River Town Box Set

by Grant C. Holland

  “That’s my…” The words ended, and a hiss escaped Diego’s lips when Alan’s fingers peeled back the foreskin, and his tongue flattened against the exposed head of Diego’s cock.

  Diego couldn’t remember the last time his cock was sucked instead of the other way around. He tried to remember fooling around with his buddies in Veracruz until Alan swallowed him to the hilt. The sensation instantly brought Diego’s thoughts back to the present. He gripped Alan’s shoulders while he watched his lover take control. It wasn’t easy to let it happen, but Diego’s vigilance slowly crumbled like stone beneath a hammer and chisel.

  Diego hadn’t seen Alan pull them from his pockets, but he was fully prepared. He had a condom, and he had a packet of lube, too. Diego bent his legs and spread them to the side while he watched Alan roll the condom down over his hard cock. It stood straight out from his body with the slightest curvature to the right. Diego tangled his fingers into the bedsheets as he waited and pieced together a memory. He wanted to remember Alan’s beauty like he was taking a photograph.

  Alan’s fuck was slow and sensual, at first. He pushed hard while Diego pushed out bringing his lover inside letting his body envelop the penetration in electric heat. Alan’s lips twisted into an expression that was half grin and half snarl while he muttered, “Every day, Diego, just like this. Forever.”

  Alan gripped Diego’s thighs and pushed his legs further back. He began to slide forward and back picking up a steady rhythm. “For you. All yours,” whispered Diego.

  He wrapped the fingers of one hand around his own cock while the fucking grew harder and faster. He stroked in rhythm with Alan’s thrusts.

  “Yes. Fuck. I love you, Diego!” grunted Alan.

  Alan’s eyes closed and his head rolled back. Diego knew Alan was close and worked his own cock like a piston in his fist. He closed his eyes and bellowed into the stillness of the room. His balls tensed on the edge of eruption.

  As they rode together to the precipice, nothing could be heard but the gasps for breath and the slapping of flesh seeking blissful release. “Fuck, close,” mumbled Alan.

  Diego couldn’t resist taking over the final moment. His lips pulled back revealing a wicked grin as he ordered, “Cum! Fill me now!”

  Alan’s feral shouts echoed in the room when his entire body shuddered as the orgasm took over. He slammed himself hard into Diego’s body plunging deep while wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure swept over him.

  Diego came hard, too. The first shot landed on his collarbone, and then he left a trail of cum down his chest and abs. Alan collapsed at Diego’s side and pushed his face forward looking for another kiss.

  “Every day, Alan? Is that a guarantee?”

  Alan grinned. “Maybe twice a day on the weekend.” He kissed Diego with tender lips and raked his fingers gently into Diego’s unruly, wavy black hair.

  “It feels loco, and it feels dangerous, but I think that’s the way love is supposed to feel. If it were easy, we’d get bored, Alan.”

  “It’s easy to love you, Diego. Living that love will be more complicated.”

  32

  She Knows

  Alan watched as Brody’s hand disappeared below the edge of the table. He had a bite of burger pinched between his fingers, and it was gone when Brody’s hand returned to grip a fork.

  “Boomer appreciates you,” said Alan. “I think he’ll think of your place as a second home.”

  “You saw that?” asked Brody. “I thought I was sneaky.”

  “You give it away with your expressions,” suggested Dak. “It’s like a baseball coach repeating his hand signals specifically for the opposing team to make sure they get it, too.”

  Brody laughed. “Well, I try to be good to everyone. That means dogs, too.”

  Diego said, “That dog is spoiled. I woke up this morning clinging to the edge of the bed while Boomer sprawled out between us.”

  “I told you we could shut him out of the bedroom, but that would risk him following those hound dog instincts,” said Alan.

  “That bellow would wake the dead,” said Diego as he shook his head.

  Dak said, “I’m just glad that the two of you worked things out. You are a perfect couple, almost as good as Brody and me.”

  Alan laughed. “Almost…”

  “Well, we were meant to be,” said Dak. “I saw that shy skinny kid coming my way in 3rd grade, and I said to myself, ‘You’re never going to get rid of him, Dakota. You might as well be friendly.’”

  Brody put his fork down. “Oh, so that’s how it was? How about the unfortunate new kid with red hair and freckles? He stood there all alone on the playground with his hands stuck in his pockets.”

  Diego gestured from one to the other. “The two of you as little boys. I’d pay plenty of money if anybody had film of it.”

  “We can show you pictures later,” said Dak. “Brody’s got the snapshots and the yearbooks.”

  Alan said, “I don’t mean to change the topic, and I hope this isn’t picking at any scabs, but did you hear anything else about Lewis, Dak?”

  “That little prick,” mumbled Dak. “just a sec.” He picked up his glass of iced tea and swallowed a mouthful before clearing his throat. “Believe it or not, he apologized to me.”

  While Brody nodded, Alan asked, “Are you serious? How did that happen?”

  “He found me down by the river early in the morning. He dated me long enough that he knew about my habits of checking it out on mornings when I wasn’t on a boat.”

  “He drove up and said I’m sorry?” asked Diego.

  Dak shook his head. “No, Lewis is smart, believe it or not. He has a lot going for him if he can ditch that chip on his shoulder that weighs about twenty-five pounds. I wouldn’t have dated him in the first place if I didn’t see something positive.”

  “So he’s turning over a new leaf?” asked Alan.

  “Here’s what he said in a nutshell. He told me that it was a case of temporary insanity. That part is absolutely true.” Dak chuckled and continued. He told me that he was instantly attracted to you, Alan, but he knew that if you were hanging out with me, he didn’t stand a chance in hell. He assumed I would turn you against him from the beginning. I smiled when he told me, ‘And I deserved that.’”

  “He was attracted to me?”

  Diego smirked. “Don’t look so damned innocent, my sexy love.”

  Dak continued his story. “Lewis said it was like one big, ugly ball rolling downhill from there. He said it was scary how fast a couple of other guys believed his lies about Diego. Lewis leaned in close to my ear and said, ‘I gotta figure out something to do that can ease my conscience. I’m gonna rot in hell if I don’t.’”

  “Loco gringo,” muttered Diego.

  “So I think Lewis is planning a forty-foot-tall riverside statue of Diego.”

  Brody laughed and nearly choked on his bite of burger. While he sipped from his glass of water, Diego said, “It could happen.”

  “And, honest to God, this is what happened next,” said Dak.

  Alan opened his eyes wider to listen to the conclusion of the story. He said, “It’s an impressive story so far.”

  “As soon as Lewis stopped talking, we heard the sound of a tow’s horn on the river. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later it rounded the bend. The barge was full and riding low in the water. It had to be some sort of sign. Things don’t happen together so neatly like that without a reason.”

  “What did you think it meant?” asked Brody. “I’m hearing the full story for the first time, too. You told me about Lewis and his contrition, but I didn’t hear about the barge.”

  “I think it was the river talking to us,” said Dak. “It was telling us we’re right on track. Our lives are full, and we’re ready to sail downstream. I don’t think it’s any more complicated than that.”

  “Did you say that to Lewis?” asked Alan.

  “Not exactly those words. Lewis thinks I’m full of shit when I talk about t
he river. That was problem number 348 between us when we dated. He hated that I worked on the tow. He wanted me to get a ‘decent’ job.”

  Brody said, “I’m curious about what you said, too.”

  “I said, ‘Lewis, you’re a good man.’ I poked at his chest. I said, ‘Deep down inside there it’s true. I know that, and the river knows that. Now here’s what I want you to do.’ I’m sure that I saw him tremble when I said that. He probably thought I would make him kiss Diego.”

  “Umm, no,” mumbled Diego.

  “I said, ‘Every time you hear that horn on a tow in the river, I want you to think about this moment. I want you to remember and think about one thing you can do for people who aren’t as lucky as you. Then go out and do it. Make the world a better place instead of fucking it up.’”

  Brody grinned.

  “And did he say anything?” asked Alan.

  “The little weasel hugged me. I hugged him back, and then I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets and watched him walk to his car and drive off. I bet he’s going to be our mayor someday.”

  “Do you think he’ll follow your suggestion?” asked Alan.

  Dak leaned back in his chair. He said, “I don’t think it matters. He is a good man, and he’ll figure it out. Deep down inside he knows what he can be. The river knows, too. She knows everything. She just has to remind us all every once in a while.”

  Epilogue

  On a chilly morning in April nearly two years later, a small crowd dressed in work attire gathered behind Zephyr, Minnesota mayor Eugene McDonald. He held a giant pair of gold-colored scissors in his hand as he approached the red ribbon draped across the front entrance to what was formally a big box hardware store.

  Dak bounced his little girl in the crook of his arm and then pulled back the hood of her coat whispering, “Is everything still okay in there?”

  Brody huddled with his hands in his pockets and asked, “Can you believe this is happening? Diego’s architect reworked this building in record time. I can’t wait until you see inside, Dak. It’s beautiful. I wish we could make Home Pro look like this.”

  Diego stood next to the mayor in an elegant, perfectly tailored charcoal suit. He was grinning from ear to ear. He announced, “I think we’re ready. Mr. Mayor, please do the honors!”

  “I now pronounce M-Trak Shipping open for business in the town of Zephyr!” shouted the mayor.

  As the scissors sliced into the red ribbon, the small crowd cheered. Diego scanned the faces and picked out his partner, Alan, in particular. He nodded in Alan’s direction and then directed the small throng to enter the building. The architect from the Twin Cities led the way.

  While the architect spoke about repurposing materials and using the latest in renewable energy technology, Diego joined Alan. He sandwiched Alan’s Auntie Erin between them.

  She said, “Diego, this project is absolutely wonderful. I’ve never been one who suggested tearing down buildings, and you stopped this one from destruction. Good on you!”

  “I never could have done it without a whole lot of encouragement from these people.” He smiled at Alan and Rhea and Ross standing near him. “We had the basic ideas, but then we stumbled upon a lot of little problems. They kept poking and prodding at me to keep the project moving.”

  Rhea asked, “Will I get to see my office space today, Mr. Flores?”

  Diego grinned. “You can see the space for it, but the furnishings haven’t arrived yet. I’ll take you past both your office and the one that Ross will inhabit. It’s not a full wall between the two of you, but you will still have specific, well-defined space.”

  Ross smiled. He said, “I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you again for this opportunity.”

  “And I have an assistant at last!” exclaimed Rhea.

  Ross asked, “Did you say Alan works down the road?”

  “Yes,” answered Diego. “Since they switched his department and positioned him as the top manager below Wesley Tarrant, his Tar-Mor office is close. It’s less than a mile away at the company’s main campus in town.” Alan nodded as he listened.

  “Does that mean you’ll move down here to Zephyr. We’ll miss the two of you at the Corner Hitch if you do that.”

  “Oh, no, we’re not moving,” assured Diego. “We have such a beautiful house and wonderful friends.” He gave Auntie Erin a warm, gentle squeeze and gestured for Dak and Brody to join them.

  In the warmth of the building, Dak pulled back the hood so his daughter could see everyone. Rhea leaned in close and asked, “What’s her name?”

  Dak said, “We considered naming her Sylvia after Brody’s mom, but we thought that sounded old-fashioned. So then we considered all sorts of names.”

  “It was horrible,” added Brody. “I printed out a huge sheet of possibilities and then cut them apart, and we spread them all over the kitchen table.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing,” said Rhea.

  “We finally settled on naming her after Brody’s mom, but we chose her middle name, Penelope,” said Dak.

  “That’s beautiful.” Rhea leaned in close and said, “Hi, Penelope.”

  “We’ve been calling her Penny for short,” said Brody.

  Ross asked, “When are you and Mr. Flores having a kid, Alan?”

  Diego raised his hand. “We’ve got a fifty-pound dead weight of a child named Boomer. I’m not ready for more.”

  They all laughed together. Alan whispered, “Give me a month or two. I’m working on it.”

  Thank you for reading Silent Wishes. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.

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  Hidden Dreams

  1

  Keys

  Ross rubbed his chin while he stared at the choices of chewing gum on the rack by the grocery store checkout. He wasn’t usually indecisive, but all of the choices at the store made choosing difficult. Packages of both blue and green promised minty freshness, and the labels looked as wintry as the snowflakes drifting to the ground in the supermarket parking lot. He hoped it didn’t take as long to make a choice about which gum to buy as it did to choose from all the options in the breakfast cereal aisle.

  Wintergreen was the final choice. Ross liked how it combined the concept of cold with a color he associated with springtime. Satisfied with the choice, he turned his attention to the man directly ahead in the check out line. The man dangled a baby carrier in his right hand, and his left arm cradled a small collection of boxes and fresh produce. Ross wanted to shake his head and point out the breakage of the cardinal rule of shopping with children. Always use a basket or a cart! Never render your free hand unusable! You’ll need it in emergencies.

  The baby whimpered, and Ross winced when the uncomfortable fumbling began. The stranger swayed and shouted as the grocery items tucked into his left arm began to wobble. “Damn!”

  Three boxes tumbled into the floor and a grapefruit rolled under the chewing gum rack. The baby swinging in the carrier began to squeal just as the man bent over to pick up his groceries.

  Ross bit his lip. He knew what was coming next, and everyone else in the grocery line did, too. The group of customers gathered a collective breath and held it for a few short seconds before full-throated crying erupted alternating with shrieks of distress. The ear-splitting sounds echoed through the checkout area disrupting conversations and smothering the cashier’s question, “Paper or plastic?”

  The left arm of the baby’s father reached upward from somewhere near the floor trying in vain to land a macaroni and cheese dinner box on the checkout conveyor belt. He grumbled and swore under his breath as the blue and yellow box waved in
the air.

  Ross reached out. “Let me help.” He took the box from the man’s fingers and dropped it safely in place to be rung up by the cashier. As she swept the box across the scanner with a satisfying digital tone, she tensed while she braced herself for the next bout of crying.

  “Oh, man, thanks, bud,” drifted up from the floor. The words were followed by an unsuccessful, “Shh, shh, quiet now,” and a bunch of bananas waving in the air.

  The baby shrieked again. Ross didn’t think it was possible, but the sound was louder than before. He grabbed the bananas and fumbled in his jeans pocket while watching for the next grocery items.

  As two more boxes landed on the belt, the stranger stood and bounced on his toes, gently swinging the baby carrier to and fro. Frantic efforts to stop a new outburst were unsuccessful. A few seconds of blissful silence succumbed to another round of ear-splitting screams and gasping sobs.

  Yanking his hand free from his pocket, Ross grasped what he’d been digging around for amid the change and stray dollar bills. He dangled his ring of approximately ten keys just inches from the scrunched up, beet-red, anguished face of the infant. It did the trick.

  As the keys jangled against each other and reflected the evening light streaming in through the store’s plate-glass windows, light sighs and baby chuckles replaced the squeals and cries of distress. The screeching, flailing animal who writhed in the carrier just seconds earlier became a sweet baby girl with a tiny pink ribbon pasted to the top of her forehead. The tense and disgruntled group of customers all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  Ross watched the harried father release the tension in his shoulders and smile. “Bud, you’re a lifesaver. Thank you.”

  “I was only trying to help. Babies aren’t easy.”