The Complete Veterans Affairs Romances: Gay Military Romances

by A. E. Wasp

  “Yes,” Benny answered. “But I figured that was because being in the Marines and getting blowed up sucked. Tends to make you angry.”

  “I can imagine. But it can also be a sign of PTSD or a side-effect of the TBI. Or both.”

  “PTSD?” Mikey asked. He hadn’t really thought about that.

  The doctor glanced at Mikey. “Yes. And since it has a very strong impact on relationships, I suggest you both meet with someone to explore that.”

  Sofia stopped glaring at Benny long enough to shoot her sharp-edged glare at Mikey.

  “I can help him with that,” Troy volunteered. “I have a counselor through the University and the Student Veterans Association. He’s excellent. Lots of information.”

  The doctor nodded. “Yes. The services are very good there.”

  “Excuse me, Doctor. I need to talk to my son.” Sofia shifted back to face Benny. “You were injured. Seriously injured. Twice. You were blown up, and you didn’t think to tell us? You don’t call, you don’t tell your father that you almost died?” Her voice rose with every word.

  Benny’s mouth opened and closed in a very good impression of a goldfish. “I’m fine.”

  Mikey closed his eyes and shook his head.

  “Benito,” David said sadly from the bottom of the bed.

  “He received two Purple Hearts for them,” Mikey stated from the windowsill. Then he walked quickly over and stood next to Troy and Dmitri. It was a semi-mean thing to do to Benny, but he thought Benny’s parents deserved to know at least some of what their son had been through.

  And the Youngs needed to know, too. Mikey didn’t have a lot of time to make them see the side of Benny he loved. It seemed to work. Mikey could see George reassessing his opinion of Benny.

  Sofia jumped off the bed, body vibrating with rage. “I can’t believe you would not tell me about such a thing!”

  “I didn’t want you to worry.” Benny clutched the blanket to his chest.

  “Not worry?” Sofia’s yelling carried across the room. “I worried about you every damn day. And did you call? Did you write? No! Every single day I woke up and wondered if today would be the day you died.” She smacked him on the arm.

  “I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” He pointed dramatically as his father. “Dad made it pretty clear he didn’t want to talk to me!”

  David’s voices rose to join his wife, and they both yelled at Benny. He yelled back, voices overlapping in a mixture of English and Spanish, including some words Mikey had never heard Sofia say before and hadn’t realized she even knew.”

  He caught snatches of sentences.

  “- Eight years ago!”

  “ - tonto camaco -”

  “ - Caught us by surprise.”

  “-just like your mother!”

  “ - ¡No me chingues!”

  “ - Excuse me for living!”

  Mikey elbowed Troy. “Told you.”

  “I see the resemblance now.”

  The doctor turned to Mikey. “Can you make them stop?”

  “I can try.” He walked to the end of the bed and shook it. “Hey, Benito. Cállate. Let the doctor talk. Sofia, you can yell at him later at home, okay?”

  Sofia glared. “You promise?”

  Benny called across the room to the doctor. “Doc. Tell her she can’t yell at me, it could set me off.”

  The doctor turned to Mikey, Troy, and Dmitri. “I’m going to talk to you three for now. Does that work?” He looked at his chart, and then back up at Mikey. “You’re his husband, correct?” The word echoed in the suddenly quiet room.

  Troy’s eyebrows raised up into his hairline, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Husband?” Sofia shrieked from the bed.

  “Fiancé,” Benny tried to clarify. It didn’t help.

  After that, there was not much more talking about epilepsy. The doctor gave a brief overview of the proposed medication regime and then said Benny could go home tomorrow. They would monitor him overnight and scheduled a follow-up consultation for Monday afternoon.

  The doctor left with a promise to see Benny in the morning.

  Dmitri elbowed Troy and nodded towards the door.

  “We’re going to go now. Benny, we should talk later. Roy, the man who gave me Sweetie, has trained seizure dogs in the past. I bet he could help us out.”

  “Jasmine would go nuts if you got a dog,” Dmitri said. “Mr. and Mrs. Quintaña, I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk. Can we convince you to come over for coffee before you leave?”

  “Absolutely.” Sofia stood up and hugged Troy, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you for watching out for mi idiota son.” She kissed Dmitri, too. “You, too.”

  Dmitri and Troy said goodbye to Benny.

  “Thanks for everything, guys. Seriously. For, just everything.” Benny had tears in his eyes. Mikey could tell he was exhausted and near to breaking.

  “No problem. We have to stick together, or none of us will make it.” Troy smiled. “Just invite us to the wedding. We’ll call it even.”

  Sofia put her hand to her chest. “A wedding. Mikey’s going to be my son for real! I have to call your mother.”

  “Does this mean I get to be Abuelo?” David asked, wonder in his voice.

  “Okay,” Mikey said. “I think we need to end this party. I think Benny could use some rest.”

  “I like to stay for a while,” Sofia said.

  Benny looked at Mikey, and Mikey could see the need for solitude screaming from his eyes. “How about this?” he proposed. “Troy or Dmitri, I hate to even ask, but could one of you take George and Frances back to their hotel? I didn’t even get a chance to introduce you property. These are Jasmine grandparents. Her mother’s parents.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Dmitri said to George and Frances. “I would be happy to drive them.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Quintaña, can I take you back,” Troy said. “Are you staying at a hotel?”

  “They’re staying with me. With us.” Benny said.

  “No problem,” Troy assured them. “I can drop them off there get them set up.”

  Benny nodded and laid back on the bed, eyes closing. “Vanessa and Angel are there already. They can let you in. Can you give them a short update and tell them I’ll call a little later?”

  “Sure. We’ll meet you downstairs,” Dmitri said to Benny’s parents. “All right?”

  George and Frances walked over to the bed. “What branch were you in?” George asked Benny.

  “Marines, sir. Sempre Gumby.” Benny said, smiling weakly.

  “Well, thank you for your service,” George said. “I look forward to getting to know you outside of the hospital since I think we might be seeing a lot of each other in the future.”

  “I’d like that,” Benny said, without opening his eyes.

  Frances laid a hand on his arm. “Get some sleep.”

  Benny nodded.

  David took his wife by the arm. “Let’s give the boys some privacy.”

  “But I want to stay. I haven’t seen my baby in forever.” Sofia’s eyes watered.

  Benny pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Mamacita, I love you. And I know I’ve been a shitty son. But if I don’t get some sleep soon, my head is going to explode. I promise I’ll call you later, okay? Maybe there are visiting hours tonight.”

  Sofia looked troubled, but finally, she gave in. Bending down, tears in her eyes, she kissed Benny. “You’d better. I was so scared, mijo. Scared all the time for you.”

  “I know, mom. I’ll tell you a secret. So was I.”

  David stepped in and gave Benny a tight hug and a kiss, then did the same to Mikey. He started to say something but stopped. Blinking away tears, he took Sofia by the arm.

  When the door closed, Benny and Mikey both sighed with relief. “Are we alone?” Benny asked.

  “Finally. Thank God.” Mikey climbed into bed with Benny. He lifted his arm, and Benny snuggled up tight against him.

  “Don’t go,” Benn
y said.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Even if I fall asleep?”

  “Even if.”

  Benny’s head rose and fell with each breath Mikey took. He exhaled deeply and forced his muscles to unknit. “Jesus what a fucking day.”

  Benny laughed sleepily. “You think? And I still didn’t get a milkshake.”

  “I’ll get you one on the way home tomorrow.” Mikey listened to Benny’s even breathing and the birdsong outside the window. He felt sleep dragging him down, then Benny spoke, pulling him back towards wakefulness.

  “Do you ever think we went about this whole relationship thing backwards?” Benny asked.

  Mikey thought about it. They’d broken up before they’d even acknowledged their feelings for each other. He’d had a kid before they met. They’d had sex before even knowing who each other were. And then moved in together before really dating. He was going to have to agree. “Completely backwards.”

  Benny’s hand rubbed gently across Mikey’s T-shirt. “Still want to marry me?” Benny asked quietly. “After everything?”

  Mikey kissed the top of Benny’s head, then laid his cheek against his soft hair. “Right now, that might be the only thing I know for sure.”

  Benny chuckled. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Now go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  THE END

  PAPER ROSES

  A VETERANS AFFAIRS STORY

  Red Deer, Colorado is a fictional town. Any resemblance to existing college towns in Northern Colorado is purely the result of the author’s love for the area. Many of the surrounding attractions are exactly as described. Some rivers, business, and streets may have been relocated to serve the story.

  The U.S. Military has a long history in Colorado, and Colorado’s Universities serve thousands of student veterans every semester.

  COPYRIGHT

  PAPER ROSES: A VETERANS AFFAIRS STORY

  Copyright © 2017 by A. E. Wasp

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Book and Cover design by Designer Jay Aheer –Simply Defined Art

  First Edition: February 2017

  DEDICATION

  To all the men and women who take a chance and blend their families. It’s a labor of love, and you deserve all the credit.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  As always, none of this could have happened without Dorene Johnson, Diane Velazquez, and Shanna Henk, my dedicated and overworked readers and plot-worker-outers. You guys rock.

  chapter one - short notice

  Weak winter sun slipped through the mini blinds on the single high window in the corner of Mikey Washington’s office. The cement brick walls sucked in the light and heat equally. Floor to ceiling bookcases filled with blue 3-ring-binders lined two of the walls. Mikey’s desk crouched under the window and cold winter air seeped through the glass, chilling his fingers. Mikey wedged the receiver of his desk phone between his shoulder and ear, punched in a number, and opened his planner while he waited for someone to answer.

  “Gaslight restaurant. How can we help you?”

  Knowing full well he was on a fool’s errand, Mikey launched into the conversation he’d had twice already that morning. One Maître d’ had actually laughed at him. “Okay. Hello. Yeah. I’m trying to see if you have availability for a private party on either of these weekends in February. I know it’s short notice, but I was hoping because it was a slow time of year. Well, not Valentine’s Day obviously. About twenty people, maximum. We don’t need a private room, just a corner. Yeah. I know. Okay. Well here’s my number. Can you give me a call if anything opens up?”

  Hanging up, he crossed The Gaslight off his list of possible venues. That was the third place he had called today and the third place that had no openings. He laced his fingers behind his neck and lifted his heavy dreadlocks up letting the cold air slip underneath it. If he’d had more time that morning, he would have braided the whole thing up, but Jasmine had wanted her hair done before preschool. As Second-Dad-in-Charge, Benny could pick up a lot of slack in the morning, but he didn’t know a thing about doing black hair. He was going to have to learn.

  Looking at the list of things he had to do for their wedding, Mikey groaned and shut his planner as if that would make the tasks go away. This whole wedding thing was Benny’s idea. If it were up to him, they’d be down at the courthouse with his sister Vanessa and Benny’s best friend Chris as witnesses. They’d have lunch someplace nice, and it would be done. Over. No muss, no fuss.

  Why did he always let Benny talk him into things? Oh, right. It was his stupid face. Whenever he flashed Mikey that stupid grin and his stupidly gorgeous brown eyes crinkled up with laugh lines, all of Mikey’s higher brain functions shut down. Just the same as they had done back in high school, way before Mikey had quite realized why he was so susceptible to Benny’s cajoling. Benito Quintana had been behind every bad decision Mikey had ever made.

  Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. But at least three-quarters of them had been. Proposing had been all Mikey though. In his defense, he had been under a lot of pressure and Benny had been sitting there all sad and scared in the hospital bed and all Mikey had wanted to do was take him home, tuck him under his arm, and take care of him. Forever. So what else was he supposed to do but ask Benny to marry him? He still thought being married was a good idea. The wedding on the other hand…

  The door to his office opened and his boss, Kevin Seaton, poked his head in. “Busy?”

  “Is it bad if I say no?” Mikey asked, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. He’d been working for the older lawyer for almost a year now, and he’d come to think of him as a surrogate father. Grandfather, he amended. Kevin was almost seventy-five years old, but still a brilliant lawyer and compassionate friend.

  Kevin laughed and came in, hands in his pockets. “I won’t tell if you don’t. Nice sweater. Is it new?”

  Mikey looked down at the burgundy and gray argyle cardigan that had quickly become one of his favorites. He’d finally stopped wearing a three-piece suit to the office, but he still liked to look professional. “Christmas present from Benny.”

  Kevin nodded his approval. “I’m glad you finally stopped wearing a suit every day. You were making the rest of us look bad.” When Kevin wasn’t going to be in court, he wore sports coats and jeans at work, a Colorado casual look Mikey had quite embraced yet. But nothing could really make Kevin look bad. Even at his age, he was good looking, with bright blue eye and a full head of salt and pepper hair. “So what’s up? You look frustrated. It is about one of the cases?”

  “No. Sorry, I was using the work phone for some personal calls.” Mikey pulled his black leather planner towards him. “Nothing’s wrong really. Just trying to find a wedding venue on short notice. If I leave it to Benny, he’ll have us at Chuck E. Cheese.”

  Kevin’s husband Vincent, a big, broad Italian man ten years younger than Kevin, with traces of his New York accent still in his voice, pushed his way into the room. “Did I hear right? Did you two crazy kids finally pick a date?” He kissed Kevin on the cheek as he passed by, plopping himself on the corner of Mikey’s desk, one leg on the floor, the other swing back and forth.

  Mikey frowned. “Kind of. Benny wanted Valentine’s Day.”

  “That’s only five weeks away!” Vincent said, throwing his hands up. “How you gonna do that?”

  Mikey shook his head. “We’re not going to. Every restaurant in town is booked.”

  Mikey recognized his mistake as soon as
he said it.

  Kevin’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and he shook his head, but it was too late.

  Vincent clapped Mikey on the back hard enough to rock him forward. “Not every restaurant! My place is always open for you. Benefit of having a rich husband. I don’t need the money, I can book a private party anytime I want.”

  “You’re a gold-digger? I thought you loved me for my body,” Kevin said, crossing his arms across his chest and smiling.

  “That, too. But we can do it, right? You don’t mind?” he asked, face wide open and guileless. Heat radiated from the hand he kept on Mikey’s shoulder, a heavy spot of warmth in the chilly room.

  Kevin shrugged. “I don’t mind, but Mikey might have his heart set on something else.”

  Mikey struggled to find a way to say thanks but no thanks. He loved Vincent’s for lunch, and it was a great place to spend a long weekend afternoon on the back patio, but, when it came down to it, it was just a pub. The walls were dark wood, and the décor was mostly neon beer signs and posters and fliers for local bands and events, mixed in with rainbow splattered decorations. One end of the room had a small stage and screens for karaoke. Not the most elegant location for a wedding. If Benny was going to make Mikey plan a wedding, he was going to plan a classy one. He drummed his pen on the table, pulling the planner towards him and looking at the short list of venues he had drawn up.

  Vincent turned the planner towards him, whistling. “You have some fancy places listed here. Expensive. Anybody have room yet?”

  “Not yet,” Mikey admitted. “We might have to push the date back a few weeks.”

  Vincent closed the planner. He picked up one of the small frames on Mikey’s desk, put it down. Shook the pencil holder and looked inside. “Well, I know Vincent’s isn’t fancy, but we can make it look elegant like you wouldn’t believe.” He stood up. “The secret is turning the lights down really low. And we could bring in some food if you want something fancier than what we normally serve. Do a nice buffet, put it all along the bar.” He spread his hands along an imaginary bar.