by C. E. Wilson
“You look so cute when you wake up. I can’t wait to wake up to you every morning.”
Alex glanced back at him. “Is that why you’re here this early? I mean, I am glad to see you and everything, but it is early.”
“No, I just missed you and wanted to see you. I can’t explain anything more than that. I don’t know why I’m here at six-thirty in the morning. I just couldn’t wait to see you.”
Alex smiled. “Let me go brush my teeth so I can kiss you. I’m glad you’re here. I missed you too. You could have stayed the night, you know.”
“I don’t think we’re at that point in our relationship to spend the night with each other.”
“I have a spare bedroom. You could have stayed there.”
“No way, I can’t be this close to you all night and not hold you in my arms. That will come later. Right now, I want to spend time with you and let you know how much I care for you.”
Alex got a big grin on his face and ran into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and went to Link and gave him a slow sweet kiss. “I care a lot for you too, Link. I don’t think I’m ready for the L-word, but it’s getting close.”
“Yeah, same here. I have all these plans for our future, and one day when we get closer, we can sit down and discuss your plans and mine. I know you have to have some idea of what you want for us.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking a lot of what we could be together. I know I want a future with you, and I’m open to any of your ideas.”
“Same here, babe. I want you to be open and tell me anything you want to. Just be honest with me, and we’ll work out everything. I just want us to be happy together. I know we can as long as we talk about it.”
“I’m all for talking about it. I think we can be happy together. I hope that we get married and adopt a couple of kids. I would like to have a boy and a girl. Boy first and then a girl. That way, our son can look out for his little sister at school and such.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I was the big brother in our house, and I always looked out for my little brother and sister. Two kids sound good to me.”
“I’ve got some bacon and eggs. Do you want me to make us some breakfast? It won’t take me long at all.”
“Just as long as you don’t put all that crap in that you usually do. Just plain eggs for me, thank you.”
“You don’t like my cooking, babe?”
“I’m afraid of your cooking. I don’t know half the stuff you put in simple eggs, and I don’t know if I want to eat it or not. It doesn’t look good. I mean, eggs aren’t supposed to have red and green things or brown things in them. They are supposed to be just plain yellow.”
“Link, there are just green and red bell peppers and mushrooms in the eggs. You should try them. They are delicious. I’ll make yours just plain. Can I at least put some cheese in yours?”
“Yeah, I like cheese in my eggs. Just not all that other stuff.”
Alex chuckled. “When we get married, I’m going to have to get you used to my cooking. I learned from a great chef. My mother.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.”
Alex made Link’s eggs the way he wanted them and then made his eggs with the peppers and mushrooms in them. He sat both plates, and a plate of bacon on the table then brought coffee for both of them. Link sat there looking at Alex’s eggs, and he reached over and got a bite of them. He ate it and then smiled and switched plates with Alex. “These are pretty good. Next time make mine like this.”
Alex laughed and went and got some peppers and mushrooms and sprinkled them on his eggs and mixed them up. They ate and talked about somethings, like work. Alex asked, “When does school start?”
“It starts in August, but I have to start three weeks before it opens actually to get everything ready for my kids. I am teaching fourth grade. I can’t wait to start teaching them.”
“I’m not sure I could deal with that many small children at one time. I like kids don’t get me wrong, but that many in the room that young. You’re going to have your hands full just trying to get them to settle down and listen to you.”
“No, kids that young, are amazing. They are like little sponges that absorb everything you tell them. It’s like they’re so innocent that they don’t have all the garbage in their little heads like we do. They can learn faster than we can at our age. It’s because there isn’t a lot in their heads, and they have so much room in there to get what you’re saying.”
“Do you think that you’ll like working at the school and teaching the little ones?”
“I know I will. It has been what I always wanted since I was in elementary school. We had a teacher in the fourth grade. He was just wonderful with us kids, and I wanted to be just like him. He always took the time to answer all our questions, and at that age, we had so many. He was who I wanted to be like most in the world, so here I’m about to be a teacher in elementary school like he was.”
“Is he still a teacher at the school you’re going to teach at?”
“No, he passed away a couple of years ago with cancer. I went to see him right after high school graduation, and he said he was proud of me. That is what helped me get through college day by day.”
Alex nodded and placed his hand on Link’s arm for support.
Chapter 3
After they ate and cleaned up the kitchen, they got into Link’s truck and went to Cade and Bradley’s house. Link knocked on the door, and Cade opened it. “Come on in. I just put on a pot of coffee. You guys want some?”
Link nodded. “We came over to see if you needed help moving into the new house?”
“We can’t move in until this weekend. The old owners are still moving out, but you guys can help us pack up anyway. The new house is amazing. It has five bedrooms, five and a half baths, living room, den, kitchen and breakfast nook. Pool and a cabana. Small bungalow in the back for the nanny for our kids when we get them. I can’t wait for you guys to see it.”
“What are you going to do with this place? Do you have anyone to take over the lease?”
“John said his dad owns it and there was never a lease. See if Dad will pay the rent until you start to work. I know he will Link; he did for me until John’s dad bought us that house.”
“I don’t understand why he would buy you and Bradley a house. Neither one of you is related to him.”
“He said that Clayton is his son now, and since Bradley is his brother, then John is his brother too, and that made Bradley his son as well. He always buys his children's houses.”
“That’s way too confusing to me. I wonder if you're married to Bradley that makes you his son too, and I am your brother, so that would make me John’s brother too, and I could get an expensive house like that?”
Cade laughed. “I think that’s pushing it a little big brother. I wish he would look at it like that, but I don’t think he would. I bet he would rent to you and Alex, though.”
“We aren’t to the point of living together yet. You know that takes time. When we get there, I’m sure we’ll move in together.”
Cade nodded, and when they got to the kitchen, Bradley had four cups of coffee poured and on the table. Cade sat down and pulled Bradley into his lap. “Baby, the guys came to help us pack. They were going to help us move, but I told them the other people aren’t finished moving that we are moving next weekend. Maybe they will come to help us then.”
“We can sure use the help. I know that Clayton and John are going to come to help us. Our moms and dads, too, so we can sure use the truck and the hands.”
Link looked at Alex, and he nodded. “Yeah, we can come and help next weekend. I want to see this house. You can’t have much here. This house isn’t that big.”
“No, not much here. But we have all the new furniture being delivered at the new house on Saturday morning, and it has to be all set up and placed. That’s going to take most of the work. Then we plan on having a pool party for all that is there.”
Link asked, “Bradley, what grade
is Clayton’s little boy going to be in this year?”
“He’s going to be in fourth grade. From what Cade said, he is going to go to the school that you’re going to teach at. What grade are you teaching?”
“I’m teaching fourth grade; I’ll watch out for him. I know he is small.”
“Yeah, but he is starting to catch up to his age. He had that small problem that kept him from growing. John fixed that for him, and now he is growing fast. Jacob is getting sassy now.”
“He’s such a cute little fellow. I bet he’s going to have all the girls chasing him down at school.”
Bradley chuckled. “I asked him to be in our wedding, but he thought he would have to marry Cade too, and he said he didn’t want to marry a boy. He wanted to marry a girl so there would be a mom and dad in the house.”
“He doesn’t like having two dads?”
“Oh yes, he loves Clayton and John. He just remembers his mother and father, and he missed them. He said if he couldn’t have his mom and dad, then he wanted to have his two dads.”
“He sounds like a brilliant little boy. That’s good. I’ll love teaching him.”
“Yes, he’s brilliant. Spoiled too. Between John’s parents and my parents, he has everything he could ever want. Little Gabrielle is just as bad with things a baby could want. I can’t wait until we get an office opened and we can get our son too. We have already talked to the social worker that got Clayton’s children, and she has a boy that’s seven years old and an orphan like Jacob. We have applied for him, but it’s going to take some time. They have to check and make sure he doesn’t have a family that wants him first.”
“How is work going, or do you have to start up an office before you can make any money?”
“Oh, we have more work than we can handle. They’re standing in line, but with getting the house and getting ready here to move, we haven’t had the time to look for an office. As soon as we do, we’ll let you know where it is.”
“So, you don’t even have the office yet and your working? How are you managing to get the word out that you’re in business?”
“Sam, John’s dad, has been telling all his friends what a good job we did to design his building he had put up on some land he had. We did it just like he wanted it and he was impressed with us. Then the work we did for his friends got their other friends involved. Right now, we are booked up for a year, and so we aren’t going to book any more work until we get some of this done. We probably could book another year if we wanted to, but we don’t.”
Link said, “Well, once you get moved into the big house, and you make a home office, you can work seven days a week and get ahead of the work.”
Cade gave Bradley a squeeze and smiled at him. “No, big brother. When we graduated and got married, we promised each other the weekends to spend together, not working. We make enough in the five days to support ourselves and put money aside for emergencies. The weekends are for us to reconnect and spend time together.”
“That’s admirable. Sometimes that isn’t possible. Like when I start school. I’ll be teaching five days then doing grading and other things on the weekends. I can’t get around what I have to do to stay on top of my students.”
“What about Alex?”
“He’ll be there with me. He can help me if he wants to or he has his own work to get done. We won’t have time to play all the time. He knows that.”
Bradley glanced over at Alex, and he was staring at Link. Is this what he wanted? Just to be able to look at him but not touch him because he has papers to grade or whatever. He was going to have to rethink this. Link should listen to his brother about reconnecting and spending time together on the weekends, not working all the time.
Alex didn’t say anything. He just sat with his hands wrapped around the coffee mug and staring at his cup. Link glanced over at him and frowned at him for not speaking up. He figured he better leave with Alex and see what was wrong with him. He wanted Alex to agree with him, but he hasn’t said a word.
Link asked, “What do you need us to do?”
Bradley glanced at Alex, and he was still staring at his cup. “Oh, what little we have to pack, we can get done. A lot of the stuff we have to wait until we move to pack. I think we can do it all right.”
Link glanced at Alex and nodded. “Come on, Alex; I think we need to have a talk.” Alex drained his cup and got up and said goodbye to Cade and Bradley and didn’t wait for Link he just walked out of the house and got in the truck. If he had brought his car, he would have left alone.
Link got in the truck and didn’t say anything. He backed out of the driveway and turned away from the direction where Alex’s apartment was. Alex said, “Take me home, please?”
“I wanted to go somewhere to talk.”
“I just want to go home, and you can leave when you drop me off. I have a lot to think about.”
“You want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“No, I just want to go home. If you don’t want to take me, just drop me off at the next corner, and I’ll call an Uber.”
“Alex, what is wrong with you? We decided to talk it out when there was a problem. Now you just want to go home and me to leave without telling me what’s wrong.”
“If you can’t figure it out, then we have no business talking about a relationship. Just stop the truck, and I’ll get out.”
“I’ll take you home.”
Alex nodded but had tears in his eyes. When they got to his apartment, Link turned to him, but Alex just opened the door and got out. He walked to his apartment and opened the door and went inside without a look back at Link. Link shook his head and left. He would just wait until Alex got over it and called him.
Link went home to talk to his father about the house that Cade was moving out of. He guessed he could let his dad pay the rent and utilities until he started to work. Then when Alex wanted to, he could move in with him. Maybe he would get over being angry with him for whatever he did.
When he got home, he went looking for his dad. He found him in his home office and went and sat down across the desk for him. “Dad, can I talk to you for a few minutes?”
His dad laid down the pen he was using and smiled at his son. “Yes, of course, Link. What did you want to talk about?”
“First, I wanted to tell you that I’m gay like Cade. I figure you wouldn’t be upset since you have already been through this. Second, I wanted to ask for a loan to rent Cade’s house when they move into the new house so that I won’t lose it before I get some paychecks. I like that little house and think I could live there just fine. I also need the money to pay the utilities and food until I get some checks in.”
“Link, I told you I would rent you a place and take care of you until you started to work. You’re the one that didn’t want me to, so the answer is yes to all of it. I’ll call Sam now and let him know, so he doesn’t rent it to anyone else.”
“The thing is Dad; I want a loan so I can pay you back. I want to support myself.”
“You will, son. You can’t start to work until the school opens, then you can start taking care of yourself. Do you have a boyfriend that’s going to move into the house with you?”
“I did, but I think he’s mad at me. I just don’t know why he’s mad at me.”
“Who is it? Do I know him?”
“Yeah, you know him. It’s Alex Duncan. He roomed with Cade and Bradley while they were in college. You met him at the wedding as well. He was my date there.”
“Oh, yes, I remember him now. He’s a little fellow. How old is he?”
“He’s the same age as Cade and Bradley. He studied business management, and now he takes care of people’s money and businesses. He is brilliant, Dad, and I can’t wait for you and Mom to meet him.”
“Bring him for dinner some night, and we can get to know him like we did Bradley. He’s from here?”
“No, he just moved to be near Cade and Bradley. I think he’s mad at his Dad. He made him do business management in s
chool when he really wanted to do culinary. Then his dad told him he was a college graduate, and he could find a job to take care of himself. He started with John Willis and has gotten more clients since he moved here.”
George nodded and picked up the phone to call Sam Willis to get Link the house. Link went upstairs to his room to start packing up his things. He would be moving in this weekend.
Chapter 4
Alex didn’t call all week. Link didn’t know what to make of it. He knew that Alex was angry for some reason, but he figured he would be over it in a week. Saturday morning, everyone was heading to Cade and Bradley’s house to help them move into their new home. Link decided to just go over to Alex’s apartment and tell him he was there to pick him up for the move.
When he got there, he got out of the truck and went to the door. He noticed that Alex’s car was gone, but he thought maybe he parked it somewhere else. He knocked on the door but no answer. He waited for a little while but decided to go on to help his brother.
The first thing he saw when he pulled onto Cade’s street was Alex’s car in the driveway, and he was carrying a box out and put in his trunk. Link parked his truck and went to Alex’s car. He came up behind him and put his arms around Alex. He stiffened in Link's arms. Link kissed him on the neck. “I missed you this week, babe.”
“Oh, really? I would think you would be too busy to even know if I was there or not. Oh, that’s right, that doesn’t start until you start school, then I won’t matter. My bad.”
Link raised a brow. “What are you talking about, Alex? You always matter to me.”
Alex snorted and ducked under Link’s arms and went back into the house. Link watched him walk back into the house, then shook his head. He was still angry, and what was that about me being too busy to miss him?
Link went into the house and looked for Alex, but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He hugged Cade and asked. “What do you need me to do, Cade?”
“Did you bring your truck?”
“Yeah, of course. I didn’t walk here.”