Recovery: Roomies Book Three (BxB)

The Farm and The Lake

Chapter Nineteen: The Farm and The Lake

Unfortunately Kasja was not at the farm when Nate arrived. But Anders was pleasant enough if not as interested in being a part of Nate's vlogs, at least on screen.

The older man was typically Swedish. Not every Nordic person was blonde with blue eyes, like Sten, like Nate's own mother. He himself had dark green eyes like his father. The farmer was tall, the same as Nate, with brown hair and hazel eyes. An older version of his son. But without the lacrosse gear that made Jacob so instantly remind Nate of his husband, Ryan. Vaguely attractive if someone was into an older Daddy, which Nate wasn't. It's not like he was actively checking the man out, but it was a knee jerk instinct to compare most men to his husbands.

Who he missed.

As they wandered around the farm, Nate reassured himself. Cameron would be fine. He would. Never once, since they'd gotten together, had Nate questioned his Angel's love and commitment to their marriage. Jason would never be able to chip away at what the four of them had created. The years of love and loyalty. He was Cameron's past. Even if he flirted and played the pitiful part near his little husband, Nate knew, deep down, Cameron would never cheat. Never do anything that would hurt Nate, or Diego, or Ryan.

"Able to make decent money on your videos?" Anders asked, as most people did when they first met him. They stopped for a moment in front of a fenced in barn area. Kasja had explained last time they had a few goats for milk and cheese.

"It's a living wage, but I'm not Mr. Beast by a long shot," Nate smiled, filming a clip of the goats munching on their feed. He hadn't really done much work on his channel about livestock, since most kids couldn't really raise animals the way they might be able to grow a garden. But his subs would love to see it anyway. Already in his head he was planning out a series, at least four videos, on fresh cheese and dairy goats.

"I have no idea who or what that is," Anders laughed. "I leave the tech stuff to my wife and son. I love my life as it is, as my father lived and my grandfather, here on this farm. They didn't need any of that junk and neither do I."

Nate protested. "There's so many new and easy ways to solve agricultural problems using some very basic tech. I'd be happy to..."

"No. No. Thank you. I know. Kasja and Jacob both have tried already. But I just like doing things the old way. With the way the world is going, it's better to keep it less complicated. Covid showed us that, don't you think? Any second, life as we know it could be over. Better to rely on your own hands than anything you need to plug in."

Nate almost asked what would happen to their family farm as Anders got older. But realized it was definitely not the conversation to have with a perfect stranger. He was proud of himself for thinking first, before offending the man. In the past, he just said whatever popped into his head, but thankfully he was an adult now.

"So...I'm surprised Kyle didn't come with you today. He's usually poking around here. I think he gets a little bored with just Sten to talk too. Your cousin's not exactly the life of the party. I think Kyle gets lonely."

Nate continued to film the goats, as they jumped over each other, slowly panning around the pasture. Should he mention Jason? Sounded like Kyle hadn't mentioned him. Didn't Jason and Lewis ever come here to get groceries with the other men? Maybe not, with Lewis' issues.

"Well, ummm, Kyle's gone to Stockholm for a week." Nate decided it was safe to say.

"Oh? What a shame. I'm surprised he didn't tell me. He and I text a bit, I do have a cell phone, if you can believe that. He didn't say he was going to the city. I'll miss seeing him. He's a bit of a sweetheart, don't you think? Little innocent kid."