Sunny Days in Cypress Cove

Eli was coming from the stables, from making sure all the animals were okay. A vets work was never done especially during a rodeo. He was making his way through the crowd searching the faces of the people he passed for Jesse. Elijah had invited him but he wasn't sure Jesse would come. Eli knew this wasn't necessarily his scene. And then Eli spotted him in the crowd and his heart fluttered in his chest. Jesse looked so damn sexy it made his knees go weak for a moment. Once he regained his composure he started making his way towards the man using every ounce of restraint he had not to run into his arms. "Yeah, there are a lot of us." Eli admitted with a chuckle. "Well hopefully none of them. Especially considering quite a few of said idiots are also members of my family." He said cringing at the thought of someone getting hurt.

Jesse dropped his voice in that way that never failed to drive him crazy and a shiver ran through his body. And then Jesse leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek and Eli could've turned into a puddle on the spot. "I was looking for you too. I wasn't sure if you'd actually come." He admitted. "But I'm glad you're here." Eli said fondly. "Yeah I am. These things are always crazy but I love them. Doing even better now that you're here though." He offered with a tender smile. He couldn't wait to share this thing that meant so much to him with Jesse, the man that now meant so much to him. "What about you Cap? You having a good time? Have you ever been to one of these things before?" He asked curiously.

He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Can't say I've ever been to one of these before." He admitted, his gaze drifting toward the arena where another roar erupted from the crowd before settling back on Eli. "Closest thing where I grew up was somebody trying to dock a shrimp boat three beers deep. So all this is... rodeo stuff is new. I've been to a carnival before but not too often. Though I do have a depressing ring toss story."

Jesse took another sip from his beer before bumping Eli's shoulder again. "I still think voluntarily climbing onto an animal that outweighs you by about a ton is a terrible life decision." He paused, watching another cowboy adjust his vest near the chutes. "Then again, I've made a career out of sailing into hurricanes, so maybe I'm not exactly qualified to judge." His eyes found Eli's again, the teasing easing into something quieter. "But..." He glanced around at the lights strung across the ranch, the Ferris wheel slowly turning beyond the arena, families laughing as they wandered between food stands. "I get it. And if this place means something to you..." His fingers brushed lightly against Eli's hand before hooking their pinkies together for a second, a subtle gesture in the middle of the crowd. "...then I'm glad you wanted me here to see it."

"You're not wrong." Eli agreed with a nod. "You wouldn't catch me our there in the arena, I much prefer taking care of the bulls to riding them personally, but I think some people live for the adrenaline." He said with a smile as he thought about the way some of his families eyes lit up when they talked about bull riding. "Seems like you like a bit of adrenaline yourself huh?" He quipped warmly. Though the idea of Jesse sailing into a hurricane made him more than a little nervous. Then Jesse looked at him like that and Eli practically melted into a puddle on the spot. Jesse's fingers grazed against his lightly and his breath caught in his chest, electricity running through him at the touch and then Jesse linked his pinky with his and Eli couldn't help but grin widely. It was a small gesture but it meant the world to him. "There's no one I'd rather share this with than you cap." Eli murmured affectionately. And then he smirked as he got an idea. "You're not afraid of heights are you?" He asked as he began to guide Jesse towards the Ferris wheel. "Because we have to take a ride on the Ferris wheel together." Elijah insisted excitedly. "The views from the top are incredible you can see the whole town from up there. And it'll provide us a little more privacy..." He added with an impish grin. The view from the top was beautiful but more importantly he was dying to kiss Jesse and he knew here on the ground, surrounded by all these people was probably a little too public for the other man.

"Yeah, you're still young, you got plenty of time to figure that out. I just want you to be happy bud." Joel said. "I just hate the idea of you being lonely. I used to think I was fine on my own too, that I didn't need anyone. And then I met Easton." He said with an affectionate smile. "I didn't know it was possible to be this happy." Joel admitted with a lopsided grin. "Can you sue me if I want that for my brothers too?" He teased.

"I'd really like that." Joel said nodding with a smile, until it fell a bit at the way Cyrus said 'plus Jamie' "Today is about you bud, he doesn't have to be invited if you don't want him there but he doesn't have anyone else. He may not share our last name but he's always been one of us. And if he does come with us to lunch you will make sure he feels that way" He insisted gently giving his brother a look that let him know he was serious.

He shook his head, smiling softly as Joel fawned about his relationship with Easton. It was adorable and he was really glad that Joel had found someone that made him happy. "No, it's not wrong for you to want that for us too. And I'm sure I'll find it, eventually... once I get my head out of the clouds..."

When Joel started to lecture him about Jamie though, his smile fell and he looked down. He felt like a reprimanded child and he was mentally kicking himself. "I didn't-" he began to say he didn't mean it that way but then he decided it was a waste of time to explain himself. He was stupid and said shit wrong. Surprise, surprise. He was pretty impulsive like that. He sighed. "He's a friend, sure... but he's not a Curtis by blood... And he is invited, I just want to make sure my brother is okay with him being there because at the end of the day... Hudson comes before Jamie. You come before Easton. You two are my brothers first and foremost. It doesn't mean I don't care about him and that he's not important, but I won't apologize for caring about you two more and most..."

"I'm sure you'll find your person when the time is right." He agreed with a smile. "I can't wait to see that happen for you Cy." Joel said fondly. "But I don't want you to worry about all that now, it'll come. Right now you have this race to focus on. I know you've got this." He assured his younger brother encouragingly. "And we'll be right there cheering you on."

Joel sighed and nodded at Cyrus' words. He had definitely come across harsher than he meant. The last thing Cyrus needed right now was a lecture or to focus on anything other than his race right now. Joel had just seen first hand how much Jamie had been through, had to overcome and he didn't have anyone else looking out for him the way they had each other so he tended to be a bit protective of the boy sometimes. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry." Joel apologized with a sigh "I didn't mean to lecture ya." He added with a grimace. " You're a good brother, and Hudson and I are lucky to have you in our corner." He admitted. "Just like we'll always be here for you." Joel reminded him. "I can't wait to watch you kick everyone's ass at this meet Cy." He quipped with a smirk. "Would it embarrass you too much if we make signs and shit?" he asked.

"Mark Cohen." He nodded once. Then, after a brief pause, "And as for being happy with any role..." One eyebrow lifted. "I should hope not." The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "Actors ought to want something when they walk into an audition room. It tells me they've thought about the material. Leave the diplomacy to politicians. I'm asking what part you want, not whether you'll stage a mutiny if I cast you differently."

"Mark is an interesting choice. Far too many people mistake him for the passive observer. He's not. He watches because it's safer than allowing himself to be seen." Malcolm tapped his pencil lightly against the table once. "The trick is remembering that every time Mark points the camera at someone else, he's also deciding not to point it at himself." His gaze remained steady before he inclined his head toward Benito. "Whenever you're ready, we'll begin with your sixteen bars."

Liam listened and nodded as Malcolm provided some insight into Mark. He knew exactly how it felt to be more comfortable watching than allowing himself to be seen. After all that was a big part of why he ended up in a tiny town on the Georgia coast, why he had given up a bright future on Broadway and was instead bartending at the Driftwood and auditioning for The Harbourlight Theatre. Liam himself was actively working on being okay being seen again. As much as it scared him. As much as a part of him wanted to play it safe. "Thank you for the insight into Mark, Mr. Hargrove. That's very helpful." he said hoping to incorporate that information into his audition. He gave his binder with his sheet music open to the correct page to Benito and pointed out the highlighted start and stop points thanking him before making his way back to the center of the stage. "I'll be singing 30/90 from Tick, Tick Boom!." Liam said before giving Mateo a smile and a nod to let the man know he was ready to begin.

"They're singing, "Happy birthday" You just wish you could run away Who cares about a birthday? But thirty-ninety

Hey, can you be optimistic? You're no longer the ingénue Turn 30, 1990 Boom! You're passé What caaaan you doooo? What can you doooooo? What can you do?"

He finished before smiling and nodding appreciatively at Benito and turning his attention back to Malcolm.

Where: Afterglow Whom: ?? // @cypresscove-starters

Fuck this entire night. Somehow Bellamy had managed to avoid thinking about that stupid man since coming back. Sure, every so often the Beauchamp name would pop up on some stupid ass poster but a lot of the time Bellamy could brush it off and ignore it. But seeing his dad so publicly making an ass of himself reminded him off all the times he wasn't good enough in that man's eyes. He'd never been good enough. Never would be good enough.

As the oldest it was Bastian's responsibility to check on his younger siblings and make sure they were taken care of, and he took his older sibling duties very seriously. They were the whole reason he was in the one place he swore he would never come back to after all. If Bastian had to guess where Bellamy was, and he prided himself on his ability to know his siblings, he was probably at Afterglow drinking and feeling sorry for himself. He quickly made his way to his brother's business and began searching for him. It wasn't Bastian's kind of place but there was no denying Bellamy was doing well for himself. He was incredibly proud of him and what he had accomplished. As suspected there was Bellamy sitting at the bar, bottle of liquor in front of him. Bastian made his way over towards his brother and the empty barstool beside him. 'This seat taken?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before sliding onto the barstool next to his brother. "For the record you're not a disgrace Bell." He assured Bellamy softly. "And fuck that man for making you feel like anything other than a success. I mean hell look around us." He said gesturing at Afterglow around them. "You built all this and that's more than he could ever dream of building for himself." Bastian insisted. "I know it's not the same but I'm proud as hell to be your brother Bell." He offered with a gentle smile.

With snacks in hand, he began to walk toward the theater. "I like pretty much any soda, especially the caramel colored ones. If I'm picking one, I do thing I would pick a Dr. Pepper or a Pepsi. If I'm going to have a coke, I want it to be a Mexican Coke, glass bottle..." He chuckled.

They made their way to the theatre and although Joel understood why, they had to have their movie snacks, his hand already yearned for the feeling of Easton's hand in his. This was only their first official date and Joel was already down bad for the man. He'd never felt like this for anyone before. "Noted." Joel said with a smile making a mental note of Easton's favorites. "Other than seeing movies what do you like to do in your free time?" He asked curious to learn even more about the man.

Toes buried in warm sand as she tiptoed along the edge of the coast. Waves were gentle, making soft sounds like music. Sky colored with beautiful pinks and oranges. Verity was pretty sure she could just sit on the beach and watch forever.

Pausing for a moment, Verity looked out as far as the eye could see. All the stress of a long day began to melt off her. She didn't need to worry about the lesson plans that she had to submit or the meeting that was coming up on Monday. Everything out here was perfect.

Then the bark came.

Verity turned just in time to see the dog bounding in her direction, running off from his owner. He didn't look threatening at all so Verity chose to drop to one knee.

"Hello-"

A coo sound in her voice as she reached out to begin to pet the dog that came stopping in front of her. Tail flipping wildly.

Very gently and unsuspecting, she curled a single hand around the dog's leash so that the owner could catch up while the other hand began to scratch behind the ears.

"Oh - don't be sorry. I'm great. I love dogs. I'm sorry he scared you."

Hudson smiled to himself before Jamie's shoulder bumped his. His eyes flicked over. "I know," he said quietly. "I appreciate it." The words sat there for a moment before Hudson cleared his throat, predictably uncomfortable with being sincere for more than about five consecutive seconds. "And for the record," he added, a crooked smile returning, "if you actually volunteer, I'll try to find a good job for you."

"Of course." Jamie said with a shrug. No matter what had happened between them, what would happen between them in the future Jamie would always support Hudson and want the best for him. "You better, because as much as I want y'all to be successful I draw the line at cleaning the bathrooms or some shit like that." He teased.

@cypresscove-starters

Rémi & Open

Low Tide Distilling Co.

Bastian liked visiting Low Tide for it's cozy vibe, incredible drinks, and great company. He enjoyed talking to Remi and Bernard's presence was always an added bonus. Bastian made his way inside and took a deep breath letting the familiar and comforting aroma fill his lungs. "Hey Remi!" He said greeting the man warmly. "It sounds to me like I arrived at the perfect time then." Bastian replied. "You always craft the most delicious drinks." He insisted "And you know I'll never say no to a free sample." He quipped with a chuckle as he made his way over to Bernard. "Hey buddy." Bastian said greeting the gentle giant laying beside the bar. "You working hard today?" He asked reaching down to pet the dog affectionately before turning his attention back to the man behind the bar. "What combination do I get the honor of trying today?" Bastian asked curiously "Or is it a surprise?"

Reid offered a small nod. He had never found himself in a relationship with someone he loved enough not to lose. All of his relationships were almost more fling based, except maybe one in high school that lived its purpose until they outgrew each other. "I have confidence that you don't have to worry about losing him for a very long time. Cypress Cove is the safest place for emergency staff to work. Worst we get is runaway cows, a speeding ticket, an occasional flood..." He smiled when Scott offered him the same open door policy. He nodded. "Thank you..." he said in a soft voice before playfully nudging Scott in the shoulder. "Let's go play."

Scott sighed and nodded at Reid's words. He was right, he always was. But Scott's biggest fear was loosing Brant again. He had done it once, spent years knowing what it was like to live without the man he loved, he never wanted to go through that ever again. "Of course. Someone's gotta take care of your old ass." He teased nudging Reid back gently. "Let's see if you can keep up." Scott quipped.

The question got answered rather quickly and they wrapped their hand around the leash so that the dog didn't take off running and make the poor man chase him farther. They rose to stand up, nodding. "I'm fine... He's fine."

When Caide got breakfast, he went all out. He got two big breakfasts, orange juice, and he had noticed some apple pie that he also decided would be a good little desert. Apples were healthy right? It could be like… oatmeal except not oatmeal. With two bags in hand, Caide got out of the truck and made his way back inside the office. He made his way toward the back, listening for the sound of the shower but it seemed quiet. “I have retrieved breakfast! And I will hear no making fun of my decisions. I am an adult, I swear…” He laughed, beginning to lay out the food on the counter.

He had finished up in the shower and was changing into a fresh set of scrubs when he heard Caide return. He had to admit the shower had helped even more than he thought it would. While it hadn't completely washed away the events of the previous night it did help him feel a bit more refreshed and ready to face the day. "Perfect timing!" He called out. Before finishing getting ready and making his way to the breakroom where Caide had set up the food. "Hey, you'll hear no argument out of me." Eli assured him. "You certainly did better than I could've done." He insisted. It all looked great and of course the sight, and smell, were enough to cause his stomach to grumble again. And the pie would be the perfect extra pick-me-up. Elijah grabbed one of the meals and began digging in. "Thank you for this. I really appreciate it Caide." He said in between bites of food, careful not to talk with his mouth full. No matter how hungry he was his parents had raised him better than that.

“I have refused to find out the gender of the baby because Teagan has made it very, very clear that he will be happy to be a big brother as long as it is a little sister. If it is a little brother, the competition is going to be very, very real. And I am not ready to either confirm or deny yet.” She laughed. “He just walks around all the time announcing his little sister even though we don’t actually know yet. I think he’s watched Rhett and he thinks being a big brother to a sister is superior." She took another bite of her donut, smiling a bit when Bastian mentioned offering to help. “I might take you up on that. My kids need as many strong male role models as they can get.” She nodded when he said it was pretty boring. “End of year always is. So much free chaos time.”

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Bastian said with a laugh. He remembered how protective he was about his younger siblings, how protective he still could be. "That's fair, he's just following the example he's seen. Rhett's made being the older brother to a little sister seem really cool. But he's a good kid. Take it from another oldest brother, I'm sure he'll step up to the responsibility no matter what you end up having." He assured her. He loved his younger siblings, both of them, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for them. They were the whole reason he had moved back to Cypress Cove after all. "Well you have my number, feel free to use it whenever you need." He insisted. "We're almost there. Home stretch." Bastian said encouragingly. "Do you all have anything exciting planned for the summer?" He asked.

Who: Malcolm &

Where: The Harbourlight Theatre

The Harbourlight Theatre buzzed with the particular brand of nervous energy that only audition day could produce. Sheet music rustled. Quiet vocal warmups drifted through the lobby. Somewhere down the hall someone was practicing scales for what had to be the fiftieth time. Malcolm Hargrove sat behind the long table with a pencil in one hand and a stack of audition forms in the other, reading over the next résumé while barely looking up.

"...Time." The word cut cleanly through the room. The young man standing onstage either hadn't heard him or had decided not to. He barreled straight into the next paragraph of his monologue with enough dramatic anguish to fill three theaters. Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose. "I said time." He kept going. Malcolm set his pencil down with deliberate care before looking up over the rims of his glasses. "Young man." Malcolm bellowed, making the actor freeze mid-sentence. "I know you're playing a man who refuses to listen, but I wasn't aware you intended to method act your way through the audition process. The one minute limit was not presented as a creative suggestion. If I cannot trust you to stop when asked in an audition, why would I trust you to take direction during rehearsal?"

Liam was waiting anxiously for his turn, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves when he heard Malcolm's voice cut across the theatre. And then the man completely disregarded Malcolm's direction and continued through his monologue and Liam couldn't help but cringe. Malcolm Hargrove was a talent director who knew exactly what he wanted and how to bring it out of his performers but he also had little patience for showboating or bullshit. The man was actively sabotaging his audition in real time. He hated to see it, even if the man had technically been his competition.

And then it was his turn. Liam took a deep breath and made his way onto the stage already feeling more at ease under the stage lights but trying to seem more confident than he felt. "It's a pleasure to see you again" he greeted the man warmly. "I'm Liam Alexander and I would love the opportunity to be your Mark Cohen." He said. "But I adore this show and I'd be more than happy to play any part you see fit." Liam was fully aware that it sounded like the PR stock answer but it was true. He was willing to fight as hard as he could for the chance to play Mark but he also trusted Malcolm Hargrove's judgement and he would happily accept whatever role the man cast him as. Though he had to admit he would be more than a bit disappointed if he didn't end up cast in the show but he would get over that. Eventually.

Zach: The exchange between Zoey and the Mayor was getting a bit heated so I told her she needed to stop engaging and reminded her that that was NOT how a St. James should speak to the mayor, that we have a reputation to uphold in this town.

"What good boys." Scott cooed encouragingly as he used his free hand to reach over and scratch each of their heads affectionately. "Good. It's nice to know someone's here to make sure you don't push yourself when I'm not around." He teased gently. Obviously Brant was in no condition to do anything other than lay on the couch and rest but Scott knew him well enough to know that that wouldn't stop him from trying. Especially the instant he started feeling even a little bit better. "Making sure you're taken care of. Especially when you're sick is always a rush home from work situation." Scott insisted gently. "Reid would've let me come home early." He murmured softly.

Scott frowned at the way Brant pouted. "It's okay babe. Once you're feeling better I'll take you out for a nice dinner." He promised "Or I could make you something special. Anything you wanted." Scott offered. "Yeah I can do that." He said reaching over to gently caress Brant's cheek again. "Just sitting with you is always my favorite way to spend the day." Scott uttered affectionately.

He shifted slightly beneath Astro's weight and immediately regretted it as another wave of nausea hit him. His thumb brushed absentmindedly over Scott's wrist. "I don't deserve you sometimes, you know that?" The words came quietly, without his usual humor to hide behind them. For a moment he simply looked at him. "I love you." He murmured softly.

He looked at Scott as he mentioned taking him out. "The worst part is I can't even properly appreciate the dinner bribery right now." He sighed dramatically. "Do you understand how serious this is? I don't even want cinnamon buns." He let out a small groan. "I think medically that means I'm dying."

He winced as he saw the consequences of Brant trying to adjust himself flash across his face. Scott would give anything to switch places with his husband if he could. To take his pain away. But unfortunately he couldn't, so he would have to settle for just supporting him through it however he could. "You're the one who moved across the country on the chance that maybe we might end up together." Scott reminded his husband. "If anything I'm the one who doesn't deserve you babe." He insisted. "But that doesn't mean I'm ever going to stop trying to prove you made the right choice." Scott added gently. He sighed happily and couldn't help but smile widely at Brant's words. "I love you too babe. So damn much." He murmured back.

Scott's eyes widened in shock when Brant said he didn't even want cinnamon buns. Brant always wanted cinnamon buns. "Oh wow, you really are feeling sick huh." He said. "Is there anything else I can do to help?" He asked. All Brant had asked was that Scott sit with him but there had to be something else he could do. Anything to help Brant feel even a tiny bit better. He hated feeling powerless, just sitting here when his husband felt like this. Not being able to do something about it.