by Shawn Lane
“You can see that they are,” I replied with a grin. I tied them to the end of the bed railing. “I hear they’re releasing you this afternoon. You can take them home with you.”
“They can go with the flowers Mama brought earlier.” He used his thumb to indicate the daisies on the small table next to his bed.
I leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips. He’d been kept only overnight. The stab wounds hadn’t been that serious. We were both grateful for that.
“How was breakfast?”
“Crappy. How do you think it was? You should have brought me something from Lupe’s.”
“I’m sure that’s against hospital rules.”
Edgar arched a brow. “Who gives a fuck?”
“Ofelia works here. She’d give me hell.”
He snorted at that. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“I mean you look like you didn’t sleep. Fretting over your boyfriend, huh?”
“Boyfriend?”
“Well.” He shrugged.
“Is that the label we’re using?”
“You and your labels. Yes.”
“Okay,” I agreed with a nod. “Boyfriend it is.”
He smiled and I smiled back. Like a couple of saps, no doubt.
A throat cleared from the doorway. We both looked to see Captain Rivers hovering there.
“Hey, Captain,” Edgar greeted.
He came into the room. “I take it you want to withdraw your request for a new partner.”
I felt myself turn red. “Um, yeah. Yes, sir.”
“Noted. So, Henderson has lawyered up and refused to talk, of course.”
“He was caught red-handed.”
Rivers nodded. “I know. But you’ll have to testify when it’s time for the trial.”
“Of course,” Edgar agreed.
He eyed us. “This isn’t going to be an issue is it? You two working together?”
“It hasn’t been, has it?” I asked.
“Well, no. But you weren’t a…a couple before. Were you?”
“It won’t be a problem, Captain,” Edgar replied.
“Okay. So you’re getting out later, huh? You got a ride out of this place?”
“Looks that way.” Edgar glanced at me and smiled.
Epilogue
I flopped down beside Edgar after giving him a blowjob that had him screaming himself hoarse.
“That was…that was…”
“Yeah, it was.”
He chuckled, running his fingers through my short hair. “What about you?”
I yawned. “Next time. Besides, we need a shower if we’re going to get dressed and visit my mother.”
“True. Think she’s ready to meet her son’s boyfriend?”
“She probably won’t even remember it the next time we see her.” It was said jokingly, but the more I thought about it, the sadder it made me.
“Hey.” Edgar stroked my hair. “I’m sorry.”
“Nah. She was never mother of the year or anything. It’s just…she tried. I should try a little harder myself.”
“You will. We’ll go see her a lot.”
I nodded.
“So?”
I angled up to look at him. “So what?”
He sighed dramatically. “Have you thought about it?”
“It’s hard not to.”
“So?”
“It’s not too soon?”
Edgar shook his head solemnly. “Life’s too short.”
“Maybe.”
“Come on, Scott. Move in with me. You don’t need that apartment. My house is perfect for us. And I know you like it here.”
“I do.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
“It seems almost too good to be true. I thought, well, your heart was pretty much unobtainable.”
He smiled. “And now?”
“I’ve obtained it.”
“You have. So?”
I released a long-held breath. “Yeah. I’ll move in with you.”
* * * *
My mother shared a room with another patient in the convalescence home, but when Edgar and I got there, that lady was out of the room, “playing bingo,” the nurse told us. Mother sat in a big stuffed chair by the window. She turned when we approached.
“Good afternoon, Mom.” I leaned down to kiss her cheek.
“Scotty.”
That she recognized me was a good sign she was having a better day. I pulled over two chairs to sit by her.
“Mom, this is Edgar Lopez. He’s my partner with the Haydon Cliff Police Department.”
She eyed him and smiled a little. “It’s nice to meet you. I knew an Edgar once.”
Edgar blinked in surprise. “You did?”
She nodded solemnly. “It was a long time ago. I think his last name was Poe.”
I exchanged a look with Edgar. “That’s nice, Mom. Also, Edgar is my boyfriend, too.”
She merely smiled at this news, so I wasn’t sure if she even understood me.
“We thought if you hadn’t had lunch yet we’d take you out with us. Place called Lupe’s. The staff here said it was all right.” I squeezed her hand. “Would you like to?”
She brightened at that. “Really? Outside and everything?”
“Outside and everything,” I agreed. “You’ll like it. Good food.”
She looked down at herself. “Am I dressed all right, Scotty?”
I stopped to survey her flowered dress. It was a bit old-fashioned, maybe like something they might have worn in the fifties, but it was nice. “You look beautiful, Mom.” I stood and helped her to stand. “You want to wear one of your hats?”
“Oh, yes,” she said eagerly.
So we chose her a hat, which she put on happily, and with the two of us escorting her on either side, we took her to lunch.
It was a good day.
THE END
ABOUT SHAWN LANE
Shawn Lane is a multi-published author of gay romances and believes love and passion know no boundaries. Happily Ever After is for everyone.
She has been published by Loose Id, Ellora's Cave, Amber Quill Press, Dreamspinner Press, and Evernight Publishing.
Shawn lives in California and holds down a boring day job in a legal department of a giant corporation dreaming of the nights and weekends when she can create new stories.
For more information, visit smlgr8.blogspot.com.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
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