Spider For Thanksgiving

Written By: LJ


“Good afternoon, Rowan Kincade speaking.” Rowan turned away from his computer screen when he heard the distress in his partner’s voice.

“My-my Spider’s gone!” Darby stammered.

“What do you mean, ‘it's gone’?” Rowan asked for clarification.

“I got out of class a few minutes ago and my Spider’s not where I left it,” Darby's voice rose and he sounded close to tears.

“Okay, baby! Calm down! Breathe!” Rowan waited until he heard the young man take a deep breath. “That’s it! Now where are you and are you alone?”

“In parking lot B; Shelley and Toby are with me and Campus Security is here, too.”

“All right, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Hang in there, Sweets.” Rowan hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket and car keys, informed his secretary he'd be gone for the rest of the day and headed out the door.

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

An hour later, the two men entered their home together. Rowan draped his blazer over the back of a barstool and laid his briefcase on the kitchen counter. “Hang it on a hook, please,” he reminded his partner as he noticed Darby dropping his jacket on the floor next to his backpack. “Thanks, Sweets,” he said as the other man complied with the directive.

Darby was still reeling from his loss and Rowan knew he had to get the young man to open up and discuss what had happened.

“Come on, love.” Rowan led the way into the family room and over to the large recliner. He reached up to pull his partner onto his lap when he saw Darby hesitate, as if unsure of what was expected of him. “I think it might help if you talk about it, sweetheart. Don't you?”

Darby nodded, let out a deep sigh, closed his eyes and leaned against the bigger man’s chest. After several minutes of silence, he whispered, “It was the last gift my father gave me.” A few moments past before he added, “I can still picture us in the garage working on it. He spent so many weekends restoring it and letting me help him. It was the one major project we enjoyed together and one of the few areas in our lives where Vivian’s unhappiness didn't affect us.”

Rowan slowly rubbed his hand up and down Darby’s back, hoping to keep the young man focused and talking about his 1972 Alpha Romeo Spider that he so closely associated to a time of bonding with his father before the man’s pre-mature death several years ago. Darby had told Rowan about the restoration after the nearly destroyed car had been written off as a result of a crash that had taken the life of Darby’s paternal grandfather when Darby was ten years old. His grandfather had been the original owner and before the accident, the car had been in mint condition.

“It’s been in the family for over thirty years and now I’ve lost it! The police officer didn’t offer much hope of it being returned. My dad would be so disappointed in me if he was still here.”

“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. Your father would never have held you responsible for it being stolen. I can only imagine how hard this is for you, especially knowing the chances of you getting it back are almost non-existent and there’s very little consolation in the knowledge that the insurance will cover it. It’s impossible to put a monetary price on something with so much sentimental value.”

“There is no insurance,” Darby spoke so softly into Rowan’s shoulder, the older man hardly heard him.

“What do you mean ‘there’s no insurance’? It’s against the law not to have insurance coverage on all licensed vehicles, Darby.”

“It’s only the law to have PLPD but I don’t even have that, let alone collision, fire or theft.”

“Why not?” Rowan asked in a quiet, concerned voice.

“Because I-I couldn’t afford it. I had to renew it the first of July and didn’t have enough money to pay for it. That’s why I-I try to drive as little as possible,” Darby hesitantly explained.

“Why didn’t you talk to me about it at the time, Darby?”

“I couldn’t. We had only been partners for a little over two months and you were already helping me in so many areas I was having trouble with and I was ashamed to admit how miserable a job I had done with my finances.”

“I’d like you to tell me now, sweetheart. Can you explain what happened and how?” Rowan gently encouraged.

“Well, the first four years or so that I was on my own, things went pretty smoothly because I was receiving a monthly cheque from a private pension plan of my father’s. But last year when I turned twenty-one, they stopped coming. Since then, I’ve only been receiving a small benefit from my dad’s CPP and I use it to pay my share of the household expenses and have spending money. I tried to work part-time but it was really hard and I just kept getting further and further behind.”

“I thought you had a credit card. Why didn’t you use that to pay for your insurance?”

‘Oh boy, here’s where things go from bad to worse,’ Darby thought, knowing he would have to tell Rowan the whole sordid story but desperately not wanting to. He just sat there on his partner’s lap with his head down, biting his lower lip and pulling on the hem of his shirt.

“All right, young man, spill it!” Rowan sighed. Having correctly read his partner’s body language, he realized there was more unpleasant news on the way.

“It’s completely maxed out,” Darby murmured, making it difficult but not impossible for the other man to hear. “And I haven’t kept up the payments.” Darby figured he might as well get everything out in the open. “I would have been able to catch up during the summer if I hadn’t had to stop work because of my surgery. I have had a cheque ready to mail for over a week now but I keep forgetting to post it.”

“Darby, do you want some help with this?”

“I guess I could use a little help as I’m making such a mess of things, but what have you got in mind?”

Rowan stood Darby on his feet and led him over to the sofa so they could sit down facing each other. He took a few minutes to give some thought to his partner’s question. Once they were seated, Rowan began to share his ideas on the matter. “Well first of all, there are other ways you can contribute here at home without it actually involving money. I think, starting immediately, your entire monthly benefit cheque should be applied to your credit card until it is paid in full. As your business picks up, you will have more funds available to cover your day to day expenses. If you wish, we can set up your books together. How does this sound so far?” he asked.

“I guess that would work. I just have to remember to make the payment once a month, right?”

“You better not miss another payment or make a late one. I mean it, Darby. You get your statement around the twenty-five of the month, right?” At Darby’s nod, Rowan continued, “Then as soon as your government cheque comes in you are to go to the bank and make your payment. I expect to see both the statement and the receipt by the end of each month. Are you okay with this?”

“Yeah, and I’ll try hard not to forget to make the payment or make it late?”

“Every time you do, young man, you will be spanked! I’m not fooling around here, Darby. We are going to take care of this one way or another. I hope you stay on track because I do not like spanking you, sweetheart,” Rowan spoke sincerely.

“At least, we have that in common ‘cause I don’t like you spanking me either,” Darby muttered before acknowledging, “But it works for us, doesn’t it.”

“Yeah, baby, it works for us. So first thing Monday morning you are to make your payment at the bank, in cash and in person.” Rowan reached over and gently caressed his partner’s cheek. “Okay, now we have the car insurance matter to deal with, don’t we?”

Darby groaned as he thought once again about his beautiful Spider and wondered what plans Rowan could possible have for dealing with all the miserable aspects of this situation.

“You, young man, have been driving without insurance for three months. If things had not happened the way they did, just when do you think you would have gotten around to telling me about this? Would you have waited until you had been in an accident? Would I have found out about it after you had been injured or had injured someone else?”

“I don’t knoooow,” Darby whined, hating the feelings of guilt that were rearing their ugly heads. “I wanted to tell you but I didn’t know how. I didn’t want you to be ashamed of me or-or disappointed in me.”

“I’m never ashamed of you or disappointed in you, Darby. I am, however, very concerned about some of the seriously bad habits you are developing. You are going to learn the hard way, I’m afraid, that mistakes of this magnitude have far-reaching consequences.” Rowan made sure he had the younger man’s full attention. “Do you have your wallet on you?” Getting a bewildered nod, he requested, “I want you to give me both your driver’s license and your credit card.” He waited patiently for Darby to take out his wallet and hand over the two pieces of plastic.

“This one,” Rowan indicated the credit card, “is being put in my desk for an indefinite period of time and it will be several months from now before we discuss its’ future use. I am keeping this one,” he waved the license in the air, “for the same length of time you drove without insurance. You can consider your driving privileges suspended for the next three months.”

Darby counted out the months. “October, November, December......that's toooo loooong. It will be next year before I get it back!” he hollered out a loud wail of protest.

Rowan shuddered and wondered if Darby's voice had been heard down the block. “Stop that yelling! I suggest you think about making ‘driving legally’ a New Year’s resolution, young man.”

“How am I going to be able to get around until January?” the younger man cried.

“Fortunately, we have a very adequate public transportation system. You can purchase a student bus pass on the first of every month.” Seeing his partner’s pout and deciding to avoid any further outbursts, Rowan sternly admonished. “You will not drive any vehicles during this suspension, Darby. Not mine, not Shelley’s, not Riley’s, not anyone’s. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, but what if my Spider is returned?”

“Then it will get a good long rest in the garage!” Rowan was adamant about this lesson being learned once and for all. He took Darby’s small hand in his larger one and while rubbing his thumb over the back of it, kindly suggested. “If your Spider is not recovered, then in January we will start shopping around for another car for you. That’s the best we can do, Darby.”

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

The weekend passed slowly, with Darby’s mood swinging from moments of agitation to calm settling times in Rowan’s arms. The older man made sure to give the younger one his space, but to also be available if his support was needed as Darby dealt with his mixed-up thoughts and emotions.

“Dinner was delicious, Rowan,” Darby commented Monday evening as he placed the last dried dish in the cupboard.

“Glad you enjoyed it, Sweets.” Rowan had hoped that while their day was being discussed, his partner would bring up the subject of his credit card payment. When Darby didn’t mention it, Rowan realized he would have to do so. “Darby, when are you planning to show me your receipt from the bank?”

It took Darby a few moments to figure out what the other man was referring to. “Oh, crap! I forgot to go to the bank this morning,” he said, giving Rowan a look of apology. “I’m sorry. I’ll make the payment first thing in the morning.”

“You were supposed to make it first thing this morning, Darby. Did we or did we not decide there would be consequences for missing it or for being late?”

“Yes. But, Rowan, I’ve had a lot on my mind and I just forgot; that’s all. It’s only one day so it’s no big deal.”

“It’s only an additional day late after several months of no payments at all, Darby.”

“I won’t forget again, honest.”

“You’re right! Because we’re going to see to it that you don’t. Come with me,” Rowan said as he led the way into the family room and over to the couch. “Drop them, Darby!” he ordered, indicting the young man’s jeans.

Accepting the inevitable, Darby obeyed his partner’s instruction and all too soon found himself face down over the other man’s lap. He started squirming before the first swat landed.

Once he had lowered the younger man's boxers, Rowan raised his hand and brought it down hard on the vulnerable bottom over his thighs. “You will make your credit card payment in the timely fashion you have agreed to.” He punctuated each word of his edict with a sharp, painful smack.

“I will, Rowan. I’ll make my payments,” Darby sobbed as he tried moving to avoid the burning swats.

When he was confident the lesson would be remembered, Rowan finished the punishment with several extra hard spanks to the center of Darby’s rear-end. After allowing the young man a couple of minutes to cry out his pain, he gently stood his lover on his feet. He removed Darby’s jeans and sneakers, pulled up his boxers and guided him over to the recliner near the fireplace.

“All right, baby, it’s over,” Rowan cooed as he drew the young man down unto his lap and wiped the tears from his face.

Darby curled into the safe haven provided by his lover’s arms. As he gradually calmed down and relaxed against the bigger man’s chest, he acknowledged that although the word warm didn’t come close to describing how his backside felt, it was right-on with how he felt inside. He needed and wanted the security and structure their relationship provided and he knew Rowan loved him for all the things he could do, but didn’t love him any less for the things he couldn’t do.

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

“Here it is!’ Darby greeted Rowan at the front door, waving a piece of paper in his hand.

“Hello to you too, Sweets,” Rowan laughed at his excited young partner as he hung up his coat. “What’s here?”

“Oh yeah, right! Hello! It’s the receipt! I made my payment.” Darby threw his arms around Rowan’s neck to greet him properly with a warm kiss.

Reading over the slip of paper, Rowan hugged the younger man to him and whispered, “Good boy! I knew you’d do it.”

“Yeah, well my sore butt reminded me,” Darby grumbled, rubbing the seat of his pants where a bit of tenderness still remained.

Over dinner preparations, Rowan told Darby about the phone call he had received that afternoon from his older brother, Trevor. “That lucky big brother of mine has earned an all-expense paid trip to Banff for the long weekend. It had something to do with a ‘target’ project for the company where he works as a sales’ rep. Trevor is bringing his wife Patti, their ten-year-old twin sons, Aiden and Alexander, and their seven-year-old daughter, Brenna. How would you like to join them?” Rowan’s eyes were sparkling as he teased the other man, “Unless, of course, you happen to have other plans.”

“You mean this long weekend.......Thanksgiving weekend?”

“You got it! I thought we’d leave early Friday morning and be back sometime on Monday afternoon. How about it?”

“Wow! That sounds great! I was wondering how we were going to celebrate the holiday, what with Riley and Jayson having relatives visiting. Even Shelley and Toby are meeting each other’s families and spending time with them. I don’t have any and yours live so far away. It will be great meeting your brother and his family.” Darby would have thrown his arms around his partner’s neck if they hadn’t been covered in the minced beef he was making meatballs with. He turned somber as he voiced the thought, “what if the police call with news about my Spider?”

“They’ll call again when we get back, Darby. You don’t want to put our whole life on hold while we’re waiting, do you?” Rowan asked kindly, knowing what the younger man was going through.

“I guess not,” Darby replied, slowly getting into a happier frame of mind as he thought ahead to the long weekend. “Man! We only have two days to finalize our plans. Where will we be staying?”

“The Banff Springs Hotel. First class all the way, sweetheart. Trevor has won the use of a double-sized suite with two bedrooms on each side of a large sitting room and has assured me there’ll be plenty of room for everyone.”

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

“So, you’re all packed for your trip, Darb?” Riley watched as his friend zippered up his sports bag.

“Yep, everything’s done.” Darby was practically bouncing. He had spent the last two evenings getting ready. “We’ll be leaving before the sun is up tomorrow.”

“It takes almost seven hours to get from here to Banff and there’s some neat twists and turns through Rogers Pass. Do you think if you’re feeling up to it, Rowan will let you drive?”

“No, Rowan won’t let me drive. My driving privileges have been suspended for the next three months.”

“No shit! What did you do?”

“Well, I hadn’t been in trouble since the plane crash six weeks ago, but last week Rowan found out that I hadn’t renew my insurance and had been driving without coverage for three months. It’s a long, not-too-nice story.”

“Man, I’ve never done that but I did forget to renew my license once. The police officer who stopped me gave me a ticket and twenty-four hours to get a new one,” Riley grimaced at the memory, “and I would have only had to write out lines if I hadn’t pushed my luck.”

“How did you do that?”

“Well, I still insist I was just staging a minor protest but Jayson considered it a temper tantrum. I ended up doing double the amount of lines and getting my butt toasted.” Both boys started laughing at each other.

Meanwhile, their partners were downstairs in the kitchen, relaxing with a cold beer.

“You’re sure you don’t mind me giving the police your phone number, Jay?”

“Not at all. I certainly hope for Darby’s sake, they have some news for you soon, preferably good news. If I hear from them, what would you like me to do?”

“Here’s the number where we'll be staying. You can reach me there or if we’re out, just leave a message at the desk. And of course you can also call my cell phone.”

“You sure lucked out with this trip, Rowan. I kind of envy the two of you. Riley and I are looking forward to being with each other’s families with rather mixed feelings. Riley’s father has always had a hard time accepting his son’s sexual orientation. Mind you, to give the man credit, Ryan has tried. He doesn’t like me being in the picture though and at best is formally polite when we’re together. On the other hand, Riley’s mother, Violet, is a pure joy to be around and his brother, Corby, is a great guy. He and Riley have always been close. We’ll be spending most of Saturday with them, which is another sore spot with Ryan as he wanted all of us there on Sunday.”

“Your family is visiting you and Riley in your home on Sunday, aren’t they?”

“Yes, it’s our turn to entertain and provide Thanksgiving dinner this year. There will be at least eight of us and hopefully everything will go smoothly. My sister, Ryia, and Riley don’t get along too well at times. I just hope this Sunday isn’t one of those times,” Jayson groaned.

“We’ll be thinking of you,” Rowan teased his friend.

“Sure you will,” Jayson replied, not believing him. “How about the four of us getting together Monday evening if you get back in town early enough?”

“Sounds like a plan! Maybe you’d like a third turkey dinner and all the trimmings,” Rowan suggested and laughed at his friend’s grimace of exasperation.

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

Rowan and Darby arrived at the hotel shortly after two in the afternoon. The drive up had been pleasant and uneventful. Rowan was a little tired as he had done all the driving while Darby had slept off and on throughout the long trip.

The brothers greeted each other enthusiastically and introductions were made.

“Trevor, I’d like you to meet my partner. Darby, this is my sooo much older, slightly decrepit brother, Trevor. And this lovely lady is his wife, Patti,” Rowan introduced his sister-in-law and kissed her cheek. “These are the twins, Aiden and Alexander. Don’t worry if you can’t tell them apart because I can’t either. And this little princess,” he said, picking up a pretty little girl and swinging her around, “is Brenna.”

Darby quickly noticed that Trevor, like Rowan, was very demonstrative when it came to showing his love for family and although he wasn’t as dark and didn’t have the same intense blue eyes and wasn’t quite as tall as his younger sibling, there was no denying they were brothers.

“It’s great to finally meet you, Darby.” Trevor said as he gave the young man a warm bear hug. “Mom told us about meeting you this summer and she couldn't say enough nice things about you.” Turning towards Rowan, he pointed out, “Don’t start with your age comments, little brother. I’m only six years older than you and I can still take you on.” All the Kincaide men enjoyed an easy camaraderie with one another and no offence was ever intended nor taken.

“Have you made any plans for this afternoon, Trev?” Rowan asked, taking his and Darby’s bags into the bedroom they had been directed to.

“Not really, but the kids are anxious to ride up the mountain on the gondola. Care to join us?”

“What do you say, Darby?” Rowan asked his partner.

“Sounds like it’d be fun. I’m game.”

“Okay, Trev. Count us in.”

“You boys better stop doing that,” Darby suggested an hour later. He was in the same gondola unit as the twins who seemed unable to sit still for any length of time. “The sign says we are not supposed to rock this thing. You could get us in trouble.” Darby was not too concerned about possible trouble as much as he was definitely afraid of getting sick.

“It’s okay! Chill out! We’re just having fun,” Aiden argued.

“Yeah!” Alexander agreed with his twin. “Just because you’re older than us, doesn’t mean we have to do what you say.”

‘This was a crappy idea anyway,’ Darby thought. ‘And like who cares if these boys and I become friends? Not me!’ He would much rather have been riding with Rowan but not all of them could ride in one car and Trevor had suggested Darby take the opportunity to get to know his nephews. ‘I’m getting to know them all right and at the moment, I’m not too thrilled about it. It would serve them right if I threw up all over them.’

When the ride ended, Darby stumbled out of the car and was looking around for the nearest washroom just as Rowan appeared at his side. Rowan had been sitting in the car ahead of the boys with his back to them and was oblivious to the antics the twins had been up to.

“What’s wrong, Darby? You don’t look very good, love.” Rowan’s concern was evident in his voice as he steered his partner towards the men’s room. He had barely shut the door, when Darby fell to his knees in front of the nearest toilet and began throwing up. “You’re going to be fine, baby. Just get rid of everything and you’ll feel better.” Rowan waited until Darby had finished, then help the younger man up and gently washed the tears from his face. “Rinse out your mouth, Sweets,” Rowan encouraged, passing him a paper cup of water.

They left the restroom just in time to see a Forest Ranger approach Trevor. “I received a complaint from an older couple riding in the car behind three boys. Apparently, these two children and an older boy were causing their car to swing back and forth. The signs clearly state that undue activity is to be avoided.”

Trevor looked down at his two sons and asked, “What do you have to say about this, boys?”

“It wasn’t us, Dad,” Aiden declared.

“Darby was rocking the car,” Alexander stated, looking over at the young man he was accusing.

Before Darby had a chance to voice a denial, Rowan spoke up. “That’s not true! Darby would never cause unnecessary movement as he suffers from motion sickness. He has just been ill because of what these two rascals have been up to.”

Trevor glared angrily at the two mischief-makers. “First you misbehave; next you lie about it and try to blame someone else. We’ll be discussing this later.” Turning back to the ranger, he said, “I apologize for any trouble my children have caused and I’ll see to it that it is not repeated. We will be taking the next available car down if that is all right with you.”

“Thank you!” the ranger responded, walking away from the group.

“Are you and Darby staying up here for a while, Rowan?” Trevor asked, marching his family into a waiting car amidst cries of protest.

“I think so. We’ll catch a shuttle bus back to the hotel later. Now that we’re up here, I’d like to show Darby the sites,” Rowan answered, waving Trevor on his way.

Noticing that Darby’s colouring had returned to normal, Rowan suggested, “Do you feel up to taking a walk around outside and over to the lookout tower, sweetheart?”

“I’m good, Rowan,” Darby answered, taking his partner’s hand and leading the way.

An hour later, they were riding down the mountain and discussing the view from the gondola.

“See that log building, love?” Rowan pointed out when they were half way down. At Darby's nod, he continued, “It’s an old CPR cabin built in the 1920’s. It’s on the trail that leads to the top of the mountain. Maybe someday we’ll come back to walk up instead of ride and get a close-up view of it. This is all now part of Canada’s oldest ski resort.”

“You’d make a good tour guide, Rowan,” Darby teased, enjoying both the commentary and the scenery.

“I would like to take you to one more place before heading back to the hotel, Sweets. It may even prove beneficial for your stomach once you get used to the odor.”

As they passed through the information center and into a cave, Darby held his nose and complained, “Man, you weren’t kidding when you said it would smell!”

“It’s the sulfur and other minerals from the water up ahead. You’ll get use to it in a moment or two.” Rowan laughed at his young partner’s look of disbelief. “This is the hot spring discovered by railway surveyors almost a century ago.”

“Can we leave now?” Darby asked, trying to breathe as little as possible.

“Not yet! I want you to breathe properly, Darby. Trust me, you’ll feel better for it.”

“Wow, I can’t believe it!” Darby exclaimed twenty minutes later as they walked out of the cave. “I feel great! It's all those minerals, right?”

“You got it! It’s five o’clock, so let’s get back to the hotel and see what plans have been made for dinner. I’m hungry and I’ll bet you are too.”

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

“It’s been a very interesting day, Row. Your brother and his family are very affectionate and outgoing, just like you.” Darby was stretched out on his stomach, watching his partner change into a pair of sleep pants and a T-shirt. His head was at the foot of the bed and he was drumming his feet on several pillows at the head of the queen-size bed. “Any plans for tomorrow’s activities?”

“Nothing that’s been cast in stone yet, love,” Rowan replied, walking over to answer a knock on the door. Looking down, he saw two identical little boys clad in pajamas. “What’s up, guys?”

“Daddy said we had to come and say we’re sorry, Uncle Rowan,” Aiden explained their presence as he pushed his twin into the room.

“You know...for-for swinging the car and making Darby sick, and-and trying to put the blame on him,” Alexander stammered, unsure of their uncles’ reactions.

Rowan knelt down and held open his arms to enfold both boys in a forgiving hug. He reached down and lightly patted two small bottoms, noticing the warmth still lingering there. He recognized the signs of well-deserved spankings. Kissing each of the tousled heads, he gently suggested, “I think you need to apologize to someone else, don’t you?”

Darby sat up on the side of the bed as the two young brothers slowly made their way over to him.

“We’re sorry, Uncle Darby,” Aiden offered, looking at his feet and tugging on his pajama top.

“Yeah, and we won’t be rude again and we’ll listen to you from now on,” Alexander finished up the apology.

Darby reached out and embraced the two penitent youngsters, assuring them that all was forgiven. He glanced up at his partner in time to see an expression of understanding light up Rowan’s handsome face.

After final goodnight hugs and kisses had been handed out, the twins scampered out of the room. Rowan shut the door behind them and turned to Darby. “Let me guess! They said they didn’t have to obey you just because you were older, right?”

“How do you know that?” Darby laughed.

“They’ve said the same thing to my two younger sisters at one time or another.”

“They didn’t mean any real harm today, Rowan. They were just excited about the trip and all.”

“I know, Sweets. I understand enthusiastic, little boys almost as well as I understand a very special Brat of mine,” Rowan whispered and gathered the younger man into his arms to nuzzle into his lover’s neck. “Thank you for being so compassionate with them.”

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

Darby walked slowly into their bedroom to see Rowan stretched out on the big bed, wearing nothing but a smile.

“Feeling better, love?” Rowan asked as he watched the other man towel-dry his hair.

“Most the stiffness is gone, thanks to a hot bath, but my butt and the back of my legs are still a bit sore,” Darby complained, climbing onto the bed to lie on his stomach next to his partner.

“Here, baby, let me rub on something to ease the discomfort,” Rowan offered, picking up a jar of aloe cream and straddling the other man’s legs.

“It was such a fun day, Row,” Darby moaned and gave himself up to the gentle ministrations of his lover’s large hands. “So many beautiful little shops in town.....loved the candy store best....and the Christmas ones,” he continued to whisper out his comments as he fell further and further under the spell of Rowan’s caresses.

“Glad you enjoyed yourself, Sweets.” Rowan smiled down at the love of his life.

“Yeah, and tonight’s dinner was something else......barbecued steak, homemade baked beans, baked potatoes.....those rolls were to die for......and that dessert was out of this world.”

“Yes, the folks at Three-mile Cabin are wonderful hosts and the ride along the Sundance Canyon Trail sure built up a good appetite, but I think an hour on horseback may have been too much for your first time in the saddle after not riding for such a long time.” Rowan leaned in to nibble at the back of Darby’s neck. “It’s too bad that you’re so sore, baby,” he murmured as he slowly kissed his way down his lover’s spine.

“I’m not that sore, lover boy!”

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

Darby was in a panic. He had looked throughout the entire suite: under beds, behind furniture, in closets and bathrooms......still no twin boys to be found.

“I should never have offered to baby-sit,” he grumbled to himself. “Rowan said I didn’t have to, but I insisted.......serves me right......the little terrors.”

Just as Darby was considering calling Rowan on his cell, the older man and his brother returned. Trevor had a struggling, young boy in each hand.

Rowan shut the door behind his brother and turned to his rather shell-shocked looking partner. “Guess who we found downstairs in the lobby, love?”

“I just turned my back on them for a minute, Rowan. I had to use the washroom and when I came out, they were gone. I looked everywhere for them.” Darby was still slightly breathless from the fright he had received at the boys’ disappearance.

“Why did you leave the room when you had been clearly told to stay put and listen to Darby?” Trevor angrily questioned his sons.

“We were bored,” Aiden spoke up first, as usual.

“And we wanted to buy some candy,” Alexander added.

“Did you get any candy?” Trevor asked and after receiving affirmative nods, ordered. “Hand it over, please!” The candy collection was accomplished amidst cries of objection, and thrown in the trash. Trevor picked up one of his sons around the waist, butt facing forward, and administered half a dozen resounding smacks to the seat of the youngster’s pants. Setting the chastened boy back on his feet, Trevor repeated the process with the second one. Getting down on one knee, he pulled the boys into his arms and let them cry out their hurt and disappointment against his shoulders. “You are going to apologize to your Uncle Darby and then you are going to bed for the rest of the afternoon.”

“I still feel bad about what happened earlier, Rowan.” Darby was looking out their bedroom window, contemplating all that had taken place since lunchtime.

“I know, Sweets, but you don’t have to. It was very thoughtful of you to offer to watch over the boys so Patti and Brenna could keep their hair appointments and Trevor and I could spend an hour or two together. We haven’t had time with each other for over a year and it was nice catching up on what each of us has been doing.” Rowan stood behind Darby and wrapped his arms around the smaller man and kissed his hair. “You didn’t do anything wrong, love, so what’s really bothering you?”

“I don’t know! I wasn’t very comfortable watching Trevor’s handling of the situation, I guess.”

“In other words, the boys being spanked didn’t bother you as much as the fact it was done in front of an audience, right?”

“You and your brother are so much alike. It kinda crossed my mind that maybe you’d do it too, someday.” Darby spoke so softly, Rowan had a hard time hearing him.

“Darby, there is nothing at all similar about our relationship and theirs. You are an adult in a mutually agreed upon discipline partnership. It is very private and personal. Only a couple of our closest friends who live the way we do are aware of it. I would never do anything to embarrass you, sweetheart, if I could at all help it. I’d never betray your trust in that manner.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Darby sighed and snuggled back against Rowan's chest, enjoying the closeness.

Turning the younger man around, Rowan kissed Darby’s lips and gave him a gentle swat on the seat of his jeans. “We better get changed if we want to be ready in time to attend the Dinner Show this evening.”

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

“We’re home, baby!” Rowan announced, pulling into the driveway as Darby woke up, rubbed his eyes and looked around.

“It was a great weekend, Row, but it’s sooo good to be home,” Darby said as they entered their home, dropping his bag on the floor and hanging up his jacket. “Are we meeting Jayson and Riley some place?”

“No! They’ve decided to come over and order in something when they get here.” Handing over his car keys, Rowan asked, “Would you mind putting the car in the garage, Darby?”

“Not at all, but I thought my driving rights were still under suspension,” Darby teased the older man.

“Except when I say otherwise, Brat.”

Ten minutes later, Darby had still not reappeared and Rowan went out to the garage to find the other man standing between the two parking spaces with tears streaming down his young face.

“She’s a little the worse for wear, isn’t she, love? A few scratches, a dent in the front fender, a cracked windshield, but all of it easily repaired. She’ll soon look as good as she ever did.” Rowan took a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and gently wiped away Darby’s tears.

“You knew? How?” Darby asked; his face lighting up in surprise.

“Yes! Jayson called me during the drive home while you were sleeping.” Rowan smiled down into his partner’s face. The younger man’s happiness was contagious.

“I would have been okay without her, you know.”

“I know, Sweets.”

“I’d never be okay without you though, Rowan.” Darby threw his arms around his partner’s neck. “I love you so much and I’m so thankful I have you!”

“I love you too, baby, and I am very grateful for having you in my life.” Rowan wholeheartedly returned the hug. “Hopefully, neither of us will have to be without the other for a very long time, sweetheart.”

“This has been the very best holiday weekend ever!” Darby stated. His eyes were sparkling with unshed tears of joy as he tightened his embrace. “Even though she’s kinda messed up, I got my Spider back for Thanksgiving.”

The End