The kids were wonderful, and it was clear they were thriving and loved Dan like mad. But it was a lot. Becca was a talkative sixteen-year-old girl and Tanner and Rose were five-year-old twins. Dan had eaten dinner with the baby—Carylynn—in one arm, and Stephen had boggled at the idea of trying to manage everything Dan seemed to handle with such ease.
“Based on what he said, there’s some family issues, but if he inherited that house …”
Stephen shrugged. “There’s inheriting and then there’s inheriting.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s possible they didn’t approve of him but didn’t get around to taking him off the will in time.”
“That’s true,” Russ said thoughtfully. “Or, I suppose he could have had some family who were supportive and others who weren’t. That’s not uncommon.”
“Like Evan,” Stephen pointed out. “His mom came around eventually. They’re doing great now.”
Russ groaned. “God, are we ever going to reach a point where people just don’t fucking care if people are gay?”
“Based on current politics?” Stephen said dryly. “No, it appears not.”
“It makes me tired.”
“Me too.”
They were silent for a few blocks until a small chime sounded on Russ’s phone. “Why is Jeremy messaging me?” Russ said, sounding puzzled.
“I have no idea,” Stephen said, amused. “Why are you texting my ex?”
Russ lightly slapped his thigh. “You know we talk sometimes.”
“I do. And I’m glad you get along so well; it just amuses me.”
“Mm-hmm.” Russ sounded distracted, and Stephen glanced at him out of the corner of his eye to see him staring at his screen. He chuckled. “Well, it sounds like we may have a foster opportunity sooner than we thought.”
Stephen tensed. Oh no. Maybe Jeremy had encountered a kid at the center or something. This felt way, way too soon though and they hadn’t even decided if they were going to officially start the process with DCFS, although after spending more time with Dan and his family a lot of his worries had been allayed. “Does Jeremy know someone in need of a home?”
Russ laughed. “Not someone. Something.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“A puppy.” There was a smile in Russ’s voice. “Apparently Jeremy’s giving Evan a puppy for Valentine’s Day, and he wants us to watch it.”
“Evan will love that,” Stephen said with a relieved sigh. He could handle a puppy for a bit.
“He will.”
“But why does he need us to watch it?”
“The shelter is overcrowded, and he needs to get it a few days early. He wants to surprise Evan with it on Saturday.”
“That makes sense. Well, I suppose we can keep the puppy for a few days. Why did he text you and not me though?”
“He thought I’d be able to talk you into it if you were reluctant.”
Stephen chuckled. “Well, that’s probably true.”
“The man knows you well.”
“He does.” Stephen was silent a moment. “I suppose it’ll be a good test run for us.”
“Having a puppy for a few days is hardly the same as raising a kid for the next five or six years.”
“True. Though at least I won’t have to worry about a teenager chewing on my shoes.”
Russ chuckled. “There is that.”
SIX
Stephen paced up and down the length of the apartment as he waited for Russ to come home from Evan and Jeremy’s place. Is this how Russ felt before he proposed? He was sure of his decision, but it felt monumental. And he knew Russ was the one who wanted this. Then again, Russ had been sure Stephen would say yes to his proposal and look how that had gone.
But Russ was the one who brought up fostering, Stephen argued. He wants this. And so do you.
He did want this. He truly, truly did, but it was so momentous and scary and flat-out overwhelming that the very idea made his head spin. He’d been so sure of the way the rest of his life would play out and having it take an abrupt left turn was, frankly, terrifying.
And yet, every time he thought about the kids clustered around Dan’s table or the ones he’d seen at the drop-in center, there was no other choice he could make. Dan had brought happiness and stability to those kids’ lives, and if he and Russ could do the same … well, that was worth some mental readjustment.
Still, by the time Stephen heard the sound of Russ’s key in the lock, he was a nervous wreck. He leaned against the kitchen island and tried to look casual.
“Hey.” Russ’s expression brightened as he came around the corner. He looked a little windblown, but his smile was wide.
Stephen pulled him close and brushed their lips together, needing the reassurance of Russ’s touch. “How’d the surprise turn out?”
“The entire apartment is nauseatingly red and pink,” Russ said with a grin as he drew back. “Evan is gonna love it.” It was a Saturday, but Evan had been scheduled to work. Russ had gone over earlier this morning to help Jeremy plan a Valentine’s Day surprise while he was out of the house. Stephen would have helped too, but he’d needed to get a few hours of work done and Russ and Jeremy assured him they could take care of it.
It still occasionally surprised Stephen that the two of them seemed perfectly content spending time together now. Then again, he and Russ felt so solid and it was clear Evan and Jeremy were doing very well too, so there was nothing to cause tension between them anymore. “I’m glad they’re so happy together.”
“I am too.”
“So are the over-the-top decorations and the dog the only thing Jeremy is doing to celebrate?” he asked. Russ had taken the small spaniel puppy over to Evan and Jeremy’s place earlier. “Not that it isn’t a great gift,” Stephen added. “Evan is going to be absolutely thrilled.”
“Well, Jeremy and I also went out together to pick up our respective dinners,” Russ said. He placed a handled bag on the counter. “So all we need to do is reheat it when we’re ready.”
“Midtown Soul?”
“You know it.”
It had been their favorite restaurant for years, but they’d both been in the mood to celebrate the holiday with a quiet evening in. Stephen had been the one to suggest it—though part of his reasoning was because he hadn’t wanted an audience when he told Russ about his decision.
“Thanks for picking up the food.” Stephen stole another kiss. “Are you ready to eat now?”
“I want to grab a quick shower. Hanging streamers and heart garlands is surprisingly sweaty work.”
Stephen chuckled. “I still can’t believe Jeremy did all that.”
“He loves the shit out of Evan,” Russ said with a little shrug. He played with the hair at the nape of Stephen’s neck, sending a pleasant shiver through his body.
“True enough.” Stephen smiled. “And I am very glad they found each other. But I think that is enough thinking about our friends for the evening. Tonight is about the two of us.” If they went through with this, and were accepted as foster parents, nights alone would be a rare thing.
“Yes, it is.” Russ sidled closer. “And I am very much looking forward to that.”
“So am I.” Stephen lightly swatted Russ’s ass. “Now, go shower. I’ll get dinner heated up while you do.”
“Sounds great. Want to fix us drinks too?”
“Done.”
By the time Russ padded down the stairs, barefoot and handsome in black denim and a snug maroon Henley, the dining room table was set and the food was warming in the oven. Stephen wasn’t calm, exactly, but he was less jittery.
Stephen held up two glasses filled with a finger of bourbon each. Russ took one with a thank you. Stephen held his out so he could make a little toast. “You know, Valentine’s Day has never been a big holiday for me. But I think there’s something to be said for taking a day to focus on your partner.” He smiled a little. “Or your husband.”
Russ’s hazel e
yes warmed as he gently clinked glasses with Stephen. “To us.”
“To us,” Stephen agreed. He drank to that sentiment. And to calm his nerves. “Ready for dinner?”
“Yes, please.” Russ set his glass down. “I haven’t had anything since breakfast.”
“Oh, that won’t do,” Stephen said. “I definitely want you to have plenty of strength for what comes later.” He wasn’t quite sure if he meant sex or talking about the decision he’d come to. Possibly both.
“Well, when you put it that way,” Russ teased. He stepped forward and slid his hands down Stephen’s jeans to tuck into his pockets. Clearly, he’d assumed sex. “I think you better feed me.” He swiped his tongue across his lower lip and Stephen felt an answering jolt go through his body. He wanted nothing more than to push Russ gently to his knees and feed his cock between those full lips. That would certainly distract him from the crazy thoughts going through his head.
“Later,” he promised, slipping his thumb into Russ’s mouth instead. Russ’s gaze heated as he slowly sucked it in, caressing it with his tongue. Stephen groaned. “After dinner.”
Russ gently nipped at his thumb, then released it with a wet pop. “I’d rather have you than dinner.”
“I’d rather have you too,” Stephen said. But the beep of the oven kept him from following through and he was half-relieved.
“I mean it. We need to go on vacation again,” Russ said as he leaned against the counter with a sigh and blatantly adjusted himself in his jeans.
“Days of uninterrupted sex?” Stephen guessed as he strode toward the oven.
“Yes. Unless you have any objections.”
“None whatsoever.”
Russ chuckled.
“Come on, help me get dinner on the table. We can discuss a vacation while we eat.” Although if they moved forward with fostering, a vacation of that sort might be off the table for a while. Jesus. How had they gone from planning a trip to Puerto Rico to discussing adoption?
Dinner was delicious as always but by the time they placed the leftovers in the refrigerator, Stephen felt too tightly wound to do anything but broach the subject he’d been thinking about all night.
“Another drink?” Russ asked after the kitchen was clean.
“Please,” Stephen said gratefully.
Stephen was quiet as they nursed their drinks on the couch, trying to figure out how to drop the bombshell.
“Is everything okay?” Russ asked with a concerned frown. He set his hand on Stephen’s thigh. “You seem kinda distracted tonight.”
Stephen cleared his throat. “Well, I have something I want to discuss, and Valentine’s Day seems like as good a day as any, since it’ll impact our relationship.”
Russ’s eyes widened. “You’re making me nervous, Stephen.”
“I don’t mean to.” He rested his hand on top of Russ’s and squeezed. The sight of the wedding bands on their fingers still sent a pleasant jolt through him.
“I’ve been thinking about what you suggested. About fostering a kid. You know I wanted time to think, but I’m ready. We should take the leap and contact DCFS. I’m ready to move forward with this.”
Russ’s eyes widened. “Yeah?” Russ flipped his hand over so their palms touched.
Stephen squeezed tightly. His heart beat fast in his chest and he wondered if he was crazy. He was fifty-one years old. What was he thinking, taking on raising a kid? But since Russ had brought up the idea, he had thought of nothing else. He hadn’t been able to get the images of the kids at the center out of his head. They had no one. Some were as young as thirteen. Evan, Jeremy, and Stephen had all been disowned in their early twenties. The rejection was heartbreaking then. But these were kids. Some of them barely into puberty. And their families had tossed them onto the streets like garbage.
“Yes. If you’re ready, Russ, I want us to become parents,” Stephen said, his throat thick. He gestured toward the spacious apartment they lived in. “We have the space, the means, the time, and we understand better than anyone what these kids are dealing with. We can give one a real family and a sense of belonging. I want to do this.”
“You mean it, Stephen?”
“I do.” Stephen was reminded of the moment he’d said yes to Russ’s proposal. Yes, there were fears and worries but there was a thread of excitement running through him. A certainty they’d made the right decision.
How many times had his future plans been upended in his life? After Jeremy’s accident, he’d been sure he was destined to spend his life alone. After meeting Russ, he’d been sure he was looking for partnership, not marriage. After they got married, he’d been sure he was ready for an early retirement.
But Russ was right. They had so much to give. And he’d found joy and fulfillment in helping Evan get on his feet. Why couldn’t they tackle an even greater challenge by adopting someone a few years younger?
In one fluid motion, Russ stood, pivoted, and swung his leg over Stephen’s to straddle him. Automatically, Stephen reached for him, gripping his backside and Russ pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” Stephen pushed Russ’s hair off his forehead. “I never would have considered this without a push from you.”
“Hopefully it wasn’t too much of a push.”
“No, just the right amount,” Stephen said quietly. “I love the life we have. I have no complaints about that at all. But this feels right. I want to take this step, and I want to do it with you. There is no one else I can imagine doing it with, to be honest.”
“We make a pretty good team,” Russ said.
“We do.” Stephen pressed their foreheads together. “We absolutely do.”
“And I guess we’ll become a trio.”
Stephen felt a jolt go through him at the words. Russ was right, they would. Once they welcomed a kid into their home, the rest of their lives would change fundamentally. Their family of two would expand to include a whole other person. “If we thought work and navigating this relationship was going to be a challenge …”
“This’ll be bigger,” Russ agreed. “But I’m confident we can do it.”
“I am too.” He’d be naive to think there wouldn’t be massive challenges to overcome by bringing a teenager into their home and their hearts. And yet, Russ had always been the kind of person to take a challenge in front of him and figure out how to overcome it. Stephen was the same. As long as they worked together, they could do this. Stephen smoothed his hands up and down Russ’s muscular back.
“So does this mean I can call you Daddy, now?” Russ asked with a grin when he drew back, lightening the weighty moment.
Laughing, Stephen let out a little growl and smacked his ass. “I will take you over my knee if you do.”
“That is not exactly a deterrent there, Stephen.” Russ’s eyes danced with amusement.
He laughed, feeling a sense of lightness now that he’d made the decision and told Russ. “Fine, I’ll take you over my knee if you promise to never call me Daddy.”
“Deal.” Russ nuzzled in for a kiss that quickly turned dirty and hot. “What do you think?” he asked as he pulled back breathlessly. “Should we take this to the bedroom?”
“I think,” Stephen drew back, “that while we have the place entirely to ourselves, we should take advantage of that.”
“Oh, well …” Russ stood and tugged his shirt off, tossing it carelessly on the couch beside Stephen. “You make an excellent point. Where do you want me?”
“Well, aren’t you eager?”
“Are you complaining?” There was a challenge in Russ’s gaze and heat in his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and Stephen drank in the sight of his biceps bunching and the strong planes of his chest. He’d recently stopped shaving his chest and Stephen loved the soft patch of hair there.
“I’m not complaining,” Stephen said with a smile. “As far as where I want you … Hmm. On the rug there,” Stephen pointed to a spot a few feet away. “Get naked
while I grab the supplies.”
“You didn’t plan ahead?” Russ asked as he unbuckled his belt. Stephen’s mouth watered as he peeled the tight denim down his strong thighs. “You’re slipping in your old age.”
Stephen stood and glared at Russ. “Old? Excuse me?”
Russ grinned as he palmed his dick, already hard in his snug black briefs. A pair that Stephen thoroughly appreciated. “You heard me.”
“If you think you can goad me into fucking you into that rug …”
“I’m tryin’.” Russ slipped the briefs off and let them fall to the floor at his feet.
“You are going to get your wish then,” Stephen said. He walked past Russ, delivering a stinging swat on Russ’s firm ass that made him yelp. “Get on that rug on your back if you know what’s good for you.”
“And if I don’t?”
“One of us will get an orgasm tonight and it won’t be you,” Stephen teased as he walked toward the stairs to fetch the lube and a toy he’d bought as a surprise. Russ let out an outraged noise behind him, presumably at the idea of being denied release.
Why don’t we keep lube in the living room? Stephen wondered as he unbuttoned his shirt and let it hang open. That seemed ridiculous. After the initial flurry of sex on every surface of the new condo, they’d mostly stuck to the bedroom, the balcony, and an occasional blowjob on the couch. Although, they wouldn’t be stashing lube around the apartment for quick access in the future with a kid living with them. Spontaneous sex was about to go out the window. Might as well make the most of this night, he thought ruefully.
When Stephen returned to the living room, Russ was sprawled on his back on the rug as instructed, thighs spread wide as he stroked his cock. “Well, that’s a hell of a nice sight to come back to,” Stephen drawled as his gaze traveled up his body.
“Thought you’d like it.”
He stood over him. “I don’t remember telling you to touch yourself though.”
“I don’t remember you telling me not to.” Russ’s grin was cheeky.
Full Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 3) Page 7
