Chapter 1
While his father was busy getting the manor house ready for his friends, Isaac Milton Richfield held his best pal’s hand. Byron Arness was spending some of the Christmas weekend with him. Since he’d missed his buddy over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Issac, or ‘Zak’ couldn’t be happier to have him with him now. They raced out of the huge manor house and into the meadow behind it. His daddy, Mark Richfield, was a model and owned a big garment manufacturing company. Isaac, who just had his twelfth birthday, entered the barn where his horse stayed at night. The eight horses were grazing in the enclosed paddock and Andrew Wilson, their groom, was busy spreading hay in it for them to eat. He and Byron giggled as they snuck up the ladder into the loft at the top of the barn. He’d found the hidden space a while ago. It had a bedroom, bathroom, and tiny kitchen! It was so cool! Keeping quiet, he and Byron pushed back the trap door and then closed it again. They giggled at each other and then Zak pulled Byron into his arms to kiss. He’d seen his daddy Mark kiss Mickey like this last Thanksgiving. And he couldn’t wait to have a chance to do it with Byron. He finally did! They kept laughing against each other’s mouths as Zak backed them up to the small bed. When he hit it with his legs, they fell onto it and Zak urged Byron to lie on top of him, like Mickey did with his dad. Byron began laughing so hard he stopped kissing him and rolled to his back, holding his belly. Zak pulled his long brown hair off his face as they lay side by side. It was chilly inside here, but they both wore light jackets. When Byron stopped giggling, he rolled to his side and smiled at him. Zak thought Byron was really cute with his dark brown eyes and hair. Byron’s hair was short, not like his. Zak liked his hair really long, even longer than his actor brother Alexander Mark Richfield. “I’m so glad you’re staying over,” Zak whispered. “Me too.”
