that.” Ian rubbed Kellen’s lean back. “Plans for the day?”

“Feed the dog. Over to the soon to be ex’s for an afternoon bored out of my skull with she and her girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend. Every once and a while they ask me to go over to the house and fix something and then invite me to stay for dinner or lunch. Basically, it’s an excuse because they’ve decided they need a real dick to play with.”

“Okay.”

“And I always feel used. But I’m so easy.”

Ian laughed. “Wear a condom.”

“No problem.” He kissed Ian.

“See you soon.” And Ian watched him and the dog walk down the balcony steps, across the pool and back to their own house.

He popped a couple of aspirin and checked the time, and decided to do a little cooking for Tippy’s “lunch thingy” at one o’clock. He hadn’t actually cooked in a while and enjoyed the rest of the morning, whipping up this and that and generally making a mess of his kitchen.

At one o’clock he proudly gathered his concoctions and headed to the back yard. Just as he began to step through the opening in the shrubs his cell phone rang. He walked back over to the patio table, carefully placed his armful on the top and answered the phone.

“Hello”

“Ian?”

“Yes?”

“It’s Marcus Hunter from WCYB. How are you?”

”Mr. Hunter? Fine, how are you?”

“Doing well, thank you. Listen I am sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but I have been trying to track you down. I’ve left a few messages at the network, but I’m not sure you’ve been getting them.”

“I’m sorry sir, I haven’t, otherwise I would have returned your call as soon as I could.”

“Listen, son, a young woman came by the station earlier in the week, said her name was Janie Osborne.”

“Janie Osborne, the woman who bought my property in Virginia?”

“I think that’s what she said. Anyway, she wanted you to know that something had happened to an old tree on the farm, and I don’t remember if she said it fell over or what, but anyway, they found a box of stuff in it and she brought it here saying she thought that you might want it.”

“A box of stuff? What kind of stuff?”

“Well, right now it’s just in a card board box that’s taped up. Would you like me to give it to Clair?”

“God, no! I mean no sir; could I just contact you tomorrow morning and arrange to have a messenger service pick it up for me?”

“Why of course, no problem. How are things in California?”

“Just fine. Things are going well.”

“That’s good. I always knew you’d go far. The wife and I fly out to California for the affiliate meeting every year, perhaps we can get to together and have dinner.”

“I’ll look forward to that Mr. Hunter.”

“Goodbye, son.”

“Goodbye, sir.”

Ian wondered what on earth could have been in that old tree that the Osborne’s thought he would want to have. Ian picked up his load of food and started back to the opening, but he was puzzled. He put his armload back down, and thought he’d better have a