“I can see that. A lot of my friends in Dallas are that way.” I wondered why he was telling me this. Was it simply conversation or did he want me specifically to know the information?
“How about you? I remember Ripley talking about you before you came. You were out one night and he said you were on a bear hunt. So what’s your type?” he asked. Ah, so that was where this was coming from. He was trying to warn me off. Which was a shame because what he’d said wasn’t actually a deterrent to me. If anything, it confirmed that if we weren’t going into business together he would be just about perfect for me.
“I do like big guys, always have. But not because I’m looking to be dominated.”
“Really, then why?”
“I like the way I fit in their arms. I like knowing they can keep me safe, so while it’s true I’m a fan of bears, I tend more toward the teddy bear type,” I said with a wink and went back to my book. Flirting with him was a bad idea, so I figured losing myself in a sappy romance was a better choice.
“What are you reading?” he asked.
“It’s a romance. They’re my guilty pleasure.”
“Why should you feel guilty about liking to read about people finding love?”
“Well, because a lot of people think they’re stupid.”
“You told me earlier that you loved to make wedding cakes, right?” I nodded. “Well, I figure anyone who likes to make beautiful cakes to help people celebrate their love is most likely a romantic at heart.”
“Or, I could like to make them because I can charge so much.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “Nope, I got your number. You’re a believer in love and happy ever afters.”
“Maybe,” I conceded. “How about you? Are you a believer in love? Is Cap Roberts a closet romantic?”
“A closet romantic? No. Just a plain old romantic? Guilty. It's a dangerous way to live, though.”
“Tell me about it,” I agreed. I went back to my book and he didn’t talk to me again, but I felt him watching me. I resisted the urge to ask him what he wanted, and we finished the flight in silence.
One of the benefits of not checking a bag was being able to leave without messing with baggage claim. I ordered us a rideshare as soon as I turned my phone on, and they were waiting for us out front. When we started seeing expensive looking buildings, Cap asked, “So, how nice is this condo of Ripley's?”
“Really nice.” I answered. “But you know, the funny thing is, Ripley is twice as happy now out at the ranch as he was here in this condo. Not that the ranch isn’t nice, it is. But when you see the condo, you’ll understand. That’s part of why I was so glad he and Reed were coming without me. I know Reed is going to get all worried that things aren’t fancy enough at the ranch, but Ripley never needed fancy, he just needed to be loved and accepted.”
Cap chuckled and said, “See, a romantic. How about you? Do you need fancy? You lived in the condo, didn’t you?”
“I did, but only because Ripley needed to feel like things would be okay here while he was on the ranch. Well, that and because I hated my previous roommates, and it was nice to live in such a fancy house. I already spent most of my free time here, so it wasn’t like I wasn’t used to the place. But to answer your question, no. The only fancy things I’ve ever had have been because of Ripley, and some of them are great to have, but I don’t need them. All I need is a nice place that I can make a home.”
The car pulled up in front of the condo. We thanked the driver, grabbed our bags, and headed up. Once inside the condo, I didn’t see them, but I heard Ripley from the direction of the kitchen as he called to Reed, “Daddy, I can’t find my tape. Do you have it?” Ripley had told me that Cap knew the nature of their relationship, but I still glanced his way to see his reaction. Not everyone understood how a Daddy/boy relationship worked, and some people could be judgy about it.
Cap shook his head and chuckled. “Ripley has always been a handful. Even in school when we didn’t know he was gay, I could’ve told you he would be high-maintenance.” He looked around the condo. “I can’t wrap my brain around the sweet guy who puts pajamas on goats being the same one who lived here.”
“Ripley, well, he never really fit here. He did all the right things and wore all the right clothes, but the Ripley who lived here was missing part of himself. I never understood what until I saw him on the back of a horse. Bluebird Ranch is a part of him, and he was never whole here in the city. He was happy, but not joyful, if that makes sense.”
“It makes perfect sense,” he said.
“Boy,” Reed called from somewhere in the condo. “I don’t have your tape. This is the third time you’ve lost it.”
I glanced around and saw two rolls sitting on the table. “Ripley, I think it’s in here,” I yelled.
“Frankie!” he squealed coming into the room. “I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what to take and what to donate and what you want, and it will be so much easier now. Hey, Cap.”
“Hey, Ripley. Nice place you have here.”
“Eh, it’s okay. I like the ranch better. I can’t wait to go home.”
Reed came down the hall. “You guys made it. There’s some snow coming in. Shouldn’t be bad, but you know how crazy people get when they even mention snow.”
“Hopefully, we’ll make it out okay tomorrow,” I said.
“You should be fine. It’s only supposed to be a light dusting. I was more worried about people losing their minds than about the actual weather.”
“Okay,” I said, looking around. “Where should we start?”
“You ready to jump in that quickly?” Ripley asked.
“Might as well. You know, I’d hoped to meet up with the guys before I left,” I said. “But with a storm coming in, we probably don’t have time.”
“Sure you do,” Cap said. “We can all do a couple of hours of packing here, and then Reed and I can finish up whatever is left while you and Ripley go and see your friends. We can’t get the truck until morning, anyway.”
“That doesn’t seem fair. You guys should come with us,” I insisted, looking at Ripley to see what he thought.
“I think we can get most of it done in a couple of hours,” Reed said. “You guys should go and see your friends.”
“Seriously, you two go,” Cap agreed. “We’ll order pizza and watch some television if we get finished before y’all get back.”
“Thanks, guys,” I said.
Chapter 7
Cap
I basically spent the next hour following Frankie around and sticking dots on things while he debated with himself about what to take and what to leave. The rental house he had wasn’t very big, and he most likely wouldn’t have room for everything, but we could always find a home for anything thing that didn’t fit.
While he went into the kitchen with Ripley to pack up his cooking supplies, I decided to get a jump on his room since everything in there would need to go. The room itself didn’t tell me much about him. I assumed that was because he hadn’t been here that long, and the condo wasn’t really his. I was sure he would surround himself with color and everything here was neutral. I packed up the few little knick-knacks that sat around and after wrapping them, put them in a box. I didn’t plan to do anything in his closet because he still had to get ready to go out tonight, and I had no idea what he planned to wear, but curiosity got the better of me and I opened the door. Shoes. So many shoes. I chuckled to myself. Looked like I’d found his weakness.