“Missed ya, Cotton,” I murmured.
“I missed you guys.” He near sobbed in our arms.
“Never leave us again, got it?” Boone chided him and Cotton nodded jerkily.
“I promise.” Cotton crossed his heart and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. We let each other go and Boone slung his arm over Cotton’s shoulder as I grabbed his bag. We walked out of the terminal to my Jeep. Once we were all in and buckled up, I gunned the engine and headed to Mom’s. Boone riddled Cotton with questions from the back seat of the jeep as I wove my way through the traffic on the 215.
“How are you feelin’? Did it help? Are you cured?”
Cotton shook his head in the negative. “I’m doin’ good, but I’m not cured, Boone. I’m an alcoholic. I’m always gonna be one. I’m never gonna be cured. I have to just take one day at a time and get the support I need. I’ve been goin’ to AA and will have to find a support group here in Atlanta now. I came to realize that my anger fueled my drinkin’. One thing they told us at the center was that we had to be transparent. To be honest about our drinkin’ and why we do it. What I never told you two was that I was boozin’ every day and not just beer. I chugged back vodka or whiskey each day.”
I saw Boone’s face fall in shock and I was flabbergasted at Cotton’s admission. We knew he liked his beer, but this was a whole ‘nother matter.
“How much were you drinkin’, Cotton?” I asked. Cotton sighed heavily from the passenger seat.
“Six, seven beers a day. Hard stuff at night, maybe a liter of each.”
“I never saw you drink that stuff!” Boone interjected.
“I made sure you two never saw it.” Cotton hung his head. “I’m such a loser.”
“You are not!” I barked and Cotton shrank back. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I know I’ve let my addiction get out of hand and I’m workin’ hard to make positive changes in my life. On that note, I have to tell you Boone, when Avery and Peg move out, I’m movin’ back in with Momma and Mawmaw.”
“Why?” Boone sounded hurt. “I am doin’ somthin’ wrong?”
“No, but you’re gone all day. I don’t mean to hurt you Boone, but we have beer and liquor in our place and Momma and Mawmaw won’t. They have beer in the house for Avery but neither of them drinks. Once he moves out, it’ll be a dry house and the best place for me. And I can’t say livin’ with you, around all the liquor, I won’t be tempted. I know I have a weakness and if I fall off the wagon, I won’t let you blame yourself for my failures.” His words soothed the sting of truth.
“I can get rid of the booze. I don’t need it,” Boone protested.
“Hell, gettin’ your dates liquored up is the only way you get any dick,” Cotton sassed back and I chuckled.
“Hey!” Boone started to object and re-thought it. “Iffen movin’ in with Momma will help you get better Cotton, I’m all for it.”
“Me, too,” I added.
“’Sides Momma and Mawmaw will be tickled pink to have you back home.” Boone patted Cotton’s shoulder. “’Course, that’s if you survive tellin’ them where you’ve really been these last few weeks.”
“I’m not lookin’ forward to that.” Bemoaning, his fate, Cotton put his face in his hands and groaned.
“Neither are we. We’re guilty by association. Momma is gonna be pissed,” I mused. “We’re almost home. Best pull up your big boy panties guys and hold onto your nuts.”
“Fuck.” Boone exhaled.
“Damn.” Cotton grumbled. As I turned onto our street, I spotted Momma and Mawmaw on the porch, both smiling.
Humph, that’s not gonna last long.
All three of us groaned in unison. The evening was going to be a rough one.
*
Nine months later…
“Honey, I’m home!” I yelled as I pushed open the front door.
Work today had been brutal. Whisperer’s Green had opened to rave reviews and was a smashing success. I’d taken the job offered by Valentino Da Costa and never looked back. It was the best thing I could have ever done.
Whisperer’s Green dealt with only high quality meats, which showed in the reviews we were getting and I’d been profiled in a local foody magazine. Martin was so proud he’d even cut out the article, framed it and hung it right in our kitchen. I also didn’t work weekends, because I took care of all the butchering and ordering during the week to keep my weekends free. My professional life was peachy and my personal life had never been better.
Six and a half months ago, Peg and I had moved in with Martin. We’d waited until Peg was ready and about a month had passed since we’d been to Six Flags, when Peg marched into the living room at Momma’s and announced he was ready to move. Since we’d gotten the royal decree, Martin and I wasted little time finalizing our move.
Granted, in the weeks leading up to Peg’s announcement, I had been moving more and more of my stuff over to Martin’s. The only hold out was Peg and his stuff. When it came to moving day, I had only a few boxes to pack. Most of the boxes in the small U-Haul were Peg’s.
Momma had time to get used to the idea of us moving, however, she’d gotten some comfort from knowing Cotton was moving back in. Boone groused about living alone, but Cotton pointed out Boone was over Momma’s more than he was at his own place and he grudgingly agreed. Cotton was taking my old room when we moved out.
Martin had honored Peg’s request and we’d painted his new room blue. And setting up Peg’s room had taken most of the weekend. By late Monday, we were completely moved into our new home.
A whole bunch of other changes were happening in our lives as well. Martin had been promoted with a hefty salary increase and loved his new position at the trucking company. He was able to relax for the first time about money and me? I was adjusting to sleeping with my man every night. We both wore boxer shorts full time now just in case Peg visited us in the middle of the night. It happened more in the beginning, right after we moved in, but as the weeks wore on, the nightly visits had tapered off. Peg settled into his new room and was sleeping the night through with no problems.
“In the kitchen, puppykins!” The sarcasm in Martin’s voice rang out in his words. He hated pet names and I only called him by one when I wanted to annoy him. An annoyed Martin was fun to play with. His temper flared and I could charm him and boom, bed here we come! Now he was messing with me and I loved it.
I craved his touch and the smell of his skin was so enticing, especially after he’d worked up a sweat. I developed a fetish for his armpits a few months ago and at first he’d giggled when I snuffled his pits. Now, he loved every minute of it.
I strolled into the kitchen and noted he was wearing a pair of sweats and shirt. Winter was almost gone but he chilled easily. Me, I was furnace and most mornings, he was draped over me, sucking the heat from my body. He stirred a pot at the stove and the aroma made my mouth water.
“What’s cookin’?” Molding my body to his, I kissed the back of his neck wetly and peered over his shoulder.
“Chili and I got all the fixins. It’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.” He leaned his head back, resting it on my shoulder. “Peg’s in his room, doin’ his homework and he made honor roll again. I told him it was his choice for movie night to celebrate.”
“And you made your chili ‘cause he loves it.”
“Of course, I’m proud of him.” Martin let go of the spoon and turned into my arms. My lips found his and we kissed leisurely. His tongue fluttered into my mouth and I suckled it. My right hand slipped down his back and past the waist band of his sweats. My middle finger slid down the crack of his ass and I ground my hardening length against him. His buttocks clenched around my finger and he humped back on my hand. Damn, he was so willing under my touch and he never said no. He accepted my desire for him and when we made love, it was the same as the first time. Martin loved me totally.
“Is that a hint of what you want tonight?” His fingers twiddled with my beard.
He hissed as my finger grazed his hole, tapping it gently. We had gotten tested a months ago and the results were both negative, so we’d dispensed with the condoms. I think that first night, condom free, I must have fucked him four times. Since then, each time I entered him, I would say.
“Mine… forever.”
It was scary how quickly we were getting to know each other, though he surprised me at times. Just last Saturday night as Peg and Poppy blissfully slept, he had me on my back, legs in the air while he worked a set of Black Pearl Anal beads up my virgin hole. Gently pushing the whole row up into me, my body was covered in sweat as he gulped down my cock. He rotated them slowly out of me and my balls drew up as I blew a huge load down his greedy throat. I came so hard my balls hurt! I lay there after, spent as he cleaned off the beads in the bathroom.
“Where in the hell did you get them?” I panted.
“Desdemona Darkly. They only sell the best stuff.”
I’d only smiled as came back into the bedroom and licked the last drops of cum from my slit.
He kissed me again and sniffed the air. “Whew. You reek of red meat and ick. Go shower and I’ll have a bowl of chili waitin’ for you when you come out.”
I lifted an arm and sniffed my pit. Damn, he was right. I was rank! I gave him a loud smacking kiss and hightailed it to our bathroom. I closed the door and stripped off quickly, tossing my dirty clothes in the hamper. I turned the shower taps to hot and stepped into the spray. The hot water sluiced over my skin and I scrubbed the stench of the day off me.
Shutting off the water, I nabbed a towel from the rack and dried quickly. I padded into our bedroom and put on my sweats before I marched back to the kitchen. Peg was already dolloping sour cream onto his chili and I walked over and kissed his head.
“Hey Peg, Martin told me you made honor roll again! Way to go.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” He lowered his voice. “Poppy’s spittin’ mad. She didn’t make honor roll ‘cause her book report didn’t impress Ms. Greco.”
“Maybe she shouldn’t have put it off ‘til the last minute. Don’t feel sorry for her, Peg. It’s her own fault.” Martin clucked. “Too busy fixin’ her hair to do her schoolwork.”
Peg chuckled. He and Poppy got along… most times. Martin and I had noticed a growing sibling rivalry between the two but we did our best to keep it in check. I sat down and Martin pushed my chili in front of me, already made up the way I like it with jalapenos, cheese, sour cream and corn chips!
“Ah perfect, thank you.” I dug in and Peg snickered from my right. “What’s so funny?” I asked him around a mouthful of food.
“You’re farts are gonna burn tomorrow, Daddy.” Peg observed and Martin almost choked on his tea.
“Peg!” Martin coughed. Peg only laughed and I glowered at my boy. Peg shrugged nonchalantly.
“I feel sorry for Martin. You fart in your sleep.”
Martin was laughing so hard now tears were falling from his eyes. Clutching, his sides, he snorted. “He has your number, Avery.”
“Ha ha, you’re both so freakin’ funny. And I’m not the only one fartin’ in this house.”
“Poppy said we’re gross sometimes.” Peg ate another spoonful of chili and washed down his mouthful with a gulp of iced tea. “She said we need her to keep us in line. She said without her our house would smell like a locker room.”
“Can’t argue with that. Though I think it’s your feet and shoes funkin’ up the house, Peg.” Martin waved a hand under his nose.
“What about your burps. They smell like death,” I accused Martin.
He only laughed harder. “Poor Poppy, being the only girl in our house can’t be easy. ‘Course she says she doesn’t fart.”
“Yes she does,” Peg answered quickly. “Hers make your eyes water.”
We all roared with laughter and resumed eating. Dinner ended and sure enough, Martin burped which made Peg only laugh again. Shooing Peg into the living room to pick his movie, I helped Martin clean up. I had some news for him.
I bumped him with my hip. “I think Boone’s seein’ your cousin Robbie.”
Martin nearly dropped the plate in his hand. Two weeks ago, Peg and I had attended, with Martin and Poppy, the wedding of Emmett Gaither and Alex King. It was a big shindig and over a hundred guests were in attendance for the happy day.
Boone was the cake decorator and had been working with Emmett and Alex since day one doing his best to make their cake spectacular. And since day one, he and Robbie Gaither, Emmett and Martin’s cousin, had butted heads. Robbie had tagged along with Emmett and Alex the first day and, week after week, Boone and Robbie had argued about something.
The day of the wedding came and Boone and his assistant Elaina arrived at Emmett and Alex’s house and had begun setting up the cake for the ceremony. From the moment he arrived, Boone and Robbie had started arguing. I heard this from Lucy, since she was there early to help Ms. Mabel with the finishing touches for the reception. According to our gossipy relations, Boone and Robbie were fighting like cats and dogs. Lucy was sure they were going to come to blows, several times. That was until later that afternoon, right before the ceremony, when Lucy saw Boone and him kissing. She said it had been pretty intense.
And if that wasn’t enough, I guess Boone had some flour on his hands when they were face mauling each other and Robbie walked down the aisle with two hands prints on his black tux… right over each ass cheek. After that, the shit hit the fan. Robbie was furious and Boone thought it was funny. They’d argued again, it got nasty and Boone swore he would never touch, and these were his words, that stuck up little Abercrombie and bitch again. We all thought that was the last of it. Until one night I was over at Momma’s and saw Robbie sneaking out of Boone’s apartment.
“Poppy says her Uncle Robbie is bein’ a douchebag,” Peg commented casually as he walked into the kitchen. He opened the door of the fridge, nabbed a juice and closed it.
“Winnipeg Onslow Myer, you do not use that word,” I barked. Peg stopped and shrugged.
“Poppy said it to! She says Robbie has the hots for Uncle Boone but is being a total douchebag.”
“Peg!” I hollered and he raised his hands in peace.
“I need to have a talk with my foul-mouthed daughter,” Martin rumbled grimly.
“Aw no! Please don’t, Martin! Poppy’s gonna be mad at me and she won’t tell me anythin’ good again. Poppy and I share all the good stuff,” Peg wailed and we both stared at him.
“What kind of good stuff?” Martin queried.
“That Uncle Graham and Aunt Kayla are gonna have a baby.” We both gasped. Oblivious to our shock, Peg continued. “Or that Aunt Nan is dating a new guy. Or Poppy’s aunt Emily and her husband Amal are gonna move to Chicago. Or that Daddy is gonna propos—”
“Shshwesheweweshe!” I flapped like a crazed chicken, shushing him. Peg’s mouth snapped shut and Martin’s gaze swung rapidly from me to Peg.
“What was he gonna say, Avery?” His voice jumped an octave.
“Thanks butthead. Go into my room and bring me the box from my nightstand drawer. You know the one.” Peg tore out of the room to comply. He and I had gone shopping for that particular item only a week ago and he knew exactly what I was talking about. “Martin, sit down.” I pointed to the kitchen chair and he obeyed, albeit shakily. I pulled out a chair and sat across from him. White as a sheet, his freckles stuck out wildly.
“Avery, what’s goin’ on? I—”
I silenced him with a finger over his lips. “Hold your horses.” Peg came bounding back into the kitchen and handed me a dark velvet box. “Now git. I gotta talk to Martin in private.” Peg nodded quickly and left us alone.
“Before you speak, let me say my piece. I had this romantic evenin’ planned for us this Saturday, but Peg kinda changed all that.” Going down on my left knee, I steadie
d my breathing. “I love you with all that I am, Martin. When I lost Daisy, I thought it would be me and Peg for the rest of my days. He was my world and I didn’t think any man or woman would be interested in getting a ready-made family. Then I met you and all I could remember was your blue eyes. Those damn gorgeous blue eyes and I was sure we’d never meet again after that night. Then, I ran into you and Poppy at the school and you were a Dad like me and you were still interested in me. The more we saw each other, the more I fell in love with you.” My throat tightened and I swallowed hard. “What I’m tryin’ to say is; Martin Gaither, I can’t imagine my life without you. I want to spend my days growin’ old with you and, one day, sit in our backyard surrounded by our grandkids. Martin Gaither, would you do me the honor of marryin’ me?”
The creak/pop of the box lid opening was like a shotgun going off in the kitchen. Martin stared at the silvery band in the plush velvet. I tugged the ring free and took his hand, waiting.
“Martin?”
“Yes,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
Martin blinked and tears slid down his face. “Yes, Avery Myer. I’ll marry you. I’ll grow old with you and when you’re quiet, I’ll fill the silences.”
I slid the band on his trembling hand and he stared at it for a split second, before flinging his arms around my neck and tackling me to the kitchen floor. Raining kisses all over my face, Martin’s smile was like sunshine on a cloud filled day.
“Ew, mushy stuff.” Peg stood staring down at us, hands on his hips.
Martin sat up, straddling my hips and I grinned up at my boy. “He said yes, Peg,” I crowed.
“Well duh, I could have told you that. I’m gonna watch some TV.”
With typical Peg aplomb, he left us on the kitchen floor. Martin examined his ring, a loopy smile on his face. I grunted and ran my hands up his thighs.
“I did good?”
Copy Page 18