas. Cheaper than electricity. Especially as much cooking and cleaning goes on in a house that size."

"Mister Latimer, you are amazing. Sounds like you thought of everything."

"Thanks." The old man grinned, "Oh, yeah. Almost forgot. Ya got an elevator too. It's a real help when you have to move stuff up and down stairs. Oh, and the phone system... it's set up for four lines. Was a business account. There's a pay phone in the bunkhouse, too." He looked over at Levon, "How high's the grass in the pastures?"

"Getting pretty high. Least knee high I'd say."

"There's a tractor with a mower in the barn. Hay baler too. If ya don't have time ta cut it yerself, get somebody to do it. Save a heap of money, baling your own hay."

"I'll look into it." Levon agreed. He turned and looked at Joe as his partner tapped his arm. "What?"

Joe inclined his head towards the hall, "Could I speak to you a minute, Levon?"

Lundy looked puzzled then nodded. He turned back to Latimer. "Could you excuse us just a minute?"

Latimer nodded. He watched them step outside and cocked his head trying to hear what Joe was saying but they were talking too low.

Joe leaned close to Lundy and whispered, "You know, Cowboy. That old man knows more about that ranch than anybody. It'd take us years to learn what he already knows."

"So?"

"So, I wonder. He don't seem to be in bad health, just old. He ain't senile or anything... so I wonder does he have to be in a place like this? Have to have somebody to look after him all the time or is it just that he ain't got no where to go?"

"Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, if he don't need to be here... maybe... uh... maybe he'd like to live at the ranch?"

"You'd let him?"

Joe shrugged, "Well, it was his place... and he ain't gonna live much longer... why not? He could be a lot of help... teach us about the place... he probably knows people... he could help you with finding stock... whatever. He seems like a really sharp old man. We're gonna be gone a lot. If Miguel works out, Latimer could sort of be in charge of him... he'd know what needs doing... and Miguel would be there if Latimer needed anything..." He shrugged again.

Levon patted Joe's arm, "It's a good idea. Appreciate your bringing it up. Let's go ask him."

They walked back into the room, Levon was grinning and Joe was smiling that little shy smile of his.

Levon started, "Capt'n, Joe here was wondering, if you really needed to be here?" he waved his hand to indicate the nursing home, "Or if it was just that you don't have anywhere else to go?"

"I'm in good health for a man of my years. Sometimes I forget my medicine. Don't like taking it. Other than that... and the fact I don't get around like I used to... I could live somewhere else. Why?"

Levon turned to Joe, "Was your idea. You ask him."

Joe kind of blushed then he said, "Well, I just wondered if you'd like to come live at Riverby? I mean... if you can."

Latimer's voice went hard, "I don't need charity!"

"No sir!" Levon rushed to say.

"That's not what I meant." Joe said firmly, "Lemme explain. Me'n Lundy we gotta job. A job we love... and sometimes when we get to working a case, we can be gone from before sunrise until... midnight. We're gonna need somebody to keep an eye on things... somebody that knows what needs doing and knows what *they're* doing. Now we hired a kid today to do physical work but... what you've got in your head is... invaluable. We could never afford to hire somebody that knows what you know so if you would be willing to give us the benefit of your experience in exchange for a place to live, for the rest of your life well... we'd be delighted to make the trade."

"So what you're suggesting is that I be sort of a live in consultant?"

"Yeah!" Joe grinned. "There is just so much to do... we're gonna have to inventory the house, decide what to keep and what to let go. It would give you the opportunity to go through your personal stuff... I mean that's your personal stuff. I know you said that everything went with the house, but I... we feel like you oughta be able to dispose of your personal stuff like you see fit. We don't have a clue what all is even there... but you do and you know what it's worth... what we should ask for it... if we decide to sell some of it."

"I'll think about it. Who all is going to be at the house?"

"Right now it's just me and Levon and Miguel... but I've called my sister and she's coming down the first of September with her two kids. They're gonna stay at least until New Year's, maybe permanently. She was in the hospital a while back so, the family has sort of elected one of my widowed aunts to come with her. Aunt Olivia is a registered nurse. So that will work out good, if you should need any help. She's got two sons still at home, Hamlet and Romeo, so they will be coming too. The kids will start school down here. If they go back to Chicago, they'll transfer back. If they decide to stay, they'll already be in school."

"I'm paid up here until the first of September. I'll let you know before then. All right?"

"That'll be fine, Capt'n." Levon said holding out his hand to shake on it. "I hope you decide to give it a try. It'll be nice to have another Texan on the place to talk to after the LaFiamma invasion force gets here." He grinned at Joe to let him know that he was just teasing.

They said their goodbyes and left.

Latimer sat back and watched them as they went out. The offer they had made had been totally unexpected. It sounded almost too good to be true. They'd already promised him that they'd respect his wish to be buried at Riverby with his wife and sons... now he had a chance to live there. A chance to go home.

______________________________________________________________

The phone company was the next stop. There they found out that to get a business phone they had to produce a business license so they wouldn't be able to have the phone put in until their business license came through. Which meant that either they had no phone or they had a car phone put in the Jimmy. Reluctantly Levon agreed to the car phone.

Back in the Jimmy after the unproductive trip to the phone company, Joe leaned his head back on the head rest and let out a long sigh.

"What?" Levon demanded, irritably.

"A truck."

"What?"

"We might as well go ahead and buy a truck for the ranch. I'm going to have to have something to drive. We've still got tons of stuff to move. If we're having a phone put in the Jimmy we might as well get the truck, have a phone and a police radio put in it at the same time. We can probably get a better deal having it all done at once."

"You wanna look for a truck now?"

"The sales are starting. Next year's models will be out in a couple of weeks. Dealers're trying to empty the lots. We can get a brand new truck and save three to four thousand dollars over what it woulda cost just a couple of weeks ago."

"Gotta be brand new?"

"Well, I would prefer it. I mean we're gonna want to keep it a long time... at most nothing more than a couple of years old. I want a warranty... it'd be worth it to pay a couple of hundred extra to get it extended for a year or two."

Three hours, five dealerships, one shouting match and two severe headaches later they were no closer to owning another vehicle.

Joe walked out.

Levon told the dealer they'd be in touch and followed him. They drove to Lundy's place in silence, both still angry.

As Levon parked under the shade tree and started to get out, Joe reached across and caressed his arm.

"Hey."

Levon turned back to look at him.

"I'm sorry, cowboy."

Levon smiled at him, putting his hand over Joe's, "Me, too. Much my fault as yours. Reckon we can both be stubborn."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to fight anymore. You decide which one we get." He slid across the seat and rested his head on Levon's shoulder.

Levon put his chin on top of Joe's head and taking a deep breath, let go of his anger and opened himself to the link with Joe. There was fear in the link... and loneliness. "Oh, Joey." He whispered, slipping his arms around his lover and pulling him close, "Don't worry, baby. You ain'ta gonna lose me. No matter how much we argue, I'm always gonna love you. Don't ever doubt that."

Joe snuggled closer, "Everything has happened so fast. It seems like yesterday we were just partners... starting to be friends... now we're lovers and living together and... and I'm scared, Levon... I'm so scared it won't work."

"It'll work, Joe. It'll work. All we gotta do is remember that when everything is said and done, we're what's important. Me'n you, loving each other, being together, staying together, forever. Everything else is gravy... icing on the cake. If we lose it all, we'll be all right as long as we're together."

Joe lay in his arms and opened himself to the link, letting Levon's love wash over him. "Don't let me forget that." He whispered as the love eased the loneliness and fear.

Levon smiled and shifted to kiss him. "I'll remind ya... often." Then after a moment and more kissing he murmured, "Let's move this in ta the house."

They separated long enough to get out and go in the house. Moments later they were on the bed in the spare bedroom, kissing and cuddling.

______________________________________________________________

It was after four o'clock before they returned to Riverby. As the red Jimmy with the horse trailer hooked behind it made it's way up the long road to the house, they could see the mattresses lying out in the yard, airing in the sun.

Miguel had strung row after row of clothesline and each one of them was hung with the big, almost room-size rugs that had covered the second-floor bedroom floors. The Mexican teenager was standing beside one of the clotheslines, enthusiastically pounding one of the rugs with what looked like a tennis racket. Clouds of dust swirled around him.

Levon tooted the horn and Miguel stopped beating the rug and turned to look at the Jimmy coming into the yard.

He was wearing a bandanna over his mouth and nose, he pulled it down and trotted over to the Jimmy with a grin on his face. "Senors!" he greeted them. "I fixed the first stall on this end for the horse." He gestured towards the open doorway of the stables.

Joe got out of the Jimmy and walked back towards the clothesline with Miguel as Levon maneuvered the Jimmy around to put the trailer near the stable doorway.

He gestured to the rugs, "Looks like you got a good bit done..."

"Si, Senor. My wife, she was waiting for me while I come to ask about the job. She helped me. I hope you do not mind?"

"No, of course not but... we only hired you, Miguel."

"I know this, Senor. You pay me. My wife, she helps me... you do not pay her. You said that I could stay here... if she could stay too... that would be enough... Please, Senor."

Joe hesitated, "Let me see what you got done... then we will discuss if you stay on."

Levon rejoined them after stabling Fooler. "Good job, Miguel. Looks fine." He praised the boy.

Miguel flushed with pleasure.

Joe looked at Levon, "Miguel has a *wife*. She helped him with the work today."

Levon looked up, catching the emphasis that Joe had put on the word 'wife'. "Really?... Well, we'll have ta meet her." He turned to Miguel, "How about it, son? Introduce us?"

"Certainly, Senor." Miguel had heard the way that Joe stressed the word 'wife' but wasn't certain what it meant. He would have to take a chance and hope for the best.

He led the way up to the house and then upstairs to the second floor. He led them down the long wide hall, indicating the rooms he had gotten cleaned and showing them where he had put the items from the attic. Finally he led them into a room they had missed while exploring the house the week before. It was a utility room with a large commercial size washer and dryer.

A tiny oriental woman was folding bed linens at a waist high table.

As Miguel, said, "Tokyo?" she turned and the men could see that she was little more than a child and quite pregnant.

Miguel went to her side, putting a protective arm around her, "Tokyo, these are the men who own this place."

She bowed politely, "I am very please to meet you. Miguel say you are very nice men. I am call Tokyo."

Joe and Levon exchanged looks, she couldn't be a day over sixteen if that. Levon started to say something but Joe gave a quick shake of his head and he let it go.

Joe stepped forward and placed his hands together bowing slightly, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tokyo. I am Joe LaFiamma. This is my partner Levon Lundy." He stepped back as she bowed to each of them and murmured the names, stumbling over LaFiamma.

He spoke to Miguel and her both, "I still have to see the attic, but if the work there has been done as well as this floor has, I see no reason why we can not keep Miguel on. If I might see it now, I can let you know immediately."

Miguel nodded and eagerly led the way up to the attic.

There were several pieces of heavy furniture that had, had to be left in place but for the most part the attic was now bare. The floors had been swept and mopped, the walls wiped down, the windows washed and the vents cleaned. Both Joe and Levon were impressed.

When they returned to the laundry room where Tokyo was waiting, Joe said, "Everything looks good. You have definitely done a day's work. Pick out a room... two if you like, maybe a pair with the bathroom between." He smiled at Tokyo, "Sometimes when a woman is carrying she prefers to sleep alone."

The two teenagers smiled and thanked them, looking at each other with relief.

************************************************

Joe and Levon went back out to the foreman's house. Once inside, Levon turned to Joe, "You wanna tell me what the hell you're doing? Those kids are obviously not married!"

"I didn't think they were. 'Tokyo' is almost certainly a street name." He paused then went on, "She's pregnant, Levon... and afraid of something. From the look of her skin she hasn't been outside hardly any... all summer. She's hiding from someone."

Levon looked thoughtful, "Like maybe someone that wants her baby."

"Uh-huh... and I'd be willing to bet those kids are more familiar with that house than we are. I saw some signs the other day that there might be somebody hiding out in the place."

"So they were here first... ain't no reason ta let them get away with lying to us."

"If we call them on it, they'll just run. They're safer here than on the streets. At least we can see to it that they don't starve... and in time... hopefully before Tokyo's baby is close enough to due for the baby selling ring to come after her... maybe they'll learn to trust us enough to tell us the truth."

"Okay. Don't reckon it can hurt to cut'em a little slack. Couple a kids like that... all alone in the world, They could use some help."

"Knew you'd see it my way," Joe grinned, moving in for a kiss.

They cuddled for a few minutes then reluctantly broke apart.

"Still plenty to do," Levon sighed. "Got a bunch of my things ta unload from the Jimmy and get unpacked. Need to help Miguel get those mattresses and stuff back into the house. Those rugs gotta be beat and got back in...."

"Yes, master...." Joe grinned.

______________________________________________________________

Midnight... again and two exhausted men tumbled into bed, too tired to do more than cuddle a minute before they drifted off to sleep.

Still they were happy with what had gotten done that day. The attic was clean and relatively empty, so that they could store things up there, if need be. The second floor was also clean. They had decided after spending a couple of hours trying to beat the rugs clean to give up on that and find some place to send them to be cleaned. They'd stop by Latimer's room at the home and ask him for a recommendation of who to get. They had gotten all the mattresses back in and on the beds and all the beds made up.

Miguel and Tokyo had chosen the pair of bedroom closest to the utility room. They had gone through several of the dressers and found some clothes that would fit the kids and Joe had told Tokyo to get them washed and they could have them. They'd emptied the other drawers in the dressers in the two rooms as well as both the large closets. Everything that the kids couldn't wear they had moved to other rooms.

Joe and Levon had decided that they would see if Latimer would come out to the house and help sort through the clothes. Whatever, he didn't want or they couldn't think of anything else to do with, they would donate to Goodwill. Joe decided to call Angie and Aunt Olivia to find out what sizes, Hamlet and Romeo wore. The two boys would certainly need jeans and shirts if they were to help around the place. Fortunately both boys had been raised to do what they were told so getting them to do chores might require showing them how but it wouldn't be too much trouble.

Before they went to bed, Levon had reluctantly set the alarm for four thirty.

They had to be at work at seven which meant they had to leave no later than six... it'd be better to leave around a quarter till, to allow for delays. An hour and a half to get up, shower, dress, fix breakfast, eat, make a list of things for Miguel and Tokyo to get done that day and see to it that Miguel understood the instructions.

They had told Miguel to be at the foreman's house no later than five thirty for his instructions. They'd even given him an alarm clock so he could be up on time.

At five twenty, Miguel and Tokyo both showed up at the door of the foreman's house. The shocked look on their faces when they saw Joe and Levon's guns was almost funny.

Joe smiled at them, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you kids. We're cops." He picked his badge up off the counter and showed it to them before he tucked it in his pocket.

Levon let them see his as he flipped it closed and put it in his pocket. "We'll probably be late tonight. Usually have ta work a mite late on the day after our day off. Stuff to catch up on."

Joe nodded. "Miguel, can you read English?"

"Si, I read quite well."

"Good. I made a list. Well... Levon actually wrote it... figured you could read his writing better than mine. Anyhow, here's the list of things we want done today. Do as much as you can... don't strain yourselves. Anything that you don't get done today will just roll over to tomorrow." He looked at Levon, "You were gonna give them some money for expenses?"

"Yeah." Lundy pulled out his wallet. "Here's a hundred dollars. If you need anything to get the job done, go get it. Keep the receipts. I'll want to see them. I have to have them for the ranch expense records. Understood?"

"Si. Senor."

"Okay, you two fix you some breakfast and eat. Then get to work. You can use part of that money for some groceries for ya'll if ya want... but I still need the receipts."

Miguel nodded. "Thank you. I will not spend it if I do not need it."

"Okay," Levon said as they headed out the door, then he turned back. "Oh, here's fifty dollars. That's your pay for yesterday and today. Starting Monday, we'll pay by the week. Give you..." he started to say 'a check' then looked at Joe.

"Cash."

"We'll pay ya in cash on Friday's. That okay?"

Miguel's face lit up, "Si. Thank you, Senors. Thank you very much."

As they climbed into the Jimmy Levon muttered, "Street kids. Ain't no doubt about it. That boy might even be illegal."

"True... but the only way we'll ever know is if we get them to trust us."

"You keep giving them slack, they're liable to hang *us*! It's illegal to hire illegals!"

"We don't know he is illegal. His English is good. He coulda been born right here in Houston."

*************************************************

They spent most of that day in court, testifying on the case they had wrapped up a couple of weeks before. They stopped at Chicken's on the way back from court and had a late lunch. A new case was on their desk when they returned to the MCU. They spent the rest of the afternoon going over those files and chasing after witnesses to question.

They stopped at Chicken's for supper. It was already getting dark, too late to do much of anything outside at the ranch. As they sat down they realized that they had never gotten by to see Latimer.

"Tomorrow," Levon said with a sigh, when Joe reminded him. "The old folks turn in early at that place." He stifled a yawn as Chicken came to take their orders.

Joe rubbed his face, weariness showing around his eyes.

"You two look like that new venture of yours is getting to you already." Chicken grinned.

"Yeah. Well, we'll have some help soon." Joe said. "Angie and Aunt Olivia are due in on the first. They'll be bringing at least two of Aunt Olivia's boys with then. They can start helping out."

"Teenagers ain't a whole lotta help sometimes, Mister LaFiamma." Chicken reminded him.

"Aunt Olivia's boys will do what they're told to do." Joe said without any doubt in his voice. "She raised fourteen kids. Uncle Luca died when Romeo, that's the baby boy, was three months old and JD, her oldest, was eightteen. She made sure they knew how to mind. When Aunt Olivia says jump, those kids ask how high... and they jump. She'll see to it they do their share."

Lundy and Chicken traded 'we'll see' looks but let it drop. Chicken took their orders.

They ate slowly, relaxing and answering questions from the other cops in the place about how things were going at the ranch. Joe was careful not to mention Miguel and Tokyo and Levon followed his lead on that, figuring that if Miguel did turnout to be a wet back, the fewer people that knew they'd hired him, the better.

*************************************************

They had the next day off but were still up before daylight. As tiring as working and trying to get the place into shape was, the new had yet to wear off and they were still too excited to sleep late.

After breakfast, which they shared with Miguel and Tokyo, they decided to do some exploring. They still hadn't had a chance to really look the place over. There was just too much of it.

They started with the barn. It was huge. There was still hay in it from the last time that the Bermuda grass had been cut. It was unusable, molded and rotting but that was to be expected as long as it had been since it was cut and stored.

Lundy regarded it with a sigh. "Nothing to do with this but burn it."

"You can't compost it?"

Lundy gave him a look, "You know from composting?"

"Well, yeah. Uncle Mikey's got a pretty good size yard ya know. Aunt Teresa always has a garden. She composts all the left over plants etc."

"Okay then ya want it composted, you go right ahead and compost it."

They finished examining the barn. Lundy sighed when they checked the roof. "Gonna have to patch this. Got some leaks. That's how the hay got damp."

Joe was carrying a notebook like the one he used to take notes in the field when they were working a case and he wrote down that the barn roof needed patching.

They moved on to the stable from there.

Lundy was pleased that it looked sound. The roof showed no signs of leakage. The paint was peeling though and it would need to be painted.

Joe made another note.

"We'll need to have Miguel go ahead on and clean the rest of the stalls and sort out the tack room and feed rooms. I don't imagine that any of the feed in there, if the rats have left any, will be any good 'cept what we brought for Fooler."

Joe made more notes.

The next stop was the equipment shed. Joe shook his head as he looked at the long row of tractors and other equipment. "Looks like our biggest expense is gonna be tires, Cowboy. All of these look to be dry rotted."

"Yeah... and I gotta tell you that tires for vehicles like these ain't cheap!" Lundy sighed, then went on,"... but it's a lot better than having to buy the equipment itself. This stuff would cost us plenty even if we bought it used."

"What is all this stuff, anyhow? Only thing I recognize is the tractors and the trailers."

"Well, we got five tractors here. Two big ones and three small. I imagine that littlest one is mostly just for cutting the grass around the house. It's got a mowing deck on it. Then you got a hay baler. That there's a grain combine..." he gestured to a huge strange looking machine. "And a shaker. Must be pecans around here somewhere..." he waved his hand in the general direction of another strange looking piece of equipment.

"Looks like we got two flatbed trailers for loading hay and two grain-wagons. That's good. When we harvest the wheat, somebody can take one into the elevator and we can keep on harvesting with the other one. Same with the hay trailers. One can be took back up to the barn and unloaded while we keep stacking on the other one." He shook his head and sighed again. "They're all gonna need to be greased, have the oil changed and be tuned up."

"Hamlet can do that."

"He can?"

"Yeah, he's been into mechanicing since he was big enough to walk. Has a real knack for it. He took shop in the ninth grade and every year since. Last year he was assistant to the teacher. He buys cars, rebuilds the engines, has them fixed up and painted then sells them. That's how he gets his spending money. Aunt Olivia said that he rebuilt a 65 Mustang last year and got close to fifteen thousand dollars for it from a collector. He cleared enough off it and the other two cars he did last year that he had to file taxes."

"Sounds like an enterprising young man." Levon grinned, "Could be a big help around here, too."

"I'm sure he will be."

"What's the other one into? Romeo isn't it?"

"Yeah. Hard to say. Romeo's always been something of the odd man out."

"In what way?"

"Well... for openers he *looks* more like you than he does like the rest of us. shorter than most of us... thinner than most of us... blonde hair..." He grinned before adding, "when it's not painted red, white and blue... and green eyes."

"He paints his hair?"

"Aunt Olivia put her foot down when he wanted to dye it... so he uses hair paint to change the color. That way he can wash it out to go to church... and they go every Sunday. Something we might have to get used to... Aunt Olivia will want me to go too when I'm not working."

"Won't hurt you."

"You gonna come?"

"Didn't say that... she's your aunt."

"Uh-huh... and she wants me to go to a church that says you and I are an abomination for loving each other."

"Hummmm. Reckon that's gonna have ta be your call then... if you go or not."

Joe sighed and nodded, "JD converted to Buddhism."

"JD?"

"Aunt Olivia's oldest boy. You met him at the funeral... with Ryan.... Long black hair..."

"Oh, yeah.... Sorry. Met so many people up there."

"I know. There's a lot of us. Anyhow, he and Rye have been together a long time. He finally decided that he couldn't live with Ryan and continue to go to Mass and listen to the Priest, condemn them for their love. Ryan had already converted while in 'Nam. JD started asking him about the religion and eventually converted too."

"That's why he didn't take communion with the rest of them at the funeral."

"Right."

"I guess, if Aunt Olivia can live with her first born son not going to mass, she can live with my irregular attendance."

"Like I said, your choice." Levon smiled at him then asked seriously, "She knows about us. Right?"

"I would expect so. When Uncle Mikey accepted us as a couple we became just like any other couple in the family. I imagine the whole family knows." He paused a minute. "We might need to tell them that we aren't out on the job and to kind of keep it low key. I'll hold a family meeting the first night they're here. Make things clear to them."

Levon nodded then sighed softly. In just over two weeks Joe's folks would be there and they still had a million things to do to get the place ready.

To be continued.