Marine Firefighter

by M K Dwyer

  “And those were for not wearing any underwear last night.”

  He dipped two fingers into her and found her gushing. He wondered how she was not dripping down her legs.

  He rolled a condom on, positioned himself at her entrance and pushed all the way to the hilt in one motion. She screamed, and at first, he was afraid he’d hurt her, but when he didn’t move, she started moving for him.

  “Okay, baby. I hear ya. I’m moving.” She moaned at him in response.

  His hand stroked her ass cheeks as his cock stroked in and out. Less than a minute later, he could feel her walls starting to flutter around him, and then she was coming. Hard. She clamped down so hard on his dick that his eyes crossed. That coupled with her screams and groans sent him over the edge soon after her.

  He pulled out, grabbed the condom from the night before, went to the bathroom, and threw both condoms away. Then he found some aloe lotion, got a washcloth of warm water, and went back to the bedroom. He found her still positioned at the end of the bed with her ass in the air and her head laying on her collapsed arms.

  Watching him return to her with a smile on her face, she said, “I’m jelly, and I can’t move.”

  “I see that.” Laughing at the sight she made, he set the lotion and wash cloth on the night stand. Then lifted her up and laid her on her stomach.

  Cleaning her up and soothing her reddened flesh, he ran the wash cloth between her legs and up over her round ass cheeks. She groaned.

  “I’m sorry, baby. Am I hurting you?”

  “No. Just the opposite.”

  He smirked at her back. “None of that now. You’re not ready for round two.”

  “Three.”

  “What?”

  “Three, if you count last night, and I do count last night.”

  He chuckled. “Okay. Three. Even more reason to cool it for a minute. Give your ass a minute to rest.”

  She groaned again as he applied the aloe lotion to her reddened cheeks, but it was a sleepy, contented groan. He mentally chastised his dick to ignore her groans and moans. He wasn’t getting any right now. He pulled the sheet over them, and they fell back to sleep in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Will

  They spent all day Saturday at her condo, in and out of bed. He lost track of how many times they coupled in one way or another, but he still hadn’t had enough of her when he left Saturday night. If he hadn’t needed to work on Sunday, he would’ve gladly spent another day giving her his undivided attention.

  He worked a double shift Sunday and Monday, then again on Wednesday and Thursday, but he still called her every night after dinner. They continued to keep their conversations light because he was afraid to dive deeper and ruin everything. Perhaps, she was also afraid, or she sensed his reluctance and didn’t want to push. So far, they seemed compatible in every way. Well, except her reluctance to be a stepmom, but they weren’t talking marriage, only dating.

  Who was he kidding? He did want to marry her. Not today or tomorrow, or even, this year, but in the future. Could she try for him? For Joe? Every time he talked to her, he worried about finding the right moment to tell her, but he was a coward. Plenty of moments came and went, and still the fear of rejection won the battle every time.

  On Friday, he drove to Yuma and picked Joe up from school. He had also spoken to Joe every night that week and knew things at his mom’s house were getting worse, not better. Short of fighting Theresa for custody, he didn’t know what to do to make the situation better. He encouraged Joe to tell his mom how he felt, and while she seemed responsive to their son and his plight, she couldn’t stand up to Mark. The best thing he ever did was buy Joe his own cell phone, so he could call Will whenever he wanted. It had made their bond stronger for Joe to know that Will was just a phone call away. Every time Joe called he prayed it was to tell him that Theresa had finally dumped the asshole, but instead he heard about Mark’s new form of torment. Luckily for Mark, he hadn’t escalated to physical abuse or Will wouldn’t hesitate to show up at their door and rearrange his face.

  He took Joe back to the house and they played video games with Adam, Jesus, and War until the wee hours of the morning. It was not lost on Will how blessed he was to have found the roommates he did. They were so good with Joe and they welcomed him with open arms when he was there. They even kept their Friday night free specifically to spend time with him on the weekends that it was Will’s turn to have him. They were quickly becoming Will’s closest friends and like surrogate uncles to Joe.

  On Saturday, they drove up to Legoland in Carlsbad. Will wanted Joe to have an extra special outing that weekend to make up for the terrible week. The guys tagged along and loaded Joe down with more souvenirs and new Lego sets than he could build in a year, but Will didn’t stop them. Seeing the epic smile on Joe’s face as they left the park was better than Christmas morning for Will, and he already regretted that he’d have to take Joe back to Yuma the next day.

  On Sunday, they woke up early and had breakfast at Joe’s favorite restaurant where the pancakes and fluffy omelets were as big as the plates. Of course, Adam, Jesus, and War came along as well. They never passed up an opportunity to eat. After breakfast, Will brought Joe back to the house to pack his things. He opted to bring home only one building set, so as not to cause more wrath from Mark. It broke Will’s heart that his son had to even think about those things. He still wasn’t sure what the answer was, and he hated involving the courts, but if Theresa didn’t start making better decisions for Joe, Will was going to have to step in.

  Will and Joe got on the road towards Yuma in the early afternoon. They were both silent for most of the three hours back to Theresa’s house. It felt more like a funeral procession than a reunion with his mother. It always felt that way to Will, but he hated that his son had come to feel that way as well. No matter how he felt about Theresa, he never wanted there to be a rift between her and Joe, but she was causing one by allowing Mark to treat Joe badly.

  When they arrived at Theresa’s place, her car was in the driveway, but the house was dark. He rang the doorbell and waited, but no one ever came to the door. Then, he tried the knob, and it was locked. He called Theresa, and she answered on the first ring.

  “Are you at the house?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I need you to take Joe inside and pack a few things. There’s a key under the ‘welcome’ mat.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I need you to take him for a little while.”

  “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you sure? Whatever you need, you know I’ll always help you out. Don’t you, Theresa?”

  “Yes. Thanks, Will. Just take care of Joe for me, please.”

  “I will. Of course. I’d be with him 24/7 if I could, but how long do you expect to be gone?

  “I don’t know.”

  “Okay… Well, what about school?”

  “Enroll him in San Diego.”

  “What? I don’t even know if I can do that. I don’t have custody as far as the courts are concerned.”

  “I’ll sign whatever you need for that. Just please take care of it. Okay?”

  “All right, Theresa. Not that I really have a choice, but I’ll do what you’re asking. You’re freaking me out though. Please reach out to me if you need to. I’ll help in any way I can. We might not be together anymore, but you’ll always be Joe’s mom, and I’m here for you.”

  “Now, don’t think you can sweet talk your way back in my pants, mister.”

  Ah, there’s the Theresa he knows and… tolerates. “Theresa…”

  “Just had to rile you up a bit. Take care of yourself, Will.”

  And the line went dead.

  He stared at his phone for a minute while he digested Theresa’s words. Why did that feel like goodbye? For Joe’s sake, he hoped he was wrong.

  He looked up from his phone and found Joe intently staring back at him like a sold
ier waiting for his next command. Wondering how much of the conversation Joe had heard, Will picked up the “welcome” mat in front of them and found the key to the front door.

  “Well, son. Looks like you’re coming back home with me for a little while longer. Let’s go pack a few things to take back to my place.”

  “Is that what you and Mom were talking about just now?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know. Long enough that you’re going to go to the school in my neighborhood. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds okay. I guess. I’ll miss my friends.”

  “I know.” He didn’t want to make any promises, but he made a mental note to ask about a contact sheet for his class when he filled out the transfer paperwork, so Joe could keep in touch with his friends.

  He unlocked the door and let them into the house. They went straight to Joe’s bedroom and began packing the largest suitcase Will could find. Except for the suitcase, he didn’t care to be nosy and check out the rest of the house.

  “Are you mad I have to come back home with you?” Joe asked, breaking the silence.

  “No, buddy. Of course not. I’m ecstatic actually. I’ve been trying to figure out how to make things better for you, and now you’ll be with me and away from Mark. So, in a way, my prayers have been answered. I’m just not happy with how it happened. I’ll be frank with you, son. You might not be too happy with her now, but you’ll miss her, and when you start asking when you’ll see her again, I’m afraid I won’t have an answer.”

  Joe just smiled at him and went back to packing. He’d always been a quiet child, choosing to think before he spoke. Will assumed he needed a moment to collect his thoughts.

  “You okay here? I’m going to call Adam and give him the good news that you’re coming to stay for a while.”

  “Yeah.”

  Will excused himself to the living room and dialed Adam.

  “Hey man. What’s up?”

  “Hey, Adam. You cool with Joe staying with us for a while?”

  “Of course. You know we love the kid. What’s going on?”

  “I’m not really sure. She’s not here. I called her, and she said she wanted me to take Joe back to San Diego. She left a key under the mat, told me to have him pack a bag and enroll him in school there. It doesn’t seem temporary.”

  “Shit man. That’s heavy. How’s he taking it?”

  “He thought I’d be mad, but I assured him I’m happy he’s coming home with me. Just not exactly happy with the how or why of it. I can’t shake the feeling that Theresa’s in trouble or in over her head on something. I’d bet money it has something to do with the worthless creep she’s been dating.”

  “Well you can’t do anything for her until she asks, so focus on getting Joe back here. The guys and I will give him a big welcome when you get home.”

  “Thanks man. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem at all. See you in a few hours.”

  “See you.”

  He hung up with Adam and called Nikki.

  “Hey, babe. I haven’t heard from you all weekend. I was beginning to worry.”

  “Sorry about that. I’ve been dealing with some family stuff. In fact, I’m still dealing with it. I was just calling to tell you I might be out of pocket for a little while longer. I’ll call you when I can, but I’ve got some things to take care of.”

  “Oh, okay.” She sounded disappointed. He hated disappointing her, but getting Joe settled had to take precedence in his life. He knew she was a caring and understanding person, and if he ever got the courage to tell her everything, she would understand this too.

  “I’ll make it up to you, baby. I promise.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Do what you need to do. I’ll miss you though.”

  He smiled. “I’ll miss you too. I’ve got to go.”

  Will hung up the phone and went back to Joe’s room. As he walked in, Joe zipped up the suitcase.

  “Ready to go?”

  Joe looked up from the suitcase but couldn’t look Will in the eyes. “Yeah. I guess.”

  Will walked over to Joe and pulled him into a hug. “It’s going to be all right. I don’t know what’s going on with your mom, but you know I’ll help her if she needs it and she’ll come home as soon as she’s able. In the meantime, I’m not going anywhere. I’m a civilian now, so the longest I’m gone is one or two days. And even then, I’m just down the street at the firehouse if you need me. When I’m working, you still have Adam, Jesus and War who are so excited you’re coming back home with me.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell them I told you, but I think you’re their new best friend.”

  Joe’s head shot up, and he smiled as he made eye-contact with Will but didn’t say anything.

  “Let’s get out of here. It’s already late and I have to figure out how to enroll you in school tomorrow.” Theresa always handled things like that. He wasn’t even sure what he would need, who to call or where to go. That reminded him of how organized Theresa was. She always kept a file of Joe’s important documents somewhere.

  “Hey, buddy. Where does your mom keep her important papers in this house? Or where does she sit down to pay bills?”

  “The desk in her room.”

  “Okay. Which one is her room?”

  Joe pointed to the closed door across the hall and to the right, caddy corner to his.

  Will walked up to the door and turned the knob. After sharing a bedroom for so many years with Theresa, he felt odd walking into a bedroom that was hers alone. Walking past the bed, he had to laugh. Through their entire marriage she’d tortured him with feminine, pink, flowered bed spreads. Then they divorce, and the bed spread she chose for herself was almost masculine in black, white, and maroon plaid. He knew she insisted on the most feminine bedspreads she could find to mess with him, but as it turned out, she didn’t like them either.

  He rolled his eyes as he pulled Joe’s papers out of the filing cabinet built into the desk. Since he wasn’t sure exactly what he would need, he took the entire file and walked back to Joe in the hallway.

  Will closed and locked the front door as they were leaving. He debated about what to do with the key but decided to hold on to it. They might need to come back later if Joe forgot something, and he didn’t want to leave the key under the mat for just anyone to find.

  They climbed in the Will’s truck and he headed for home. Home. That word felt right in his heart. A house is where you live, but a home is where you want to be. Being with Joe felt like home to Will. Despite the circumstance, he wanted Joe home with him and he was over the moon to take him there.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Nikki

  The first few days of the week passed without incident. That would almost be an overstatement. They were dull and boring. Nothing special was going on at school, and Will hadn’t called. An unknown number with a San Francisco area code called her a couple of times, but just hung up when she answered. She gave it the benefit of a doubt after the first call but blocked the number after the second time assuming it was Aiden who was just too chicken to say anything.

  Joyce tried to get her to go out Tuesday night, but she’d declined. She told Joyce she had grading to do, but really, she just wasn’t in the mood. Something major was happening with Will, and she was frustrated that he wasn’t confiding in her. He knew almost everything there was to know about her, but she knew next to nothing about him.

  Thursday started out just as uneventful as the previous days that week at Clairmont Elementary. The usual kids turned in the extra credit that always did and the usual kids forgot their homework that always did. The one that surprised her was Tommy Murdock. He was one of the ones that usually forgot his homework, but this week, he’d not only turned it in on time, but he’d turned in the extra credit as well. If he kept this up, he would get the “Most Improved” award at the end of the year.

  Shortly after she picked up everyone’s
homework, the front office secretary, Miss Stafford, arrived in her classroom with a new student. She told Nikki the student’s name and handed her the student’s registration paperwork. She’d look at that later.

  “Thank you, Miss Stafford.”

  Then she turned and addressed the class. “Class. Say ‘hello’ to our newest student, Joseph Braun.”

  She heard a smattering of “hi” and “hello” from the students in her class.

  “Joseph. Is that what you prefer to be called? Or do you have a nickname?”

  “Joe,” he answered.

  “Okay, Joe. Have a seat at the empty desk. Today we’re just reviewing what we learned this week before the test tomorrow. Before you ask, yes, you will take the test with the class tomorrow, but I’ll use it more as a benchmark for what you’ve learned so far this year at your last school.”

  He nodded his understanding and she continued with the review. But her mind kept wandering. The boy’s last name was the same as Will’s. It was a semi-common last name, but that didn’t stop her from thinking about him. She may have only known him a month, but she’d only spoken to him for a few minutes in almost a week, and she missed him terribly.

  She managed to make it to the end of the day, and her new student seemed to be settling in well. Arriving at her car, she was about to unlock her door when she sensed someone behind her. She turned and came face to face with Aiden.

  “Before you say anything, please hear me out.”

  “You have two seconds, Aiden. Then, I am getting in my car, and you are going to leave me alone!”

  “Fine but hear this first. I was an idiot. I couldn’t see past the end of my dick, but she’s nothing compared to you. No one is. I made a mistake. Please take me back. I’m begging you. Do you want me on my knees? Because I’ll do it.”

  “No. Don’t bother. Your two seconds are up. I heard you, and my answer is still the same. No. No, we are not getting back together. I’ve moved on. I love my life here. I have great friends, and I’m seeing a great guy. In fact, I should thank you. If you hadn’t turned my world upside down, I wouldn’t be living my best life.”