The Handyman's Dream (42 page)

Suddenly, Rick began to cry as well. “Look at me, blubbering, and I don’t have being sick as an excuse. Oh, I love you so much, baby. I’m so glad I’m here, and you’re here. When I came in the house, and you weren’t here, why . . . oh, I couldn’t imagine where you’d gone, or what you were doing.”

“But—but—you told Claire you were staying with your folks tonight,” Ed managed to get out.

“I know. I told her that so she wouldn’t worry, and so you wouldn’t worry about me driving back. But I never had any intention of doing anything but coming right back here.”

“I went over to Gordy’s,” Ed repeated, wiping away his own tears, then Rick’s. “I just didn’t want to be here alone.”

“I thought so, or at least I did when I calmed down. I almost called, but I was sure you’d come home eventually. Plus, I knew if you were with Gordy, I didn’t have to worry. He’d take care of you for me.”

“I think I need to sit down,” Ed said.

Rick led him over to the sofa, then sat next to him, one arm tightly across his shoulders.

“What happened?”

“Oh, baby,” Rick sighed. He shook his head and sighed again. “Baby, I promise to tell you every last dumb detail tomorrow when I’m not so tired. Bottom line, the minute I saw him, all I wanted to do was get rid of him. I wasn’t even mad at him. All I could think of was to get rid of him, as soon as possible. So I did. And something tells me, from what I said when he got out of the car, that I’ll never hear from him again.”

“Gordy said you’d be back when you finished taking the trash out.”

“He was right. I got rid of the trash, and now I’m back.” Rick looked around the room. “Where’s that box of Puffs you’ve been carrying around all week?”

Ed grabbed it from the table next to the sofa. Rick took one and blew his nose.

“Thanks.” He tossed it toward the wastebasket and missed. “Still ain’t no basketball player, huh, baby?” He laughed.

Ed laughed, too. “I suppose I could tell you I’m glad to see you, but I guess you already figured that out.”

“Yeah, I kinda noticed,” Rick said, kissing him, the first real kiss he’d given him since Ed had been sick. “Man, that drive home, though. Talk about endless. All I could think about was you. Well, that’s not true, you and me, actually. I thought about all that stuff we talked about last weekend at the lake, and how I’ve been here all week, taking care of you. Don’t get mad at me for saying it, but I’m almost glad you got sick. It—it changed something for me. Taking care of you, knowing you needed me, that you wanted me here, even as lousy as you felt. It made me realize that I need to be here with you, all the time. In fact, I was gonna talk to you about it tonight, before I was so rudely interrupted.”

“Did you talk to Claire about it tonight?” Ed asked. It was something he needed to know.

“No,” Rick said, puzzled. “Why would I, or when would I have had the time?”

“So, you really want to be here, with me, all the time. Move in, change your address, the whole thing, right?”

Rick kissed him again. “I swear, there is nothing more I want in this world. Will you have me?”

Ed threw his head back and laughed. “Yes! Yes, I’ll have you. And by the way, when you go home, your clothes are going to be on the front lawn. Claire’s throwing you out.”

Rick roared with laughter. “She is, huh? Well, then one good thing came out of all of this: I can move in here with no guilt. Nope, no guilt, just love. Lots and lots of love, baby.”

Ed sighed happily, safe once again in Rick’s arms. Oh, he still felt like shit from being sick, but in some other way, he’d never felt better in his life.

“I don’t have anything to say,” he admitted, shrugging helplessly.

“How ’bout ‘I love you, Rick,’” Rick teased.

“I love you, Rick,” Ed said obediently.

“And how ’bout ‘I’m really glad you’re home.’”

“I’m really glad you’re home.”

“And ‘I want to be with you for the rest of my life.’”

“I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Forever. Or as long as forever is. ’Cause I do, darlin’, I really do.” Ed pulled Rick to him for another kiss, and this one seemed to seal the deal.

They sat quietly for a moment. Rick looked up and frowned at the stereo.

“Damn, I wanted that song playing while I told you about all of this.”

He went to the stereo and started the turntable. He put the needle down on the record, and “One Man Band” began to play once again.

“You see, baby,” he said, returning to the sofa, grabbing Ed, “I am, and always will be, your one-man band. Not only that, but I am your one-man-only one-man band. There isn’t anyone else in this world I want to play for.”

Ed heard Rick’s words, heard the song playing that he’d loved for years, but had begun to love in a different way recently. He smiled at Rick.

“Don’t forget, though. I’m your one-man band, too, ya know.”

Rick hugged him tightly. “I know, baby, I know. And I look forward to hearing your music for the rest of my life.”

Ed couldn’t think of the date. He’d lost track of the days while he’d been sick. All he knew was that it was sometime in early April 1981. He’d have to look at the calendar in the morning, because he wanted to remember the date. Straight people had their wedding anniversaries, so couldn’t he and Rick have one, too? As far as he was concerned, he was now as married to Rick Benton as two men could possibly be. He sighed.

“How’d we get so lucky?” he murmured against Rick’s neck.

“I don’t know, baby, I don’t know. Sometimes you just get lucky.”

Ed hugged Rick as tight as he could. He didn’t say it, but he knew it was the realization of that very first, that biggest dream he’d had over six months ago, the dream the handyman had about the mailman. It had come true. He knew in his heart more dreams were waiting to be realized for both of them, but he was willing to wait on those dreams. His Dream Man was in his arms to stay, and for right now, that’s all he cared about.

Ain’t no two ways about it

I just can’t live without ya

Let’s get together

I can’t wait forever

Here I am,

Take my hand,

I’m your man.

I just wanna be,

I just wanna be,

I just wanna be,

Your one man band, ooooooooooh.