Chapter 11

“I can’t believe you got married. I am so excited for the two of you.” Dani had been talking about their marriage for the last 45 minutes.  They had told her every detail about the boat ride and the ceremony.  James had arrived and was enjoying the water along with Brian and Justin.  

At one point, Justin swam up to Brian and wrapping his arms around his neck said, “God, if we were still into threesomes, do you think James would…”

Brian gently squeezed Justin’s balls through his trunks, “These are only for me, young man.  I will not be sharing you with anyone.”   He kissed him long and hard and when they separated he said, “I suppose we should meet Emmett at the door. Dani what time is it?”

“It is about ten to six. What time is your friend coming?”

“He’ll be here soon and he usually is on time.”  Justin said and looked at Brian, “Let me meet with him first.  You know you will just get upset over things you know you don’t have to worry about.  Let Em and I catch up and, oh trust me, I will prove to you tonight there is nothing to worry about.”

“But, Sunshine,.....” Justin kissed Brian pressing the whole length of his body against him.  “Alright, but I’m holding you to your promise.” Justin toweled off and slipped on a terry cloth robe.

James swam up to Brian, “So what is it with Emmett and Justin? I remember him a little bit from my Babylon days.”

“Emmett is just one of those bigger than life characters.  He likes to be hands on and I have to admit early in our relationship I was jealous of anyone that looked at him.  I know Em wasn’t after him that way but that still is my knee jerk reaction.  Justin was right about spending time alone with him.  He will want to get close and personal and I need to be alright with that.”

“I remember thinking Emmett would be a fun friend to have.”

“Well, my friend, unless he has gotten himself in a relationship recently, I think there is a very strong possibility of that.”

Justin rushed into the bathroom, once in the house and combed his hair.  He wasn’t trying to impress Em but he didn’t want him to think he had forgotten how to look good.  His hair was bleached, his skin was tanned, and his limp was nearly gone.  This was the new Justin and for now he was satisfied with that.  

As he walked out of the bathroom Ronni smiled at him.  “You are looking very handsome. How long has it been since you have seen your friend?”

“Wow, almost two and a half years.  I take it James or Dani told you about my …..”

“About your terrible incident and your horrid father? I can hardly call him a father. But yes, James told me a bit about it. I hear you get headaches.  I may be able to help them.”

Before Justin had a chance to respond the doorbell rang and Justin excused himself and nearly sprinted to the door. He opened the door and there stood Emmett. The moment their eyes met they both teared up as Justin stepped into his arms. “Oh, honey, I knew you were alive but I just couldn’t let my mind accept it.  Oh, I ….” He kissed him.  When he moved back half a step he quickly looked around, checking if Brian was in sight.

“Oh, Emmett, it is so good to see you and you don’t have to worry about Brian, he is out at the pool.” Justin gave Em another quick hug.  “We have an hour until dinner.  Would you like to take a swim before we eat?”

“I don’t have my suit with me and I would rather just catch up with you.  I was so shocked when they told me you were alive and then, with everything going on with you dad, I didn’t want to interfere but when I heard your dad was caught and I still hadn’t gotten an invitation… I just had to invite myself.”

“Emmett, Brian and I were planning on inviting you as soon as we got home. Emmett, Brian and I got married this weekend in Canada.  Brian surprised me and we are adopting a baby soon.”  Justin and Em walked into the open great room.  He expected to see Ronni in the kitchen but then he noticed her outside talking to Dani.

“Oh, honey, that is such amazing news.  After we thought you had died, Brian went into mourning.  It was so obvious he loved you so much and I am not sure if he would have ever gotten over you.  He….” Emmett stopped mid-sentence as he watched James coming out of the pool.  “Who is that Nubian god walking out of your pool?”

“Well, he’s Haitian not Nubian but that is James.  He is our security manager and general caretaker of the estate.  Don’t you remember him from Babylon? He was there quite often although not as much as we were.”

“That’s why he looks familiar.  His hair has changed and it is amazing! Not to mention the fact that he has more muscles than...don’t tell me the exotic woman he is talking to is a girlfriend? He isn’t bi is he?”

“That is his mother, Ronni.  Have you noticed the amazing aroma?”

“It does smell  wonderful.  I was hoping that was dinner.”

“It is.  She just arrived yesterday.  We haven’t even had a chance to find out what her situation is but if the food is half as good as it smells, we may have to offer her a job.”

“So, James is single and gay?”

“Yes, he is.  And one of the sweetest people I have ever met.”

“Well, we shouldn’t be impolite.  Please, make the introduction.” 

Justin hugged him, “Sure, Emmett, let’s go.”

“By the way, Justin, if you’re married why is there no ring?”

“We didn’t need them.  This all happened quickly.”

“Well, make sure your man buys you jewelry.  It’s a must.” Em slipped his arm around Justin and propelled him toward the door.

“Em, we will get rings. I am sure,” Justin smiled knowing Emmett’s attention was now on James.

James sat on a chair near his mother and Dani.  “Everyone, I’d like you to meet our friend Emmett Honeycutt. Emmett this is Ronni, Dani, and James.”

“Well, it is nice to meet you and, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to get dinner on the table. Would you like to eat out here or in the house?”

“Out here would be wonderful.  Thanks Ronni,” Justin smiled at the woman.

“Ronni, I’ll help.” Dani stood and waddled over to Justin and Emmett. “Very nice to meet you, Emmett.” Dani shook his hand. Justin took the opportunity to place his hand on her belly and kissed her cheek.  Emmett saw the love Justin felt for her in that moment. He needed to find out more about that baby. He lost total track of that thought when James walked near him and offered his hand to Emmett.

“Nice to see you again, Emmett. You probably don’t remember me but we have met before at Babylon.”

“Justin had to refresh my memory but I definitely remember you. Great to see you again.” Emmett took the opportunity to hug James and James enfolded him in his strong arms.

Brian slipped his arm around Justin as James and Emmett extended their hug a couple extra moments. “I think we may be seeing more of Emmett,” Brian said softly as his lips went from near Justin’s ear to his mouth.  By the time Brian and Justin separated, James and Em were watching them.

“You two haven’t changed a bit and I am so happy for you,” Emmett said as he gave Brian a brief hug. “And, yes, I kissed your husband more than once today and I don’t care if you know it.”  Brian had to smile at his friend. “And by the way, you owe him a ring.”

“That will come at the next ceremony.” Brian said.

“The next? You are having one we can come to?  James can be my date!  When is this going to be held?”

“It looks like dinner is ready.  Let’s talk about it while we eat,” Justin said when he saw Ronni waving them over. “I’m starving.”

“And you are going to need your energy later,” Brian said as he ran his hand over Justin’s ass.

The food was as good as they had expected.  After Ronni explained what the dishes were, everyone was quiet for several minutes as they began to eat.  Finally, Emmett spoke, “This is some of the best food I have ever had.  You wouldn’t be interested in catering would you? I have been trying to get a business off the ground and with food like this I would be an instant success.”

“Well, I….I do love to cook but right now, well, my life is kind of up in the air. I will need a full time position with benefits. I need a place to live and well, I appreciate the offer.  I just need a little time to get things straight and then we can talk?”

“I will wait forever for food like this.”

“Speaking of your skills, Em, Brian and I are hoping to have a party in honor of our marriage in a couple weeks.  Can you come up with an amazing soiree for us? If Ronni is staying around I hope she would be willing to help with the food.  Ronni, this is some of the best food I have ever eaten.”

“The party plans are exciting and if you don’t mind I do plan to stay with Jamie boy until I can get back on my feet.  I would be honored to help with your celebration.”

“That’s great,” Brian interjected.  “I think it is time for Dani to take it easy and take care of that baby so, Ronni, if you are willing to help out around here….”

“I would be pleased.  I have spent the last twenty years helping take care of a family.  That’s what I hope to do in the future but I will stay and help out for as long as you need me before I look for a permanent position.”

“So,” Emmett was already planning in his head. “How big a party is this and how big is the budget?”

The next hour Emmett was taking notes and jotting down ideas.  As the night went on, Dani, excused herself to get her feet up and Ronni left to make her some tea.  Emmett made a deliberate move putting his chair nearly on top of James’. Justin cuddled up to Brian and as they continued to chat, Brian noticed Justin got quieter.

“Sunshine,” Brian said softly, “are you alright? Let me get one of your pills.” Brian stood and left the table.

“Oh, Justin, I heard you got headaches.  Is this one of them?”

“It’s not as bad as sometimes but yes, there is one coming on. I’ll be ok once I get a pill and some rest. Em, would you understand if I call it a night?”

“Of course, honey.” Em walked over to Justin who stood up as he approached.  “You go get some rest.  If James doesn’t mind, I’d love a walking tour of the estate.  Give me a call in the morning.”  Em kissed Justin’s cheek and walked him to the house door he then walked back to James who offered his hand and they strolled out into the moonlight.

Justin opened the door and squinted at the brighter light.  “Mr. Justin, I hear you are getting one of your headaches.  Come sit down.  Let me help.”

“Ronni, I appreciate it but Brian is getting one of my pills and then….”

“Sit down and don’t make me ask again. I am making you a potion and you are going to drink it but as it steeps let me massage your head and neck.” Justin sat down, not that he really wanted to but he didn’t have the energy.  The moment she began to move her thumbs at the base of his head he felt a jolt run through him and as she worked her way up she began to trace the scar of his injury. It was as if she could feel his tender spots and knew where she could add more pressure. Brian walked in but didn’t say anything as he watched her hands move and watched Justin’s face relax. Once she stopped, she went back to the counter and then brought the steeped mixture over to Brian.  “You take this boy upstairs to bed and make sure he drinks all of this.  And then you leave him alone.  If you can’t leave him alone in that room, sleep in another bed!” She poked him for emphasis.

“Yes, ma’am.” Brian walked over to Justin, set the cup on the side table, and helped him up. “You Ok to walk up the stairs?” Justin nodded as he stood up.  Brian picked up the cup again and slipped his free arm around Justin, as he walked to the steps. Then Brian looked over his shoulder at Ronni and said, “Thank you but never suggest I would ever do anything that would hurt him. He’s my life,” and with that they moved up the steps.

James and Emmett strolled in the moonlight.  There was a slight breeze rustling the leaves above them as they neared the guest house. “This is where I am living and right now my mother is staying with me.”

“But there is no way she could have gotten here ahead of us, right?” Emmett asked as he led the way to the back of the house. “How did I know there would be a small deck at the back?” Em pressed James against the wall, kissing him eagerly.  He was taken off guard when James flipped him so he was against the wall and with one hand behind Em’s head, the other moved down his back and then into his pants. As Emmett felt skin on skin his knees began to buckle. “God, James Augustin, I think ….. I know I want to be with you and I know this probably isn’t the time but, soon!”  

Emmett barely finished the sentence and they heard the front door to the house shut.  “Em,” Emmett realized that was the first thing James had said since they got to the house. He loved hearing him say his name.  The slight Haitian accent nearly drove him over the edge. “I want to be with you, too.  Give me your number and I will call you tomorrow after I find out my schedule for the week.” 

“James, is that you?” Ronni’s voice came from the back door. James stood up straight and took a couple steps back so his mom could see him.

“I was just showing Emmett the backyard.  I’m going to walk him to his car and make my last round for the night.  I’ll be back in less than an hour.”

“Alright, Jamie boy.  Good night, Emmett.  Nice meeting you.”

Emmett stepped out so he could see her, “Good night, Ronni.  Thank you for the amazing dinner and I will be in touch soon about the celebration.” 

As soon as Ronni moved back in James put his strong arms around Emmett again and kissed him softly.  “Ready to go?” James asked.

“I’m ready to go all night but I understand. You don’t have to walk me to my car.  I can make it.”

“I know but my mother taught me how to treat a date and this may not have been a date but I hope it leads to one, no, to many.” James stopped and kissed him again.

“Oh, James, I hope there are many also.”  After several minutes saying goodbye, James shut the door and Emmett drove away.  James started humming as he started the security check.

Brian helped Justin out of the robe and trunks he was still wearing and helped him into bed.  Brian helped him prop himself up on the headboard and then Justin spent the next few minutes sipping the concoction Ronni had put together. “Brian, I need some water.  This stuff is spicy.”

“You don’t have to drink it. If it’s….”

“I am going to do anything that woman tells me. She scares me,” Justin mumbled the last sentence and after sipping the water he slipped down and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

Brian moved the cup further onto the end table and left the bottle of water there. He then undressed and got into bed with Justin. He had to smile when he thought about Ronni’s comment.  She was right to know he always wanted this man but she needed to realize he could never hurt him.  She would realize that soon enough. He moved close to Justin who turned into him.  Brian wrapped his arms around him and fell asleep.

The next morning Justin woke up early feeling better than he usually did after one of his headaches. He slipped on a pair of shorts and headed downstairs with a T-shirt on.  He was in the mood to work.  He would make a pot of coffee and take it out to the pool house. As Justin walked down the steps he heard singing and as he got toward the bottom he recognized Ronni’s voice. “You have a lovely voice.  It fits you.”

“Well, Mr. Taylor, it is good to see you looking so well.”

 “I don’t know what was in that concoction but once my mouth quit burning I slept like a baby. Thank you,” he dropped a kiss on her cheek. “And by the way, Brian would never do anything to hurt me or force me into doing something unless it really was for my own well being.  Brian was raised in a house with no love so I think he has it all stored up for me and our family.” He smiled at the thought of the man he loved so dearly.  I am just going to grab a pot of coffee and go and work in my studio.”

“No you won’t!  No caffeine.  Let me make you some herbal tea.  The caffeine probably contributes to the headaches. It stimulates your brain.”

“Ronni, you seem to know a lot about this kind of stuff. Do you have some medical training?”

“My mother was a Medsen Fey back in Haiti.  The people were so poor there, they couldn’t afford doctors.  Some would say she did voodoo but she actually was just an herbalist.  She knew she couldn’t cure everything but she did know what to mix together if someone had a rash or even mild infections.  Dani’s been suffering from  swollen ankles and just other normal pregnancy ailments. So I am glad I could help using your lovely herb garden.  So when I heard about your problems I just put together the potion for you.”

“It seems to have worked and it doesn’t leave me feeling groggy like the pills do.”

“I can’t make any promises and they still may occur from time to time but I think if you drink this twice a day,” she set a cup in front of him, “It might make them a lot less frequent or at least less severe.” 

“But no caffeine?” Justin pulled a face at her.

“How old are you, Justin?”

“He’s 21, going on 45,” Brian said as he walked in.  He moved to Justin and met his upturned lip with  a soft lingering kiss. Justin rested a hand on Brian’s cheek and as they separated Justin left his hand there as long as he could. “I woke up and you weren’t there.  I was afraid you weren’t feeling well and had come down so you didn’t wake me.”

“I’m fine, Brian.  I’m actually feeling good this morning.  I am going out to work a while.”

Justin drank the last of his tea and stood up.  “You two go ahead and talk about me.” He turned to Brian, “Stop by the studio before you go into work.” He gave him one more quick kiss before jogging out the door.

“So there must be a story of how a very young boy ended up in your bed.  Was he even 18?”

“No, he was a couple months short. I had no intention of falling in love with him. I had no clue what love even felt like but Justin was so much older than I was in the ways of the heart. He just knew what I needed. I never needed love.  I was never going to need love but once it touched me, I knew I couldn’t go without it again.”  Brian took a deep breath, “Wow, I didn’t mean to flood you with all that information. I usually don’t get diarhea of the mouth.”

“It must be my motherly demeiner.” Ronni smiled at him.

“My mother never looked like you,” Brian smiled.  “I better get going.  I need to get ready for work.” He headed toward the stairs and then stopped, “Ronni, I am really glad you are here.  I know we haven’t had a chance to talk about employment details but someone from my HR department will call you and get you on our insurance plan today.  Even if you choose to find something else soon, I want to make sure you are covered.”

“You are as generous as my son said you were. Thank you, Mr. Kinney.”

“Please, it’s Brian and Justin.” Brian disappeared out of sight.

Justin was deep into his painting when Brian stopped to say goodbye. “Hey, Sunshine, I’m going to work.”

Justin stopped and turned to face him. “I’ll miss you.” Justin walked over and putting his hands behind his back he kissed him. “You look too gorgeous in that suit to get paint on it.”

“If I had time, I’d take it off and you could paint on other parts of me.” Brian kissed him lightly.  “I will let you know what time I will get home.  Plan whatever you want for the wedding but don’t let Em have free reign. Who knows what he would come up with.”

“I love you, Bri. Sorry about last night.  I do owe you.”

“You owe me nothing but I will happily accept your love.  I love you, too.  I’ll be in touch.”  Brian kissed him once more.  “You don’t owe me but I still hope I can collect tonight.”  With that, he left.

Justin focused on his work.  He soon realized the painting he was doing changed after seeing Brian.  The colors changed but even more drastic were the brush strokes.  After seeing him, touching him, everything was bigger and brighter.  Brian just made everything clearer to him.  Brian made him complete.

Justin wasn’t sure how long he had been painting but there was a knock at the door. “Come,” he said as he finished what he was doing. He turned to find Ronni watching him.

“You need something to eat.  You are too thin.”

Justin smiled, “I am a little hungry.” She came in and set the plate down. “Thank you, Ronnie.  I really hope you are planning to stay.”  He sat down and started eating what she had brought him.

“You are a very talented artist,” she said as she looked at the different projects around the studio.

“Thank you. After I came out of my coma, it took a lot of therapy to get me this far.  Dani has been such a help.  I don’t know if I would have gotten this far without her.  Brian gives me the emotional support I need but he could only do so much for my physical improvement.”

“You are planning to adopt Dani’s baby?”

“We are.”

“There is a family connection, isn’t there? Did you and Justin have a moment…”

“Oh, no Veronica.  I have been with a woman, well girl, once and I knew I had not gotten my sexuality wrong.  Dani was with…” Justin hesitated.  His focus drifted for a moment, “I feel like I might be invading her personal space but I don’t think she will mind. She was with my father.  He can be very charming when he wants to be. He had told her a story about Brian basically brainwashing me into being gay and that all of this was Brian’s fault.  Dad needed her support so he wined and dined her and then took her to bed.  My father doesn’t know the baby is his but that little one is my brother and I want to be his father.  Brian and I want him to have the support we never did.  Actually, I need to clarify that my mother is a wonderful woman.  You will meet her if you stick around.  In fact, I have texted her and she wants to help with our party so she will probably be around sometime this week.”

“No wonder Dani is so conflicted.  I couldn’t imagine giving  away a child.  I was fifteen when he was born but that was another place and another time.  I guess I can understand a bit better why she doesn’t want to raise the child and yet, she has found a family member who will love him.”

“Yes.  Ronni, thank you for the breakfast but now I would really like to get back to my painting.”

“Of course, I have taken enough of your time. Do you know what time we expect Brian tonight?”

“No, but I will let you know when he lets me know.”  He handed her the empty plate.”

“Now that I know what is available here I will make sure there are some food basics in here so you can have a snack if you need it without taking a break.”

Justin just nodded as he had already focused on his painting again.  Veronica looked around the beautiful backyard.  She liked it here.  It was so different from New York City, where she had lived for over 20 years.  She heard the birds in the tree but other than a distant car from time to time, it was silent. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when her life was silent. Moving close to the herb garden that was already looking better since she had started caring for it, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath smelling their pungent aroma.

“Mom, are you alright?”  James walked up to his mother, kissing her cheek.

“Oh, Jamie boy, I am fine. Did you sleep well?  I’m sorry I was asleep by the time you came in last night.”

“Mom, I’m not a teenager anymore.”

“I know, but I will always be your mother.”

“And I am glad of that.  Has Emmett been in touch this morning?” He tried to sound nonchalant but his mother knew him too well.

“James, Emmett is a nice young man but he seems a bit flighty.   He seems easily distracted.”

“Mom, Em, is a sweet spirit that just wants to live his life making the world a better place.”

“You learned all that last night on a short walk?”

“We had met before, Mom.  It has been a while but Emmett is a wonderful human being.”

“I think you should focus on your job right now.  I understand this is much more of a job than I thought and they are good people to work for.  Brian is putting me on the company insurance plan today but we have not talked about real employment yet.  Justin and I did have a conversation about Dani and the baby a few minutes ago. I understand a little more now why Dani is willing to give her baby away and Justin has the most open soul I have ever met.”

“Mom, I don’t know if you would truly be comfortable here.  I know you are uncomfortable with my life and Brian and Justin are not shy about their love for each other both physically and emotionally. Mom, as wonderful as they are, if you show any homophobia you won’t be here long.”

“I don’t have to agree with people to get along with them.”

“Mom, we aren’t talking about opinions.  We are talking about who these people are.  It is like you being Haitian.  It is who you are. Even you can’t change a person.  Look at me.  You have been trying for 10 years and it hasn’t worked, has it?”

“Don’t you have work to do? I have a pregnant woman to check on.” Ronni pushed past her son and moved into the house.

James watched her walk.  He had never stood up to her like that before.  He obviously had hit a nerve but she needed to be aware.  She would be heartbroken if they asked her to leave after she held that baby. James took a step one direction and then changed his mind and went to talk to Justin.  Maybe he had heard from Em. Just the thought of him made his cock twitch.  He hoped to see him soon but after the conversation she just had, he thought it best he didn’t move forward too fast.  He loved his mom and had to live his own life but he had enough respect for her to give her a little time.

James wandered into the studio and sat on a stool near the door.  Justin was beautiful to look at and his work was always impressive. He sat there several minutes before Justin felt his presence. He turned around, “Oh James, did you need something? You could have interrupted me.”

“I like watching you work.  I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not.  You are welcome. Were you just cooling off or did you need something?” Justin went to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water, throwing one to James. He sat down on another stool near him. “I don’t even have a clue what time it is.  Your mom came in a bit ago but I never asked her.”

James pulled out his phone, “It’s 10:15.” He fidgeted a bit as he drank most of the bottle of water.

“Spit it out, James. It is obvious you have something on your mind.”

“Have you heard from Emmett this morning?”

“Oh, so how did the walk with Em go?”

“It was a beautiful night.  I showed him around the grounds and I showed him where the guest house was and…. And then I kissed him and my mother showed up. Damn, Justin, I love my mother and I am thrilled she is here.  If you don’t know it, she is the best nanny slash housekeeper I have ever seen.  She can handle anything that comes up and she is reliable.”

“But?” Justin said looking over at him.

“But, Mom still isn’t comfortable with me being gay. If I start something with Emmett, I am not sure what her reaction will be.”

“James,” Justin stood and walked over to him, “You are a grown man and if she can’t accept that we will help her find a job somewhere nearby but she can’t stay here.  It wouldn’t be good for you or for Brian and me.”  He gave the man a hug.  “Now, as far as Em is concerned, I have not heard from him yet today.  Morning is not his best time of the day.  I will call him after lunch and if you happen to be in the room and want to talk to him….That is fine with me.  I probably will just grab something to eat here.  Come back around 1:00.”

“Thanks, Justin, and you just said the same thing I told my mom.  This place might not be the best place for her to work.  I better get back to work.”  And he was gone as silently as he had arrived.

Ronni had made Dani some of her tea and got her a snack before she went to work in the garden.  Dani was very thankful for Ronni’s presence.  She was starting to get nervous about the delivery and she was really missing her mom, although she didn’t want her there. She just wanted to hear her voice. Her parents hadn’t even returned her last phone call two days ago. Her relationship with them was never perfect but since she got pregnant it was even more strained.  Now they weren’t responding to her call. They were probably just someplace without phone service but they could have told her that.   Dani felt the tears coming and went to her room so she could cry in private.  Once she started she couldn’t stop crying.  She had been crying for over an hour when there was a knock on the door.

“Dani, are you awake.  You’ve been napping for a good long time,” Ronni’s voice came through the door.

Dani swallowed hard and tried to speak without sounding horrible. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.” 

Ronni didn’t fall for it.  “Dani, I am coming in.”  She rushed to Dani’s side and took her in her arms. “Oh, this will not do.  This is not good for you or the baby. A little tear or two but you have been at it a long time.”

Dani held on to this new friend and soon she was able to stop the sobbing and take in a good breath.  “Let me get you a wet washcloth and we can get you freshened up.” A couple more minutes and Ronni was asking her, “Do you want to talk about it? A few tears are normal but all this sadness is from your soul. What is causing you so much pain?”

“I, I am just feeling alone.  It is no one’s fault here, but when I first got here I spent so much time with Justin because we were working on his therapy and I always had things to do but now, I can barely move and Brian and Justin are so generous to let me stay here and I think they think they are giving me space but….I have no one,” the tears nearly began again.  “I was so lonely last night I nearly called the baby’s father.”

“Justin’s father,” Ronni stated.

“He told you. That’s fine. You’re a friend. But, yes, I was thinking he might be as lonely as I was and even if it wasn’t genuine, he might have been kind. He doesn’t know about the baby. I have no idea what I’m going to do or where I’m going to go when I leave here.  I will go back to school in  January but that is three to four months with nothing to do.”

“Will you go to family for a time?”

“My family hasn’t even called me since they didn’t answer this weekend.”

“Awe, darling, now I know your real problem.  I know I am not your mama but I will be here. If you want me to go with you when it is time, I will. I will hold your hand through labor if you want.”

Dani hugged Ronni, “Oh, thank you.  I feel so much better now.”  The women went out arm and arm to eat some lunch.  James was just eating the last bite of one of the sandwiches his mother had made before going into the bedroom.  

“Were you so hungry you couldn’t wait?” Ronni patted her son’s cheek.

“Sorry, Mom,” he glanced at her and Dani but didn’t ask questions.  “Justin and I are getting on a business call so I need to get out to the studio.”

“Well, take a sandwich for Justin and a cup of tea.  He doesn’t take good care of himself.  He is too skinny.”

“He has actually gained some weight since I have been here.  He was super skinny when he was rescued.  I wouldn’t worry about him.  He isn’t starving himself although when he works out there he sometimes forgets.”

“Well, as long as I am here, he will have good food to eat, even if he eats it out there.”  She put together a tray and James, who wanted to get out there, waited.  He wanted to hear Emmett’s voice.  “Here, make sure he eats.”

“Yes, Mom,” he kissed her cheek and then moved around to Dani and kissed her, too. “I’m here, honey, if you need to talk.”

Dani gave him a quick hug, “Thank you, James. Your mom helped me talk it out.  It is just a pregnant thing.”  He smiled and rushed out the door.

“Did that boy seem a little antsy?” Ronni watched him walk to the studio.

“I wonder who the call is with.  I wasn’t blind.  I saw the sparks between him and Emmett last night.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.  James isn’t a school boy anymore. He doesn’t lose his head that easily.”

“Oh, Ronni, I know you aren’t comfortable with his sexuality but do you really want your son, at his age, not to find love.  You have to know that he is young and very attractive and that usually means very attracted, also.  I hope for everyone’s sakes you can find it in your heart to understand him.”  With that Dani stopped talking and took a big bite of her sandwich.

James entered the studio with the tray. “Justin, my mom insisted I bring you lunch.  You haven’t called yet, have you?”

“No, Em is Skyping in. He said he has some things to show me so you can sit quietly and look at him.”  Justin took a bite and then opened up the computer, “Why is everything your mom makes better than if I made the same thing? Now you can join into the conversation if Em comes up with something for the wedding that I totally disagree with. Soften the blow and agree with what I suggest.”

“Isn’t that an ambush for him?” James questioned.

“James, I promise not to get you into anything that will mess up your chances with Em.” 

The Skype window popped up and Emmett’s smiling face appeared. When he saw James on the side, the smile went even bigger. “Well, I have two very handsome men instead of one.  To what do I owe the pleasure?” Em said, obviously directing that question to James.

“I just wanted to say, hi, but I really better get back to work.  I’ll talk to you later, Emmett Honeycutt,”  James said.

“I’ll talk to you, James Augustin, tonight.” Em sighed and went silent until he was sure James was out. “Justin, I didn’t sleep at all last night.  All I could think of was being in that man’s arms with his…..tongue down my throat.  He is the perfect man.  He is sweet, generous, and a real gentleman. And I think he likes me.  Justin, please tell me he is interested.  He ran off so fast just now, I feel he is avoiding me.”

“Em, James is definitely interested but you might have to give him a little time. Ronni is still a bit confused about his lifestyle.  The best thing you can do is show her the real Emmett and let her fall in love with you, too.”

“Sunshine, did you use the word love?”

“Emmett, I thought we were talking about my wedding not your love life.”

“Of course we are.  I want to run the decorations past you…”  an hour and a half later the call ended and most of the decisions were made.  Justin had a couple things to run past Brian and after Emmett talked to Veronica, they would make final decisions on the food.  The only other thing that had to be done tonight was a guest list so that Emmett could get them in the mail tomorrow or the day after.  

Justin spoke to his mom and she was going to email him a list of anyone that she wanted invited and then Justin went upstairs and got in the shower just as Brian said he was pulling in the garage. Moments later Brian entered the bedroom, “Hey Sunshine….”  When he heard the shower he stripped as quickly as he could and slipped in behind him. Justin instinctively leaned back, knowing he would feel Brian’s arms come around him.  

“I missed you so much today. Just a kiss in the morning isn’t enough.”

“Just the feel of you  against me…” Brian grabbed the soap and started rubbing it across Justin’s chest.  He noticed some specks of paint on his collarbone so moved the soap over it.  His other hand moved lower and as he encircled Justin’s cock, he kicked Justin’s feet a few inches apart and in one fluid motion he entered his husband. Justin made that instant sound of pain but it went into pleasure quickly.  Justin reached back and wrapped his arm around Brian’s head as he continued to move.  He was soon arching as he thrust in one last time. He felt Justin cum at the same time.  “God, I needed you.  Please don’t leave in the morning without waking me up, even if it is because you feel so good you don’t want to lay around. I promise I will find other ways to make you feel good.”

“I was just so surprised I felt normal after last night.  Ronni has me drinking another tea a couple times a day and as you heard this morning, no more caffeine.  At least it isn’t the booze I have to cut out.” He turned around in Brian’s arms and the kiss was slow and thorough. “We better actually clean up and get down to dinner.  I don’t think Ronni would appreciate us being late and we do have things to do after dinner.”

“I can think of 20 or 30 things I’d like to do….” Justin slapped Brian’s hand as it wrapped around his dick again. He stepped back quickly and almost lost his balance, he ended up in Brian’s arms again. He kissed him on the forehead and then reached around and turned off the water. “So what do we need to do after dinner?”

“Nothing terrible.  We need to get our guest list. Em wants to get the invitations out tomorrow, the next day at the latest.”

“That shouldn’t take too long.  I can just look at my address book from work.” Justin threw him a look.  “It has a personal section in it too.  It is about the only way I hear from Michael at all anymore.”

“Have you told him that we got married?”

“I sent an email but got an automatic return saying he was unavailable until Wednesday. They probably are on vacation before Ben has to go back to teaching.” 

“I am looking forward to meeting Ben.  I can’t believe that Michael moved out to Oregon and then David dumped him.”

“They were never a good pair.  We both know that. When they lived here Michael had his old life that he had to live but once he moved out there the only life he had was David’s and when he fought that…”

“Well, at least he found a good guy now, right?”

“Yes, I really like Ben and he is what Michael needs.”

“Well, that’s good, because I need all of you.” Justin pulled his shirt on and assisted Brian in pulling up his fly.

“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t touch me there right now or it will take us a lot longer to get down to dinner.

Over dinner the five of them had a wonderful time.  They talked about food for the party and James even made a couple suggestions, knowing which foods were his favorite.  Once James left to do a final walk and Dani went with him for part of the walk to get some fresh air, Brian and Justin got up to go to the office but Ronni stopped them.

“Gentlemen, we need a brief word.”

“What is it?” Justin said concerned.

Veronica gave them a quick rundown of the situation with Dani earlier today.  “I usually wouldn’t say anything but since she is carrying your bebe.  Just give her a little bit of attention.  Let her know she isn’t getting kicked out in the wind.  I am not saying you would do that.”

“Of course we wouldn’t or she could stay at my loft in the city if she wants to for a while,” Brian said looking at Justin, who nodded in agreement.

“I know you have to get to the office but I have one more thing to mention.  I was thinking Dani might like to go on a work project.  She has skills that could be very useful in Haiti and I have family and friends that would help her.  I am just thinking she would need money for the trip.”

“I think that would be a great idea.  Dani loves to help people plus this would look great on her resume when she starts school again in the second semester.” Justin was very excited. “I think that is perfect for her, if she agrees.”

“I will mention it to her in a day or two.  I need to make a couple calls but I know it will all fall into place.”

And the next two weeks went by in a blur.  They ended up inviting a hundred people and seventy of them planned to attend. Everyone would be in attendance on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  But now as Brian and Justin crawled in bed on Friday night, Brian lay his head on Justin’s stomach and slowly  ran a finger down from his navel.  He followed the trail of hair playing with a strand or two as he went.  “Are you sure you want to do this again?”

“You know there is nothing else in the world I would rather do than profess my love for you in front of all our friends and family.” Justin ran his fingers through Brian’s thick, dark hair. “I love you, Brian, and Sunday it will be official.”

“Well, actually, it will take until Tuesday to be fully official.  That’s when we go to the courthouse and sign all the papers that say we co-own all our possessions.”

“Brian,” Justin reached down and gently drew him up so their mouths could meet. “I want to share my life and our children for the rest of our lives.  I love you so much.”  

Justin laid his thigh on Brian’s hip and Brian slid into him, “I love you, too. You are my Sunshine.”