Chapter 9
“Gus, are you awake?” a small voice said in his ear. “I need to pee and I don’t know where it is?”
“Hey, Little Bro. It’s that door right over there.” Gus pointed as he opened his eyes.
“Thanks!” he responded as he jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom.
Gus stretched and looked outside. It was hard to tell what time it was but it was too early to be up. Aiden came back and climbed into the high bed and curled up to Gus. Gus pulled the blanket up around him. “It is too early to be up, bro.”
The room lit up from lightning and then was followed by a ripple of soft thunder. “Is it a storm, Gus?”
“No, Aid. Well, it isn’t a bad storm. It is going to be a rainy day but we can play games and watch movies today but let’s sleep a little longer.
Aiden yawned, “Ok. Where are our dads?”
“They are just down the hall on the opposite end.”
“Ok, I love you, Gus.”
Gus tightened his arm around him, “I love you, too, Aiden.” He kissed the blonde head and as he drifted off he thought about having his own child someday. As he started to drift off, his mind wandered to Cass but he shook it off. That was never going to happen but someday he would be a father. He just wasn’t sure who the other parent would be.
Brian pulled Justin’s warm, relaxed body a little closer. It had started rumbling outside again. “Um, good morning, Bri.” Justin tilted his head and Brian claimed his lips.
“Damn, you look amazing this morning.”
“What? Drool in the corner of your mouth turns you on?”
“YOU turn me on.” Brian rolled on top of him partially and began to move his hips.
“You are such a tease,” Justin laughed as he separated his legs and then grabbed each of his knees giving Brian access and Brian didn’t need an invitation. Brian concentrated on Justin’s face as he moved into him. Justin strained upward to claim Brian’s lips and then pulled him down on top of him. Brian continued to move his hips slowly until he felt Justin begin to tremble as the pleasure grew deep in his core and then it felt as if it needed to get out. It bubbled up and as he opened his mouth and cried out both of them lost every reasonable thought.
Aiden slid off the big bed and left the room silently. He moved down the hall peeking in the other doors and then saw the closed door at the end of the hall. Slowly, he opened the door and looked around the room. It was light enough to see his dads in the large bed. He noticed a step stool was positioned at the end of the bed and he moved up the steps and then crawled toward the pillows between his fathers. By the time he wiggled under the blankets both Brian and Justin were awake. Aiden laid his head between his dads and rolled to face Brian. “Good morning, Big Daddy.” Aiden kissed Brian’s nose and then flipped over and repeated it on Justin. “Hi, Daddy. Did you sleep good? Did you know it is raining? I’m hungry. Can we have breakfast soon? What are we having for breakfast?”
Brian and Justin moved toward him and each gave him a kiss on his cheek. “What would you like for breakfast?”
“I don’t care. Maybe French toast? Do we have French toast?”
“I think so,” Justin said.
“Daddies, are you naked under there?”
“Yes we are,” Brian said matter of factly. “Can you crawl to the end of the bed and get our robes?”
Aiden scampered to the end of the bed and then got off carefully before picking up the robes and bringing one to Brian and then one to Justin. Both of their sons had seen them naked but they did try to be a bit discreet. Aiden didn’t even notice he was busy looking out the windows. “Dads, there are a lot of boats out there. Is it safe for them to be out there? It is kind of stormy.”
Brian walked over and picked him up. “I am sure they know what they are doing. Ready to go down and start breakfast?”
“Ya!” Aiden said as Brian kissed Justin and walked out of the room.
“If you get the stuff out for breakfast, I will make it when I get downstairs.” Justin walked into the bathroom.
When Justin came down 10 minutes later wrapped in the plush robe, Aiden sat on the counter and Brian had a loaf of brioche bread, eggs, cream, butter, and cinnamon out next to Aiden. “It doesn’t look like you missed anything,” Justin said as Brian pulled him into his arms. He kissed him, long and possessively.
“Ooo, you two kiss a lot,” Aiden said and then another voice came from behind him.
“Little Bro, you better get used to it.” Gus draped an arm around his brother. “But you know what?”
“What?”
“They do that because they love each other and it is no fun if your parents stop loving each other. I don’t think we will ever have to worry about that.”
“Love is a good thing.” Aiden said and hugged his big brother.
“Yes, love is a very good thing,” Brian said when he and Justin finally separated.
“Gus, you want to help with breakfast?
“Sure, it looks like French toast. How about if I make a custard to drizzle over it. Or,” he opened the fridge, “blueberry compote.”
“Blueberry!” Aiden said.
“Alright. Blueberry it is.” Gus grabbed a pan off a rack and threw blueberries into it. He grabbed a lemon and squeezed the juice into the pan and then added a little salt and a bit of sugar. Justin stepped aside so Gus could make the egg mixture while Justin cut thick slices of bread. Gus directed Justin as if he were a sous chef and Justin gladly followed his directions.
Brian started a pot of rich, dark coffee and then stood with Aiden, watching the rain and lightning. “Big Daddy, look at that big boat over there. What kind of a boat is that?”
“I am really not sure. I am sure it harvests seafood but from here I can’t tell if it is the kind for lobster or crab or shrimp or fish.”
“I like lobster. That mac and cheese last night was really good.”
“Yes, it is very good. I am sure we will have more seafood today.”
“Oh, YEAH!”
“Breakfast is ready,” Justin called.
The family sat at the counter bar. All four of them were wrapped in the plush robes they had found in their rooms. Once they were all eating Gus commented, “These are great robes. Do we get to take them home?”
“As a matter of fact we do. It is one of the perks at this place. They are really warm, which is good with the wind picking up outside. This place is snug but there are a few drafts.” Brian said.
Aiden slipped off the stool and went back to the door and looked at the fishing boat again. “Big Daddy, I think that ship is sinking.”
“Aiden, come back and finish your eggs,” Justin called to him.
“No, Daddy, come look.” Justin reluctantly left his hot breakfast and walked over to the glass front of the house and, putting a hand on Aiden’s shoulder, looked out.
“Brian, I think Aiden might be right. They seem to be having trouble. Why don’t you call Jack, from last night and tell him about it. He will be able to tell us what is the best thing to do.”
Brian had already pulled out his phone. Gus, Aiden, and Justin listened to Brian’s side of the call. “John, this may be a stupid call but we can see a boat in the harbor that seems to be struggling back in. We weren’t sure if it was normal for them to move so slow.” Brian listened. “I’m sorry, I am really dumb when it comes to boats. I can tell it is a working boat and not a leisure boat.” Silence. “Thanks, John. I had forgotten that. We will see you later.” Brian set his phone down. “John will check on the boat.”
“Did you say he is coming later?” Justin asked.
“I had forgotten he promised to bring us some fresh seafood sometime today.”
“Oh, that’s right. I want to make a seafood feast tonight.”
“And I want you to make a seafood feast!” Brian smiled at his son.
Aiden wandered back to the window and Justin followed. “Look, Daddy, I think that other boat is going to help.”
“You are right. That is the Coast Guard. They are kind of like a sea army. Anytime a boat is in trouble they go out to help.” Aiden pushed a food stool over to the window and stood on it while Justin wrapped his arms around him. He breathed in deeply. He hoped he would remember this smell the rest of his life. It wasn’t the fresh scent he had straight out of the tub but the smell of a little boy, the scent of his son. Gus was just a little younger than Aiden when he met Brian. He hadn’t known what life really was until he fell in love with Brian.
As if Brian sensed Justin’s thoughts he walked up behind Justin and wrapped his arms around him just as Justin had done to Aiden. “What is that beautiful brain of yours thinking?”
“I’m thinking my life is perfect. I can’t imagine wanting or needing anything else.”
“Look, Daddies! They have the boats tied together and the, what did you call them?”
“The Coast Guard?”
“Ya, the Coast Guard is rescuing them.”
“Aid, you did a great job. They really did need assistance.”
“I could tell.” Aiden said and jumped so Justin caught him as he wrapped his legs around Justin’s waist and Justin supported his bottom. “What are we going to do now?”
“Would you like to take a swim in that big tub in your bathroom?”
“Daddy, it is big but I can’t swim in it.”
“We could put lots of bubbles and I think there is bathtub paint in there.”
“That sounds FUN!”
“I think your dad and I might just take a shower ourselves. We haven’t showered since yesterday,” Justin commented.
“And we have done a few things.” Brian smiled. “Hey, Gus, if we get Aiden in the tub, could you hang out in your room so you are close if he needs you?”
“Sure, no problem. We have wifi, right?”
“Yes, the password should be in your room.”
“Bri, can you go start the water in the tub and I am going to finish cleaning up the kitchen. I will meet you in the shower in ten minutes.” Justin slipped his hand into the opening of Brian’s robe and Brian growled low.
“Don’t be late!” he said softly.
Ten minutes later Aiden was painting a picture on the side of the bathtub while Gus watched videos and Brian moved down the hall to find Justin. Gus knew very well what his dads probably going to do and he, again, felt lonely. He wondered if he would have been better off if he had never had sex before. Now he knew what he was missing. He decided to brush up on male sex. Maybe he would learn something for JR. Over Thanksgiving when JR and Raymond stayed for the weekend, they planned to have sex. After the first of the year, he was going to find a girlfriend, not just for sex but he wanted to find someone to be close to. “You doing ok, Aid?”
“Ya, come see my picture.”
“On my way.”
Justin had already started the water and decided to get in and wash his hair. He wet it down and was just massaging in the shampoo when he heard the door open. Brian began moving his hands down Justin’s slick body and as his hands cupped his firm ass he began to move his fingers between those two perfect globes. Justin attempted to rinse the remainder of soap out as Brian began to slide his finger in and out, putting pressure on Justin’s prostate as he did. Moments later Justin had cum all over Brian. He took a sponge and after putting soap on it he moved down his body and once he grazed Brian’s erection he began to tremble. Justin turned to the wall and without a word, Brian thrust in and signed, pressing Justin against the wall.
“Damn, I could stay in you all day.”
“I don’t think we should try that,” Justin turned so they could kiss and then Brian began to slowly move until both Brian and Justin crested and fell over that blissful edge together.
Brian and Justin were still kissing, although dressed, when Aiden knocked on the door. He was wrapped in a big, fluffy towel and smiling from ear to ear. He ran over to his dads, losing his towel as he did.
"Well, I guess he is just like his fathers," Gus laughed as he followed. "I wasn't sure what he should wear."
"Aiden, you can put on anything in your bag."
"Can I wear my pajamas?" He giggled..
“If you want to. I don’t think that would be as warm as your big sweatshirt and jeans, though. Oh, and you have to put on shoes or slippers.”
“Ok. Gus, can you comb my hair cool?”
“Come, Little Bro, and please put your towel back on. Our dads are teaching you bad habits.” Gus wrapped the towel around him and picked him up, carrying him back to the room they were sharing.
Brian was moving back to Justin’s mouth when the doorbell rang throughout the house. “Guess you were saved by the bell,” Brian dropped a kiss on Justin's forehead and moved out of the room.
“Coming!” Brian called as he moved down the steps and to the door, expecting John to be there with their seafood for dinner, but it wasn’t John. “I don’t know who you are but come in out of the deluge.”
“Sorry, I don’t know your name either.” The man had a large wooden crate in his arms. “I’m George Carter. I understand you called John about my boat today,” he said with a thick New England accent. “I had just gone out to get my traps in a lull and my radio and motor went out. I was trying to limp in when the Coast Guard arrived. John told me it was you and he said you were wanting seafood for dinner so I brought you a little bit of everything I had on hand.”
By now the other three had come downstairs and Aiden ran to Brian. He introduced himself. “I’m Aiden. I told my dads you needed help.”
The big weather-worn man offered his hand to Aiden, “Well, Aiden, I want to thank you very much. I hope you and your family enjoys some seafood on me.”
Gus walked up and offered to take the box from the man and carried it to the counter. He started looking through it. “This looks amazing.”
“I’m sorry,” Brian said, “I’m Brian Kinney. This is my husband Justin Taylor and that’s our oldest son, Gus. You’ve already met Aiden.”
“Nice to meet you folks. Oh, I have one more thing to bring in.” George ran back into the pouring rain.
“Dads, there is lobster, clams...I’m not sure what kind actually.” He pulled out a whole fish. “And this is a black bass. There are two of these.”
Brian opened the door as George came back in. “This should complete your meal. There is andouille sausage, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and onions to go with it.”
“This is amazing! I have never made most of this but…”
“Gus is our future chef. Whether he does it for a living or for family, he is already talented.”
“I was going to ask if you have ever made a seafood boil,” George smiled at Gus. “I was actually going to ask if you would like me to come back and make the meal. I am sure this young man would do a fine job but I also know a live lobster or crab can bite back.”
Gus looked at Brian and Justin who by now stood next to each other with Aiden in front of them. Justin nodded and said, “Mr….I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“George Carter but please call me George.”
“George, we don’t want to take you away from your family.”
“You can’t do that. My daughter is on the mainland in college and my wife passed away last year. If you hadn’t seen my boat it could have been hours before anyone realized I was in trouble.”
“Well, then, I think Gus would love to be your sous chef and learn how to make a proper New England Boil.”
“That sounds great!” Gus said.
“Well, I would love that. How about I come back about 5:00 and then it should be ready by 6:30 or so?”
“That will be perfect.” Justin smiled at the older man.
George walked to the door. “I need to go check on a boat motor.” The man smiled and waved as he pulled the door shut.
Once they put all the seafood in the fridge, they put some fun music on and started a jigsaw puzzle. “You do realize how crabby I am going to get, don’t you?” Brian mumbled but sat down and helped sort puzzle pieces. An hour later they were all surprised how long they had been working on it. And Brian and Aiden had teamed up. Aiden was amazingly good for his age and seeing him smile kept Brian engaged.
Justin went to the kitchen and looked in the fridge and pulled out sandwich meat and some bread as well as some salad greens, topping, and dressings. They made salads and sandwiches and sat around the kitchen island, eating lunch.
Gus was sitting next to Justin and leaned over and kissed his cheek. “What was that for?"
“For loving me as much as you do Aiden.”
“Gus, I have loved you since the day I heard about you.”
“Don’t you mean the day you met me?”
“No, I loved you as soon as I loved your dad. You are part of him.” Justin hugged him. “How about we make some dessert for tonight?”
“I saw some apples. How about making an apple crisp?” Gus was already planning what to put into it.
“I don’t know if there are any oats but we can make some kind of crust.” Justin said.
“Well, Aiden, how about you and I go upstairs and read in that big chair in my room. We can see if there are any more struggling ships.”
As soon as Gus heard the bedroom door shut, he said, “Aiden looks tired. He’s alright isn’t he?”
“This week has been hard on him. He…” Justin bit his lip and Gus put his arms around him.
“Dad, he is all ours. He isn’t going anywhere and you know Dad already has him napping on his lap.”
“You are so right, Gus. He can’t outgrow his disease but we can keep him as healthy as we can.” Justin went back to peeling apples.”
“Do you think he will realize sometime that he is small for his age and that he can’t do a lot of things his friends do?”
“Yes. Do you think that will be a problem?”
“Actually, I really don’t. He has so much character and is so loveable, I can see him with a circle of girls around him, all loving on him.”
That had Justin laughing, “I think you are right. I hope he keeps that attitude. We do keep him pretty protected.”
“We do, but Dad, he is smart and with that personality, he is going to be more successful than any of us.” By now Gus had finished the crust and put it in the fridge to chill it. He took over the apples tossing them in a little sugar and spices before putting them all in a pan. He added the juice of a lemon and a pinch of salt. “Dad, what liquor do we have. I want to add a little for flavor. “
"Will whiskey work? We don't have a lot of options."
"Sure that will will work."
Justin sat and watched Gus. As the apples cooked down, Gus rolled out the crust and put it into a springform pan. He added a little thickening to the apples and as soon as it was the right consistency, he poured it into the pan and then flipped the edges over the apples, making a galette. He crimped the edge just a bit before putting it into the oven.
Brian read a book while Aiden was looking out the window. He was only a few pages into and Aiden was sound asleep. Brian laid the book down and wrapped his arms tightly around his son, pulling him close and he shut his own eyes. A distance away he listened to thunder, again, coming closer.
“Gus, have you and JR talked more about being his first?” Justin handed Gus a cup of tea and sat down next to him as they looked out at the bay.
“We have. We are talking about Thanksgiving weekend. You and Dad are Ok with it, right?”
“We are Gus, and so are Ted and Vic. You know if you have questions about anything…”
“I do but it is kind of weird talking to you about it but I don’t want to hurt him or do something stupid. I want it to be special for him.”
“Gus, you are a good friend. Would you feel better talking to someone you aren’t related to?”
“I would.”
“What about Mitchell? I think he would talk to you and he is young and has an active social life.”
“Mitchell, your assistant? Ya, I think that would work. Do you think he would be willing to talk to me?”
Justin set down his empty cup and wrapped his arms gently around Gus’ shoulders. “I don’t think that will be a problem.” Gus laid his head on Justin’s shoulder and they sat quietly watching it rain until the timer went off. Gus pulled out the galette and set it on a rack to cool. “I’m going to make caramel sauce to drizzle over this.”
“Gus, are you thinking about being a chef?”
“I don’t know. I am not excited about working nights. I want to get married, have a family. I don’t want to work until 3:00 and get up at noon.”
“Maybe you could make specialty pastries or only take orders.”
“Do you think that would actually work?”
“I do. You could make pre-made meals for people. I think if you start thinking about it now, you could come up with the perfect job for you. I’ll help you! You have plenty of time.”
“Maybe I’ll change my mind but right now, I think I would really like to do that.”
“And you can always start in a restaurant to learn new skills and then decide what is your favorite.” Gus dipped a spoon into his caramel and handed it to Justin.
“Oh, god, that is good. You could bottle that.”
Before Gus could respond, Brian and Aiden came downstairs and the family was back to the puzzle.
Both Justin and Brian told stories about their childhood and what it was like in the old days. It finally cleared up a little and Brian, Justin and Aiden decided ice cream was needed for the galette and, leaving Gus at home, in case George arrived, they bundled up and left the house for the short walk to a convenience store.
Gus looked out at the gray seascape. He could picture it in the summer and the beach below would be full of people in bathing suits and the bay full of boats. Maybe they could come back in the summer. He wasn’t sure why but this place called to him. Gus went to the kitchen and started cleaning corn that George had brought earlier. He pulled off the corn silk and then cut the corn into two or three pieces. He was just moving to grab some more of the vegetables when he heard someone pull up.
Gus opened the door as Mr. Carter ran up to the door. “Please come in.”
“I just saw your dads and brother walking into the store. I hope they don’t plan to be long. The next squall will be coming in soon.”
“They are just grabbing some ice cream so they will come right back. I made a galette for dessert.”
“Now I am a bit surprised a boy your age even knows it is called a galette.” George smiled at the boy.
“I took some cooking classes in the summer. I found I liked it and I was good at it.”
“And there were lots of girls in the class?” George said and then quickly added, “Or a very nice boy?”
“Everyone was nice there but,” he looked at George and smiled, “I am looking for a nice girl.”
As the conversation continued, George made himself at home and got pots and pans out, “ I have a sweetheart of a daughter. She just left for college this fall and I miss her. It was hard on her when her mama died but she is strong and smart just like her mother.”
“What’s her name?”
“Martha Lee,” George smiled again. “She hates that name but she goes by Marlee.” George put a large pot of water on the stove. He could see Gus was surprised at the size of the pot.
“Almost everyone has a pot this size out here. It is just for a Seafood Boil. It would usually be done on the beach over an open fire but this time of year we move inside.” George directed Gus to cut the onions in half and peel them. “Gus, your brother seems to be fragile. Is he sick?”
Gus told George about Aiden’s disease. “He is doing well right now but he will always be smaller and have to take medication. Every few years he seems to have a setback but Uncle Victor, my dads’ best friend, is his doctor and he takes really good care of him.”
“It is obvious you are both loved.”
“My dads are the best. I think I will heat some water. My dads will probably want to make some coffee for themselves but Aid will like hot chocolate.”
George watched the young man thinking ahead to care for his family. He liked this boy. He liked this family. It was obvious this family had a decent income and yet this boy didn’t act like any over privileged teenager he had met and he had met many living here.
The door opened and Justin, Aiden, and Brian walked in. “Damn, it is kicking up again out there.”
“I have hot chocolate ready for you, Little Bro, and dads, the coffee maker is ready so you can make coffee.”
As Gus poured the creamy drink into a cup when Aiden said, “That looks good. Thanks, Gus.”
Brian started a cup of coffee and passed it to Justin as he made a second cup.
“You found ice cream?” Gus asked.
“We did. The clerk looked surprised that anyone would buy ice cream on a day like this,” Justin commented. He held his mug out to Brian who put a shot of whiskey in Justin’s mug and in his own. “George, would you like a cup?”
“In a few minutes. We almost have the prep ready and then I will have time to enjoy some spiked coffee. Gus, why don’t we each take one of the fish and you can follow what I do. It is the best way to learn. Fifteen minutes later everyone was sitting around the fireplace. While the pot boiled and the fish waited to be put in the oven at the last minute.”
“George, are you a chef somewhere, or were you?” Gus asked.
“I just call myself a cook but I had some training years ago. Now I run a restaurant here on the island. I supply my own seafood so that’s why I was on the boat this morning.”
“George, can I go out on your boat sometime?” Aiden asked the older man.
“Well if you are only here for the weekend I am afraid that won’t be possible. Not only is the weather too bad but my boat is out of order. But, if you come back next summer, I promise you a voyage.”
Aiden walked over to his dads and got on Brian’s lap and looked at the two of them. “Big Daddy and Daddy, can we?”
“I think that might be possible.” Justin smiled at Aiden.
“Just let me know when you want to come and you can stay with me and Marlee.”
“Marlee is George’s daughter. She is in Boston at college right now,” Gus offered.
“I have a rental place. Let me know what works and I will save it for you.”
“That would be great! When we get back we will compare calendars and get a couple options for you.”
Gus went to the kitchen and popped the fish into the oven. “Aid, want to help me set the fancy table?” He pointed toward the formal dining room which they hadn’t even entered since they were there.
“Sure!” The boys left the men so they could finish getting the meal ready.
“That is a great boy you have and he is very talented in the kitchen.” George said to Brian and Justin.
“Yes, he really is. I didn’t say this to your son but every summer I hire one or two young people who are interested in food service and have them work with me. Many of them are now well known chefs. Looking at that dessert he made, I have a feeling he leans to pastry and I have an excellent pastry chef that would love to work with him.”
“Of course that is up to him but I have a feeling Gus will jump at that. I just hate to think of him being away but it would be very good for him,” Justin sighed. “He is growing up so fast.”
“I would love a whole restaurant full of young people like him. Excuse me, I better check on the fish.”
Fifteen minutes later the five were around the table in the dining room. George and Gus had put a heavy layer of newspaper and then poured the contents of the pot on the paper. The fish were placed on a platter and everyone was digging in.
The next hour was filled with food and stories. Gus figured out that George was more than a restaurateur. “George, why didn’t you tell me you were a well known chef.”
“If I am so well known, I wouldn’t need to tell you who I am,” he smiled.
“I thought I had seen your face and when we finished setting the table I did a quick search. By your name there are 3 Michelin stars. You are one of the best…”
“Gus, I hope people enjoy my food but I don’t care what those fancy people say.”
“I agree. I love it when people enjoy my cooking. But I do it for the people I love.”
“Gus, whatever you decide to do, you will do it well.”
Everyone ate their fill and Brian said, “I think we need to wait a bit before we eat dessert. Let’s move back to the fireplace where we can see the cove.”
Aiden and Gus worked on the puzzle while the men talked about a lot of different things. They asked about property on the island and if there was anything for sale. They both could tell Gus would end up here part time so it would make sense to have a place here. It didn’t have to be this fancy, just a small cottage, but a place they could use on a weekend now and then. It was much closer than the mountain home.
Aiden walked over to Justin, “Daddy, can we have dessert now. I’m getting tired.”
“Sure we can.” Gus was already moving to the kitchen. He had set the caramel out earlier and now he warmed it for just a few moments in the microwave. He assembled Aiden’s dessert first and brought it to him and then assembled the other four dishes. Now knowing who George was, Gus was nervous. He could help Gus get into a school or get him a job later, if he was impressed.
Gus put the apple galette on each plate, drizzled it with caramel and then added a small dip of ice cream and then drizzled just a bit more caramel and finished it with a shake of cinnamon sugar. Everyone was silent as they ate. After about three bites George looked at him. “Gus, this is first class. The crust is flaky and baked through. The apples are not too sweet and not overcooked. And this caramel, this took skill.”
Gus couldn’t believe what he had said. He really meant what he said and that is what counted.
“Gus keeps us well fed but Justin has been doing it for years. If it wasn’t for the two of them and our nanny we would have take out every night.”
“Cooking is a great family activity. It brings a family closer. My wife and I started cooking with Marlee when she was younger than Aiden. It was always our happy place.” George saw Aiden yawn. “It is time for me to go. How long are you folks around?”
“We leave Sunday, late afternoon.”
“The storm is supposed to be cleared out by then. I am sorry the weather is so bad for you but I can see you can make your own entertainment. How about I drop off some tiger prawn for dinner tomorrow night.”
“You don’t need to do that, George, but if you insist, join us again?”
“I can’t. Tomorrow night I will be at the restaurant. But why don’t you come to my place for brunch on Sunday. I will have John pick you up at 10:00?”
“That sounds great. You are too kind, George.” Justin stood picking Aiden up. I need to get this guy tucked in bed.”
Aiden waved at George. "Bye, George. See you soon."
"Good night, Aiden. Sleep well and keep an eye out for broken boats."
"I will." He laid his head on Justin's shoulder and Justin moved up the steps.
George moved to the door and Brian walked with him. "You are a blessed man, Brian."
"You don't have to tell me that. I know what I have and will do everything I can to keep it."
Once Brian came back to the kitchen, he helped Gus clean up. “Dad, I can’t believe I spent the evening cooking with George Carter. He is a legend in some places but he wouldn’t play their games. He wouldn’t jack up his prices and cut down on portion size so he left the city and moved out here.”
“Gus, George is going to ask you to come here for the summer. He wants you to train with him.”
“Dad, are you kidding?”
“No, that’s why your dad and I are going to try to get a place for the summer. We can come and stay for part of the summer at least.”
“I can’t believe this? I am going to work with a Michelin chef. I love Martha’s Vineyard.”
Saturday, George was true to his word and he had shrimp delivered to their house. It wasn’t sunny but the storm had calmed down and they spent some time outside. First taking a walk and then the four of them got in the hot tub. After their shrimp dinner they watched an old movie and then Saturday was over.
Brian and Justin lay in bed after making love. Brian’s head was on Justin’s chest as he listened to his heartbeat. “I think we really do need to buy a place here or at least get a rental for the summer. You could work from here, right?”
“I probably could for a few weeks at a time. I think it would be good for Aiden, too. Maybe Raymond could come for part of the time.” Justin stroked Brian’s skin. “We will check into a house here but for now get those kissable lips up here. Brian trapped Justin under his own body and after kissing him slid his hand down lower for round two.
Sunday morning everyone packed up their bags and at 10:00 a.m. John arrived and drove them to George’s restaurant. George gave them a tour of the kitchen, pointing out all the special features of it. Gus was more and more excited.
They went back into the dining room and were given carte blanche for the brunch bar before George excused himself to go back to work but he had gotten their information and he promised to be in contact.
Gus kept going back ‘one more time’ to sample everything available. When they were ready to go back to the house he walked home instead of riding back with the rest. He knew he had plenty of time so he strolled along the shore and when he got to the beach below their house, he sat on the steps and watched the ocean. He had been to the ocean before but it was different here. He belonged here.
Brian saw Gus sitting down there and walked down the steps to the beach. He sat down on the steps above him and leaned forward, putting his arms around Gus. “Gus, are you doing alright?”
“I am, Dad. This weekend has been amazing. I am so glad we are here together and I am really sure now that I want to go to culinary school.”
“I’m glad, Gus. Some people take years to find the job they want. And if you decide later you want to do something else, that’s fine too. We just want you to be happy. And no matter what you do we are proud of you.”
“Dad, I know that. If you and Dad hadn’t gotten me out of Mom’s house I would probably be sent somewhere getting clean. I want to always make you proud.” He turned and kissed his dad’s cheek.
“Hey, guys, the car will be here in a few minutes.” Justin called from the house.
“We’re coming,” they called in unison. When they got to the top of the steps, Gus turned around and looked over the cove before turning around and going inside.
The plane had been waiting when they arrived at the airport and they were home in time for Aiden to take a bath and get into bed at his normal bedtime. Tomorrow was life back to normal but without Daklin hanging over their head it was a whole new life.