"Elijah, I wonder if we could get a moment of your time."

Elijah James glanced up from the papers on his desk to see Quaid and Matthew Blaecleah standing in his doorway. He smiled in greeting as he stood up and walked around his desk to shake both men's hands.

"Of course," Elijah replied. "I always have time for one of the Blaecleah's. What can I do for you gentlemen today?" Elijah glanced beyond the two men to see the sun setting beyond the mountains. "This evening, I mean."

"Burning the midnight oil again?" Quaid chuckled.

Elijah shrugged as he glanced back at the papers on his desk. He didn't have anything better to do. "There never really seems to be an end to the paperwork." He smiled ruefully as he looked back at the two men. "Unlike in the movies, lawyers actually spend more time doing paperwork than in court."

"Then I'm afraid we're just going to add to your workload." Quaid held up the large manila envelope in his hand. "We need you to look over some papers and make sure everything is on the up and up before Ma and Da sign them."

"Of course." Elijah took the envelope and opened it, pulling the papers out as he walked around his desk and sat back down. "Please, have a seat."

It took Elijah a few minutes to go over the paperwork but everything seemed relatively straight forward. Donnell and Alani Blaecleah wanted to purchase ten acres of land on the west side of their ranch. The price had been agreed upon by both the seller and buyer. Except for the signatures of everyone involved, everything was above board.

"Hey, Elijah," Matty said, "I really appreciate you staying late to do this. We needed these papers taken care as soon as possible."

Elijah smiled as he looked up from the papers he was working on and across his desk at Matty. "It's no problem, Matty. I'm happy to help." He quickly looked back down at the papers. It was always so hard to look at Matty. The man looked so much like his younger brother, Ruben.

Elijah sighed and tried to get the mental image of Ruben Blaecleah out of his head. Matty had married Quaid, and the Blaecheah family had adopted his brother Ruben. He knew it wouldn't do him much good to think of Rueben. It seemed he had been thinking about the man for as long as he knew him. Still, he needed to concentrate on his job then maybe he could go find the nearest bottle. It worked in the past, and he prayed it continued to numb him.

"Everything seems to be in order," Elijah said. "If you'll have your folks come in tomorrow, we can get these signed and notarized. Once the papers are filed with the courthouse, the sale should be final within thirty days."

"Yes!" Matty pumped his fist into the air.

"Well, you certainly seem excited." Elijah grinned when Matty practically bounded in his seat. The man's excitement was contagious. Elijah just didn't understand it. It was a simple purchase of some land next to the Blaecleah ranch.

"I am."

Quaid Blaecleah chuckled from beside his partner. He reached over and patted Matty's leg. "I think we're all a little excited."

Elijah frowned. He pulled his glasses off and set them on the desk as he stared at the two lovers in confusion. "Over the purchase of ten acres of land?"

"No," Matty said as he smiled happily. "Ruben is coming home."

Elijah swallowed hard. "Ru—Ruben is coming home?" He could barely get the words past his lips. Ruben was coming home. Elijah didn't know whether to be excited or freaked out. Both were a very real possibility.

Ruben was coming home.

Damn.

"That’s what the ten acres are for," Quaid said. "Ma and Da wanted to give him some land to build a house on."

Elijah frowned as he glanced down at the paperwork again. "This land is quite a ways from the main ranch," he said as he looked up at the two men one more time. "Don't all of you boys build your houses right next to each other?"

"Usually, yes," Quaid replied right before his eyes cut to Matty. They stared at each other for a moment before Matty nodded. Elijah's heart began to thunder in his chest when Quaid looked back at him. "Ruben needs a bit more room than the rest of us. He's bringing his family home with him."