“I forget you weren't around here back when Randy was growing up, so you probably don’t know how he came to leave here, but let’s just say, he wasn’t a good fit for ranch life. We don’t take kindly to those with unnatural proclivities around here. Or didn’t you know he was one of those gay boys?”
Every hair on the back of neck bristled, but before I could say anything, Ripley spoke up. “I’m pretty sure the fact that I’m one of those gay boys”—he used his brightly colored nails to make air quotes around gay boys— “is hard to miss.”
Larry took in Ripley’s outfit and glared at him with more menace than disgust. There was more going on here than your garden variety homophobia; this looked personal.
“Didn’t expect to see you back here, Randy.”
“Well, you’re no more surprised than I am. After my dad told to get off the ranch, I sure never planned to come back,” he said calmly, but then he got a glint in his eye. What came next wasn’t going to go over well. “How is Jimmy Don liking his new job? I spoke to him a few months ago and he seemed excited.” It seemed like an innocent enough question to me, since even in my limited interactions with Larry Grayson I knew how much he loved to brag about his son, but it set Larry off. His face grew red and he clenched his hands at his side.
“You need to leave Jimmy Don alone. Just like I told your daddy back then, my boy ain’t no fag. He’s married now to a nice girl and has a couple of kids.”
Ripley rolled his eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Whatever you say, Larry. All I know is, he looked awfully gay on his knees with my cock in his mouth.” Larry launched himself at Ripley and I grabbed him, pulling him back, and Bart stepped in front of Ripley.
“I won’t be back as long as he’s here,” Larry spat out. “And I won’t be the only one who feels that way. I hope you aren’t counting on local business to keep you in the black.”
“I don’t know the history between you and Ripley, but you don’t need to worry about coming back. I wouldn’t sell you a horse for any price. I don’t need to do business with the likes of you to make this ranch a success.”
He stomped off to his truck and I turned back to ask Ripley if he was okay, but he was gone. Well, guess I knew now why he left the ranch. He was feisty, I would give him that. I was two seconds away from putting Larry in his place when he stepped in.
9
Ripley
With Reed and Bart distracted by Larry, I was able to slip off without anyone noticing. I’d had such a good day up to that point. I’d spent the afternoon with Bart looking around. It’d been interesting to see the changes that’d been made to turn the place from a cattle ranch to a horse ranch. But then Larry showed up. I was so stupid. When I realized that was Larry in that truck, I should have stayed in the house. On top of that, I shouldn’t have goaded him, especially not by saying that about Jimmy Don. He was my first kiss, first hand job, first blow job, and he was the only person in this town I’d kept in touch with. It wasn’t fair to him for me to say that about him, not that I really thought he would be mad. He would actually think it was hilarious, but that wasn’t the point.
I’d known this was likely to be my reception coming back here, but it made me wonder how everyone else would react. How many Larrys were there in River Gorge? I grabbed my keys, hopped in my Jeep, and headed to town. No time like the present to find out. I made it most of the ten-minute drive still fuming, but by the time I pulled into town, I’d calmed down and started having second thoughts. I hadn’t planned to cowboy it up or anything when I came to town, but I also hadn’t planned to come in short shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt announcing my gayness. I almost turned around and went back, but as I drove down Main Street, I noticed there were a bunch of new stores, and most importantly, a coffee shop. Like, a for real coffee shop. I slowed as I drove by and did a double take. Not only was there a coffee shop, but it had a rainbow sticker in the front window.
I turned the next block up and circled back around. No way did the owner of that shop realize that putting the rainbow flag in your store window indicated that it was a LGBT+ friendly place. Not here in River Gorge. I’d been gone a long time, but not that long. When I was growing up here, that would have triggered protests and people insisting the devil himself had come to town. I parked in front of the shop. I looked down at my clothing and made up my mind. A cup of coffee sounded pretty darn good, so I guess I was about to find out just how rainbow friendly they were.
It had kind of a hipster vibe to it, like a coffee shop I would find in the city, and it was busy. There were teenagers sitting and talking, some people my age either chatting or on their computers, and a couple of older people even. It looked like River Gorge had stepped into the twenty-first century. I walked up to the counter and a young man with tattoos, piercings, and wearing a t-shirt that said Cap’s Coffee House turned with a smile and asked to take my order. He didn’t even blink at my attire. Wow, guess things really had changed.
I smiled back and said, “How’s your house blend? I’ve never been in before.”
“Yeah, I figured you were new to town ‘cause I didn’t recognize you,” he said.
I started to tell him I had grown up here, but before I could answer, a large burly man with a booming voice came from the back. “That asshole ain’t new to town, he’s just been gone so long nobody would recognize him.” Then he came around the corner and wrapped me into a bear hug.
“Cap, I can’t breathe,” I said, laughing.
He let me go and stepped back and looked me up and down. “Well hell, Randy, let me get a look at you.” And look he did, then with a wicked grin he said, “Damn, you are looking good.”
“I actually go by Ripley now,” I said to buy me a minute to let my world realign itself. Cap, former high school football star, and captain of the team the year we won state, thus the nickname Cap, ran an LGBT+ friendly coffee house in River Gorge. And he just told me I looked good like he wanted to eat me for breakfast.
“Ripley,” he said, like he was testing the name. “Yeah, that suits you. That was your mama’s family’s name wasn’t it?”
“It was. This is your shop, huh?” I asked.
“It is. Do you have time to sit down and catch up?”
“I do, actually. Let me grab a cup of coffee.”
“Great, choose a table and I’ll tell my partner Jefferson I’m taking a few.”
I wondered if that was a business partner or a partner-partner, and on what planet did I even have to wonder what kind of partner Cap Roberts had? I ordered my coffee and a muffin and picked a table by the window and sat down, wondering what other surprises River Gorge had in store for me.
Cap came and sat down across from me, setting my drink and muffin down. “So, do you make the muffins yourself?”
“No, I’m the coffee guy, Jefferson is the baker. That’s how I convinced him to come back to River Gorge with me. We’d been dating for about six months when my mom got sick. Breast cancer. She’s doing okay now, but it was rough for her with my dad gone, so I wanted to move back home to help. It was tough to convince him to give River Gorge a shot but being able to have our own place made it an easier sell.”