This had gone on from the first moment they had brought the babies home. Both Jack and Brian knew they needed to establish a schedule, but try telling the little darlings that.
The entire house was like grand central station. Bud the bloodhound was currently draped across Brian’s feet. They had at least come to an understanding. If Brian was anywhere near, Bud would be at his side. Alex, Bud’s owner, was in the kitchen fixing food. Brian didn’t care what kind of food it was, he was too tired to eat. Man, his thoughts were scattered. That was the last thought he had for the next hour as he fell asleep next to Jack on the couch.
By day six, seven men managed to convince two tiny girls to loosely follow a schedule. On the morning of day six, Jack and Brian were left on their own after having assured everyone they could go home. A person would have thought the team would be running out the door to freedom. Instead, every one of them held each girl, giving her a kiss and softly whispered endearments, very reluctantly leaving.
A half hour later found Jack and Brian standing in the foyer, each holding a daughter, with the whole house to themselves. Jack looked into his love’s beautiful tired blue eyes and smiled. “Hello, Pop.”
Brian smiled back, cherishing Jack and their little family. “Hello, Dad.”
The moment was broken as Bella decided that she was hungry and her Poppy and Daddy had better fix the situation now. Tina thought she better let them know that she was hungry, too. Of course then there were dirty diapers to change and the dreaded baths…
By nine o’clock that evening, Jack and Brian were slumped back down on the couch. “We need to get to bed, Jack. We can grab two maybe three hours of sleep if we’re lucky.” Brian was wondering if it wouldn’t be better just to sleep here.
“I love you, Brian.”
He was just going to say it back when a small box was held right below his nose. Taking the box, he opened it to reveal a thin white gold band. Jack took the ring out and put it on Brian’s finger. Then he pulled Brian onto his lap and kissed him.
“I need to get you a ring.” Brian wanted to give Jack a symbol of his love, too. But how was he going to find the time with all the care the babies needed right now?
“I’m sorry, sweets. I can’t wear a ring because of work. It might catch on something and it’s not sanitary with my medical duties.” Then Jack thought of something. “Cade has a tattoo in place of a ring. I could have a ring put on my finger if you would be okay with that.”
“I would love that, Jack.” Brian put his arms around Jack’s neck and kissed him, sealing the deal. He knew Bret also had a ring tattooed on his finger, but he didn’t think he was brave enough to have one put on his own. The white gold band wrapped around his finger said everything they felt for each other. And that was enough for Brian.
* * * *
The call came in a few days later very early in the morning. Jack reached over Brian to grab the cell phone off the end table, seeing Cade’s name on the screen. “Yes, boss,” Jack answered.
“Gear up. A massive tornado ripped through several towns two states away. We’re flying out. Bret is on his way to help Brian with the babies. Be here in ten,” Cade ordered and hung up.
Jack stared at the phone in his hand. He was the sole provider for his family as they had decided that Brian wouldn’t be going back to work at the center. Jack was torn, both girls were so small and he didn’t want to leave them.
Brian heard the phone ring and woke up enough to make out part of the conversation. Now he was wide awake and having a mini panic attack at the thought of Jack leaving him alone for the first time with the babies. Arms encircled him, pulling him close.
“I have to go, baby.”
Brian turned into Jack’s arms and rested their foreheads together. “You go and help those people. The girls and I will be fine. When you get back, we’ll get that tattoo taken care of and maybe go out for a little lunch. I love you and be safe.”
Jack just hugged his love. As usual, he gave Jack all of his support, never wavering. Jack knew he was very lucky to have met and managed to keep Brian.
They only had time for a few more kisses and then together they went into the nursery so Jack could say good-bye to his daughters. Bret drove up to the house just as Jack was loading his gear into his truck. Jack wondered briefly what he would come home to.
It was only noon on the first day Jack had left and the house was trashed. Bella had just finished drinking her bottle when the whole thing came right back up. Not to be outdone, Tina decided to fill her diaper to overcapacity. This resulted in the men having no choice but to give the girls a much needed, still hated bath. When they were finished, both girls were still giving little hiccupping sobs, both men were crying with them, and the bathroom was soaked in water. Of course that was when the doorbell rang.
Brian handed Tina to Bret and soaking wet, he answered the door. There stood Mrs. Marstien. Behind her were Mrs. Drake and Ms. Emma. Brian knew them from the community center where they volunteered their services three days a week. Each had helped at one time or another with his three-year-old class.
“Good morning, Brian. We had heard you and Jack had become new fathers.” Mrs. Marstien was the head of this little group and not one to be denied anything. “I happened to glance out my kitchen window this morning and saw Jack and all the guys he works with go by towards the airport. The girls and I decided you could use our help while Jack is gone. So, point the way to the kitchen. We brought food.”
As the women carried containers past him into the kitchen, Brian couldn’t be upset with their invasion of his home. He was too grateful.
Jack was worried. Even though he tried to call home multiple times over the last couple of days, the situations the team had been in were pretty intense. He had just enough time to hear the words “the girls are fine” and “I love you.” Then he had to end the call and join the team back in the field.
The whole team had been working with local law enforcement on this rescue. The tornado had cut through two counties and they were concentrating on a two mile wide strip of devastation. From Tony’s laptop, he had pulled up a current satellite image. It looked like a lawn mower had made a cut through the town and the country on either side of it.
The team started where the tornado had first touched down. A dairy farm had been directly in its path. The house and part of the barn were destroyed.
When they had first arrived, Treb said, “Look at that.”
Jack looked over to where Treb had pointed and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A mobile home, used by the hired hand of the farm was completely intact. Except there were two cows calmly standing on its flat roof, chewing on some stray hay that must have blown up there. Jack was glad he wouldn’t have to get those cows down from there.
A small mewing sound drew his attention to a three foot high rectangular, stone foundation wall, which was all that was left of the farm house. Jack, Treb and a few firemen ran over to debris filled basement. There was a hissing sound, and the smell of rotten eggs in the air. Jack knew immediately that there was a liquid propane leak somewhere. One of the firemen went in search of a valve or regulator to try and stop the deadly fumes.
The situation became even more tense when a man’s bloody hand reached up through the tangle mass of splintered boards of the destroyed basement and a weak voice pleaded, “Please help us.”
Carefully the four men worked to remove the wreckage from around that shaking hand. No machinery or tools could be used. One spark could ignite the propane fumes and the whole place would blow.
When there was a space large enough, Jack climbed into the basement. There he found that a large canning shelf had tipped over against an interior wall providing the couple with some protection from the wooden and metal debris, falling down and potentially crushing them. But the shelf must have been full of jars of vegetables, because broken glass covered the couple as well as the remnants of beets, corn and beans.
Jack immediately pulled a p
acket of special sterile gauss pads out of one of his large pockets. He started with the husband, who was closes to him in the tight space. Quickly he wrapped up the larger cuts and gashes then helped the man up to the waiting hands of Jack’s fellow rescuers.
Next he turned to the woman. She was pale and had a large cut on her head. Jack was just about to press the dressing to the wound, when he again heard a soft mewing sound. His eyes were immediately drawn to the woman’s bloody arms. Jack could now see she was holding something wrapped in a blanket.
Tears filled the woman’s eyes and she pleaded, “Please help my baby.”
Jack carefully pulled the top of the blanket back. There was a newborn baby, just about the size of Jack’s own little girls. Jack’s breath caught and his heart pounded in his ears as he tenderly checked the tiny ones arms and legs for any damage. The baby didn’t have a scratch or mark on it. Somehow the mother had protected her baby from all harm.
“May I hold your baby?” Jack calmly asked the now milk white woman. The spreading pool of blood beneath her legs had Jack wanting to take lifesaving actions. But he knew the mother’s first priority was her baby.
Weakly the woman handed Jack her child and he quickly handed it up to the men waiting to take it to safety.
Now Jack turned to the woman. She was lying very still, with her eyes closed. Jack heart dropped. Then he saw her fingers move and he jumped into action. As fast and efficiently as he could, he found the large cut where the woman was bleeding out. Wrapping it tightly with a bandage right over the leg of her pants, he then used a large strip of rubber from his pocket as a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. Next he wrapped the cut on her head, noticing her pupils were dilated, indicating she may have a head injury and was going into shock.
Jack was glad he was a strong man as he lifted her body up, in his crouched over, awkward position and carried her to the men above.
Jack climbed out of that basement as fast as he could, knowing a spark could ignite the leaking gases at any time.
As he hurried to the truck to get to the next rescue, a wave of heat and humidity hit him. Jack noticed, that during the summer months, right after a tornado hit, it always became so humid that a person could almost swim through it. As he slapped a hand against his neck, Jack was reminded that the mosquitoes always followed too.
On and on the day went. The team would grab a nutrition bar and a bottle of water every hour and then kept going.
Towards the end of that day, as the light was fading, Jack came to the edge of town. There he saw the square concrete pad that was all that was left of a small house. The pad was empty. There was nothing left of the house or anything in it. Except in the middle of that concrete pad, was an old gold cooking range. The stove had a few dents and a broken branch lying across its top, but it was completely intact.
“Isn’t that something?” Tony came up beside Jack, looking at that bizarre sight.
“I wonder if the people made it out alive.” Jack didn’t think anyone could have survived, almost everything was gone.
“From what I was told, the old couple who lived here left fifteen minutes before the storm hit, to go to church. They’re fine and have been reunited with family,” Tony told him.
“Awesome,” Jack replied.
The team kept up a grueling schedule, only getting a few hours of sleep, over the next four days. Finally, they had done all they could and it was time to go home. Jack couldn’t wait to see Brian and his babies. Part of him wondered how Brian and the house survived in his absence.
* * * *
Cade was worried. When he had managed to call Bret, there had only been enough time to make sure he was okay and to tell him he loved him. He knew Bret would have gone over to help Brian with the babies anyway, but ordering him over there may have been a bit much, even for Cade.
Walking up to the front door, Cade and Jack were curious at the strange car parked in front of the garage. Things were awfully quiet, no movement through the windows or crying coming from inside the house. Taking a deep breath, they both prepared themselves for the chaos and disaster they knew they would find inside. Jack opened the door and they walked in.
The living room was immaculate. Not a bottle or baby item was in sight. Jack met Cade’s worried look. He could see that Cade was thinking the same thing he was. The boys had left them.
And then he heard masculine laughter coming from the back of the house. Going through the patio door, Jack saw Bret floating on a raft in the middle of the pool. Over on the side, sitting on the deck chairs, were Brian and three older ladies. The ladies looked familiar, wearing patterned shorts, tank tops, and floppy hats. A few feet away, under a tree, was a bassinet with bug netting draped over it. Jack could see a little foot kick now and then.
“You’re back!” Bret jumped off of the raft and swam to the side of the pool where Cade hauled him out. With wet legs wrapped around his waist and Bret kissing him, Cade turned and didn’t stop to greet anyone else as he carried Bret into the house. Jack knew they would probably surface from the bedroom they used when they stayed at the house sometime tonight or tomorrow.
Jack turned to find Brian standing in front of him, love shining in his eyes. Holding out his arms, he could fully breathe again when he held his sweets tight.
“Welcome home, Jack. Are you okay?”
“I am now, love.” Jack could have stood there longer content once more with the man in his arms, but another voice interrupted their reunion.
“We’re so glad you made it back safe, Jack. There is food in the kitchen and the little ones are fed and should give you two a little time to get reacquainted. The girls and I will be on our way now.”
Jack and Brian broke apart to face their three saviors. Brian would never be able to thank them enough for all of their help in the last couple of days. He would discuss it with Jack, but he would like to have them as honorary godparents to the girls, right after Cade and Bret.
With Jack’s help, they packed their overnight bags into the car. Brian gave each woman a big hug and a kiss. “Thank you so much. Bret and I couldn’t have done it without you.” Brian was fascinated as he watched the older women blush. He didn’t know they could still do that.
“If you need us just call. We are available for babysitting, too.” With those parting words, the three women got into the car and left.
Brian waved as the ladies drove away. Then he turned only to be swept up into Jack’s arms and was carried back out by the pool. Jack stood there looking down at his sleeping daughters in the bassinet with his love in his arms.
“I know you want to hold them, Jack. But we need to let them nap. They’ll be awake soon enough and then we can play with them.”
Jack couldn’t believe how calm Bret was. Those women must have taught him some tricks in handling babies that seven men with all their training in rescuing people hadn’t known.
Green eyes sparkling with mischief, he carried Brian over to a cushioned deck chair. Laying him down, he proceeded to pull off the bright orange swim shorts and tank top. Unlacing his own boots and shucking off his pants and shirt, it was mere moments before he blanketed his sweets with his body. Deep kisses and moans of anticipation followed. Jack would never get tired of the sounds Brian made when he was aroused.
Reaching over to the small table that sat between the chairs, he lifted the top and grabbed the tube of slick out of the secret compartment. Looking at the table nobody would ever guess the top was hinged and could be opened with a flick of a tab to reveal a small storage space. Handing the tube to Brian, he held out his hand so he could pour some lube on his fingers. With a slippery hand, Jack brought both of their cocks together, jacking them off as he humped his hips to cause friction. It wasn’t long before Brian’s moans became whimpers and incoherent pleas. Lifting Brian’s leg and pushing it against his chest to open him, Jack slid his wet finger into Brian’s hole. It was tight. Between the babies coming home and leaving on the rescue mission, it had been too long si
nce they had last made love.
Brian gloried in the feeling of their dicks rubbing together as Jack opened him up. He knew the sensations he was feeling now would only intensify when Jack put his huge dick into his hole. Call him a size queen, but he loved the feeling as it slid in, stretching his muscles open. Jack brought the weeping head to his ass and didn’t stop pushing in until his balls were pressed against Brian’s cheeks tight. Brian would never tire of them feeling each other’s bodies like this. He met each thrust of Jack’s cock and before long Jack was fiercely pounding into him. All Brian could do was hold on for the ride.
“Gonna come!” Brian’s warning had Jack reach in between them and grab that thin hard prick, jerking it off until Brian screamed as cum covered his hand.
Taking both of Brian’s hips between his hands, Jack thrust into that tight chute until his own cum was pulled from his body.
Collapsing down together onto the chair, Jack was very glad they were made solidly or the both of them would be lying on the hard patio right now. “I love you, Jack,” was whispered in his ear.
“I love you, too, Brian.”
A tiny whimper broke the love birds apart. Quickly cleaning up at the outdoor shower, they both hurried toward the bassinette before their daughters could start to cry.
Epilogue
Treble Michael Walker silently watched the events unfold from a patio chair in the corner. The twin’s christening party was in full swing and he was more than happy to stay on the sidelines.
The boss and his partner Bret were each holding a baby as Pip’s mother took dozens of pictures. He may not have understood the whole godparent thing, but when he had been hired by Cade years ago, he became part of a family. Just because he was an expert with weapons and most people considered him too deadly and ornery to deal with, didn’t mean he wouldn’t do his part. To Treb, family was everything.
Jack's Sweets [Rescue for Hire 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 7