Finding Darin

[harry113]

Thank you Scott!! Everything seems to be falling into place very nicely! I loved 'Toni - with an I' .... hysterical, you have a wonderful sense of humour!!
Hugs
Harry

 

[kcm17480]

I think I've met Toni somewhere before. That lady was just about as whacky as Toni. She drove me up the wall just opening her mouth. Ah but it really was hysterical listening to her.

 

[Trent0n1]

Thank you Scott....I'm so enjoying this story!

 

[RacerBear]

FINDING DARIN
Part 34​

Saturday was the morning of their grand opening and Brady awoke with a severe sore throat. Darin was already up when he stumbled into the kitchen. "Good morning, Babe," Darin said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "You want some?"

Brady opened his mouth to speak but was unable to make any sound come out. Finally, he whispered, "I don’t know if I can do this."

"You sound awful," Darin said. He kissed Brady’s forehead to see if he had a fever. "Your temperature seems okay. Is it just your throat?"

Placing his hands on either side of his neck, Brady indicated his glands were swollen as well. "It’s really tender here," he said softly, sliding into a chair.

Darin opened the cupboard and took out a box of teabags and a bottle of honey. Opening the refrigerator, he took out a lemon and placed it on the counter. "I’ll make you some tea with honey and lemon," he offered, filling the kettle with water and setting it on the stove. "That always works for me," he added, cutting the lemon into quarters. While Brady sat at the table, Darin sipped his coffee and chatted about the day. "Everybody knows what needs to be done. Rodney marked off the spaces for the vendors last night and most of them are already setting up."

"It’s not even six o’clock," Brady croaked.

"They want to be set up in plenty of time. Besides, we don’t want to be setting up when people start getting here."

"That’s true." Brady leaned his elbows on the table and rested his face in his hands.

"Becky and Cathy can manage the adoptions desk, Steve and Luke are in charge of maintenance, and Adam, Tony and Tom are in charge of security. You just smile and look pretty. I’m sure that, between Tim, Becky and I, we can take care of anything that comes up. We have a whole staff of volunteers who know what they’re doing so, we’ll be just fine." The kettle began to whistle and Darin poured the hot water into a mug containing the ingredients. "Now drink this," he said, squeezing the lemon into the liquid before handing the cup to Brady.

Sipping the hot liquid, Brady smiled. "I just don’t want anything to go wrong today," he said with a grimace as Graham scratched at the door to be let back inside.

"Is Daddy’s boy hungry?" Darin asked as the dog danced and hopped around the kitchen, his toenails clicking on the linoleum. Taboo sat in the doorway, watching intently and grooming himself while Darin opened the pantry and scooped a large helping of dry dog food into the steel bowl. Seeing the cat, Darin removed a package of moist food and dumped it into a ceramic dish emblazoned with the words, ‘your highness’ on the front and set it on the floor near the sink. "Here you go, Tabby," he said as the cat rushed toward him, purring happily. Turning to face Brady, he added, "See, everybody’s fed and you didn’t have to lift a finger."
Brady just smiled and sipped his tea.

****​

A large tent had been erected in the northwest corner of the property and housed Sylvia and Mary’s contribution to the festivities. Their lady’s group had organized a garage sale, gathering a vast variety of donations, including a, bright blue, 1973 Ford Mustang convertible that would be auctioned off as part of the silent auction. Rodney, who had been working to get all the signs in place to direct traffic, had given up on sleeping and was preparing to go to the house for a shower when the car arrived. "Where should I put this?" the young driver asked him.

"Is this for the car show?" Rodney returned. "Wow, this is a nice ride."

The handsome dark haired man smiled and yawned, rubbing his hands through his thick hair. "No, this is for the silent auction," he replied as Sylvia approached.

"Rodney, dear, can you move this rope so we can get the car into the tent?" she asked him. "Hello, Nathaniel," she said to the driver, "How’s your mother?"

"She’s doing much better," Nathaniel told her. "She really wanted to be here but she just didn’t feel up to it."

"Is she handling the chemo all right?" Sylvia quizzed.

"She had a round on Thursday. It, pretty much, wipes her out," he answered. "She was up and around last night for a bit but, this morning, she was just too tired."

"Well, you tell her we missed her and we’re all praying for a complete recovery," she said, placing her hand on his left arm. "Come now, bring the car over here," she added, pointing toward the big tent as Rodney moved the rope barricade out of the way.

Once the car was parked, Nathaniel approached Rodney and asked him, "Is there anywhere I can get a cup of coffee?" His smile was bright and genuine as his deep green eyes locked onto Rodney’s gaze.

"There’s coffee and donuts inside that front building," Rodney offered. "I’ll show you," he added, leading the way to the reception area of the office.

While they walked toward the office, Luke was busy placing large black trash bags into several steel barrels that were scattered throughout the front field. "Looks like Rodney found a possible playmate," he told Steve.

"Why do you always have to think the best?" Steve teased. "He could just be another volunteer for all we know."

"A boy that pretty is sure volunteering for something," Luke replied, stretching the bags and tying the edges to keep them in place.

"Now, you behave yourself, young man or I’ll have to turn you over my knee," Steve scolded, smiling.

"Oh, Daddy, threaten me with a good time," Luke said, rubbing his butt and grinning.

Tony was arranging the boxes of donuts on the table in the reception area when Rodney and Nathaniel entered. "Hey Big guy," Rodney said as they approached. "Got any coffee?"

"Timmy’s makin’ some fraysh," Tony replied. "Cups is o’vare if ya’ll wann’ git storted. Ya’ll grab ya’se’ves a donit."

While they were preparing their cups with sugar and creamer, Nathaniel whispered, "Is he that big everywhere?"

Rodney nodded. "He’s from Texas. And everything’s big in Texas."

"Sweet!" Nathaniel replied, smiling as Tim set a fresh pot of coffee on the hot plate.

"I knew I should have set up the big coffee urn," Tim complained. "I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to use the one in the kitchen. Hi, I’m Tim," he said to Nathaniel.

"I’m Nathaniel," the boy replied, extending his hand.

Tim leaned closer and whispered, "If ya wanna play with the big guy, ya gotta go thorough me." He winked and smiled.

Nathaniel blushed and smiled. "Shoulda known he was taken," he whispered, as Rodney filled his cup.

The two stepped outside as the sun was beginning to peek through the trees to the east. "Looks like it’s gonna be a nice day," Rodney remarked, sipping his coffee and nibbling a blueberry donut.

****​

"Have you seen my polo shirts?" Brady asked, standing in the large closet in their bedroom.

Rinsing his razor, Darin replied, "They weren’t dry yet when Maria left yesterday so I told her I’d take them out of the dryer. I hung them on the bar in the laundry room. Want me to go get one for you?"

Brady pulled his robe closed and sighed. "No, I’ll get one," he managed, his voice gravelly. He stood in the doorway for a moment watching, as Darin stood, shirtless, shaving. "You’re so sexy when you do that," he whispered.

"Back atcha," Darin said, winking. "Really, I’ll get you a shirt if you want me to."

"No, Taboo threw up on the rug in the kitchen. I want to put it in the washer before it sets. I’ll go," Brady insisted. Finally, he pushed away from the doorway and shuffled toward the kitchen. Picking up the rug and another one next to the back door, he headed toward the laundry room. As he descended the back stairway, Brady heard the shower running in the locker room. Figuring Adam was taking a break to clean up, he went into the laundry room and dropped the rugs into the washer. Before turning on the water, he stepped into the locker room and tried to call out, "I’m gonna start the washer." Unable to speak loud enough for whoever was in the shower to hear, he decided to move closer.

An unfamiliar laugh caught his attention and he realized there was more than one person in the shower. He stepped closer to see a very handsome young man with dark hair standing under the spray with, what appeared to be, an erection. Moving closer, he heard Rodney say, "It’s okay really." Brady froze when he caught full sight of Nathaniel. The boy was slightly taller than Darin and almost as thin as Tom, with very dark hair that hung well past his shoulders. He had a large tattoo of a tiger that covered a good bit of his upper back and another of a sunburst that surrounded his navel. When he turned, Brady got a full view of his very impressive penis, which had lost most of its hardness but still hung, from a dark nest of thick hair, about halfway to his knees with a pair of testicles that hung almost as low. Unaware that Brady was watching, the boy spread generous amounts of lather all over his muscular body. When his hands reached his abdomen, he turned and rinsed the soap from his upper body. Rodney, his body covered with lather, squeezed under the spray and kissed the other boy on the mouth, his hand giving Nathaniel’s penis a tight squeeze. Once again, Nathaniel rose to full extension while Rodney rinsed off. As Brady stood, frozen in place, Rodney dropped to his knees and gobbled the mushroom shaped head of Nathaniel’s manhood into his mouth, swallowing just over half of the length before he gagged and had to pull his mouth away. Nathaniel took in a deep breath and leaned back, his eyes closed, against the cement block wall as Rodney sucked furiously.

After several minutes, Nathaniel pulled Rodney to his feet and, after kissing him once again, turned and pushed the blond against the wall, giving every bit as good as he had got. While Nathaniel worked on his erection, Rodney opened his eyes and looked at Brady. Fearing Rodney would be upset; Brady began to back away before Rodney raised his hand to stop him. A sly smile spread across Rodney’s face as he formed his hand and made a slow stroking motion, nodding at Brady for him to masturbate as he watched. Slowly, Brady opened his robe, exposing his hairy chest, and pinched his right nipple. Rodney placed his right hand on Nathaniel’s head and pressed the boy’s face into his crotch and licked his lips, motioning once again. Brady lowered his left hand beneath his red jockey shorts and squeezed his own erection, adding to the growing wet spot on the front. Slowly, he grasped the waistband with his right hand and lowered his underwear. With his raging hard-on exposed, he slowly began to stroke, gradually falling into rhythm with Nathaniel, who was rapidly jacking his own manhood as he sucked on Rodney’s.

Per usual, it only took a few minutes before Brady felt his impending orgasm. As he watched, Rodney’s breathing increased and he knew the young blond was getting closer as well. Nathaniel continued to suck hungrily, unaware of the fact he was being watched. As the first shot of semen exploded from Brady’s pumping penis, he felt something wet hit the back of his leg. Shocked, he turned to see Darin, his eyes closed, pumping furiously on his own raging erection. Unable to stop, the two continued to spray their respective loads onto the concrete floor. As their breathing slowed, Darin placed his hand on Brady’s shoulder and, silently, led him from the room while Rodney’s body began to shake and convulse with his impending orgasm.

Wordlessly, the two scaled the back steps and returned to their bedroom. Once inside, Darin commented, "That was fun, who was that with Rodney?"

"You scared the shit out of me," Brady scolded, closing his robe again, "I had no idea you were there till you sprayed cum all over me." Walking into the bathroom, he turned on the shower.

"So, do we know who that was with Rodney?" Darin repeated. "Sorry I scared you, I came down to see what was taking you so long."

****​

A rather large crowd had gathered when Brady and Darin, along with most of their staff, stepped out onto the porch in front of the office. Steve and Luke had taken a bolt of bright red fabric and, after tying a huge bow in the center, attached it to either end of the office building. With the grand opening ceremony set to begin at ten, the men greeted the various city and county officials who had come to join in the festivities. At exactly ten o’clock, Tony held up what looked like a spray can and pressed the button causing a loud horn sound to bring the attendees to attention. Once everyone had settled down, Big Sky mayor, Arnie Garcia, welcomed everyone and spoke, briefly, about what a wonderful service Black Sheep Farm offered to the community. Immediately following Mayor Garcia was Councilwoman, Beverly Maplethorpe, who echoed the mayor’s sentiments and introduced her beloved dog, Rags, who was a shelter rescue from a few years back. Next up was the Acting Chairman of the Board for Paws and Claws who expressed his gratitude for Brady’s skillful management of the, now closed, shelter. He spoke about Brady’s passion and commitment to the cause of animal rescue and how it was time to ‘pass the torch’ to a new generation of animal rescuers. He handed Brady an envelope, which signified the transfer of ownership of those animals left in the care of the previous facility. Then, he presented a check for the full balance of the bank accounts, after final expenses had been deducted, and another personal check for five hundred dollars from himself and his family.

Finally, it was Brady’s turn to address the crowd. Unable to speak very loudly because of his sore throat, he turned the microphone over to Darin, who read part of Brady’s prepared statement. Stepping up to the microphone, Darin joked, "Brady has a touch of laryngitis, so I’ll be taking over for him. Guess I better enjoy the quiet, huh?" This brought a good bit of laughter from the crowd. Darin turned and smiled at Brady, who made a fist and shook it at his partner. "Today marks the opening of a new chapter in this journey for us," he continued. "We welcome each and every one of those in attendance today and hope you will share in the love that abounds in this place. It is our hope that, with your help, we can help the unwanted and unloved find their place in this world and a family to call their own." He paused, turning to smile at his partner. "Each year, thousands of unwanted and stray animals are put down because there are no homes willing to take them in and care for them. While we will make every effort to find safe and loving homes for our charges, sometimes it’s just too late. Abuse and neglect can scar an animal forever and, unfortunately, not every animal can be saved." Once again, he paused and looked out over the smiling faces in the crowd. Nearly two hundred people, many holding their pet in their arms, others petting a canine friend on a leash by their side stared back at him as he continued. "With your help," he repeated, "We can make the number of animals who perish because of abuse or neglect shrink until…" he paused as the group erupted in applause. "Until, it becomes only a memory for us all. Thank you for your support. Thanks to our many corporate and local business sponsors and thank you for sharing your hearts, your homes and your lives with animals in need."

With that, Brady, the mayor and Councilwoman Maplethorpe stepped forward, the two dignitaries each holding a pair of shears, and grabbed the huge ribbon. As the crowd counted off, "One! Two! Three!" they each gathered the material and cut through it until the sides fell to the ground, leaving Brady holding only the bright red bow.

"Come on, let’s celebrate!" Darin shouted over the thunderous applause and cheers. With the band playing, ‘Talk to the Animals,’ many in the crowd moved toward the side entrances of the buildings. Volunteers were in place to answer any questions and were armed with adoption forms and other printed information anyone might need. Brady and Darin were greeted by and shook hands with a large number of well wishers. After a while, Brady excused himself and stepped into the office building. Once inside the air-conditioned building, he sat down in one of the chairs in the waiting room and leaned his head against the wall. Tim and Becky had been in the office, checking on the supply of sodas for volunteers and staff. "Are you okay?" Tim asked kneeling next to Brady’s chair.

"Oh, I’m fine," Brady assured him, his voice barely a whisper. "I just got a little overheated out there is all."

"You don’t look so good," Becky said, placing her hand on Brady’s forehead. "You’re burning up!" she exclaimed. Turning to Tim, she said, "Get Darin."

Within seconds Darin was there, along with another smaller, stocky man with dark red hair. The man sat in the chair next to Brady and reached for his wrist. "Have you eaten anything today?" the man asked.

Studying the man’s face, Brady noticed that, like Tony’s, it was covered with reddish brown freckles. He also noted the light blue eyes behind the small wire framed glasses. He nodded but otherwise did not respond to the man’s question.

"He woke up with a sore throat," Darin offered as the man placed his hands on either side of Brady’s throat and felt his swollen glands. Finally, the man produced a thermometer from his pocket and, after shaking it down, placed the end under Brady’s tongue.

"Your blood pressure is a little elevated but, that could just be the excitement," the man said. "How long have you had this sore throat?"

"Juff finfe thif mo’ning," Brady replied, talking around the thermometer. Tim had retrieved a bottled water from one of the coolers and handed it to Darin.

"Do you have any joint pain or stiffness?" the man continued his questions.

"A little," Brady responded.

The man stood up, pulled the thermometer from Brady’s mouth and studied it. "One hundred point two," he related. "It’s probably just the flu. By the way, I’m Dylan," he added, extending his hand for Brady to shake.

Brady took a long drink of the cold water. "Please tell me that’s not the same thermometer you use on your regular patients," he said, a weak smile spreading across his face.

"Just be grateful I didn’t take your temp the same way I take theirs," Dylan joked. Turning to Darin, he added, "Better get him home to bed."

"You heard the doctor," Darin said as he tried to get Brady to his feet. "Off to bed you go."

"But, there’s so much I need to do here," Brady argued.

"It’s nothing that Darin and I can’t handle," Tim told him. "You need to be in bed."

"Just let me sit here for a minute," Brady insisted. "Did you and your wife just get here?" he asked Dylan, changing the subject.

Dylan nodded. "We could have been here last night but I was just too tired after spending the past two days changing the starter on the motor home," he replied.

"You should have called us," Darin insisted, "We would have sent you the money to get it fixed."

"Money wasn’t the problem," Dylan explained. "We were stranded at a rest area between Boise and Salt Lake City. It was almost fifty miles to the nearest town. A lesbian couple took me to get a starter and then drove me back. They wouldn’t even let me give them anything for gas."

"That’s our people for ya," Tim said, smiling.

"They were so nice," Dylan said, smiling. "They even offered to take us to the travel plaza down the road so we could take showers."

"Doesn’t your motor home have a shower?" Darin asked.

"Yeah, it does but, we didn’t have enough fuel to run the generator," Dylan explained. "And the hot water heater is electric. We were able to cook with propane but we didn’t have any electric for the microwave, TV or stuff like that."

"But, you had enough fuel to get to where you could get more?"

"Oh, yeah. We had just under a quarter of a tank but the generator won’t run once it goes below that," Dylan explained. "I parked over by where the trailers are. I hope that’s okay.’

Darin leaned down beside Brady and took his hand, kissing it softly. "That’s fine," he said, brushing his hand through Brady’s curly hair. "Please, Babe, let me take you and put you to bed."

Finally, Brady sighed and said, "Okay, I know when I’m outnumbered." He took another drink of the cold water before rising, shakily to his feet. "Who’s gonna make sure everyone does…" he managed before he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Darin grabbed his partner and shouted to Tim, "Get the Explorer and bring it up to the door by that end of the building." He pointed toward the south end of the office. "Come on, Babe," he said softly to Brady as the younger man’s eyes rolled back. "Stay with me," he added softly.

Tony came bounding in and scooped Brady into his arms. "I got ya Bray," he said softly, picking him up and carrying him toward the door. "Git tha door," he told Darin. He gently set Brady into the back seat of the Explorer while Darin crawled in the other side and cradled his partner in his arms. Dylan joined them once Tony had stepped aside.

"Ya’ll goin’ ta tha Housepital?" Tony asked, closing the door and jumping in the passenger seat.

Brady opened his eyes and whispered to Darin, "I just wanna go home."

"Let’s get him up to the house," Darin directed as Tim turned the car around and drove slowly through the crowd.

Tim drove the car into the garage and cut the engine. Carefully, Tony lifted Brady from the back seat and started for the back door. "I’m gonna barf!" Brady shouted as Tony squeezed through the door.

Grabbing a plastic bowl from the counter, Darin handed it to Brady while Tony set him onto one of the kitchen chairs. While the others waited, Brady wretched and gagged, finally spitting some phlegm into the bowl. After a couple minutes, Darin asked him, "You feeling better?"

Brady nodded. "I’m good," he said softly.

"You feel like getting up and going to the bedroom?" Darin pressed.

"Are you trying to get me into bed?" Brady teased. "You sure picked a fine time to get romantic." As he tried to get to his feet, he lost his balance.

Darin and Dylan grabbed him and kept him from falling. "Easy, Babe," Darin soothed.

"Are you dizzy?" Dylan asked. "You probably have an ear infection going on."

Brady leaned against Darin’s chest and sighed. "Make the room stop spinning," he pleaded before turning to grab the bowl again. Leaning over the table, he wretched twice before he filled the bowl with vomit, mostly water.

****​

Walking toward the office with Dylan, through the dog area, Darin noticed several black and brown puppies in one of the smaller kennels. "Where did these come from?" he asked Cathy.

"A lady stopped a few minutes ago and asked if we could take them," she answered. "I told her we would if she could give us some type of donation. She pulled out two hundred dollar bills and tossed them on the counter."

"Have they been checked out?" he pressed. "By the way, this is Dylan Edwards, our new vet."

"Well, it’s about time we get to meet you," she said, extending her hand. "We’ve been looking forward to working with you."

Dylan shook Cathy’s hand before he said, "Can you bring the pups into the exam room?"

Darin picked up two of the puppies and handed them to Dylan while he and Cathy gathered up the other six. They took them to the back and into one of the exam rooms. Dylan punched several buttons on his cel phone and placed it to his ear. "Honey, can you bring my coat and bag in for me? Yeah, I know, I should have brought it when I came in. Okay, it’s the north building. The one with the ambulance." Flipping the phone closed, he turned to Darin. "She’ll be right in." He picked up one of the puppies, which squealed loudly. "Oh, I’m not hurting you," he said to the frightened pup. Gently, he felt the little dog’s abdomen and looked at his eyes and down his ears and throat. "They seem okay," he said to Darin. "Looks like a Lab/Shepherd mix, about eight weeks old."

Cathy cradled another puppy in her arms. "Do you want to give them some worm medicine?" she asked, opening one of the cabinets and removing a bottle..

There was a soft knock on the door. Darin opened it to find a very petite young black woman standing outside holding a white lab coat and a black doctor’s bag. "I’m Chantina Edwards," she said, "Is my husband in here?"

"Why, yes, he is," Darin replied, "Please come in." He stepped back and held the door for her to enter. The puppies squealed as Dylan squirted the worm medicine into each of their mouths.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[harry113]

Thanks Scott, another great chapter.
So...The grand opening at last! But what about poor Brady, doesn't sound very good at all! I hope he will be ok!
Eagerly await the next!!
Harry

 

[gmoney]

Great story, Scott. I spent my whole day off reading this. Can't wait for the next chapter!

 

[Trent0n1]

Another fantastic chapter thank Scott!

 

[kcm17480]

Great chapter. Looking forward to the next.

 

[RacerBear]

Hey Guys,

I have not forgotten you, I'm just having a tough time with the next installment. Each time I try and get it to go where I want it to, it goes nowhere. I'm still working on it but I'm letting it take me where it wants to go and I'm not happy with where it keeps going. That being said, I'm hoping to have it ready for you by Friday. I know you are anxious to see what happens next and I will tell you that the next chapter will, probably, be the last one for this book. I'm bubbling over with ideas for the continuation of the story but I can't come up with the proper ending for this part of it.

Rest assured that I won't do anything like Dallas or that other show whose name totally escapes me just now. The one about the Carringtons. Damn, I hate getting old! Dynasty! Yeah, that's it! What was I talking about? See what I mean? I think my little bit of time I spent with 'Toni-with an I' had an adverse effect on me.

Where do you think this story should go. I know, into the bedroom, of course. I've already been asked to do a story with Tony as the main character. It could happen. Give me some ideas, keeping in mind, the characters can't kill each other off or anything like that.

Anyway, I'm hoping to have more for you soon. Thanks for all of your kind words and support.

Scott

 

[mikell6581]

Well, being that you are having a hard time with the last chapter.
May, be its not meant to be the last one, you might be blocking the flow were the story wants to go.
Are you rushing the ending?

 

[mikell6581]

I do love everything you have done so far...

 

[momoda6]

I was hoping you would get to Tony's fantasy you mentioned earlier.

I didn't expect this to finish yet, though. But as long as you're happy with how it goes, I wouldn't dare disagree with you. Everything's so right so far.

 

[shaff2525]

hope u are ok!!!
Please do not stop writing!
wonderful story

 

[RacerBear]

I really want to apologize for the lack of any updates. My doctor put me on a new medication and it is really knocking me for a loop. Every time I sit down and try to write, I come up totally blank. I've managed to put together a chapter but it really doesn't go anywhere. I was hoping to get this story finished up and begin on the next one but, the harder I try, the more frustrated I get. I'm not sure the side effects are worth the benefits. IF this is what I have to look forward to, I'm going to need to rethink the new meds. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks,
Scott

 

[harry113]

Hey Scott, Dear guy, your good health is more important than the story!
Get yourself right again, we will wait ... patiently, lol.
Harry

 

[RacerBear]

Hey all,

I realize it's been almost three months since I posted anything. For that I apologize. To say that it has been a long struggle would be an understatement. I really do appreciate your patience as I have worked out the problems with the new meds. For the most part, it's been a productive change. My moods are much more even and I don't seem to have the sense of 'hopelessness' that I had before. The downside of it, though, has been a total lack of creativity when it came to my writing. For days on end, I would open up the story and try to come up with a suitable conclusion. While I'm still not sure if it does the job, I did, finally, come up with one. I hope it meets the standard I have tried to set. I value your input and comments a great deal.

Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words and your patience. Darrin, Brady and the boys will be back soon in another adventure and I hope you will embrace it as you have my first work. There are also others in the works but I will save them for another time.

Enjoy,
Scott

 

[RacerBear]

Finding Darin
Part 35​

"How’s the patient?" Adam asked, sipping his first cup of coffee, his hair still wet from his shower. He was wearing a bright red tee shirt with the words, ‘So many men…So little energy,’ on the front and a pair of black boxer briefs. Jake stood next to him in a white sleep shirt and red briefs.

"He’s still sleeping," Darin replied, refilling his cup. "You guys want some breakfast?"

"Actually, I was wondering what you thought about putting together a bit of a welcome for Dylan and Tina," Jake answered. "What do you think, chicken or steaks?"

Taking a sip of coffee, Darin nodded. "That market at the junction has some of the best steaks around," he advised. "Why can’t we do both?"

"Plus, they have great salads too," Adam added. "Are there any donuts left?"

"I think there were a couple boxes in the office," Darin replied. "I’ll call Tim and see if he’ll bring them back with him after he checks the animals." He picked up his cel phone and punched Tim’s number.

While Jake and Adam sipped their coffee, Brady appeared wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and gray sweat pants. "Hey guys," he said, his voice still a whisper. "Is there any juice?" he asked, lowering his body onto one of the kitchen chairs and leaning on the table.

Darin removed a carton of orange juice from the fridge and poured some into a small glass. "How ya feeling?" he asked, setting the glass in front of Brady and placing his hand on his forehead.

Taking a sip, Brady answered, "I feel a lot better. I’m still a little light headed but I think my fever finally broke sometime around two."

"Is that when you got up to pee?" Darin asked, sipping his coffee. "Are you hungry?"

"One of the times," Brady responded, shaking his head to the second question. "How’d we do yesterday?"

Tim and Tony entered the back door carrying two boxes of donuts. Setting them on the counter, Tim turned toward Brady. "You look a lot better," he stated as Adam and Jake each picked out a donut from the box.

"Damn, there’s only one jelly left," Jake complained.

"That’s okay, I’ll take a chocolate one," Adam agreed, kissing Jake on the nose before choosing.

Tony shook his head. "Y’all’s sa cyute," he teased. He picked up his cup from the counter and filled it with coffee. Scooping sugar from the bowl into the cup, he added, "Becky and Cathy ‘as checkin’ on totals from yist’dy when we come back here."

"Were there any adoptions I should know about?" Brady quizzed, sipping more juice. "Is there any glazed left?"

Jake handed one of the boxes to Brady. "There’s a couple," he replied, licking the icing from his fingers. Kissing Adam on the cheek, he said to him, "I’m gonna get dressed." Excusing himself, he walked to the large guest bedroom and closed the door.

"Did you guys sleep okay?" Darin asked Adam after Jake had left.

Adam chewed his donut and swallowed before he blushed and said, "Yeah, we slept some," a huge grin spreading across his handsome face as he rinsed his coffee cup and set it in the sink. He turned and walked toward the bedroom without any further comment.

"I thought he was with Rodney," Tim said when he heard the bedroom door close. "What’s up with that?"

"He was," Darin replied. "Let’s just say, they have differing views on relationships."

"Ya mean, they ain’t tagether no more?" Tony asked. "I thunk ‘ey ‘as good fer each other."

"Adam wants to be with somebody who shares his feelings about monogamy and commitment, Rodney just wants to love whoever he’s with," Darin explained. "They’re still friends."

"Well, ‘at’s good. Course, I don’t reckon I’d ‘spect nothin’ less fum Adam," Tony offered. "He’s good people."

Darin took Brady’s hand in his and squeezed it. "Do you feel up to having a cookout?" he asked.

"I suppose," Brady answered. "As long as I don’t have to do much, why?"

"Jake wants to do something to welcome Dylan and Tina," Darin countered. "If you’re not up to it, we can do it later."

"I’d really like that," Brady agreed.

"Promise me if you start feeling bad, you’ll come in and lay down?" Darin asked.

"I will," Brady agreed, munching on his donut and slowly sipping his juice.

Jake returned a few minutes later, dressed in a red tee shirt and khaki shorts. He began making a list of what would be needed. "How many steaks do you think I should get?" he asked.

"I’d get about a dozen steaks," Darin advised. "The ones we got before were pretty good size so we can cut them in half. If we have any left over, we can freeze them."

"What about the chicken?" Jake asked, "Do they have it already cut up or do they cut it to order?"

"They have just about any way you want," Tim piped up. "What about getting the frozen chicken breasts?"

"Oh, perish the thought," Jake replied. "If I’m preparing it, it will be fresh or nothing. Do you have brown sugar and lots of ketchup?" he asked, adding both to his list. "What about a green salad?"

"That would be nice," Adam said as he joined the group. "They had a really nice produce section at the market too."

"Okay, I’ll get the makings for that too," Jake said, adding cucumbers, lettuce and scallions to his list. "Tony, can you handle the barbecue honors?"

"It’d be ma playsure," Tony replied. "Jus’ make sure ya git sum messkeet chips fur tha grill."

Checking his list, Jake asked, "Who wants to go with?"

"You’ll need some cash, won’t you?" Darin asked as Jake held out his hand. "How much do you think?"

"That depends," Jake teased.

"On what?"

"On whether you want to say, ‘welcome’," he said softly, "Or ‘WELCOME’," he said much louder, spreading his arms.

"I like the second one," Brady said, his voice still scratchy. "You can take my car so you’ll have more room," he added, motioning for Tim to grab his keys from the hook by the door.

Darin reached for his wallet and pulled out two hundreds, handing them to Jake. "Bring me a receipt," he said.

****​

Once the four friends had left to do the shopping, Darin poured another cup of coffee and sat next to Brady at the table. "Are you sure you’re up to this?" he asked, putting his hand on Brady’s shoulder.

Brady struggled to swallow the last of his donut before he answered. "I’m not sure but I still want to do it," he replied. "I think I’m gonna take a shower and lay down for a while longer, though."

"Why don’t you soak in the tub for a bit," Darin suggested. "There’s some bath salts in the cupboard. "That might do you more good than a shower. I’ll even run the water for you," he added, kissing Brady’s hand before he stood up and headed for the bedroom.

Brady sat for a few more minutes as Graham clicked across the floor and sniffed at his food dish. "Didn’t your Dad feed you?" Brady asked the dog, who turned and looked at him before wagging his tail, thumping against the cabinet next to the sink. "I’ll go ask him," Brady warned. The dog lapped water from his other dish loudly before stretching and heading toward the back door, scratching quietly to be let outside. Brady struggled to his feet and walked slowly to the back door. "Stay in the yard," he warned as the dog bounded out into the fenced area behind the house.

While he stood, watching the dog sniff around the back yard, Rodney entered the garage from outside. "Good morning," he offered before he introduced Nathaniel. "How ya feelin’?" he asked.

"Pleased to meet you Nathaniel," Brady replied, shaking the boy’s hand. "I’m better but my throat is still pretty sore."

"Sounds like it," Rodney said. "I’m gonna take Nate home. Do you need me to pick up anything?"

"No, I’m good," Brady assured him. "Jake and the rest of the boys went to get food for a cookout. You’re more than welcome to stay," he said to Nathaniel. "I’m sure there’ll be plenty." He smiled as he realized how different Nathaniel looked with his clothes on.

Nathaniel blushed. "I better get home," he said. "My mom’s been pretty sick and I need to get home and check on her. I didn’t know I’d be gone overnight."

"Well, you’re welcome to come back anytime," Brady offered, winking at Rodney while Graham rattled the door to be let back inside. "Drive careful," he added, opening the door for the dog to enter.

"I’ll be back in a bit," Rodney said before the two headed out the front toward the blue car parked outside.

"Your bath awaits," Darin said, wrapping his arms around Brady from behind. "I stripped the bed so you’ll have nice clean sheets," he nibbled at Brady’s ear and added. "Come on, let’s get you in the tub."

"You just want to get me naked," Brady teased, pulling Darin’s arms tighter to his chest.

"That’s just a bonus," Darin admitted, turning Brady around and kissing him on the lips. The rough stubble on both their cheeks rubbed together like sandpaper.

Pushing back after a few moments, Brady asked, "Aren’t you afraid I’m still contagious?"

"Not really," Darin said softly before he kissed him again. "Come on," he added pulling Brady toward the bedroom.

Once he was settled into the soothing water of the tub, Darin left Brady to soak while he finished making up the bed. "Do you realize that last night is the first night in over two weeks that we didn’t make love before we went to sleep?" he asked when he returned.

Brady was leaning his head against the rim of the tub with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes when he heard the question. "I’m sorry about that," he apologized. "You should have woke me up."

"Nah, you were sleeping so well, I didn’t want to bother you. Besides, your fever was still kinda high."

Clearing his throat, Brady admitted, "I doubt I coulda got it up anyway. I promise, I’ll make it up to you."

"I imagine we’ll have hundreds of opportunities to make up for it," Darin said with a smile. "I plan on staying around for a long long time."

Brady slowly slid down into the water, allowing his head to slip beneath the bubbles. He emerged a moment later. As the water cascaded from his curly hair, he smiled back, wiping the soap from his face with his hands. "I’m glad to hear that," he replied. "Ditto."

****​

The smell of the steaks surrounding them, Darin and Brady were seated on the wrought iron patio set they had purchased at Honest Dave’s. Steve had taken several of the pieces in the set apart and welded them, adding bracing to the two chairs. Once they were scraped and primed, Darin had painted them a dark green and Brady picked out a set of tan and brown cushions with a matching umbrella for the large table. Brady was still not feeling his best but the sunshine was soothing as they chatted with their friends. Jake, with the help of Adam and Luke, was busy setting up the buffet table while Tony and Steve busied themselves with grilling the steaks, chicken and burgers. Adam had contacted everyone to let them know about the impromptu party and, except for Cathy and Becky, everyone had already arrived.

It was just past two when Dylan and Tina stepped onto the patio and were welcomed by both Brady and Darin. The job of introducing everyone fell to Darin and he happily ushered the couple throughout the group.

Brady watched and sighed as Darin moved from one group of guests to another, making sure they had drinks and checked to see if they needed anything more to eat. Graham lay beside his chair, snoring softly, exhausted from playing and chasing his ball. Taboo was curled up on one of the steps leading to the bedroom. All was right with his world and Brady said a silent prayer of thanks for each of the events that had led to this day. Having closed his eyes, he did not see Darin approach. "How are you feeling?" Darin asked.

Opening his eyes, he saw Darin squatted down beside the chair, his hand absently petting the dog. "I’m fine," he replied. "Are Dylan and Tina having a good time."


"They’re really enjoying meeting everyone," Darin responded. "Can I get you anything?"

"I could use another water if you don’t mind," Brady told him. Darin quickly rose and went to the cooler to retrieve a bottle of water. Handing it to Brady, he excused himself and went inside to use the bathroom. Brady unbuttoned his yellow Hawaiian shirt and felt the warm sunshine on his chest. He could feel the congestion slowly easing from his body while he lay there soaking up the soothing rays. Becky and Cathy finally arrived and moved to the one side to sit with Randi and Lisa.

"They’s steaks an’ ‘at o’vare if’n y’all’s hungry," Tony told the late arrivals. They nodded but continued to talk with the other girls.

After a few minutes, they got up and walked toward the buffet table, each grabbing a plate from the stack. "This all looks so wonderful," Cathy said as she speared one of the steaks with her fork. "Who did all this?" she asked.

"Jake had ‘is tits all over ‘at Tappan," Tony announced. "He’s a one ‘at done most o’ this."

Jake swatted Tony’s arm. "I just put it together, the salads are from the market down the road," he admitted.

"Ya’all ain’t much good at takin’ credit when ya get the chance, are ya?" Tony teased.

"Well, whoever made it, it looks wonderful," Becky said, scooping a generous helping of potato salad onto her plate.

When Darin returned, he stood in the doorway from the garage and studied the scene before him. A sudden feeling of déjà vu overtook him as he stood there, his hand on the wooden door. He turned to look through the open garage door and noted the light blue Explorer and yellow Mustang parked in the driveway outside. He also noticed Tony’s Impala and Jake’s Honda and the other cars parked alongside them. Turning, once again to the patio, he saw Randi and Lisa chatting with Becky and Cathy. "Why does this look so familiar?" he thought. Suddenly, it hit him. This was the vision he had seen that day sitting at his desk. Except for the fact that he was wearing tan shorts and a green tee shirt, it was almost exactly the same. The people he had not recognized then became crystal clear. He looked at Brady and noticed the yellow shirt and green shorts. He felt his manhood harden as he noticed Brady’s hairy chest revealed by the open shirt. Graham was standing before him, his ball in his mouth, wagging his tail in expectation of a game of fetch. Except for the size and color, the dog was there too. Tony looked up from his conversation with Tim. "Hey, Dude," he called and waved. "Y’ant ‘nother beer?" Tony flipped the top open on the cooler and grabbed two, one for himself and one for Darin. He smiled and tossed Darin’s to him. Taking the can and popping the top, he stood back while beer sprayed out.

Slowly, Darin moved to where Tony and Tim were seated, chatting with Adam and Jake. Taking a seat next to Jake, he placed his arm across the shoulders of his assistant. "Have I told you how much I appreciate all that you’ve done for me?" he asked Jake, leaning in close.

"A couple of times," Jake replied, "It’s still nice to hear it though."

"Well, I don’t ever want to take you for granted." He turned toward Tony and said, "I want to thank you guys for all you’ve done too." He took Tony’s hand in his and squeezed it lovingly.

Tony smiled. "Hell, Ya’all ‘uda did the same thang," he said, wrapping his big arms around Darin and hugging him close.

"What is this, a meeting of the ‘Mutual Admiration Society’ or something?" Steve joked as he approached.

Darin blushed. "I was just telling the guys how much I appreciate all that they’ve done for me," he said. "For us."

"Well, I can’t really speak for everyone else but I’m more than happy to do it," Steve replied as he took a seat across from Tony. "You’re about the closest thing Luke and I have to a family," he added. Luke sat next to him and wrapped his arms around the older man.

Motioning for Brady to join them, Darin began, "You know, it was only a few weeks ago that I was about as unhappy as a person could be. My marriage was a mess, I hated my job." He paused as Brady sat next to him and leaned his head on his shoulder. "Then, something wonderful happened. I met a young man…" He paused again, picking his words carefully. "I always felt somehow that I wasn’t living the life I was meant to live," he continued, "But, until that night, I never understood what direction my life was supposed to take. I never gave a thought to the possibility that I might be gay until that night."

"I think that’s something every one of us struggled with," Steve said.
"I knew from an early age," Luke offered, " But my parents were a lot more accepting than some of yours."

"My dad threatened to kill me if he ever laid eyes on me again," Tim said sadly, leaning into Tony’s strong hug.

Darin sighed. "I can’t imagine any parent being so cruel."

"It’s tough because, more than anything, you need support," Steve added. "And, when that support doesn’t come from your blood family, it makes it really hard to connect with others. That’s why I’m grateful for the feeling of family that you guys have shown toward me and Luke."

"Family has always been important to me," Darin admitted. "I don’t know how I would have handled it if my family had not been supportive. I’d like to think I was ready for it if they weren’t but, I’m thankful that they were."

"It’s a different time," Luke interjected. "I think that, for me anyway, having my family let me know they still loved me was more important than anything else. Ever."

Tim leaned into Tony’s arms and sighed. "When I came out, my folks took everything I owned and made a big pile in the back yard. My dad lit a match and set fire to every bit of it."

Steve reached out and placed his hand on Tim’s shoulder. "That’s horrible," he said. "My dad told me there was nothing in the world that I could tell him that could be any worse. I never spoke to him again after that. In fact, I never saw him again until his funeral."

Dylan and Tina had joined the group gathered around the table. "My parents refused to attend our wedding," Dylan admitted. "I called my mom a couple years ago to invite her to my graduation and she asked me if I was still with my nigger woman." He squeezed his wife’s hand as she leaned into his arms. "I told her that Tina is my wife and if she can’t accept that then she has no place in my life."

"Of course, my folks just love Dylan to death," Tina piped up. "I was adopted when I was seven. My birth mother was white and my father was black. He killed my mother and then himself when I was five."

"I guess we all have some kind of horror story, huh?" Tim said. "Do you guys see that much discrimination from other people?" he asked Dylan.

"Not that much," Dylan replied.. "I suppose most people are polite and don’t really express their opinion to our faces."

"When Luke and I got together, we got a little bit of grief from people but mostly from within the community," Steve said. "Most average people just think he’s my son and don’t give it a second thought."

Darin sat and studied the faces of his friends. Other than Jake, he had known them all less than a few weeks and, yet he felt as though he had known them an entire lifetime. He had never felt this close to any of his siblings and, other than his mother, he couldn’t say he was as close to any of his blood relations. With a few exceptions, most of the others had only seen a small degree of acceptance from their respective families, if any at all. Without hesitation, he said, "Well, I hope you will all think of us as your family." He smiled as Brady wrapped his arms around him and pressed his face into Darin’s chest.

Steve took a drink of his soft drink before he added. "I keep remembering something you said in your speech yesterday."

"What’s that?" Darin quizzed.

"You said it was your hope to ‘help the unwanted and unloved find a place in this world’," he reminded Darin. "That meant more to me than anything you could have said. For a long time, I’ve felt like one of those unwanted and unloved."

Luke snuggled into his lover’s arms. "I’ll always love ya, Daddy," he said.

"I know you will," Steve said, running his hands through Luke’s spiky hair. "I love you too."

Adam, who had been particularly quiet, said softly, "Sometimes I feel like my family only tolerates me. When I’m here I feel like I really belong."

"Well, that’s the way we want every one of you to feel," Brady said, his voice still only a whisper. He turned, raising his water bottle in the air. "A toast," he offered as the others raised their respective drinks, "To Dylan and Tina, the newest members of our Black Sheep family. Welcome."

"Welcome," everyone said together.

TO BE CONTINUED​

 

[RacerBear]

Finding Darin
Epilogue​

It was just before nine when Darin locked the back door and switched off the kitchen light. Brady was already in the bedroom watching a movie on television, having been exhausted from the day’s events. Graham approached, looking expectantly up at Darin. Standing for a moment to stare into the dog’s eyes, Darin lowered his body onto one of the kitchen chairs. The dog put his front paws on his legs and rubbed his face against Darin’s chest. As he hugged the chocolate lab, he was reminded of everything that had brought him to this point. Just as Brady had done earlier, he said a silent prayer of thanks for being taken from the unhappiness he had felt just a few weeks prior. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his life would take such a complete turn. Never had he entertained the notion that he would be so much in love…with another man who, by all appearances, loved him equally and who shared that love with those, with whom they had chosen to surround themselves.

While he sat there enjoying the company of the dog, the soft distant sound of thunder caught his attention. He quickly rose and went outside to take down the umbrella on the patio set. Graham followed, sniffing throughout the yard as Darin closed up the trash cans and gathered up a few towels that had been left on chairs. The wind picked up slightly as another rumble of thunder indicated the approaching storm. He walked through the garage and checked the windows on both cars, making sure they were closed on Rodney’s as well. He noticed that Adam had come outside to close the windows on both his and Jake’s cars and he waved. "Good night," he called out to Adam, who waved as he stepped back inside of Jake’s trailer home.

The thunder rattled even louder and there were several noticeable lightning flashes when Darin returned to his chair in the kitchen. Brady padded into the room just as another flash of lightning lit up the night sky, followed by the loudest clap of thunder yet. "Are my car windows up?" he asked, hoarsely.

"Yeah, I checked them," Darin replied as Graham pushed his nose against his leg and panted loudly. "It’s okay, boy," he told the dog just as the rain began pelting the house.

Sitting beside him, Brady watched the wind drive the rain against the window. "Thunderstorms never bothered me until the past few years," Brady admitted while the dog paced nervously between the two men. "Do you think we should head for the basement?"

"I don’t think that’s necessary," Darin said, rubbing his hand across Brady’s back to calm him. Graham had settled down and was laying against his leg. "The wind isn’t as bad and the rain seems to be letting up," Darin added.

Just then, there was a crash from outside. "What was that?" Brady gasped, clutching at Darin’s arm.

"I’ll go check," Darin soothed. "It’s probably nothing," he added as he opened the back door and stepped into the garage. Another flash of lightning illuminated the patio area and he saw, immediately what had happened. He stepped back into the kitchen and called to Brady, "The wind just knocked over one of the trash cans." He pushed the door shut and locked it before turning off the garage light and moving toward his partner. Just as he reached his chair, there was a bright flash of lightning, followed a split second later with the loudest clap of thunder. The house went completely dark.

Brady grabbed at Darin’s arm. "Where are you?" he said nervously. "Darin?"

"I’m right here," Darin said, taking Brady’s hand in his. "Do you know where the flashlight is?" he asked.

"There’s one in the drawer by the back door," Brady responded, his voice shaky. "There’s some candles and a box of matches too."

Darin waited for a few moments while his eyes adjusted to the dark. "I’m going to get the flashlight and light some candles," he told Brady. "I’ll be right back." Graham laid his chin on Brady’s leg.

While Darin retrieved the flashlight, Brady apologized, "I’m sorry I’m such a baby."

"Don’t worry about it," Darin replied. "I get queasy if I see a snake. Everybody’s afraid of something."

"So, rescuing a six foot Python wouldn’t be on your list of ‘things to do’, I suppose," Brady giggled.

Darin pulled open the drawer and removed the flashlight, turning it on and shining it back inside to find the candles and matches. "If one needed rescuing, I’d tough it out but, I wouldn’t be jumping to volunteer for the assignment," he said, chuckling. "Here’s the candles," he said, laying them on the kitchen table. The storm outside was quickly moving to the south. The lightning and thunder came farther and farther apart. "Sounds like the worst of it is over," he said.

"I wonder how long the lights will be off," Brady stated "Think we should call and see if Eric is okay? It’s his first night all by himself."

Darin pulled his cel phone from his pocket. "Good idea," he said as he punched the number for the shelter. When Eric answered he asked, "Is everything okay?"

"We’re fine," Eric answered, "The emergency lights came on and I’m just sitting here with a couple of the dogs."

"If you need anything, give us a call," Darin told him.

"I will," Eric agreed. "Good night."

"Good night," Darin said, closing the phone. Turning to Brady, he added, "Everything’s fine." Just then, the lights flickered back on and Brady sighed. The rain had lessened considerably and the thunder rumbled quietly in the distance.

"Well, that was exciting," Brady offered.

"I think we can go to bed now," Darin replied. "The storm seems to be over," he added, rising to his feet and pulling Brady up with him.

Once they had settled into bed, Brady wrapped his arms around Darin and rubbed his cheek against the older man’s shoulder. After a short while, he asked, "What ya thinkin’?"

Darin turned slightly and kissed the top of Brady’s head. "I was just thinking about a conversation I had yesterday with Uncle Spencer."

"What about?" Brady quizzed.

"Well, I already told you he was going to sell the business, didn’t I?" Darin began.

Brady nodded. "You said he had an offer but that he was waiting for your divorce to be final."

Darin took in a deep breath and held it for several seconds before letting it out slowly. Finally, he continued, "Well, he’s accepted the offer and the new owners will take ownership after the first of the year."

"We better get busy, then," Brady said, sitting up in the bed.

"What for?" Darin asked, puzzled.

"So we can get this place into a position to help pay for itself."

Darin shook his head. "That’s not necessary," he said.

"I don’t understand," Brady replied. "Why not?"

Taking Brady’s hands in his, Darin looked deep into the younger man’s brown eyes. "I didn’t tell you but, I own one fifth of the company."

Staring at Darin, Brady finally blinked and asked, "So, what does that mean exactly?"

Darin smiled and placed his fingertips on Brady’s chin. "It means, my love, that it doesn’t matter if this place ever pays for itself. We’ll be just fine."

"But…" Brady paused, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. Shaking his head, once more, he asked, "What are you saying?"

Darin sighed and took a deep breath. "The offer for the company is for almost twenty million dollars," he stated, "And one fifth of that amount will go to me. After expenses and taxes and stuff are taken out, of course."

The cat jumped onto the bed and rubbed his face against Brady’s hand to be petted. Scratching the cat’s ears, Brady whispered, "You hear that, Tabby? Your daddy’s rich." He continued to pet the cat for several minutes before he turned to Darin and added, "I hope you know, I’d be with you even if you didn’t have two nickels to rub together."

Darin kissed him on the forehead. "I know. That’s one of the reasons I hadn’t told you sooner. And, just for the record, both of Tabby’s daddies are rich."

THE END​

 

[ukbrit]

Thanks for a great story, good luck for the future.

 

[dominique20064]

Thankyou so much and interesting good read