Black Sheep Farm

[RacerBear]

Chapter Thirteen

Having taken a break from working on schedules, Brady stood in the window of the office building that overlooked the north side of the property. Nearly a dozen small barns were situated between the main building and the north drive. Several volunteers were finishing up their work, tending to the smaller farm stock. The horses and larger animals were kept in a larger barn at the back of the property, but these smaller barns housed the goats, sheep, pigs, and feathered farm animals. While he stood there, Will exited through the side door of the kennel building, and tossed several black trash bags into a green dumpster. Eric appeared from inside the building and spoke with his friend for a few moments before returning inside. Will gathered up a few items of trash from around the base of the dumpster before disappearing inside as well.

Hearing the door between the kennel building and the offices close, Brady turned to see Zander approaching through the walkway. “I’m home,“ the youngster announced before he stepped beside Brady and wrapped his right arm around the older man’s waist. Giving a slight squeeze, he laid his head on his foster dad’s shoulder.

“Is everything okay?” Brady asked.

Zander shrugged. “Yeah, it’s just…” He paused as he took in a deep breath. “I guess I’m just a little bummed,” he finally said softly. “I talked to Mike at lunch today.”

“And?”

Zander sighed. “I asked him why he decided not to come to my sleepover, and he told me he thought it would be weird.”

“What do you think he meant by that?” Brady pressed, giving the boy a quick hug, and pulling him closer. “I thought his parents changed their minds about letting him come.”

“That’s what he told me on Friday,” Zander said sadly. “He found out that I really like him…”

“And he doesn’t share your feelings?” Brady guessed.

Zander looked up at Brady. Tears formed in his blue eyes. “It just sucks. I mean I thought me and him could at least be friends.” He sighed, fighting to regain his composure. “You wouldn’t understand,” he added softly.

“Why wouldn’t I understand?” Brady quizzed. “You think I never got my heart broke? When I was your age…”

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna turn into one of those parents,” Zander stopped him. “I can hear it now…’when I was your age, I had to walk six miles to school every day’…in the snow.”

“Uphill both ways,” they both said in unison. They shared a laugh.

Brady pulled Zander’s face upward so he could make direct eye contact with the boy. “In a lot of ways, you have a much easier time than we did when Darin and I were younger but…” he paused. “In some ways, it was much easier for us because we had to keep our true selves hidden.”

“Mike said he was afraid people would get…”

“He was afraid people would think he’s gay because he’s your friend?” Brady quizzed.

Zander nodded. “It’s not fair.”

With a soft chuckle, Brady answered, “Life’s not fair. That’s the part that always sucks.” He brushed his hand through Zander’s blonde hair. “That’s one way my teen-age years were easier. Tim and I were best friends from the day we met.”

“I didn’t know that,” Zander said. “I mean, I knew you guys had been friends for a long time but…”

“Yeah, but neither of us knew about the other until after we were out of school,” Brady admitted. “I mean, we did the usual teenage experimentation but we both had girl friends in high school.”

“You mean nobody else knew either?” Zander asked.

Brady shook his head. “Nope,” he replied. “A week after graduation, Tim told me he was gay, but I still didn’t admit it to him. When he told his parents, they pretty much freaked out.”

“Kinda like some of the kids at school, huh?”

“Oh, a whole lot worse,” Brady began, “His dad threw him out of the house and told him to never come back. Then, he hauled all of Tim’s stuff out into the back yard and set it on fire.”

“That sucks.”

“Yes, it does.” Brady was silent for a bit. Finally, he said, “It wasn’t much better with my folks when I finally came out to them. My dad wasn’t quite as bad. I mean he did leave my stuff outside for me.”

Zander put his arm across Brady’s shoulder. “I guess I never really thought about it,” he offered.

“I loaded everything in my old truck and headed west.” Brady continued. “I ended up here and Tim got me a job where he worked. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“Did either of you work it out with your folks?” Zander asked.

Nodding, Brady replied, “I talk to my mom a couple times a year, but my dad still doesn’t want anything to do with me. If he answers the phone, he gets my mom. I’m cool with that.”

“What about Tim,” Zander asked.

“I got a card from my mom last Christmas,” Tim answered from the hallway. “My dad said if he ever laid eyes on me again, he’d shoot me.” Dropping into one of the chairs in the waiting area, he added, “I think he meant it.”

Tears formed in the boy’s eyes as he processed what he had been told. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

Tim responded, “Why? You didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“I know…” he began, “It’s just that…”

“It’s okay,” Tim stated. “Really, I’ve accepted the course my life has taken.”

Brady pulled the boy closer. “So, you see, in a lot of ways, you have it a lot easier than we did.” he said.

“But, in some ways, we had it easier,” Tim retorted. “I don’t know if I could have handled being out in high school.

“So, nobody ever knew?” Zander asked.

Tim let out a soft laugh. “Remember Doug Bender?” he asked Brady.

“Oh, yeah,” Brady responded, “I totally forgot about him. What an ass.”

“Who’s that?” Zander demanded.

It was Brady’s turn to laugh. “He was a guy in our class who started a rumor that Tim and I were gay,” he answered.

“Of course, we denied it because neither of us wanted anyone to know,” Tim added.

“All the time I was terrified that someone would figure me out,” Brady went on. “Come to find out, it was Doug who had a crush on both of us and he was trying to find out if either one was interested.”

Tim blushed before he added, “I hooked up with him before I left town.”

Brady looked shocked. “You’re kidding!” he exclaimed. “Was he any good?”

“Eh,” Tim giggled, “I was better.”

The trio dissolved into laughter before Brady added, “I ran into him one night after I had been to the bar for the first time. He was working at a little convenience store, and I stopped for gas.”

“And?” Tim pressed.

“And nothing,” Brady replied. “I paid for my gas, we talked about school, and I went home.”

“You always were a chicken-shit,” Tim teased. “Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. I mean, he had a really nice dick, but he sure didn’t know how to use it.”

“Please,” Brady admonished his friend. “No ex-say alk-tay in front of the id-kay.”

“Give me a break,” Zander said with a laugh. “I’ve heard worse at school. Besides, I can appreciate a really nice…uh…”

“I don’t want to hear this!” Brady stopped him. “Not until you’re thirty.”

********

“Can I get a soda?” Zander asked Darin as the two exited the yellow Mustang convertible.

Removing his wallet from his right rear pocket of his khaki slacks, Darin swiped his debit card on the pump. “Sure, grab me a Snapple,” he replied to the boy. “You have cash?” he added as he punched in his pin.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Zander answered, closing the passenger door.

As Zander walked toward the building, Darin called, “No Mountain Dew!”

“Got it,” Zander called back over his shoulder, waving.

Darin watched as the boy entered the store. Turning, he inserted the gas nozzle into the tank of the car, pressed the mid-grade button on the pump and squeezed the handle. Watching the numbers spin on the pump, he barely heard his name being called. Turning he saw the terror on Zander’s face. “Dad!” Zander called. “I need you!”

Stopping the pump, Darin jogged toward the building. “What’s up?” he asked as he followed the boy back into the store. Zander was rounding the end of the counter to where Mary, the business owner, was lying on the floor behind the counter. There was blood on the front of her blue smock and her glasses were lying on the floor a few feet away from where she lay. He removed his cel phone from the holster on his right hip and pressed 9-1-1. Speaking into the device, he said, “I need a police officer and an ambulance at the Quick Stop on Cherokee Highway at the junction with Redstone Road.” He grabbed a roll of paper towels from the counter, removed several sheets from the roll and handed them to Zander who gently pressed them to the wound on Mary’s forehead. “That’s correct,” he said into the phone. “Okay,” he added, walking to the front door, and locking it. “Okay, the door is locked…uh-huh,” he continued. “Yes, I hear the sirens.” Another pause. I see the lights,” he added before snapping the phone closed.

Mary was attempting to sit up as she took the towels from Zander. “Stay still,” Zander insisted while reaching for a stack of plastic bags from under the counter. It was then that he noticed the open drawer on the cash register. “Was it a robbery?” he asked, gently lifting the woman’s head, and placing the bags as a pillow.

Mary nodded. “He had a gun,” she said softly. I gave him what was in the drawer but, I guess it wasn’t…” She paused.

Returning behind the counter, Darin knelt down beside the woman and placed his hand on her forearm. “It’s okay,” he assured. “Just stay still,” he added. “The police will be here soon.,” He could hear the ambulance approaching as there was a knock on the front door.

Sheriff’s officer Adam Bailey was the first to arrive and parked his cruiser near the front door. As Darin opened the door, Adam greeted him. “Hey, Darin, what happened?”

Holding the door for his friend to enter, Darin replied, “A robbery. Mary got hit with something when he didn’t get enough cash and it looks like he took a bunch of scratchers.” He pointed to an empty spot on the counter to the left of the register area.

Mary, who was now sitting with her back against the cupboard behind the counter, looked up and said to Darin, “He hit me with the first set of holders for the tickets.” She had directed Zander to the kitchen area to run a cloth towel under some cold water. As he returned, she continued, “He came in, waved a gun in my face and told me to give him all the cash. I had just dropped all the big bills in the safe, so I only had about two hundred in the till.” She took the damp cloth from Zander and handed him the bloody paper towels. “He took the bills and stuffed them in his pocket. Then, he told me to open the safe.” She dabbed at the gash on her forehead as the ambulance arrived and the paramedics entered the store, along with two city police officers.

Adam watched as the medics attended to Mary. Looking around, he noticed a security camera pointed at the cashier area. “Does this camera work?” he asked, pointing to the device.

“It flips back and forth from inside to outside,” she answered. “The recorder is in my office.” She pointed to the door behind the kitchen area.

While one of the city officers took down Mary’s description of the thief, Adam went into the office to check the security footage.

“Did you guys see anything?” one of the city officers asked Darin.

Darin shook his head. “No, but there was a black car that left just before I turned onto the lot. It went west on Cherokee.

“It was a Regal or a Cutlass,” Zander added. The officer wrote down the description. “It could have been a Monte Carlo but not a Grand Prix.”

“How do you know it wasn’t a Grand Prix?” the officer asked.

“It didn’t have the big grill,” the boy stated. “It was the square body style with a white vinyl half top,” he added.

As the medic applied a bandage to Mary’s head wound, she tried, once more, to pull herself up. “Where are my glasses?” she asked.

“I have them here,” Adam said, handing them to her. “You really need to go and get checked out.”

Smoothing her hands over her white hair, Mary fussed, “I bet I look a fright.” She sighed. “I’m so glad you came in when you did,” she said, reaching for Zander’s hand. Turning toward Darin, she added, “You got a good kid in this one.”

Darin put his left arm around the boy’s shoulders. “You’re not telling me anything that Brady and I don’t already know,” he replied.

The medic continued trying to talk Mary into going to the hospital, but she shook her head and waved her hand in protest. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “Besides, I’ve got a store to run.”

As more investigators arrived, Zander went outside to finish filling Darin’s car with fuel. He was returning the nozzle to the pump when Brady and Eric arrived in one of the shelter vans. Exiting the van, Brady called to the youngster, “Are you okay?”

Replacing the fuel cap, on the Mustang, Zander nodded. “I’m fine,” he replied as Brady embraced him.

As they walked back toward the store, a tan pickup pulled into a parking spot on the south side of the building. A small, dark-haired man walked quickly toward the front door. “I’m Brad Zimmerman, Mary’s son,” he told the officer who stopped him from entering. Removing his wallet, he showed his identification to the officer who motioned him to go inside.

The medics, having convinced Mary to allow them to take her to the hospital, exited the building and placed her into the ambulance. A few moments later, the lighted sign went dark as Darin approached his family. “They finally convinced her to close for the night,” he told Brady, giving his partner a quick hug.

********

Darin turned off the television and laid the remote on the nightstand as Brady flipped off the bathroom light and crawled into bed next to him. Wrapping his arms around his partner, Brady said, “It’s a good thing you guys stopped when you did. There’s no telling how long it would have been before someone found Mary.”

“I know,” Darin replied. “I hope they catch the guy.” He paused for a moment, then continued. “You’ll never believe what Zander said to get my attention,” he offered, tears welling in his eyes.

Brady looked at Darin and reached out to wipe a tear that had slipped across his handsome face. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Darin sniffed as the tears betrayed him. “He…” He sighed. “He called me, Dad.”

********

Eric was sitting with his legs stretched out across one of the sofas in the family room. Zander sat across from him in similar fashion, his head against the back of the couch, clutching a pillow. His expression was somber as the two watched the end of a movie on the big screen television.

“What ‘cha thinkin’?” Eric quizzed as the closing credits began to roll.

Zander turned and smiled. “Oh, nothing,” he lied.

Eric reached for the remote on the coffee table and stopped the movie before switching off both the tv and DVD player. Laying the remote back on the table, he swung his feet to the floor. “Well, you’ve had quite a day today. You better get some sleep,” he offered as he stood and folded up the blanket, he had been wrapped in.

The younger boy didn’t move. After a few seconds, he looked at Eric and asked, matter of factly, “Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Darin and Brady really were…you know? Our dads?”

Sitting once again, Eric looked at the youngster. “What brought this on?” he asked.

“I’ve been here six months,” Zander answered, “That’s usually about when they decide to ship me off to a new place.” He was fighting tears as he thought about the past two years and all the times he had been shuffled from home to home.

Eric knelt beside the sofa and placed his hands on either side of the boy’s face. “Look at me,” he said softly. “There’s no way that either of them would let that happen without a fight. They want you here.” He paused. “And I want you here,” he added, pulling the boy closer.

*********

“Zander come on! You’re gonna be late!” Brady called from the kitchen on Monday morning.

“Be right there,” Zander replied as he hurried from his bedroom. “Have you seen my history book?” he asked.

“It’s right here on the table,” Brady answered, picking up the book and a folder. Absently, the turned the cover of the book. In Zander’s handwriting, on the first page, it said, ‘Zander Johnson’. Smiling, Brady closed the book as Zander came through the living room carrying his backpack.

Taking the book and folder, the boy slid them into his pack and slung it over his right shoulder. “Is Eric picking me up today?” he asked, grabbing a banana from the counter.

“Probably, unless he has a call,” Brady replied. “Why do you ask?”

Zander smiled, peeling the banana. “Just wanted to know who to look for,” he said, taking a big bite of the fruit.

Brady ruffled the boy’s hair as they exited the kitchen and walked toward Brady’s Explorer. As he started the vehicle, Brady asked, “Everything okay?”

Buckling his seat belt, Zander shrugged. “Yeah,” he replied, smiling, and swallowing the last bite of banana.

Brady put the car in reverse and backed from the garage. “You need a haircut,” he said.

********

Eric sat in the line of cars waiting for students. There was a tap on the passenger window. Pressing the button, he lowered the window. “Are you Zander’s brother?” a tall young man asked.

“Eric blushed. “Yeah, I’m Eric,” he responded, extending his hand.

“I’m Bobby,” the man said, taking Eric’s hand. “My little brother is in Zander’s class. He said I should meet you.”

“Oh, he did?” Eric asked, grinning. “Did he say why?”

Bobby shrugged his shoulders as he pushed his hands into his pockets. His hair was a soft reddish brown and hung just past his collar, parted in the middle. His nose was rather large but yet seemed to draw attention to his large blue green eyes. A jagged scar ran from just under the left side of his right eye to about a quarter inch above the right side of his mouth. He wore a red button up shirt with a white stripe on the left sleeve. He kicked at some dirt on the ground and looked at his feet. “I dunno, I think maybe he and Zander think we might …uh…be friends.” He glanced to see if Eric was looking, then quickly dropped his gaze, his face turning red.

Eric smiled. “Hey, a fella can’t have too many friends,” he said, noticing Zander and two other boys approaching. “Speak of the little monsters. Here they come now,” he added, pointing. “One of those yours?”

Bobby laughed and nodded. “Yeah, the little ginger in the middle,” he replied, indicating a skinny red-haired boy with glasses and a face that was covered with freckles.

When the boys reached the van, Bobby stepped back. “Hey, guys,” Zander announced. Turning to his friends, he called out, “Later, homes,” and opened the passenger door to climb into the van.

“Later,” his friends both called out and waved.

“Are you gonna introduce me,” Eric scolded, giving Zander a stern look.

Closing the door, Zander pointed to his pals. “That one’s Jake,” he said, indicating a dark-haired boy with serious acne scars covering his face. “And that’s Henry,” he added, sticking his tongue out at the red-haired boy. “That’s Henry’s brother, Bobby. Hopefully, you’ve already met.”

Eric smiled once more. “We have.” To the others, he called out, “It’s nice meeting you all.”

As the boys waved, Bobby stepped up to the window again. “Uh, I know this is kinda short notice but, would you like to…uh?” He blushed again. “Would you like to…?”

“Hey, Bobby,” Eric offered. “The answer is, yes. Call me.” He held out one of his business cards. “I won’t bite.”

Zander took the card and handed it to the bashful Bobby. “Unless you want him to,” he added, giggling as Eric swatted him on the shoulder.

Bobby smiled, his eyes dancing with excitement. “Great!” he said, “I’ll call you. I need to get these brats home. Chores and all.” He giggled. “See ye.” He turned and followed the boys toward an old yellow Oldsmobile wagon.

As Eric dropped the van into gear, Zander said softly, “Three, two, one.” At that instant, Bobby turned to glance over his shoulder just as Eric did the same. Both young men waved as Eric rolled slowly to the stop sign at the end of the circular drive.

Turning onto the highway, Eric looked briefly toward Zander. “So, this is a fix up?” he asked, punching the boy on the shoulder. “What? Ya think I can’t get a date on my own?”

Zander swatted Eric’s hand. “Yeah, you’re beatin’ ‘em off with a stick,” he replied. “Or, at least, you’re beatin’ off,” he added, giggling.

“Hey, that’s you pal,” Eric argued.

“At least you got options,” Zander protested. “Jackin’ off is all I have.” He giggled. “Just tryin’ to help.”

Eric slowed the van as they approached a red light and flipped the turn signal to turn right. As he turned west to head toward home, he glanced at Zander. “It would be nice to have someone besides myself to make me feel good,” He smiled at the youngster. “Thanks for thinkin’ ‘bout me.”

Zander smiled. “Any time, brother,” he replied. After a moment, he added, “Bobby is hot though, right?”

Eric laughed. “You don’t give up do you?” he teased. “I already said I’d go out with him. Geez!” When the road widened to four lanes, he maneuvered the van into the right lane. “So, what’s the deal with this Henry kid?”

“He gets picked on,” Zander began, “A lot.”

“I know what that’s like,” Eric was sympathetic. “I was always the smallest kid in my class.” He maneuvered the van into a parking lot of a small strip center and pulled into a space in front of a place called, ‘The Hair Apparent’, Turning off the engine, he smiled at Zander and tossed his ball cap onto the dash. “It’s haircut time,” he said, running his fingers through his curly brown hair before opening the door and sliding from the seat.

Entering the shop, a petite young lady with spiked blond hair greeted them. “Hi, can I help you?” she said.

“Hi,” Eric replied. “We’d like to get our hair cut.”

“Any preference?” she asked.

“Frank if he’s available,” Eric answered. “Otherwise, anyone is okay.”

At that moment, a tall, thin man with black hair and thick rimmed glasses appeared from the back of the shop. “Hey, guys,” he called out, motioning for them to join him at his station. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” he said as they approached. Patting the chair, he added, “How’s everything at the shelter?”

Eric smiled. “Busy as ever,” he replied.

Zander looked at Eric, “You go first,” he said. “I can wait.”

Eric climbed into the chair while Frank wrapped the drape over him and clipped it at the back of his neck. “The usual?” Frank said, picking up his scissors. Turning to a petite younger girl with burgundy hair, he stated, “Heidi, can you get Zander ready for me?”

“Right over here,” she said, patting the chair next to Eric.

Once Zander was situated and draped, Frank announced, “Follow me, gentlemen.” He led them to the back of the shop to the shampoo area. “This way, I can do both of you at once.”

“Careful, he’s underage,” Eric teased.

“Honey, that’s the story of my life,” Frank moaned, “The story of my life.”

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Fourteen

The phone on Brady’s desk was ringing when he entered his office on Wednesday morning. “This is Brady,” he said, pulling his chair from under the desk and sitting down.

“Brady, it’s Tom,” The familiar voice on the other end began. “I was called out to a house on Beachwood Road to check on some undernourished animals and I’m gonna need a van out here as soon as you can get one to me.” Tom Jefferson had been with the Sheriff’s Department for six years and, along with Officer Adam Bailey, had helped form the department’s Humane Law Enforcement division.

“What’s the story?” Brady asked, turning on his hand-held radio. “Base to one,” he said into the small black device.

“The caller said he thought it might be a hoarding situation,” Tom explained. “When I got here, I found a bunch of dogs in a pen outside with no food or water and the house looks pretty much packed solid with trash.”

Brady’s radio crackled, “Go ahead base.” Brady’s best friend, Tim, was in charge of pick-up schedules and handled oversight of all seizures and owner releases.

Pressing the radio button, Brady said, “Tim, can you come to my office?” To Tom, he asked, “How many dogs are there?”

“Be right up,” Tim responded.

“About a dozen,” Tom replied. “Not sure how many are in the house though. Owner won’t let me in. I’m waiting for Adam to get here with a warrant.”

“I’ll get a couple vans out there right away,” Brady said as Tim entered his office and stood by the desk. “What’s the address?” Writing the address on a small pad on his desk, he ripped off the top page and handed it to Tim. “Okay, keep me posted,” he spoke into the receiver before hanging up the phone.

“Take Eric and two vans and go out there,” Brady directed. “Tom says it’s a hoarding situation with about a dozen dogs tied up outside.”

Placing the paper in the pocket on the front of his polo shirt, Tim asked, “Any idea how many in total?”

********

Two white Chevrolet vans and a dark blue Malibu pulled up in front of the house on Beachwood Road. Tim and Eric each exited one of the vans and approached Tom Jefferson. “Hey, guys,” Tom called out as they greeted him with a wave.

“What’s up?” Tim inquired, tucking a black leash in the back pocket of his khaki pants.

“Just another day in paradise,” Tom said, smiling. He removed his hat and rubbed his broad hand across his short-cropped scalp while a large woman exited the Malibu which was parked on the opposite side of the street. She approached, smoothing the front of her blue flowered blouse as she walked.

As the men watched, Tim asked, “A.P.S.?”

Tom replaced his hat. “Not sure. Might be the daughter,” he replied.

“Who’s in charge here?” the woman demanded. “They told me my mother was in some kind of trouble.”

A second Sheriff’s car arrived and parked in front of the Malibu. Officer Adam Bailey exited the brown cruiser carrying a large white envelope. Crossing the street, he stepped next to Tom and handed him the envelope. “Your warrant,” he said as Tom opened the flap.

Looking at the woman, Tom replied, “This is a warrant that gives us permission to remove all animals, living, dead or unborn, from the property.

The woman scowled. “We’ll see about that,” she snapped. “My mother takes excellent care of her animals. You have NO right to take them.”

Smiling, Tom held out the warrant. “The state of New Mexico disagrees with you, Ma’am.” As she studied the paper, he added, “Do you have some identification?”

She handed the paper back to the officer and slammed her purse onto the hood of Tom’s car. “This is ridiculous,” she moaned. “My mother has done nothing wrong,” she added, opening her wallet, and waving it in his direction.

“Would you take it out of the wallet for me?” Tom asked politely as Adam grinned. Tim and Eric waited for instructions while the woman removed her license.

“Here!” she snapped, handing the driver’s license to Tom. “I can’t see why I have to show you my ID,” she added.

Jotting down her name on the pad he had been holding, he asked, “Is this your correct address?” When she nodded, Tom handed the license back to the woman. “Thank you, Debra. By the way, your license is expired,” he stated calmly. “I’m sure you’ll want to take care of that as soon as possible.” Tom motioned for Tim and Eric to begin loading up the dogs. “Start with the ones behind the garage,” he advised. “And take pictures of each one before you load them,” he said to Adam.

A red Toyota pickup clattered to a stop by the edge of the street, facing the wrong way as a dark-haired man stepped out of the cab. His hair was greasy, and he wore a light blue uniform shirt that was stained with dirt and grease. “What the fuck’s going on here?” he demanded. “Why are you here?”

Tom held up his right hand as the man approached. “And you are?” he asked the man.

“This is my mother’s property,” the man stated, his face red.

“We’re here because we received a complaint about the condition of your mother’s animals,” Tom replied. “When was the last time you were in your mother’s house?” he asked, addressing both Debra and her brother. “Do you have some identification?” he asked the man.

Removing his wallet, he took out his license and flung it at Tom. “This is bullshit!” he railed. “There’s nothin’ wrong with her fuckin’ animals.”

Handing the license back to the man, Tom advised, “You’re more than welcome to sit in the back of my car, Dwayne.” As the man replaced his license in his wallet, Tom continued, “I’ve been civil to you, and I expect the same in return.”

“Fuck you!” Dwayne responded. “This is fuckin’ bullshit!”

Tom opened the back door of the police car and motioned toward Dwayne. “If you think I’m kidding, just keep it up,” he stated. Pointing at the back seat, he added, “Either calm down and speak in a civil tone or I will place you under arrest. Your choice.”

“Shut the hell up, Dwayne,” Debra demanded. “If you ain’t gonna act like an adult, just leave.” As she spoke, a small woman with whispy white hair appeared at the back of the house. She held a wooden cane and was wearing a thin blue cotton house dress and dirty white canvas shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a bun but much of it had come loose and fluttered in the slight breeze. “Mama!” Debra called, approaching the woman.

A dark red Crown Victoria stopped in front of Dwayne’s Toyota and two women exited the car. “I’m Dorothy Bridges,” the first woman said as she approached Tom. “This is Marie Davis. We’re with Adult Protective Services.”

Tim approached the first van with a medium sized brown mixed breed dog. The dog was thin but wagged its tail as it happily followed the tall man. Before placing the dog into the van, Adam took several photos. Once the dog was secure, Tom approached Tim and asked, “How do they look?”

“They could all use a good meal but, the worst seems to be fleas and a few ticks,” Tim replied. “There’s probably a lot of inbreeding so that may present more problems down the road. It appears she did try to keep the males and females in separate pens though.”

Eric brought out another black dog from behind the garage. Tom nodded. “Did you get a count yet?” he asked.

Adam snapped several photos of the black dog while Eric readied another cage. The black dog placed his front paws on Eric’s leg and licked the side of the young man’s face happily. “I think they’re just happy to be getting some attention,” Eric said, lifting the dog into the back of the van. He slipped a dog treat between the bars on the cage which the dog quickly gobbled up.

“There’s twelve in the pen behind the garage,” Tim stated. “And another nine in one beyond that.”

“And sixteen in the other pen closer to the woods,” Eric added before heading across the yard once more.

Tom removed his cel phone from its holder and pressed the number for the shelter. When Brady answered, he said, “We’re gonna need a couple more vans out here if you can.” He paused. “We found two more pens that we couldn’t see from the front.” He listened to Brady’s response, then added, “Yeah, we might need to switch back and forth until we get them all transferred.” Another pause. “I don’t know how much cooperation we’re gonna get from the family, so I want to get as much done today as possible. While he planned, Eric and Tim each brought another dog and placed them into the vans. “Okay, thanks,” Tom said, finishing the conversation and snapping his phone closed. Turning to Eric,” he said, “Brady’s sending a couple more vans.”

Tim slipped a dog biscuit into the cage of the latest dog. “We gonna try to get them all today?” he asked.

Tom nodded. “Even with the warrant, I think the family’s gonna try and shut us down if we don’t,” he replied. “I’m afraid that whatever animals we leave will disappear overnight.”

“We’ll send these two loads back as soon as the other trucks get here then,” Tim advised. “That way we can keep loading.”

While the ladies from Adult Protective Services spoke with the homeowner, Tom and Adam took photos of the property. Several bags of trash were piled near the rear entrance, flies swarming all around. As Tom rounded the south end of the house, the smell of ammonia from pet urine nearly took his breath away. A small orange tabby kitten appeared in one of the dirt-streaked windows and mewed pitifully as he approached. Tom attempted to slide the window open from the outside while the kitten pressed its nose against the glass, eyes wide with excitement. Handing the paperwork to Adam, he tried once more to push the window up. With a little effort, it finally opened about a half inch. The kitten pushed its head toward the opening and scratched at the wooden frame. One more push and the kitten leapt into Tom’s large hands. Finally able to pull the kitten free, Tom realized there were several more staring at him from the filthy room.

Boxes and bags of trash were piled everywhere, nearly reaching the ceiling. Tom quickly dispatched Adam to retrieve a carrier from one of the vans as another, younger gray kitten appeared in the window. When Adam returned, they placed the two kittens into the carrier and closed the door. As quickly as one kitten was pulled from the window, another one appeared. The smell from inside was overpowering. Several times, Tom had to step away to wretch and catch his breath. Each time he reached through the window, his hands and arms were attacked by fleas. As the last kitten crawled toward him, an adult tabby approached the opening. Tom held out his hand as the cat sniffed it tentatively. “This one here looks like it might have babies somewhere,” he told Adam. “Can you grab a couple cans of food from the van?”

“Sure thing,” Adam replied, rushing toward the shelter vehicles.

Tom tested another window to see if he could push it open to get a better look inside. Pushing the shredded curtains aside, he pulled a large bag of trash from inside and spotted several tiny kittens, a few days old, snuggled together on a pile of old clothes. Surprisingly, the mother cat rubbed her face against his gloved hand and meowed softly as Adam returned with several cans of soft food and two more pet carriers. “Here ya go mama,” Tom said softly as he dipped some food from the can with his finger. The orange cat took the food happily and didn’t attempt to resist as Tom gently pulled her away from her babies and hauled her through the window. Stretching as far as he could, he was not able to reach the babies. He turned to Adam and said, “I can’t quite reach the kittens. Do you think you could reach them if I give you a boost?”

Standing almost a foot shorter than Tom, Adam rolled his eyes. “Oh, sure,” he teased. “Put all the pressure on the little guy.”

Tom smiled. “You can always boost me up,” he joked.

Adam approached the window while Tom leaned down to make a step with his hands. Gently, Adam placed his booted foot into Tom’s hands and pulled himself up onto the windowsill. “Damn, it stinks,” he protested, reaching as far into the opening as he could. “Just a little bit more,” he advised. Grabbing several pieces of clothing and sliding them toward him, he stated, “Got ’em.” Stepping down, he handed the old clothes to Tom. “I spotted about six more cats sitting on top of the boxes just watching.” He quickly brushed a large number of fleas from his arms.

Tom gently placed the six tiny kittens inside the carrier. “Here ya go, mama,” he soothed as the mother cat sniffed each of her babies. “It’s gonna take a while to catch all of them,” he said. “It would be great if they were all as friendly as these first few have been.” Just then, he spotted another shelter van, a red one, approaching the house. “Looks like reinforcements have arrived,” he joked, picking up one of the carriers and heading toward the new van.

Josh Elliott parked the red van next to the two white ones and switched off the engine as Tom and Adam approached. “What’s up, guys?” he asked, stepping from the van. “I brung ya some live traps and more pet carriers.”

“Got a mama and six babies plus some kittens,” Tom replied handing one of the carriers to the young man.

Josh opened the rear and side doors and unloaded four metal traps onto the drive when Eric appeared with another medium sized dog. “Hey, Eric,” Josh called to his co-worker. “I brung ya some dry food,” he added placing a fifty-pound bag onto
the concrete and pulling off the top. Retrieving several paper bowls from a compartment inside the van, he scooped small amounts of dry food into them and quickly set about giving the dogs in the other vans a meal. The dogs happily gobbled up the food. “Just what they needed,” he offered. “Probably ain’t had this much attention in a while.” While he continued his task, Tim, and Eric each brought out another dog and loaded them into their vans.

“Just a couple more and you can take this load back,” Tim said to Josh as another van arrived. “Can you guys set up some live traps for the cats inside before you go?” he turned and greeted Luke Simpson, another transport driver. “By then, we should have these two completely loaded and you two can head back.”

“NO!” came a loud screech from the back of the house. “YOU CAN’T TAKE ALL MY ANIMALS!” It was the owner of the property, Betty Marvel. Visually upset, she swung her cane and nearly struck Marie in the face. “I WON’T LET YOU TAKE THEM!” she insisted.

“Now, Mama,” Debra tried to calm her mother. “These folks just want to do what’s best.”

“This is fuckin’ bullshit!” Dwayne exclaimed. “Leave her the fuck alone, God dammit!”

Adam approached the scene and calmly pulled Dwayne aside. “Either calm down or I will put you in custody,” he whispered to the bigger man. “This is your last warning.”

Dwayne pressed his index finger into the center of Adam’s chest. “Oh, yeah?” he sneered. “You ain’t big enough,” he added, drawing back his fist.

The sound of a gun cocking split the tension. “But I am,” Tom stated, his service weapon trained on Dwayne. “Either shut the hell up or you can sit in the back of my cruiser. Do I make myself clear?” he demanded as Dwayne lowered his gaze and stepped back. Certain that calm was restored, Tom returned his weapon to its holster.

Debra grabbed at Dwayne’s arm. “Why don’t you just get the hell outta here, Dwayne,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Can’t you see this is bad enough without you making a damn fool of yourself?”

With Adam and Tom’s attention taken up by the activities at the rear of the home, Josh and Luke approached the front windows where several cats and kittens had already been removed. With as many carriers as each young man could carry, they decided to see if they could retrieve any more animals without the use of traps. Opening the center window, Josh peered inside. The smell of ammonia assaulted his nostrils as he popped the top on a can of moist cat food. Before he could set the can onto the windowsill, a skinny gray and white cat jumped up and began sniffing at the food. Several more gathered and moved closer. With little effort, Josh picked up one cat and then another and handed them to Luke, who placed each one into a carrier. With four carriers full, Luke ran to secure more containers. He quickly placed a number of cats into cages in his van and returned to gather up several more. When Tom returned to check on them, they had removed sixteen cats without so much as a scratch to either young man.

“How in the hell did you two manage to get this many?” Tom asked as Josh placed two carriers, each containing two cats, into the van.

Closing the side door, Luke replied, “They just came to us when we offered them some food.”

Yet another van arrived as Tim finished loading another dog into the van that Luke had driven. Juan Garcia exited the driver’s seat and spoke to Luke. “We’re here to take two vans back to the shelter,” he said, motioning toward his passenger, Diego Hernandez. “As soon as we get them unloaded, we’ll head back,” he added. Within minutes the two white vans backed from the driveway and were off.

Marie approached Tom. “May I speak privately?” she asked as Tom ushered her away from the side of the van. Once they were alone, Marie continued, “I think we’ve come to a compromise.”

“How so?” Tom inquired.

“They’re going to let us get a dumpster out here to clear some of the trash out of the house, but she wants us to let her stay the night,” Marie advised. “It’s a lot of change for her all at once and the family feels it would be best if we let her have some say in how this is done.”

Tom scratched his forehead. “Will she allow us inside?” he asked.

Marie shook her head. “We’re working on that but she’s pretty insistent that she doesn’t want anyone inside yet.” She smiled. “I think she’s embarrassed, to be honest,” she added.

“We’ve already removed over two dozen cats from the front room,” Tom advised. “They all acted like they couldn’t wait to get out of here.”

“We just won’t tell her about that,” Marie replied. “I don’t think she has any idea how many cats are inside anyway.”

“We want to put some live traps in the house,” Tom told her. “But we can wait until tomorrow if we have to. We have about half of the dogs loaded up now. I might send the boys for lunch before too long though.”

“That might be a good idea. That way, we can get the dumpster here and some volunteers to start clearing out the back porch and kitchen.”

While Luke helped Eric get a particularly lively black and white mixed breed into the van, Tim approached with an extremely thin brown chow dog. “This one was out back in a pen by himself,” he stated. “No food or water and covered in ticks. There are two more bigger dogs back there that are just as bad.” He quickly scooped some dry food from the bag and offered it to the dog as Eric poured some water into an empty cat food can. The dog quickly lapped up the water and sniffed the food. “I don’t think he understands what it is,” Tim said sadly. “Poor fella.” The dog looked up sadly before flopping onto the concrete drive, offering his dirty, flea covered belly for anyone to pet him. “It’s okay,” Tim soothed as he rubbed the dog’s underside. “We’ll take good care of you.”

“We’re gonna take these two trucks back to the shelter,” Luke offered as the last dog was loaded up and another van pulled into the drive. “Hey, Juan,” he called to the driver.

Juan Martinez put the van in park and switched off the engine. “Hey, guys,” he replied as he exited the blue van. “Brady said you guys might have another one for me to bring back.”

“This one’s full,” Tom answered, patting the side of the one containing all the cats. “I think I’m gonna send Tim and Eric back so they can grab some lunch,” he went on as Adam approached from the back of the house.

“I think they finally got her calmed down,” Adam said of the homeowner. “She’s pretty upset by all of this. I really feel sorry for her,” he added. Laughing, he whispered, “Her kids are bat-shit crazy though. The daughter claims she cleaned the house from top to bottom a month ago.”

“Marie said they called for a dumpster,” Tom replied. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is more than a month’s worth of trash.” He paused, “But, anything’s possible,” he added while a dark blue Crown Victoria arrived in front of the house, followed by a gold Suburban.

A tall young black man exited the Suburban and stepped to the rear of the vehicle. He removed a large canvas covered canopy and two folding chairs as another young man approached from the sedan. “We’re with A.P.S.,” the taller man advised. “Have you seen Marie?”

“She’s around the back of the house,” Adam responded while the second man removed more chairs and a folding table from the SUV. “I’ll show you,” he added.

********

Removing a meatloaf from the oven, Brady called out, “Dinner!” He set the pan onto the stove just as Eric entered the back door.

Eric hung his keys on a hook by the back door and kicked off his work boots. “Gonna grab a quick shower,” the younger man called, bounding down the stairs. He quickly peeled off his polo shirt and tossed it into the hamper in the laundry room. Zander was sitting at the table in the family room, schoolbooks open and papers scattered around. “Hey, Sport,” Eric called as he entered his bedroom. “Dinner’s ready.”

Looking up from his homework, Zander replied, “Yeah, I heard.” He turned toward Eric’s room just as the older boy returned, a towel draped over his shoulder. “Damn, you look hot,” he teased when he saw Eric’s nakedness

Eric paused when he heard Zander’s comment. “Easy, Tiger,” he said, flexing briefly. “Look but don’t touch.”

Sweat beads appeared on Zander’s upper lip as he studied his older foster brother. Dark hair covered his chest and tapered to a vee shape just below his pecs and spread out, once more, across his flat stomach. His neatly circumcised penis hung limply over his equally hair covered testicles. “Uh, you better put that thing away,” he joked. “I can’t be held responsible for what I might do,” he added as he rose from his seat. He smiled as he adjusted his quickly growing erection inside his jeans.

Realizing the awkwardness of the moment, Eric quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and marched toward the shower room, bumping into Darin as he sped past. “You coming?” Darin asked the younger boy, sensing the tension in the air.

Zander giggled. “Not yet,” he replied, averting Darin’s gaze to avoid eye contact, his cheeks flushing red.

“Everything okay?” Darin inquired.

Nodding, Zander answered, “Yeah, just filling my spank bank.”

Darin smiled but made no comment.

“I gotta pee,” Zander said, starting for the locker room.

Before he could get to the hallway, Darin grabbed the boy’s shoulders and turned him around. “I think you’ve seen enough, young man,” he scolded. “Pee upstairs.” With a chuckle, he added, “And don’t forget to wash your hands.”

Before returning upstairs, Darin peered into the shower room. “Damn, he thought when he saw Eric in the shower. The smaller man was concentrating on rinsing his hair, the soapy water cascading over his hairy body. Darin quickly adjusted his growing penis and hurried up the stairs. Once at the top, he put his arms around Brady and pulled him into a tight hug, pressing his engorged manhood into his partner’s hip.

Turning to offer a kiss, Brady felt Darin’s erection against him and asked, “What’s gotten into you?” before giving Darin an open-mouthed kiss on the lips.

“EW! Gross,” Zander complained. “Get a room, guys.”

Pulling away, Brady asked the boy, “What would you like to drink?” Turning, he adjusted himself as Darin tried to do the same. Both men were red faced as they caught each other’s glances.

The quartet gathered around the table when Eric bounded up the back stairs. “Sorry,” he apologized. “It’s been a long hot day.”

“How did it go?” Darin asked, scooping mashed potatoes onto his plate, and passing the bowl to Eric.

“We got fifty-four dogs and twenty-eight cats,” Eric answered. “They want us to come back in the morning to start setting live traps inside the house.

“I heard it was pretty bad inside the house,” Brady stated. “Tom said they filled one of the biggest dumpsters they could get and didn’t even get past the kitchen. Was there really that much trash?”

Eric nodded. “It was awful,” he replied. “The cats were all from a front room that was packed with trash and garbage. I think they just wanted to breathe fresh air.”

“I don’t understand how anyone can let their house get that bad,” Darin offered as Zander passed a bowl of green beans to him.

“I’m not sure how many more animals are in the house,” Eric stated, taking a bite of meatloaf. “This is delicious,” he said to Brady.

Brady smiled. “Thank you, it’s my mother’s recipe,” he lied.

“I thought I saw you download it off the internet,” Zander corrected.

Swatting the boy’s arm, Brady protested, “Don’t go telling all my secrets,” he admonished.

“Speaking of internet,” Zander began, “Can I use the computer after supper to finish some homework?”

“As long as you use the one in the family room,” Darin answered. “And don’t even think about searching for porn,” he warned.

“Aw, Dad!” Zander complained.

“Don’t you, ‘aw, Dad’ me, young man. Besides, there’s locks on it so you can’t,” he added, sticking his tongue out at the boy.

********

Brady was washing up the last of the supper dishes when Darin picked up a dish towel and began drying a plate. “I think we need to talk to Zander about…uh…”

Brady looked up at his partner. “Oh, no,” he said with a smile. “Not the talk.”

“When I went downstairs, I saw Eric wrap a towel around his waist and Zander looked to be sporting some pretty healthy wood from what he had seen,” he began. “I’m not sure what they were talking about, but he said something about filling his ‘spank bank’ and we both know what that means.”

“Well, we both knew the time would come sooner rather than later,” Brady offered. “You want to talk to him together?” There was the sound of a cel phone ringing as both men searched for their phones. Brady snatched his phone from the counter. “This is Brady,” he said. His look grew serious. “Uh-huh,” he continued. “Any chance she got out?” He looked toward Darin, sadness in his eyes. “Okay, keep me posted,” he said, flipping the phone closed and tossing it onto the table.

Darin pulled out a chair and sat down. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Brady sat as well. “Betty Marvel, the lady with all the dogs,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Uh, can you call Eric?” Brady asked. “He needs to hear this too.”

“I’ll get him,” Darin said as he disappeared down the stairs, returning within a few seconds.

“What’s up?” Eric inquired.

Brady patted the table, indicating for the boy to sit as Darin took his chair once more. “Tom just called,” Brady began. “Betty Marvel, the lady whose house you were at today…”

“Yeah, what about her?” Eric looked confused.

“Well,” Brady paused, searching for words. “A.P.S. decided to let her stay in her home one more night so they could make arrangements for her to move into an assisted living facility.” He stood, reaching for a glass of soda on the counter. Taking a drink, he continued, “Her grand-daughter was supposed to stay with her tonight, but Betty talked her into going to get a pizza.” He paused once more. “While she was gone, Betty seat a fire and, by the time the girl got back…”

Eric sat stunned. “Oh, no,” he said softly. “Is she okay?”

Shaking his head, Brady replied, “The house was fully involved when the fire department got there. They found some empty gas cans outside the back door. Somebody made a comment that the house was a fire hazard.” He placed his hand atop Eric’s. “They think she set the fire a few minutes after her grand-daughter left to get the pizza. They found her in her bedroom.”

“Wow,” was all Eric could say as he sat in disbelief, tears rolling across his cheeks.

********

Brady was brushing his teeth when Darin came into the bedroom. “I think I got Eric settled,” Darin stated. “He’s pretty upset by all this.”

“Can you blame him?” Brady asked. “I mean, he spent the entire day out there.”

Stepping into the bathroom, Darin peeled off his dark gray tee shirt and tossed it into the hamper while Brady stared at his partner’s reflection in the mirror. “You know, you’re avout vhe feckfiest man I’ve ever feen,” he said, his toothbrush still in his mouth.

“What?” Darin giggled, picking up his own toothbrush.

“Spitting into the sink, Brady repeated, “I said, you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” Rinsing his mouth, he spit into the sink once more before wiping the basin with his washcloth. He reached out to pinch Darin’s left nipple amid the ample nest of dark chest hair before removing his own tee shirt revealing an equal amount of hair on his own chest.

Darin swatted him on his butt and grabbed at the waistband of Brady’s boxer shorts. “I don’t know, I think you’re pretty sexy too,” he teased as he pulled the underwear over Brady’s hairy butt, abandoning the toothbrush in the sink on his side of the vanity.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Fifteen

They were seated in a booth, across from each other. It was just past eight on Friday evening. Bobby took a drink of his Dr. Pepper as a young Hispanic girl set a tray on the end of their table. Eric reached for his food while Bobby waited. Pulling several napkins from the holder at the back of the table, Bobby asked, “So, ya come here often?” He took another sip of his drink and smiled.

Eric unwrapped his burrito and smiled. “Not too often,” he replied. He waited while Bobby unwrapped his food before he continued. “I’m really glad you called. It’s been a rough week and I was beginning to think you had changed your mind.”

Bobby took a bite of his food and chewed for a moment. Taking another sip of his drink, he shook his head. “Naw, I was worried you weren’t really interested in me,” he stated. “I ain’t been…with too many guys and I just…”

“I haven’t either,” Eric stated with a chuckle. “I haven’t had the best of luck with my previous relationships.”

“I didn’t mean nothin’ by that,” Bobby said, his face flushing red. “I just meant; I got no idea how this works.” He took another bite of his food and chewed slowly.

Reaching across the table, Eric placed his hand on Bobby’s arm. “It’s all right,” he consoled. “Let’s try something, okay?”

“What ya got in mind?”

Extending his hand, Eric began, “Hi, my name’s Eric and I’d really like to get to know you.” He took a long pull on his drink and waited.

Taking Eric’s hand and shaking it, Bobby replied, “I’d like that a lot.”

The pair exchanged small talk for the next forty-five minutes as they enjoyed their meal. After each had finished, they crumpled up the wrappers and piled them onto their tray. Eric picked up a napkin and quickly wiped the table, catching the crumbs in his hand and brushing them onto the tray as well. “You want a refill?” he asked, reaching for Bobby’s cup, and sliding from his seat.

Outside they stood next to Bobby’s yellow station wagon. “Whadaya wanna do now?” Bobby asked, unlocking Eric’s door, and opening it.

Eric climbed into the old car and smiled. “We could just go somewhere and talk,” he offered. “Unless there’s something you wanna do.”

Closing the door, Bobby ran around the front of the car while Eric reached over and pulled the lock button on the driver’s side. Crawling inside, Bobby put the key into the ignition. Before starting the car, he leaned over and gave Eric a quick kiss on the lips. “I been wantin’ to do that since that day in fron’a the school,” he said smiling broadly.

Without comment, Eric grabbed the bigger boy by his collar and pulled him closer and planted another long kiss of his own. As their tongues met, Bobby pressed harder into Eric. After several moments, Eric ended the kiss. Looking around to see if anyone was watching, he leaned against the back of the seat. “There has to be somewhere we can go,” he lamented.

Starting the car, Bobby smiled again. “I hope so,” he laughed, “I had a hard-on since I picked you up.” He checked traffic and backed from the parking space. Stopping at the street, he asked, “Left, or right?”

“Just drive,” Eric responded, “I’ll think of something.”

As soon as traffic cleared, Bobby gunned the car to the left. “I know just the place,” he offered, accelerating the old Oldsmobile toward the south. Within a few minutes, he turned onto a gravel road and went about a mile before turning off onto a long lane that led to an abandoned farmhouse. Stopping the car beside what was left of the front porch, he killed the lights and switched off the engine.

Eric looked at the old building. “I don’t know, it looks kinda scary,” he stated.

Bobby stepped out of the car and swung open the back door. “Not in there,” he replied. “That place is about to fall down.” He quickly laid the back seat down and grabbed a futon mattress and unrolled it. “We got all kinda room right here. My buddy got a new bed and was gonna get rid of this.” He tossed two pillows against the back of the front seat as he crawled into the back of the car. Untying his tennis shoes and tossing them on the front seat, he stretched out. “Come on in,” he coaxed.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you planned this,” Eric teased, opening the other door and crawling in. After removing his shoes, he snuggled next to Bobby and laid his head on the pillow. “This is nice,” he whispered as Bobby leaned in for a long slow kiss.

Without releasing the lip lock, Bobby began unbuttoning Eric’s shirt while Eric followed suit. “Mmm,” he moaned softly as Eric pinched his left nipple. “Zander told Henry you had a hairy chest. I had no idea it was this nice.”

“Hey, you’re not doin’ too bad in that department either,” Eric replied as he rubbed his hands over Bobby’s chest. Slowly he rolled on top of Bobby and pressed his mouth against the taller boy.

Bobby ran his hands down Eric’s back and slid them inside the boy’s jeans. Cupping the small ass cheeks, he whispered, “Oh, wow. You got a hairy butt too.” the kiss continued while bobby rolled Eric onto the mattress and quickly undid his belt and the top button of the smaller boy’s jeans.

Eric’s hands moved to slip Bobby’s belt open and, without looking, he popped the button and slid Bobby’s zipper down, grasping the waistband of his underwear. Quickly, he tucked the jockey shorts beneath Bobby’s substantial balls. Grasping the thick tube, he moaned, “Mmmm.” Slowly he began to stroke up and down, rubbing his thumb across the slick glans. “Looks like you’re about to burst,” he whispered, pulling back from the passionate kiss.

Bobby laughed. “Yeah, it’s been a while since anyone else gave me any attention,” he said softly. “Careful, I might not be able to hold off very long.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see if we can get another round out of you then,” Eric teased, twisting around so his face was level with Bobby’s crotch. Slowly, he licked a trickle of pre-seminal fluid from the head of Bobby’s circumcised penis. Without warning, he lowered his mouth over the length. He gagged slightly when his nose brushed against the thick reddish pubic hair. He pulled back just enough to inhale quickly and sucked the thick tube into his throat once more.

Bobby grasped the top of Eric’s head as the smaller boy increased his tempo. “It won’t be long now,” he warned, his breath growing faster and heavier. “Oh, man, I’m about there. I’m gonna…”

Without warning, the interior of the car was flooded with light. From outside the car, a voice called out, “Okay boys, time to move on.” This was followed by a tapping on the window. “Police, let’s see your hands.”

Eric quickly rolled onto his back and grabbed at his belt, trying to fasten his pants. Bobby flipped onto his side and tucked his rapidly shriveling manhood into his jeans. “Holy, shit!” Bobby exclaimed. The driver’s side rear door opened, and the officer shined the light in Bobby’s face.

“Oh, hey Bobby,” the officer stated. “What’re you doin’ here?”

Bobby looked at the officer. “I was just about to shoot a load, ya dork,” he retorted. “Thanks for ruinin’ it for me.”

“You know him?” Eric whispered loudly.

The officer shined his light on Eric’s handsome face. “Sorry to interrupt, he apologized. “But we got a call from one of the neighbors se we had to check it out.

Smiling, Bobby offered, “Derwood Silvermoon, this is Eric.” Turning to the officer he said, “You know you coulda just joined us.” Still buttoning his shirt, he climbed through the open door and stood on the cool ground. “Do you mind if I get my shoes? The grass is wet,” he inquired, opening the front door while Eric joined him. He handed Eric his shoes before pulling on his own.

Nodding, Derwood stated, “Ya know, technically, ya just bribed a police officer. That kinda shit could get ya arrested.”

“I know, my bad,” Bobby apologized. Turning to Eric, he added, “Me and Derwood went to high school together.”

Lights appeared along the lane as another patrol car approached. “You guys put back together?” Derwood asked before the second officer approached.

Both boys nodded. “Yeah, we’re cool,” Bobby replied, smoothing his shirt.

“What ya got here, Silvermoon?” the second officer asked, shining his light toward both boys.

Derwood stepped toward the other patrolman, blocking his light. “Just a couple friends havin’ a conversation. Didn’t realize it was private property.”

The officer shined his light at Bobby first and then Eric. “Uh-huh,” he replied, not seeming convinced. Well, it IS private property, and the owners don’t want you ‘friends’ havin’ conversations…” He paused, shining the light into the rear compartment of the car. “Or nothin’ else. So, move along.”

“We will,” both boys responded. “Sorry,” Bobby added.

Before heading back to his cruiser, the officer warned, “And don’t let me catch you here again.” He walked back to his cruiser, turned the car around and headed back down the long lane.

Eric leaned against the yellow car. “I thought sure we were gonna get arrested,” he said with a laugh.

Derwood turned off his flashlight. “Nah, me and Bobby go way back. Ain’t nothin’ I ain’t never seen before.”

Bobby nodded. “That’s for sure, me and Derwood used to jerk off together when we were younger.” He punched the cop on the shoulder. “Gave him my first blow job.”

“Mine too,” Derwood agreed.

“Seriously?” Eric asked, shocked.

Nodding again, Bobby replied, “Yeah, it happened pretty reg’lar till he discovered pussy.” He let out a laugh. “Totally ruined him,” he added.

“Hey, don’t knock it till ya tried it,” Derwood warned. “Kathy’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Besides, we wanted different things.”

“Yeah, I wanted a boyfriend, and you wanted a girlfriend,” Bobby complained. “Tell me something…and be honest.”

Derwood nodded.

“You ever have a blow job better’n the ones I gave ya?”

His face flashing red, Derwood turned and coughed. “I don’t think I wanna answer that,” he protested.

Bobby laughed. “That’s what I thought.”

Turning serious, Derwood warned, “You guys better get goin’ before Sanchez comes back.”

“He won’t make trouble for you, will he?” Eric asked, moving around the front of the car.

Derwood shook his head. “Nah, he just likes to throw his weight around,” he replied. “It’s good to see ya again,” he said to Bobby.

“Same here,” Bobby agreed. “If ya ever wanna have some fun, give me a call,” he added before climbing into the driver’s seat and turning the ignition. “I wouldn’t mind getting’ another taste o’ that big uncut cock o’ yours.”

“You still at your mom’s?” Derwood inquired, blushing.

Placing the car in reverse, Bobby answered, “Yup. Same number.”

Derwood waved as the yellow car turned around and moved down the long drive. Once he witnessed them turn onto the road, he climbed into his patrol car and returned to work.

********

Bobby stopped the car in the driveway behind the house. He turned off the engine and switched off the lights. Leaning back in his seat, he offered, “Sorry ‘bout earlier.”

Eric, his hand on the door handle, replied, “It’s okay.” He laid his head against the seat back.

Bobby leaned over and placed his lips against the smaller boy’s. After a few moments, he pulled away and said, “I hope we can do it again sometime.” Quickly, he added, “not the whole ‘getting busted’ thing, but…”

Eric laughed. “I was gonna say…” he stated. “It was nice though,” he admitted.

“All things considered?”

“Yeah, all things considered.” After another pause, Eric opened his door and stepped onto the gravel. Walking around the front of the car, he stopped at the driver’s window. He quickly leaned in and gave Bobby another kiss on the lips. “G’night,” he said, stepping back from the car as he started the engine.

“I’ll call you,” Bobby offered, placing the car into drive, and moving slowly forward.

“You better,” Eric warned.

How ‘bout a movie next Friday?” Bobby asked. “Maybe we can take the young’un along and give your dads a night to themselves,” he added.

Eric nodded. “Sounds like a plan,” he replied. “I still want you to call me though.”

“Will do,” Bobby called out as the car moved farther away. “G’night,” he said.

Eric watched as the car made its way down the long drive toward the road. Listening until he could no longer hear the car, he turned and went inside through the garage. Entering the kitchen, he noticed a light from the living room. He kicked off his shoes and hung his jacket on a hook at the top of the back stairs. Carrying his shoes, he made his way through the kitchen. As he rounded the corner into the front room, he hesitated. Memories of what he encountered a few weeks earlier. He was relieved when he saw that only Darin was seated on the sofa, reading a magazine. “Are you waiting up?” he asked the older man.

“Of course not,” Darin insisted. Realizing the magazine was upside down, his face blushed slightly. “Okay, maybe a little,” he admitted with a sly grin. “I was worried about you,” he confessed. “Sue me,” he added, tossing the magazine onto the coffee table.

“It’s okay,” Eric stated. “I’m flattered, actually.”

Patting the cushion next to him, Darin said, “Come. Sit. I want to hear all about it.”

Eric laughed. “It was pretty wonderful,” he began, “Until the cops showed up, anyway.” He laughed again.

“What?” Darin asked, alarmed.

“It’s okay,” Eric replied. “One of the cops was an old friend of Bobby’s.”

Confused, Darin asked again, “What happened.”

“We were parked by an old, abandoned farmhouse and one of the neighbors called the cops,” the younger man confessed. “We were in the back, uh…well…you know?” he stammered.

“You say Bobby knew one of the cops?” Darin pressed.

“Yeah, they went to school together. They told us to move along.”

“He seems like a nice enough kid,” Darin changed the subject. “You gonna see him again?”

Nodding, Eric replied, “We’re gonna go to a movie next Friday.” His cel phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s him,” he whispered as he opened the phone.

“Well, I’m off to bed then,” Darin said, rising from his seat. “Good night, sleep tight,” he added, switching off the light next to the sofa and moving toward the bedroom.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” Eric added as he reached the top of the front stairs. “Hey there,” he said, placing the phone to his ear. “I was starting to miss you,” he added, bounding down the steps toward his own bedroom.

When Darin entered their bedroom, there was an old movie on television. Brady was curled up on his side of the bed, his eyes closed. Quietly, Darin turned on the lamp on his side of the bed before using the remote to switch off the set. Brady rolled over, stretched and smiled. “I take it the boy has returned?” he asked, stretching.

Slipping out of his jean shorts, Darin replied, “Yeah, all is well.”

“Did he have fun?” Brady asked. “Bobby seems like a nice kid,” he added.

“He said they did,” Darin replied. “I wanna like him but something just doesn’t feel quite right.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a ‘dad’ thing,” Darin answered, crawling into bed.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Sixteen

Liz Peterson was seated in front of Brady’s desk when Darin returned from an errand. Walking into Brady’s office, he greeted them both. “What’s up?” he asked.

Shifting nervously in her seat, Liz handed him some papers. “Zander’s mother has petitioned the court to regain custody of her son,” she replied.

Darin dropped into the chair next to Liz and studied the papers. “After almost six years? Can she do this?” he asked.

Brady, who had been silent, added, “I don’t see where she has much of a leg to stand on. I mean, she abandoned him, didn’t she?”

“That’s what we’re going to tell the judge,” Liz answered. “The fact that she left him with a non-relative and has had no contact with him this entire time is in our favor as well.” She fixed her gaze on her shoe and continued, “But, we have to try to re-unite children with their biological parent whenever possible.”

“Even though she abandoned him?” Brady repeated.

Liz shook her head. “Look,” she replied. “I totally agree with you. I, personally, don’t want to return him to her after all this time but, we may not have a choice. If the judge determines that she’s stable, he will have to go back to her.”

Brady lowered himself into his chair and rested his elbows on the desktop. “What if…” he began, looking to Darin for encouragement.

“What if we filed for adoption?” Darin interrupted, sensing the direction Brady was hoping to go. “Would that give us any type of an edge?”

Liz nodded. “I don’t think we could do a joint adoption, but I might be able to file a single parent adoption. With the improvement in Zander’s behavior and grades, you should be able to, at least, get a hearing.”

“I’m home!” Zander called from the hallway as he entered from the kennel building.

Darin sighed. “In here, Pal,” he called back. “We need to talk, he added.

“What’s going on?” Zander asked when he entered the office. “Hi, Miss Peterson,” he greeted Liz, tears welling in his eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re shipping me somewhere else,” he pleaded. “I…” The tears won their battle as Brady rushed to comfort the boy.

Darin joined his family, wrapping his arms around both as their emotions took hold. “Not a chance,” he whispered to the boy. “We’re a family and we’re gonna stay that way.”

While Liz Peterson looked on, tears streaming across her face, she stated, “We have a lot of work to do.” She removed a file folder from her bag and shuffled through several forms. Laying three forms on Brady’s desk, she began filling out the first one. When she had finished the third one, she turned to Darin. “I’ll need you to sign here,” she indicated the spot on the first form.

“Do you really think this will work?” Brady asked as Darin signed the forms where Liz indicated.

“It’s worth a shot,” she replied. “I’ll back date them to a few days before his mom’s petition. If nothing else, it will show that you really want Zander to stay with you.”

“What if the judge questions it?” Darin asked.

Liz placed the forms back into the folder and slid the folder into her bag. “You let me worry about that,” she stated. “I think I have an plan that could make everyone happy.”

********

Seated on a bench outside the court room, Liz Peterson studied some papers on her lap. When she heard the elevator door open, she looked to see Brady and Eric, followed by Darin and Zander as they approached. It was thirty minutes before the hearing was to commence. “I’m so glad you guys are a little early,” she said as the four approached.”

“Is my mother here yet?” Zander inquired sadly.

Liz shook her head. “I haven’t seen her,” she replied, “But she might have come in another way.”

A tall, balding man approached and entered the court room as a younger man with blond hair approached from the opposite end of the hallway. “Miss Peterson?” he asked. “I’m Elliott Anderson. I’ll be taking over your case.”

Reaching out to shake the man’s hand, she asked, “What happened to Mister Stephanik?”

“There was a conflict,” Elliott answered. “My firm thought I would be better to handle the case anyway.” Turning to the others, he asked, “Which one of you is Mister Johnson?”

“I am,” Darin replied, taking the man’s hand in a firm handshake. “This is my partner, Brady and our other son, Eric,” he added, indicating the others. “And this is Zander.”

“Pleased to meet you all,” Elliott stated. “I’ve gone over all of Mister Stephanik’s notes on this case and I’m very optimistic.”

“Do you think we’ll prevail?” Darin asked, hopefully.

Elliott nodded. “It IS possible that the judge could rule in Miss Bryant’s favor but I’m hopeful.”

“I won’t go with her,” Zander protested as Brady pulled him into a bear hug.

Just then, a dark-skinned black woman appeared in the doorway to the court room and called Zander’s name. “Would you come with me?” she said.

“Where are we going?” the boy asked nervously.

The woman smiled. “My name is Tammy and I’ll be waiting with you in one of the holding rooms.”

Darin gave the boy a quick hug and kissed the top of his head. “Go ahead, Son,” he urged. “We won’t leave without you.”

When the boy followed, Tammy closed the door and the two disappeared.

Turning to Elliott, Darin stated, “I better not have to break that promise.”

“I’ll do everything I can,” Elliott promised him. Looking at his watch, he added, “We’d better get inside.” As he took his place at one of the large wooden tables that flanked either side of the room. The others took their seats behind him.

After what felt like an eternity, the bailiff entered. “All rise!” he called. A stout woman with steel gray hair entered the room. “Court is now in session, the Honorable Janice Mitchell presiding!” he continued.

Taking her seat, Judge Mitchell banged her gavel. “Be seated,” she stated. “Talk to me, gentlemen.”

The balding man spoke first. “Your Honor, I’m Eugene Alvarez,” he began. “I’ll be representing Miss Beverly Bryant in this matter.”

“And where is your client, Mister Alvarez?” the judge inquired as Elliott turned to Darin and smiled.

“I’m not sure, Your Honor,” Alvarez responded.

“Was she aware of the time and location of these proceedings?” she asked.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Are you prepared to continue without her?” she pressed.

“Yes, Your Honor,” he replied.

Turning to face Elliott Anderson, she stated, “Very well then, if there is no objection…?”

“None, Your Honor,” Elliott said in response. “Elliott Anderson representing the state.”

For several minutes, Eugene Alvarez laid out the case as to why custody of Zander should be returned to his birth mother. He explained that Beverly Bryant had been involved in an abusive relationship and she had only recently been able to return for her son. After a series of questions, Judge Mitchell turned to Elliott. “Mister Anderson, can you enlighten me as to why the state feels that the minor child should not be returned to his mother.”

Clearing his throat, Elliott began, “Your Honor, Miss Bryant left the boy with a non-relative nearly six years ago and has had no contact with the boy during the entire time.”

“Is this true, Mister Alvarez?” she asked.

Nodding, Alvarez responded, “Uh, yes…yes, it is.”

“I see. Proceed,” she directed.

“After a year, the non-relative realized that Miss Bryant was likely not going to return. At that time, as he was beginning a new relationship with another woman, he took the boy to the Mountain Home facility. He felt it would be in the child’s best interest. Following his placement, he was placed in a series of foster homes.” Elliott paused, removing some papers from a file folder on the table in front of him. “Even after she filed to regain custody, Miss Bryant has yet to establish any contact with her son,” he added. “The boy is currently in a home where he is thriving, and he has shown marked improvement in his schoolwork.” He handed several papers to the judge and another set to Mister Alvarez.

“Mister Alvarez, do you have any idea why Miss Bryant did not attempt to contact the boy?” the judge asked.

“No, Your Honor,” he responded. “She stated to me that she had tried to contact her son but was told that she could not speak to him.”

“I see,” Judge Mitchell said. “Mister Anderson, is this true?”

Darin shook his head when Elliott made eye contact. “No, ma’am,” he replied.

“Go on Mister Anderson.”

“The boy’s foster parents have also filed to formally adopt the boy,” he continued, handing another form to both parties.

Looking over the form, Judge Mitchell asked, “Is Mister Johnson present?”

“He is, Your Honor,” Elliott responded as Darin raised his hand.

“This isn’t grade school, Mister Johnson,” she said with a smile.

“Sorry, Your Honor,” Darin replied, rising from his seat.

“No need to apologize,” she began. “I’m just curious as to why you want to adopt…” She paused, searching the form, “Zander, is it?”

Darin stood and faced the bench. “Your Honor, if I may offer a little background…” he began.

“Certainly,” she agreed.

Darin cleared his throat. “When Zander first came to us, he was convinced that we would cast him aside as other foster families had done. He was extremely shy and had been having problems with bullying in school.” He paused, motioning for Brady to join him. “This is my partner, Brady Tortellino,” he stated as Brady stood. “We made Zander a promise that he would have a home with us as long as he wanted to stay.”

“I understand, Mister Johnson,” Judge Mitchell stated. “What was the nature of the bullying?”

“Another student was bullying him because he’s gay,” Darin stated matter-of-factly. “Having dealt with the same type of bullying, Brady and I knew how difficult it can be.” He cleared his throat once more.

“Would you like a drink of water, Mister Johnson?” the judge asked, motioning for the bailiff.

Darin blushed and held up his hand. “I’m fine, Your Honor,” he said. “Since Zander has been with us, he’s gone from a C and D student to mostly A’s and B’s. He’s become an integral part of our family as well.”

“May I ask why you aren’t doing a joint adoption?” she inquired.

Darin smiled. “We thought it might be easier for me to do a single parent adoption for now, but we would both be active in his care.”

She addressed Brady, “Mister Torta…”

“Tortellino,” Brady offered.

“Sorry,” the judge apologized.

“It’s okay,” Brady replied, “I’m used to it.”

“Perhaps you should just change your name to Johnson,” she said with a sly smile.

“We’ve discussed it,” Brady responded, smiling.

Judge Mitchell laughed softly. “Is it your intention to be as much a parent to Zander as Mister Johnson?”

“Absolutely,” Brady stated.

“Is the child present today?” the judge inquired, looking around the courtroom. “I’d like to speak with him myself.” She removed her glasses and laid them in front of her. “Thank you, gentlemen.”

Elliott nodded. “Yes, Your Honor, he is.”

“I’d like to meet with him privately,” she said, tapping her gavel on her desk. “We’ll take a short recess. Bailiff, bring the young man to my chambers,” she added.

“All rise!“ the bailiff called out as the judge exited the room through a door to the right of the bench.

As they waited for what again seemed like hours, Darin asked Elliott, “Do you get any sense of what she might do?”

“When I saw it was Judge Mitchell, I figured we’d have to fight a little harder than what we have,” Elliott replied. “She nearly always rules in favor of the biological parents. The fact that Beverly didn’t show up looks very good for us.”

Brady asked, “What about the fact that she spoke to us?”

Elliott shook his head. “Normally, unless there are allegations of abuse, there aren’t any witnesses called,” he answered. “The fact that she wanted more information from you is a good sign,” he added as the door opened and the bailiff appeared once again.

“All rise,” the bailiff announced as Judge Mitchell returned and took her seat.

“Be seated,” she said with a bang of her gavel. After a short silence, she began, “Normally, in these proceedings, I try to return custody to the biological parents whenever practical. Upon my initial review of this case, I was inclined to follow that course,” She paused, taking a drink of water. “However, after talking with the minor child and reviewing the facts, I don’t think that would be in his best interest. Turning to Eugene Alvarez, she asked, “Are you aware of the whereabouts of Miss Bryant’s other son, Mister Alvarez?”

He shuffled some papers on the table in front of him. “I…uh…” he stammered.

“It’s not a difficult question, Mister Alvarez,” the judge admonished. “Do you know where her other son is?”

Laying his pencil on the table, Alvarez looked at the judge. “Her younger son and a daughter are in foster care in Houston,” he finally responded. “And another infant daughter was put up for adoption six months ago.”

Elliott interrupted, “Your Honor?” he said.

Judge Mitchell held up her hand. “Not right now, Mister Anderson, she stated. “So, you’re telling me that she not only abandoned her oldest child but her other children are also in foster care?” she asked Alvarez.

Softly, Eugene Alvarez replied, “That’s correct, Your Honor.”

Judge Mitchell put her hand on her chin and asked, “So, in other words, Miss Bryant has a history of abandoning her children?” she asked somewhat sarcastic.

Eugene Alvarez stood up. “Your Honor, I object…” he said.

“You can object all you want, Mister Alvarez. I’m simply stating a fact,” she admonished him. Turning to Elliott, she continued, “I’ve heard enough. Mister Anderson, Mister Alvarez, I’m ready to rule on this matter.”

Both men stood as Judge Mitchell took a deep breath. Darin let out a soft sigh as she began. “After my conversation with his foster fathers and, based upon the fact that the mother has made no attempt to contact her son, nor did she even appear for these proceedings, it is my ruling that custody should not be returned to her. In fact, Miss Bryant has not taken any role in raising her son for more than six years and has shown no real regard for his wellbeing. Additionally, it appears that Miss Bryant has offered no indication that she is capable of caring for any of her children. Therefore, it is my ruling that Miss Bryant’s parental rights shall be terminated, and that Zander should remain in the care of his foster fathers, Mister Darin Johnson, and Mister Brady Tortellino, until such time as proper adoption papers can be filed with this court. “

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Elliott stated.

Judge Mitchell pointed at Elliott. “And I do mean ‘proper’ adoption papers, Mister Anderson,” she held up the copy that had been presented earlier. “This does not cut it in my court,” she stated.

“Absolutely, Your Honor, Elliott promised. “I’ll get the papers together today.”

“This court is adjourned,” Judge Mitchell announced with a bang of her gavel as Zander emerged from the room at the side of the court room and ran over to where Darin and Brady were waiting. Before exiting, Judge Mitchell turned to address Zander. “Young man, I wish you well and I hope you and your fathers have a long and happy life together.”

“Thank you,” Zander replied. “Thank you very much.” Tears streamed down the boy’s cheeks as he hugged Darin first, then Brady and Eric. Before leaving the court room, he turned to Liz Peterson and, wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tightly. “Thank you,” he said as she returned the hug.

As the men turned to exit, the bailiff approached, stopping at the railing. “Miss Peterson?” he said. “Judge Mitchell would like a word with you in her chambers.” He opened the gate and held out his hand for her to follow.

********

The family of four was seated at a large corner booth when Liz Peterson entered the Denny’s near their home. Darin was seated on the end and stood as she approached. “How did it go?” he asked, giving her a quick hug, and motioning for her to join them at the circular table.

Liz smiled, sliding into the booth next to Brady. “I got my hand slapped pretty good,” she replied. “Judge Mitchell was less than enthusiastic about my attempt to back date the adoption papers, but she told me that, after she spoke with Zander, she understood why I did it.”

“Will there be any negative fallout from your bosses?” Brady inquired.

“I’ll have to take a week off without pay,” she answered. “But he’s going to let me use vacation time.”

“Well, that’s good,” Darin said as the waitress brought Liz a glass of water and laid another menu on the table.

“Have you gentlemen decided?” the waitress asked, her pad and pencil ready to jot down their orders.

“This is all on one check,” Darin began, “I’ll have the fish sandwich basket with fries and cole slaw and a large, sweet tea.”

Each of the others placed their orders and the waitress gathered up their menus. After she had gone, Liz turned to Darin. “I hope I didn’t cause any problems for you,” she said as a tear crept across her right cheek. Wiping her hand across the side of her face, she sighed.

Darin reached out and took her hand in his. “It’ll be fine,” he assured her. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I spoke with the judge’s secretary,” he began. “She said Judge Mitchell would give us an extremely high recommendation.

Liz smiled as Brady put his arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. “That’s wonderful, she whispered, leaning into Brady’s side.

Darin beamed. “It seems our young charge spoke so highly of us that Judge Mitchell felt that leaving him with us was the best and only option.”

“And I was so afraid that I had cost you any chance of keeping him,” Liz lamented. “I’ll have Mister Anderson draw up the papers for you.”

“Already in the works,” Brady stated. “He’s also taking care of another matter for me.”

A look of surprise on his face, Darin asked, “What matter?”

Brady took a long slow sip of his ice water before he replied, “Oh, just a little name change.” He smiled before adding, “If we’re gonna be a legitimate family, we should all have the same last name, don’t you think?”

Darin smiled and pulled a small packet from his left pocket. “Well, in that case, I better make it official,” he said, rising from where he sat. “I was gonna wait until later to do this but, now’s as good a time as any.” He reached across the table and took Brady’s hand. Liz slipped from her seat and took the spot where Darin had been sitting. At his urging, Brady slid toward the edge and Darin dropped down on his right knee and asked, softly, “Brady Tortellino, would you do me the honor of becoming my husband?” He took a gold band from the small pouch and held it up for Brady to slip it onto his finger.

The ring slid down his long finger. Brady smiled. “Yes, I will marry you,” he replied softly. Looking around to see if anyone was looking, he noticed that several other diners were watching. “I’d kiss you right here if I dared,” he added.

“Don’t let us stop you,” a woman at a nearby table stated, holding up her water glass. “Cheers,” she added as the other diners at her table did the same.

Brady placed both hands on either side of Darin’s face and kissed him quickly on the lips. The restaurant erupted in applause. “I love you, Darin Johnson,” he whispered as he hugged Darin tightly.

“And I love you Brady Tortellino,” Darin replied, kissing his partner on the cheek.

“Congratulations,” the waitress offered when she brought the first of their orders and placed them on the table. “Careful, the plates are hot,” she cautioned. Zander gently touched the side of his plate but quickly pulled his fingers away. Noticing, she added, “Didn’t believe me?” Another waiter brought more of their food.

Zander blushed. “It’s just the natural thing to do,” he apologized. “Tell me not to do something…” he laughed.

“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress asked before stepping away.

“I think we’re fine,” Darin replied with a smile.

“Enjoy your meals then,” she said. “And, again, congratulations,” she added, patting Darin’s shoulder.

********

Saturday mornings were not normally terribly busy for the rescue teams, so Eric and Tim were the only ones on duty. The call came in just before eleven that there was a situation involving some pit bulls at a suspected drug house. The report stated that there was at least one person who was deceased, and another seriously injured but no other details were available as the dogs were guarding the property. Officer Adam Bailey, who lived in one of the trailer homes located on the Black Sheep Farm property was called to assist. It was Adam who had notified the office that he would need help with controlling the animals. Tim had just left on a routine pick up, leaving Eric as the only one available to assist.

Before leaving the office, Eric asked Brady, “Can you send Tim as soon as he gets back? Just in case I need another pair of hands.”

“I’ll let him know to go there once he makes his pickup,” Brady agreed, handing the address to Eric.

“Can I go along?” Zander asked. “I promise I’ll stay out of the way, but I’d like to see what goes on at one of these rescues.”

Brady was silent for a moment. After thinking it over, he replied, “If your dad is okay with it, I don’t see a problem. Just stay out of the way, okay?”

Zander smiled. “You got it,” he agreed, giving Brady a quick hug before exiting to find Darin. Within seconds, he returned, Darin following close behind. “He said it’s okay,” the boy announced.

“Are you sure about this?” Darin asked his partner, stopping in the doorway.

Brady nodded. “It might be good for him to learn what goes on in situations like this,” he replied. Turning to Eric, he insisted, “You will keep an eye on him, right?”

“I sure will, Eric confirmed. “Besides, Adam and Tom will probably be there.”

Waving his hands, Brady announced, “Go, then. Learn all you can learn.” Giggling, he added, “Then you can take over this place and support us. It’s win/win.”

Once the boys were out of the building, Darin turned to Brady and put his arm around his waist. “You were gonna let him go all along, weren’t you?” he teased.

Brady sighed. “Of course, I was but I had to make it fun for me,” he replied with a sly smile.

“I think you’re getting the hang of being a dad.”

Before Brady could respond, his desk phone rang. Picking it up on the third ring, he said, “This is Brady.” He listened to the voice on the other end, his expression turning serious. “Are you sure?” he asked. Nodding, he replied. “We’ll be right there. Turning to face Darin, he advised, “We need to get to the scene, now.”

“What’s going on?” Darin quizzed. Brady grabbed his keys, a slip of paper and his cel phone from his desk.

Pushing the chair under the desk, Brady answered. “We have to try and get there before the boys do. I’ll explain in the car.” Before heading out the door, he called out to Karen, who was seated at the front desk. “We’ll be out for a while. Hold down the fort.” The pair rushed out the back door without waiting for a response. Reaching the rear of the building, they sprinted to where Darin’s car was parked.

Silently, Darin started the car and chirped the tires on the concrete as they headed down the long driveway. “What’s going on?” he repeated.

“Adam said they think they’ve identified the person killed, Brady replied, indicating for Darin to turn right.

Darin approached the stop light at the main highway and flipped on his right signal as he slowed to a quick stop. Turning the car and accelerating, he asked, “And?”

Brady let out a long breath. “It’s Beverly Bryant,” he said softly pointing to the left.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Darin shouted. “Are they sure?” he added as he wheeled the car around another corner and accelerated onto a county road.

“There’s the van,” Brady announced when they caught up with the boys. Keying his hand-held radio, he spoke. “Unit three, this is Brady,” he stated. “Unit three, do you copy?”

Finally, the radio crackled. “Unit three, go ahead,” Eric responded. “Is that you behind us?”

“Tell them to stop,” Darin stated as the brake lights of the van lit up and it turned onto a gravel driveway. Adam’s patrol car was parked near the front of a small brick house. There was also an ambulance and a coroner’s van. Eric brought the van to a stop and parked next to the county police car. Several sheriff’s officers stood watch over the property. Persistent barking could be heard from inside the home.

Officer Adam Bailey approached Eric and Zander when the pair exited the van. He whispered something to Eric before moving toward the Mustang. Opening the side door, Eric put on a pair of leather gloves before he grabbed a control stick. “How many dogs are there?” Eric asked Adam.

“Just two,” Adam replied. “Only one appears to be aggressive.”

“Both pits?” Eric confirmed, heading toward the house, “Stay with your dads,” he addressed Zander.

Darin pulled Zander to him and kissed the top of the boy’s head. “I need to talk to you, son,” he said softly as he guided him toward the back of the car where Brady stood. “It’s about your mom,” he began. “I don’t know how to tell you this but…”

“What about my mom?’ Zander insisted.

Brady put his arms around his foster son. Tom Jefferson approached from the rear of the house, carrying a small brown purse. “Hey, Darin,” Tom said, his look serious. “Eric has the male pit under control, and he should be bringing him out in a minute.” Turning to Zander, he put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, son.”

“Are you sure it’s her?” Brady asked.

Handing a driver’s license to Brady, Tom nodded. “Yeah, we are,” he replied as Eric exited the front door of the home with a large brown and white pit bull pulling at the end of the control stick. Paramedics rushed inside to assist the injured man.

“What’s goin’ on?” Zander insisted once more. “What about my mom?”

Tom tried to think of a way to explain. Tim arrived in the second shelter van. Kneeling in front of the boy, Tom looked into his blue eyes. “Zander, your mom was involved in some pretty bad stuff,” he began. “The man she was living with was selling drugs from this house. We don’t know exactly what happened yet, but somebody shot two people here today, a woman and a man.” He showed the license to the boy. “We need to get a positive identification, but it looks like she…”

“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Zander blurted out before he buried his face into Darin’s chest. Darin held the boy as he collapsed in heaving sobs.

Placing his hand on the boy’s back, Tom replied softly, “Yeah, we’re pretty sure she is.” Turning to face Brady, he added. “I’m so sorry.”

Tim assisted Eric in loading the male pit into the van. The dog’s demeanor had changed dramatically once he was outside the house. As the dog wagged his tail, Eric offered a treat, which was quickly gobbled up. The dog looked from one young man to the other as Tim readied a cage in the back of the van. Happily, the dog jumped up and settled into the van before being offered another treat. “You’re not mean at all, are you boy?” Eric asked when the dog licked his fingers through the bars of the cage. “You stay here while we go get your girlfriend, okay?” he added.

“I’ll bring her out for ya,” Tim offered. “Zander might need you,” he added, pulling on his leather gloves before heading into the house with his control stick.

“What’s wrong?” Eric asked while Darin consoled Zander.

Brady reached out and hugged the smaller man. “We think Zander’s mom was the one killed,” he whispered. “They couldn’t be certain until they could get in to do a positive ID.”

Eric leaned into Brady. “Oh, man, that sucks,” he said softly, reaching out to rub Zander’s left shoulder. “Sorry, bro, he offered.

When Tim brought the gray female dog out of the house, the paramedics were bringing out the injured man. “How’s he doing?” Adam asked one of the paramedics.

“Not good,” the man responded. “Not sure he’s gonna make it.”

“If the fuckin’ dogs woulda let us in, he mighta had a better chance,” the other medic complained. “Shoulda just shot the mother-fuckers.”

Tim started to respond but thought better. Adam approached and opened the door of the van for him. “What an asshole,” Tim said to his friend.

“I know, right?” Adam responded. “That’s their answer for everything. “Forget the fact that the dog was just protecting his home.”

“Are you guys sure it’s Zander’s mom?” Tim asked,

Adam nodded. “I wish we weren’t,” he replied.

“Man, that just sucks,” Tim stated, offering a treat to the dog once he had her secure in his truck.

 

[highflyer99]

Excellent chapter Racer. A wide range of emotions here. Loved it. HF

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Seventeen

Eric stopped his old Buick in front of the gas pumps closest to the doors and switched off the ignition. He glanced in the side mirror before opening the driver’s door and stepping onto the asphalt driveway. Checking for any incoming traffic, he quickly walked toward the building. It had only been a few weeks since the store at the junction near his home had been robbed and the owner beaten. Nervously, he entered the building, searching for anything suspicious. Brandon Uttersby stood behind the counter, opening a carton of Marlboro reds. “Hey there,” Brandon called out to the youngster. “You’re out kinda late, ain’t ya?”

Eric cleared his throat. “I…uh…had a date,” he stammered. Removing his wallet from his back pocket, he pulled out a twenty and laid it on the counter. “On pump four,” he added.

Brandon punched some buttons on the register and scooped up the bill. “You need a receipt? He asked, closing the drawer.

“Nah, I’m good,” Eric replied.

Brandon smiled. “That’s what I hear,” he said with a wink and a slight chuckle. The ‘beep’ signal indicated another patron had entered the building. “Take care,” he added.

“You too,” Eric responded, turning to see Zander’s friend, Jayson walking toward him, his face streaked with dirt. There appeared to be dried blood on the boy’s cheek. He looked as if he had been crying. “Hey, what are you doing out so late?” Eric asked.

Jayson turned when he realized he had been recognized. Looking around, he spotted the restroom sign and turned away from Eric. “Just needed the bathroom,” he answered. He was carrying his glasses and it appeared the knuckles on his left hand were bloodied.

Eric looked outside for a car or any hint of transportation that would explain Jayson’s appearance at the store. His green Buick Century was the only car on the lot besides Brandon’s maroon Blazer that was parked beside the far pumps. He decided to wait for Jayson to finish in the restroom before he pumped his gas. When Jayson reappeared, he approached the boy once more. “Seriously,” he began, “How did you get here?”

Jayson stared at the floor, his hands in his pockets. When he looked up at Eric, the right lens of his glasses showed a crack across the bottom and there was a cut just below his right eye. “I was on my way to your house,” he whispered before tears began rolling across his cheeks.

Placing his arm across the boy’s shoulders, Eric ushered him to the car. Once the boy was deposited in the passenger seat, he ran around to the other side and quickly pumped his gas. Replacing the nozzle onto the pump, he jumped into the car and started the engine. Before placing the car into gear, he turned to the youngster. “Okay, you wanna tell me what’s going on?” he asked as Jayson wiped his cheeks with a napkin he had found on the front seat. Waiting for a response, Eric handed him another napkin from a pile in the console. “How did you break your glasses?” he pressed.

Finally, Jayson sighed and said softly, “My mom’s boyfriend did that.”

“What?” Eric asked. “Your foster mom? Or your mom-mom?”

Blowing his nose into one of the napkins, Jayson held up one finger. After a moment, he stated, “They sent me back to my real mom’s last week.” He paused. “It wasn’t great, but it was better than before. She wasn’t drinking like before and she actually seemed to be doing better,” he continued. “She even seemed like she liked having me around.” He took another deep breath. “Then, last night, she brought this guy home with her and told me I’d have to stay in my room and be really quiet.”

“Is that when he broke your glasses?” Eric inquired.

Jayson shook his head. “No, last night was okay. I stayed in my room and watched a movie. This morning, I’m eatin’ a bowl of cereal and he comes out of the bedroom like he owns the place and starts yellin’ at me about makin’ too much noise.” He took a deep shaking breath, trying to keep from breaking down again. “I didn’t say nothin’ to him at all. Then my mom comes in and he’s all kissin’ and huggin’ on her like nothin’ had happened.” He paused once more, looking out the window. “My mom says they’re gonna be gone most of the day and did I want some money to get a pizza for dinner. I told her that would be cool, so she takes a twenty outta her purse and hands it to me. He says, I don’t need that much, and he grabs it outta her hand and puts it in his pocket. He says ten bucks should be more than enough, so she opens her purse again and gives me two fives. They get dressed and they leave and I’m sittin’ there thinkin’, who the hell is this guy?”

“Did she even introduce him?” Eric asked.

“Nah,” Jayson replied. “I hung out at home all day, jus’ me and the tv. I walked down to the pizza place and got me a pizza for dinner and a two liter of Coke and took it home and I’m eatin’ my pizza when they finally get back.” Tears were starting to form in the boy’s eyes as he continued, “He comes in and asks me why I got pizza and I told him that’s what they gave me money for, and he says not to be a smart ass. I said, I’m not bein’ a smart ass and he calls me a little faggot queer fucker and then he backhands me and knocks me on the floor.” The tears began to flow across the boy’s cheeks once more. “I look at my mom and she just walked into her bedroom and closed the door without sayin’ a fuckin’ word.” His emotions finally got the best of him, and he sobbed uncontrollably.

Eric placed the car back in park and reached for the youngster, pulling him into a tight hug. “So, how did you get here?” he asked again.

The boy pulled away and looked at him. “I walked,” he answered. “I just put on my jacket and walked outta that house. I thought I was headed the right way but…”

Eric placed the car back into gear and aimed it toward the highway. “Well, you’re staying with us tonight and tomorrow, we’ll call your mom and I’ll take you…”

“I won’t go back there!” Jayson shouted, opening the car door, prepared to jump. “I won’t…”

Slamming on the brake, Eric grabbed the boy’s belt and pulled him away from the door. “Okay, but we have to let somebody know you’re all right.”

“Can’t I stay with you guys?” the boy begged. “I promise I won’t be no trouble. Just don’t make me go back there.”

“I can’t make that decision,” Eric replied. “But we can talk to Brady and Darin in the morning.” The pair drove the remaining distance in silence. Pulling into the spot next to Darin’s Mustang, Eric put the car in park, silenced the engine and flipped off the lights. “Okay, now we have to be quiet,” he cautioned, “Everyone’s asleep.”

When Eric switched on the light at the bottom of the back stairs, Jayson reached out and took his right hand. “Can I wash up?” he whispered.

“Sure, right in here,” Eric replied, turning on the light in the locker room. “I’ll get you a washcloth and towel.”

Before he could leave the room, Jayson reached up and placed his hand on Eric’s cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I really appreciate this.” He paused for a moment. “If I can do…anything to repay you…” He rubbed his hand over the thick hair on Eric’s arm.

Eric pulled away. “If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about,” he replied, “That’s not even an option. I’ll get your towels.” He turned and grabbed a towel and washcloth from the cabinet in the hallway. When he returned to the locker room, Jayson was standing in front of the sink, hot water running into the basin. “Here ya go,” he said, setting the towels on the counter and turning to exit.

“I’m really sorry,” Jayson said, dropping the washcloth into the sink and squeezing it several times before wiping it across his face.

Eric stopped. “For what?” he asked.

Jayson sighed. “For coming here like this,” he stated. “It was wrong of me to…” He drew the cloth across his face once more. “I just really like you a lot and I thought you might like me too.”

“Yeah, I kinda got that,” Eric said with a smile. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna toss ya out just ‘cause of a misunderstanding. I do like you but…”

“Just not in the same way I like you?” Jayson asked, tears, once again, welling in his eyes.

Eric nodded. “That’s just not the way it works,” he said. “Even without the age difference, I think of you more like I think of Zander. You’re like a little brother to me.” He brushed his fingers through the boy’s dark hair. “A very annoying little brother sometimes but…” He laughed. “A brother first and foremost.

Jayson ran his hands under the running water and grabbed the bar of soap from the holder. Working up a rich lather, he spread it across his face and arms before picking up the washcloth again and placing it under the stream. As he wiped the soap from his face, he smiled. “I’d like it if you were my brother,” he admitted.

Eric gave the boy a quick hug. “Me too,” he replied. “Now let’s get some sleep,” he added, ushering the boy toward the family room. He stopped at a large built-in cabinet in the hall. He removed a flat sheet and a pillowcase and closed the door. “I’ll get you a pillow and you can sleep on one of the couches,” he said as they entered the long room at the front of the house. Eric entered his bedroom while Jayson spread the sheet out on the couch along the front wall.

“Do you think your dads will let me stay here?” Jayson asked when Eric handed him a pillow.

********

Darin spent most of Saturday morning on the phone with Liz Peterson. Around noon, he stepped into Brady’s office. “Liz is gonna see what she can do about getting a temporary placement with us until we can figure out which direction, we’re gonna go with all this,” he said, taking a seat in front of the desk. “It just breaks my heart to see the sadness in that boy’s eyes.”

“I know,” Brady agreed. “I just worry whether he might be exaggerating things just a bit though.”

Darin let out a sigh. “I thought about that too but, one thing’s for certain.” He paused. “Somebody smacked him around. He got that bruise on his face and the cut on his cheek from somewhere.”

While the pair talked quietly, Zander entered the outer office from the kennel building. “Oh, good, you’re both here,” he said, entering the room. “Is Jayse gonna stay with us?” he asked.

Darin nodded. “For now,” he replied. “Liz is doing a temporary placement while CPS does an investigation.” Placing his arm around the youngster’s waist, he pulled the boy closer. “You okay with that?” he asked.

Zander gave Darin a quick hug. “Yeah,” he answered. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, for one thing, you’re gonna have to share your room with him,” Brady teased. “Once we get it done, that is.”

“Oh, please, you’ve been promising to finish that room since I got here,” Zander complained. Then, laughing, he added, “I’m cool with it as long as we get bunk beds.”

“I already put in a call to Steve to get it finished,” Darin advised. “He said, he’d get a crew over here Monday and they should have it done by the end of next week. Then, you boys will all be downstairs.”

“Yeah, and you guys won’t have to try to be quiet anymore,” Zander said with a knowing grin.

“We’ll always try to be quiet,” Darin stated, his face turning red. “Besides, you shouldn’t be listening anyway.”

The sound of a door closing drew their attention to the hallway. “Where is everybody?’ Jayson called out.

“In here,” Brady announced. “First door,” he added.

When the boy appeared in the doorway, Darin offered, “Did you manage to get some sleep?”

Jayson nodded. His hair was still damp from his shower, and he was wearing one of Zander’s tee shirts and a pair of jean shorts. “I hope you don’t mind that I came here,” he said softly. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“It’s more than okay,” Darin replied. “You’re always welcome here. In fact, I talked to Miss Peterson this morning and, if it’s okay with you, you’re gonna be staying with us for a while.”

A wide smile spread across the boy’s face. “Really?” he asked, “You mean it?”

“It may only be for a short time, but…” Brady said. “Until we can get things sorted out with your mom.”

“And you’ll have to share a room with Zander,” Darin interjected. “We’re gonna go out later and look at beds, if you’d like to come along.”

“Liz is going to go by your mom’s and get your clothes,” Brady added. “She should be here in a little while.”

“Cool,” Jayson replied.

“So, what happened?” Brady inquired.

Jayson shared the events of the previous few days as he had done with Eric the night before. Darin hugged the boy as he sobbed, recalling the events. “I thought she had changed,” the boy sobbed. “But she never will,” he added.

“I’m gonna get back to work.” Zander interrupted. “Those puppies aren’t gonna feed themselves.” He turned to leave, stopped, and looked at Jayson. “You wanna give me a hand?” he asked.

Jayson wiped his eyes. “Is it okay?” he asked the larger man.

Darin nodded. “Certainly,” he replied.

“Sure,” the boy responded to his friend. “Might as well earn my keep.” The two youngsters quickly disappeared into the hallway.

Before the boys exited, Brady offered. “If you’d like, we can make a trip to Wally World later. After Liz drops off your clothes and we see if there’s anything you might need.”

Jayson blushed. “Thanks, that would be cool,” he replied. He waved as they moved toward the exit, leaving the two adults alone once more. Entering the shelter building, Jayson stopped. He turned to Zander with tears in his eyes. “Your dads are so cool,” he said softly. “I can’t explain how much I appreciate this.”

Zander hugged his friend tightly. “It’s cool, bro,” he whispered. “You’re safe here and we love you.” Slowly he began to walk, his arm across Jayson’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”

The boys were finishing up the last of the puppy kennels when Eric and Tim arrived from a pickup. Carrying his clipboard, Tim approached from the rear of the building. “Hey, Zander,” he called out as he drew closer. “How many empty kennels ya got?”

“How many ya need?” Zander asked.

“We got four small dogs that need to get settled,” Tim responded. “They’re pretty timid so I don’t wanna put ‘em in with the bigger dogs.”

“There’s one at the other end,” Zander confirmed. “Are they all from the same place?”

“Yeah.”

“What kinda dogs are they?” Zander asked.

“Chihuahua mixes,” Tim replied. “Belonged to an elderly woman. She passed and her daughter didn’t want anything to do with them. Dylan’s checkin’ ‘em out,” he added before heading toward the front. “I’ll be back and get ‘em settled in,” he called over his shoulder.

Scooping dry puppy food into a ceramic bowl, Jayson sighed. “It’s so sad,” he stated.

“What’s that?’ Zander asked, confused.

Jayson shrugged. “It’s just sad that there are so many animals out there that nobody seems to want.” He dipped another bowl into the bucket of fresh water on their cart and set it onto the floor. A tan mixed breed puppy gobbled up the food that had been placed before him.

“That’s what this place is all about,” Zander replied. “Not only do the animals find a place where they’re loved and cared for…” He paused. “But some of the people do too.”

A big smile spreading across his face, Jayson adjusted his glasses. “Looks like I came to the right place then,” he whispered.

Nodding, Zander replied, “Yup, it sure does.”

********

“Can me and Jayse sleep downstairs? Zander asked when he helped Brady clear the supper dishes on Saturday evening.

“Jayse and I,” Brady corrected, then smiled.

“Okay,” the boy huffed, smiling. “Can Jayse and ‘I’ sleep downstairs?” he repeated. “We can put up the air mattress like we did for the sleepover.”

Placing a plate into the lower rack of the dishwasher, Brady replied. “It’s okay with me, if it’s okay with your dad.” He scraped leftover peas into a plastic container before rinsing the bowl and placing it into the washer as well.

“He already said we could,” Zander stated. “He told me to ask you.”

“You know I’m gonna check with him, right?”

The boy nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“You won’t stay up all night, will you?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Eric interrupted as he appeared at the top of the back stairs, carrying a drinking glass. He crossed the kitchen and placed the glass into the dishwasher. “I’ll keep an eye on them,” he added, leaning against the cupboard.

“Oh, great,” Zander whined. “Now I’ve got three dads.”

Shaking his head, Eric corrected the boy, “No, you have two dads and an older brother.” He smiled, picked up a dish towel and snapped it at the younger boy. “One that’s not gonna put up with any shit.”

Zander smiled. “I’m cool with that,” he responded.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Eighteen

On Monday, Liz Peterson called to inform Darin that their application for temporary custody of Jayson had been approved. “If anything changes, I’ll let you know right away,” she advised.

“So, his mom didn’t even question his being placed with us?” Darin inquired.

“I’m not certain that she even knew he had left,” Liz replied sadly. “We’ve been trying to work with her for some time now. It’s like she doesn’t really care one way or the other.”

Darin let out a deep breath. “Well, he can stay with us as long as necessary.” After a pause, he changed the subject, “Have you heard anything about Zander’s adoption?”

“Elliott sent the paperwork through. We’re just waiting to hear when the hearing is set,” she advised. “Hopefully, we’ll hear something later this week.”

Darin nodded. “Okay, just keep me posted,” he added.

“We’ll talk more soon,” Liz replied. “Bye.”

“Talk to you soon,” Darin said, “Bye,” he added before hanging up the phone. There was a soft tap on his door. He looked up to see Eric standing in the doorway.

“You got a minute?” the boy asked.

Nodding, Darin replied, “Sure. What’s up?”

“Bobby and I are going out again tonight,” Eric replied.

“That’s great,” Darin stated. “Let’s hope it goes better than the last time.” He laughed, leaning back in his chair.

Eric laughed as well. “Yeah,” he responded. “It’s not really a party if the cops don’t show up though.” He laughed again and lowered himself into one of the chairs by the bigger man’s desk. “I…uh…was wondering…” he stammered.

“What is it?”

“Well, I was wondering if it would be okay if we…” Eric paused again. “If we could come back to the house and…” His face flushed red. “I don’t know why this is so difficult,” he said.

“You wanna know if it’s okay to bring Bobby back to the house so you can be alone?” Darin blurted out.

Nodding, Eric admitted, “Yeah.” He picked at a spot on the side of his boot. “We can’t go to his house because he lives with his mom,” he began, “And she’s not all that accepting of…” Sweat beads formed on the boy’s forehead.

Darin leaned back in his chair once more. “I would much rather you’d come back to the house than to go somewhere where you might have a chance of getting arrested,” he admitted. “You can use the guest house, so you don’t have to worry about the boys,” he offered.

A huge smile spread across the boy’s face. “Thank you,” he said. “I promise we’ll be quiet.”

“You’re forgetting that Rodney stayed in the guest house for several months when he first came here,” Darin stated. “You could have an orgy and we wouldn’t hear anything.”

His face flushing red once more, Eric replied, “I’ll settle for just one guy at a time, thank you.” He laughed nervously.

Rising from his chair, Darin knelt in front of the younger man. “Just be careful,” he offered, embracing the boy.

“Thanks,” Eric whispered hugging his friend.

********

“Are you sure you’re okay with the boys going with you?” Brady asked as Eric came up the stairs into the kitchen. “I mean, if you and Bobby would rather be alone…”

Eric pulled one of the chairs from under the table and sat down to put on his socks and shoes. He was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a yellow polo shirt. His hair was still wet. “We’re just going to a movie. And it was Bobby’s idea to invite the boys,” he assured Brady. “Besides, you guys haven’t had a night out since I can remember. I’m happy to have them tag along.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Darin offered when he entered from the living room.

Eric waved his arms. “Consider it my gift to the two of you. Go and enjoy each other’s company for cryin’ out loud,” he stated. Waving his arms for dramatic effect.

“Take my car,” Brady offered. “You’ll all be more comfortable.”

“No, we can take my car, I just filled it with gas,” Eric argued. “Plus, the boys washed it and cleaned it out.”

“Did you get those front tires looked at like I asked you to?” Darin asked.

“I have an appointment to get the oil changed on Monday. I’ll have them put two tires on then,” Eric replied.

Darin placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Making eye contact, he said, “I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

Eric smiled. “I know,” he said. “You take really good car of all of us. Thank you.”

“Any time, pal,” Darin put his arms around the smaller man and hugged him tight. “You’re too important to this family,” he added.

There was a knock on the back door before it opened, and Bobby stuck his head inside. “Anybody home?” he asked, stepping through the door. He was wearing a pair of acid washed jeans and a red button up shirt over a white tee shirt. He carried his tan jacket draped over his arm. He hesitated before climbing the two steps into the kitchen. “Hi, guys,” he said as he reached the top step, leaned down, and gave Eric a quick kiss.

“Hi, Bobby,” Brady offered.

“Boys!” Darin called down the stairs. “Get a move on, the bus is leavin’.” Turning to greet Bobby, he added, “Hey, Bobby.”

The two youngsters bounded up the stairs carrying their shoes. As they stopped at the top, Zander asked, “What movie are we goin’ to?” He was wearing a light blue button up shirt and jeans.

Jayson squeezed by Bobby and took a chair at the table to put his shoes on. “If we get to vote, I pick the new Batman one,” he stated.

“Everybody have enough cash?” Brady asked, removing his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. Picking out four twenties, he offered them to Eric. When Eric refused, he insisted, “Take it, you might want to grab something to eat after.”

Zander picked up his jacket from the railing and slipped it on. “Can we stop at the Quick Mart and get some snacks? He asked, passing Jayson his jacket.

As the four boys started to head out the door, Darin stopped them. “What? No hugs?” he complained. Zander and Eric each hugged the two older men as Darin gave each a kiss on the forehead. Jayson wrapped one arm around each man before heading out the door.

“Drive careful,” Brady called as the door closed.

Eric tossed his keys to Bobby just before they got to his green Buick. “The passenger seat is stuck and won’t go back,” he said as the younger boys climbed in the back.

“You just wanna play with my leg,” Bobby scolded the smaller man. “Works for me,” he added with a wink and a smile. Before sliding behind the wheel, he slipped on his jacket. Starting the car, he backed from the parking spot and headed down the long driveway. “You guys really wanna stop for snacks?” he asked, adjusting the inside mirror.

“You bet,” Zander stated. “No way I’m gonna pay four dollars for the same thing we can smuggle in for a buck.”

“Okay, but we’re still getting popcorn,” Eric argued.

“Well, duh,” Jayson chimed in. “What’s a movie without popcorn and soda?” he added as Bobby flipped on the signal before stopping for the traffic light at the junction. When the light turned green, he gunned the car around the corner and into the Quick Mart parking lot. Pulling in next to an older model Suburban, he switched off the engine. The others jumped out and hurried inside. Bobby waited for a woman passenger in the Suburban to close her door before opening his. When he stood up, he noticed that her face was streaked with tears. “Are you okay?” he asked through the open window.

“I’m fine,” she lied, staring straight ahead at a tall man with a buzz cut, his arms covered in tattoos, inside the store. He was yelling at a small boy who was resisting him.

“Are you sure?” he pressed.

“Just let it go,” she added. Bobby noticed a large bruise on the side of her face and another on her right arm. “Just let it go,” she repeated.

The man came out of the building, dragging the boy by his arm. “I told you no, now shut the fuck up!” the man yelled as the child screamed, tears covering his dirty face. The man opened the back door and tossed the child onto the seat. “What the fuck you lookin’ at?” he yelled at Bobby. Turning to the child, he hollered, “Shut the fuck up and getcher fuckin’ seat belt on! And quit cryin’ before I give ya somethin’ to cry about!”

“Please, just go,” the woman whispered to Bobby as the man climbed into the truck and started the engine. He opened a pack of cigarettes he had just purchased, pulled one from the pack and lit up. As smoke swirled inside the truck, he dropped the shifter into reverse. “Really, everything is okay,” the woman said softly as the truck backed from the parking space.

As he started to pull away, the man shouted, “Mind your own fuckin’ business, asshole!”

Bobby studied the truck and made a mental note of the plate number. He took out his cel phone and was preparing to dial 9-1-1 when Eric and the boys approached carrying a bag filled with candy.

“What was that all about?” Eric asked. Bobby handed him the phone and climbed back into the car, starting the engine while the others followed.

Before pulling onto the highway, Bobby jotted down the license number of the truck and handed it to Eric. “Call 9-1-1 and tell them I think that woman and little kid are in danger,” he said as he drove toward town, watching the road behind them in the mirror. While Eric gave the description and plate number to the operator, they approached a stop light a block from the theater. Nervously, Bobby checked the mirrors. Just as the light turned green, there was a loud crash as the car was hit from behind. The red truck pushed Eric’s car across the intersection and slammed the front end into a concrete post in front of the Taco Bell. Steam poured from the ruined radiator and the sound of squealing tires echoed in the night as the truck backed away then slammed, once again into the back of the crumpled Buick. Jayson and Zander braced against the back of the seat, preparing for another impact. When none came, they cautiously tried to peer out the shattered back window, but the trunk lid obscured their view. The interior of the car was filled with broken glass and powder from the air bags. Eric searched frantically for Bobby’s cel phone. From outside, they heard another impact as the truck slammed into another vehicle that had blocked it from hitting the boys again. Within a few seconds, they heard tires squealing on the pavement and then there was silence.

“Is everything okay?” the operator yelled from the phone when Eric located it and placed it to his ear.

Out of breath, Eric responded, “No, we’ve been hit from behind and shoved into a post in front of Taco Bell on Cherokee Highway.” The phone had been switched to speaker mode by the impact.

“Is anyone hurt?” the operator pressed.

“We’re okay!” Jayson called out from the back seat as he leaned forward to check on Bobby.

Pushing the remnants of the air bag away from his face, Bobby replied, “I think my leg might be broken.” He reached up to switch off the ignition. When he turned to face Eric, there was blood on the side of his face.

“You’re bleeding,” Eric said as he struggled to unbuckle his seat belt.

“Help is on the way,” the operator stated. “Just stay on the line with me until they get there. Was it the same truck you told me about?” she pressed.

“I’m not sure,” Eric answered. “Probably.”

“Is everyone all right?” an unfamiliar voice called from outside. The driver of the third car was standing next to Eric’s shattered window. “That truck just came out of nowhere and slammed right into you,” he related as he tried to open the door.

Zander and Jayson pushed at the rear doors of the car from inside. Unable to get them open, they crawled through the smashed side window on the passenger side. Hearing the sirens approaching, Zander removed his cel phone from his pants pocket. A city police cruiser stopped next to the destroyed car, lights flashing. Jayson leaned against the rear fender as the officer approached. Before the officer could ask if everyone was all right, the boy felt his legs go numb and he slid downward to a sitting position. The officer rushed to his aid and gently placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Hang in there, kid,” the officer said. “Help’s on the way.” He called out, “I need some help here!” while another officer and the third driver tended to the front seat passengers.

Zander stood on the curb near the front of the car, his cel phone to his ear. He listened to the ringing on the line. “Hello,” Darin said. “They just brought our food so this better be important,” he teased.

Tears began to flood across Zander’s cheeks. “D-Dad?” he stuttered. He took a deep breath trying to regain his composure. Finally, he choked, “It’s bad…really bad,” before dissolving into sobs as an officer approached and took the phone from him.

“This is Gabe Martinez of Big Sky P.D.,” he said into the phone. “Who am I speaking with?” he asked.

“This is Darin Johnson,” he responded, “I was speaking with my foster son.”

“The boys have been involved in a pretty serious accident,” the officer continued.

“The boys have been in an accident,” Darin said to Brady before replying, “Where are they? Is everyone okay?”

Officer Martinez wrapped his arm around Zander as the boy buried his face into the man’s chest. “In front of Taco Bell on Cherokee Highway,” he told Darin. “The car’s pretty tore up,” he added.

“We’ll be right there,” he told the officer. Waving for Andrew, their waiter, he turned to Brady. “They’re okay but the car’s tore up pretty bad,” he said softly. When Andrew, their waiter, arrived, he asked, “Can we get this to go? Our boys were in a serious accident, and we need to leave.”

“Absolutely,” Andrew replied, taking their plates away. Within moments, he returned with two Styrofoam clamshell type containers. “It’s taken care of,” he said, handing the food to Darin, who had his credit card in his hand. “Give the boys a hug for me,” he added with a wink.

“That’s not necessary,” Darin protested as Brady put on his jacket and started for the exit.

“Nonsense,” the young man insisted. “Go, be with your family, I insist.”

Handing the young man a twenty, Darin picked up their food and rushed to join his partner. The two ran toward the Mustang and sped from the parking lot. Within minutes, they arrived at the crash scene. The car was totally unrecognizable. Every window, including the windshield, was broken and there was glass covering the ground on both sides. The rear bumper of the car was shoved upwards and nearly covered the shattered rear window. The front of the car sat against a large concrete post. The bumper and grill were crushed into a vee shape just left of center. The frontal impact caused the hood to push backward, and the left rear corner rested against the windshield. Firefighters were spreading a gray compound on the pavement behind the car where the gas tank had ruptured while another fireman worked to release Eric from his seat belt. Bobby sat behind the wheel as medics checked him over. Yet another firefighter held a tool that looked like a really large pair of pliers, waiting to pry open the jammed doors. The men spotted Zander sitting on the curb next to the Taco Bell sign and hurried to him. Wrapped in a blanket, he stood as they approached. Brady pulled the boy into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. “Are you okay?” he asked as his friend, Adam Bailey, a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department approached with city officer Martinez. The officer began explaining what had transpired to the two older men. Spotting them, Jayson ran to where his foster parents stood. Darin grabbed the boy and held him tight.

Suddenly, the officer’s radio crackled, “City unit seven, this is dispatch.”

“Go ahead, dispatch,” Officer Martinez spoke into the radio.

“Seven, your party has been located,” the dispatcher stated. “Corner of Highway 246 and Cherokee. Driver is in custody.”

“Thank you dispatch,” the officer replied. “Seven clear,” he added before turning to Darin. “Which one of you is the father?” he inquired.

Darin placed his arm around Brady’s shoulder. “We’re both fathers of these two,” he began. “Also, the little guy in the front seat.” He placed his arm around Jayson. “The driver is our older boy’s friend.

“Are you the owner of the car?” the officer inquired, removing a pen and pad from his shirt pocket.

“No, it belongs to Eric, our oldest,” Brady responded. “Can you tell us anything about what happened?”

“We’re still piecing it all together,” Officer Martinez answered. “But apparently, there was some type of an altercation with the driver of a red Suburban at the Quick Mart by the junction.”

Zander spoke up, “A guy was wailin’ on his kid when we went inside, and he was yellin’ at Bobby when we came out.”

“Did you see if it was the same vehicle that hit you?” the officer asked.

“We didn’t see who hit us, but I’d bet it was,” Jayson replied.

By now, the driver of the other truck approached. “He came down the road with no lights on and just plowed into the back of the car,” he offered. “He backed up and hit them again. I pulled in front of him, or he would have slammed into them a third time.”

Officer Martinez flipped the page on his notebook. “Did you see what kind of car it was?” he asked.

The man scratched his head. “It was red…a big four by four wagon type with one of those cow catcher things on the front,” he answered. “I couldn’t believe it when he backed away. He took off toward downtown.”

“How fast would you say he was going when he hit the car?” the officer pressed.

“I don’t know for sure. Way over the speed limit though,” was the reply as the first tow truck arrived.

Eric approached, finally free of the seatbelt. “Are you okay, Sport?” Darin asked, hugging the smaller man. There was a bruise on Eric’s forehead and blood on the front of his jacket. Brady grabbed him and held him tight.

“The blood’s Bobby’s,” Eric offered. “I got a headache, but I think I’m okay.”

One of the medics walked over to the ambulance and opened the rear doors. He quickly returned, pulling a stretcher, and advised Darin, “We’re gonna take him in to get checked over.”

“How bad is he hurt?” Darin quizzed.

“Looks like mostly bruises and a cut on his forehead. From the glass probably. He’s complaining about pain in his leg,” the medic explained. “I can’t see that it’s broke, probably just a bad bruise,” he added. Turning to Eric he advised, “You should let us take you to get checked out too.”

Eric shook his head. “Nah, I’m fine,” he said.

“Which hospital?” Brady inquired.

“Central, “the other medic answered. “You can follow us if you want.”

“I can take the boys with me,” Adam offered, gesturing for Zander and Jayson to follow him.

“We’re right behind you,” Darin told his friend as they walked toward the convertible.

Brady climbed into the back seat, offering the front to Eric. Darin helped the boy into the seat and closed the passenger door before racing around the front of the car. A roll-back tow truck arrived and backed up to Eric’s ruined Buick as the Mustang’s engine roared to life. Removing his cel phone, Brady said, “I’m calling Liz to meet us at the hospital.” Darin drove while Brady explained to Liz Peterson what had transpired. As he spoke, she told him she would join them at the hospital. Just as Brady was finishing his call, they turned onto the hospital grounds and quickly swung into a parking spot beside Adam’s Impala. They watched while the ambulance entered the inside parking area and the door closed.

Adam waited for Eric to exit the car before opening his own door. “You look a little wobbly,” he said.

“I’m okay,” Eric replied, wincing as he leaned against the side of the yellow car. “I just got the wind knocked outta me is all.”

“You should let them check you over,” Adam advised, “Just to be safe.”

“I think I’ll do that.”

When the younger boys approached, Brady pulled Jayson into a tight hug. Are you okay?” he asked. “I heard you went down after you got out of the car.”

“I’m fine,” the youngster said.

Brady continued to hold the boy tightly as tears crept across his cheeks. “Where are your glasses?” He kissed the boy’s forehead.

Jayson wiped his hand across his cheeks. “They’re somewhere in the car,” he replied. “I couldn’t find them,” he added as Liz Peterson’s Ford pulled into a space across from where they had parked.

“I called your mother,” Liz announced when she approached.

“Is she coming?” Jayson asked hopefully.

Placing her hand on the boy’s shoulder, Liz replied, “I’m sorry, no, she’s not. She asked me to have you call her tomorrow.”

“She’s supposed to take me for visitation tomorrow,” the boy stated, fighting tears. “I suppose she’s gonna bail on me again this time too,” he said, leaning into Brady’s chest as Darin placed his arms around both of them.

“I know it sucks,” Darin soothed. “Just remember, she’s going through a lot of stuff right now.”

Jayson pushed back from his foster fathers. “Bullshit!” he shouted. “She doesn’t give two shits about me. All she cares about is getting’ drunk or high.” He turned to Liz. “Can’t I just stay with them?” he asked. “I’m just so sick of her fucking excuses all the time.” Turning to Darin, his face flushed. “Sorry,” he added, looking down at the ground as they approached the first set of doors.

“You have every right to be angry,” Darin soothed. “Just try to remember, she’s still your mother and give her a break.”

Jayson stopped walking and let out a long sigh. “You don’t understand. I’ve given her more breaks than she deserves. She’s been pushing me to the side since I was little. I spent more time with my Nana than I did with her.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “She didn’t even want me when Nana died.”

Once inside the building, they noticed Bobby being wheeled through a pair of double doors at the end of the hallway. Spotting a large arrow shaped sign that pointed the direction to the emergency area, Darin ushered his family toward the admissions desk. “Excuse me,” he said to a young woman with dark hair. “Can someone look at my son?” he asked.

“Is he the other front seat passenger?” another nurse asked as she approached from behind another set of double doors. “The medics said they thought we should check him over.”

“Yes,” Darin replied, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We want to make sure he’s all right.

“Looks like he got quite a bump on his forehead,” the nurse noted. She grabbed a wheelchair and patted the back for him to take a seat. “Come on,” she said with a sweet smile. “I’ll drive this time.”

“We’ll be right here,” Brady offered. “Can you check on his friend?” he added before the nurse disappeared through the doors.

Liz and Adam took seats in the waiting area while Darin went to check on Bobby.

Digging in his pockets, Brady handed the younger boys some money. “See if you can find a soda machine,” he directed. Turning to the others, he asked, “What does everyone want to drink?”

“I’ll go along,” Adam offered. “Come on, boys, I know where the machines are,” he added, heading down the hall.

Brady let out a long sigh when he took a seat next to Liz. “I can’t tell you how scared I was when Darin got that call,” he said to her.

She placed her hand on top of his. “That means you’re becoming a good dad,” she offered.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Nineteen

Just after midnight, Brady switched on the light inside the kitchen door and trudged slowly up the steps. He set three small bags, containing pain medications that were prescribed at the hospital, onto the table. Darin and Adam assisted Bobby through the door, stopping at the landing. “You want to sleep up here or downstairs?” Darin asked.

Leaning against the door frame, Bobby replied, “If it’s okay, I’d like to take a shower first.”

“Downstairs it is,” Darin said with a soft laugh. “You want me to carry you, or can you manage?”

“If you’re okay, I need to get going,” Adam said, excusing himself and heading out the door. “Night, guys. I’ll put the door down,” he called over his shoulder.

“I think I can make it, but you might want to go ahead of me…in case I fall,” Bobby answered as Eric and the other boys followed through the door.

“G’night, Adam,” the group called out.

When the younger boys returned, Brady inquired, “Anybody hungry?” He placed the carry out containers onto the table.

“I could eat,” Zander said, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a carton of chocolate milk. Closing the door, he looked at Brady and smiled. “I know, what else is new?” he added opening the cabinet door next to the fridge and removing a package of chocolate chip cookies while Brady handed him a glass.

Jayson pulled out one of the chairs at the table. Eric followed Darin and Bobby down the stairs. “Can I have a glass of regular milk?” he asked.

Brady leaned against the counter in front of the sink. Opening the cabinet door to the right once more, he picked out a glass and handed it to the dark-haired boy. “Have at it,” he said, smiling as Zander plopped down into the chair next to where Jayson sat and filled his glass.

Returning to his seat with a full glass of milk, Jayson said softly, “I know it’s a lot to ask for me to stay here. If you say no, I’ll understand,” he added when Darin appeared at the top of the stairs.

Darin placed his hands on the boy’s shoulder. “Trust me when I say this,” he began. “It’s not at all that we don’t want you to stay with us.” He turned Jayson’s face so he could look directly into the boy’s eyes. “I just have some questions as to why.”

Chewing a bite of cookie, Jayson washed it down with a drink of milk. As tears welled in his eyes, he said, “Because, for the first time in my life, I feel like somebody cares whether or not I’m around.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m part of a family. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I’m in the way.” He paused again. “For the first time in my life, I know what it’s like to feel loved and wanted and I don’t ever want to lose that.”

“You’re not gonna lose that,” Brady spoke up. Placing his hand on Jayson’s, he added, “You’ll always be a part of this family.” He winked at the boy. “And, if you ever use the kind of language around either of us that you used at the hospital, I will personally wash your mouth out with soap.”

“But thank you for letting us know how tough it’s been for you,” Darin added taking the gallon of milk out of the fridge.

Placing two glasses on the table, Brady took the milk and filled both. “So, what’s your proposal then?” he asked, topping off Jayson’s glass.

“I don’t understand,” Jayson said, confused.

Darin began, “If you want us to pursue this, we have to know what to expect.”

“And what you expect,” Brady added. “If we go forward with this, we need to know that you’ll not only be part of this family but that you’ll also be a part of the team.”

Jayson hesitated before answering. When Eric entered through the living room, he stated, “I just feel like I finally fit…”

Eric reached into the cupboard and removed a glass, picked up the gallon of milk and poured. “Can you pass me some cookies?” he said to Zander who held out the package. Removing two, he laid one on the counter and dipped the other into his milk.

“How’s Bobby?” Brady asked.

“Out like a light,” Eric replied. If he wasn’t on pain meds, I wouldn’t be up here.”

“Oh?’ Darin looked up, puzzled. “Do tell.”

Eric giggled. “Let’s just say, he could give their friend, Jimmy, a run for his money.” He paused, smiling. “If…ya know what I mean.”

Jayson and Zander both laughed. “Lucky you,” Zander said.

“Yeah, Jimmy could make a mule jealous,” Jayson added.

Brady leaned back in his chair, looking from one boy to the other. “You boys are much too young to be talking like that,” he said with mock horror.

Jayson’s face flushed red. “Hey, they don’t call Jimmy, ‘Horse’ for nothin’,” he said with a laugh.

Crossing his legs, Eric offered, “From what I remember, you got nothin’ to be ashamed of either, Bub.” It was his turn to blush.

“Remember? Jayson asked, shocked. “From when?”

Eric blushed. “When I brought you towels…the night of the sleepover?” he replied.

“Oh, yeah!” Jayson remembered. “I forgot that.”

Darin covered his face with his hands. “Oh, my God,” he said. “You guys are terrible. Just promise me you two aren’t doing anything you shouldn’t,” he added.

Zander blushed. “Promise,” he said. “Worst we’ve done is jerk off.”

“Zander don’t” Jayson objected, blushing.

Placing his hand on the boy’s, Darin advised, “Don’t sweat it. We all jerked off when we were your age.”

“Speak for yourself,” Brady stated with mock protest. “I never did that kind of thing,” he added, laughing.

“I don’t do it anymore,” Eric said, looking at the ceiling. He let out a soft laugh as well.

Zander looked at Jayson and added, “Of course, he don’t do it any less either.”

Eric reached for some more cookies before he stated, “I’ve seen all the wadded-up Kleenex in your wastebasket,” he scolded.

“Seriously, though,” Brady began, “Just be discrete, please. We have to be careful because of CPS.”

“Yeah,” Darin added. “We’re not encouraging you to become sexually active but, if you’re going to…” He paused. “Just be very selective who you talk to about it. The last thing we want is…”

“Anything that will jeopardize the adoption?” Zander asked.

Brady nodded. “That too,” he replied. “They’ve trusted us to be a positive influence on you boys. We can’t allow anything to mess that up.”

“I mean, we know you’re gonna experiment. We all did,” Darin continued. “It’s a natural part of growing up. Hell, even at my age…our age…there’s still things we haven’t experienced.”

Jayson yawned.

“Are we boring you?” Eric teased.

“Nah, just tired,” Jayson replied. “Look, guys, I don’t want to do anything that would hurt my chances of staying here.”

Darin drained his glass. “I’ll make you a deal. If you promise to be honest with me about everything, you can ask me anything and I’ll give you an honest answer.”

“Anything?” Zander asked.

Brady looked at Darin. “Anything,” he answered. “I won’t say we won’t be embarrassed but we promise an honest answer.”

Well, since you brought it up,” Zander began, then paused. “Forget it,” he added. He picked at a cookie in front of him and studied his hands.

Brady placed his hand on the boy’s arm. “No, go ahead,” he offered. “Unless it’s too embarrassing.”

Taking a drink of milk before he spoke, Zander finally said, “Do you think I could get circumcised?”

Darin leaned back in his chair as all the color drained from his face. “You mean…you’re not?” he asked.

“Nope, and, except for two other kids, everyone else in my class is,” the boy replied.

Brady emptied his glass. “Well,” he began, pausing. “From what I hear, it’s pretty painful,” he said. “God knows I don’t have any desire to ever have it done.”

“Me either,” Darin agreed with a shudder. “I’ve managed to live this long without it…or, should I say, ‘with it’.” He smiled. “I’m pretty sure I can go the rest of my life.”

Zander looked from one man to the other. “You mean?” he began. Turning to Eric, he glared. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he said through gritted teeth.

Both men nodded. “Yup,” Darin replied taking Brady’s hand in his. “We’re both uncut and...” He looked at his partner, who nodded. “We plan to stay that way.”

Flipping Zander on the arm with a hand towel, Eric said, “Told ya it would be something you’d grow to appreciate.”

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Brady moaned, sticking his fingers in his ears. “La-la-la-la,” he chanted.

After a brief laugh, Darin’s face turned serious. “I’ll tell you what,” he offered. “Since you’ll be switching schools next year and you have to have a physical, you can talk to Doctor Landers about it.”

Zander finished his milk before he responded. “That sounds fair,” he said. Rising from his chair, he rinsed his glass and placed it in the sink. Turning, he placed his arms around Brady and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you guys,” he said before doing the same to Darin. “I think I’m gonna call it a night.”

“G’night, pal,” Darin said as the boy headed through the living room and down the front stairs.

“Love ya more,” Brady called out.

Eric rinsed his glass and placed it in the sink next to Zander’s. He leaned over to give Brady a hug before he said, “I’m gonna see if I can sleep some too.” Hugging Darin, he added, “Love you guys,” and headed down the back stairs.

With just three of them still seated at the table, Darin picked up the remaining glasses. After running water into all three, he opened the dishwasher and placed all five into the top rack. Closing the door, he picked up a towel and wiped down the counter before returning the milk to the fridge. He picked up the carry out containers. “You want me to put these away?” he asked. Brady nodded before Darin leaned down and kissed his partner on the mouth. “I think I’m gonna call it a night as well,” he said. After placing the food in the fridge, he patted Brady’s shoulder and exited through the living room.

“We should probably head off to bed too,” Brady said. Sensing that there was more on the boy’s mind, he looked at Jayson and asked, “Unless there’s more you want to talk about?”

Jayson looked at his hands for several minutes before speaking. “Don’t get me wrong,” he finally began, “I love my mom.”

“I never doubted that,” Brady offered.

“But sometimes I don’t like her very much,” the boy said sadly. “She seems like she’d rather spend time drinkin’ and picken’ up some strange guy.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not even sure she even cares if I’m around.”

“Is she back to drinking?”

“She never really stopped,” Jayson replied. “I think she just seemed to keep it under control to satisfy CPS.”

“Can I ask what happened to get you placed into foster care in the first place?” Brady quizzed.

Jayson sighed. “About three years ago, she left one Friday night. It was just before my eleventh birthday.” He paused and exhaled. “Anyway, she didn’t come home ‘til Wednesday and there was nothing in the house to eat. I was hungry, so I swiped a couple candy bars from the store down the street from our house.”

“And you got caught.” Brady stated.

Tears glistened in the boy’s eyes. “Yup, I did,” he said sadly. “When I explained to the cop what was going on, he paid for the candy and called CPS. They did a home visit.” The boy leaned his elbows on the table and sighed. “My mom was so pissed.” Looking at Brady, he said softly, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Brady assured.

“She didn’t care that they were taking me away. She just kept talkin’ ‘bout what everybody would think.”

“How did she keep getting you back?” Brady asked, confused.

Rolling his eyes, Jayson replied, “I pushed for that.”

“But, why?”

The boy shrugged his shoulders. “Because she’s my mom,” he replied, a tear crawling down his left cheek. “I thought…” He struggled to find the words. “I thought if I was there, she’d straighten up her act.” He paused. “Then I realized that’s all it was.”

“An act?”

“Yeah.” Wiping a tear from his other cheek, he added, “It’s funny.”

“What’s that?” Brady asked.

Turning to look the older man straight in the eye, the boy continued, “In the short time that I’ve known the two of you, you’ve shown me more love and acceptance that she has most of my life.”

“I just don’t want you to do anything you might regret down the road,” Brady cautioned. “I want you to be sure this is what you want.”

“Oh, I’m very sure this is what I want,” Jayson stated. “On one hand, I don’t really want to hurt my mom but…” He lowered his gaze. “But I’m not really sure she cares all that much anymore.”

Brady moved to the chair next to Jayson and took the boy’s hand in his. “What about your dad?” he asked.

“I never knew him,” Jayson replied. “I’m not even sure my mom knows who he is.” He wiped his hand across his face. “I heard her tell my Nana one time that if she had known she was pregnant sooner, she would have had an abortion. She didn’t even know until just before I was born.”

Brady pulled the boy closer and held him as his emotions took over and Jayson wept. “You won’t ever have to wonder if you’re loved again, little man,” he said softly. “I promise you.”

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty

Looking at the clock on the microwave, Darin noticed it was a few minutes past seven as he filled the glass coffee pot with cold water. He swished it around and dumped it before refilling and pouring the water into the coffee maker. While he waited for the pot to fill, he spotted Eric sitting on one of the gliders on the far side of the back courtyard. Wrapped in a blanket, the younger man appeared to be watching the sunrise. Having known Eric for almost two years, Darin knew that something was bothering him. He removed two mugs from the cupboard and filled both with hot coffee. He was spooning sugar into one mug when Graham, their chocolate lab, padded up the back steps and clicked across the kitchen floor to his water dish. As he waited by the back door, the dog lapped up his water and followed him out through the garage. When he opened the outside door, Graham loped across the back yard in search of a spot to relieve himself. “You’re up early,” he said, handing one mug to Eric.

Taking a sip of the coffee, Eric wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue at the bitterness. “How can you drink this stuff?” he complained as Darin made a similar face. “I never went to sleep,” the boy added trading mugs.

“I probably should have just poured the coffee into the sugar bowl,” the bigger man teased. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, taking a sip of the black coffee. “Much better,” he said with a grin.

Eric blew on the hot liquid and sipped it slowly. “What makes you think there’s anything on my mind?” he asked. Without waiting for a reply, he held out two small plastic bags. “I found these in Bobby’s jacket when I went to wash his clothes last night.”

Darin studied the clear plastic bags, each about two inches square. They were filled with a white powder and had a picture of an eagle stamped in silver on one side. “Cocaine?” he asked.

Nodding, Eric replied, “Pretty sure.” Sipping more coffee, he let out a sigh. “I think it’s called Silver eagle. I mean, I knew he smoked weed now and then but he promised me that was all he was into.” He leaned against Darin’s shoulder as the bigger man rubbed his hand across his arm.

After several minutes, Darin asked, “So? What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know what to do,” Eric replied. “I mean, I really like him. A lot.”

“Whatever you decide, you know we’ll support you,” Darin offered. “I mean, I like the kid too.”

“I know, right?” Eric said, flashing a big smile. “It’s just that it brings back all the negative shit that I went through with my stepdad.”

“How so?”

“He wasn’t all that big into this kind of thing but I’m pretty sure he was dealing.” Eric leaned back against the arm of the glider and took another sip of coffee. “He used to beat my mom; you know?”

Darin had heard about Eric’s mom from his stepbrother but didn’t let on that he knew any of the details. “I heard something about that,” he said.

“One day, I came home from school early, and he was wailing on her. I don’t know what for, but I heard him tell her that he made one bitch disappear and he could certainly do it again.” Eric was shaking as he recalled the incident. “A week later, we were going to visit my aunt and our car got hit by a tractor trailer. My mom and my little sister were killed in the accident.”

“But you don’t really think it was an accident?” Darin pressed.

“No way.”

“But what does this have to do with Bobby?”

Eric swallowed and hesitated before answering. “If he can lie about this, what else is he gonna lie about. Everyone thought Chuck was a really great guy. He had everybody fooled. And look what he did to…” Tears were flowing as Eric buried his face in Darin’s chest.

All Darin could do was hold his young friend as he wept. “Like I said,” he whispered, “Whatever you decide, we’ll back you up.”

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Eric sat up and wiped his face with the blanket. “Can you go with me to take Bobby home later today?” he asked. “His car has a bench seat, and I don’t think he can get in if I drive.”

“We’d be happy to,” Darin confirmed. “You can take him in Brady’s car, and we’ll follow you in his.”

“I’ll probably need help getting him up to the door anyway,” Eric stated.

“Darin gave the boy a playful smack on the shoulder. “You gonna pull that, ‘I’m too small to handle him’ crap with me? How long you gonna play that card?”

Eric smiled and batted his eyes. “It’s true.” Then, he added, “As long as I can get away with it.” He laughed for the first time since their conversation began. His face turned crimson. He whispered, “Just so you know, the carpet matches the curtains.” He giggled. “And there’s a lot of carpet.”

Darin smiled. “You mean?”

The boy nodded. “Yup,” he replied, “He’s hung like a mule…”

“And he’s a furry ginger?”

“Yeah. Now do you see my dilemma?” Eric responded.

Darin raised one eyebrow. “You could always just keep him around for sex.”

“Eh,” the young man grunted.

“Didn’t you guys get busy the other night?” Darin quizzed.

Eric swatted his friend on the arm. “Stop,” he protested.

“You mean you didn’t?”

Eric sighed. “I was ready, but he had an early day the next day. By the time we got out of the movie…” He let out a long breath. “We traded blow jobs in the front seat of his car sitting in the driveway,” he finally admitted. “He’s pretty talented. I got off but he never did. I never even saw him completely naked until I helped him with his shower last night.”

“Ya know?” Darin began, “I’ve heard that guys with really big ones aren’t all that great in bed.” As Eric looked at him, he added, “Not in my case of course.”

“Oh, mine either,” Eric agreed as the two shared another laugh. After several minutes, the boy added, “You’re forgetting we’ve both seen each other naked.”

“Oh,” Darin said, “Yeah, that.” He laughed again.

“My luck I’d find out he’s a total bottom,” Eric lamented.

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” Darin teased.

“What are you two doing out here?” Brady asked as he padded, barefoot, across the block patio carrying a mug of coffee. “Wish we woulda got donuts,” he added taking a seat across from where his partner and their young friend sat. “I figured we wouldn’t see you most of the day,” he said, giving Eric a wink. “Did Bobby have a rough night?”

“Nah, he slept like a log,” Eric replied. “I gave him another pain pill when I went downstairs, and I snuggled with him till he went back to sleep. Then, I gathered up his clothes and was gonna run them through the washer. I found these in his jacket pocket,” he added, holding out the two packets.

Brady inspected the two small bags. “Is that what they call Silver Eagle?” he asked. “I hear that stuff’s pretty nasty.”

“I think so,” Eric answered.

“I told Eric we’d go with him when he takes Bobby home,” Darin offered.

Brady nodded. “Of course,” he replied. “I’m supposed to take Jayson to meet his mom at one and I promised Zander we’d go get him some shoes.” He paused for a moment. “We can get them after.”

Eric let out a long sigh. Finally, he pulled himself up from where he was seated. “Better check on Bobby. He’s about due for another pain pill and I need to get dressed.” Wrapping the blanket around himself, he moved toward the door to the lower level. “It just sucks,” he added as he walked away.

“I know, I liked him too,” Brady offered as Eric waved over his shoulder. Turning, to Darin, he asked, “So, is he gonna kick him to the curb?”

Darin shook his head. “I think that’s the plan, but I promised him we’d back him up either way.”

“I just don’t want that shit around here with the boys,” Brady protested. “I mean, that just creates a whole new set of problems,” he added, moving to sit beside his partner.

Placing his arm around Brady’s shoulders and pulling him close, Darin replied, “I know it does, but I want him to make that decision for himself. It brings up a lot of negative memories that he has to deal with.”

“About his stepdad?”

“Yeah, he told me he thinks Chuck was dealing.” He paused. “I’m pretty sure, Bobby’s history though.”

The two sat in silence sipping their coffee as Graham climbed onto a chaise, yawned, and stretched out to enjoy the rapidly rising sun.

********

“What time is it?” Bobby asked when he opened his eyes and saw Eric enter the room, a towel wrapped around his waist.

“A little after eight,” Eric replied. “How ya feelin’?”

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Bobby responded. “Oh, wait…I did,” he joked.

Eric removed a pair of underwear from the drawer, let the towel drop to the floor and pulled the garment on. “You need another pill?” he asked.

Tossing back the sheet that covered his lower body, Bobby smiled. “I’d rather you’d just stay naked and join me in this bed,” he offered, gripping his growing erection.

Without realizing he was doing it, Eric licked his lips and watched as Bobby’s equipment continued to expand to its full length. He cleared his throat. “I can’t promise anything,” he said softly, grasping the waistband on his underwear. His own penis slapped against his hairy belly when he pushed the cotton briefs to the floor and stepped out of them. Silently, he crawled into the bed and pressed his lips against Bobby’s. The kiss was much more intense than any they had shared. Tentatively, Eric pushed his tongue into the bigger boy’s mouth, pulling away, he whispered. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” Bobby moaned softly, kissing the smaller boy’s neck. He continued to kiss down across his chest and stomach, quickly approaching his goal. When his chin brushed against the head of Eric’s fully engorged manhood, he reached out with his tongue and gently licked the tip and lapped at the small amount of pre-seminal fluid that oozed from the slit. Greedily, he gobbled up the stiff rod, not stopping until his nose pressed against Eric’s testicles.

“O-o-o-o-h!” Eric groaned. “Careful,” he cautioned as Bobby stroked up and down rapidly. “You’re gonna make me cum,” he protested.

“That’s the whole point,” Bobby said with a grin, stroking up and down on Eric’s hard shaft before he, once more, swallowed it as far as he could.

While Eric writhed on the bed, he moved into position to grab hold of Bobby’s large endowment. While Bobby slurped up and down, he began to stroke his friend up and down. “I’m gonna shoot!” Eric called out, just as the first shot of cum erupted into Bobby’s hot mouth. At the same time, Bobby began to shoot ropes of semen onto his own hairy stomach. The thick white liquid cascaded over Eric’s fingers and down across the red hair covered balls while Eric’s own orgasm subsided. After a few minutes, Bobby released Eric’s shriveling penis and fell back onto the pillow.

“That was awesome!” Bobby complimented his friend. “You must have cum about a quart,” he added, pulling Eric’s hand to his mouth, and licking up his own semen. “And tasty too,” he joked.

“You shot a lot too,” Eric stated. “Whoa, that was wild. That’s what I was hoping for the other night,” he added.

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. I know you were lookin’ forward to it,” Bobby apologized.

Gradually, their breathing returned to normal while they lay with Eric snuggled against Bobby’s right side. Without comment, Eric rolled away, returning a second later with a hand towel. “Here ya go,” he said, handing the towel to Bobby, who wiped the huge pools of semen from his stomach and chest.

After several minutes, Bobby pulled his arm from under Eric’s head and sat up. “I need to pee,” he announced.

“Do you need some help getting there?” Eric asked, propping himself up on his elbow.

Struggling to his feet, Bobby fell against the inside wall. “I might need some,” he admitted. Looking down at his stomach, he spotted another glob of semen tangled amongst the hair. “Might need a proper shower too,” he said.

Eric quickly moved to the right side of the bed and draped Bobby’s left arm across his own shoulders. “Okay, let’s go,” he directed.

“Where’s my underwear?” Bobby asked.

“In the laundry room,” Eric answered. “You want me to get them?”

“No, let’s just get to the bathroom.”

The naked pair quickly moved through the family room. Passing the younger boy’s bedroom, they encountered Zander. “Well, good morning,” the youngster said, his gaze focusing on the long tube of flesh hanging between Bobby’s legs. Turning to Eric, he asked, “Need some help?”

“Sure,” the smaller man replied while Zander positioned himself to help guide the older boy to the locker room. “Might as well just head into the shower,” he added when they entered the room.

While Eric adjusted the water temperature, Bobby leaned against the cement block wall and relaxed. Seconds later, a heavy stream of urine flowed onto the floor next to the drain. “Ah, that feels so good,” the boy said. When he noticed a nice bulge in the front of Zander’s shorts, he asked the boy, “Ain’t ya gonna join us?”

“That’s okay,” the youngster replied. “I think you got this,” he said before quickly leaving the room.

Grabbing the sprayer, Eric scolded, “He’s only thirteen, you perv.”

Bobby turned, the spray of urine still flowing. “What’s wrong with that?” he protested. “Me and Henry fool around all the time,” he added, stepping under the shower spray.

A look of disgust on his face, Eric stated, “You’re an adult and he’s a child. That’s what’s wrong with it,” he added through gritted teeth.

********

Eric and Darin walked back to Brady’s car after helping Bobby into his home. Noticing the smaller man’s clenched fists, Darin asked, “Are you okay?”

Shaking his head, Eric replied, “Let’s just say, he made my decision a lot easier.”

When they reached the car, Darin opened the door before placing his hand on Eric’s shoulder. “You sure about this?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” the boy replied, sadly. “I don’t care how good the sex is…” He paused. “He’s history.”

Darin let out a soft laugh. “So, the sex is good, huh?”

“Yup, dammit.” the boy answered.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-one

Darin parked the Ford Explorer in the second row of parking spots, directly in line with the front door of the Outback Steak House. As Zander and Eric climbed from either side of the car, Jayson approached from across the lot. “Hi, guys,” he called out as he drew closer.

“Been waiting long?” Brady asked as he stepped from the vehicle, removing his sunglasses, and placing them in the console.

Jayson greeted the younger of his foster parents with a hug. “No, we just got here,” he replied, pointing toward a brown Volvo wagon as it exited the parking area and disappeared from view.

“Did you have a good visit?” Darin inquired when he joined his family and was greeted with a hug as well.

“As good as could be expected,” Jayson answered. “She’s still pissed about me leavin’ the way I did. Said she didn’t care if I ever came home again.”

A petite blond girl, about nineteen greeted them just inside the restaurant. “Hi, my name is Wendy and I’ll be happy to seat you,” she said with a huge smile. “How many?”

“Five,” Darin replied.

“Follow me, gentlemen,” Wendy said as she marched toward the back of the restaurant. Indicating a round table with six chairs, she asked, “Would this be okay?”

Looking around the room, Brady replied, “This is fine, thank you.”

Wendy proceeded to pass out menus as everyone took their seats. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked, removing a pad from the center pocket of her apron. Once everyone had given their drink order, she excused herself and was gone.

While they looked over their menus, a cute young man with spiky blond hair approached their table with their drink orders. “Hi, my name is Daniel and I’ll be your waiter. Will this be on one check?”

Darin nodded, looked up and replied, “Yes, please.” When Daniel placed his drink in front of him, he added, “Thank you.”

Beginning with Brady, everyone placed their orders. Upon jotting down Eric’s order, Daniel turned to Darin and asked, “And for you, Dad?”

Darin’s face flushed as Brady nearly choked on the sip of iced tea he had just taken. With a smile, Darin replied, “Uh…Dad? Really?”

With a wink, Daniel replied, “Would you prefer I call you, Daddy?”

The group erupted in laughter as Darin blushed brighter. Eric placed his hand on Darin’s wrist. “But you really are ‘Dad’ to us, remember?”

Darin cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m foster dad to these three,” he stated, pointing to the younger men. “And this one is their other foster dad.”

“You mean, you’re not related to this little cutie by blood?” he asked, nodding toward Eric. “I find that hard to believe.”

Brady smiled. “We’ve been told we’d be hard pressed to have a kid that looked more like us than him,” he interjected.

“Well, you have a very handsome family,” Daniel responded as he collected the menus. “I’ll be right back with your salads,” he added before hurrying away.

Darin took a drink of his sweet tea before turning to Eric. “Would you like to go car shopping before we head home?” he asked.

Eric cleared his throat. “Uh…sure,” he replied. “Might as well get an idea of what there is to choose from. I doubt I’ll get much from the insurance though.”

Daniel returned with their salads. “Here we go, gentleman,” he announced as he placed a plate in front of each one. Placing his hand on Darin’s shoulder, he added softly, “I’d like to apologize if I was in any way out of line before.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Darin responded, patting the young man’s hand. “No apology needed.

With a big smile, Daniel replied, “Enjoy your meals then. And thank you.”

Concentrating on their salads, conversation was minimal. Soon their entrees arrived, and salad plates were gathered. As they neared completion of their meal, Daniel arrived once more. “Refills, anyone?” he asked holding a pitcher of sweet tea. Filling Brady’s glass, he added, “Would anyone like desert?”

All five at the table shook their heads. “I think we’re good,” Darin replied.

Daniel filled Darin’s glass and stepped back. “I’ll bring your check then,” he said before disappearing once more.

While Darin and Eric waited at the table, Brady excused himself to use the restroom. The younger boys joined him. When the trio returned to the front area, Darin handed the keys to Brady and the other two headed down the hall to use the facilities as well. Holding the door, Brady ushered the boys outside and pressed the button on the key fob to unlock the car. Within minutes, Darin approached the car, a beaming smile covering his handsome face. “What’s that for?” Brady asked.”

“Just wait,” Darin replied, turning to watch the front door as Eric exited the restaurant, an equal smile on his boyish face. When he got closer to the car, he turned and waved.

Climbing into the front passenger seat, Brady turned to face the smaller man. “Well?” he asked.

Removing a small slip of paper from his shirt pocket, Eric replied, “I got his number.”

“What about Bobby?” Jayson inquired.

Eric just smiled and let out a deep breath, fanning himself with the paper. “Just keeping’ my options open,” he answered. “Let’s look at some cars,” he changed the subject while Darin brought the Explorer to life.

********

“So, what’s the deal with Eric and Bobby?” Brady asked while Darin got undressed.

“What do you mean?” Darin answered his partner’s question with one of his own.

“I mean,” Brady replied, “Did Eric decide what he’s gonna do?”

Darin studied his reflection in the mirror. “I’m pretty sure we’ve seen the last of him,” he responded. “Eric told me he made some pretty inappropriate comments about Zander before he took him home.”

“Like what?” Brady asked, turning to face his partner while spreading shave cream over his face and neck.

Darin shook his head. “You really don’t wanna know,” he said, sliding his shorts to the floor and stepping into the shower. “Just trust me, Eric handled it better than I would have.”

Over the sound of the shower, Brady called, “I want more details!” While the bigger man showered, he returned to his shaving.

“What do you think about taking the Lexus and just giving your car to Eric,” Darin asked when he stepped from the shower.

Brady trimmed his moustache. Studying his partner in the mirror, he smiled. “I honestly thought about that,” he replied. “But…”

“But?” Darin repeated as he dried his back.

Snipping a stray hair, Brady replied, “I like the room of my car. When we do family stuff, everybody has more room.”

Darin fluffed his hair with the towel. “I thought you liked the Lexus,” he said, pouting.

“Oh, stop,” Brady teased. “I love that car.” Stashing the scissors in the first of three drawers that bisected the long vanity, he added, “I just think we still need a family car.”

“You wanna get a minivan?” Darin asked, placing his foot on the edge of the tub so he could dry between his toes.

“Oh, God no!” Brady exclaimed, removing his gray tee shirt, and tossing it on the floor near the closet. As he reached in and turned on the shower, he gave his partner a long kiss on the lips while he pushed his boxer briefs to the floor. “Isn’t it funny?’ he asked.

“What?”

“When we first moved in here, it was just you and me,” he replied. “Now look at us. We got three kids and neither of us had to lose our figure to get ‘em.” He quickly stepped into the shower. Squeezing shampoo into his palm, he called out, “We need to check with John and see if he has anything.”

Darin folded his towel and tucked it into one of the bars next to the tub. “John?” he asked.

“Where we got the shelter vans,” Brady reminded him. Rinsing his hair, he stood under the spray.

“Oh, yeah. John,” Darin stated, opening the shower door.

“Sometimes he gets other….” Brady turned when he felt something brush against his leg. As a smile spread across his handsome face, he added, “Is that for me?

“The boys won’t be back for a while,” his partner replied, pressing his rapidly growing erection against Brady’s hip. He leaned in for a deep kiss. Brady turned and wrapped his arms around Darin’s neck and ground his own erection into his partner’s. The kiss intensified while the warm spray cascaded over their bodies and their chest hair intertwined. “Mm-hm” Darin confirmed. Breaking the kiss just long enough to switch off the water, he kissed his partner’s neck and continued kissing down across his chest, seeking out the turgid flesh of Brady’s manhood. He gently nipped the foreskin with his teeth and uncovered the glans with his lips. His knees buckling, Brady moaned and pressed himself into Darin’s mouth while winding his fingers into Darin’s dark hair. After several minutes, Darin pulled back and slowly stood up keeping his hand firmly wrapped around the engorged shaft and moving in for another deep kiss.

Laying crossways on the king size bed, Brady let out a long sigh. “That was awesome!” he said, stretching his arms over his head and touching the edge of the mattress.

Darin rolled onto his side and gently touched Brady’s stomach. “Whoa,” he said, his hand smearing a large pool of semen into the hair. Leaning to look closer, he noticed that Brady’s naval was filled with the white liquid. “Is that you or me?” he quizzed. When Brady pushed himself up on his elbows, he noticed another large puddle on his left shoulder. “Oh, wow!” he exclaimed.

Breathing heavily, Brady laughed. “You haven’t done that in a while,” he admitted. “Oh, man, it’s all over,” he said, laughing once again as he dropped back onto the bed. Looking around, he spotted another blob on the sheet next to his head.

“You even got some in your hair!” Darin exclaimed and started to laugh.

“Ah, the joys of being a bottom,” Brady lamented, brushing his hand through his curly hair. He laughed as well. “What was that movie?”

“Yeah, where the guy is jerkin’ off and she interrupts him, and he’s got a big wad of cum hangin’ from his ear.”

“We’re home!” Eric called from the kitchen as Brady covered himself with the sheet. Darin grabbed for the sheet as well, but it wouldn’t reach. There was a knock on the door, seconds before it slowly opened, and Eric poked his head into the room. “We brought pizza,” he announced as Darin flipped onto his stomach. His face flushing red, Eric giggled. “That looks good on you. You should wear that more often.”

Looking over his shoulder, Darin asked, “What kind did you get?”

“Two supreme and one Hawaiian,” Eric replied. “Sorry to interrupt,” he added.

Brady worked to pull more of the sheet to cover himself, adding, “We’ll be out in a minute.”

“Take your time,” Eric said, retreating behind the door. Suddenly, he popped his head back around the door. “By the way,” he added, “You got something in your hair.” He pointed to the left side of his head. “Is that hair gel?”

“Out!” Darin demanded as the door closed.

“We need to put a lock on that door,” Brady stated, flipping the sheet away and rolling off the side of the bed. When he stepped in front of the bathroom mirror, he moaned, “Oy Vey!”

“What’s wrong?” Darin asked, flipping onto his back before swinging his legs off the end of the bed and joining his partner in the bathroom.

Brady laughed. “Well, I have that freshly fucked look down now.” He grabbed a washcloth from the drawer and tossed it into the sink.

“Nothin’s gonna take that off but another shower,” Darin said as he opened the glass door and turned on the spray. “You gonna join?” he asked, stepping inside.

“Isn’t that what got me into this mess?” Brady teased, turning off the faucet on the sink. “It’s everywhere,” he laughed. When he stepped into the shower, he grabbed Darin and pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing their bellies together.

When Darin pulled away, he realized that a good bit of semen had transferred to his hairy stomach as well. “That was sneaky,” he joked as Brady scooped more from his shoulder and wiped it on his lover’s cheek and chin. He quickly worked shampoo into the hair on his head and chest while Brady did the same. Carefully switching places so each could work under the spray, they finished their shower and switched off the water.

Three large pizza boxes sat in the center of the kitchen table. Darin flipped open the top one revealing three slices of supreme. Setting the box on the counter, he opened the second to find a large ham and pineapple with two slices missing. “Who snagged my pie?” he demanded with a smile.

“Jayse and I wanted to see what they tasted like,” Zander replied. “That’s awesome.”

“They both turned up their noses and said it sounded gross when I ordered it,” Eric stated. “I told them to try a slice, but they couldn’t have more ‘til you guys got what you wanted.”

“I hope it’s all right,” Jayson said, removing another slice of supreme from the box on the counter.

“Of course, it is,” Darin replied, winking at the boy.

“Who ate all the Hawaiian?” Brady asked when he entered the kitchen. He was dressed in a blue tee shirt and black boxer shorts, similar to Darin’s.

Darin removed two slices and placed each on a separate plate, handing one to his partner. “The boys thought it would be gross, but I think they may be converts,” he answered.

“Want something to drink?” Eric inquired, passing a two liter of Pepsi to Darin. “This is from that new place next to the market at the junction,” he added removing two large glasses from the cupboard. He filled both with ice from the freezer before setting them on the table.

Brady took a seat next to Zander and chomped on his pizza. “This is wonderful,” he raved. “So, you liked it?” he asked, turning to the younger boys.

“Uh-huh,” they both agreed.

Reaching for another slice, Darin asked Eric, “What would you think about us getting another car and letting you have the Explorer?”

Eric swallowed, “How much you want for it?” he asked.

“That wasn’t really his question,” Brady replied as Darin chewed his food.

Eric sat his plate on the counter. “I’d love to have that car, but I can’t just let you give it to me,” he protested.

Darin swallowed and took a slow drink of soda. “I’ll make you a deal,” he began, setting his glass on the table. “You give us what you get from the insurance on your car, and we’ll call it even.”

“I’m not sure I’ll get that much,” Eric replied. “But I could probably live with that as a down payment.”

“We’re not gonna argue this,” Brady insisted. “Whatever you get, is what we’ll take for the car.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Darin stopped him. “You need a car, and we have the means to help you out.” He paused for a moment. “And, if you get more than you expect for your car, we’ll re-negotiate.”

Eric stood silent for a few moments. Finally, he said, “Well, if you’re really looking, that place where we got all the vans has a really nice Escalade on their lot that would be perfect for you.”

Brady stopped chewing for a minute and looked at Eric. “You’ve already checked his lot?”

“Yup,” Zander interrupted. “We went by to see if they had any pickups and spotted it earlier.”

“I’ll call him in the morning,” Darin confirmed, reaching for yet another slice of pizza. “you guys want more of this?” he asked the boys as Eric folded up the first empty box and shoved it into the trash.

“Is everybody’s homework done?” Brady changed the subject.

Both boys nodded. “I just have to read the next chapter for the book we’re reading but I can do that when I go to bed,” Jayson answered.

“What are you reading?” Darin inquired.

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” Jayson replied. “It’s a pretty good book.”

“I had to read that when I was in school,” Darin told him.

Zander giggled. “Yeah, yeah. And you had to walk to school, five miles every day,” he teased.

“Uphill both ways,” all three older men recited in unison.

Brady reached out and tousled the boy’s hair. “Smart ass,” he chuckled.


********

A little after eleven, Eric’s phone rang. Looking at the screen, he let out a loud sigh. “Hello,” he said into the phone.

“Hey, handsome,” Bobby said. “How’s my guy?”

Eric looked at the ceiling. “What do you want, Bobby?” he pressed.

“Come on,” Bobby persisted. “I miss you.”

Eric was silent, staring at the ceiling. He bit his lower lip. “I’m hanging up,” he warned.

“Oh, come on, man!” Bobby demanded. “Can’t we, at least, talk?”

“I think I’ve said all I need to say,” Eric replied.

“What did I do?” Bobby persisted.

Eric sat up, swinging his feet off the side of the bed. “You can’t be serious!” he said. “You really wanna go there?”

“I don’t understand.”

Standing, Eric took a deep breath. “Just don’t call me anymore!” he shouted. “You hear me? Don’t call me!” He pressed the button on his phone, ending the call.

“What’s all the shouting?” Darin asked, standing in the doorway.

Turning to his friend, Eric tossed the phone onto the dresser. “You know what really pisses me off?” he said.

Darin shook his head.

“That pressing a button on my cel phone doesn’t give anywhere near the same satisfaction that slamming down the receiver of a land line phone does,” he replied with a smile.

“I see,” Darin said, sympathetic. “How many times has he called?”

“You mean today?” Eric responded. “Not counting the messages, four.”

Letting out a long breath, Darin stated, “Well, he’s persistent. I’ll give him that.”

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-two

John Bridges listened to the ringing in the line as he approached the first driveway of the Black Sheep Farm. After several rings, Darin answered. “This is Darin,” he said taking a seat behind the desk in his office.

“I’m turning into your drive right now,” John advised. “You want me to pull around back?”

“That would be great,” Darin replied. “I’ll get Brady and meet you out there.”

“Sounds like a plan,” John offered. “See ya in a few.” He switched off his cel phone and tucked it into his jacket pocket. Rounding the back of the building, he parked in front of a large double garage door and waited.

“Wow!” Brady exclaimed as the two men exited the building and spotted the dark blue Escalade. “It’s bigger than I thought,” he added with a smile.

John stepped onto the concrete pad. “A fella can’t hear that too often,” he joked. He switched off the engine and left the driver’s door open. “I think you’ll be happy with this one. It’s got almost every option available for that year. Only thing it don’t have is the sunroof.”

Darin opened the passenger door and peered inside. “What’s the miles?” he asked.

“Just over a hundred,” John responded. “Guy from Phoenix drove back and forth to Albuquerque three days a week. Oil was changed every four thousand miles. Paperwork’s in the packet.”

Running his hand across the right front tire, Darin stated, “Could use some new shoes before long.”

John nodded. “I can put new ones on if you want,” he replied. “Spare’s never been on the ground.”

Brady swung one of the rear doors open and inhaled. “Doesn’t smell like anyone smoked in it,” he stated. “Back seat doesn’t look like it’s ever been sat on either.” Crawling inside he asked, “Is that another seat in the back?”

“Sure is,” John replied, reaching in, and pulling the hood release. “You won’t find another one this year with this low a mileage,” he offered. “Most are well over a hundred fifty.”

“What year is it?” Brady asked.

“Ninety-nine.”

Brady’s friend, Tim, arrived with one of the rescue vans and backed up to the other building. Stepping from the van, he whistled. “Comin’ up in the world, are ya Bray?” he called, straightening a stack of papers on the hood of the white van. What’s that? A Cadillac?” he added before entering the shelter building.

Pointing under the hood, John advised, “The battery’s new and it had a new alternator, timing belt and hoses about four months ago. Brakes were done last month, and we did a complete fluid change and front-end alignment when we got it in.”

Another white van rounded the rear of the building as Eric arrived with the two youngsters from school. “Didn’t I tell you it was nice?” he shouted through the open window while Zander and Jayson climbed out.

Darin turned to his partner. “Whadaya think?” he asked.

Brady smiled. “I like it.” Turning to John, he asked, “Did you bring the papers?”

John reached inside and removed a large envelope. “Right here,” he replied. “I knew you’d like it,” he added.

“Well, then, let’s go talk deal,” Darin said as they headed toward the building.

Before entering, John advised, “I got four Transit vans comin’ in ya might be interested in.”

“That’s the smaller Ford van?” Darin asked, holding the door for the others.

“Yeah, they’re from a private shelter in Arizona. I bought ‘em real cheap when they closed up. Still got the cages in ‘em and ever’thing,” John replied. “I can make ya a really good deal.”

“Did you bring pictures?” Brady inquired.

“Is the pope Catholic?” John answered with a laugh before the door closed behind them.

********

“Here ya go, Sport,” Darin said as he handed the keys to Eric. “If you want, we can keep the title in our name for now. To save you money on plates. Insurance is paid through January and you’re good to go.”

Eric looked up from the book he was reading. He accepted the keys from Darin, closed the book and laid it on the end table. “You don’t have to do that,” he stated. “I can take care of it.”

“I know you can,” Darin replied. “We just want to help you out.”

“But I want to pay my own way,” Eric insisted.

Darin dropped onto the couch. “I know you do,” he began, “And that’s great but…”

“I don’t want to take advantage of you guys,” Eric protested. “It’s too much.”

“Nonsense,” Darin replied. “After all you’ve done for us.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Darin insisted.

Eric pulled his sock covered feet onto the couch. Grabbing his ankles, he gently rocked back and forth. “Look,” he began, “Ever since my ordeal with Chuck, you guys have taken care of me, and I love you for that.”

“We love you too,” Darin said, placing his hand on Eric’s shoulder.’’

Eric let out a soft sigh. “But it’s time I started paying my own way,” he continued. “At least let me start paying rent.” He leaned his head against the back of the sofa.

Darin blinked several times as he contemplated Eric’s request. “How much are you thinking?” he finally asked.

Shaking his head and shrugging, Eric replied, “Bobby was giving his mom fifty a week. I should pay at least that much.”

“Okay, I’ll discuss it with Brady and see what he thinks,” Darin finally agreed. “We really don’t need the money but…”

“I think it’s time for me to contribute for me keep,” Eric stated.

Darin placed his hand on the younger man’s arm. “You contribute plenty,” he said. “The fact that you pick the boys up from school means a lot to both of us.”

“I’m usually on the clock when I do it though,” Eric pointed out. “It’s not like I’m doing it out of the goodness of my heart or anything.” He paused for a moment. “I mean, I would,” he added.

Darin placed his arm across Eric’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I love ya, kiddo,” he said. “I may not be your biological dad, but I’d be proud to have you as a son.”

Eric blushed. “You know?” he began, “When I first came to stay here, I dreamed about what it would be like if you were my dad. How my life would have been different from what it was with Chuck?” He brushed his fingers over his left eye as a tear attempted to betray him.

“You won’t be happy ‘til ya have us both cryin’, will ya?” Darin teased as he too brushed a tear from his eye. “For one thing, you would never have had to endure what you did with him.” He let out a long sigh. “When I think about the pain that man caused you, I just…”

Eric smiled. “When I grow up, I wanna find a man just like you,” he said.

“They say girls grow up to marry guys that remind them of their dads,” Darin replied with a sly grin.

Swatting the bigger man’s leg, Eric protested, “Stop that.”

“No, I mean, why can’t gay boys grow up to marry their dads?” Darin added. “It’s just the natural order of things.”

“On one hand that’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard,” Eric said. “But, on the other, it makes a lot of sense,” he added, laughing.

Zander bounded down the front stairs. “Dinner’s ready,” he announced before entering his bedroom to change his clothes.

The two men rose from where they were sitting. Darin spread his arms as Eric leaned into his hug. “I’m so proud of you,” Darin stated, pulling the boy close. “I say we go eat.”

Pulling away, Eric responded, “Sounds good to me.”

Brady had just placed a large bowl of a broccoli and cauliflower blend on the table when the others entered the kitchen. “Where’s Jayse?” Zander asked, taking his seat.

“His mom called and wanted to see him,” Brady responded. Eric took his seat and Darin picked up a bowl of mashed potatoes to place on the table.

“Everything looks wonderful,” Eric said, eying the swiss steak with brown gravy that Brady set in the middle of the table.

“Dig in,” Brady directed as the other three each grabbed a dish and filled their plates. Taking his own seat, he asked, “Did everyone have a good day?”

Before anyone could respond, the back door opened and Jayson entered, a look of sadness on his young face. “Darin,” he said, “My mom wants to talk to you.”

Rising from his chair, Darin said, “Have her come in. She’s welcome to join us for dinner.”

“Yes, there’s more than enough,” Brady agreed, rising from his seat, and opening the cupboard to retrieve a plate.

Jayson shook his head. “No, she just wants to speak to Darin in private,” he said sadly.

Quickly, Darin moved toward the door. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” he asked, giving the boy a quick hug.

“I’m fine,” Jayson lied.

While Darin went outside to talk to Jayson’s mother, Brady set a place at the table for Jayson and insisted, “Come on up here and eat.”

Slowly, the boy made his way to his place at the table. Silently, he scooped potatoes and vegetables onto his plate. Without warning, the tears began to flow. Removing his glasses, he leaned his elbows on the table and covered his eyes with his hands. As the tears turned to sobs, Brady gently placed his arms around his young charge, waiting for him to offer any explanation. Finally, Jayson looked up at his foster father and said, softly, “She doesn’t want me.”

The back door opened as Darin returned. He closed the door and leaned against it. “I need to call Liz,” he said before rushing up the steps and heading to the bedroom.

Eric and Zander sat motionless watching Brady console Jayson. Finally, Jayson regained his composure. “Go ahead and eat, guys,” he insisted. “Don’t let me ruin your dinner. Slowly the boys resumed eating.

Returning to the kitchen, Darin stated, “Liz will be here in a while.” He returned to his seat and took a bite of potatoes.

Brady moved back to his seat and passed the meat to Jayson, who speared a piece with his fork. “Thank you,” Jayson whispered.

“I can NOT believe that woman!” Darin stated. “How can she do this to her own son?” He stood and moved to the fridge. “Do we have any Pepsi up here?” he asked, opening the door.

“I think there were some in there,” Brady replied. “What’s going on?”

Darin removed a blue can from the fridge, popped the top and chugged the contents. Letting out a loud belch, he smiled. “I’m beyond pissed off right now!” he said. “She just offered to sell me her son.”

“What?” Brady asked, stunned. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Tears began to stream across Jayson’s cheeks. He leaned back in his seat. “She said she didn’t want me around anymore,” he said softly. “I told her I wanted to live with you guys, and she said she didn’t care what I did as long as she didn’t have to look at my face ever again.”

“That’s awful,” Eric said, rising from his chair to console the younger boy who was sobbing once again.

“What did she say to you?” Brady asked Darin.

Draining the soda, Darin crushed the can and tossed it into the recycle bin. “She asked me if I wanted Jayson to stay here and I told her that if it was what was best for him, I was okay with that,” he stated. “Then she asked me what it was worth to me to keep him.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Brady responded. “She actually said that?”

Darin returned to his seat. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She asked me if it was worth a thousand dollars.” He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “Then she said that if I’d give her that amount, that she’d let me keep him.” He pushed his plate toward the center of the table.

Jayson continued to sob while Eric tried to console him. Finally, Brady got up and ushered him into the living room. Guiding him to the sofa, the pair sat down in the darkness. As Jayson clung to his foster father, the sobs continued. “It’s okay,” Brady soothed. “You’re safe and you’re loved. We’ll figure this out.”

Jayson sat up and tried to compose himself. He laid his head on Brady’s shoulder. The tears gradually subsided and he said softly, “She asked me if I was a fag and if that’s why I wanted to live with fags.”

“How did you respond?” Brady asked.

Brushing his hand across his nose, Jayson looked around for something to wipe his face. Darin, who had joined them, handed him a box of tissues. Removing several, Jayson wiped his nose and continued. “I asked her if she was asking me if I’m gay and she said…” he began. “She said…she said she just wanted to know if I was a queer or not.” He blew his nose into the tissue and sighed. “Then she asked me why I would rather be with you guys than with her. I told her you guys treat me like I matter.”

“Ouch,” Brady stated. “That had to hurt. Then what?”

“She told me she never wanted me in the first place and that if she had known I was gonna be a queer, she would’a gave me up a long time ago.”

Darin squeezed in beside the boy and placed his arm across his shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’ll sort this out,” he whispered.

“And, no matter what, you have a home here,” Brady added.

Eric appeared in the archway. “Miss Peterson is here,” he said softly.

“Ask her to come in here,” Brady directed. Within seconds, Liz entered and took a seat across from where the three were seated.

Removing several papers from a manila envelope, Liz took out a black pen. “We have work to do,” she said softly. “Are you ready?”


********

The younger boys had retired to their room to finish up some homework. Eric sat in the living room with the two older men. “So, what’s the plan?” Eric asked.

Darin laid his head against the back of the sofa. After taking a long deep breath, he replied, “Liz is gonna put the paperwork through and we’re gonna adopt Jayson.”

“Cool,” Eric said with a huge smile.

Brady leaned forward and placed his hand on the boy’s arm. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Eric nodded. “He’s as much my little brother as Zander,” he responded. “Besides,” he continued, “In the grand scheme of things, it’s not up to me.”

A smile spread across Darin’s face. “Just because we’re having another baby doesn’t mean we don’t love you just as much,” he teased.

“Oh, stop,” Eric said, laughing. The other men laughed as well. Before either could comment further, Eric’s phone rang. “Hello,” he said without looking at the screen. His expression drew serious.

“Hey, handsome,” Bobby’s voice stated.

Eric was quiet. Finally, he managed, “What do you want?”

“I miss you,” Bobby insisted.

Looking at Darin, Eric stated, “I’m not having this conversation again.”

“Come on, man,” Bobby pleaded. “I love you,” he insisted.

“No, you don’t!” Eric said, raising his voice. “Don’t call me again,” he repeated.

“You don’t mean that,” Bobby said, flatly. “I know you don’t mean that.”

“Don’t call me again!” the boy repeated. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Please,” Bobby begged.

“Don’t call me again!” Eric shouted.

“You’re gonna be sorry!” Bobby shouted before Eric pressed the button to end the call. The threat was heard from across the room.

Darin stood and removed his own cel phone from its holster. After pressing a series of numbers, he spoke into the device, “Can you come over to the house right away?” he asked. “Okay, see ya in a few.” He closed the phone and turned to the others. “Adam’s on his way.”

“It’s nothing,” Eric said.

Brady leaned forward once more. “It sure didn’t sound like nothing,” he said.

“Hello!” Adam called from the kitchen. “Darin!” he added.

“In the living room, Adam,” Brady called out.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-three

“You want to grab a bite?” Aaron Davilla asked as he and Eric exited the meeting hall for the First Community Church.

Eric looked at his watch. “It’s kinda late,” he said. Noting the disappointment in the other boy’s eyes, he apologized, “Nothing personal, it’s just that I have an early day tomorrow.”

The taller boy smiled. “It’s okay, really. I just thought you might like to get something to eat,” he offered while they walked toward the parking area. “Isn’t that your Explorer?” he asked, pointing toward Eric’s car.

Turning, Eric nodded. “Yeah,” he replied, noticing the right rear tire was flat. “Oh, great,” he complained. “Just what I need.” He removed his keys and unlocked the rear hatch to retrieve the tire tools.

“I hope you got a couple extra spares,” Aaron advised, walking toward the front of the car. “The front one’s flat too.”

Eric pushed on the spare tire mounted on the back of the car. “This one’s flat too,” he stated removing his cel phone from his jacket pocket. He entered Darin’s number. After a moment, he spoke into the phone, “Darin? It’s me, Eric. I’ve got three flat tires.” He waited for Darin’s reply. “Yeah, we’re outside the church,” he continued. “Okay, I’ll see ya in a few.” He closed the phone and stuffed it back into his pocket.

“You need to see this,” the other boy advised, shining a flashlight on the ground next to the front tire.

“What’s that?” Eric inquired, picking up a small metallic looking item from the ground.

Aaron scratched his chin. “I’m not for sure but it looks like the thing inside the thing that airs up the tires.” He shined the light around and spotted the cap to the air valve several inches away. “I think somebody took them out.”

Hearing a car start up, Eric turned to see an older model light colored station wagon disappear into the darkness. As the car turned onto the street about a block away, the headlights switched on and the car accelerated out of sight. “Son of a bitch,” Eric said, retrieving his phone once more.

Some of the other members from their meeting approached after noticing Aaron shining the light on the ground. “Need some help?” a taller, older man asked as he drew closer while Eric talked on his phone with the police.

“Looks like somebody let the air out of Eric’s tires,” Aaron explained, sweeping the light over the ground near each tire. Within a few minutes, a city police car entered the parking area. Stopping next to where the crowd was gathered, the officer turned on his overhead lights.

“Did you call for assistance?” the officer inquired, placing the car’s shifter into park, and opening the driver’s door.

“Yes, I did,” Eric replied. “Looks like somebody let all the air out of my tires,” he added, pointing to the right side of his car. “We found these next to the left front tire,” he said, handing the items to the officer.

The officer studied the items Eric had given him. Turning, he took his flashlight from its holder and pointed it at the right rear tire. He manipulated the light onto the air valve, revealing that the core and cap were missing. He quickly repeated it on the front tire. “You say, these were by the left tire?” he asked.

“Yeah, they were laying in this area,” Aaron pointed his light where the items were found.

“I’m pretty sure the spare is flat too,” Eric added. Darin’s Mustang approached by way of the south drive followed by another police cruiser. Darin stepped from the car as Officer Gabe Martinez did the same.

“You’re looking better than you did the last time I saw you,” Officer Martinez offered. “Any idea who might have done this?”

“I have my ideas,” Eric replied. “Not sure I want to point any fingers though.”

The first officer took statements from some of the onlookers while Darin and Eric spoke with Officer Martinez. “So, who do you think might have done this?”

Darin placed his hand on Eric’s arm when the boy hesitated. “I know you don’t want to accuse him, but I think you should, at least, tell the officer what you suspect.”

Eric took a deep breath. Slowly, he began, “I don’t have anything…” he paused. “Understand, it’s just a hunch.”

Officer Martinez leaned close. “Whatever you share with me will stay between us until we have any solid evidence,” he said softly. “I promise.”

Finally, Eric sighed. “I think it might have been Bobby,” he stated. “I saw a light-colored car over there.” He pointed to where he had seen the car drive away. “It pulled out without any lights until it got to the street.”

“Did you see what kind of car it was?” the officer asked.

Eric nodded. “It was an older station wagon.” He looked toward Darin for encouragement. “Like the one Bobby has,” he added.

Officer Martinez made notes on a small pad. “Why do you think he might have done this?” he asked.

“I…uh…” Eric stammered, looking to Darin for guidance.

“He was the boy who was driving the night of the accident,” Darin offered.

Encouraged, Eric continued, “When we got home that night, I found some small packets of white powder in his jacket pocket and I…” He sighed once more. “I broke things off with him not long after that,” he said, flatly.

“So, the two of you were romantically involved?” Martinez quizzed. “It’s okay,” he assured. “You think the white powder was drugs?”

“It had an eagle printed on the pouch,” Darin interrupted. “In silver ink.”

“Silver Eagle?” Officer Martinez let out a long breath. “That’s some bad shit,” he added. “How many packets did he have?”

Eric thought for a moment. “Three or four, I think,” he replied. “I put them back after I showed Darin.” He leaned against the side of the police car. “About a week latertgrftr, I confronted him. He didn’t offer any explanation.”

“How long after that did you break it off?” the officer pressed.

“About another week,” Eric answered. “Shortly after that, the phone calls started,” he continued.

Making notes, the officer quizzed, “What was the nature of these calls?”

“At first, it was just…” Eric paused, searching for the right words. “He acted like nothing had changed. He asked me to go to the movies. That type of thing.” He paused again.

“How many times did he call you?”

Eric shook his head. “At first it was just a couple times a day,” he admitted. “After a while, he got more insistent. I got to where I’d let it go to voice-mail.” He scratched his cheek. “That’s when it really started getting bad.”

Turning to Darin, the officer asked, “Did you witness any of these calls?”

Darin nodded. “I overheard one a few days ago,” he said. “I only actually heard Eric shouting for Bobby to quit calling him.”

“The past couple weeks, he’s called anywhere from four to twenty times,” Eric admitted. “I thought he finally got a clue.”

“What do you mean?”

“He hadn’t called for several days,” Eric began. “Then, the other night, out of the blue, he called again.”

“My partner and I were there for that one,” Darin stated.

“What did you hear?”

Darin looked to Eric. “He said I’d be sorry,” Eric stated. “We filed a report on the threat,” he added.

Officer Martinez closed his notebook. “Does he still live at the address that was on the accident report?” he asked.

Eric nodded.

“Don’t worry, we’ll pay him a visit,” the officer promised.

A tow truck arrived and stopped next to the patrol car. “Somebody call for a tow?” the driver asked.

“The Explorer,” Officer Martinez advised. “Just need to air up the tires.”

While the officer spoke with the driver of the tow truck, Eric’s cel phone rang. He looked at the screen and turned to Darin. “It’s Bobby,” he whispered. He motioned to get the officer’s attention.

“Let it go to voice-mail,” Martinez directed.

The phone continued to ring, then went silent. A few seconds later, the message signal sounded. “Looks like he left a message…” Before Eric could finish his statement, his phone began ringing again. Looking at the screen, he noted, “It’s him again.”

Officer Martinez held out his hand. Eric gave him the phone, which continued to ring. Finally, the officer pressed the button to answer. “Hello?” he said into the device.

“Who the fuck is this?” a male voice demanded.

Officer Martinez smiled. “This is Gabe,” he replied, “Who’s this?”

“None of your fuckin’ business,” the voice said before the line went silent.

The officer closed the phone and returned it to Eric. “Let’s see if he calls back,” he offered seconds before it began ringing once more. Holding out his hand again, the officer took the phone and answered, “Hello?”

“Let me talk to Eric,” the caller demanded.

“Eric’s not available right now,”

“Bullshit!” the voice exclaimed. “Let me talk to him!”

Officer Martinez switched the phone to speaker mode and handed it to Eric. “Hello?” the boy said.

“Who the fuck is that guy?” Bobby demanded.

Eric looked to the officer for guidance. “Just a friend,” he lied.

“Are you fucking him?”

“What?” Eric asked, stunned. “No!”

“Did you get your car fixed?” Bobby changed the subject.

Eric looked at Darin and the officer. Unsure of what to say, he offered, “What are you talking about?” He was met with silence on the line. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m still here,” the other boy replied.

“Please,” Eric began, “Stop calling me.” He looked at the officer once more before pressing the button to end the call.

“I replaced the valve cores on three tires on your car,” the tow truck driver advised, interrupting. “Do you know if you had a cap on the left rear?” he asked.

“I’m pretty sure they were all on,” Darin replied.

“You might have interrupted him,” Officer Martinez offered.

“I’ll have you all aired up in just a few more minutes,” the driver added before returning to his task.

Aaron approached Eric from where his car was parked. “I’m gonna head out,” he offered, giving the smaller man a quick hug. “See ya next week,” he added before departing. A few of the other members of their meeting also waved as they walked toward their cars.

“Bye, guys,” Eric called after them while the other officer turned off his overhead lights.

“If you’d like, I can follow you home,” Officer Martinez offered while the tow truck driver rolled up his air hose and placed it back onto his truck.

Darin approached the driver and signed his paperwork before all three men approached their respective vehicles. “If you don’t mind, I think that would be a good idea,” he replied to the officer before getting into his car. He started the car and quickly backed from his parking space, heading toward the street with Darin and the officer following behind.

In about fifteen minutes, Darin drove his car into the garage and switched off the engine. Eric parked in his usual spot next to the gold Lexus. Walking toward his young friend, Darin said, “I’m glad we’re home.”

“I know,” Eric returned, “The whole way, I kept thinking I saw his car.” Before the two could enter the house, Eric’s phone began ringing. He removed it from his pocket and looked at the screen. “Oh, damn,” he blurted out, “It’s him.”

“You don’t have to talk to him,” Darin stated.

“I know,” the boy answered. After several rings, he finally opened his phone. “What do you want?” he yelled.

After a brief pause, Bobby finally said, “I just wanted to make sure you got home all right.” Before Eric could respond, he added, “Is your friend still there?”

“What do I have to do to get you to stop bothering me?” Eric inquired.

“You don’t mean that,” Bobby protested.

“Yes, I do,” Eric responded. “Stop calling me, please.” Before hanging up, he stated, “I’ve already called the police.”

“Why the fuck did you do that?” Bobby screamed. “Now, you’re really gonna be sorry!” he shouted just before headlights appeared nearly halfway up the south drive.

The sound of a v8 engine quickly accelerating shattered the quiet of the night. Seconds later, the yellow station wagon sped past the shelter building and charged toward the house. Just as it reached the end of the fence, another set of lights appeared from the direction of the row of trailer homes on the north side of the property. As the yellow car slid to a stop, red and blue lights began to flash atop the other car. “Step out of the vehicle with your hands up!” a voice called over a loudspeaker on the police cruiser. The driver of the yellow car slammed the car into reverse, throwing gravel as the car roared backward and spun around. Before the driver could get the car turned around, another police car appeared from the same direction the yellow car had come. Two more patrol cars switched on their lights as they followed close behind.

Holding the smaller man, Darin pulled him toward the garage. Three officers, guns drawn, ran toward the yellow car. “Let me see your hands!” one officer shouted. Brady and the younger boys appeared in the garage to see what all the commotion was about.

“What’s going on?” Brady asked when he approached the pair who stood, shocked, beside Eric’s car.

Officer Martinez, gun drawn, approached from the direction of the first patrol car. “Stay inside the garage!” he called out as he ran to where the other officers had Bobby stopped. “Turn off the engine and put your hands on the wheel!” he shouted to the driver. “Let me see your hands!” he repeated. The engine went silent before one of the officers yanked open the driver’s door and pulled the tall young man from the seat. Once he was in custody, the officer approached Darin and the others.

“How did you know?” Darin inquired.

“After all the phone calls, I had another car head this way and wait,” he told Darin. “I figured, if he didn’t show up by end of shift, it would be okay for the night.”

“I love you!” Bobby shouted as the officers handcuffed him and led him to a waiting patrol car. “Why are you doing this to me?” he pleaded while he was helped into the back seat. He kicked the back of the front seat and shouted.

“I spotted him when he pulled out behind your dad,” Martinez told Eric. He stayed back far enough so you wouldn’t realize he was there. When the two of you turned into the drive, I saw him continue on and turn around.”

Eric leaned into Darin’s embrace. “I never thought he’d try anything like this,” he said softly.

Another officer approached from Bobby’s car. “We found this on the passenger side of the front seat,” he announced, holding out a small handgun.

The yellow Oldsmobile sat pointing toward the west with all four passenger doors wide open. Two officers poured over the interior looking for evidence. Opening the rear gate, one of the officers lifted the cargo cover underneath the mattress that was rolled up in the back. “Martinez!” he called out. “You might wanna look at this.”

“What did you find?” Martinez asked when he approached the car. The other officer pointed to a plastic shoebox inside the compartment. Martinez let out a short whistle. “Oh brother,” he said when he pushed back the lid with his baton. The box was filled with small plastic packets, all with the eagle stamped on one side in silver ink. Removing his radio microphone from his collar, he spoke into the device, “Dispatch, this is seven.”

“Go ahead, seven,” the female voice responded.

Shaking his head, Martinez continued, “Dispatch, we need a narcotics officer at this location.”

“Roger, seven.” After a few moments, the radio crackled once more. “Seven, this is dispatch.”

“Go ahead, dispatch.”

“Seven, Narcotics will meet you at your location. E T A, ten minutes.”

“Roger, dispatch,” he replied. He turned to the other officer and advised, “Just keep an eye on the car and don’t touch anything else until Narcotics gets here.”

“Ten-four,” the other officer acknowledged, closing the rear gate on the car.

“He won’t bother you ever again,” Officer Martinez promised while an unmarked Impala approached from the road. “Heads up, fellas!” he called out to the other officers. “The Narcs are here.”

********

Eight weeks had passed. On his way back to the shelter, Eric stopped at the Quick Stop to fill his car with fuel. While he waited for the pump to deliver the twenty dollars, he had prepaid, his cel phone rang. “Hello,” he answered tentatively.

“Eric, it’s Gabe Martinez,” the unfamiliar voice replied. “I wanted to let you know that Bobby took a deal, so you won’t have to worry about testifying.”

Recognizing the officer’s name, Eric sighed. “That’s wonderful,” he stated. “But what does that mean exactly?”

The officer cleared his throat. “It means,” he began, “That he agreed to testify against his supplier on the drug charges, but he also admitted to stalking you and vandalizing your vehicle.”

“So, will I have to worry about him bothering me?” Eric asked nervously.

“The agreement is that he will have to serve five years on the drug charges” Gabe explained. “And, once he’s released, he’ll be on probation for another three. During those three years, he’s to have no contact with you or any member of your family. If he even calls you on the phone or sends you a letter, he’s in violation and he’ll be headed back to prison.”

Leaning against the side of his car, Eric thought about what he had just been told. “But what if we run into each…?”

“You’ll have at least four years before you have to worry about that,” Gabe assured the young man. “A lot can happen in that time.”

Eric studied his left boot and let out a loud sigh. “I know,” he began, “I’m just being silly but…”

“Hey, I get it,” Gabe assured him. “I have a son about your age, and he worries about everything.”

“Oh? Is he single?” Eric said with a soft laugh.

“Yeah, but I doubt you’d be interested. He’s into girls.” Gabe let out a laugh of his own. “Well, at least I think he is,” he added. “We don’t exactly talk much.”

“Hey,” Eric said, breaking the awkward pause. “Thanks for letting me know about Bobby. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Gabe replied. “You take care now.”

“Will do,” Eric said before ending the call. Looking around, he stuffed the phone into his pocket, returned the nozzle to the pump and slipped into the driver’s seat. Before he started the car, he leaned his head against the top of the steering wheel. The sound of a horn honking brought him back to the moment. He started the car and headed out to the highway.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-four

“Are you prepared to give both boys your unconditional love and support?” Judge Mitchell asked.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Darin replied just before Brady did the same.

“You will be responsible for their care and support,” she continued. “They will inherit from you and will be entitled to everything that a biological child would be. Do you agree?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” both men replied.

Judge Mitchell peered over the top of her reading glasses. “Congratulations,” she stated, turning to address the boys. “Will you, Zander and you, Jayson accept these terms as well?”

“I will, Your Honor,” Jayson responded.

“I will too,” Zander agreed.

Handing Darin a pen, the judge advised, “Once you each sign these papers, you, Darin Johnson and you, Brady Tortellino, will forever be known as the parents of Zander James Johnson and Jayson Eugene Johnson.” She watched as all four put their signatures on the papers. “There is still one more matter to be discussed,” She added, turning to Brady. “Are you ready, Mister Tortellino?” she asked.

“Yes, I am, your honor,” Brady replied.

“Good,” she responded, “After signing this paper, you will forevermore be known, legally, as Brady Tortellino Johnson. Do you agree?”

“Yes, your honor,” Brady agreed, placing his signature on the form.

With a smile, Judge Mitchell tapped her gavel on the desk and decreed, “This completes these proceedings. Congratulations to you all,” she added while Darin and Brady embraced their sons. The Judge moved around her desk and offered both boys a quick hug. “I’m so happy for all of you,” she offered. “It’s wonderful to see such caring parents.”

“Thank you so much,” Brady replied.

“Yes,” Darin agreed, “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re most welcome,” the judge responded. “Now, get out of here and enjoy your family,” she added with a laugh. “I’ve got work to do.”

The door to the office opened to reveal Eric waiting for his family to join him. Spotting the smaller man, Brady said to him, “You’re stuck with them now.”

“Happy to take on that task,” Eric retorted, extending his arms to hug both boys.

The four departed the Judge’s office and headed for the exit. “So, where are we going for lunch?” Darin asked, his hand on the younger boys’ shoulders. “Your choice.”

Zander turned to Brady. “I think you should choose…Dad,” he said with a big smile while Jayson nodded agreement.

Pulling the boy close, Brady responded, “What brought this on?”

“Me and Jayse were talkin’…”

“Jayse and I,” Brady corrected.

Zander smiled. “Okay. Well, Jayse and I were talkin’ last night, and we both realized that we’ve been callin’ Darin ‘Dad’ for a while now,” the boy replied. “And we’ve always called you ‘Brady’.” a

“It’s not really fair to you,” Jayson added. “I mean, you’re our dad now too, right”

Brady pulled both boys into a tight hug. “I love you guys,” he said softly.

********

Returning from the kennel area, the phone was ringing when Brady entered his office. “This is Brady,” he said, picking up the receiver on the fourth ring.

“Happy Memorial Day,” the male voice on the other end offered. “How’s my favorite boss?”

A huge smile spread across his face as Brady responded, “Hey, Rodney. Long time, no hear from.” He rounded the desk and took his seat. “We’re doing great.”

Rodney laughed. “That’s good to hear,” he said.

“How’s school?” Brady asked.

“Really great,” Rodney replied. “Spring quarter ends June twenty-second and I was hoping to come for a visit over the fourth.”

Another smile as Brady stated, “That would be awesome. I’ll have Rita give your trailer a good cleaning if you’d like.”

“I don’t want you to go to any trouble,” Rodney protested. “I can do it.”

“Nonsense, I’m happy to do it,” Brady argued. “It won’t take all that much anyway.”

“How did it go in court yesterday?” Rodney asked.

Brady smiled. “It’s all done,” he replied. “The boys are ours.”

“That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to meet them.”

“They’re both such good kids.”

“Gotta go,” Rodney interrupted. “Nate’s home.”

Sensing a change in his friend’s tone, Brady asked, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Rodney assured. “I’ll talk to ya soon.”

Before hanging up, Brady offered, “Love ya,”

“You too,” Rodney said, “Bye.”

With the receiver in his hand, Brady sat for several seconds going over the conversation. Finally, he hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. Not sure what to make of the quick change in his friend’s tone, he decided to wait for him to call again. He was still lost in thought when his partner entered the doorway.

“Earth to Brady,” Darin teased. “Are you in there?”

Looking up, Brady smiled at the taller man. “I…” He paused. “I just got off the phone with Rodney,” he said.

“Cool,” Darin responded. “How’s he doing?”

“He wants to come for a visit over the fourth,” Brady began. “I just got a feeling there was more to it though.”

“He seemed okay the last time I talked to him,” Darin stated. “What makes you think there’s something more?”

Brady shook his head. “Maybe it’s nothing but…” He went over the conversation in his head. “He cut things off when Nate came home.”

“Anything else?”

“Before I hung up, I said, ‘Love ya,’ like I always do and he just said, ‘You too’,” Brady answered. “It was like he couldn’t say the words.”

Lowering himself into a chair, Darin let out a long breath. “That’s not really like him,” he began. “But it might not mean anything.”

“I know, I just worry,” Brady said, leaning back in his chair again.

“Yeah, we both need to work on that,” Darin stated with a soft laugh.

“Dad?” a familiar voice called from the front of the building.

“In here!” both men called out. They heard the sound of two sets of footsteps on the hardwood floor. Soon the boys entered the office. Zander plopped down in the chair next to Darin and dropped his backpack on the floor beside him.

“How was school?” Darin asked, ruffling the boy’s hair.

Zander giggled. “It was fine,” he said, smiling. “Miss Baxter, my history teacher, kept calling me ‘Mister Bryant’. I had to tell her my name’s Johnson now.”

Brady laughed. “Give her a break,” he scolded. “You only have a few more days of school. You’ll be Zander Johnson for the rest of your life.”

“Unless he gets married,” Jayson teased. Looking from one older man to the other, he added, “What?”

“You’re not getting married,” Brady insisted. “In fact, you’re not gonna date until you’re thirty.”

“Damn straight,” Darin agreed, then let out a robust laugh.

“Well that just sucks,” Jayson protested.

“Yeah,” Zander joined in, “And not in the good way.”

“Where did you hear that?” Darin demanded.

“Uncle Tim,” both boys chimed in.

“That’s what I thought,” Brady stated. “I’m gonna have to have a talk with him.”

“Who ya gonna have to have a talk with?” Tim called from the hallway. “I thought I heard my name,” he added, settling into the doorway.

Brady laughed. “I hear you’re teaching my kids some bad habits,” he said.

It was Tim’s turn to let out a boisterous laugh. “Hell, I learned a lot of that shit from them,” he protested.

“Don’t say shit in front of the K-I-D-S,” Darin joked before they all enjoyed a hearty laugh.

Brady looked from one boy to the other. “You two have homework?” he asked.

“Aw, Dad,” Jayson whined.

“You know the rules,” Brady stated. “Homework first.”

Picking up his pack, the blond boy rose from his seat. “Okay, let’s go get our homework done, Bro,” he said to Jayson.

While the boys headed to the house to concentrate on their homework, Tim updated the others on a recent rescue. “We’re gonna have to go back tomorrow to set some live traps and pick up the bigger animals,” he advised. “We were only able to get a few of the cats today.”

“The call said it was about twenty cats,” Brady responded, looking at his notes.

Tim nodded. “It was but there was another property that they didn’t know about until we got there. The neighbor told us about it.” He removed his ball cap and ran his fingers through his hair. “Tom’s gonna get the warrant for both properties in the morning.”

“What were you able to get today?” Darin asked.

“Three dogs that were tied up outside and eleven cats,” Tim replied. “Most of the cats seem to be pretty docile but, once we started catchin’ ‘em, the others kinda freaked. Looks like they just turned the house over to the cats and moved to the place across the field.”

Brady picked up a pen and asked, “So, how many more animals did you find at the other property?”

Thinking for a moment, Tim advised, “Two horses, a calf and an alpaca are the bigger animals.” He paused. “That alpaca is in desperate need of a shearing, for sure.”

“Don’t you mean, ‘fo’ shear’?” Darin joked.

“Ha!” Tim responded. “Oh, God! You’re already starting with the dad jokes. Help us all.”

Brady added to his notes. “What else?” he inquired, while the other two regained their composure.

“We know there’s, at least, four or five more dogs,” Tim replied. “But I’m not sure what else might be in the house or outbuildings.” He paused, dropping into the chair that Zander had vacated. “Windows were pretty much covered on the house and the barn was closed up. We didn’t have a warrant, so Tom didn’t want to poke around too much.”

“Do you think we’ll need more than the two small stock trailers?” Darin pressed.

Tim shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I’d think I’d rather take the big one instead, though.”

“We can always take some crates along and put them in the trailer if the vans get too full,” Darin agreed. “Since we don’t know what, if anything, is in the barn, that would probably be a good call.”

Tim rose from his seat. “Okay, sounds like a plan then,” he said before exiting the office. He patted Darin on the shoulder and laughed once more. “For shear,” he repeated. “Good one.”

Darin glanced at his watch and yawned, stretching his long arms over his head. “How ‘bout I take you and the boys out for dinner tonight?” he offered.

Brady looked up from his notes. “I got pork chops out to put on the grill, but I can save them for tomorrow,” he answered. “What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking we could try that new Asian buffet down by the junction,” Darin responded. “I hear it’s pretty good.”

Brady licked his lips. “I wonder if they have coconut shrimp.”

“Now you’re talkin’,” the bigger man said, removing his cel phone from its holster. He pressed a series of numbers and placed the device to his ear. “Hey, kiddo,” he began. “We’re gonna try that new buffet place at the junction. Are you heading this way soon?”

“I’m almost there now,” Eric replied.

“Cool, see ya soon,” Darin stated.

********

“What are you doing up?” Darin quizzed when he entered the kitchen to find Zander seated at the table with a pack of cookies and a glass of milk. Not waiting for an answer, he removed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with milk. “Okay, spill it,” he directed.

Zander shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted something sweet,” he said with a smile.

“And?” Darin pressed.

The two dipped cookies into their respective glasses and munched quietly for several minutes. “I was wanting to ask a favor,” the boy finally said.

“You know you can ask me anything,” the older man assured, placing his hand on the youngster’s arm. “What’s up?”

“I wondered if Jimmy could spend the weekend,” Zander stated. “Since we’re gonna be going to a different school next year, we might not see each other that much.”

A huge smile spread across Darin’s face. He scratched his chin, the whiskers sounding like sandpaper. “First off, you can invite him over any time. It doesn’t matter if you go to the same school or not. He’s your friend and I don’t want that to change for you.”

“I know it’s short notice but…” Zander explained. “I want to spend some time with him.”

“Well,” Darin began, “We have the cookout on Sunday, so we’d have to take him home after or on Monday.”

“What if we invited his folks to come over on Sunday?” Zander offered.

Darin thought for a moment. “I think that’s a great idea,” he responded. “Do you have his home number?”

Shaking his head, the boy answered, “I don’t know it, but I can have him ask his mom to call you.”

“That works,” Darin said, “That way we can coordinate everything.”

********

At a few minutes past two on Friday afternoon, Darin answered the phone in his office. “This is Darin,” he offered.

“Hello, Darin,” the woman’s voice offered. “This is Maggie Martin, Jimmy’s foster mom.”

“Oh, hi, Misses Martin,” he responded.

“Please, call me Maggie,” she insisted. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Not at all,” Darin assured. “Did the boys tell you what they had in mind for the weekend?” he asked.

“Yes, they did. Are you sure you’re okay with him spending the whole weekend?”

“We’d be happy to have him with us,” Darin stated. “He’s welcome here any time.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” she responded.

“In fact, we’d like to invite you and your family to join us on Sunday for a cookout,” Darin went on.

Maggie thought for a moment. “Let me talk to my husband,” she replied. “Of course, the two younger kids will be with their parents, but our two older boys might like to come.”

“What say we plan on you being here,” Darin offered. “We’ll see you around one.”

“Can I bring anything?”

“Just your appetites and your swimsuits,” Darin replied.

“All right then. We’ll see you Sunday,” Maggie said. “Bye now.”

Before hanging up, Darin added, “Bye.”

********

“We had been trying for several years to start a family,” Maggie told the two fathers. “We had decided to explore other options, but adoption seemed like the best possible avenue for us. When a friend of Matthew’s came to us and told us about his foster daughter, we knew we had made the right decision.” Maggie was a stout woman, not really what you would call heavy but still a ‘substantial’ woman. Her husband, Matt was every bit as thin as she was hearty. The couple, along with their two oldest children, Marc and Evan had arrived about fifteen minutes before one. Maggie wore a bright pink shirt with white flowers covering the front. Her husband wore a red shirt with a blue and green macaw on one side of the front. Their oldest son, Marc was dressed in a bright blue button up shirt and white shorts and sat next to his mother in his wheelchair. “Shortly after we agreed to the adoption, we learned that we were expecting. Marc’s biological mother was thirteen when she was placed into foster care. She had been raped by her stepfather. We had made a commitment to her child so we, of course, followed through with the adoption.” She paused to take a drink of her iced tea. “Marc was six weeks premature and was so tiny. Evan was born six weeks later.”

“Almost like having twins?” Darin inquired.

“It was a challenge, that’s for sure,” Matt Martin replied while Marc shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “When Marcus was about eight months old, we noticed that he was having difficulties crawling. Evan was all over the place, but he just laid there. So, we had some testing done.”

“It was awful watching the doctors,” Maggie interrupted. “Our poor baby was poked and prodded and manipulated.” She pulled a tissue from her brassiere and dabbed at the corner of her left eye. After a moment, she continued, “They told us that he might have suffered some oxygen deprivation while he was in the NICU and that he might never walk.”

“But we loved both our boys,” Matt offered. “Marcus can do almost anything that Evan can do,” he stated proudly.

“Well, except for the whole running thing,” Marc inserted with a chuckle.

While the adults got acquainted, the other boys tossed a ball back and forth. Jayson joined the group from the lower level and asked, “Can we go for a swim before we eat?”

“Sure,” Darin replied. Turning to the youngsters, he offered, “Changing room is downstairs.”

“We’re waiting for our friends, Tony and Tim, to arrive,” Brady advised Maggie and her husband. “They’re bringing the steaks,” he added.

The boys quickly headed toward the entrance to the lower level. Once in the locker room, Evan and Jimmy stripped off their shorts and slipped into their swimsuits. Jayson, Zander and Eric all changed in their bedrooms. While they changed, Jayson whispered to Zander, “I wonder if Jimmy’s brother is as big as he is.”

Tying up his swim trunks, Zander replied, “Probably not, they’re not brothers by blood.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Jayson agreed.

Eric poked his head into the room. “You guys ready?” he asked, wrapping a towel around his neck. Their guests joined them as they passed the locker room. Jimmy wore a pair of green swim trunks with yellow stripes along the sides and his brother wore a similar pair in white.

“Would you like to get in the pool?” Darin asked Marc.

Marc nodded, then blushed. “I’d like to, but I don’t know how to swim,” he replied.

“Did you bring a swimsuit?” Brady asked.

Shaking his head, the boy answered, “No.” He scratched the hair on his left arm. “I don’t want to be a bother,” he added.

“It’s no bother,” Darin offered, “I’ll be right back.” He quickly sprinted up the stairs to their bedroom and returned a minute later with a pair of dark blue trunks. “These should fit,” he offered, releasing the brake on Marc’s chair, and pushing him toward the cottage. “You can change in here.”

The younger boys bounded through the door and onto the patio. Jimmy, towering above the others, led the group. Eric and Evan brought up the rear.

Pushing Marc’s chair toward the bathroom, Darin asked, “Do you need any help getting changed?”

“Nah, I can do it,” the boy replied,” struggling with the laces on his shoes.

Darin squatted down in front of the chair and untied the boy’s left shoe and slipped it off his foot, removing the sock as well. Repeating with the right foot, he placed the socks inside the boy’s shoes. “Anything more I can help with?” the older man offered.

“Thanks, I can get it from here,” Marc responded as he unbuttoned his shorts and lifted his butt off the seat. With ease, he pushed his underwear to the floor as well. Once changed, Darin pushed the boy back to the patio where Tony and Tim had arrived with a large package of t-bone steaks.

“We brung all they had at the meat store,” Tony announced, laying the meat next to the grill. “Ever’body better be hungry.”

While Brady made introductions, Darin excused himself to change. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said taking the steps two at a time.

Noticing how tall Tony was, Marc smiled when Brady introduced him. Tony knelt down beside the chair and said, “Pleased to make ya ‘quaintance. Y’all goin’ fer a swim?”

“More like a float,” Marc said, his face flushing red. “I’m sure I’ll sink like a rock.”

Darin appeared wearing a pair of red swim trunks. Scooping the small man into his arms, he offered. “You ready?”

Taking a deep breath, Marc replied, “As ready as I’m gonna be.” When Darin began to descend the steps into the pool, he tightened his grip on the bigger man’s neck. “Don’t drop me,” he said, panic in his voice.

“I won’t let you go until you’re ready,” Darin soothed.

Once in the water, Darin lowered himself into the shallow end. Marc leaned into the thick hair on the man’s chest. “Tony’s sure a big guy,” he said softly. “Is he…?”

“He’s from Texas,” Darin replied. “Everything’s big in Texas,” he added with a hearty laugh.

“This is nice,” Marc said as he loosened his grip on Darin’s neck.

“Just relax,” the big man soothed. “Just lean back and I’ll support you.”

Slowly, Marc leaned his head back into the water. “Don’t drop me,” he pleaded when he slipped slightly.

“I won’t.”

Gradually, the boy released his hold on the bigger man and spread his arms. With a huge smile on his thin face, he giggled, “This is fun.”

Evan and Jimmy appeared as Marc floated in the warm water and splashed gently. Without comment, the two younger boys positioned themselves so they could take over. “I got you big brother,” Jimmy soothed.

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Evan assured while Darin stepped back. Both boys stood just over six feet tall and had locked their hands under their brother. He floated gently atop the water, a huge smile on his face.

Maggie and Matt shared small talk with Brady and the others while the boys continued to splash in the pool. Tony set the burners on the grill and got ready to prepare the steaks.

“We figured out that Evan was gay when he was around fourteen,” Maggie offered, smiling. “We started to see the same signs not long after Jimmy came to live with us.”

Brady nodded. “Zander came to live with us because he was being bullied at school for being gay,” he stated. “Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered but I think it did help him get placed with us,” he continued.

“So, when did you decide to adopt the boys?” Matt inquired.

Thinking for a moment, Brady replied, “We had already applied to adopt Zander when Jayson came to us. When his mother learned that he was gay, she told his case worker that she didn’t want any more to do with him. That’s when we decided to wait until we could adopt both boys.”

Matt nodded. “They’re lucky you came into their lives,” he opined.

“I’d like to think we’re the lucky ones,” Brady stated. “It’s like we were at the right place at the right time.”

While they talked, Darin exited the pool with Marc and placed him gently onto a plastic chair. Handing the boy a towel, he began to dry himself off as well. “That was fun,” Marc said. “Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome,” Darin replied.

Maggie leaned closer to Brady. “I have to say, you’re a lucky man,” she said with a soft laugh.

“How so?” Brady asked, curious.

She giggled. “Darin’s one hot daddy,” she gushed, fanning herself with her hands. “If I were younger, I’d…” She giggled again abandoning her thought.

Matt swatted her arm, playfully. “I’m right here,” he protested with a laugh. “Oh, who am I kidding? Hell, I’d do him,” he said, his face turning bright red while the three of them laughed heartily.

“Steaks is almost ready,” Tony advised.

Toweling himself off, Darin turned toward the pool. “Boys!” he called, “Get changed for dinner.”

All five boys scampered from the water and headed for the lower level to change. Brady quickly retrieved a shirt and shorts for Darin while he ushered Marc toward the cottage to change. When Darin wheeled Marc into the bathroom the boy hesitated before removing his trunks. “It kinda has a mind of its own,” he admitted pointing to the fact that he was sporting a rather impressive erection.

“Not a problem,” Darin assured him. “It happens to all of us,” he added as his partner handed him his dry clothes.

“At least it still works,” Marc said with a laugh. “Not that I’m ever gonna get to do anything besides beatin’ off,” he added sadly, drying his genital area with the towel, and pulling up his underwear. “At least it’s not as obnoxious as my brothers,” he added with a soft giggle.

“I’ve heard Jimmy’s is the subject of wet dreams,” Brady stated, his face flushing red. “Not that I have any firsthand knowledge,” he quickly added.

Marc laughed out loud. “That’s why we call him ‘horse’,” he joked.

“I think one of my boys mentioned that,” Darin said with a chuckle.

 

[photoman4u35]

I'm really enjoying this. I was finally able to get caught up on your original Darin 2.0. Thanks for sharing and keeping us entertained with this story.

 

[highflyer99]

I'm still enjoying it too. A lot. The main characters are good people, and there's a warmth to the story I really like.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-five

The others were waiting when Darin and Marc returned. “Let’s eat,” Brady announced while the youngsters grabbed plates and began loading them up with food.

“Your dads are so nice,” Evan said to Eric as the two scooped food onto their respective plates. “I’m really glad you all invited us over. My folks don’t get to socialize a whole lot.”

“Why’s that?” Eric asked, making his way to pick out a drink from the large blue cooler. “What can I grab for you?” he added, pointing at the drinks amongst the ice.

“Pepsi’s fine,” Evan replied. The two moved toward one of the picnic tables. When they had set their plates down, he answered the other boy’s first question, “We used to belong to this church and my mom and dad had lots of friends there. When I came out, they started getting treated a lot different.”

Eric nodded. “That’s just wrong,” he stated. “So, they didn’t accept you?”

Shaking his head, the boy replied sadly, “The pastor wanted them to send me to a camp where they do conversion therapy. But they told him no and not long after we stopped going.” He cut his meat, taking a bite.

“It’s hard to believe anyone still thinks that way,” Eric said, placing his hand on Evan’s arm. “Especially someone in a position of leadership.”

The two spent several minutes enjoying their meals without conversation. After taking a long drink of soda, Evan offered, “What’s really sad is that so many of the others are just as bad.” He leaned back in his seat. “Enough about me though,” he said, “Let’s talk about you.”

Eric blushed. “What would you like to know?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“Are you a top or a bottom?” Evan asked softly, winking. He took another bite of his meat and chewed slowly.

“Uh…well…” Eric stammered. “You don’t waste any time, do you?” he added, smiling. After a moment he stated, “I guess you could say I’m a versatile bottom.”

“I’m a versatile top,” Evan said, rubbing the soft dark hair on the smaller boy’s arm.

Covering his mouth as he let out a laugh, Eric offered, “If you’re anywhere near as big as your little brother, we might have a problem.” He took another bite of food and chewed slowly.

“I love your home,” Maggie said as she cut her steak. “When did you decide to open the shelter?”

Darin took a sip of his drink and replied, “Brady was working for another rescue that…” He paused. “Well, let’s just say they ran into some legal issues.”

“I had found this property through a friend of mine,” Brady offered. “At one time, it was a commercial chicken farm, but it was in pretty rough shape.” He paused to take a bite of food.

“Bray had applied for just about every grant and loan he could find,” Tim shared. “I thought he had lost his mind when he told me what his plans were.” He laughed.

Darin nodded agreement. “But, when he showed me this place, I saw all the potential,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, this place was a mess.”

“Oh, for sure,” Brady agreed. “The house had been closed up for almost two years while the family fought over what to do with the place.” He took another sip of his drink.

“Long story short,” Darin added, “The price was so low and the place had too much potential to let it slip away so…”

“My hubby surprised me and bought it for me,” Brady announced. “And the rest…”

“Is history,” Darin completed the thought, snapping his fingers. Seeing the confusion on the faces of their guests, he said, “Family money.”

“Ah,” Maggie said, nodding. “Well, from what I’ve heard, you’re doing wonderful work here. I know several people who have adopted from you.”

“How did you come up with the name?” Matt inquired.

“I think I can answer this one,” Tim chimed in. “You see, Bray and I grew up together and we were best friends all through school. But even though we were as close as brothers, neither of us knew the other was gay.”

“Seriously?” Maggie asked.

“Oh, absolutely,” Brady confirmed. “I had no idea and neither did he.”

“Anyway,” Tim scolded his friend. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…” He winked at Brady. “I had told my sister and she let it slip to my folks and they…” He paused and took a deep breath. “Let’s just say that they didn’t take the news very well.”

Maggie placed her hand over her mouth. “Oh, you poor dear,” she said.

“Yeah, my dad was really a dick about the whole thing,” Tim continued. “He told me to get out and never come back. I tossed some of my clothes in a duffle bag and left.” He sighed. “Then…” he struggled to go on. “I…he took…”

“Tim’s dad took everything that belonged to him and hauled it out to the back yard and set fire to it,” Brady stated. “Everything. His bed, his clothes. Everything.”

Wiping his eye with the back of his hand, Tim added, “He even burned a teddy bear that my grandma gave me.”

Tony placed his big arms around his partner as Tim leaned into his massive chest. “His daddy tole him if he ever laid ahs on ‘im agin, he’d shoot ‘im,” the big man stated as he kissed the top of Tim’s head.

“About two years later, I was engaged to be married,” Brady told the group. “As it got closer, I sat down with my fiancé and confessed to her that I couldn’t marry her and why. She was actually relieved because she had sensed that something wasn’t quite right.” He smiled as he remembered. “We’re still friends,” he interjected. “Anyway, when I told my folks, my dad’s reaction was similar to Tim’s. The difference was that he put all my stuff on the driveway. I packed up my old truck, cleaned out my bank account and headed west.”

“I can’t imagine parents doing that to their children,” Maggie stated. “Whether or not you approve, they’re still your children.”

Brady nodded and took a drink of his soda before he continued, “I had gotten in touch with Tim and ended up here.”

“Yeah, and I helped him get a job where I worked,” Tim said.

“We were talking one day about our situation and Tim said to me, ‘We’re just a couple of black sheep’,” Brady added. “It just kinda stuck.”

The boys had pulled chairs up and had been listening to the conversation. Finally, Darin looked around. “Wow, this is turning into some party,” he joked, breaking the mood. “Can we get anyone anything else?” he went on, gathering several plates from the table while Tony gathered the rest.

“Oh, nothing more for me,” Maggie said. “But I could stand to visit the powder room,” she added.

“I’ll show you where it is,” Jayson offered, leading the way through the garage and into the kitchen.

The boys hurried downstairs to relieve themselves while the older men waited their turns. When Maggie returned, she asked Darin, “That painting in the dining room, is that a Bovan?”

“Which one?” he asked.

“The big one. Of the tigers,” she replied. “I used to do home shows and I thought it looked like their work.

“I never paid much attention,” he confessed. “My mom runs a thrift store across the road, and it was part of a big donation. If you like that one, you’ll love the ones in Brady’s office.”

A big smile spread across the woman’s face. “I’d love to see them,” she stated. “If it’s no bother.”

“None at all,” he confirmed. “We can do a tour when everyone comes back out.”

Once everyone had rejoined the group, they were led across the compound to the shelter building. Entering through the garage part of the south building, Brady led them toward a door on the far right of the space. He pointed toward a sign that said, ‘Authorized Personnel Only’, and stated, “That area is off limits to most of the general public.”

“Why is that?” Matt inquired.

“That’s the quarantine area for animals with serious health issues,” Darin advised. “We don’t want to cross contaminate,” he added, indicating for the others to enter.

The group entered the right half of the building and walked past a storage room that held several large multicolored barrels with black lids. “This room is where we keep the donated food from different grocery stores,” Brady noted.

“You mean like Walmart and such?” Maggie asked.

Brady nodded. “Yes,” he confirmed. “When they have bags that are torn, they call us, and we send one of our vans. The driver dumps the bags into these barrels and brings them back here.”

“That’s nice that they do that for you,” Evan said. “It probably saves you quite a bit of money.”

Nodding once more, Brady replied, “It helps but it only makes a small dent in the daily cost of food,” he continued, ushering the group forward toward the holding area. Several dogs began barking and jumping at the gates on some of the sixteen kennels along the outside wall. “This is where the new arrivals hang out until they’re ready for adoption. Some of them need medical care and others just need a little training.” A brown lab mix puppy whined and pushed at the gate on his kennel. Brady turned and stuck his hand through the bars, rubbing the dog’s ears. The dog leaned against the gate and wagged his tail happily. “Some just need a little socialization,” he added. Indicating three large rooms with screen covering the entire front of each, Brady continued, “This is the cat holding area.”

The group moved farther into the building and stepped into another large room with about thirty smaller cages inside. Dylan Edwards, one of the staff veterinarians, entered through a door in the center of the back wall carrying a small brown dog. “This is Dylan,” Darin introduced him.

“Hello, everyone,” Dylan responded. “This is Walter,” he added, indicating the dog in his arms. “Walter just had a tumor removed from his neck and he’s gonna get all rested up.” The dog licked the man’s face while a petite black woman entered the same door that he had come through.

“Hi, I’m Tina,” she introduced herself. Turning to Dylan, she asked, “Did you want me to give the puppies a bath or do you want to treat them for fleas first?”

“Go ahead and give them a flea treatment so we can get them back with their mama,” he replied. “I want them to get settled before we subject them to too much more trauma.”

“What’s through there?” Jimmy asked, pointing to a doorway at the front of the room.

“That leads to some of the offices,” Darin answered, pointing the way down a short hallway. As the group moved down the hall, he pointed to the left. “These are some of the treatment rooms,” he stated before they exited into the center area. After entering, Darin added, “The doc’s offices are back that way, and the employee locker rooms are up these stairs here.” He pointed to a stairway along the right side of the hallway. “This way,” he said, pointing toward the north building.

While the rest of the group moved into the north part of the complex, Even pulled Eric back into the south building. Pushing the smaller boy against the wall, he locked his fingers into the other’s. “I find you very sexy,” he whispered, bending to kiss him on the neck. Standing over a foot taller, Evan towered over him.

“So, are you,” Eric replied, then asked, “So, are you?”.

Confused, Evan answered the question with his own, “Am I what?”

“Are you as big as your little brother?”

An impish smile spread over the taller boy’s face. “I don’t have his length,” he replied. “But what I lack in that area, I make up for in girth.” He gently took Eric’s hand and placed it over his groin area.

With a gentle squeeze, Eric felt Evan’s penis begin to swell. “Ooh, that feels nice,” he said softly.

Kissing the boy on the mouth, Evan responded, “If you like the way it feels, you should see how it looks.”

Eric placed his hand on the center of the other boy’s chest. “We need to catch up with the others,” he said quietly.

“As long as we can arrange some alone time,” Evan retorted before adjusting his erection inside his shorts.

“Deal,” was all Eric responded.

The pair entered the north building and immediately heard the sound of laughter. They found the others near the halfway mark in the row of twenty-four dog kennels along the outside wall. A brown and white mixed breed puppy squirmed in Marc’s lap, licking the boy’s face. As they approached, they heard Marc ask, “Can I take him home, Dad?”

Matt placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “It’s a lot of work,” he stated. Then, turning to Brady, he asked, “How big will this one get?”

Brady shook his head. “We’re not really sure,” he replied. “He’s part of a litter that was left in a box outside the front door. We’re thinking he’s part beagle and some type of terrier. He’s the smallest of the bunch though.”

Evan leaned down to pet the puppy in his brother’s arms. Marc looked up at his sibling, noticing the smile and realizing that he had recently rejoined the group. “You slut,” he whispered so only the two of them could hear.

“You better believe it,” Evan answered, his smile growing.

When Evan stepped away, Matt squatted down beside the wheelchair. “Are you really ready to take on the responsibility of a puppy?” he asked as the dog leaned out to lick the man’s face. “It’s a lot of work, you know?” he added.

“I’ll help,” Jimmy offered.

“You will?” Marc asked. “For real?”

Jimmy nodded. “Of course,” he replied. “You’re my brother and I wanna help.”

As the two looked pleadingly, Matt raised in hands in mock surrender. “Okay,” he stated, “We’ll talk about it.”

********

The tour continued through the rest of the north building. When the group entered the front offices, Tim and Evan maneuvered Marc’s wheelchair up the steps. Entering Brady’s office, Maggie exclaimed, “Oh, my!” She rushed to examine the three large paintings that adorned the walls. She studied the largest and read the signature. “I’m not familiar with this artist but it’s spectacular.” Moving to a similar one on the north wall, she ran her fingers over the frame. “I’ve seen some others by this guy,” she said, “He mostly does endangered wildlife.”

“When I saw this one, I had to have it,” Brady stated, pointing to another of a lioness and her cub.

Maggie nodded agreement. “Oh, this one was a very expensive painting,” she said. “You have very good taste.” She ran her hand over the canvas once more. “Thank you so much for sharing these with me. If you ever decide you want to get rid of them…” She paused.

“I’ll certainly keep you in mind,” Brady promised as he switched off the light and they all headed toward the exit. Once more, Tim and Evan eased the wheelchair down the steps and the group left the building through a door at the front of the kennel area.

Darin indicated the barns located along the north fence. “These eight little barns house smaller farm stock,” he said. “That big barn in the back is where we keep the larger horses and cattle.”

“I had no idea you rescued so many different animals,” Maggie noted. “I think it’s just wonderful what you do.”

Eric chimed in, “At one time or another, we’ve had everything from alpacas to…” He paused, unable to think of an animal that started with the letter ‘z’. He scratched his head. “Well, Zander,” he teased

“Let’s just say we’ve had some pretty unusual rescues,” Darin interrupted, giving the boy a playful hug. “You goof,” he joked as the entire group enjoyed a laugh.

When they arrived back at the house, the boys each picked out a canned soda from the cooler. “Can we all go for another swim?” Jimmy asked Darin.

“We need to pay a visit to Matthew’s mother before it gets too late,” Maggie informed the others. “We’ll have to plan for another time,” she told her son.

“We can always bring the boys home,” Tim offered. “If they’d like to stay, I mean.”

Maggie looked from one of her sons to each of the others. “Are you sure it’s no trouble?” she asked.

“Ain’t no trouble ‘tall,” Tony advised. “We’s happy t’ brang ‘em home.”

She sighed. “Well, if you’re sure,” she replied.

While Tony and Matt discussed taking the boys home, Brady noticed the disappointment in Marc’s expression. He squatted down beside the boy’s chair and asked, “Do you want to stay too.”

Tears seeped from Marc’s green eyes. “They don’t usually let me,” he whispered sadly. “Besides, it would be asking too much.”

“Nonsense,” Brady replied. Turning to address Maggie and Matt, he offered, “All three boys are welcome to stay if they’d like.” He rose and took his partner’s hand. “In fact, how about they just spend the night?”

“But we didn’t bring any extra clothes for them,” Maggie protested. “What will they wear?”

“I’m sure the boys have something that Evan and Marc can wear to sleep in,” Darin assured her. “And we can wash up the clothes they’re wearing so they’ll be clean for them tomorrow. I have to run into town tomorrow afternoon anyway, so I can drop them off then.”

“Please,” Jimmy asked his dad.

“Please, please,” Evan pleaded with his mother.

Marc looked at both his parents. “Please,” he repeated.

Looking at his wife, Matt said, “What say you and me go visit with Ma and then we go home and have a night all to ourselves?” He kissed her tenderly on the forehead. “The other kids won’t be back till morning.”

“But…” Maggie protested, “What if Marc needs…?”

Darin patted her on the arm. “We’ll take care of everything,” he promised. “Your boys will be just fine.”

“What about Marc’s exercises?” she asked.

Evan stepped forward. “I can do them with him,” he advised. Hugging his mother, he whispered softly, “Please let him stay with us.”

She only took a few seconds to think before agreeing. “Okay,” she said finally. Looking to her husband, she went on, “Well, we’d better get going then.” The two offered their good-byes and promised to check on their sons later in the evening. “You call us if they give you any problems.

“They’ll be fine,” Darin promised.

While the five younger boys retreated to the lower level to change back into their swimsuits, Marc positioned himself near one of the chaise lounges and popped the top on his can of soda. Brady approached and took a seat on the end of the chaise. “Do you want to swim some more?” he asked the boy.

Marc looked up and smiled, taking another drink before answering, “Nah, I’m good.”

Leaning forward, Brady began, “No disrespect intended, but…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Your mom seems a bit protective,” he continued.

The boy nodded. “Yeah, she keeps me on a short leash, that’s for sure,” he replied.
“I’ve been trying to get her to let me have more freedom but…”

“I’m sure she only wants what’s best for you,” Brady soothed.

“I know, but it just seems like my brothers get so much more,” Marc complained.
“My dad keeps bragging about how I can do just about anything that Evan can do but they won’t give me the chance to prove it.”

Darin approached and knelt down beside the boy’s chair. “Your folks giving you a hard time?” he asked.

“Not that,” Marc replied. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that they look out for me. It’s just…” He paused while the younger boys burst through the door and raced toward the pool. “When Evan and I were little, we got to spend time with our grandparents about once a month. Mom and Dad had no problem letting us stay for the whole weekend.” He turned to watch as Jimmy dove into the pool. “After Grandpa passed away, Grandma moved to an apartment, and she couldn’t keep us that often. When we were about ten, Evan got to spend the night at a friend’s house, but I couldn’t go because…well, you know.”

“It’s been tough, hasn’t it?” Darin sympathized.

Marc let out a long sigh. “You don’t know the half of it,” he stated.

Brady leaned back in his chair and checked on the other boys. “We’re all ears,” he offered. “You can tell us anything and it’ll stay between us.”

Thinking for a moment, Marc began, “When we were in about the fifth grade, the school had this skating party.” He paused to take a drink of his soda. “Some of the parents signed up to take us there and back but, when it came time to pick who would ride with who, nobody had room for my chair.”

“That sucks,” Darin consoled the boy, placing his hand on his arm.

“Ever since, it’s been like that skating party. My folks won’t let me do things because of this fucking chair,” Marc lamented, as tears began to trickle across his cheeks. He turned to face Brady straight on. “This is the first time since I was nine that I’ve been allowed to spend the night away from home.” He wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Evan’s been to more sleepovers than I can count but I never got to go. It’s not fair.”

The partners were silent. After several minutes, Brady cleared his throat. “So, if things were perfect,” he said softly, “How would you do things differently?”


********

The younger boys were playing in the pool when Brady and Tim returned from the house. Both wore swim trunks and a tee shirt. “You sure you don’t want to go for another swim?” Brady asked Marc.

“Ah’l hang onta ya,” Tony offered. “Ah ain’t much o’ a swimmer neether.” Taking the green trunks that his partner offered, he added, “Ah kin hep ya git changed if’n ya won’t.”

Marc let out a soft laugh. “I could listen to you talk all day,” he teased. “I think I’d like to splash around a bit.”

The two younger adults were removing their shirts when Tony wheeled Marc’s chair toward the cottage with Darin following behind. Once inside, Marc excused himself and maneuvered toward the bathroom. Without hesitation, Tony pulled his shirt over his head and unbuttoned his shorts. Marc turned before entering the tiny washroom just as Tony pushed his shorts and underwear to the floor, his huge manhood flopping free. “Whoa,” Marc gasped when he caught sight of the man’s penis. “You weren’t kidding,” he said to Darin before he disappeared from the hallway.

“What’s ‘at ‘bout?” Tony asked, pulling on his swim trunks.

Tying the cord on his own suit, Darin replied, “I just told him you were from Texas and…”

“Ever’thang’s big in Texas,” Tony completed the statement with a hearty laugh. “Ya need he’p?” he called out to Marc.

“I’m caught on something,” Marc replied. When Tony approached, he noticed the wheelchair was stuck against the doorframe.

“Ah gotcha,” Tony stated, freeing Marc from his predicament. “There ya go,” he added.

“Thanks,” Marc offered.

“Don’t mention it,” Tony said, patting the boy on the shoulder as he pushed him onto the patio.

Darin retrieved a bright orange swim jacket from the garage. “This might help you stay afloat,” he said slipping it over the boy’s head and fastening it in the back.

When they reached the edge of the pool, Tony easily hoisted the boy into his arms. “Don’t y’all worry none,” he said, “Y’all’s safe in mah arms,” he added as he slowly eased down the steps into the water. “Jus’ so’s ya know,” he said softly, “We’d prolly all be nekkid if’n it was jus’ us big boys.”

Marc looked around at the three other older men and giggled. “Don’t let me stop you,” he said with a smile before his face flushed bright red.

Gently, Tony let go of Marc as he began to float on top of the water. “Not sure ‘at’d set too good’a zample for the youngens,” he admitted. “Not sure ‘ey’s reddy fer ‘at jus’ yet.” He leaned against the side of the pool and watched the others splash at the far end. Turning to Marc, who was bobbing next to him, he asked, “Ya havin’ a good tahm?”

Marc pulled himself closer. “Yeah,” he replied. “I haven’t been in the pool since I was little.” He leaned back, letting his face slip under the water briefly. “Our Uncle Rory used to take us swimming when he was in town, and we’d visit his hotel.” A broad smile crept across the boy’s face. “He was the first adult man, besides my dad, that I ever saw naked,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You remind me a lot of him,” he added.

“How‘s ‘at?” Tony asked.

“He was really tall. Not as tall as you but he had red hair,” the boy answered. “Now that I’ve seen you naked, you remind me even more of him.”

“He had a biggen too?” the big man inquired.

Marc nodded. “Yeah,” he said, “And he was uncircumcised just like you.”

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-six

Once the lights were turned out, Evan quietly entered Eric’s bedroom. “You got room in there for me?” he asked softly as Eric scooted over and flipped the covers back.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Eric said with a soft giggle. Just then, they heard laughter from the other bedroom. “What’s that about?” he said. The two could hear the boys in the next room talking in whispers but were not able to make out their conversation. Quietly, they tip-toed out into the family room and noticed the door was open a crack. Placing his finger in front of his lips, Eric led his friend to the door. Peeking inside, they spotted Jimmy laying on the air mattress, his long legs flipped back over his shoulders. Nearly two inches of his massive hard-on slid in and out of his open mouth. The other boys sat on the edge of Zander’s bed masturbating slowly, huge smiles on their young faces. In contrast to the other boys, Zander’s blond pubic hair was barely visible in the soft light from his desk lamp.

Once back in Eric’s room, Evan let out a long sigh. “Holy shit!” he whispered loudly. “Jimmy used to brag that he could do that, but I never actually saw him do it,” he admitted. He took Eric’s hand and placed it over his groin area.

“Ooh, I think I can do something with that,” Eric cooed giving a firm squeeze. He took Evan’s hand and placed it in his own crotch.

Without hesitation, Evan hooked his thumb into the waistband of the smaller boy’s boxer shorts and quickly pulled them over his rapidly growing erection. He gently traced the dark hair on Eric’s stomach with his long finger. “It took all my energy not to push you against the wall and suck you down my throat when we took that shower,” he whispered.

“I’ve wanted to get you naked and have my way with you since you walked through the door,” Eric admitted as he pushed Evan’s underwear off his hairy butt. Cupping the cheeks of his ass in his hands, he whispered, “Mmm, nice,” before he pulled the taller boy onto the bed.

********

Marc was already up when Brady entered the kitchen on Monday morning. “You been up long?” he asked the youngster, switching on the coffee maker.

“Not too long,” Marc replied. He was dressed in a pair of red boxer shorts and a gray tee shirt. “Thanks for letting me stay over,” he offered.

“No problem,” Brady responded. “You want coffee?”

“You don’t have enough sugar,” the boy joked, wrinkling his nose.

“How ‘bout some breakfast?” He removed a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and set them on the table before taking a large package of sausage patties from the freezer.

Eric and the other boys bounded up the back stairs, still dressed in their sleepwear. “We’re gonna run over and feed the dogs,” he announced. Noticing Marc at the table, he asked, “Would you like to go with?”

Marc nodded. “I’d just be in the way,” he said softly.

“Nonsense,” Eric replied, “There’s plenty you can help with, and we’ll get done quicker.”

“Can somebody bring my clothes from the laundry room?” Marc asked as Jayson retreated to the lower level.

“I’ll get breakfast around and you guys can eat when you get done,” Brady offered.

Darin entered the kitchen and immediately poured himself a cup of coffee. “Morning,” he said, his voice deep from sleep. He took a sip of the steaming liquid before giving his partner a kiss on the lips.

Marc cleared his throat. “You fellas need some privacy?” he asked with a soft laugh.

“Here ya go,” Jayson said, entering from the living room and handing a pair of shorts and a tee shirt to Marc. He gently guided the wheelchair toward the bathroom next to the guest room. Once they reached the door, he asked, “You need any help?”

Pulling himself from his seat and onto the toilet, Marc replied, “Can you grab me a pair of underwear and socks?”

“Oh, sorry,” Jayson apologized. “I forgot. Be right back,” he added heading toward the stairs once more. He returned a few seconds later with a pair of jockey shorts and white socks. “These okay?” he asked.

Marc was tugging the green tee shirt over his head and took the underwear from the younger boy. “Thanks,” he offered, pushing himself up from the seat to lower his boxers. “I’m good here,” he said.

In a few minutes, all six boys were on their way across the yard and entered the rear of the south kennel building. In order to accomplish their tasks as quickly as possible, Zander, Jimmy and Evan started in the south building while Jayson, Eric and Marc began in the north building. Marc helped by filling the food bowls and placing them onto the cart while Jayson gathered up the empty food containers and Eric scooped up the solid waste and sprayed out the individual kennels that housed the smaller dogs and puppies. Other volunteers tended to the kennels along the outside wall.

As they finished up caring for the last group of puppies, Will approached with a large black trash bag, and headed through the outside door toward the dumpster. “Hey,” he called out and waved to Eric.

“Hey, Will,” Eric replied.

When he returned, Will introduced himself to the newcomer. “Hi, I’m Will,” he offered, extending his hand.

“Marc,” the boy replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Turning to Eric, Will asked, “Do you think I could bum a ride with Darin when he goes into town later?”

“I’ll ask him,” Eric promised. “He’s taking Marc and his brothers home so it might be crowded. If he can’t do it, I can run you home.”

“Are you sure?” Will retorted. “I don’t want to put you out.” Looking down, he winked at Marc and smiled.

Eric nodded. “I’m sure,” he assured, placing his hand on his friend‘s shoulder. “Really, it’s no trouble. Honest.”

Just before nine, the boys met outside and headed back to the house for breakfast. While Jayson and Jimmy guided Marc’s wheelchair up the steps into the kitchen, the others hurried downstairs to clean up. Brady was finishing up the spread of breakfast foods and Darin was placing biscuits into a basket on the counter.

********

The Explorer headed north on the highway toward the junction. Eric brought the car to a stop at the light, the left signal flashing. “So, what’s the deal with Marc?” Will asked.

The light turned green, and Eric accelerated toward downtown. “What ‘cha mean?” Eric returned.

“He’s really cute,” Will responded. “Do you know if he has a friend?”

Eric shook his head. “I’m not even sure if he’s gay.”

“Oh,” was all Will offered in response. “Well, he sure gets my vote. If he’s looking for a recruiter, tell him to look me up.”

“You’ll get your toaster oven yet,” Eric teased, pulling up in front of Will’s home. Before his friend exited the car, he placed his hand on Will’s knee. “I hope you find your one and only,” he said sincerely. “I’m really sorry it might not be me.”

Will leaned across the console and gave Eric a quick kiss on the cheek. “Me too,” he said softly. “Thanks for the ride. See ya tomorrow,” he added opening the door.

********

Friday was the last day of school for the boys. Eric waited in the long line of cars for them to approach. While he watched, a heavy-set kid with glasses walked toward him. Without warning, two other boys ran up behind him and knocked the books from the boy’s arms. When the youngster bent over to pick up his belongings, the taller of the other boys placed his foot on his butt and pushed him, face first, into the dirt. The boy’s glasses flew from his face and landed a few feet away. Without hesitation, Eric grabbed the control stick behind his seat and slipped from the van. As he approached the boys, who were now taunting their victim, he shouted, “Leave him alone!”

The bullies looked up, startled. “What’re you gonna do about it?” the taller boy asked as a crowd began to gather.

The heavy kid was scrambling to try and gather his books and find his glasses. As he searched the grass, Zander picked up the boy’s glasses and handed them to him. “Leave me alone!” the boy cried, covering his head with his hands. Tears were cascading across his cheeks. Realizing that the blond boy was only there to help, he accepted the hand that was extended and pulled himself to a standing position. “Thanks,” he whispered when Zander and Jayson shielded him from further bullying.

“Just leave him alone,” Eric repeated.

Once more, the taller boy said, “And what are you gonna do if I don’t?”

His fists clenched, Eric waved the control stick and moved between the bullies and their target. “Are you alright?” he asked the boy.

A gentle nod was the boy’s only response.

The smaller of the bullies started to charge at Eric. “You ain’t big enough to stop us,” he said, in a menacing tone.

“But I am,” a voice from the crowd stated. “Bishop! Maxwell!” the man shouted, “My office! Now!” It was principal Owens. Turning to the boy who had been bullied, he asked, “Are you okay, son?”

The boy nodded. “Yes, sir,” he replied softly. Turning to Jayson and Zander, he repeated, “Thank you,” while the boys helped him gather his belongings.

“Can we give you a ride?” Jayson asked the rescued boy. “I’m Jayson and these are my brothers,” he offered. Pointing to each, he added, “This is Zander, and this is my big brother, Eric.”

“I’m Charlie,” the boy responded, laughing when Jayson referred to Eric as his ‘big’ brother. “I live close by,” he added.

Eric ushered the boys toward the van. Once inside, he asked, “Which way?”

“I live close to the Value Mart,” Charlie replied, pointing toward the left.

********

“Any idea who the blue Mustang belongs to?” Zander asked as Brady filled the coffee maker with water on Saturday morning.

Moving to the back door to look out, Brady noticed the classic blue convertible parked across the driveway from the garage. “That looks like Rodney’s car,” he answered while Darin entered the kitchen. “Hon,” he called over his shoulder, “Did Rodney say anything to you about coming down early?”

Joining Brady at the back door, Darin studied the blue car. “Last I talked to him, he was leaving after finals on the twenty-second.” He took a sip of coffee. “He wanted to be here for the fourth.”

“It’s full of clothes and stuff,” Zander offered.

Brady and Darin shared a surprised look. “I’ll talk to him,” Darin stated, setting his coffee onto the table before exiting through the garage.

Rodney was laying on his stomach across the double bed in the guest cottage, a pillow doubled under his head. He still wore the clothes from the day before. After Darin gently rubbed his hand along the length of his right leg, he opened his eyes. “Hey there,” he said sleepily.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Darin asked, “Everything okay? We weren’t expecting you for another couple of weeks.”

Rodney rolled over onto his back, placing his right hand on his forehead. “I had to leave,” he said softly. “I couldn’t…” He took a deep breath before he said softly, “I just couldn’t deal with it anymore.” He let out a long breath.

“What happened?” Darin quizzed. “What do you mean, you couldn’t deal with it?”

Rodney placed his hands over his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “When we first got up there, everything was great,” he began. “Nate’s brother gave us a really nice apartment and Nate was really doing good at his job.” He pulled himself into a seated position. “We met another couple, Bill and Randy, who lived in the complex and everything seemed to be going well.” Letting out another soft sigh, he continued, “One day I came home from class and Randy was there with Nate. They were both acting kinda weird, but I didn’t think anything of it…until later”

“What happened later?”

“Nate was really quiet most of the rest of the day but, when we went to bed, we started to fool around…”

Darin smiled. “And?”

Rodney swatted his friend’s arm. “You perv,” he teased. “Nate was different.”

“How so?”

“Well, for one thing, he was more aggressive than I’d seen him before,” Rodney replied. “And for another, his dick was much stiffer than I’d ever seen it.” He paused, smiling. “I mean, he’s got a lot of dick to get hard and sometimes it just won’t stay stiff enough for what I like.”

“I remember,” Darin said with a chuckle. “Go on.”

Rodney swung his legs off the side of the bed and sat up. “I gotta pee,” he said, rising and heading for the bathroom. “Hold that thought,” he added as he disappeared from the room.

Darin’s cel phone began to ring. “Hey, hon,” he said into the device. “Okay, I’ll tell him.” Closing the phone, he called out to Rodney, “Breakfast is just about ready.”

“That’s cool,” Rodney replied, zipping up his pants as he returned. “I’m starving,” he added, stopping next to his friend.

Without comment, Darin placed his arms around the younger man and kissed him on the forehead. “I’ve really missed you,” he said softly. “It’s good to have you home.”

Rodney leaned into the hug, pressing his face into the larger man’s chest. After a few moments, he pulled back. “It’s good to be home,” he responded.

The pair walked back to the main house, Darin’s arm across Rodney’s shoulder. When they entered the kitchen, the smell of breakfast filled the air. Brady rushed to greet their friend. “It’s so good to have you back,” he said, offering a hug. “I hope you’re hungry,” he added.

Savoring the warmth of the greeting, Rodney replied, “I’m kinda starving, actually.” Spotting Eric in front of the stove, he stretched his arms wide. “Come here, you,” he demanded.

While Eric hugged their friend, Darin began introductions. “Boys,” he began, “This is our dear friend, Rodney.”

Rodney released his hold on Eric and nodded. “Hi, guys,” he offered with a slight wave.

Placing his hand on each of their heads, Darin continued, “This is Zander and this one is Jayson.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you guys,” Rodney advised. “It’s great to finally meet you.”

“Come on, dig in,” Brady urged, handing a plate to Rodney, and ushering him toward the food. Giving the blond another quick hug, he added, “It really is good to have you back.”

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-seven

Just before ten on the Friday before July fourth, Rodney entered Brady’s office and dropped into one of the chairs in front of his desk. Brady looked up from his paperwork and smiled. “Good morning, sunshine,” he said cheerfully.

“Mmm,” Rodney groaned, yawning.

“Late night?”

Rodney ran his fingers through his blond hair. Yawning again, he replied, “Nate called just after two last night.”

“Again?” Brady asked.

Nodding, the blond responded, “I thought I finally got through to him.”

Brady laughed. “Well, we never said he was the smartest of the bunch,” he stated.

“He ain’t even in the top ten,” Rodney added, letting out a soft laugh of his own. After a moment, he added, “But, what can I say?”

Brady looked up at his friend. Laying his pen on the desk, he stated, “You still love him, don’t you?”

“Hey, I’m a size queen, remember?” Rodney joked, shrugging his shoulders. “What’s not to love about that huge dick of his?” A stray tear slowly crawled across his right cheek.

Leaning back in his chair, Brady asked, “Are you thinking about going back?”

As the tears continued, Rodney shook his head. “Nah, that ship’s sailed,” he replied. “I can put up with a lot of things…” He paused. “But the drugs…”

“I didn’t realize,” Brady responded.

The pair sat in silence for several minutes as the blond fought his emotions. Finally, Rodney offered, “He never once hid the fact that he smoked weed.” He let out a long sigh. “But, once we got to Seattle, he changed.”

“How so?”

“Well, we met these guys, Randy and Bill,” Rodney began. “They lived in our building. One floor down and across the hall.” He shifted in his seat. “Nate would go to their apartment, and they’d get high and then come up to our place, strip off their clothes and we’d all take a shower together. After they had rinsed off the smell, we’d get busy.”

“Sounds kinda hot,” Brady said, adjusting his position in his own chair.

Rodney nodded. “Oh, it was,” he confirmed. “But, one day, I came home from class and Randy and Nate were at our place and they were acting weird.” He paused. “I mean, Bill and I used to hook up without them, so it wasn’t like that bothered me. It was just that they kept looking at each other and laughing.” He took in a deep breath. “Later, after Randy went home and we were getting ready for bed, Nate got really aggressive. More than I had ever seen him. Plus, his dick was harder than I’d ever seen it.”

Brady leaned forward on his desk. “I remember you telling me once that he had a hard time keeping it hard,” he offered.

Again, Rodney nodded. “Usually, once he got it all the way up, we only had a short amount of time for him to fuck me or it wasn’t gonna happen. Anyway, that night, he was really hard, and he gave me a pounding like never before.” He blushed as he shared the intimate details of his former relationship. After a pause, he continued, “I finally had to tell him to stop because it was starting to hurt.”

“I remember one time, Darin and I had a marathon session,” Brady related. “We never left the bedroom for most of the weekend.” He laughed softly. “I could barely walk by Sunday night.”

Rodney nodded. “But this was four times in just a couple hours,” he stated. “I finally asked him if he had discovered some new type of boner pill or something.”

“What did he say?”

“He laughed and said it was a pill but not what I was thinking. Then, he rolled over and went to sleep.”

“No explanation?” Brady pressed.

Shaking his head, Rodney replied, “Nope.” He let out a long sigh. “Later he said the less I knew the better. I asked Bill if he knew anything, and he just said he didn’t. I decided not to push it.”

Brady leaned back in his chair. “But it had to make you wonder though,” he said.

“For sure,” was Rodney’s only response.

The pair sat in silence for several minutes before the phone on Brady’s desk interrupted their thoughts. Picking up on the second ring, and picking up a pen, Brady offered, “Hello, this is Brady.” He searched the desk for his note pad. “Okay, I’ve got it,” he spoke into the phone. After a pause, he added, “I’ll get a truck out there right away.” Hanging up the phone, he turned to Rodney. “Duty calls,” he said with a smile as he picked up his radio. Pressing the button on the side, he said, “Tim, can you come up to my office?”

********

Tim carefully backed the green Ford van into the narrow gravel driveway of a run-down two-story home. Sheriff’s officer Adam Bailey was already on scene and helped guide the vehicle between several junk cars that littered the property. After Tim cut the engine, Adam approached the driver’s door. “Looks like a simple case of abandonment,” he advised, handing a seizure warrant to his taller friend. “One of the neighbors said they thought they saw somebody on the property around a week ago but haven’t seen anyone since.”

“How many?” Tim asked as he pulled on his leather gloves and rounded the back of the van. As he opened the rear doors. he could hear several small dogs barking inside the house.

Adam sighed. “Six inside that I can see,” he replied. “There’s a mama dog and four babies in the back,” he added, “all dead.”

After removing his control stick, Tim turned to Rodney. “Grab some of those black bags from the side door,” he directed before turning toward the house.

The noise from the barking dogs increased in both volume and intensity when Adam knocked on the door. “Ready?” he confirmed as he pushed open the unlocked door. “Police!” he called out when he stepped into the kitchen area. Shredded food packages and other debris littered the floor throughout the room. Six small dogs barked and growled at the intruders. “It’s okay,” Adam said trying to sound non-threatening. “Police!” he called out once more, moving into the living room. The dogs continued to bark, backing away.

Carrying a bag of kibble, Rodney followed the others through the door. Spotting a plastic bowl on the counter, he picked it up and quickly wiped it out with a towel from the kitchen table. He poured a small amount of the dog food into the bowl and set it on the floor. Cautiously, the dogs stepped closer and sniffed at the food. “It’s okay,” he soothed, extending his right hand. One of the dogs, a small brown short haired terrier mix, stuck his nose into the bowl and picked out a single piece of kibble. The dog eyed the man suspiciously as he crunched the food. Slowly, the others inched closer. Rodney took a handful of the small nuggets from the bag and tossed three or four pieces toward each of the small canines. Gradually, their hunger and curiosity took over and they gobbled up his offerings.

As Adam continued his search of the home, Tim returned to the kitchen. He let out a long breath. “Looks like these are the only survivors,” he said sadly as the dogs continued to move closer to Rodney. “Adam’s going through the bedrooms now.”

“What have you found so far?” Rodney asked seconds before a large tuxedo cat ran from the living room and disappeared through a door at the back of the kitchen. “Oops, there’s another one,” he offered with a laugh. The cat stopped and stared at the pair from the back room.

Still laughing, Tim replied, “Lots of dog shit all over the floor but just these dogs.” Taking a deep breath, he added, “And psycho kitty over there.” By this time, the cat had begun grooming himself, ignoring the intruders.

Warily, the dogs continued to nibble at the food that had been offered. The little brown one snuck yet another bit from the bowl, retreating less each time. Adam entered from the living room. “I found a cage of what looks like hamsters or gerbils in the one bedroom but nothing else alive,” he offered, leaning against the kitchen counter. “That black cat scared the shit outta me when he charged out of the closet.”

The brown dog approached and placed its front paws on Rodney’s leg. He leaned down and gently rubbed the top of the dog’s head. The dog sniffed his hand, looking for more food. Without hesitation, he reached down and picked up the fluffy little mutt and cradled it in his arms. “That’s okay,” he soothed as the dog licked his cheek.

Slowly, the other dogs approached the three men. “I think they realize we’re here to help them,” Adam stated.

Slowly, Tim reached down and scooped up a black and white one. “They’re nothing but skin and bones,” he said, amazed.

Wiping sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief, Adam turned to the taller men. “You got this?” he asked. When both nodded, he continued, “I’m gonna check outside and see if there’s any more anywhere on the property.

While Rodney and Tim carried the six dogs outside and placed them into the van, Adam walked toward the back of the property and inspected the garage and a small shed. Placing the last of the terrier mix dogs into one of the many cages, Rodney turned to Tim and inquired, “Who’s gonna grab ol’ Felix in there?”

“I think you can handle it,” Tim responded. “Besides, you probably need the practice,” he added just as Adam returned, his face grim. “What’d ya find?” he asked the officer.

Shaking his head, Adam replied, “Just the mama and her puppies in the pen and four rabbits in cages…all deceased.” He grabbed one of the black bags from the van and headed back to where he had just been, passing Rodney on his way.

The black cat softly purring in his arms, Rodney announced, “Here’s the last of them.” He let out a hearty laugh. “I’m guessing this will go down as one of the easier rescues we’ve had in a while,” he said, placing the cat in the van.

Adam returned carrying the bag containing the four dead rabbits and placed it into the van. “I think the only reason the ones inside lasted as long as they did is that they were able to find whatever food they could,” he said sadly. “Not sure if they could’a lasted much longer though.”

While Rodney retrieved the hamsters and Adam returned to gather up the deceased dogs, Tim keyed his radio. “Six to base,” he began.

“Go ahead six,” was the reply.

“Base, I’ll be bringing in six terrier mix dogs, one tuxedo cat and some hamsters from our location,” he advised. “Also bringing a mother dog and four puppies and four rabbits, all deceased,” he added.

“Ten-four, six. We’ll see you when you get here. Base, clear.”

“Six clear,” he said, placing the radio into its holder. When his friends had returned, he offered, “Let’s get these guys home.”

****


Arriving at the shelter, the rescuers were met by staff vet Dylan Edwards and his wife, Tina. Dylan took two of the small dogs and rushed to an exam room while Rodney and Tim each gathered two of the other dogs. Another vet, Carol Miller, retrieved the cat and proceeded to another exam room. After all of them had been given the necessary shots and worm medicine, they were taken to their temporary holding area and settled in. The dogs enjoyed what was believed to be their first substantial meal in several days.

With the newcomers all settled, the friends made their way upstairs to the locker room. Sitting on a bench to remove his boots, Rodney asked, “So, you guys got any plans for the evening?”

Tim removed his polo shirt and tossed it into his locker. Shaking his head, he replied, “Nah, Tony and I are just gonna enjoy a quiet evening at home.” As he unlaced his work boots, he continued, “We’ve been goin’ out to the club the past few Fridays and we decided to just take a break and have some ‘us’ time.”

*****

With August nearly over, the boys were preparing to return to school. Since the farm was outside the district where they had attended the previous year, they would be changing schools. Both were looking forward to making new friends and the prospect of attending a school where their past would not be as well known.

Eric had taken the younger boys to pick up some school clothes and to get their hair cut, leaving the older men to take care of business as they did most days. Darin sat at his desk going over some contracts when he was interrupted by the intercom. Pressing the button, he said, “Yes?”

“There’s someone here to see you,” the response crackled.

Glancing at his watch, he noted the time. It was a few minutes before eleven. “Send them back,” he responded, straightening some of the papers.

Within seconds, a tall, dark-haired man appeared in the doorway. “Mister Johnson?” he offered softly.

“Please, come in,” he stated, rising from his seat. “I’m Darin Johnson. What can I do for you?” He motioned toward the chair in front of his desk.

The man took a seat while Darin returned to his. “I…uh,” the man stammered. “I’m sorry to bother you,” he continued. He swallowed before he added, “My name is John Grayling and…” He paused again and shifted in his seat. “This is really hard for me to explain but…”

Puzzled, Darin urged, “It’s okay, go on.”

“Well, John began, “I recently found out that I had a daughter that I didn’t know about.” He paused once more and studied his hands.

“And?”

“Well, in the process of doing the paternity testing, it was discovered that there was another child from the same hospital that was a match as well.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Darin asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“First let me explain some things,” John replied. “About fifteen years ago, I went to this party around Christmas time. There was a lot of drinking and even more drugs at that party.” He sighed. “Anyway, eventually, somebody started things and, before I knew it, this girl was doing three other guys right in front of me. Before the night was over, just about every guy there had a turn with her, which is in no way an excuse.”

Holding up his hand, Darin assured, “I get the picture.”

“Anyway,” John continued, “I was on break from college, and I went back to school, and it faded from my memory.” A tear formed in the corner of his eye as he paused again.

Without hesitation, Darin inquired, “Was the woman Julie Sylvester?”

Shocked, John stuttered, “I…Uh, yes, she was. I’m her son’s biological father.”

Darin leaned back in his chair, picked up his phone and punched three numbers. “Can you come in here?” he asked, his voice cracking. He returned the receiver to its place. Seconds later, Brady appeared. “John Grayling, this is my partner, Brady,” he introduced his mate. “John here is Jayson’s biological father,” he added as Brady dropped into another chair.

“Whoa,” was the younger man’s only response.

Realizing the pain that he had caused, John held up his hands. “Wait a minute,” he stated. He searched for the right words. “I didn’t come here to cause any problems for you guys. I know you recently adopted him, and I have absolutely no interest in interfering with that.”

Both men sighed. “Then, why did you come here?” Darin asked.

“I just wanted to know he’s loved,” John assured. “I wanted to explain that if I had known about him, I would have been there. I simply had no idea he even existed. If it had not been for my daughter; I would have never known.” He smiled for the first time. “It turns out that Julie had offered six or seven different names as to who the father might be. All but two of us were eliminated but I was on a mission trip to Haiti by that time. So, I never got tested back then. For whatever reason, they gave up trying.”

“From what you described, it’s a wonder she didn’t have more than just the one,” Darin offered with a soft laugh.

“I was pretty wild in my early days,” John admitted. “After I came back from Haiti and graduated from college, I dedicated my life to the church, got sober, and decided to become a minister. I attended the Mennonite Seminary in Indiana. My daughter is a few years older than Jayson.”

“How did you find out about her?” Brady asked. “If I’m not being too forward.

John shook his head and smiled. “She contacted me when she turned eighteen. Her mother and I only went out a few times. She was the first girl I was ever intimate with. I was a sophomore, and she was a senior. When she found out she was pregnant, she assumed the baby belonged to her boyfriend. They had been on and off all through high school. I graduated and went off to college and they got married. Case closed.” He cleared his throat. “Her dad was in a car accident and needed blood. She and her brothers all offered to donate and that’s when she found out he wasn’t her father.”

Placing his hand on John’s arm, Brady pressed, “So, when did you learn about Jayson?”

“It was weird,” John admitted. “I went for the results on my daughter and, when they entered it into their system, it brought up two matches.” He removed a folded sheet of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket. “It said that I was, in fact, Emily’s father,” he said, unfolding the paper, “But that I was also a positive match or another child from a test that had been done ten years earlier.” He handed the paper to Darin.

Noting several entries where parts of the information had been blacked out, Darin asked, “How many tests were done?”

“They tested nine other men,” John answered. “Most likely, they had the names of all the men who were at the party. The sad part was that there were at least two others that weren’t on that list. Of the original eleven who were named, one was overseas in the military, and I was away at college. My folks had moved away and nobody from here knew how to contact me.”

“Sound like it might have been a fun party,” Brady said with a chuckle.

John nodded. “Well, except for all the alcohol and illegal drugs…” Turning toward
Brady, he added, “I had sex with five different women and at least two other guys that night.”

Retuning the paper to John, Darin leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “So, what are your plans?”

“About Jayson?” John confirmed.

“Yes. What is it you want?” Darin paused searching for the correct words.

John held up his hands. “Just so we’re clear, I’m not looking to intrude on you or your family in any way.”

The other two men nodded. “You need to understand,” Darin began, tapping his index finger on his desk. “That Jayson has spent most of his life feeling like nobody wants him. He’s finally starting to shake some of those feelings, and I won’t allow anyone or anything to jeopardize the progress he’s made.”

“And I have no intentions of that,” John assured. “Like I said, all I want is to know that he is loved.”

“He is,” Brady replied. “More than you could imagine.” He shook his head and shifted in his seat. “He has two brothers and two fathers who adore him…”

John nodded. “That’s all I need to know.” Rubbing his hands on his pants, he added, “Your adoption of him, pretty much, negated any claims I may have had. I have no intention of pursuing any further contact with him.”

“How do we know you’re sincere?” Darin pressed.

Shaking his head, John replied, “I told my wife everything but…” He paused. “I’ve worked diligently to gain the trust of my congregation. If it was revealed that I had fathered one child, let alone two, that I didn’t take responsibility for…” He let out a long sigh. “Let’s just say, they might not be as forgiving.”

“How so?” Brady quizzed.

“Although my church is very accepting,” John began, “I mean, they’re supportive of same sex marriage and they don’t look down on others who have had challenges in their lives…”

“But?” Brady interrupted.

“And it’s a big but,” John confirmed, shifting in his seat.

“When it comes to their pastor, they hold you to a higher standard?” Darin added, leaning back.

“Yup,” John agreed. Leaning forward, he took another deep breath before beginning. “I will not in ANY way, interfere with you raising YOUR son.” He swallowed and added, “If, when he turns eighteen, he wants to contact me…” His voice cracked. “That’s his decision.”

“We’re back!” Zander called from the hallway. “Dad?”

“In my office!” Darin answered seconds before the boy appeared.

“Oh, hello,” the boy offered when he saw the stranger. “Sorry to interrupt,” he added.

“Zander, this is John Grayling,” Darin introduced the man. “He’s a friend of ours.”

“Nice to meet you, Mister Grayling,” Zander responded as Graham, the chocolate Lab, bounded down the hallway, his nails clicking on the tile floor.

Eric and Jayson followed the dog into the room. “Hello,” Eric offered.

“Well, then,” Brady stated. “Might as well meet the rest of the family.” Turning to John, he began, “These are our other two boys, Eric and Jayson.” He indicated each as he introduced them. “Boys, this is John Grayling.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” John replied as Graham nudged his hand. “And who is this friendly little fella?”

“That’s Graham,” Jayson answered. Turning to Darin, he asked, “Can me and Zander go with Eric when he picks up those horses?”

“Zander and I,” Brady corrected with a soft chuckle as the boy shook his head.

“Yes, you can,” Darin responded. “As long as you don’t get in the way, and you help if he needs it.”

“No problem,” Zander called as the trio headed noisily toward the door.

Upon hearing the door close, John shifted again in his seat. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I can see he’s very happy and…” He paused. “I’m glad that I got to meet him,” he added softly. After a brief silence, he continued, “And thank you for not revealing why I’m here.”

Darin nodded. “We respect your privacy,” he offered. “No need to confuse him. When, and if, the time is right and you’re ready to open up to him, we’ll be supportive.”

“Well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time,” John apologized, rising to his feet. “Thank you again.”

“Before you go,” Brady said, placing his hand on John’s arm. “May I ask how it is you found us?”

John let out a soft laugh. “Well,” he began, “I went to the address they had on file for Julie and…” He looked from one man to the other. “Well, let’s just say, it didn’t go well.”

“How’s that?” Darin asked.

Nervously, John laughed again. “Well, for starters, she was pretty much hammered. She asked me if I came to pay her the fifteen years child support, I owed her. Then, she told me she sent him to live with a couple of other fags.” Again, he looked from one man to the other. “Her words, not mine.”

Darin waved his hand in the air. “No worries. We don’t put any stock into anything she says about us,” he stated. “It’s nothing she hasn’t said to our faces.”

“And, just so we’re clear,” Brady interjected, “She tossed him out like an old newspaper when she found out he was gay. It was a mutual decision for him to come here to live.”

“Yeah, she didn’t ‘send’ him anywhere,” Darin agreed.

Nodding, John responded, “Well, I’m certainly glad he got away from her. Whatever the circumstances.”

“Us too,” the others said in unison.

Retrieving a business card from his wallet, John handed it to Brady. “If you need to contact me for any reason…” His voice trailed off. “I’m happy to have met you both.”

“The pleasure is ours,” Darin replied, shaking the man’s hand before his partner did the same.

Without further comment, John turned and retreated down the hallway toward the door.

*****

That same evening, after supper, Darin knocked on the door to the younger boys’ bedroom. “Are you decent?” he asked before slowly opening the door.

Both youngsters were lying in their beds, reading. Jayson looked over the top of his paperback. “What’s up?” he inquired as Zander placed his book on the bed beside him.

“Don’t forget your appointments tomorrow for your physicals,” their dad informed them. “Make sure you allow enough time for a quick shower before we have to leave.”

“What time?” Zander asked.

Leaning against the door frame, Darin replied, “One o’clock.”

Jayson swung his legs off the side and dropped to the floor from his top bunk. “Gotta pee,” he announced as he headed past his dad and made his way to the locker room.

Darin looked at the other boy as he knelt beside his bed. “You still want to talk to the doc about that thing you asked about?”

Zander blushed. “Nah,” he replied, “I don’t think I want to. Especially since I know you guys are both…you know.” Blushing once more, he added, “Besides, I heard it takes like a week for the stitches to come out and you can’t…uh…do…you know…”

“Yeah, I heard you can’t jerk off til they come out,”. Jayson interrupted, walking through the door. “And I don’t think either of us could go that long without that,”

Darin let out a hearty laugh. “You guys are awful,” he said, ruffling the dark-haired boy’s hair.

“At least we’re honest about it,” the boy answered.

 

[RacerBear]

Chapter Twenty-eight

When Zander had first arrived, he was about an inch taller than Eric and Jayson was another five inches taller still. Now, after almost a year, both had gained even more height on the older boy. Initially, both younger boys could wear each other’s clothes as well. Now, Jayson was, at least two sizes bigger in both pants and shirts while Zander could still fit most of his shirts, but he required about a three-inch longer inseam. Eric joked about the fact that he could wear his brothers’ ‘hand-me-ups’ as he called them.

Both of the boys had settled into their new routines quickly. Being the more athletic of the two, Jayson enjoyed a new circle of friends who were involved in the various sports programs at the school. Zander on the other hand, had become a bit more introverted, retreating into his studies. As the end of the second grading period approached, he had yet to make any serious friend connections.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Zander and Jayson entered the back door and headed downstairs with their backpacks and books. After dropping their books on the table in the family room, Zander went to his room and laid down on his bed. Clutching an extra pillow, he gave in to the emotions that had been building all afternoon. When Brady called for the boys to get washed up for supper, Jayson appeared at the top of the back stairs alone.

“Where’s your brother?” Brady asked the youngster.

“In our room,” Jayson replied. “He’s upset about something. He won’t tell me,” he added as he placed a plate at each chair around the table and grabbed napkins from the counter.

Darin and Eric entered from the garage. Heading off to wash his hands, Darin gave his partner a quick kiss on the lips. Eric bounded down the stairs. Passing his brother’s room, Eric stuck his head in the door. “You gonna come eat?” he asked. Noticing the pained look on Zander’s face, he added, “What’s wrong?”

The younger boy shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he lied, burying his face in the pillow he was clutching. “I’m fine,” he added, struggling to contain the tears that threatened to betray him. He turned away to face the wall. “I’ll be up in a minute.

Eric responded softly, “Okay,” before he retreated to his own room to change. After changing, he stuck his head into the room. “You coming?” he asked before heading down the hallway toward the back stairs.

After a few moments, Darin called down the stairs, “Dinner! Come on, Bud.”

Zander pushed himself off the bed and, after quickly checking his reflection in the mirror, he wiped his eyes and slowly walked to the bathroom. After relieving himself, he ran warm water onto a washcloth and swiped it over his face. He took a deep breath and slowly made his way up the stairs.

The others were filling their plates when the youngster joined them. Noticing the sadness on the boy’s face, Darin asked, “Everything all right?”

“Yeah,” he lied once more, taking a seat next to the older of his fathers and spearing a pork chop with his fork.

********

“Do you boys have any homework?” Brady asked, wiping down the counter.

Zander shook his head before placing a bowl of leftover green beans into the refrigerator.

“I only had a little bit, and I did it during study hall,” Jayson replied, placing a plate into the dishwasher. “You got anything else to go in here?” he asked before closing the door.

Brady placed his hand on Jayson’s shoulder. “Nah, that’s everything,” he answered. “Your dad and I are going to a meeting in a bit. I’ll run it when we get home.” As he studied the boy’s face, he added, “Did you shave today?”

The boy blushed. “I did on Monday,” he replied. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Can I play a game on the computer?” Zander asked as he approached the top of the stairs.

“As long as you don’t have any homework,” Darin responded, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’ll be home around ten thirty if you want to talk,” he added.

Zander shrugged. “It’s all good,” he said softly before heading down the stairs.

Darin watched helplessly as the boy disappeared into the darkness of the lower level. Turning to Jayson, he asked, “Will you try to get him to talk?”

“I tried a couple times,” Jayson replied. “I’ll see if I can get him to open up.”

Hugging the youngster, Darin kissed the top of his head. “Thanks, Tiger,” he stated. Turning toward his partner, he looked at his watch. “We better get going,” he advised.

Brady picked up his keys from the counter and tucked his cel phone into its holster. “All set,” he confirmed. “Are you driving, or am I?”

“We can take my car,” Darin replied before opening the back door and heading into the garage.

“We won’t be too late,” Brady said to Jayson while he hugged the boy.

Jayson returned his father’s hug. “We’ll be right here,” he teased. “Bring me a present,” he called, giggling, as the door closed. He was placing a dish towel over the handle of the oven when Eric entered the room.

“So, what’s going on with Zander?” Eric asked. “And don’t tell me you don’t know because you two tell each other everything,” he added.

Jayson let out a long breath. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to let him tell Dads,” he stated.

“No problem.”

Taking another deep breath, Jayson looked toward the stairs. “We had this assignment in English class where we had to write an essay about someone that we considered a hero,” he began. Before continuing, he approached the back stairs and peered over the railing. “I promised him I wouldn’t say anything.”

“It’s okay,” Eric assured. “Go on.”

“Well, from what he said, the teacher wasn’t very nice with what she said about what he wrote,” he said. “She said that his hero wasn’t appropriate for somebody his age.”

Confused, Eric pressed, “Who did he write about?”

Jayson shook his head. “I don’t know for sure; he didn’t say.”

“But you have an idea, right?”

The boy nodded. “I didn’t read the whole thing, but I saw the first line and…” He paused, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I think it was about Dad,” he said finally. “I mean, Darin,” he added.

Eric let out a long breath. “What in the hell could be ‘inappropriate’ about him?” he asked, making air quotes with his hands when he said the word, ‘inappropriate’.

Again, Jayson shook his head. “No clue,” he responded.

The sound of Zander clearing his throat from the living room caused both boys to jump. He stood, holding a sheet of notebook paper in his left hand. “She said he was inappropriate because he encouraged me to pursue a deviant lifestyle,” he stated, laying the papers on the kitchen table. He turned to Eric. “Will you read it?” he asked.

Eric placed his arm across the boy’s shoulders and gave him a quick hug. “Are you sure you want me to?” he inquired.

Nodding, Zander leaned into his brother’s hug. “I trust you,” he whispered just seconds before his tears betrayed him and he buried his face into Eric’s chest.


****

“I was nineteen and Hal was forty when we met,” Aaron related. “I had heard about this gay and lesbian group that hosted weekly discussion groups and it was my first meeting.” He took a drink from the water bottle he held. “Hal was attracted to younger men, and I was attracted to Hal.” Shifting his position in his seat, he let out a soft sigh. “My attractions were less defined,” he continued, “I wasn’t necessarily attracted to any particular type of man. I liked men. Period.” He took another long drink of water. “Older men, younger men, tall ones, bears…” He looked at the others in the group before he added, “Men.”

Richard, who had been listening to his friend speak, leaned back in his seat. “For me, it was less simple,” he stated. “My father is the pastor of an exceptionally large and very conservative, Pentecostal church in Dallas. Over a thousand members.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “There was this one young man…I was in middle school…” He paused. “Anyway, this boy was having problems with bullying, and he came to my father for some guidance.” Once more, he paused, recalling the events of several years’ past. “After he listened for a while, my father looked straight into that boy’s eyes and stated, ‘Perhaps if you didn’t act like a fag, the other boys wouldn’t bully you.’ I couldn’t believe my father could be so cruel.” He took a deep breath before he continued, “I had experimented with another boy from our church a few times, but it wasn’t anything that really gave me the impression that I was gay. I had been friends with a girl that I’d known from when we were in pre-school.”

“What happened to the boy that your father had counseled?” Susan, the moderator asked.

His eyes filling with tears, Richard replied, “He cut his wrists a few weeks later.” The tears found their way across his rugged cheeks. “That boy’s family had been members of that church since before he was born but my father refused to officiate his funeral.”

“And they wonder why we have such issues with the church,” Aaron interjected, handing his friend a box of tissues.

Richard wiped his eye with a tissue. “Not all churches are against us,” he responded. “I’d like to believe that my father is in the minority but…” He sighed. “There are way too many like him.” He took in a deep breath. “For several weeks after that boy died, my father preached on the evils of homosexuality and how it was destroying the very foundation of our society.” He looked at the others and half smiled. “I bought into his bullshit, hook, line and sinker,” he stated.

“How so?” Susan quizzed.

Richard shook his head. “I threw myself into my relationship with the girl I eventually married,” he answered. “We dated all through high school and, after we graduated, we got married. We were both nineteen and neither of us knew anything about sex.” Letting out a soft chuckle, he continued, “The first time we ever had sex was on our wedding night.” He leaned against the back of his chair and reached for the bottled water on the table beside him. “It was pretty awful to be honest.” His face turned red as he recalled, “I’m not exactly what I’d call huge but I’m not small either. My wife said it hurt so much that she didn’t care if we ever did it again.” He let out another sigh. “We tried again the next night and it wasn’t much better. Since I didn’t get much pleasure out of it, I didn’t pursue it further.” He paused and took a drink from his water bottle.

“Did you ever get to where sex was enjoyable?” Susan asked him.

Richard shook his head. “Not really. She found out a few weeks later that she was pregnant, and our son was born later that fall.” He smiled. “The whole time she was pregnant, she used that as an excuse and, once Ty was born, she was too tired. Either way, it worked for me. It was just easier to jerk off than try to…”

Susan moved to grab a bottled water from a container on the table behind where the circle of chairs was set up. Twisting off the top, she took a slow pull before returning to her seat. Once she was seated again, she addressed the group. “Have any of the rest of you experienced anything similar?”

Jim, another older member raised his hand. “Kinda,” he said quietly. “I mean, I got married because I’d always been told it was what was expected.” He twisted around in his chair to face Richard. “The only difference with me was that I was the one who didn’t enjoy the sex.” He let out a soft chuckle. “I can’t say I never got any pleasure from it, but it wasn’t something I looked forward to.”

Aaron rose to retrieve a few cookies from the snack table and returned to his seat while Jim shared his experience.

“When our daughter was two or so, I learned that my wife was having an affair with a co-worker and had gotten pregnant,” Richard continued. “I’d had surgery for a knee injury, so we hadn’t had sex for several months. She told me she wanted a divorce, and I was relieved.”

Looking at her watch, Susan announced, “Why don’t we take a short break,” as other members of the group shuffled in their seats. Several men rose and rushed outside for a quick smoke while others took advantage of the recess to visit the restroom and refill their coffee cups.

Once everyone had returned to their seats, Susan encouraged Richard to continue. “When did you realize you were gay?” she asked him.

Taking a deep breath, Richard replied, “About a month after our divorce was final, one of my co-workers, a younger guy, his name was Rob. I remember he had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen with reddish blond hair.” He paused. “Anyway, he asked me if I might like to get a drink after work.” He took a sip of his water. “I can’t explain it, but I got all nervous as we walked into the bar. Once we got inside, I noticed that the place was mostly guys about his age.” Taking another sip of water, he shrugged his shoulders. “We were just talking about nothing really. Work or something, I guess. Anyway, this guy comes up to me and asks me if he can buy me a drink. I looked at Rob and asked him if this was a gay bar.”

A couple of the other members of the group chuckled softly.

“Go on,” Susan urged.

Richard stared nervously at his water bottle. “There was nothing sexual about my relationship with Rob,” he continued. “We were just friends.” Taking another sip of water, he went on, “I can’t explain it, but I got such a feeling of peace when I went to that bar for the first time. Like suddenly all the pieces fit together and I was becoming a whole person.”

“So…you really did just wake up one morning and realize you were gay?” another member, Joe, asked with a soft giggle. “I totally get that,” he added.

“How so?” Susan pressed.

Joe brought his right foot up and rested it on his left knee. “I was dating my best friend’s sister for about a year,” he began. “Every time we’d get alone, and things got romantic, I’d get sick to my stomach.” He took a deep breath. “This one time…It was around Christmas, and we’d had a couple drinks. Anyway, I was laying on the couch with my head kinda in her lap and she reached over and cupped my junk.” He dropped his foot to the floor and shifted in his seat. “I…I…” he stammered as a tear began to crawl across his cheek. “I threw up all over the place. No warning. Just started hurling.”

“That had to kill the mood,” Richard offered.

Joe nodded. “More than that,” he replied. “About a month later, she told me she thought it was best if we quit seeing each other.” He took another deep breath. “Once I got over the shock, I was so relieved. One night I was on my way home from work, and I saw this porn store, so I stopped in. There were a few guys milling around and I saw the arcade, picked up some tokens and went into a booth.” He cleared his throat. “My friend and I had been jerk-off buds when we were in grade school, but we never did anything else.” He blushed as he paused again.

“Go on,” Susan encouraged him.

“Well, I watched a few minutes and heard some guys walking around outside,” he continued. “The screen went blank, and I stepped into the hallway. I spotted the display of what was playing near the back of the arcade. This young guy was looking at the selections when I walked up. We made eye contact and he smiled at me.” He paused again as he realized everyone was staring at him. After a few moments, he continued, “Long story short, he followed me into a booth and…”

Darin squeezed Brady’s hand as they listened to Joe’s story. He winked at his partner and smiled. “Guess my story isn’t so unusual,” he whispered.

For another hour, several other men shared their stories regarding their coming to terms with their own sexuality. At just a few minutes before ten, Susan announced, “Well, it’s been a great meeting, gentlemen. I hope you’ll all join us next week and that a few more of you will share your stories with the group.” She looked at Darin and Brady and another couple who had chosen not to share during the discussion.

Several of the men folded and gathered the chairs and stacked them next to others along the west wall. As Darin handed their chairs to Joe, the other couple approached his partner. “I noticed you guys didn’t say much,” the taller of the pair offered with a smile. Extending his hand, he added, “I’m Seth.”

Brady returned the smile and shook the man’s hand. “Brady,” he replied. Nodding toward his partner, he added, “And this is my, uh….” He paused. “What is it we’re calling each other these days?”

All four men laughed out loud. Seth’s partner introduced himself, “I prefer sex god myself. I’m Gordon.”

“And I’m Darin.” Hands were shaken all around. After a brief awkward pause, he added, “I noticed you guys didn’t share either.”

“Yeah,” Seth began, “We’re kinda shy when we don’t know too many people. It takes a while for us to open up. My son gives me shit…I mean, crap, all the time about being more open to new experiences.” His face turned crimson as he corrected his slip.

Darin let out a soft laugh. “It’s okay, Seth. You can say shit. You’re an adult.”

“I keep telling him he needs to watch his potty mouth,” Gordon offered with a chuckle. “Especially in this type of setting. I mean, we just met you guys.”

“So, you say you have a son?” Darin pressed.

“Yes,” Seth replied. “He was born during my ‘questioning’ phase.”

“So, you were married?” Brady asked.

Seth shook his head. “I realized right away that I was gay, but I also wanted kids. I never questioned whether or not he was mine.”

“I encouraged him to find out for sure,” Gordon offered. “But, in the long run, it really doesn’t matter to me either.”

“His mother left when he was five,” Seth added. “I had him for a weekend visit but, when I took him home, she wasn’t there. I waited around for several hours but she never showed.”

“You mean she just vanished?” Darin asked.

Seth shook his head again. “Oh, she called a few days later,” he replied. “Said she met this guy, and he didn’t want kids, so she decided to leave Joey with me.” He sighed. “I went to court, and I’ve had full custody ever since. He’s seventeen now.”

“Is he…?” Brady asked.

“Gay?” Gordon responded. “Nah, they don’t come much straighter than our son.”

“But he’s extremely supportive,” Seth added.

The sound of footsteps approaching caused the men to turn. “Sorry, guys,” Susan said as she came closer. “I need to lock up.” She shuffled the ring of keys in her right hand, nearly dropping several file folders she was carrying.

“Let me help you,” Darin offered as he reached for the files.

“Thank you,” she responded, handing the paperwork to him. “Will we be hearing from you all next time?” she asked. Sensing their hesitation, she added, “No pressure.”

“Is it required?” Seth inquired as the group exited the building.

“Not really,” Susan answered, “But, like any support group, it helps build trust when everyone shares.” She locked the door behind them and retrieved her papers from Darin. “Thanks again,” she said.

The four men walked to the parking lot with the woman. Waiting until she was safely inside and had started her car, they turned toward their own vehicles. Noticing that the others were approaching a white Mustang, Brady punched his partner on the shoulder. Seth gave Gordon a similar touch when he spotted the other car. Clicking the remote, Darin called out, “Nice wheels.”

“Thanks,” Gordon replied, opening the driver’s door. “Back atcha!”

“See ya next time,” Seth added with a wave before entering the vehicle.

Watching the other car drive away, Brady clicked his seat belt into place. “I like them so far,” he said with a smile.

Darin turned the ignition. “Me too,” he said before dropping the car into gear. Glancing at the clock on the dash and noting it was almost fifteen minutes after ten, he added, “You think the boys will still be up?”

“Probably,” Brady replied.

Spotting the Dairy Queen sign a short distance ahead, Darin flipped on his turn signal. “I feel like a buster bar,” he said, turning onto the lot.

Brady laughed. “Funny, you don’t look like a buster bar,” he responded.

“Welcome to D-Q, may I take your order?” the speaker called out when Darin pulled to a stop.

“I’d like a dozen buster bars and a dozen dilly bars,” Darin answered.

“Did you want all chocolate dillies or mixed?”

“Can I get four of each?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” the worker replied. “Pull around to the second window,” she added after advising him of his total.

When he drove around the building, Darin was surprised to see the white Mustang already stopped at the pickup window. “Huh,” he said. “Great minds.”

Brady laughed. “I’m thinkin’ we have more in common with these guys than we thought,” he stated. “

 

[RacerBear]

Just a quick update:
I had already completed about 4 more chapters and was working on a suitable ending for this story. But, when I was reading through the last couple of chapters before posting, I realized I had brought a character back into the story but had dropped him without any explanation. Part of the reason is that, from time to time, I would get stuck and would write additional sequences to add in later. When I wrote them, the character was absent from where I was at the time. Anyway, in order to 'fix' the situation, I had to rewrite a chapter and then had to add more to that story line to fill up the chapter. I've almost got it to where it fits into the current story line. HOWEVER, I'm going into the hospital on November 9 for Cancer surgery so I may not be able to post the remaining chapters until I get out of the hospital. Surgery is Tuesday and they're saying 3 to 5 days in hospital and maybe another 3 or so before I'll be able to sit at my computer for more than a couple of minutes at a time. I really appreciate those of you who have checked out my story and I hope you have enjoyed it. Thanks again and I'll get updates to you all as soon as possible.