Forever – Chapter 84

The sun continued its trek across the sky over Centennial Airport. It was hot outside, and I appreciated the air conditioning in Billy’s limo. He parked on the tarmac near our hangar. I sat up front with him while we waited for my plane to return home. Things were quiet around the airport on an early Wednesday afternoon. 

Billy was relaxed. I was not. I fussed with all the various dials and gadgets on the limo dashboard, fretting over plans for Sam’s birthday dinner.

“Would you stop touching everything? You’re ‘bout as nervous as a cat in a room full of rockin’ chairs,” said Billy with a grin.

I snatched my hands back. “Sorry. I’m just worried about tonight. Everything has to be perfect.”

“Take a breath, man. Be cool. Sam still has no idea?” asked Billy.

I exhaled and sat on my hands. “None. Everyone was sworn to secrecy. He thinks you, Jerome and the baby are the only guests for dinner tonight. He’s expecting sausage pizza and absolutely no cake,” I replied.

Billy smiled. “I can’t wait to see his face when these boys start poppin’ outta the woodwork.”

I grimaced. “Here’s hoping we don’t blow the surprise.”

“Relax, Cute Stuff. I got this,” he said, patting my knee. “I’ll drop the boys off at the hotel for a little R & R, then bring them to the house while you and Sam are out. I’ll swing back to my place and pick up the J’s and we’ll be back in plenty of time for the surprise. How you gettin’ Sam out of the house, anyway?”

I blushed and looked away. I felt Billy’s grin on the back of my flaming red neck.

“Go, Jack! Gettin’ the party started early, are we?”

I turned toward him with a sheepish grin. “Not exactly. He’s taking me to pick out handles for the shower walls.”

That earned me the full Adams smile. “Okay, now we’re gettin’ somewhere. Good for you. Can’t have you a slippin’ and a slidin’ and fallin’ on that cute ass of yours.” 

I smiled. “I’m meeting him at the hardware store. He’s been teasing me about those damn handles for weeks.”

“Sounds like fun to me. You’ll have to let me know how they work out for ya. When Jerome gets after my ass in the shower, I got all I can handle to stay on my feet.” He chuckled to himself. 

I loved sex talk with Billy. From the first day I met him, he made me feel normal, less a freak of nature. And now that I had a man after my own ass, we had a lot in common.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” I said, turning serious.

“Sure, anything,” said Billy.

“Has the baby put a damper on…you know?”

“On sex?”

“Yeah.”

He stared out the windshield and pointed to a plane landing on the far runway. “I think the party’s arrivin’.” The jet touched down with a small puff of smoke from the tires and finished the roll out. My pulse quickened. I was excited to see the guys again.

“As for your question,” Billy continued. “Maybe a little at first. I mean, Little Jay was a lot to deal with all at once, and Romy was focused on him round the clock. But I got my man all squared away again.”

“What did you do?”

Billy chuckled, his big shoulders bobbing up and down. “One evenin’, after I fed Jay his bottle, I put him down a little early. Went right to sleep while Romy started fixin’ us a late dinner. I knew he was exhausted and stressed, but I had a longin’ in my backside somethin’ fierce. You know what I’m talkin’ about?” 

I nodded. I knew that longing well.

“So I walked up to him, took the spatula out of his hand, and kissed him like I meant somethin’ by it. Then I grabbed his dick and whispered in his ear that Little Jay’s ass wasn’t the only one needin’ some attention. That did the trick, and we’ve been fine ever since. Never did get to eat that night. Not food, anyway.”

I laughed, and he grinned at me.

“You really like being a father, don’t you,” I said.

“Love it. Better than I ever imagined. I mean, me and Jerome been wantin’ kids for forever. Mostly I love what it’s done for Romy. He’s so good, Jack, so good. Patient…soft. It’s a beautiful thing to watch him love on Jayden. And he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him.”

“Sounds wonderful,” I said with a sigh.

Billy put his hand on my knee again. “You’ll get there. Let it come to you when the time’s right.” I nodded, knowing that even if I was ready to be a parent, which I wasn’t, the timing was absolutely not right for Sam and me.

I watched the sleek airplane taxi gracefully across the tarmac, a beautiful machine carrying precious cargo. It might not be a baby, but I was confident Sam would love my birthday surprise.

The plane rolled to a stop in front of the massive hangar, maybe a hundred feet from where we waited, and the engine whine wound down to a tolerable decibel level. I stepped out of the car and leaned back against the passenger door. Billy joined me, his long hair blowing in the wind around his face. His large frame partially blocked me from the blazing sun.

Captain Ron waved to us with a smile through the cockpit window and I waved back. A moment later, the seal around the forward door cracked, and Nancy gracefully lowered the stairs to the tarmac. She waved when she saw us. I was glad she agreed to fly with the guys on this trip.

She stepped back into the shadows of the cabin and suddenly the door frame was filled with the little hulk himself, Stubbs. He lifted his shades, squinted, then slowly descended to the tarmac and walked toward us. He had on shorts and a white t-shirt with some multi-colored graphic I couldn’t make out. He saw me and padded over in flip flops, earbuds dangling around his neck.

“Welcome to Denver,” I said, bumping his outstretched fist with my own. “Stubbs…this is my friend, Billy.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Stubbs, his eyes scanning Billy’s frame up and down and side to side as they bumped fists. Two huge muscular guys taking the measure of each other. Billy gave him the full wattage smile. I think Stubbs was impressed. Who wouldn’t be?

I glanced past Stubbs to see Tommy chatting with Nancy at the top of the stairs. He shook her hand and she nodded. He wasted no time scrambling down the stairs and fast walked over to give me a huge hug, which I was not expecting. I rolled with it. It was nice.

He squeezed my shoulder and smiled ear to ear. “Jack, great to see you, man. How you holding up?”

“I’m good. How was your flight?”

“Are you kidding? It was unbelievable. No wonder Sam goes on and on about it. I could get used to that in a hurry. If you ever decide to dump this one for something bigger, let me know. I’ll take it off your hands. Whadda ya think, Stubbs?” said Tommy, elbowing him in the side. “Fancy taking that around the islands for work everyday?”

Stubbs grunted and shrugged his massive shoulders.

“Where’s JP?” I asked.

“Getting his shit together. Speaking of which, he’s a changed man,” said Tommy in a more hushed tone.

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah. Very chill…and all smiles. I don’t know what they did to him in that place, but I like the new version.”

“Here’s hoping it sticks,” said Stubbs. 

“I hope so, too,” I said. “Here he comes.”

JP looked good from a distance. He had cut his hair, and his clothes looked less unkempt from what I remembered. It was only shorts and a tee, like the other guys, but nicer. He carefully moved his tall, lanky body down the stairs, carrying a backpack in one hand, and holding on to the thin railing with the other. Once on the tarmac, he paused to pull sunglasses out of his bag and pushed them across his eyes, then casually walked over to the gleaming black limousine.

We stood there, face to face, not saying anything at first. He was different. He had a confidence that wasn’t there the last time I had seen him. A few months ago he was a lost puppy. Today he owned the world.

He stepped over and pulled me into a tight hug. “It’s really good to see you, Jack. Thanks for bringing me along.” He stepped back, all smiles.

I looked at Sam’s best friends, all lined up in their shorts and t-shirts and flip flops. “It’s good to see you guys, too. I can’t wait to see Sam’s face. He’s gonna flip,” I said, bouncing on my toes.

“He doesn’t know we’re coming?” asked JP.

I stopped bouncing. “Not unless one of you told him,” I said, looking at Tommy.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t tell him anything. Far as he knows, we’re still on the islands.”

“Good. You guys hungry?” I asked.

They groaned in unison. JP rubbed his flat stomach. “I’m stuffed,” he said. “Nancy served us panini sandwiches and the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted.” 

I laughed. “Those are Sam’s favorites. So no food then. Alright, well, let’s get your bags,” I said, looking over their shoulders as Justin and Ron offloaded the guys’ luggage onto a rolling cart. Billy, who had been standing by in silence, jumped into action and helped Justin roll the luggage cart to the back of the limo.

“Having a little party, boss?” asked Justin, winking at me as he approached the car.

“It’s Sam’s birthday. It’s a surprise.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, now,” he said with a grin.

“That doesn’t leave much out, does it?” I said with a cheeky grin right back at him. He laughed and placed the last bag into the the trunk. Billy snapped into professional driver mode and slid around to open the rear door.

Billy turned on the full wattage smile. “Gentlemen, your ride awaits,” he said, with a flourish of an ebony hand.

“Tommy, JP…this charmer is Billy, first person I met here in Denver, and my very good friend. He’s going to take care of you guys today while I keep Sam busy before the party.”

“What time is it, anyway?” asked Stubbs, squinting up at the sun and yawning. 

“It’s almost two. Billy will take you to your hotel so you can change, take a nap…whatever. He’ll pick you up later and bring you out to the house while Sam and I are out doing some errands. We’ll all stay at the house tonight.”

Tommy sighed and turned serious. “Jack, this is swell and all, but you don’t have to go to the expense of a hotel room for us. We can just change at your place before the party.”

I had been dreading this, but Margie had scolded me and helped me see there was no hiding the truth once the ball got rolling. I glanced at Billy and he just smiled, waiting for my response. 

Turning to the guys, I said, “Okay, let’s get this over with. By now you’ve probably figured out that I have some money.”

“Some?” said Tommy, smiling. “That wasn’t a model airplane we just flew in on.”

I swallowed and took a breath. “Right. And there will be more stuff like that. Just roll with it, okay? I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, I just want to make this weekend really special for Sam. He’s put up with a lot to be with me, and now it’s going to be all about him. Can we do that?”

Tommy looked at the other guys, then grinned at me. “Absolutely. For Sam,” he said, raising his hand in the air, and we all high-fived him. I breathed a sigh of relief. I needed Tommy on my side if my plans were going to work.

I watched the limo disappear around the corner of a building as my cell phone vibrated. Of course it was Ben. I answered.

“Ready to roll?” he asked.

I sighed and turned to look at the black SUV idling next to the hangar. I was on pins and needles as it was, I didn’t need the heavy prodding from him. I checked my thoughts, though, reminding myself I was grateful he was still part of the team. 

“Yep,” I replied, nodding in the direction of the SUV, and started walking that way. 

It had been over a week since the mysterious warning about Texas. The IT security team had not reported any additional attempted hacks into our system, which had everyone, especially Will, breathing a little easier. They were still trying to track down the intruder, but so far the relays went all over the world. It would take time. Even Ben had dialed back the intensity a bit, enough that he let me meet the guys without him hovering like a mother hen.

The black SUV he was driving was a change he insisted on, and I was cool with it. The big BMW was noticeable, while the SUV looked like one of hundreds on the roads around Denver. The armor plating and bullet-proof glass weren’t obvious from a distance.

I hopped in the back seat as Ben put the big rig in gear. He spoke softly into a microphone on his wrist and we started moving toward the airport exit. The driver of a second identical SUV watched as we passed by a moment later, then fell in behind and followed us back toward the office. The tail car was a new addition.

I sighed for the millionth time, feeling ridiculous for the security spectacle. Despite the tinted windows, I saw more than a few obvious stares as my little entourage passed by. Sam kept telling me it was an unfortunate necessity and to just roll with it. Easy for him to say. I didn’t roll all that easily with most things. Except Sam. Rolling around with him was fun.

“Anything changed from what we discussed this morning?” asked Ben, as he changed lanes for our exit. I looked at his reflection in the rear view mirror and observed the relative calm in his face. The old Ben was back, hopefully for good.

“No changes. We’ll go back to the office for me to wrap up a few things, then we’ll meet Sam for his first surprise.”

“He still has no idea?”

“Don’t think so. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

He looked at me in the mirror. I couldn’t see his eyes behind the ever present dark sunglasses, but his expression turned serious. “If you both agree to the defensive driving classes, I have no issue with it. You’ll have a security tail at all times, and an advance team when necessary. The more routine you make things, the easier it is for the teams to do their jobs. Just don’t let me catch you without your GPS trackers.”

I nodded, not wanting to rehash the many lectures I had endured the past week about security details and personal responsibility for my safety. I had kept my eye-rolling to a minimum and let Ben do his thing. At the end of the day, a big part of my physical security was not about me at all. Who knew?

Back in my office, Todd filled me in on the latest quarterly projections. We had sunk a ton of capital into the hotel acquisitions, but the cash flow projections looked very promising. If things played out as planned, we stood to make an operating profit just under twenty million in the first year, which gave us some wiggle room to make improvements to some of the properties.

“Speaking of properties, you all set for this weekend?” asked Todd, closing his final file folder.

I sighed. “I think so. You made all the arrangements at that end, right?”

“Yes. When you land, you’ll be met by the head of security,” said Todd, pulling up a note on his phone. “Guy’s name is Spencer. He’ll escort you to the resort. Here, I’ll send you all my notes so you have them.” He pressed a thumb to his phone’s screen and my phone dinged two seconds later.

“You need anything more from me?” I asked.

“Nope. I’m all good,” he said, leaning back and putting his feet up on his desk. “Looking forward to a few days of peace and quiet while the boss is out. Golf all day tomorrow, office party on Friday. Which reminds me, I need Robbie to confirm the DJ.” He plopped his feet down and reached for his phone like was going to call him. He broke into a massive grin as Margie stepped into his office.

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t even play golf, do you?” Margie raised her eyebrows and looked at her husband. 

“Golf?” asked Margie.

“That’s what you think,” said Todd. “My assistant out there promised to teach me a few things.”

I turned to Margie with a smirk. “Are you buying this crap?”

Margie snorted. “Hey, as long as Robbie’s not teaching him how to roll joints, I’m fine with it.” She turned to Todd and pointed her half-chewed pen at him. “Don’t you dare come home smelling like weed. You’ll be sleeping in a tent in the backyard.”

“Cool,” said Todd, leaning back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head. “A little fire, some s’mores. We could have a party.”

She looked at him like he had three eyes. “Are you for real? I’m pregnant. I’m hormonal. I’m tired. And that’s the positives,” she said, rubbing her slightly bulging tummy. “You do not want to see all this shoved into a hot, sticky tent, covered in melted chocolate and marshmallows.”

“Ooo…melted chocolate,” said Todd, leaping up and grabbing her around the waist. He pulled her close. “Sounds like fun. I can work with that.”

She scrunched up her face. “Yuck. No chocolate. But I do want a hamburger in the worst way. Take me to Larkburger and who knows? You might get a little sugar after all.”

I grinned. “Okay, then. I’ll just leave the two of you alone. Should I close the door on my way out?”

They let go of each other, big grins on their faces. Todd might have even been flushed a little.

“Have a great time, Jack,” he said. “If you need anything, just holler.”

“Thanks. Margie, you have anything for me?”

“I do, actually. Shouldn’t take but a minute. I’m going to run to the ladies room. I’ll meet you back at your office?”

I nodded.

I stopped and conferred with Will regarding the attempted security breach. For the most part, everyone had settled down, satisfied our data was safe. Will was taking every precaution known to man. 

“We won’t know much more until next week at the earliest,” said Will, running his hands through his hair. “This trace is proving elusive.”

“What’s really wrong?” I asked. He looked at me, puzzled by the question.

“What do you mean?”

“You seem stressed out.”

He sighed and exhaled forcefully. “I am. It’s all this tech stuff. I feel like I’m in over my head. And I’m not comfortable not knowing things.”

I looked him in the eyes and said, “Will…you are one of the smartest guys here. You’ve got this. I have confidence in you. And listen…if you need help, if you want to hire a security expert who, like, hacking is his thing? Do it. Find the best and get them in here.”

“Seriously?” he asked.

“Yes, seriously. You were never supposed to be the main IT guy, you know. Todd wants you working with him. Let’s make that happen. I don’t know, is there a guy at the firewall company you think might want to make the jump?”

“Not that I know of,” said Will. “But I did know a guy in college who was aces with technology. Got a computer science degree and went to work for one of the three-letter government agencies. I think I saw on the internet he’s freelancing now.”

“There you go. Worth a shot. I don’t want you burning out on us. Make the call.”

Will finally smiled. “Okay, I will. Thanks, boss.”

“You’re welcome. Say, have you heard anything from Valerie? How’s she doing?”

“Funny you should ask. She called me last weekend. She’s doing great. Going back to school. Has her own place, with a stable roommate. She sounds good.”

“No regrets about the baby?”

“She says not. I think she’s just grateful he ended up in a good home. She’s done with surrogacy.”

“Yeah. She had it rough. I’m glad she landed on her feet, though. Well, I’m going to be out for the rest of the week. Is there anything you need?”

He shook his head. “Don’t think so. I’ll start looking for a security guru right away.”

“Good. See you next week.”

Back in my office, Margie ran me through a pile of documents detailing our new staffing. With the acquisition of the two hotel chains, and the centralization to our offices, we were jammed in like sardines. And more were slowly migrating to Denver. It was a problem.

“What’s the estimate from Simon on the build out upstairs?” I asked, skimming lists of people I had yet to meet.

“Two weeks at the earliest. He’s pulling the crew from your house starting tomorrow. Speaking of which, how do you like your new bathrooms? You and Sam done the deed in the new digs yet?” She chewed her pen with humor in her eyes.

“Never mind what Sam and I do in our own bathroom,” I replied, only slightly blushing. “What would the human resources police have to say about you speaking to your boss like that?”

She grinned and pointed her chewed pen at me. “They would say I’m helping my boss stay focused on what’s really important so he doesn’t get lost in the weeds.”

I snorted and she grinned wider. She was right, of course. Her unorthodox verbal banter aside, Margie kept me sane and out of trouble most days. I could not do what I was trying to do – lead a multi-million dollar corporation – without her.

“Speaking of your lover,” said Margie. “Does he have any idea what you’ve done for his birthday?”

“Everybody keeps asking me that today,” I whined, throwing my hands up in mild protest. I sighed and refocused. “No, he doesn’t. I don’t think so, anyway. Why, do you know something I don’t?”

She smiled. “He called Todd yesterday. He said it was to check up on you, which is beyond sweet, by the way, but I think he was fishing.”

I glanced toward the windows, a picture of Sam in my mind’s eye, standing naked and dripping wet from the shower, as he gently kissed me. Yeah, Sam was sweet. And sometimes he was hard as a rock, pounding and pummeling and taking what he wanted. I loved both sides of my man, and everything in between.

“Earth to Jack,” said Margie. I flinched and dragged myself back to the conversation at hand, hoping my thoughts weren’t obvious. “Where’d you go?”

I cleared my throat and looked down at my hands. “Uh…nowhere. I’m right here. What else did Todd say about Sam?” I said.

“Just that he asked a bunch of questions about your work schedule for the rest of the week. Todd told him you had a couple of can’t miss meetings tomorrow and Friday.”

I grinned. “How did Sam react?”

“Don’t know, but I think your secret’s safe for now. When do you plan on telling him?”

“Tonight, when Billy and Jerome bring the guys out to the house. He’s so going to flip.”

She smiled, mischief in her eyes. “What?” I asked. “Wait…never mind. I don’t want to know.”

Her smile widened. “You’re so getting lucky this weekend.” I blushed, feeling the heat on my ears. 

“Do me a favor, will you?” said Margie.

“What?” I asked.

“Relax and have some fun with Sam. You guys need it.”

“That’s the plan,” I said with a real smile.

Thirty minutes later, I was standing next to Sam in the largest home supply company in the Denver area, looking at a wall of stainless steel support rails in numerous sizes and configurations.

“This is so awesome,” said Sam. I looked sideways. He was grinning like a madman. He reached over and put his hand on the small of my back and I sighed. I felt a tingle deep inside my butt. His hand slid a little lower and I giggled and stepped out of reach, turning to him.

“Are you sure about this? They look…I don’t know…”

“I know what you mean. We need something less…medical,” said Sam.

“But what?” 

We both looked around at all the bathroom fixtures. The place was so big, I couldn’t see the far wall for all the vanities and tubs and shower surrounds filling the aisles.

“Let’s look over here,” said Sam. I followed, watching the mounds of his sexy ass undulate in his old ripped jeans. He wore those on purpose to torture me, I was sure of it. I longed to stick my fingers through the rip right under his left cheek and explore past the blue boxer briefs peeking through.

“Yes!” Sam shouted in victory. He pointed to a collection of bars and supports that were stainless steel, but not as bulky and plain as the ones designed to meet government safety standards. These had some style to go with their functionality, and given the new contemporary design of the bathrooms, they would fit right in.

“You sure they will support…you know?” I whispered.

Sam’s hand snaked back across my back and pulled me close to his side. “They’re perfect,” he said, then twisted so we faced each other. He traced my cheek with a light finger, his deep blue eyes twinkling with mischief and lust. “I can’t wait to try them out.”

I grinned. “Well, something tells me there’s some installation required. You sure you have the right tools?”

He shocked me by grabbing his crotch and squeezing. “I’ve got all the tools you need right here, baby.” 

I gasped and blushed all the way to my toes. I rushed to hide my face in his neck. “I can’t believe you did that,” I whispered. “You know there are cameras everywhere.”

He lifted my chin gently and looked into my eyes. “Hey, little man. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. Forgive me?”

I grinned. “Only if you promise I can play with your tools later.”

He laughed. “Any time you want.”

Another thirty minutes later, Sam and I walked out of the plumbing supply store, our arms full of boxes. Ben pulled the SUV up and we tossed everything in the back.

“Find what you were looking for?” asked Ben, as we slid into the back seat.

Sam looked at me and grinned. “They’re perfect.” I blushed and slid down in the seat, looking out the opposite window. 

“Hey, Ben? Our boy been behaving himself today?” asked Sam. I spun my head and slapped his shoulder, and he and Ben both smiled.

“He stuck with protocol today. First time for everything, I suppose,” said Ben. I rolled my eyes and he laughed. Sam squeezed me closer to his side and I settled in next to him, my head resting on his shoulder. He smelled of sunshine and Bvlgari shower gel. Heavenly.

“Let’s go home. I’m hungry for some pizza,” said Sam. I glanced again at Ben in the rear view mirror and gave him a small smile. 

We had a detour to make first.

“Why are we stopping here?” asked Sam when Ben pulled into the massive car lot.

I opened my eyes and pushed off Sam’s shoulder. “I have to pick something up. This will only take a minute or two I promise, and then we can go straight home.”

“What are you doing, Schaeffer?” asked Sam, his face serious.

“Nothing. Come with me. This will be quick,” I said, sliding over to the door and letting myself out. Sam followed slowly, giving Ben a hard look as he got out from behind the wheel. Ben’s face was blank and passive, giving nothing away. Good man.

I swallowed and started walking toward the thin gray haired man holding open the showroom door for us.

“Good evening, Mr. Schaeffer,” said the man at the door. I don’t know how he knew my name, but I didn’t stop to ask. I reached behind me and Sam grabbed my hand and stepped up next to me.

“Is Tony here?” I asked.

“He’s at his desk. He said to go right back.”

“Jack? What’s going on?” whispered Sam as I fast walked past the shiny new vehicles and the older woman with the pursed lips staring daggers at us as we walked past her, still holding hands. I ignored her and kept walking.

I stopped short at the door to Tony’s office. I had made two visits to the dealership in the past week, and Tony, the sales manager, rose from behind his desk.

“Is this Sam?” he asked, stepping around his desk and reaching out with a hand. Sam shook it and looked at me, still confused.

“Sam, this is Tony Davidson. Tony, this is Sam.”

“Nice to meet you, Sam. Happy birthday,” said Tony.

“Jack…what did you do?” asked Sam.

“Everything ready?” I asked Tony, ignoring Sam’s comment.

“Right this way,” said Tony, motioning with his hand to follow him. We did. Well, I sort of half-dragged Sam behind me.

Down a hallway, past the cashier and the service desk, Tony opened a door into a private, single stall garage, and there it was. Tony handed me the keys and smiled. “She’s all yours.”

“Thanks, Tony. I’ll be in touch,” I said. Tony nodded and left us alone. Sam was oblivious, staring at the very large silver truck with shiny chrome accents everywhere.

“What the fuck?” he whispered.

“You like it? It’s your birthday present,” I said, grabbing his arm.

“Seriously?”

“Yep. It’s all yours. It’s the one you wanted, right?”

“You tricked me. You said this was for your company.”

“It was. Simon bought two for the company, but I saw how your eyes lit up when we were looking at them, and you never really liked the BMW or the old truck, so I thought, what better surprise?” I turned him to face me. “And you don’t even know the best part yet. Ready for this? Ben says that if you and I go through some kind of defensive driving school, he’ll let us drive ourselves places. Alone! Just you and me in the truck, no one else. How about that?”

“But…I don’t…Jack…I can’t…” 

I put a finger to his lips and looked down at his chest. “Don’t. Please don’t say you can’t accept it. Say you want something else, say you want a different color or a different style, whatever. But please don’t say I can’t bless you with this for your birthday.”

He sighed and pulled me into a tight hug. His body said I love you, but I knew his emotions were rebelling against the gift. I understood, but I was going to win this fight.

“Jack…” he started.

I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. “Please let me do this, Sam,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”

“I don’t need expensive gifts to know you love me,” he replied.

I nodded. “I know. But it’s not just for you — it’s for us. I want to sit next to you and hold your hand and have you drive us places, like Hawaii, or when we were out East.”

“That part’s cool,” said Sam. “I’d like that, too. But it’s too much, don’t you think?”

I glanced at the truck. “Why?”

“It’s…so…shiny. And big.”

“It’s smaller than the old truck. But yeah…it is shiny. So let’s take it home and maybe it’ll get a little dirty on the way.”

Sam smiled and pulled me into a tighter hug. I felt the tension leave his body, warm and snug next to mine. He sighed and kissed my forehead.

“This is it, right? I don’t have a bunch of other stuff to open when we get back to the house?”

I looked into his eyes and grinned. “Nope. Just a birthday dinner. Billy, Jerome and the baby will be there soon, so we should get going.” I handed him the keys, and as I expected, once he accepted the idea, he was clearly excited to drive his new rig.

We climbed up into the cab. It had that new car smell. Sam rubbed the leather steering wheel and grinned from ear to ear. He turned to look at me, his blue eyes dancing. “Seriously? This is mine?”

I laughed. “Yes, you goof. Come on, take me home. I’m hungry.”

His eyes stopped dancing, and suddenly there were tears threatening. Crap! What did I say?

“I love you so much,” he whispered. “You know it’s not about the money, right?”

I leaned over the console, grabbed his face in my hands, and stared deeply into his eyes. “I know, Sam. I do.”

He closed his eyes and I rested my forehead on his. We sat there, just breathing…just being. After a few moments, Sam’s stomach gurgled and we both snorted.

“Time to feed the monster,” I said. Sam smiled and pressed the button under the dash to start the big truck. The engine rumbled to life. Sam’s smile widened.

“Oh man, this is so cool,” he said.

“Glad you like it,” I said. He turned to me, grinning.

“Do we have to wait for Ben?” he asked.

“My guess is he’s waiting for us around front. Don’t worry. I’m sure he won’t let us out of his sight.”

“Let’s roll,” said Sam. He eased the truck out of the garage, grabbed my hand over the console, and we were on our way. As we pulled around the building, Ben held up a hand and Sam pulled to a stop next him, lowering his window.

“Nice ride,” said Ben.

“Thanks,” said Sam with a proud grin. “How’s this work now?”

“You’ll follow me. Another vehicle will follow behind you. Stay in formation out to the house. We’ll work out the kinks as we go.” He pulled his shades down and turned to go back to the SUV.

“Ben?” I yelled.

He turned around again, staring at me through the window. “What now?”

I smiled. “Thank you,” I said.

I swear he winked at me.

Billy and Jerome pulled up into the driveway behind us as our little caravan arrived back at the house. By the time Sam had parked his new toy in the garage, Jerome had little Jayden’s car seat out of Billy’s sedan. Sam went running to see his favorite little person.

“There he is,” said Sam, kneeling down and reaching a hand out to touch his little brown face. Jerome smiled down at Sam, and Billy smiled at me.

“Happy birthday, Sam,” said Jerome.

“Thanks for coming, guys. He’s so beautiful. Can I feed him later?”

Billy laughed. “Yes. And you get all the diaper changes tonight.”

“Awesome,” said Sam. I rolled my eyes.

“Be careful what you wish for,” said Jerome. “The last one wiped out his entire outfit. I swear whatever we put in him, ten times that explodes on the way out.”

Sam stood up straight, smiling. Suddenly he lifted his nose in the air. “Smell that?”

“Oh, lord. I thought you changed him before we left the house,” said Jerome, giving Billy a look.

“I did. He was clean when we left, I swear,” said Billy, leaning down to sniff his baby.

“Pizza. I smell pizza,” said Sam, as he turned and headed for the house.

“Guess it’s time to eat,” I said, laughing. “Sam, wait up.”

I led us to the front door. I didn’t want Sam walking into the kitchen before it was time. I pointed Billy and Jerome in that direction, then dragged Sam by the hand to our bedroom.

“What are we doing?” he asked.

“I’m changing into something more comfortable, and you’re keeping me company. I don’t want to be the only one in dress clothes. I promise you’ll get plenty of pizza,” I said. My own mouth was watering from the aromas wafting down the hallway.

“Okay,” said Sam, watching me pull my shirt off and toss it on the bed. His eyes followed my every move as I slid my suit pants to the floor and turned to find jeans in the closet.  I heard him pick up the fallen pants and throw them on the bed. I was pretty sure I could feel his eyes on my ass. I lingered a tad longer than necessary, reaching for my jeans.

“I know what you’re doing, you know,” he said behind me.

I turned. “Oh? What’s that?”

He smiled. “It’s my birthday.”

“So it is,” I said, slipping into my most comfortable jeans. I crossed to the dresser and pulled out a black t-shirt. I turned to find him an inch away, his hot breath on my neck. “See anything you might want for your birthday?” I whispered.

“I want you,” he growled.

“I thought you said no more presents at the house?” I teased.

He reached over and grabbed my left nipple, twisting it slightly. It hurt, but in a good way. I gasped. He let up on my nipple and looked deep into my eyes, and I let him in. We exchanged no words, but I knew tonight was all about him. Whatever he wanted, however he wanted it. My hole pulsed with excitement at the thought of Sam unwrapping me later. Sometimes it’s better to be the present.

Sam and I walked hand in hand down the hallway toward the kitchen. We could hear Maggie cooing over Jayden, and other voices whispering. I stopped and pulled Sam to me, moving back against the wall. He looked at me, surprised by the pause. 

“What?” he asked.

“Kiss me,” I said. He grinned and leaned in, putting his lips against mine gently, then pulled away. I sighed. “I love you, Sam, with all my heart. Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks. Can we eat now? I’m famished,” he said, mischief in his eyes.

I laughed. “Yes, we can eat.” Always good to be able to count on things. He smiled, grabbed my hand, and practically dragged me to the kitchen.

As we turned the corner, he stopped. His expression was priceless.

“Surprise!” yelled the chorus of guests corralled around the island.

“What the…?” started Sam.

“Careful there, buddy,” said Tommy. “We’ve got little ones in the room.” Billy stood behind Jerome, his hands around Jerome’s waist. Maggie smiled at me from the kitchen sink. She had helped me plan the whole thing. Peggy was standing behind Ben, who was seated at the table. The only one missing was Charles.

Sam just stood there, staring at Tommy and JP, both of them grinning like young kids. Stubbs was holding little Jayden, who was smiling up at his face. Stubbs was smitten almost as badly as Sam.

“Where? When?” said Sam. I pushed him gently into the kitchen, and Tommy stepped up. They looked into each other’s eyes for a brief moment, then hugged each other tightly. For a split second I felt the pangs of jealousy. Not in a sexual way — I knew I was all Sam wanted, and I intended to keep it that way. But he and Tommy shared something special, a friendship built on a history of surviving some tough life battles. I would never stand in the way of that.

“Hey, Sam,” said JP, after giving Tommy and Sam their moment.

“JP! Oh, man, how’re you doing?” said Sam, letting go of Tommy and stepping back to look at JP.

“I’m good,” said JP. Sam pulled him into a hug, and JP actually looked relaxed and okay that he did it. Tommy was right. This was a new JP.

“Hey, Sam,” said Stubbs with a little wave, then he returned to making faces at Jayden.

Sam turned to me. “You did this? For me?” His eyes glistened.

“Happy birthday, Sam,” I said. His eyes told me I had done a very good thing, indeed.

We feasted on individual flatbread pizzas. Peggy and Maggie laid out a dozen or more ingredients on the island counter and we took turns slathering sauces and toppings on plain crusts, then baking them in our pizza oven. Problem was, the heat in the kitchen became unbearable with so many people crowded around, so we moved the party to the living room. 

While we salivated over our pizzas, the guys filled us in on all the Hawaii happenings. The new recruits to replace JP and Sam were working out fine. The pool business was growing. Otherwise, the same old same old. Except that Tommy mentioned the name of a girl more than once in the conversation. Sam and I both caught it, but Sam shook his head when I started to say something. I let it go — for now.

I was in the kitchen snagging water bottles for Sam and myself when Charles appeared looking freshly showered just as the last pizza came out of the oven. Where had he been? He winked at me, then asked Maggie to help him prepare a pizza. He whispered something in her ear and she shrugged. 

I stepped down into the living room, tossing Sam his water bottle. I didn’t see Charles following close behind. Apparently he thought he needed to assume bartending duties.

“Would anyone like a beer or glass of wine?” he asked. 

I froze. Sam gave a little gasp. Tommy paused mid-bite into his pizza. 

“No, thank you,” said JP. “I’ll stick with water.” Sam and I exhaled in a loud rush.

“I’m good,” said Tommy. Stubbs just shook his head and inhaled the last quarter of his pizza. Interesting show of solidarity for JP. Cool. I looked over at him, and he smiled. He was good.

“Who wants to feed the baby?” asked Billy from the kitchen doorway. He cradled Jayden in one of his huge arms. His other hand held a bottle of formula. I had a fleeting thought he might crush the little munchkin if he wasn’t careful.

Sam shoved past me in an attempt to beat Stubbs to the punch. I steadied myself against the fireplace wall and tried not to take offense at being thrown over for a baby.

“I get to do it,” said Sam.

“I was here first,” said Stubbs, shrugging Sam’s hand off his shoulder.

“But it’s my birthday,” said Sam. He looked nine kinds of forlorn not being the one to feed the baby. For crying out loud, it wasn’t the kid’s last meal.

“Fine,” said Stubbs, bowing out somewhat gracefully. “But I get the next one.”

Billy just smiled and helped Sam get situated in a corner of the couch, the baby partially supported by a cushion under Sam’s arm. 

“Here, let me show you…” started Billy.

“I got this,” said Sam. And he did, too. Jayden was sucking away on that bottle in two seconds flat, his little brown eyes staring up at Sam like he had just found his new best friend. I tried not to be jealous, I really did.

Since Sam didn’t need me at the moment, I decided to check out what was happening in the kitchen. Maggie was sipping a cup of tea in the corner over by the refrigerator. She was smiling from ear to ear.

“Isn’t it wonderful to have a house full of life and laughter?” she asked. I nodded, leaning back on the counter next to her. “Sam was really surprised, wasn’t he?”

“Yes. And I have you to thank for holding down this end, so thank you. You’re amazing, you know that?” I said.

Her eyes flashed something between delight and embarrassment. “I’m just doing my job,” she said.

“Well…you’re very good at it. But then we both know it’s not really a ‘job’, is it?”

She grinned and look down at her hands. “I’m a mother, what can I say? I enjoy taking care of you and Sam.”

I laid my head on her shoulder and she patted my cheek. “Alright…enough of that. We’ve got guests to attend to. Think anyone wants more pizza?”

I groaned and rubbed my stomach. “Ugh…I think we’re good in the pizza department.”

“I’ll just turn off the oven then,” she said. 

I watched Maggie putter happily around the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee and cleaning up a few things. We would have cake and ice cream later. For some reason I felt out of the mix. I was present but disconnected, and I didn’t know why. I just knew I felt overwhelmed and exhausted. The relative quiet of the kitchen was a relief.

“Hiding out?” said Peggy at my elbow, startling me out of my reverie.

“What? Oh…I guess so, sort of. I don’t know.”

“Not a party guy, are you?”

I shook my head. “I’m not too comfortable with big social gatherings.”

She smiled. “Ben’s not either, in case you can’t tell.” She nodded toward the kitchen table, where Billy and Charles were all smiles, sharing a story. Jerome’s eyelids were half closed. Ben sat back, arms folded, looking like he would rather be alone on guard patrol in the freezing cold of Antarctica.

“Yikes. He’s really not having any fun, is he?” I said.

She chuckled. “He’s okay. He adjusts. He can’t help it, he’s an introvert. Like you, right?”

I turned sideways to glance at her profile. “Introvert? I’m not a fan of that word.”

“Why?” asked Peggy.

“Well…aren’t introverts the ones no one wants at the party? We aren’t fun. Hence, people don’t like introverts.”

“Okay, so maybe you aren’t the life of the party, but people do like you, Jack. You know they do. Everybody at this party is here because of you.”

“They’re here for Sam, not me.”

“Because you invited them. And they didn’t come expecting you to be entertainer of the year. They like you just the way you are.”

I sighed. “What I am is exhausted.” I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

“Introvert,” she said softly.

“What?”

“You’re definitely an introvert. People like you, and Ben, and probably Jerome over there…your energy is sapped in large groups of people where there are lots of different conversations going on around you. Your brains short circuit after a little while. So you hide out in the kitchen where you can hear yourself think.”

My mouth dropped. “Is this some kind of parlor trick you’re playing?” I said, turning to look at her full on.

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

“Because that’s exactly what I was thinking when I came in here. I was feeling overwhelmed and couldn’t follow the conversations out there, but I didn’t know why.”

“Happens a lot, doesn’t it?”

I thought for a moment, then nodded. “You know…you’re right. Huh. My mother was always busting my chops that I’m not friendly enough, that I don’t socialize at family gatherings. Maybe there’s a legitimate reason. Then again, my family leaves a lot to be desired, socially speaking. You haven’t heard anything until you hear a forty year old man belch the alphabet song. That’s always a real crowd pleaser.”

Peggy laughed. “I’m sure it’s not all that bad. You just don’t like big noisy crowds.”

I shrugged. “It’s that or I have a deep aversion to family dysfunction on public display. What about you? Introvert or extrovert?”

She smiled. “Jack…my business is parties. I love parties…and huge events. The excitement, the noise, the energy. I could go all night.”

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah. Which is a good thing since I’m a caterer, don’t you think?”

“I guess so. I suppose enjoying the party atmosphere would be a plus. I couldn’t do it. I’ll have to settle for being the party pooper. The whole idea makes me queasy.”

She laughed. “Well…don’t despair. People like you and Ben are at a huge advantage.”

“We are?”

“Sure. Many studies have shown that the most introverted people in the room are usually the smartest — and the most observant.”

I looked at Ben, who glanced over in our direction. His eyes narrowed, like he was trying to listen in to our conversation. Clearly the one he was in was not all that interesting to him. It wasn’t hard to imagine some hefty brains under all that brawn. 

“I should help Maggie clean up. Did you want any more pizza?” asked Peggy.

I sighed. “I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat another bite,” I said. “Everything was delicious. Thank you so much for doing this.”

“My pleasure, Jack. You sure did surprise him,” she said. 

“Speaking of surprises, Ben told me you were coming with us tomorrow? I thought you couldn’t get away.”

She smiled and leaned in closer to whisper. “I needed to make it about Ben. We get so little time together, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be with him. I gave my catering gig to a friend of mine.”

“Friend? Or competitor?”

She shrugged. “Does it matter? This is about Ben.”

I nodded. “Well, I’m glad you’re coming. He’s much less grumpy when you’re around,” I said, taking a swig of water from my bottle.

“What are you yapping about now, Schaeffer?” said Ben from behind, making me jump and splash water upward.

“Geez, you scared the crap out of me,” I said, wiping water off my nose.

“It’s only water. You’ll live.”

“You see what I have to put up with?” I grinned at Peggy, then grabbed her arm. “Please, you have to help me. Take him somewhere where he can’t abuse me for the weekend.”

“What are you talking about?” said Ben. I swung my head, hoping Sam didn’t hear him.

“Shhh…keep your voice down.”

“What did you mean, take me somewhere?” he whispered. 

I implored him with the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. “Take Peggy and go somewhere else tomorrow, just the two of you. You can take the plane wherever you want. We’ll be fine. They have security, right?”

He leaned back against the island and looked from Peggy to me and back to Peggy.

“What do you think?” he asked her. She looked as shocked as I was. I never expected him to even consider it.

“Well…I…um…I think you need to do what you need to do. Jack’s protection is the main thing, right?”

Ben’s eye’s laughed. “Him? Schaeffer’s not important. But you, beautiful lady, most definitely are,” he said, rubbing the back of his hand against her bare arm.

My mouth fell open. “You know I’m standing right here, right?”

He looked at me and rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you always?”

“Well…yeah. But…”

“Let’s do it,” he said to Peggy, ignoring me. “Where would you like to go?”

She put a hand on his bicep. “Ben, you can’t just leave Jack to his own defenses.”

“I’m not. He said it himself, there’ll be plenty of security. We’ll drop them off, then you and I can go someplace nice. And you know what, I have just the place.”

“Where?” I said.

“None of  your business,” he said, smiling.

“Fine. See if I care,” I said, pretending to pout. “Go ahead, drag me off and dump me somewhere, just so you can take off with your sweetie and have a good time without me. I’ll be okay. You’ll see.”

Ben laughed. “You’ll be with Sam. And it was your idea!”

“Oh…yeah…right. Well, in that case, have a great time,” I said, finishing my water. Ben grinned at me.

“Are you sure?” asked Peggy.

“Yes!” said Ben and I in unison.

“I haven’t packed. I have nothing to wear.”

“We’ll find you clothes when we get there. Maybe you won’t need any,” said Ben, his eyes full of sexy mischief.

Peggy slugged his arm. “Don’t be an oaf. You know what I mean. Come on. Help me clean up the kitchen, then take me home to pack.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Ben, clearly not bothered at all by her assault. He mouthed a silent “thank you” as he passed.

An hour later, the remains of the demolished birthday cake were wrapped and put away. All the dishes were washing in the machine or drying on the counter next to the sink. A fresh pot of coffee was nearly gone. And Sam and Stubbs were still at it.

“I want to do it,” said Stubbs.

“You got the last one,” said Sam.

“That’s not fair,” said Stubbs.

“How is that not fair?” said Sam, holding Jayden a little tighter and giving Stubbs a look that said back off.

“Would you look at that, Charles?” said Maggie, grinning over the edge of her coffee cup. 

“Two grown men, fighting over who gets to change a dirty diaper,” said Charles, shaking his head in disbelief.

I was sitting on one of the couches next to Maggie and Charles, who were sitting in the two arm chairs. Across the room, Sam and Stubbs stared each other down. Jerome was sitting next to me, nearly asleep. Billy was chatting with Tommy and JP in the kitchen, I think. 

“How come you don’t want a turn, Jack?” said Charles, humor in his eyes.

I shook my head. “Hunh uh. No way. I’d probably stick the pins in the little guy.” Next to me, Jerome chuckled quietly. Maggie grinned and Charles’ eyes were now laughing at me.

“What?” I asked.

“No pins,” mumbled Jerome, his eyes still closed. “Adhesive tabs. Less blood that way.” He started chuckling again. 

“Whatever,” I said. 

Just then, Jayden let out a whimper, and Jerome bolted straight up off the couch like a jack-in-the-box. “I’m up,” he said, opening his eyes and orienting himself. He located his baby and moved in Sam’s direction. Sam saw him coming and backed up a step.

“Give me my baby, Sam,” said Jerome.

“Come on, let me change him one more time. Please?”

Jerome threw his hands up in the air and collapsed in the nearest chair. “Fine. Just don’t stick him with the pins,” he said, his eyes closing. He might have fallen asleep. I couldn’t be sure.

“Huh?” asked Sam, confused.

“Never mind. Just change him, Sam,” said Charles with a sigh.

“Jack?” said Sam.

“What?” I replied.

“Help me?”

“You don’t need any help.”

“Come on, it’s my birthday.”

I sighed. “Fine. Just this once.” I stood up, bone tired. It had been a long week, and it was only Wednesday. Tomorrow would be another big day.

I followed Sam into the study. He had a little diaper-changing station set up on the red leather couch. I smiled, remembering my own naked butt on that leather surface not that long ago. Sam handed Jayden to me with no warning, just plopped him into my arms. I tried not to squeeze him too hard. My arms were trembling, so I concentrated on not dropping the little guy.

I watched Sam spread out a small cloth pad onto the couch.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s a changing pad. Here, let me have him.” I handed over the baby. He didn’t seem any the worse for wear, but I’d only held him for less than a minute. “Can you grab a clean diaper from the bag?” asked Sam.

I looked around the room for the diaper bag. I knew it had polka dots. Jerome liked polka dots. I spied it under the couch, and dragged it out from underneath. That’s where I was lost again.

“In the side pocket. No…the other side,” said Sam. Jayden was awake now, and ready to scream any second. I fumbled the diaper retrieval and dropped it on the floor.

“Oh, no! Now what? Do we have to sterilize it?”

Sam smiled. “No, Jack. It’s fine. Give it to me.” I did as he asked. Jayden was watching me now. He had beautiful eyes. Big, like a deer’s, with long curved lashes. Sam started unfastening the old diaper. Adhesive strips. It didn’t look that hard. Sam pulled the wet diaper off of him, and now Jayden lay there, naked, and apparently quite happy about it. He giggled and kicked his legs while Sam rolled up the removed diaper. Seeing him so happy, I leaned in closer, mesmerized by his eyes.

Sam was unfolding the new diaper when Jayden smiled at me and started peeing. Straight up in the air, curving toward his face. Only my face was in the way. The little kid with the fire hose down there peed right in my ear. I froze in shock as urine ran down the side of my face and dripped down my neck.

Sam looked up, saw what was happening, and threw the new diaper over the offending fountain, ending the liquid assault. I swear the kid was laughing, so great was this new game of his. 

“Oh, wow, Jack. Sorry about that. I didn’t think…”

I held up a finger to silence him. “Is there a towel in that bag?” Sam had the nerve to smile at my predicament. I remained frozen until he tried wiping at my neck and I reached up to pull the rag from his hand. 

“We will never, ever speak of this,” I said with the remaining vestiges of my dignity.

“Jack, I’m so sorry,” Sam repeated, fighting hard not to laugh.

I raised a finger again, and he stopped. “I need a shower,” I said, dropping the now damp rag on the floor and trying not to think about the sloshing in my ear. I stood as tall as I could as I walked down the hall to our bedroom and closed the door behind me. I carefully disrobed, making sure not to get the wet clothing on the carpet. The hair near my ear was wet and sticking to the side of my neck. 

I made my way to the big bathroom and entered the newly expanded shower enclosure. That’s when I saw all the freshly installed metal bars positioned in strategic places on the tile walls. Now I knew where Charles had been before dinner. 

My mortification was complete.

I stayed in the shower a long time, until I knew I no longer smelled like a toilet bowl. Sam came in as I was drying myself. He took one look at me and burst out laughing. I wanted to hit him, but then it hit me how ridiculous the whole thing had been, and I started laughing, too.

“The look on your face,” said Sam, holding his stomach as he rolled on the bathroom floor.

“It was your fault,” I said with fake indignation. “Let me do it. It’s my turn. I know how to change a diaper. You see? You see what happens when I get near a little kid. Oh my god, Sam, he peed in my ear!”

That set us both off for another round of hysterics. I was laughing so hard I was about to pee myself, and that would not be good. We somehow managed to pull ourselves together. We sat shoulder to shoulder on the cold tile floor, leaning against the double vanity.

“You okay?” asked Sam, rubbing the back on his hand against my naked thigh.

I sighed. “I’m fine. I suppose it was inevitable.”

“I changed the twins tons of times, I forgot they did that. I’m so sorry, Jack. He didn’t do it on purpose, you know.”

“Are you sure? Did you see the look on his face? That looked kinda planned, if you ask me.”

Sam chuckled. “I think you’ll live.”

I sighed again. “Probably. But it’ll be a while before I change any more diapers.”

“Well, technically you didn’t change him. I did.” I turned sideways and gave Sam a look. He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Um…right. Okay then, no more diaper changing for a while. Got it.”

I smiled. “You know, the little bugger is really cute, when he’s not peeing all over the furniture.”

Sam bounced a shoulder off of mine. “I knew you liked kids.”

“I said he was cute. He’s gonna have to learn a few social graces before I get all the way to ‘like’.”

Sam chuckled. “We’ll work on that.”

“Speaking of ‘like’, did you like your birthday surprises?” I asked, glancing sideways at his face.

Sam looked at me, then leaned over and kissed my cheek. “You’re amazing. Thank you so much for bringing the guys out.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief. “You’re welcome. What’s happening out there? Did Billy and Jerome take the little fireman home?”

“Actually, I gave them a room downstairs. Jerome was passed out on the chair. Billy said he hasn’t been getting much sleep. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, but…where’s the baby going to sleep? He can’t just sleep on the floor. He needs his bed.”

Sam grabbed my hand. “Relax. Billy had a portable crib in the car. They even had pajamas for him. He’s all set. The three of them went to bed.”

“Do they need formula? What if he wakes up in the middle of the night and needs something they don’t have?”

“Jack…breathe. Jayden’s fine. Billy’s fine, Jerome’s fine. They just need to sleep.”

I exhaled. “Okay. What about the guys? Maggie has them all set, right?”

“They’re big boys. They’ll figure it out. Knowing Maggie, I’m sure they have more than they need. Everybody went to bed.”

I sighed, grateful the day was finally over. “You know what I need?”

“What?”

“I need to get off this cold tile. My ass is numb.”

Sam stood and extended a hand to help me up. I hung up my wet towel, and he closed the gap behind me, rubbing his hands rapidly up and down on my naked butt cheeks.

“What are you doing back there,” I said, making no move to stop him. 

“Warming things up,” he replied.

“Mmmm…that’s nice,” I said.

“Very nice,” said Sam. “Oh…I see Charles got the shower handles installed. What do you think?”

I turned in his arms and looked deep into his brilliant blue eyes.

“I think it’s time for you to open your birthday present.”

He took his time, and seemed quite satisfied afterward.

“Rise and shine, sleepy head,” I whispered, kissing Sam’s nose. He groaned and pulled me close, rubbing his stubble against my cheek. He was growing out his beard again, which I thought was super sexy, but at this stage it was like sandpaper on my skin.

“Ouch. Okay, enough of that. Let’s get moving. We’ve got places to go, people to see,” I said, throwing off the covers. Still half asleep, Sam reached for the top sheet and covered his mid-section, but not before I saw his hard-on. There was a key part of me that wanted to stay in and play, but we had a schedule to keep. Poor planning on my part. I made a mental note.

“Seriously…Sam…we gotta get moving,” I said again. Seldom one to greet the morning with a smile, Sam opened his unhappy eyes and stared daggers at me.

“Why do I have to get up? You’re just going to work, and the guys will sleep till noon. What time is it, anyway?” he grumbled.

“It’s eighty-thirty,” I said from where I now stood at the side of the bed. He bolted straight up.

“You’re late. Why are you still here?”

“Because I’m not going to work today. Now get up before we miss Maggie’s breakfast buffet. I hear the guys stirring upstairs.”

“Breakfast what? What’s going on, Jack?” asked Sam, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. 

“Buffet. Maggie’s doing up a big spread for us this morning. You need to hurry up before Stubbs eats it all,” I said, walking around the bed to sit next to him. I pushed his hair off his forehead and looked deep into his gorgeous blue eyes. He finally focused on me. “If you play your cards right, big guy, you could maybe show me how the new shower handles work this morning.”

That got him up and moving, in more ways than one. The new handles worked quite nicely.

“Who needs more juice?” asked Maggie, holding a pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice in one hand, and apple-cranberry in the other. Stubbs held up his glass and Maggie walked around the table to fill it.

“It’s a wonder to watch you eat,” said Tommy as Sam pushed another huge bite of pancakes into his gullet. Maple syrup dripped on his chin, and he wiped it off with a big grin. “Seriously, Sunday brunch is not the same without you, Sam. Orchids Restaurant cut their food budget in half last month.”

“Ha ha, very funny. Pass the bacon, JP,” said Sam.

“You guys eat like this every day?” asked JP, handing over the meat platter. Maggie had sausage, bacon, and fried ham piled high on the plate, along with more platters of scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, and cheese blintzes. They were so rich, I ate two and could hardly move. Stubbs and Sam were still eating.

I shook my head and saw Maggie smile. She was enjoying herself. That made me smile, too.

“Naw, most days it’s a glass of water, crust of bread. Just the basics,” I said. Stubbs snorted, and Tommy and JP laughed. I grinned, glancing at Ben’s empty chair. He and Peggy were due back any minute.

“You guys packed and ready to go?” I asked. Sam looked up, a slice of bacon hanging from his fingers in mid-air, his mouth hanging open.

“Sam, dear…chew your food with your mouth closed, please,” said Maggie. Sam’s mouth snapped shut, but his eyes were boring holes into mine.

“I’m good,” said Tommy, standing up to take his empty plate to the sink. JP stood and did the same.

“When are we leaving?” asked JP.

“Soon as Ben gets back,” I said, avoiding Sam’s gaze. Maggie slid his empty plate from beneath the hand with the suspended slice of bacon.

“You finished, Sam?” she asked. He broke away to register her question, then dropped the uneaten bacon slice on the plate. She took that as a yes and moved around to the sink. I stood up, but Stubbs had my plate before I could even reach for it.

“Jack?” started Sam. I jerked my head toward the hallway and moved in that direction. 

I put a hand on Maggie’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “That was amazing. Thank you.” She reached up to touch my hand on her shoulder and winked at me. We made a good team. Turning back to the room, I said, “We’ll be quick, guys. Just put all your bags in the hall by the front door.” Tommy nodded, smiling at Sam, who was still standing there, looking lost.

“Follow me, big guy.” He did.

“What’s happening?” asked Sam, as I pulled two suitcases from our closet. Most of what we would need was already packed. Thankfully he never noticed.

“We’re taking a little birthday trip, just you, me, and the guys. Four days laying on a beach, enjoying the sun, good food and great friends. Can you grab our flip flops from the linen closet?”

He smiled and moved toward me. He pulled me from beside the suitcases into his arms. “You’re taking me on a trip?” I nodded. “You took time off work for me?” I nodded again. His hands moved down to my ass and his breath was hot on my neck now. “I get to play with you for four whole days?” I leaned back and nodded. His eyes sparkled with glee.

“Best. Birthday. Ever,” he whispered. Then he kissed me. We almost missed our plane.

Sam and Stubbs helped Justin load the luggage on to the plane. It took a while. We had more passengers than ever for this trip.

On board, Nancy greeted us and we found seats. Peggy sat in the last row next to Ben, who had ditched his normal security duds for shorts, t-shirt, and sandals. He still had his shoulder rig on, though. Somehow the gun didn’t say “I’m on vacation” like the rest of his outfit. JP sat in the same seat he had when we flew out from Hawaii. It seemed ages ago. I sighed and sat on the couch across the aisle from him.

“All good?” I asked, fastening my seat belt. He grinned.

“Great. Thanks again for bringing us all together. It’s like old times.”

“Better?” I said. His eyes turned serious and he nodded.

“Much better,” he said.

“Good.”

“We need to probably talk at some point,” said JP softly.

I nodded. “Whenever you want. You need anything, JP, just ask, okay?” His eyes misted over and he nodded, then looked away.

Sam and Stubbs arrived, pushing and shoving, fighting for position down the aisle. They were laughing. Sam glanced at me and the smile he gave me made my heart sing. He was happy.

Justin walked into the cabin behind them. “Okay, listen up folks. We’ve got about six hours together, give or take, so let’s keep the crazy to a minimum. Sam, you’re in charge of handling Jack if he gets out of line. You know what to do.” I rolled my eyes while everybody else laughed.

“Where are we going, anyway?” asked Sam, sitting next to me on the leather couch. All eyes turned to me.

“A little place in the Caribbean I know,” I replied.

Sam grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. “For real? We’re going to…”

I cut him off before he spilled the beans. “Yes…and you’re killing my hand.” He looked down and grinned, letting go.

“Justin, can we get going?” I asked.

“Sure thing, boss. Everybody buckled in?” All heads nodded. “Okay, let’s get our feet wet,” he said.

“What!” I gasped, reaching for my seatbelt.

“Settle down, Jack. It’s just a military expression,” said Ben with a smile.

Justin smiled. “Sorry, boss. Just means we’ll be flying over water.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling stupid. Sam grabbed my hand and a few minutes later we were airborne. 

The combination of the late night before and the heavy breakfast that morning put all of us to sleep for the first two thirds of the flight. I woke up when Sam shifted my head off his lap so he could get up to use the lavatory. I sat up and looked around.

Peggy’s head rested on Ben’s shoulder. His eyes were closed, but I had the feeling he was awake. Stubbs, facing aft across from JP, was looking out a window, fingers silently tapping his knee in rhythm to a song in his headphones. JP reclined backward, his mouth hanging open. Nancy poked her head into the cabin around the galley curtain. She motioned for me with a finger.

“Should I start the meal service?” she asked softly as I approached. I did some quick math in my head and realized it had been close to five hours since breakfast.

“Yes, please. What’re we having?”

“Mediterranean Chicken and Filet Mignon.”

I grinned. “You have any potatoes to go with that steak?” She smiled and nodded. “That’ll work. Thanks, Nancy.”

“My pleasure.”

“Need any help?”

“Jack, I used to serve over a hundred people at a time. I think I can handle this,” she said. “But thank you for offering. That’s sweet.”

I smiled. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

I used the front lavatory and returned to the main cabin. Sam was talking with Tommy, and JP and Stubbs were chatting quietly. As I walked past Sam, he reached into the aisle and grabbed my hand. He put his head back and looked up into my eyes, gratitude and contentment reaching across to fill me up inside. To be able to give him this time, with people that mattered to him, meant everything to me. Thank you, Amanda — for the house, for the plane, the island — everything. Mostly for giving me the courage to love Sam as fully and completely as I could.

I let go of Sam’s hand and moved back a row, crouching down next to Ben.

“You need something?” he asked.

“After you drop us off, where are you guys headed?” I asked.

Peggy smiled and squeezed Ben’s arm affectionately. “Ben’s taking me to Disney World. I’ve always wanted to go.”

Ben looked a little sheepish, but I thought it was sweet. “Sounds like fun. I’ve never been myself. Where are you staying?”

“Never mind, Schaeffer. I’ve got this,” said Ben. I looked into his eyes and saw immediately what he wanted me to see. I understood completely. My money was no good here.

“Say hello to the mouse for me,” I said with a grin, then stood up. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Does Nancy need help?” asked Peggy, reaching for her seatbelt. I held up a hand to stop her.

“Don’t go there. I offered, but it’s her thing, and around here, we let people do their thing.” I was looking right at Ben, and he nodded. Maybe he and I were finally coming to some kind of understanding. “Besides, Peggy, you’re my guest on this flight, and you’re on vacation. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.”

“Thank you, Jack,” she said.

I nodded and returned to the couch.

Sam and I helped Nancy clean up after dinner. Sam mostly wanted to make sure the cookies made it into the oven. He knelt down and watched them melt through the glass window. When the timer dinged, Nancy slid them off the metal cookie sheet onto a wire rack to cool. 

Like Sam was going to wait. He grabbed one immediately and took a bite, then started hissing when the molten chocolate burned his tongue. His eyes flashed a mixture of sudden pain and pure delight. 

“Make sure everyone else gets at least one, Sam,” I said. He counted eight, then wrapped the remaining three in a napkin for himself.

“Really?” I said.

“What? It’s my birthday,” he whined.

“Yes, and you’re twenty-four years old now, not four.” He gave me his best puppy dog eyes and I pushed him toward the cabin.

“Share with your friends,” I said. He grinned and kissed Nancy on the cheek, then me. My heart flip flopped around in my chest, seeing him so relaxed and happy.

With Sam out of the way, it gave me a chance to chat with Nancy while we finished locking everything away.

“Where will you and Ron and Justin stay while we’re away?” I asked.

“Well, I believe we are flying to Orlando tonight. Then if I’m not mistaken, Ron said something about taking the plane to Savannah for maintenance.”

I paused. “Is there something wrong with the plane?”

Nancy touched my arm to reassure me. “Not at all, Jack. It’s routine. Every plane needs servicing and maintenance on a regular basis to keep it airworthy. Trust me, my husband would not fly a plane he didn’t trust completely.”

I exhaled. “I guess he wouldn’t let you fly on it either, would he?”

“Not likely. Unless he gets mad at me for something.”

“I can’t imagine Ron being mad at you,” I said, drying the final glass.

She laughed under her breath. “You’d be surprised the number of times he’s been mad at me.”

“Huh. I always thought he was a really nice, even-keeled guy,” I said.

“Oh, he is. I’m the one that causes all the trouble. If he ever gets mad, he usually has a very good reason.”

I was quiet, not sure what to make of what she was saying to me.

“Jack, put that glass away and look at me,” she said, suddenly very serious. I locked the glass in the cabinet and turned to her.

She pushed back some hair behind her left ear and locked eyes with me. “Being married to the same person for as long as we have, you’re gonna step on each other’s toes from time to time. In our case, it’s mostly been me and my big mouth.”

“Nancy, you don’t have to…”

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s not nice to interrupt your elders?” she asked, smiling.

I nodded and shut my mouth.

“Okay, where was I?”

“You were saying you have a big mouth,” I replied, smiling.

She laughed. “Un huh. Anyway, as I was saying…any long term relationship takes a lot of work, and you’re going to make mistakes. I’ve made a ton. And Ron’s paid the price for being with me.” She held up a hand before I could interrupt again. “I know what you’re thinking, he’s beyond blessed to have me as his wife, and you’d be right. But the blessing that is me is not without its challenges.”

“Justin said much the same to Sam and me recently.”

“And?”

I shrugged. “We had a few challenges in the beginning, but lately everything just works.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Why? You mean why does our relationship work?” She nodded. I stopped to think about my answer. “I don’t really know, exactly. I do know I love him with everything I am. And I know he loves me. I know we would never intentionally hurt one another.”

“Stop right there. That’s a big key. Being determined to not hurt the other person. You will, though, you know.”

“Will what?”

“Hurt him. You’ll say something or do something and you’ll see it in his eyes — the pain, the anger that rises up. You cross a line, maybe a line you didn’t even know was there, and in that split second you know you messed up. What you do in that moment matters. You can double down on being right, stick to your guns, and tell him to get over himself. Or you can take a step back, apologize, and ask him to forgive you. You see?”

“Um…I think so.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I knew I should keep my mouth shut about something, and said it anyway. And every time, I saw that look in his eyes. I hate that look.”

“What look?” 

“He’s…diminished. Less than. Like the light in his eyes goes out for a second.” She teared up and quickly wiped at her eyes. She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to ever do that to him. He’s too good a person to be treated like that.”

“I’m sure he loves, you, Nancy. Surely he understands.”

She gave me a grim smile. “He does. But it doesn’t excuse my actions, does it?”

“He’s not perfect either, is he?”

The line of her lips hardened. “No, he’s not. But that’s no excuse, either, is it?”

I took half a step back. “Um…no, I guess not.”

“You guess not?” I took another half step back, not sure what was happening.

She leaned back and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Jack. Please forgive me. Obviously I’m working through something. I didn’t mean to sound harsh. I’m not mad at anybody but myself.”

“But why, Nancy?” I asked. “Being mad at yourself doesn’t change anything, does it? I mean, I don’t know him all that well, but I’m sure Ron doesn’t want you to be mad at yourself.”

She sighed. “You’re right. You’re so right. Anger achieves nothing.” She gave a short laugh. “They used to tell us that in training classes, back when I was a flight attendant. Anger achieves nothing. That was so we wouldn’t haul off and let a customer have it and cause a riot on an airplane. Never a good idea.”

“I imagine you’ve seen your share of difficult people and circumstances over the years,” I said.

Her eyes lit up with laughter. “Oh my, yes, the stories I could tell. But not tonight. I’ve already said too much. Forgive my diatribe. Just thinking out loud, I guess.”

“Don’t do that,” I said softly.

“Do what?”

“Apologize for caring. I appreciate what you said. I know almost nothing about being in a relationship. And Sam means too much to me to screw this up, so any advice I can get is good for me. Thank you.”

“Well…you’re welcome. And thanks for your help cleaning up. I never did care much for that part of the job.”

“Any time. Have fun in Savannah.”

“We will. It’s a beautiful old city. You and Sam should go sometime. It’s a slow pace, very relaxing.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Sounds lovely.”

Captain Ron’s voice came on the PA system. “Attention please. We’ve begun our descent into St. Thomas. Please return to your seats and be sure your seat belts are fastened. We will be on the ground shortly.”

“Enjoy your island, Jack,” said Nancy.

I swallowed. “I still can’t get my head around the idea.”

“You will…in time. Now you better find your seat. I don’t need you flying around, breaking things,” she said with a grin.

The landing was hard. The plane bounced twice before settling into a steady roll out. I looked at Sam and his eyes had the same question. What was that all about? The ride to the general aviation hangar area was short. As the engine whine dropped, Justin popped out of the cockpit and stepped into the cabin. His face was red and he was breathing hard.

“Everybody okay back here?” he asked.

“Fine, Justin. You okay?” asked Sam. 

Justin looked at him and exhaled. “Yeah. Not my best landing. Sorry about that.”

“We’re good. Let it go,” said Sam. Justin nodded.

Tommy and JP stood up to stretch. Stubbs headed for the rear lavatory. Peggy and Ben snuggled in the back row. She looked relaxed and happy. Ben was smiling. The thought of Ben at Disney World made me smile. 

“Everybody stay put for a minute,” said Justin. “Customs will look over the plane and review our manifest. Shouldn’t take long.” He turned and exited through the forward door. 

Stubbs returned to his seat. “Where are we?” he said, looking out the window.

“St. Thomas,” I replied.

“Cool. Is this where we’re staying?”

“Not exactly. We have to take a little boat ride first,” I said. He nodded and put his ear buds back in. 

“How far away is this island you’re taking us to?” asked Tommy. I shrugged.

“Not far. I was told less than thirty minutes, and no open water, whatever that means,” I said.

“Could have stayed in Denver and saved the expense,” said Tommy. Sam gave him a look then turned and pulled me into a tight hug. I buried my face into his chest and tried to shut out the world around me. I never wanted an island. All I wanted was Sam.

Once the island customs official cleared us, we deplaned. Justin asked Sam and Tommy to help unload the baggage. Ron was busy filing the new flight plan to Orlando. Even though the sun was half hidden behind a large hill just behind the airport, it was warm, with a fairly strong breeze. The warm wind took away the chill I had from the cooler airplane cabin. Opposite the small mountain and just beyond the runway, the clear azure blue ocean rolled gently toward shore. Stunning. 

An aviation fuel truck arrived, and Justin helped the service man hook a fuel hose under the wing near the fuselage. Together they attached other pieces of ground service equipment to the big bird. I had no idea what any of them did. I turned my attention back to my friends.

I noticed Ben left his gun and shoulder rig on the plane. He looked practically naked without it. He dropped his sunglasses across his eyes and did a full circle, slowly taking in our surroundings. He seemed relaxed, so I figured there was no danger. How could there be? No one but my people knew where we were. 

“Here he comes,” he said, nodding to a man of average height and build making his way toward us. He was similar in age to Ben, with longish sandy hair blowing in the wind, partially blocking his sunglasses. He didn’t seem to notice.

“How do you know that’s him?” I asked softly.

“I can spot security a mile away,” said Ben.

“How?”

“The color of his socks,” said Ben with an almost straight face. I looked at him sideways and caught the grin he was trying hard not to show.

“You’re messing with me now, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” Now the grin was clear. He was enjoying himself. 

“Don’t you have some cartoon characters to harass?”

“All in good time. All in good time.” On my other side, Sam smiled behind his sunglasses, amused by our teasing banter.

The man approached our group and went straight for Ben. It couldn’t be because of his socks — Ben wasn’t wearing any.

“Spencer?” asked Ben, slightly on guard.

“Yes. You must be Ben.” They shook hands. It was subtle, but I could tell they were evaluating each other. I’d seen Ben do it many times. He would take in everything about a new person and in a split second decide if they were friend or foe. Spencer came out on the friend side of the equation. All I knew was his name and that he was somewhat rude to the rest of us. Then again, so was Ben when his job demanded. I mentally gave the guy a pass.

“Can we do a quick sit rep?” asked Spencer. Ben nodded and they went off a little distance from the group to confer. The rest of us just waited. A flock of seagulls descended nearby, squawking and hollering at each other, then took off again.

A large gray SUV pulled around a building on the edge of the airport and stopped near where we were standing. No one got out. I looked toward Ben and he put a hand up to stay put. Sam stepped closer to me, his hand at the small of my back.

“What’s happening?” he whispered to me.

“I have no idea,” I replied.

Tommy, JP and Stubbs gathered closer to us. “Who’s that guy?” asked Tommy.

“Security,” said Sam.

“Is he really necessary?” asked Tommy. 

Sam gave him a look. “Will you just chill, man?”

“Sorry. I’m not used to all this cloak and dagger shit.”

“Geez, give it a rest. It’s just a formality,” said Sam.

“Yeah…getting shot at is just a formality. Right,” said Tommy

“You’re unbelievable. I should have never told you that story,” said Sam, the edge in his voice getting sharper.

I took two steps back as Tommy faced Sam head on. “Hey, don’t get mad at me because I care, man. You guys are into some weird shit. I don’t want to see either of you get hurt, okay?”

Sam sighed and dialed back his frustration. “Fine. But that’s why we have the security. So we don’t have to worry about the weird shit and we can just live our lives.”

“If that’s what you call it,” said Tommy under his breath.

“I think it’s cool,” said Stubbs.

“Who asked you?,” said Tommy. “Go back to listening to that crap you call music.” Stubbs shrugged off Tommy’s comment with a grin and put his ear buds back in.

JP was silent throughout the exchange. He made eye contact with me and picked up on how uncomfortable I was. He smiled and changed the subject.

“What’re the plans when we get to this island?” he asked.

Everyone looked at me. “Um…I don’t have any, exactly. I mean…there’s a beach, of course. And a pool, I think. Food. Sun. I don’t know.”

“We’ll figure it out as we go,” said Sam, pulling me close. He put his arm around my shoulders and I snuggled into his side.

“How hard can it be, right?” said JP. “We’re in the freakin’ Caribbean, guys!” His enthusiasm pulled a reluctant smile from Tommy and I breathed a little easier. Ben and Spencer picked that moment to conclude their pow wow and rejoin us.

The new security agent looked us over. “Which one of you is Jack Schaeffer?”

“I am,” I replied. I couldn’t be sure, but for a brief second it seemed like he was not too thrilled to see me standing so close to Sam. I stood up straighter and Sam dropped his arm from my shoulders.

He swallowed and said, “Welcome to the Virgin Islands. My name is Spencer Madigan. I’m the Chief of Security for Calloway Island. I’ll be your escort over to the resort this evening. Is there anything you need from here in town before we cross over?”

“Uh…no…I don’t think so,” I replied, looking around at a bunch of blank faces.

“Sun’ll be down shortly, so we best be off. Ben, good to meet you. I’ll be in touch,” said Spencer. He made a circular hand signal toward the SUV and the driver exited. He was an older gentleman in a uniform of khaki shorts and short sleeved shirt, crisply pressed. As he got closer, I could tell that, even though he was small in stature, he had wiry muscles and his skin was weathered from years of living and working outdoors in the ever present tropical sun.

Spencer did not introduce him, which I thought was sort of cold, so I took the lead. “Hello, my name is Jack,” I said.

“Paolo,” he said, pointing to his chest. I introduced everyone else and together we loaded into the SUV. Paolo drove and Spencer navigated from the front seat. His eyes darted here and there. He was too uptight. I preferred Ben’s more laid back personality — the one where he isn’t irritated with me.

We passed several resorts and shopping areas. They drove on the left hand side of the road in St. Thomas, which freaked me out. I kept gasping, fearing we were about to crash. Sam kissed my cheek and grabbed my hand. Spencer didn’t miss his moves.

Twenty minutes later we parked in a small lot near a wharf. Brilliant lights from a massive cruise ship bathed the wide concrete pier. We climbed out and stared up in awe at the many decks and people walking along the railings. Some waved down and we waved back. It was like a floating city.

“Jack owns a cruise ship, too?” asked Stubbs. Sam laughed and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

“That one’s much too small,” I replied, grinning at Tommy. He was not amused.

“This way, gentlemen,” said Spencer. Paolo had our bags loaded on a cart — I have no idea where it came from. We followed them down the pier to the far end where a sleek boat, maybe forty feet long, bobbed in the water.

It was pristine white from top to bottom, gleaming in the waning sunshine. I counted two decks — a main cabin enclosed in glass and a smaller open upper deck housing the controls. Golden metal railings ran along the side walls from bow to stern. The aft third of the main deck was open to the sun and framed with cream colored seating.

 A man in uniform stood on the upper deck, dressed in white shorts and crisp white shirt, watching as we approached. His white captain’s hat with black brim was straight off of a movie set. He had an old-school handlebar mustache twisted tight at the ends. He was hot for an older dude.

He descended the small, narrow metal ladder to the main deck. “Welcome aboard the Callie II. I’m Captain Marcos. Make yourselves comfortable in the main salon, if you will, please. Felicia will serve you. As soon as we have your luggage stowed, we’ll be on our way.”

We all shuffled through the door into the salon. More creamy leather and dark woods everywhere. It smelled of ocean and furniture polish. I was afraid to touch anything.

A gorgeous young woman with billowing blond hair and sparkling smile waved. “Good evening. My name is Felicia, and I’m your attendant for the short crossing to Calloway Island. We have a variety of beverages for your choosing, and snacks on the bar up front. Please help yourself once we are underway. But first, if I could have everyone take a seat, I’ll explain our safety procedures.” 

She made quick work of explaining the different exits and escape routes, as well as how to properly put on a life vest. Stubbs pretended to have trouble so he could get some personal attention. I think she knew what he was doing. Can’t blame a guy for trying, I guess. Once Stubbs had mastered the life vest, more or less, she pointed out the lavatories and asked if anyone got seasick. I had never been on the water, so I didn’t know. Everyone else shook their heads.

“Make yourselves comfortable. The water is smooth today, so it should be an easy trip to the island. And if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Stubbs had immediate questions, so Felicia was lost to the rest of us. JP and Tommy went for the bar and snack buffet. I figured Sam would join them, but he surprised me by taking my hand and leading us out to the sun deck. 

“You mind?” he asked.

“Are you kidding? No. I’ve had enough of enclosed spaces. I need air,” I said.

He smiled and pulled me down next to him in one corner of the luxurious couches that formed a U-shaped perimeter of the small sun deck. The teak wood at our feet gleamed with a high gloss shine. We watched Paolo and Captain Marcos finish loading in supplies from the dock. Spencer went up the ladder to the top deck without a word to Sam or me. Paolo cast off the final line and jumped on board. We were off.

The boat moved slowly through the small harbor, carefully maneuvering around the many smaller vessels moored on poles sticking up from the bottom. A couple of people waved to us as we passed their boat. Once clear of the marina, Captain Marcos increased our speed, and the wind washed over us. 

Sam put his arms around me and pulled me closer, resting his chin on my shoulder. I leaned into him, grateful for the support.

“You doing okay, little man?” asked Sam. I held his hand now resting on my thigh which was rubbing up against his leg.

“I am. How about you?” I replied.

“Mmmm…I’m good,” he whispered, nuzzling against my ear. He squeezed me tighter against his chest, like he couldn’t get close enough. I felt the same, and slipped my right arm behind his back and around his waist.

I closed my eyes and took in the salty smell of the ocean gliding under us. The boat bobbed across the surface in a steady, smooth rhythm, not unlike a rocking chair. 

“You excited to see your island?” asked Sam. I sighed, almost asleep.

“Yeah…sort of.”

“What?” he asked, pulling his head back to look at my profile.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel funny about it. I’m sure it’s all in my head. I’ll be fine,” I said, squeezing him tighter.

“Is it Tommy?” he asked.

I didn’t want to say it. Tommy was Sam’s best friend. But his commentary on our lifestyle was starting to irritate, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

“I’ll talk to him,” said Sam. He had an edge to his voice, which I didn’t like.

“Don’t, Sam,” I said, pulling my arm back and placing my other hand on his chest, over his heart. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s just him being protective of you, which I get. He doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

“He doesn’t have to be pissy about it.”

“He cares about you. More than he knows how to say, probably. Whatever you do, don’t mess that up on account of me. I don’t want that…ever. Promise me you won’t lose his friendship over me,” I said, turning to look into his eyes. They were the very same blue of the ocean around us. He looked deep into my eyes and locked on to my very soul.

“I can only promise to do my part,” said Sam. “It’s up to Tommy to not be an asshole. If that happens, I’m done.” He nodded. End of discussion. I snuggled back under his arm, determined to trust him and let him handle it. I had said enough.

A few minutes later the boat’s speed decreased and the noise of the motors died down to a low rumble. I opened my eyes to see we were approaching the island. I looked up for Captain Marcos, and saw Spencer looking down at Sam and me with a frown. When he caught me watching him, he looked away. A tiny tingle of dread crept up my spine, then dissipated in a flash. Hopefully it was nothing.

From where we were sitting, it looked like we were entering a large, horseshoe shaped cove. The water was crystal clear, but still deep enough I couldn’t see the bottom.

“Don’t fall overboard,” said Sam, holding my waist as I leaned over the side to look. I took in the hundred feet of huge rocks that lined the far edges of the cove, coming straight up out of the water to protect a sliver of land jutting out into the ocean, like a finger pointing the way you should go when you leave the island. Beyond it was open water and the vague shadow of another, much larger island in the distance. 

A wide sandy beach lined the inside of the cove from where those rocks ended, all the way around to the opposite side, where a long, wide wooden dock extended into the water. It was dusky, and hard to see. I couldn’t wait to see it in full sunshine tomorrow.

Another cruiser similar to the one we were on was moored on the opposite side where we stopped. Paolo threw a line to another uniformed man on the dock. He could have been Paolo’s twin. They made quick work of securing the boat, then Paolo motioned for Sam and me to step off. JP and Tommy were right behind us. 

“Where’s Stubbs?” asked Sam.

Tommy snorted. “Where do you think?”

“Seriously?” Sam leaned over to the boat and knocked on one of the salon windows to gets Stubbs’ attention. I saw him turn, see Sam, then make a hurried goodbye to Felicia.

“Same old Stubbs,” mumbled Sam.

“Sorry, guys. We got to talking,” said Stubbs, leaping onto the deck. Sam pretended to be annoyed for two seconds, then grinned and shoved Stubbs with his shoulder. It’s a wonder they both weren’t bruised from all the pushing and shoving they did. Whatever.

Two impressive golf carts with polished wood and gold accents were waiting for us on the dock. Our luggage was loaded on the rear platforms and we divided up. Spencer came off the boat and saw Sam and I sitting next to each other in the rear cart. He made a face and walked to the front cart, more or less pushed Paolo out, and got behind the wheel. This was the third time I saw him make a face at us. Not that I expected any trouble, but if Sam and I truly needed security, I was starting to think Spencer might prove a bit reluctant to come to our aid. Paolo jumped behind the wheel of our cart, all smiles, and we slowly drove down the dock, vibrating across the wooden slats.

From what I could see, it appeared the island was basically a small mountain jutting up out of the sea. The beach arced around the cove to our left, ten feet below us. It was backed by a wall of large gray rocks maybe six feet high, and above that a flat lawn stretched back into the hillside. We drove slowly up a wide, flagstone path, passing through some palm trees, and coming to a stop at the main level of the resort, under the covered entrance of a large, island plantation-style building. 

Everywhere you looked there were tiki torches, orange flames lighting up the darkening sky. Some jutted out from the four-sided columns supporting the main structure. More were on sticks at the edges of paths and walkways. It gave everything a warm glow. Tropical, and very romantic.

We all stepped out of the golf carts and two young boys came out and helped Paolo unload our luggage. Our heads swiveled all around, trying to take it all in. To our left and down a flight of flagstone steps was a massive pool, with waterfalls cascading down from natural landscaping at one end. The effect was as if a tropical river flowed down around the mountain and dropped into the pool. 

“Where do you think they keep the pump room?” asked Stubbs.

“I would put it behind that rock outcropping right over there,” said Tommy, pointing to a cluster of large boulders near the waterfall.

“They should add a second waterfall to the other side. That would be something,” said Stubbs.

Tommy and Stubbs continued to talk pool design as if we other three weren’t even there. I looked at Sam and he shrugged. JP just grinned.

“Welcome to Calloway Island, gentlemen.” The deep, melodious voice from behind us belonged to a tall, elegant and handsome man of some years, dressed in a simple gray suit with white shirt and turquoise tie. 

And yet, from my first impression, nothing about him was simple. His gorgeous British accent notwithstanding, he gave every appearance of being the consummate English butler. A man adept at serving his superiors with grace, while managing all those so employed with an iron hand, if need be. I liked him immediately.

Now that he had our attention, he continued. “My name is Colin Napier. I am the general manager of this island, and my staff and I are at your service. I trust your crossing was uneventful?” We nodded as Spencer cleared his throat.

“Yes, Mr. Madigan?” said Mr. Napier.

“If you don’t need me, I have some work to attend to,” he said.

“Very well,” said Mr. Napier, rubbing his hands together. He hid it well, but I detected a hint of frustration there. Spencer walked behind Mr. Napier, glaring at me as he passed. Sam must have seen it, too. His hand was at the small of my back in a flash. Steady, Jack.

“Where were we? Oh, yes,” said Mr. Napier, looking directly at me. “You must be Jack Schaeffer. Delighted to meet you, sir.” He shook my hand, and turned his attention to Sam. “And who might this dashingly handsome man be?”

“Sam Wainwright, sir. An honor to meet you,” said Sam, causing Mr. Napier to sprout a full-toothed smile.

“Introduce me to your friends, Mr. Schaeffer,” he said, and I did.

“Stanley Burtkowski? That name rings a bell,” said Mr. Napier, after I introduced Stubbs. He studied him, forefinger and thumb pulling at his bottom lip. “Are you by chance related to Warren Burtkowski from Philadelphia, sir?”

Stubbs shrugged. “Not that I could say. Sorry. I don’t know any relatives from there. My folks are from Idaho.”

Mr. Napier smiled. “No matter. Occupational hazard on my part, I’m afraid. Hopelessly determined to connect every guest with every other guest one’s served.”

“Shall we take the bags up to the rooms, Mr. Napier?” asked Paolo.

“Yes, straight away, my good man. Carry on. And boys, mind the wallpaper in the stairwells, please.”

“Yes, Mr. Napier,” they replied in unison. Paolo and the boys departed for the doors with our bags.

“Lovely chaps, but watch yourselves, they can be cheeky little devils,” he sighed. “Shall we step inside?”

We followed him through the main double doors into a wide lobby of sorts, with more square pillars rising fifteen feet to the ceiling above. Potted palms decorated every corner. Inside there were no flaming tiki lanterns, but they somehow managed to capture the same warm glow with electric lights. I grabbed Sam’s arm and pulled him close. I felt all soft and romantic inside. Sam put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek.

“Don’t we need to check in or something?” asked Tommy.

Mr. Napier stopped walking and turned around. “There’s no need for that here, sir. We like to think of Calloway Island as a home away from home, or at the very least, a private paradise. Registration is a drudgery no one wants. Trust me, we know our guests. Furthermore, this is an all-inclusive arrangement. There are no fees for activities or payments for meals — none of that nonsense. No, here we keep things simple. If you see something you would like to do, do it. You can ask any of our staff for anything you may require. Within reason, of course,” he added with a thin smile.

“Cool,” said Stubbs. I’m sure he was thinking about Felicia again.

After showing us a desk where we could sign up for an excursion to St. Thomas or St. John, or one of the British Virgin Islands, Mr. Napier led us to the main dining area. Every table had a window view of the lighted pool down below and the ocean beyond. Breathtaking. And small. There was only seating for twenty at most. 

Mr. Napier caught me counting tables, and cleared his throat. “We are a small establishment, Mr. Schaeffer. I assure you our seating is adequate for a full complement of guests.” 

“Oh…um…okay. And call me Jack, please,” I replied.

“Very well…Jack it is. Now a question — would any of you care for some refreshments before I show you to your rooms?”

“Would it be possible to have a later dinner?” I asked. “We’re all on different time zones, and your clock is two hours ahead for us.”

“But of course. We will serve you and your guests whatever you require whenever you wish. Find me, or ask to speak with Marcel. He can take care of you.”

Tommy’s eyes were bugging out. I’m sure his mind was trying to figure out how much this was all costing me. Stubbs kept grinning, and JP was slightly slack jawed with it all.

Mr. Napier showed us upstairs to our rooms. Sam and I were in a large corner suite, with French doors leading out to a veranda that ran the whole length of the building and overlooked the pool and the ocean. We could see other islands in the distance. 

The four poster bed was huge! We had a little set of wooden steps to get up into the thing. Everything was decorated in a British colonial style. There was a note on the antique writing desk that said so, that’s how I knew. The bathroom was all done in white marble and had every modern convenience. Except bars on the shower walls. Pity. I suppose I could speak to Mr. Napier about installing some, but it might invite too many questions.

“This place is awesome, Jack. Look at the view,” said Sam from the veranda. I slipped my arms around his waist, and he kissed the top of my head. We could hear the other guys unpacking in their rooms, then one by one they came out onto the veranda.

“Woah,” said JP. “You don’t see a view like that every day. Wow!”

“Cool!” said Stubbs, yanking his ear buds from his ears.

Tommy came out of his room carrying a guest services binder. “There are no prices in this thing,” he said, looking to Sam for an explanation.

“What are you talking about?” asked Sam.

“I’m looking at the room service menu. See? They have every kind of steak you could possibly want, cooked however you want it. Seafood, chicken…whatever you want. And look at this? If you don’t see what you’re looking for in this list, simply call our guest services line and we’ll do our best to provide you with what you need.”

“So?” said Sam.

“So? Who does this? We’re on an island far, far away from the mainland. Do you see cows anywhere? Or chickens, for that matter?”

“Why are you freaking out about the menu?” asked JP. “It’s a resort. They have supply options, I’m sure. What’s the big deal?”

Tommy sighed, then looked at me. “The big deal is…Jack must be shelling out a small fortune for all of this. It’s too much.”

“Too much for what?” asked Sam, standing straighter. Uh oh. Here we go. I stepped back a couple of feet. Stubbs actually stepped closer. I hoped he was planning on jumping in if it got physical, because there was no way I was getting in between Tommy and Sam.

“Too much for us, Sam. It’s way too fucking much.” Sam took a step closer to Tommy, and Tommy didn’t budge, just stared into Sam’s eyes with an equal intensity. So not good.

Tommy was on a roll. “Come on, man. We’re not these people, Sam. This isn’t us.”

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Sam.

“Seriously?” asked Tommy. “You’re gonna stand there and say you’re cool with all this mega-rich crap? Huge house hanging off the side of your own private mountain? Private planes, private security? I mean, I get it, it might be fun for a weekend, but come on…this isn’t reality, man.”

“You don’t get it, do you? You really don’t get it,” said Sam, now inches from Tommy’s face. “I love Jack. I love him. Me and him? We’re forever. That’s my reality.” My breath caught in my chest, the lump in my throat choked me.

“I know you love him, Sam. I love him, too. I do. You’re perfect for each other.”

“So what’s the problem?!” yelled Sam.

“What about us?!” yelled Tommy back.

Everyone froze. Nobody breathed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a groundskeeper look up. Crap! He heard that. They probably heard that all the way over on St. Thomas.

Sam’s eyes locked into Tommy’s and from there it was a battle for their souls. Tommy started crying. No noise, just tears slowly running down his cheeks. Sam’s eyes welled up. He reached a hand out and Tommy flinched, then realized Sam only wanted to put it on his shoulder.

Sam swallowed hard, glanced at me, then back to Tommy. “Jack made me promise not to screw this up. You and me, Tommy…we’ve been through a lot of shit together. I’m not going anywhere. Ignore the window-dressing, man. It doesn’t mean shit. I’m still the same guy you rescued and put back together. I’m still the same guy that helped you get through school. I’m here, man. I’m fucking right here,” he said, jabbing his finger at their feet.

Tommy swallowed and nodded, his mouth tight. He wanted to say something, but I don’t think he could trust himself to talk. Sam did it for him by pulling him into a hug and Tommy clung to him like he would die if he let go. I was crying by that point, big surprise. I saw JP wipe away a tear and look back out toward the ocean. 

“Cool,” whispered Stubbs. 

At JP’s suggestion, we took a few minutes to collect ourselves and change for dinner.

“You okay?” I asked Sam as we organized our clothes for the evening. I was standing there in only my underwear. He hardly noticed.

“I’m fine. Or I will be, once Tommy pulls his head out of his ass.”

“Sam?”

“What?”

“Can I talk to you without you ripping my head off?”

He sighed and sat on the covered bench at the foot of the bed. He was down to just his underwear, too. I sat next to him and put my hand on his thigh. He covered it with one of his. “I understand why Tommy was upset. Why are you?”

“Because…” I waited, knowing he would tell me if I gave him time to figure it out. I didn’t wait long. “Because the dumb shit should know better. I’m not going to throw away my best friend over money or some jet set lifestyle of the rich and famous.”

“He knows now, I think.”

“Maybe,” said Sam, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “But Tommy can be hard headed at times. He gets it in his craw that something is just so, and he won’t let it go.”

Pot, meet kettle, I thought. But I didn’t say anything, just nodded.

“We can leave if you want to,” I said, smiling as brightly as I could fake it.

“Knock it off, Jack. We just got here, and besides, I’m looking forward to a few days of pampering and relaxation. We need it, don’t you think?”

My smile was more genuine now. “Yes, I do think. And so does Tommy. He just doesn’t know it yet.” I grabbed Sam’s bicep and leaned closer. “Can I ask you for a big favor?”

“What?” he asked, looking at me with sad eyes.

“I want to spend some time tomorrow with Mr. Napier learning about the island. Could you spend that time with Tommy? I think you both could use some Sammy-Tommy time.”

He laughed. “Sammy-Tommy time?”

I grinned. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah…I know what you mean. I can do that.”

As the only guests in the restaurant, we had our pick of tables. The lights were dim in the room, so we had a great view out to the pool area and ocean. A half moon shone down onto the water, reflecting moonlight all the way to the beach. Very romantic. We turned two tables end to end so we could all sit facing the windows and the view.

Marcel turned out to be the chef. While a waitress named Kathryn took our drink orders, Marcel suggested a menu of porterhouse steaks, scalloped potatoes, and sauteed green beans. Sam gave his thumbs up, as I knew he would. Since we were still sort of celebrating Sam’s birthday, the other guys approved. I was fine with it, since I had Todd send that very menu ahead when he made our reservations. Sneaky, I am.

We passed the bread basket back and forth down the tables. Tommy was quiet until Stubbs got him talking about the pool again. They lost me when the conversation turned to who made the best something or other pump. JP looked lost at the other end of the table as well, so we shuffled positions, leaving Sam in the middle, me next to him on my left, and JP on my right.

The salad course was okay. Nothing fancy, just your basic lettuce and chopped vegetables. The dressing was tasty, but I couldn’t tell you what it was or what was in it.

The entrees arrived, and everything was over-the-top perfection. The guys tucked into steaks so juicy and tender, we could cut them with a butter knife. Mine was floating on a plate of sizzling melted butter, which ran underneath my potatoes and elevated the creamiest white sauce I’d ever eaten. The green beans were delicious. I noticed Sam pushed his aside.

“Not eating your veggies, young man?” I said.

He grinned. “Maggie’s are better.”

“I agree. But these are still pretty good.”

“It’s my birthday. Can I have a pass?”

“Of course. Just this once,” I said, smiling as I chewed another piece of scrumptious steak. Oh my, was it good.

The cuts were huge. I couldn’t finish mine. Sam obliged. Stubbs powered down the piece JP cut off for him. Tommy was more his old self by the time the meal ended, which was a relief. 

“What’s next?” asked Tommy. We all looked at each other. Five guys with no plans.

“There’s a game room downstairs. We could check it out,” said JP.

“That’s cool,” said Tommy.

We were all walking a little slower than when we came in. Ugh, that was a lot of beef.

I watched Tommy destroy Sam in a game of air hockey. Stubbs was the next to go down.

“What do you say, Jack? Wanna take me on?”

“Are you kidding? I don’t stand a chance,” I replied.

“I will,” said JP.

“Alright then. You’re goin’ down, Murphy,” said Tommy.

“We’ll see,” replied JP. 

Once in position, Sam slid the flat puck into play and it was on. Tommy fought valiantly, but JP slowly put him away. Some of the rounds lasted several minutes. Tommy was actually sweating when the final puck slipped past his defensive swipe. Game over.

“Damn, JP. That was some serious shootin’,” said Stubbs.

He laughed. “Me and another guy in the clinic played for hours everyday. Guess I learned a trick or two.”

Tommy smiled, shaking his head. “You suckered me. I’ll get you back for that. You know I will.”

JP smiled. “You can try.”

I yawned. It wasn’t late, but I was sleepy.

“Sam?” said Tommy.

“Yeah?” answered Sam.

“The guys took a vote, and since Jackson here is footin’ all the bills for this weekend soiree, one of us has to put out for him. Seeing how you’re gaga for him, we elected you. What do you say? You willing to take one for the team?”

“Jackson?” I said. Tommy smiled.

Sam was rubbing his chin, pretending to be mulling it over.

“Jackson?” I repeated. “Seriously?” 

JP was trying hard to keep a straight face. Stubbs was laughing behind his hands. Tommy’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled big. He put his hands out in a “What can I say?” gesture. Sam was still mulling. Really?

“Sam Wainwright?” I said. “They voted. You lost. Let’s go.” 

He stood up, grinning ear to ear. He walked up to me, held my face in his hands, and kissed me. My knees buckled and only by him grabbing my ass at the last second did I stay on my feet.

“Golly,” I whispered.

“Now that’s how you kiss, gentlemen. Stubbs, take note,” said JP. Stubbs punched him in the shoulder and JP laughed.

“I’m the biggest winner in the whole wide world,” said Sam, resting his forehead on mine.

“I love you, Sam.”

“Forever.”

I awoke in the middle of the night, disoriented. It took a moment to remember where I was. Sam was snoring softly next to me. I rolled over on my side toward him, and he grunted and rolled the other way. I might have imagined a smile on his face. I knew he fell asleep thoroughly satisfied. I grinned in the darkness, realizing I was the one who actually took one for the team. And happy to do it, too, thank you very much.

I rolled back over and stared up at the billowy canopy stretched across the four poster bed and sighed. I didn’t want to leave the warmth of the bed, but nature was telling me I had no choice.

I almost missed it. It was there, in the corner of my eye, and then it wasn’t. I sat up and listened, but heard nothing. We had the windows open to their screens, and light wisps of an ocean breeze rustled the silky drapes. I slowly slid over the side of the bed and onto the floor, trying not to wake Sam. As I turned to go to the bathroom, I saw it again.

Illuminated by the moonlight, there was a shadow of a man standing outside on the veranda, trying to look past the curtains into our room. It moved slowly, inch by inch, across the windows, slipping closer and closer to the door to our room. The unlocked door. 

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes searched the dark shadows of the room for a weapon I could use. Nothing. The irrational thought of climbing back into bed and hiding under the covers raced through my brain — and was immediately rejected. The damn bed was a mile high, and the little step thing was on Sam’s side of the bed, anyway. 

I didn’t have a clue what to do, so I settled for putting myself between the man outside and the man in my bed. My eyes never left the shadow as it crept across the veranda. I sidestepped around the bench at the foot of the bed, stubbing my toe on the leg. Startled, I made a muffled yelp.

The shadow outside stopped. I froze, trying to balance on one leg while squeezing my injured toe. Sam stirred in the bed behind me. Wake up, Sam, oh please wake up. 

The shadow moved again. I put my throbbing foot on the floor and slid around the corner to Sam’s side of the bed. The shadow was now one step away from the door.

I reached behind me with a shaky hand for Sam’s leg as the dark phantom reached for the door handle. A curtain moved in the breeze, and moonlight illuminated the door handle as it started to rotate.

Oh, crap. What do I do?

“Sam?” I whispered. “Sam, wake up,” I hissed, slapping at his legs under the covers.

The inside edge of the door cracked open and a sliver of moonlight sliced across the carpet at my feet.

“Sam!”

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