Waiting for You

by Kasey Croshaw

  “… around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, and pushed his way out and he was a beautiful?”[ii] I read.

  “Butterfly,” Amber said. “The end. Thank you, Uncle Nick, that is my favorite book.”

  We were interrupted by the sound of a truck pulling into the driveway. I parted the curtain and saw that it was Doug pulling up with my gun safe strapped on the back platform of the tow truck. It had just started to snow as Doug used the boom to lower the safe to the ground. I grabbed my coat and gloves and went out to help him get it secured onto the appliance dolly and wheel into the house. The damn thing weighed almost 700 lbs. With just us two men, it was a struggle, and I feared the gun safe would win. But in the end, we had muscled it into place in the master closet.

  The snow was coming down in this late fall blizzard. Snow in the first part of November wasn’t unusual in Wyoming, but I feared it was going to be a long, hard winter. I bundled Amber in her winter coat and gloves and pulled a stocking cap over her head. We went to lunch at the café. I sat Amber in a booth and with her coloring book and crayons. There were only a few customers on this bleak, snowy day.

  “Hey Nick, how is your morning,” Georgia asked when I walked through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

  “Not so good,” I admitted. “Amber had a meltdown at Gary’s this morning.” George looked over the top of the swinging doors to make sure Amber was okay. “She’s fine now, but I’m worried about her. She doesn’t have any friends her age to play with, and she’s around us adults all the time. I think we forget she’s a little girl.”

  Dave removed his apron and moved over to hug me. He looked worried and so did Georgia at my message. “What do you think we should do,” Dave asked.

  “We can’t do much about the fact that there aren’t many kids in town, but we could do one thing,” I said with a big grin on my face. “We could get her a puppy.”

  “A puppy?” Georgia asked in surprise.

  “I agree,” Dave said. “It would be good for Amber to have someone of her own to love and care for.”

  “I know what you’re thinking Georgia, but the dog could live with Dave and me. Amber is there every day and would be able to play with it, feed and water it, and clean up its poop,” I said with a laugh.

  “Now that you say it, it does make sense. I agree. Amber needs a puppy,” Georgia capitulated.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Dave said, kissing her on the cheek. “Let’s go talk to Amber.” Dave took my hand, and we sat at the booth with Amber on the other side.

  “Amber, Uncle Nick and I have an idea, and we want to you to make the deciding vote,” Dave said.

  “What are we voting on?” Amber asked.

  “Uncle Nick and I want to get you a puppy,” Dave said.

  Amber squealed with delight. “A puppy? I’m gonna get a puppy?”

  “Yes, but there are a few rules for you to have a puppy. First, he will be staying with Uncle Dave and me at the trailer. You’ll get to be with him every day, however. Second, you have to help feed him, give him fresh water, and help clean up his poop,” I said.

  “You said poop. Grandma, Uncle Nick said poop,” Amber yelled out, giggling. “And I have to give the puppy lots of love, huh, Uncle Dave?”

  “That’s right, you will have to make sure he gets lots of love,” Dave told her.

  The last two lunch customers had left the café and Dave went back to work to make Amber and me sandwiches for lunch. I bussed the last remaining tables and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher. Georgia was prepping roast chickens for the dinner special. Dave followed us home for a few hours until it was time for the dinner crowd. At the rate the snow was falling, there wouldn’t be many who would venture out in this storm.

  Amber had gone from sullen that morning to carefree in the afternoon. I got all my guns locked up in the new gun safe. I felt a lot better about having Amber in the house with the guns locked up. Now, I could start getting my old bedroom converted into a bedroom for Amber. While Dave was still at home, I ran to the Gas-N-Go to fill up the Camry and get a gallon of milk.

  My mind was a million miles away as the wind blew the snow around me standing at the gas pump. A car pulled up on the other side of the pump. I didn’t pay much attention to who it was. The pump was blocking my view. The wind made opening the front door to the Gas-N-Go difficult as I raced inside to get the milk for Amber’s breakfast. The clerk was busy, and I headed to the back coolers. Behind me, I felt a blast of cold air as the front door opened again. I heard a voice that sounded familiar.

  “Hey, Denise. A pack of Doral Lights, please,” the voice said.

  “Not a problem, Jessica. Is that all?” Denise asked.

  “Yeah, that’ll be it. Did I just see Nick Sloan come in here?” Jessica asked.

  There was a pit in my stomach as I walked up to the register about that same time. “Yes, you did,” I answered in a relatively unfriendly manner.

  “Jesus H. Christ. Look at you, all handsome as shit.” It was Jessica Deets, my old girlfriend from high school. Of course, in high school, we called her Jessica Teets. I know, very mature. She moved to hug me, and I moved the gallon of milk in between us, making it awkward for her, but I had no intention of hugging my old girlfriend. When we broke up, it hadn’t been on good terms, but that was also how Dave and I got together.

  “Sorry,” I apologized, trying to offer a fake smile and hold up the plastic jug as an excuse.

  “Not a problem. I heard you were back in town. Living at your folks’ old place, I reckon?” Jessica asked, trying to get information from me.

  I just nodded and opened my wallet to pay for my purchase. Jessica was not even wearing a jacket on that snowy day. Her ample cleavage was on display for the whole town to see. I was staring down at her, and she knew it. I also noticed that she had a tattoo of a scorpion above her right boob.

  “Like what you see?” she asked in a cat-like maneuver to work her way closer to me.

  “It’s alright, I suppose,” I answered noncommittally.

  “Oh, that’s right, you never were a boob man, more of an ass man,” she said with an evil grin on her face.

  “I heard you have a kid now,” I said, trying to change the subject. My face was red from embarrassment, and I noticed Denise was just standing there eavesdropping, holding my change and receipt in her hand.

  “Yup, Noah, he’s out in the car. He’s a year old?” she answered as she looked out toward her car. “You should stop by sometime. We’re living out at Opal’s Trailer Court in number 5.”

  “No baby daddy?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Not anymore,” she answered. “Why? You interested?”

  “I noticed that you are wearing a wedding ring, is all,” I answered.

  “Aren’t you the clever one,” she said, running her index finger across my jawline in a very provocative manner.

  “Not really, just part of the job of being a Deputy Sheriff,” I said. At the mention of my new job, Jessica was out the door and gone. She couldn’t have left any faster. “Interesting,” I thought to myself. Denise handed me my change, and I left.

  Upon returning home, I found Amber and Dave playing a game on his laptop. I kissed Amber on the head and kissed Dave on the lips.

  “Anything going on at the Gas-N-Go?” Dave asked sarcastically.

  “Interestingly enough, you won’t believe who I saw,” I said.

  “I give up, who?” he asked.

  “Jessica Deets,” I answered.

  “No shi… , no kidding,” Dave said changing word mid-sentence and looking at Amber.

  “Yup. Man does she look like ten miles of bad road,” I said.

  “So, you’re happy you chose me over her,” Dave continued with his sarcasm.

  “Dave, she got nothing I want, and you have everything I do want,” I said, pulling him away from his game and kissing and hugging him close.

  “Sheesh, you two. Do you ever stop kissin
g on each other,” Amber said with a giggle.

  “Nope. You go play with your toys for a few minutes, I want to talk to Uncle Dave about adult stuff,” I said.

  Once she was away from ear range, I asked Dave, “Did you know that Jessica got married and had a little boy?”

  “No. Once we had graduated, I lost track of her. I think she went back East for a few years,” Dave told me.

  “She was putting the moves on me, and I asked about her baby daddy, she said he wasn’t around anymore, said she lives out at Opal’s Trailer Court,” I told him.

  “Interesting. That’s where Natalie got busted for meth with that first shithead boyfriend of hers. Luckily, she got clean, but then disappeared with shithead boyfriend number two,” Dave said with a grimace.

  “I believe that. Jessica was showing some pick scars that the sleeves of tats didn’t cover. I’m sure she’s using. She got very nervous when she found out I was a cop,” I said.

  “That’s terrible. What about her little boy?” Dave asked.

  “Don’t know. She said he was only a year old. I just hope they aren’t cooking in her trailer when he’s there. I figure it’s bad enough that’s she’s smoking cigarettes around the baby,” I answered.

  “See why I didn’t want you smoking. It’s a nasty habit,” Dave said as he kissed me on the lips. “Besides, you have better breath when you don’t smoke.”

  “I know. I’m glad I gave that shit up,” I said, returning his kisses.

  “Thinking about her tats. Jessica had a tattoo of a scorpion on just above her right boob,” I mentioned.

  “Why were you looking at her boobs?” Dave teased.

  “I wasn’t looking at her boobs like that Dave, and you know it. It’s just that I remember seeing that same tattoo on photos the Coroner took of the murdered guy. I wonder if there’s any connection?” I asked.

  “There probably is a connection, but right now, I have to get showered and head back to the café for dinner,” Dave said as he left me to my thoughts.

  “Amber come over here, and we can see if we can find any dogs at the Humane Society up in Alpine,” I said.

  The little girl crawled up into my lap, and we scrolled to the picture on their website, but nothing came up that I thought was suitable for a puppy for Amber.

  Thankfully, the snow wasn’t sticking to the roads. It was mostly just blowing around and reducing visibility. Lincoln County was on the southern end of Jackson Hole and got appreciable snowfall and cold temperatures in the winter. This wasn’t a place for sun seekers in the winter. I dressed Amber in a warm coat and gloves and ran her to the warming Camry, buckling her in the back.

  To my surprise on that stormy night, there was a crowd at the café, and Dave and Georgia had their hands full. I sat Amber at the counter and tied on an apron to help. Georgia told me that Sam Graves had hired a band out of Salt Lake City for the night. The place would be hopping.

  “Nick, moonlighting as a busboy from your Deputy job?” Rex yelled out.

  “Have to, Sheriff doesn’t pay me enough,” I said with a laugh.

  It was a good thing that Georgia had prepped all those roast chickens earlier in the day. The meal couldn’t be beat. Served with mashed potatoes and gravy, a roll, for eight bucks, it was a bargain. Georgia was making a good living that night.

  Finishing up from the rowdy crowd, we could hear the country band start playing. Karl came into the café escorting a very pretty woman and introduced her as Sandra Petty. She was very funny and talkative. She was just what Karl needed. He and Sandy went behind the counter and through the door into the bar. They were going to have a night of dancing and drinking to cowboy music. Dave and I decided to join Karl and Sandy in the bar for a night of fun. We couldn’t dance together, this was still Wyoming after all, and it wasn’t a gay nightclub. Neither one of us minded since neither one of us liked to dance, but the music was good, and the company was fun.

  Sandy told us that she had a gay brother who had moved to Salt Lake City after he came out. She said that their parents were good with it, and so was she. We offered Karl and Sandy a bedroom for the night if he didn’t want to drive her back to Evanston.

  Karl was hesitant at first, but Sandy accepted our invitation. We all left, and the weather was still blustery. Dave and I decided to put them up in the master, and we would stay in my old bedroom. It was fun. I was pretending like we were back in high school making out on my bed. It got hot and heavy, and we ended up giving one another blowjobs. We tried to be as quiet as possible, but I’m sure that Karl and Sandy could have heard us if they were listening. We could certainly hear them.

  The next morning, all was well with the world. Karl was a bit embarrassed from his night of lurid sex in our bed, but the rest of us were laughing and having a great time as we made breakfast. The best part of Sunday was that the café was closed and we had the day to ourselves. That is, until dinner time. We were all expected at Grandma Betty’s after she got out of church at exactly 3:00 p.m.

  Walking through the back door of Grandma Betty’s house, Georgia looked up from the roast she was pulling from the oven. She looked at Karl, and then at Sandy, then at me, and then at Dave. I knew what she was thinking, but not one of us said anything.

  “Hi Sandy,” Georgia said, reaching out to hug Karl’s girlfriend. “Glad you stayed for dinner today. Did the boys treat you well, or do I need to box their ears?”

  “They were wonderful, Georgia. You raised some mighty fine men,” Sandy said as she clung to Karl’s arm.

  Grandma Betty walked in the back door fifteen minutes late, and everyone just stared at her. It was certainly atypical of the old gal. She was always on time.

  “Sorry, everybody, Bishop Moore got to talking in church, and no one could get him to shut up. Even his wife, Beatrice, sneaked up behind him and pulled on the back of his jacket while he was at the pulpit,” Grandma Betty said shaking her head in disbelief.

  She tied on an apron and went to work for the remainder of dinner. Georgia had already retrieved the roast from the oven to keep it from overcooking. There were baked potatoes and canned corn from Grandma’s garden, and for dessert, apple pie. It was obvious where Georgia and Dave got their cooking skills. This old woman was a blessing to those of us who love food.

  The snow had started falling again by the time we had finished dinner. We helped Grandma Betty clean up and do dishes before we went home. While we were walking home, I told Dave about calling my sister.

  “She invited us to come and visit her and her family,” I told him.

  “You told her about us?” Dave asked.

  “Yes, I hope that’s okay. Maggie said that she suspected that I was gay and she is cool with us being together. In fact, she was happy that I called and told her,” I said.

  By the time we were in the trailer, the coats and gloves were tossed aside, and we frantically undressed one another as we raced to the bedroom. Dave pushed me back onto the mattress and crawled between my legs, kissing the insides of my hairy thighs. God, I wanted him to take my cock into his mouth and suck me dry, but Dave passed by my throbbing erection and proceeded to kiss his way up my torso. His hands were massaging my pecs and tweaking my nipples, making me moan like a tomcat on the prowl. When he was finally kneeling over me and looking down into my eyes, I reached for his hard cock and squeezed.

  “I want to fuck you, Dave. I need to be inside of you,” I said as I pushed him over onto his back.

  He raised his legs in the air, and I went to work servicing his steel-hard cock and nibbling his balls until he was ready for me. I reached to the night table for the lube and slathered up his hole and my cock. I proceeded to pry open his pucker with my fingers and soon had two knuckles deep inside him.

  “Oh God, Nick, fuck me, please. I’m ready for you. I love it when you fuck me,” Dave groaned beneath me. I had two fingers in his hole lubing him in preparation and my fist wrapped around his dick jacking him. Dave was sweating and writhing on the mattress
, waiting for me to penetrate his opening. I slipped my fingers from his hot hole and took my cock in my fist, rubbing the head of my dick against his asshole. I pushed forward and popped in past his sphincter muscle. Dave let out a loud gasp, but his hands pulled at my hips to keep pushing inside. His love tunnel was hot and tight and felt fantastic. As I sank slowly inside of him, I moved to kiss him. Dave was moaning as I fucked him. The sweat from my forehead dripped down onto Dave’s face as I continued deep kissing him, our tongues battling for dominance. I continued jacking him off as I pushed in and out of his fevered rectum.

  “Oh God, Nick, I’m gonna shoot. I’m cumming Nick. I’m cuuummm…” Dave tried to say as his breath caught in his throat. I felt his cock spasm in my fist and fire a volley of cum shots up his belly. That pushed me over the edge, and I started to shoot my load. Feeling Dave’s prostate convulsing against my hard cock and his colon clamping hard on my dick was ecstasy. My orgasm was mind-blowing. I fucked and pumped until I finally collapsed on top of Dave’s muscled body, kissing and pulling him tight.

  Suddenly, Dave pushed me off his chest and rushed to the bathroom. I ran after him to get a towel and clean up. I was laughing at the idea of Dave sitting on the toilet shitting out the seed I had just planted in him. It’s romantic to think that you would sleep with your lover’s juices inside of you all night, but the reality is that nature takes its course.

  Dave was laughing at the situation as well. I tossed him a wet washcloth to wipe up the jizz that was still clinging to his belly and chest. However, once we were cleaned up and back in bed, we turned to romance again, kissing and cuddling, until we fell asleep with me spooning against his backside.

  Chapter 6

  I was up as soon as the 5:30 a.m. alarm sounded on my cell. Dave was right behind me. I shaved and showered with Dave. We didn’t have time for sex. Deputy Luker was picking me up at six sharp and Dave had to be at the café at the same time. I was as excited as a kid on the first day of school. Unlocking the gun safe, I pulled out my service revolver and strapped it on, then my Kevlar vest, and finally my Deputy shirt. Finally, I pinned my badge to my chest and pulled my cap on my head. I took a quick look in the mirror and decided I looked good. My uniform wasn’t that much different than what I had to wear in the Army when going out on patrol. I was used to it.