Chris Larabee stepped into the Saloon and hesitated as a feeling of nostalgia washed over him. He hadn't been in the bar in years but other than it no longer being owned by Inez Recillos not much had changed. The place didn't look any different than it had the last time he'd been in. He sighed softly and made his way to the table that had been unofficially reserved for team seven so long ago, relieved to find it empty.

He slid into the booth, taking what had been his usual spot without thinking. He had stopped on a whim, feeling out of sorts and not sure why. He asked the waitress for a beer when she stopped at his table, missing for the first time how much he'd taken for granted being known in this place. There was a time when his favorite longneck would have appeared without him even having to ask.

Chris rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He'd spent the day the way he spent nearly every day, at his desk processing paper. God. Most days he just dreaded his damn job, but he was rapidly coming to despise it.

Ten years ago he'd proposed to Mary Travis. He'd thought her saying yes had made him the happiest man alive. He wished he'd known then just how wrong he'd been.

Oh, he wasn't really unhappy. Just...Lord, he wasn't sure he even had a word for it. He just knew something was missing. Something he'd thought being married again and having a family would fix. Something he knew he needed but wasn't sure he could even name.

Less than a year after they were married Mary had pushed for him to take a desk job, citing how dangerous a field position was for a family man. He had a wife, a son, and a baby on the way. It was wrong, selfish of him to risk his life when they were counting on him to be there.

His accepting a new position, one with more responsibility, better pay, and less danger had been the death knell for team seven. Chris hadn't expected that. Had told himself the team would continue without him. He scowled, angry with himself all over again for being so stupid. Stupid, no, that didn't even begin to cover it. Deluded was a far better word for it he realized with another sigh, sipping at the cold beer the waitress left for him.

Josiah Sanchez retired almost the same day Chris accepted his promotion. The big man moved to Arizona to be closer to his sister. Chris heard from him intermittently over the years. He was working in some mission and sounded content, but Chris wasn't so sure he could trust his own perceptions. He wasn't sure if Josiah was genuinely happy or if he just wanted to believe he was.

Nathan Jackson had gotten married to Rain not long after Chis and Mary had tied the knot. They ran a small clinic in Denver. Last time Chris had seen them was over a year ago. Rain had been expecting her third child. Chris was momentarily stunned to realize he didn't know if she'd had a boy or girl. A dull ache in his chest formed. It used to be he would have been the first to hear the news.

With Josiah and Nathan gone, he wasn't really surprised when JD Dunne resigned to take a position with a computer company. The kid always had talent in that area and there was no doubt he could make a lot more money doing it than working as an agent for the ATF. What did surprise Chris was that JD and Casey Welles split up not long after he took his new job. JD never discussed it with Chris. He idly wondered if the youngest of their team had spoken to Buck Wilmington about it.

Buck. Chris took a long swallow of his beer. He hadn't seen his old friend in almost five years. God but he missed the man. Chris' mind easily conjured up a picture of laughing blue eyes and a ready smile.

Buck had started his own investigation agency when he left the ATF. Chris never doubted he could make it successful. The lanky ladies man was damn good at ferreting out information and putting together the pieces to make a whole picture. But he worried about his old friend working alone. Buck was simply too gregarious to be able to handle solo work.

When Chris found out Ezra Standish and Vin Tanner signed on to work with Buck, he felt relieved. Buck would be in good hands with them. They'd watch out for him. And there was no doubt both younger men would be an asset to Three Aces Investigations.

He could easily see Vin as a P.I. The sharpshooter's time as a bounty hunter would serve him well in that line of work. He had street smarts and an ability to read people that served him well.

Ezra had come as a complete and total shock. The suave undercover agent didn't seem like the sort to be willing to take on seedy divorce cases. Although from what Chris had gleaned from the papers, divorce cases were not the sort of job they took.

Three Aces Investigations had built an impressive reputation handling everything from embezzlement to murder, often solving cases that made headlines. Chris' fingers peeled the label from his beer bottle as he contemplated the fact that it was only on TV that he saw the three men he'd once considered to be closer than brothers. He'd like to blame them for the gulf that now existed. In fact he had blamed them for a long time, knowing full well it was a lie. The distance that existed was his fault not theirs.

Mary had made no secret of the fact that she didn't approve of his former teammates. She wanted him to court friends of greater status with an eye on advancing his career. The people he normally associated with now wouldn't be caught dead in a place like the Saloon.

Vin had tried to stay in touch, calling regularly, but that stopped when Chris wouldn't make the time to talk. Chris sold the ranch to move closer to the city, schools and whatever else his family needed, which meant there was less and less reason for Vin to stop by in person. Chris hadn't realized how much he and Vin bonded while riding or taking care of the horses. Without the common ground provided by the job, the common interest of horses, and Chris' determination to spend as much time as possible with his new family, it didn't take long for Vin to simply fade from his life.

The one contact he routinely had with Ezra still confused him. The Southern sent him and Mary an anniversary gift every year, without fail. The gift always followed the traditional guidelines for the year they were celebrating and was tasteful, obviously of good quality and expensive. Chris wouldn't have even wondered about it if Ezra simply sent a Christmas card like most people. Leave it to Ezra to be different.

He looked up when the door opened. Chris was unprepared for the rush of warmth he felt as he recognized Buck. The tall Midwesterner hadn't changed much since the last time he'd seen him. There were a few more laugh lines around his eyes and just a touch of gray in his hair, at the temples, making him look distinguished rather than old. His long limbed frame was still fit and trim, although a bit heavier than he'd been a few years ago. Chris absently noted the extra weight looked good on Buck.

The major difference Chris could see was Buck's mustache was gone. He found himself smiling, wondering if it had been an act of vanity on Buck's part since the gray had likely put in an appearance there as well. Buck had always prided himself on his physical attractiveness to the fairer sex. Chris willfully clamped down on the thought that it wasn't just women who found Buck appealing.

"Hey, Jimmy." Buck greeted the bartender, his habitual friendly smile just as warm and open as Chris remembered.

"Hi, Buck." Jimmy answered with a smile of his own. "You want the usual?"

"Yeah." Buck lounged against the bar, nodding to the waitress, but not flirting the way Chris expected he might. His attention was clearly more focused on Jimmy. "You doin' all right with your book?"

"Got turned down twice this week." Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Mr. Standish says I shouldn't give up. He figured I'll have enough rejections to paper a room before I get a 'yes' and actually get published."

Chris' ears perked up at the mention of Ezra. Evidently Buck wasn't the only one the bartender knew. He felt a flash of excitement thinking maybe they all still congregated here.

Buck chuckled, taking the beer Jimmy offered him. "Well, Ez, has some experience with that sort o' thing, so he's probably right."

Chris felt his eyebrows rise. He didn't know Ezra had published anything. He smiled sourly realizing there wasn't much of anything he DID know about his former teammates any more.

"He coming by tonight?" Jimmy sounded hesitant, almost apologetic. "Didn't know if he was up and around yet."

"Yeah. He'll be by in about half an hour." Buck responded with a smile, but even from the back of the room Chris could read shadows in his eyes. "He thinks he looks right dapper with that damn walking stick."

Chris' jaw tightened. Had Ezra been hurt somehow? It certainly matched the conversation he was over hearing. He'd just assumed that being a PI was less dangerous than being a federal agent. He should have known better.

He felt his gut tighten worried that there wasn't anyone to look out for Ezra. He mentally slapped himself. Buck was obviously watching out for him. Chris felt another flash of regret...and something he refused to name remembering when it was him that Buck looked out for.

"Vin coming with him?" Jimmy asked, wiping down the spotless bar top.

"Nah." Buck grinned, giving Jimmy a sly wink. "Boy has himself a date."

Jimmy chuckled. "Better be with is fiancé or there will be hell to pay."

Fiance? Chris shook his head wondering if he'd heard that wrong. Vin had never been that serious about anyone before. The sharpshooter never seemed to express any interest in a committed relationship or starting a family...at least not that Chris ever saw.

Buck turned, resting a hip against the bar, a comment dying on his lips as his eyes caught sight of Chris. A slow smile formed and he grabbed his beer, moving toward Chris the same long, confident stride he'd always had. Chris felt an answering smile blossoming on his face, the years slipping away like it was only yesterday since he saw Buck.

"Chris! You old dog." Buck grinned as he slid into what used to be his customary seat, shaking Chris' hand warmly. "What are you doing here?"

Chris hesitated for a moment, realizing that even though it felt like yesterday, it has been years and he didn't really know what to say. There was a time when he didn't have to say anything, Buck would simply know. He shrugged and finally managed to offer, "Just stopped in for a drink."

Buck nodded, making a non-committal noise. He sipped his own beer. "How are the boys?"

"Fine." Chris smiled. "Billy is learning to drive." Chris sighed softly. Even having been there to see the boy grow it still caught him by surprise to find himself looking into eyes now at his level. "Caleb is running me ragged with little league and soccer. He's already talking about track, and I'm very grateful that won't start for like another year."

Buck grinned. "Little squirt always was a fast one."

Chris nodded. It always seemed like Caleb only had two speeds; fast and faster. He had his mother's white blond hair and would have his father's height, but his temperament was a lot like Buck's easy-going nature.

Buck had stopped by the house off and on after Caleb was born. He liked being Uncle Buck to both boys, just as he had to Adam. Chris wasn't sure when he stopped coming around, nor was he sure of why. He suspected Mary might have said something to his old friend, but he never asked her. Birthday cards and Christmas gifts still came for the boys every year. Buck wasn't the sort to hold a grudge and certainly not against a child.

"You got recent pictures?" The question was eager, hopeful.

Chris pulled out his wallet. He had dozens of pictures; wallet sized school photos from each year, and several family shots of Mary and him with the boys. He passed the over to Buck as he flipped through them.

Buck seemed delighted to see them all. Listening as Chris talked about his children. Billy and Caleb meant the world to Chris and he was not at all embarrassed to be sounding like a proud father.

Buck didn't comment but Chris was sure he noticed that Mary wasn't mentioned very often. Oh, their marriage was still a good one. He loved his wife, just not with the same consuming passion he'd loved Sarah. Not with the same depth of feeling he felt for the boys. Chris winced internally thinking he didn't care for her even half as much as he had for the man sitting in front of him. With the ease of habit ingrained through long practice he shoved that thought aside, buried it like he had so many times before.

His breath caught for a moment when he spotted a photo of the team at the bottom of the pile. It had been taken just a few weeks before he'd proposed to Mary. They'd all been at the ranch for a cookout. JD had set up his digital camera on a tripod and a timer. They'd gotten candid shots off and on through out the day, clowning around for the camera or just horsing around with each other. The last one, before the party broke up, was the only posed shot they'd taken.

As the tallest, Josiah and Nathan were in the back, arms wrapped around Chris, Buck and Vin who stood in front of them. JD and Ezra were in front row. Everyone looked relaxed and happy, smiling easily for the camera.

Buck picked up the photo, smiling fondly. "Man,that brings back some memories."

Chris felt his face warm with embarrassment. It was his fault that the team wasn't together any more. He felt his flush recede when Buck chuckled and said, "I'm going to have to dig out those pictures and tease JD about that hair."

"You still see him?"

"Well, yeah." Buck blinked. "His computer company set up our server and maintains our systems." He waved a hand. "Not to mention the fact that he rents one of the apartments upstairs."

"Upstairs?"

"Yeah." Buck shrugged. "We renovated the upstairs when we bought this place from Inez."

Chris remembered Inez saying good-bye. Most of her family had emigrated from Mexico to California and it wasn't terribly surprising that she'd want to be closer to them. Although, Chris wondered at the time how Buck felt about her leaving. Chris knew Buck's constant flirtation with her was more of a game than anything serious, but it still had to have bothered him. Chris never asked, telling himself it was none of his business. It was one more lie that broadened the gulf between them.

"We?" Chris raised an eyebrow thinking maybe Buck meant him and JD. The two had roomed together while on the team, had been widely regarded as brothers at the time.

"Me and Ez." Buck answered. "Ez figured it was a good investment. Spent a fair piece of change making sure the floors and walls were insulated enough to block noise from both the bar and each apartment. He was real picky about that. Said the only way to have long term tenants was to have the places be decent."

Buck grinned. "Figure he must have been right about that. Both apartments have been occupied by the same tenants for five years."

Chris had little difficulty picturing Ezra as the sort who had money to invest. The urbane Southerner just always had it together when it came to finances, planning ahead for rainy days, knowing how to wheel and deal. But Buck was always a happy-go-lucky sort when it came to money. He didn't seem to care if he had any or not.

Chris stared at him. "You and Ezra own the Saloon?"

"Yep." Buck laughed not at all offended by Chris' surprise. Blue eyes roamed fondly over the bar before returning to Chris. "Half expected him to want to fancy the place up, but he said it was doing good business the way it is. Jimmy's been managing the place for the past couple of years for us."

Buck sipped his beer. "We're too busy with the agency to really give the place the attention it needs. And Jimmy wanted a job that would let him have enough time to work on his novel. Worked out well for everyone."

With a cheeky grin Buck dug into his wallet and handed Chris a business card. 'Three Aces Investigations' arced in a half circle over a fan of three cards. The ace of spades, ace of hearts and ace of diamonds were emblazoned so they appeared to be almost three dimensional, like real playing cards. Phone number, fax, and e-mail address were listed underneath.

"You ever need any help, you just give us a call."

He could tell Buck genuinely meant it despite the teasing tone. Chris gathered up his photos and tucked the card in with them. He'd forgotten how much enjoyed the easy camaraderie he'd always had with Buck.

Buck raised his left hand to signal to Jimmy. "Another round over here, Jimmy."

"Sure thing, Buck."

Chris' caught sight of something shiny when Buck lowered his hand. His third finger was adorned with a simple gold band. He nearly choked on his last swallow of beer.

"You got married?" Chris choked out around a cough. "Didn't think you'd ever give up playing the field."

Buck shrugged one shoulder. "Only ever flirted a lot, Chris. You know better than anyone, I told great stories but most of the time they were just stories. And everyone was always saying all it would take was for me to find the right person." Buck waggled his eyebrows. "I finally found the right one. Took me awhile to realize it when it happened, but once I did, I wasn't going to let go for nothing."

"How long have you been married?" Chris slapped down on the hurt feelings not being invited to Buck's wedding engendered.

"I'm not married. At least not legally."

"What the hell does that mean?" Chris frowned.

"Still not legal for two men to get married." Buck answered calmly. "But wearing the ring means I'm just as committed to him as if we were."

Chris sat back, stunned. "A man?"

"You've known for years that I played for both sides. Don't go looking all wide-eyed." Buck snorted. "Especially since you and me played an inning or two back in the day."

Chris blushed. "But that was just-"

"Just what?" Buck arched an eyebrow. "A moment of insanity? A bit of desperation? Any port in a storm kind of thing?"

"Temporary." Chris interjected before Buck could say anything else. "It wasn't," he raised a hand and spun his own wedding ring, "meant to be long term. It's not...well, it's not normal."

"Not for you, no." Buck agreed. "For me...well that's another story."

Buck had always played the field, faithful to the one he was with only so long as he was with them. Seemed more interested in a good time than anything else. Before and after Sarah, Chris had never seriously considered the possibility that Buck might have wanted more from him. No...that wasn't true. He'd considered it and shied away from it. He didn't mind being 'fuck buddies' but Chris had never wanted to look beyond that to something more. Had made it clear to Buck in so many ways that the only thing there would be between them was friendship that occasionally included sweating up the sheets when Chris felt the need to take the edge off.

Chris bit his lip. "Why didn't you-"

"Say anything?" Buck finished his question with a small laugh. "What was I supposed to tell you that you didn't already know?"

"I didn't know you wanted something permanent." Even as he said it Chris knew he was lying. And so did Buck.

Buck snorted. He held his tongue until Jimmy left the requested beers and walked away. "You didn't want to know. What I wanted wasn't what you wanted so you just did what you always do when stuff like that happens."

"And what do I always do?" Chris ground out, holding on to his temper with considerable effort. It had been a long time since anyone had confronted him like this.

"You pretend it doesn't exist. Refuse to talk about it. Act like your way is the only way." Buck took a healthy swallow from his beer. His voice was so matter of fact, not angry or belligerent. "You shove it away until it's not a problem any more."

Buck's blue eyes dared him to argue, not the least bit intimidated by the glare Chris gave him in return. "You wanted the white house with a picket fence, a wife and two point two kids. Wasn't really what you needed, but you have never let that get in your way before."

Chris' jaw tightened. "And how the hell do you know what I needed?"

Buck rolled his eyes. "When have I not known what you needed?"

Chris winced. Even after years apart, Buck still knew him better than anyone else ever had. Probably better than anyone else ever would. It was one of the many reasons he tolerated the sass mouth from him that he wouldn't take from anyone else.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting a family." Chris spat out.

"No, there isn't." Buck agreed. "But you had a family with the team. A little unconventional maybe, but you had one."

Buck slouched, relaxing back into his seat as he continued speaking. "Had yourself six brothers that you up and decided one day just didn't fit with your definition of what a family was supposed to be. So you threw it away thinking you could get something better elsewhere."

"Mary didn't like-"

"Bullshit." Buck interrupted. "She didn't force you into anything. Chris, I know you. If you wanted to be married and still have a field job, then you would have. If you had wanted to stay in touch, you would have. She didn't make you do a god damn thing so don't be blaming her."

Buck gave him a narrowed eyed look. "You are a grown man for Christ sake. Take some responsibility for the decisions you made. Don't get me wrong...I know you love your kids. Hell, I love your kids too, but loving them didn't mean you had to stop loving the rest of us."

Buck took another long swallow of his beer. "Having them didn't mean you couldn't spend time with us. Just because we weren't a team anymore didn't mean you had to shut us all out."

"I didn't-"

"Yeah, you did." Buck sat up straighter, pointing a finger at Chris. "You made your choice. Bet you got to thinking about just how much you had to lose and you took the easy way out. You started thinking maybe we'd endanger your new family the way the job did Sarah and Adam."

Chris snarled. "That's not true."

Buck stared at him calmly. "Yeah, it is."

Chris flexed his fingers, relaxing the tight grip he'd taken on the beer bottle. He hated knowing Buck was right. Keeping his wife and children safe had been almost an obsession. He couldn't afford to lose them. He couldn't.

"It's okay, Chris." Buck shrugged. "Think we all understood it wasn't personal."

Chris flinched. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I know." The statement was one of ready and easy forgiveness. Buck simply wasn't the sort to hold a grudge. Chris wondered if that was true of the others as well.

Buck's lips quirked upward in a parody of his usual smile. "Took you getting married for me to see the light. You were never going to give up thinking it took a wife and kids for you to be happy. Were never going to want what I wanted, were never going to be able to give me what I needed."

Buck waved a hand, his expression and tone made it clear that he wasn't angry with Chris. He was just calling it the way he saw it. "I was never was one for tilting windmills, so I started looking for what I needed to be happy." He smiled softly, blue eyes warm. "Found it a lot closer than I expected."

"Who?"

"Ezra."

Chris wondered for a moment if he'd fallen asleep at his desk and this was all a dream. "Ezra?"

"Yep." Buck grinned. "Kind of surprised me too."

"How long have you been together?"

"Since right after we started Three Aces." Buck shrugged. "Just sort of...well, happened."

"Are you happy?"

"Yeah." Buck's answer was soft but no less heartfelt. Chris wondered if his old friend didn't ask him the same question because he already knew the answer or if he just didn't care one way or the other. He really hoped it was the former.

Before he could say anything else the door opened. The usual graceful gait Chris remembered Ezra having was marred by a barely noticeable limp. He held silver tipped walking stick in his left hand. Even from a distance Chris could tell the walking stick was probably an antique of some kind and likely cost a small fortune.

Ezra looked a bit leaner than Chris remembered, but otherwise, like Buck, he really hadn't changed much. Green eyes scanned the room. He smiled slightly at Chris, seeming not surprised at all to see him in a spot he hadn't been to in years. Ezra's eyes warmed as moved to Buck, expression shifting to one of obvious affection. Rather than approach the table immediately to join them as Chris expected, Ezra turned toward the bar.

"Good evening, Mr. Cross." Ezra greeted the bartender. His southern drawl as distinctive as Chris remembered. Chris couldn't help but smile. Ezra was just as polite as ever. There was no way the man would just walk by someone he knew without offering a greeting of some kind.

"Evening, Mr. Standish." Jimmy greeted him with a grin. "You're looking good. Glad to see you up and around."

"Thank you." Ezra tipped an imaginary hat. "A shot of Glenlivit if you please."

"Coming right up, Sir." Jimmy obviously treated Ezra with a deference he hadn't exhibited toward Buck. But then, Ezra always had a reserved nature about him that contrasted with Buck's more gregarious approach. Buck wouldn't have tolerated being called 'sir', while with Ezra it just seemed wrong not to address him that way. Chris thought perhaps there was some truth to the expression 'opposites attract.'

"How is the book coming?"

Jimmy set a glass on the bar, pouring a generous amount of single malt into it. "Got another two rejections."

Ezra saluted him with his glass. "Well done, Mr. Cross. Only few dozen more and we can paper the back wall."

Jimmy gave him a wry look, which only made Ezra laugh. "When you are a published author, famous throughout the land, I will have a monument to your humble beginnings."

Jimmy laughed right along with him. "Sure thing. I'll do a book signing right here."

"Excellent." Ezra's dimples flashed. "I will be the first in line."

Jimmy ducked his head, obviously pleased. "Thanks, Mr. Standish."

Ezra raised two fingers in a salute. "If you'll excuse me."

"Oh sure thing, Mr. Standish." Jimmy nodded toward the table. "We'll talk later."

Ezra took his drink and headed for their table. Chris looked askance at Buck. "What happened to him?" He was hoping to get an answer before Ezra joined them. Ezra had never been forthcoming about his injuries in the past and Chris knew he'd never get a straight answer from him.

"Got shot in the thigh. Hairline fracture to the femur." Buck's voice wasn't quite a whisper but was soft enough not to carry past Chris. "Had to wear a leg brace for three weeks. Was only last week the doctor cleared him for desk duty."

Chris nodded. He was relieved to know Ezra's injury hadn't been anything more serious. His relief was mingled with a vague disappointment that he hadn't even known the other man was injured until he was well on the road to recovery. He didn't know who had shot Ezra or even why.

Blue eyes never lost contact with Ezra as the southerner crossed the bar and sat down with them. "Hey." Buck greeted Ezra. His tone didn't make it obvious they were together, but even if Buck hadn't told him earlier, Chris would have wondered about it. The only other time he'd ever heard Buck sound like he did just now was when he was greeting someone he cared about a great deal.

"Hey." Ezra answered, green eyes brighter than Chris ever remembered seeing them before. He couldn't quite read Ezra's expression, but he hadn't really expected to. Chris had never had much success in reading Ezra when they worked together on a daily basis. It didn't take a huge leap to come to the conclusion the years apart had not improved his ability any.

He half expected the two men to kiss and couldn't decide if he was disappointed or relieved when they didn't. Buck had simply laid one arm over the back of Ezra's chair. Physical contact was made, but nothing overt or likely to draw attention even in a nearly vacant bar.

Ezra seemed to settle in, some how implying greater closeness to Buck without actually moving before his attention focused on Chris, expression cordial yet almost blandly neutral. "Mr. Larabee what a pleasant surprise." Chris couldn't tell if Ezra genuinely meant that or if he was simply being polite. "I trust all is well within the upper echelon of the ATF."

"The job is...fine."

"Ah." Ezra arched an eyebrow, and Chris silently cursed knowing his hesitation hadn't gone unnoticed. Ezra's next statement, lightly laced with an odd blend of amusement and sarcasm told him the meaning hadn't been lost either. "I gather the paperwork is not quite proving to be the thrill ride you expected."

"Thrill ride?" Chris laughed, genuinely amused. "It is definitely not an e-ticket."

"It never was." Ezra grinned, gold premolar glinting.

"I was never as good at it as you were." Chris easily admitted. "And I doubt I ever will be."

Ezra's reports had always highly detailed and well organized. Chris missed having some one as competent on his staff as Ezra. He'd often used the undercover agent's documentation as a guideline for the style and format of his own.

Ezra didn't quite hide his smirk behind his drink. "A talent for a particular task in no way implies a fondness for it."

Ezra's left hand toyed with his walking stick. Like Buck, he also wore a plain gold band. "And your family? They are well?"

There was a spark of genuine interest in Ezra's eyes. Chris smiled. "Everyone is doing well. Boys are growing like weeds."

"I've been told children have a way of doing that." Ezra chuckled.

Chris was at a loss for what to say. With Buck the conversation had just flowed the same way it always had. But with Ezra, Chris had less in common. Until now he'd never realized how much having the others around had buffered and bolstered his interaction with the undercover agent.

"How are things with Three Aces?" Chris finally managed to ask. "You guys made the paper the other day."

"The agency is doing very well. And free publicity certainly hasn't hurt us." Ezra sipped his scotch. "We may have to look at expanding our operations at some point in the future. " Green eyes slanted a look toward Buck. "Preferably somewhere that has a more idyllic climate than Denver."

"I keep telling you winter here isn't that bad."

"Compared to what?" Ezra asked. "Nome?"

Buck rolled his eyes. "Well, I sure don't want to spend summer in the south. Atlanta is hot as hell in June."

"You should be there in August, Buck." Ezra replied with a knowing smile.

"You went to Atlanta?" Since the disastrous trip they'd taken so long ago to Mexico Buck hadn't been keen on travel.

"Yeah." Buck shrugged. "Must be...three years ago now." He sent a questioning look to Ezra. Ezra confirmed with a small nod.

"Why Atlanta?"

"Maude's stepdaughter was getting married. We were invited to the wedding."

"Stepdaughter?"

"Yes." Ezra waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Husband number six...no...seven has two lovely daughters from a previous marriage. Annabelle and Margaret."

"You were both invited?" Chris frowned. "Maude knows about you two?" Too late he realized that he'd only just found out himself and Buck hadn't had the chance to let Ezra know he told him they were a couple.

To his surprise, Ezra didn't look upset or even bothered that he knew. Maybe he'd just assumed Chris always knew. Or maybe he no longer cared what Chris thought, if he ever had.

"Mr. Larabee, my mother has known about me sexual orientation since I was sixteen. My relationship with Buck hardly came as a huge surprise to her. She was less distressed by my choice in life mates than she was by my career. Although, she is decidedly pleased with the fact that I no longer work as a 'civil servant'."

"And Jake was really cool about it." Buck grinned. "Sort of surprising given he's such a red neck. Never took Maude for being the sort to like a good ol' boy, but they sure seem happy with each other."

Ezra snorted. "Naturally he was not offended by us. His brother was so obviously gay he was all but on fire."

"Point." Buck conceded with a wide smile. "Always knew those stereotypes had to come from somewhere."

"And Jake is a red-neck with a personal net worth of half a billion dollars, Buck." Ezra retorted dryly. "That more than makes up for any reservations my mother might have had."

"They still planning to come visit next weekend, right?"

"As of my last conversation with Maude, yes." Ezra shrugged one shoulder. "But you know how quickly her plans can change."

Chris was struck by how natural their conversation seemed. It once more served to emphasize how far removed from their lives he'd become. He swallowed hard.

"Perhaps, if you are free next weekend, Mr. Larabee you would care to join us?"

He blinked. "What?"

"I understand if you already have other plans." Ezra interjected smoothly, giving Chris the chance to back out, clearly assuming Chris would do so. It irked Chris that Ezra would just naturally expect him to refuse. Not that he hadn't given the other man ample reason to make that assumption.

"Where and when?"

The slight twitch of Ezra's lips was all the more indication he had that his question being issued almost as a challenge hadn't gone unnoticed. Ezra took a leisurely sip of his scotch before answering. "I believe you knew it as the old Johanson residence."

Olaf Johanson had owned the ranch next to Chris'. He died in his sleep not long after Chris and Sarah had moved into their place. Johanson had not left any known heirs, so the place had been vacant for years. It had been held in trust by the state as the executor of his estate tried to find someone to lay claim to the property. Chris had tried to buy it more than once but the asking price had simply been too high.

"You bought Johanson's place?"

"Yes." Ezra answered simply.

Chris bit back a low whistle. "Must have cost a fortune."

Ezra blithely ignored his statement, moving on to answer his earlier question. "Festivities will begin about eleven in the morning. Most of the old team will be there."

"Really?" Chris tried not to sound to eager.

"Josiah has already sent his regrets, having made plans to attend a conference in California, I believe."

"Nathan and Rain and the kids will be there." Buck interjected. "The kids want to go riding again...well, all but Carrie. Don't figure an infant much cares for that stuff just yet." Buck waggled his eyebrows. "And Vin and Eve will be there. Although, Vin's out riding every weekend anyway so it is hardly unusual."

Chris filed away the name 'Eve' for future reference as well as the fact that Ezra and Buck had horses. When he'd sold the ranch he'd never thought to ask what they'd done with the animals they had boarded at his place. Buck had told him not to worry about it and he hadn't. Mentally he slapped himself for yet one more lie, one more regret that didn't need to be.

"JD will be there." Ezra chuckled, giving Buck another slant eyed look. "Although, it remains to be seen how well Margaret has accepted his advances."

Buck laughed. "Oh you know full well your stepsister is going to show up. She's got the hots for him. No doubt about it."

"Three to five?" Ezra held out his hand. Buck shook it.

It felt rather familiar and yet decidedly foreign to Chris to watch them lay odds and bet on JD's love life. "How did JD meet your stepsister?"

Green eyes easily betrayed their amusement. "Internet."

"It's a small world after all." Buck didn't quite sing the line, some thing Chris was decidedly grateful for. Ezra rolled his eyes.

Further conversation was halted by the ring of a cell-phone. Buck pulled him the where it was clipped to his belt. Chris hadn't even noticed the other man had one. Buck had always hated carrying one when he worked for the ATF. Chris just sort of expected him to never carry another once he no longer had to. But then, maybe he still had to. Chris felt a renewed flash of irritation with himself for not even knowing that much.

"Hello?...Uh-hunh." Buck glanced at his watch. "Sure, Andy, we can do that. No, no, it's not trouble at all." Buck grinned. "Yeah, you better see to that cause you know this is going to cost you." The teasing tone was unmistakable.

Buck nodded his head in agreement to whatever Andy said. "Nah, don't worry 'bout it. We were heading out soon anyway. See you soon." Buck hung up and returned the phone to its former resting place.

Ezra arched an eyebrow. "Andy?" The one word question was mildly curious. Chris got he impression 'Andy' was well known to Ezra even though he didn't have a clue who he might be.

"He needs us to pick up some stuff and drop it off on our way home." Buck downed the last of his beer. "Place closes in ten minutes so we're going to have to hustle if we are going to do this."

Whoever Andy was he evidently was considered worth hustling for because Ezra nodded, tossing back his scotch in one neat swallow. He stood smoothly, hand resting lightly on the knob of his walking stick. When he spoke to Chris his tone was polite, almost formal. "Mr. Larabee, it has been a pleasure."

Buck leaned over the table and slapped him lightly on the shoulder as he stood to join Ezra. "Shouldn't be such a stranger, old dog." Blue eyes once more relayed Buck's easy forgiveness and acceptance of the decisions Chris had made. There were no hard feelings on his part.

A quick smile was offered. "Considered yourself invited for next weekend. Feel free to call or come by any time, ya hear?"

The offer was made so off the cuff, like it didn't matter one way or another. It made Chris' chest tighten to realize that for Buck and the others, it likely didn't matter any more. Chris was an old friend, but no longer a large part of their lives, just like they weren't a part of his.

The two started heading for the door before Chris really had a chance to even respond. His not knowing what to say being a moot point. Ezra stopped at the bar to say something quietly to Jimmy before leaving. He gave Chris a two-finger salute as he left while Buck offered a quick wave.

Chris shook his head feeling dizzy with how quickly things had transpired. Buck and Ezra had offered him the chance to regain something he'd thought lost, something he hadn't even been aware WAS lost until just a little while ago. He'd have to think about that.

He finished his beer. Chris stopped by the bar to find out what he owed. Jimmy waved him off with a smile. "Mr. Standish said it was on the house."

Chris nodded. "Thanks."

"You must be someone special." Jimmy commented as he restocked several glasses on the rack over the bar.

Chris raised both eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"

Jimmy laughed. "Can count on one hand the number of people Mr. Standish pays for."

Chris really wanted to ask who else fell into the select group but refrained. He had a feeling Jimmy, for all his easy going friendly attitude, would not tell him.

"Drive careful." Jimmy tossed off to him as he turned to handle the order the waitress handed him.

Chris stepped outside and took a deep breath. The feeling of nostalgia that had hit him when he entered returned in spades. He'd been the last to leave the Saloon many times. All that was missing tonight was the cheerful goodbye's, admonitions to drive safely, and the vehicles he'd come to know as well as his own. With his eyes closed he could almost hear the echoes of their voices.

He made up his mind. Next weekend he had somewhere he needed to be.