Year One | The Extension

Reader Note: The Contract is not a romance. It is Tucker Meyer’s origin story and a prequel serial to the spicy BWWM age-gap romance Together Exclusive Official by Stevie Alison.

Tucker

The open road in southern New Mexico is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. The Chihuahuan Desert reaches out as far as the eye can see, and the rock formations are absolutely breathtaking. If I had to define what “freedom” looks like, this is it. I’ve been in New Mexico for a year now, and I’m still not used to it.

Shit’s intoxicating.

At six in the evening, I need to be at my outdoor yoga class.

See, I’m going to be thirty next year, and older folks seem to say that your body goes downhill at that point. I have always been a pretty strong, athletic guy, and I’d prefer to keep things that way.

About a month ago, I was chatting with one of the utility guys out here, and he said that at forty, he keeps himself in shape by doing yoga. I was skeptical at first. My mental image was of a group of thin young women in a bright room turning themselves into pretzels. No thanks. But he was insistent that I at least try it once.

The class I started attending is outdoors at one of the local parks. Fortunately, the students are of diverse genders, ages, and sizes, so I don’t look like a creep for being there.

I’m picking it up decently, though I still have a lot to learn. But what I like about it most is that I’m growing more attuned to my body while experiencing the dry desert air and gorgeous surroundings. And it adds a little spark in the bedroom. Christine’s sure not complaining.

Once I make it home, my wife tells me, “Dinner’s in the microwave. I already ate.”

I shrug. “Oh, okay.”

As I gather my plate of chicken casserole, she asks, “How was work, baby?”

I join her on the couch while she watches some reality TV show about ballroom dancing.

“It’s good. Jim Huber’s down here for a couple of days and he is excited about the progress we’ve made on the second development.”

When Christine and I originally came down to Las Cruces, the move was supposed to last six months. But Parris bought another plot of land nearby, and they needed me to manage that development as well.

She was reticent to stay another six months, but she was convinced by the lucrative deal. It’s borne out so far. We have saved a ton of money, and we’re that much closer to achieving our dreams and doing so comfortably.

After all, what’s a few more months?

Christine smiles lightly. “That’s great.”

I set my now-empty bowl on the end table. “So, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She focuses on me.

Explaining, I say, “I had a conversation this afternoon with Huber, and he says they want to offer me an extended contract here in Las Cruces.”

Christine tilts her head back and runs her hands along her face. “We’ve already been down here a year, Tucker. I can’t believe they want you to stay working out here another six months...”

“Doll — they want me working out here for at least another year.”

She looks at me incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”

“Yeah. So, here’s the thing. The developments I jumpstarted here are in such great shape that Parris wants to establish an office here. And they’re promoting me past the senior development manager they originally suggested. You’re looking at the new Southwest Regional Manager for Parris Developers.”

My wife is quiet. It’s a huge promotion. I thought she’d be over the moon. But I don’t know what to do with this.

***

Christine

As Tucker informs me of his promotion to Southwest Regional Manager, I think to myself that I should be happy for him, for us. But as much as I want to be, I can’t.

“Tucker, you’re talking about this promotion as if you’ve accepted it already,” I say.

His steel-blue eyes lock in on me. “That’s because I did.”

Needing a moment to digest what he has just told me, I take a sip of water from the glass on the end table.

“Wait a second — you made this commitment without talking it over with me?”

He sighs. “I don’t see how it’s any different from the other commitments I’ve made. If my career improves, that’s even better for us.”

“Is it? Sure, it’s great for us financially, but what’s the point if we lose sight of what we want? We were gonna go home, buy a house, start our family. I was supposed to go back to work, and we’d be around our families again. But we’re still stuck out here in the desert, and now that you’ve taken this new position, it’ll be even longer. Are we ever gonna go back to Clairborn?”

He leans in and hugs me, stroking my unruly hair. “We are, doll. We are. Just a little more time. Trust me, alright. When have I steered us wrong?”      

I’m not worried about Tucker making the wrong decision. It’s just that as we get closer to our goals and dreams, they slip further and further away.

After our conversation, Tucker leaves the room to call his parents and share the news. He needs to be hyped up somewhere, since he’s not getting that from me right now. While he does that, I call my family.

“How’s New Mexico treating you, sport?” Dad asks over the phone.

“It’s not bad. It’s pretty out here and things are going well,” I say.

After a pause, he says, “Christine, you sound sad. If there’s something wrong, you can tell me.”

“I’m...I’m fine, Dad. Good. Tucker got a promotion today. Southwest Regional Manager.”

“Oh, okay. That’s good, right?”

“Yeah...yeah it is. The only hitch is that we’ll be out here for at least another year. Could be longer.”

“Hmm. Are you okay with that?”

I exhale. “I guess so. What choice do I have?”

“There’s always a choice. We don’t always get perfect choices, but there’s always a choice.”

“You’re right. There are choices, just not good ones.”

“That title...Southwest Regional Manager, it sounds permanent. Are you and Tucker considering making New Mexico your home?”

Tears form in my eyes imagining the possibility. “Tucker says we’ll move back to Clairborn at some point, but he seems to really like this place. He seems happier, somehow. Not that I don’t like it here...it’s fine. It’s not terrible. I’ve gotten used to it, I guess. But we’re so far away from family. And as much as I love to travel and see new places with him, there’s nothing like coming back home.”

“Well, kiddo, you married a guy who does whatever the shit he wants. A girl who does that is a free spirit. A man like that...he’s a maverick or a bum, not a lot of in-between.”

For fuck’s sake.

Dad continues, “He’s taking care of you — I’ll give him that. I know you love Tucker. Girls love bad boys, guys who do what they want whenever they want, fuck everyone else. Thing is, a guy like that is fun until what he does things that are no longer fun for you. Whether you’re getting the good or the bad of it, he’s the same guy. There’s no changing a guy like that.”

The last thing I need is to hear my father’s grievances against my husband. “Dad...I know, I can’t right now...”

“See, if he was worth a shit, he’d have come to me like a man and told me he wanted to marry you before he did it.”

“Dad, it’s not like that...”

“Sorry, Christine. I know you hate hearing me rant, but it’s the truth. You can make your own decisions. But my deal with Tucker? It’s about respect. Anyway, what’s done is done.”

Thank God he’s stopped for now.

“Right now, you have two choices...well, three. You can sit around in the desert and be miserable. You can come home. You’re always welcome home, no matter what. Or, you can make the best of where you’re at right now. None of those are great, but it is what it is.”

As straightforward as he is, he’s not wrong.

“And you’re a McCade,” he adds. “You’re not gonna sit on your hands, ‘cause you’re better than that. I believe in you, sport. You’re gonna figure it out, and if you can’t, you’ve still got your bedroom at home waiting for you.”

I smile softly. “Does it still have my stuffed orange kitty in the middle of my bed where I left it when I went to college?”

“Of course.”

***

Tucker

In our bedroom, I dial my parents back in Clairborn.

“Guess what, Mom?”

“Oh, do tell, Tucker,” my mother says on the other end.

“I got promoted to Southwest Regional Manager,” I say.

“Oh, wow!”

Grinning, I elaborate. “It’s a step above the title I was hoping to get once the first assignment was over. A pretty big step, actually.”

“Congratulations! What does it entail?”

“Basically, I’m starting up the new office for Parris Developers in the Southwest region. It’s a major responsibility they’re entrusting me with, so I’m excited about that.”

“I’m sure Christine’s happy, too.”

“Yeah,” I lie.

“So, I take it you two aren’t coming back to Clairborn?”

“We’ll come up for holidays and such, like we’ve been doing.”

“No.” Mom then clarifies. “I mean, you’re gonna settle down there.”

“As of right now...I don’t know, I guess. But as our long-term plans go, we’re not locking ourselves in yet. We’ll revisit it at some point.”

“Suellen!” a faraway voice calls out in the background. “Is that Tucker?”

Mom puts down the phone and says, “Yeah, Marty!”

“Tell him I said hi. What’s he calling about?”

“He’s not moving back to Clairborn.”

“I told you, hun. As soon as they left, I told you, they’ll be just like Todd. Once they get out of Ohio, they’re not coming back.”

“I know, I know.”

My brother Todd, who’s six years my junior, fucked off to Minnesota as soon as he graduated high school. He works for the regional utility up in Duluth. No way is he coming back to Ohio. Despite us both being born and raised in Clairborn, Todd hated it there in a way that I never did.

I don’t think it’s fair for Mom and Dad to assume that Christine and I won’t return. I know she really wants to. Do I? Our friends and family are still there. Now, the McCades don’t care much for me, nothing I can do about that. But I’ve still got my parents and Uncle George in town. Unfortunately, Uncle Eddy passed away seven months ago. The last time we visited Clairborn was for his memorial service.

“Tell him,” Dad says, still in the background.

Tell me what?

Mom returns to the phone. “Ever since your father retired, we’ve been thinking about what our own future would look like. Since you and your brother are both living elsewhere, there’s not really a point in us staying in Clairborn, especially since many of our old friends have already moved to the South. So, we put our house up for sale, and we’re closing in about a month. You’ll want to come up soon and see if there’s anything you want to keep. We’re getting rid of just about everything that you or Todd don’t claim.”

My mouth drops to the floor. I didn’t expect my parents to up and leave Clairborn. In my mind, when Christine and I return to town, and we have children, my parents would be in their lives, see them all the time, similar to how Todd and I experienced our late grandparents when we were young. But now, that’s not happening, or at least not the way I pictured it.  

After I get my bearings, I respond, “What about Uncle George?”

“George is still quite active in the community, and with his properties. That’s helped him a lot, with Eddy’s passing and all. He’ll be fine,” Mom reassures me.

“Oh...okay. So, where are you moving to?”

“Sarasota, Florida.”

“Alright...”

“Now, don’t you worry. Even though we’re moving down there, there will be enough room for you and Christine when you come visit.”

“Oh...uh, that’s great. Happy for you, Mom.”

“Thanks, Tucker.”

Once I’m off the phone with my mother, I sit on the edge of the bed, not moving, unsure of what to think.

A fleeting thought crosses my mind.

If my parents won’t even be in Clairborn, what’s the point in coming back?

Just as quickly as I think it, I shove it out of my head. After all, I can’t entertain that. Christine would kill me.

***

Christine

It’s been three months since Tucker received his promotion. During that time, I’ve gone back to work, taking a temporary job as a teller at the bank around the corner from me. Because it’s short-term, I’m not making a huge career decision ahead of our eventual return to Clairborn.

Everything’s on hold — planting roots, buying a house, trying for children — and it’s incredibly frustrating. But I can’t just sit and wait.

The clock strikes five in the evening on a Friday, and I’m chatting with Leila, who works in the booth next to mine.

“What are planning to do this weekend?” she asks.

I shrug. “Not a whole lot. My husband’s going on a hike, and apparently I’m coming with him.”

“You don’t sound enthused.”

“No, don’t get me wrong, I am. But hiking through the desert? I like it. He loves it.”

Leila nods. “Gotcha. Well, if you’re ever interested, I’m part of a community choir here in Las Cruces, the Doña Ana Songbirds. We’re always looking for new people.”

“That sounds fun, but I can’t sing.” Besides, I don’t want to commit to something like that and then have to quit abruptly because we’re finally moving back.

“You don’t have to be good at it. It’s a lot of fun with some great people.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Late that night, Tucker and I lie in bed.

“Baby, what would you think about me joining a choir?” I ask.

The moon’s rays shine through the window, illuminating my husband, highlighting his angled jawline and handsome face.

As he runs his hand through my curls, he says, “I’ve never known you to be interested in singing, but I think it would be lovely. It’ll give you something new to be involved in.”

“My coworker mentioned it to me earlier. But I would hate to get involved in something requiring my commitment just to be moving back to Clairborn.”

“Sure, doll…but we don’t have to stop trying new things just because we aren’t planning on making this our permanent home. Besides, it’ll be great for you to get out there, make new friends.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Tucker’s hand skims my form on top of the covers. “Speaking of trying new things, I’ve been kicking around in my head the idea of striking out on my own.”

“Huh…what are you talking about?” I ask.

“You know, work. What if I built my own commercial development consultancy? Like, pretty much do a lot of what I already do, but I’m working for myself, rather than for a firm.”

“Baby, if there’s anybody who could do it and make a success out of it, it’s you. But if you start your own business, wouldn’t that commit us to staying here in New Mexico?”

He shakes his head. “No, not necessarily. I can do it from anywhere.”

I ask softly, “If you did that — start your own business — would that mean that we’ll finally be able to return home…to Clairborn?”

Tucker sighs. “Yeah, yeah…we’ll eventually do that, Christine.”                      

Eventually…that word is doing a lot of work, Tucker.

Want to see where Tucker Meyer’s story leads after The Contract? Read the spicy BWWM age-gap romance Together Exclusive Official, on Kindle Unlimited, DRM-free ebook, or print: