Come in From the Cold

by Tymber Dalton

He couldn’t help staring at Karlie. She looked, no shit, at least ten or more years older than when he’d last seen her. Without coloring her hair anymore, her brown hair was now thickly layered with grey, shoulder-length and pulled back with an elastic band. No makeup, either, her nails natural and unpolished, cut short and blunt. She wore jeans and a plain navy blue T-shirt, with black sneakers.

  Nothing like the woman he’d known before, who was always well-dressed and put together. He’d ended up with a couple of boxes of her things that she’d had a friend of hers grab from her condo for her, photo albums, stuff that’d been Kayleigh’s, things that Kayleigh might want later.

  But Karlie had nothing.

  And he literally had his dreams come true.

  Grace.

  He took a deep breath and let it go, choosing to stand near the door, leaning against the wall with Zee asleep on his shoulder.

  Less than twenty minutes later, Karlie was standing to go. “Thank you, Connor. I mean it. I know I screwed up. Thank you for letting me say good-bye. I know you didn’t have to, and I appreciate it. You’re a great father, really. Thank you for taking her.”

  He nodded.

  She paused by him and looked at Zee. “She’s beautiful.”

  He felt pride puff his soul a little, even though he knew he had no hand in what Zee looked like. “Thanks.”

  “I know you always missed him. I’m glad you two found each other. You really look…younger than you did. You were happy after Kayleigh was born, but you look even happier now.”

  “We are happy. Douglas is adopting her next week, and I’m adopting Zee. We’re a family.”

  “If I e-mail about sending birthday gifts or Christmas gifts—”

  “I’ll send you info. But I swear, Karlie, don’t you dare give any of your relatives my address, or any info about her. Don’t post her picture on Facebook, nothing. You do that, you might as well forget about her. Nothing negative about your life, or the people in it, better touch hers. Ever.”

  “I promise.”

  Connor nodded. “Okay.”

  “I’m really sorry I screwed up,” she softly said. “Thank you, again, for today. I just needed the closure, I swear. That’s all. I needed to know I made the right choice.”

  Connor nodded and offered her a handshake, and she gave him a sad smile as they shook.

  She turned to Douglas and stuck her hand out, but he offered her a hug.

  That was the priest in his boy, Connor was sure.

  She was a woman in pain who might never find true peace in her life. Connor would let Kayleigh have a good memory of today, a good lesson.

  Grace.

  He’d show grace.

  She turned to Kayleigh one more time. “Thank you for talking to me today.”

  Kayleigh walked over and gave her one more hug. “Tank you for the pichurs.” Then she held her hands up to Douglas for him to pick her up.

  He did.

  Once Karlie left, Niall carried the gift bag for them and ducked out to retrieve Zee’s diaper bag from Doyle’s office before he walked with them back to Douglas’ office.

  “Ye want to chat fer a few minutes?” Niall asked Connor. “I still have free time.”

  Connor looked to Douglas.

  “Why don’t you go?” Douglas said. “I’ll take the girls outside and let Kayleigh see the fountain. Zee’s due for a bottle. Come find us when you’re done, and then we’ll go to lunch.”

  Connor leaned in for a kiss and followed Niall. Once they were alone in his office, Niall patted Connor on the shoulder before sitting. “I’m proud o’ ye.”

  “I’ve been blessed. If I can’t show Kayleigh how to have grace for someone, then I don’t deserve to be a father.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Connor fixed Zee a bottle before he headed outside with her and Kayleigh. He’d sit in the shade of a tree and feed her while Kayleigh could run around and play in the kid-friendly garden, including a large play fountain area and playground equipment.

  As he settled against the base of one of the oak trees, he watched Kayleigh play while Zee took her bottle.

  Thank You, Lord. I think Connor really needed this today. Thank You for softening his heart and showing him Your grace. Thank You for letting this go smoothly. And thank You for not jerking him around. He really needed to see grace in action. Amen.

  Kayleigh had dozed off next to him in the grass when Connor walked up to them about forty minutes later and sat down on Douglas’ other side.

  “You okay?” Douglas asked.

  Connor nodded and leaned his head against Douglas.

  Douglas draped his arm around him and nuzzled the top of his head. “You’re a great dad,” he whispered. “And you’re a beautiful soul.”

  “What if she fucks us over?” Connor softly asked.

  “I don’t think she will.”

  “But what if she does?”

  Douglas encouraged him to lie down, his head in Douglas’ lap. He stroked his hair. “Do you trust me, Husband?”

  “Yes.” Connor laced fingers with him.

  “Then let me handle the worrying. You focus on being a great dad.”

  “Did I do the right thing?”

  “I think so.”

  “Did Kayleigh talk about her?”

  “Nope. She played for a while. Then she asked me about the fountain, and about what I do, and when we’re going to get lunch. After that, she laid down and promptly fell asleep.”

  Connor brought Douglas’ hand to his lips and kissed it. “Love you, Papa.”

  Douglas smiled down at him, and, yes, Connor did look younger than he did in pictures of him he’d seen. “Love you, too, Daddy. Ready to go eat?”

  “Can we just lay here for a few more minutes?”

  “Of course we can.” Connor didn’t release his hand, and Douglas made no move to pull free. Connor kept Douglas’ hand clutched in both of his, tucked tightly against his chest, where Douglas could feel every beat of his heart.

  * * * *

  Friday evening, Douglas had picked up the girls from Etsu and stopped by the grocery store, and still managed to make it home and get dinner started before Connor arrived home.

  “Daddy’s home!” Kayleigh ran to the front door when she heard it open, and Connor returned with her in his arms.

  “Yay, Daddy’s home.” Douglas grinned, earning himself a wink before Connor leaned in to kiss him.

  “Smells good, babe. How soon?”

  “About fifteen minutes.”

  “Shower?”

  Douglas waggled his eyebrows at him. “I figured we could do that later, after dinner, Daddy.”

  The hint was clearly taken, because Connor answered with another wink. “Help me set the table, Princess,” Connor said, carrying her over to the silverware drawer and holding her so she could pull it open.

  It almost felt like the years apart had never happened. Had it not been for their two beautiful daughters, and the urn that sat on a shelf in the living room next to a framed copy of the picture of Mackie holding Zee in the hospital, Douglas would have a hard time believing he’d spent a week apart from Connor, much less nearly a quarter century.

  With the stress of the visit between Karlie/Anna and Kayleigh over, Connor had visibly relaxed and returned to his previously playful self. Things were only better between them than they’d been as kids, which was hard for Douglas to believe.

  They’d been pretty damn good back then.

  Maybe they were even better now because they could appreciate what they had, who they were, and recognize their blessings.

  After dinner, and cleaning up the kitchen, they got the girls bathed, but Zee was still awake instead of falling asleep. Instead of making Kayleigh go straight to bed, they settled on the sofa with her, music on instead of the TV, and Connor read to her from The Cat in the Hat.

  Once that was finished, Douglas stood and stretched. “Ready to go to bed, Princess?”

  She grinned and shook her he
ad.

  “No? Do I need to do the ‘go to bed’ dance?”

  She giggled. “Dere’s no such thing, Papa.”

  “Sure there is.”

  Connor snorted.

  “What?”

  “You, dance?”

  It was good to see his guy smile. “I can dance.”

  Connor snorted again. “Since when?”

  Douglas raised his arms over his head and swiveled his hips—at least he tried to—in time with the music playing. Brothers Osborne, of course, their song “Shoot Me Straight.”

  “See? Dancing.” No, he couldn’t get too grindy with Kayleigh sitting right there, had to keep it family-friendly, but he dropped Connor a wink.

  Connor grinned, erasing years and lines from his face. “Oooh, the boy is tight.” He rose from the couch and stepped in close, swaying back and forth in time with him, circling him as Kayleigh started giggling on the couch.

  Laughter. It filled their home, and Douglas silently gave thanks every time he heard it, whether it was from Kayleigh or, himself or Connor.

  Especially from Connor.

  Finally, they got the girls put to bed—Zee finally falling asleep with a full tummy—and it was time for the adults to play.

  Douglas locked the bedroom door behind them and let Connor lead him into the bathroom. He wasn’t sure what kind of mood his Master was in tonight, but it didn’t matter.

  Whatever mood Connor needed from him, that’s what Douglas would give him.

  That’s what made him happy—making Connor happy, making their daughters happy.

  “Remember when we were kids,” Connor said as they climbed into the shower, “and you’d snuggle around me so I could go to sleep?” He pulled Douglas into his arms.

  “Yeah?”

  Connor kissed him. “I haven’t slept so good in years, until you came back.”

  “You’re the big spoon now, though.” He traced circles along Connor’s back, his ass, his hands settling there.

  “I still sleep better with you back. Doesn’t matter if you’re curled up around me or I’m curled up around you. It’s just knowing you’re in bed with me.”

  Douglas slowly rocked his hips against Connor’s as they kissed. Sure, two showers a day was overkill, but they got up together every morning and it was now a bonding ritual for them. A few minutes to wake up together, usually not talking much.

  Evening showers were usually for chilling out and making love.

  Like this.

  “I can dance.” He held on to Connor’s hips and ground against him, earning him a smile.

  “That’s not dancing, that’s fucking. Although you are very good at that.” He easily shifted Douglas in his arms and started dancing with him. “That’s dancing.”

  “We should go dancing some time.”

  “Maybe we can go up to the Toucan in a couple of months and spend the weekend. I’ll take you dancing then.” Connor nibbled on his neck and Douglas felt his stubble scratchy against his skin.

  “I’d like that. Never been anywhere like that before.”

  “Better never go anywhere like that unless I’m with you.” Connor rubbed his nose against Douglas’. “Because that’s our time together.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Connor kissed his way down Douglas’ neck, to his left nipple, and nipped him. “Would you mind growing your beard back?”

  “Is that a request or an order, Master?”

  Connor straightened. “Your choice.”

  “Would it make you happy for me to do it?”

  “Maybe. I’d like a chance to see it again. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do it justice the last time and appreciate it fully.” He smirked.

  “You think it’ll scare the girls? I was kind of woolly.”

  “They love their Papa. If something’s going to scare them, it won’t be that. It’ll be Papa’s dancing.” Connor snickered as Douglas poked him in the side.

  “I think maybe you could take me to bed and persuade me, Daddy.”

  Connor grinned, the light-hearted boy right there on the surface. “Oooh, watch out or I’ll make you keep calling me that.”

  “Husband,” Douglas said, leaning in for another kiss. “That’s the one I want to scream from the rooftops.”

  Connor nuzzled him, a soft sigh escaping him. “Say it again.”

  Douglas kissed along his jaw to his ear. “Husband. My husband.”

  Connor’s hard cock twitched between them, pressed against Douglas’, which was also hard.

  They finished their shower and headed to bed, where Connor kissed every inch of his chest, his abs, down to his cock. He eagerly settled between his husband’s thighs and palmed his sac.

  “Let’s see how persuasive I can be.” He wrapped his fingers around the base of Douglas’ cock and licked him, sac to tip and back again, soon making him beg and squirm under his mouth and hands.

  “Please!”

  “Please what?”

  * * * *

  Connor loved making Douglas beg. “Please make me come, Master.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Connor turned around, pinning him down in a sixty-nine, because he knew his boy would take forever to come for him if he didn’t.

  His sweet boy.

  His husband.

  His.

  Douglas eagerly sucked Connor’s cock down his throat. Before long, Connor was fucking his mouth, even as he bobbed up and down on his husband’s cock.

  Heaven.

  Absolute heaven.

  He took his time tonight because they could sleep in tomorrow morning. One of the perks of him being the head of the dealership’s service department was usually not having to work on weekends, and Douglas didn’t, either.

  Unlike when they were kids and didn’t always have a whole weekend together, or had chores to do, or homework.

  They could spend the weekend focused on their daughters and on each other.

  He knew Douglas still mourned Mackie, and didn’t want him to feel guilty for enjoying what they had now.

  If there’s anyone up there, thank You for bringing her into his life. And thank You for Zee. And for bringing Douglas back to me. Amen.

  He mouthed the length of Douglas’ cock, down, up again, swallowing it and taking long, slow pulls on it. He relished his pre-cum, loved knowing this man was officially his for life.

  A literal dream come true.

  It was that thought that tripped Connor’s orgasm, sooner than he’d planned to go off. He’d wanted to take Douglas with him. But with his husband moaning around his cock, all Connor could do was start fucking his mouth and bobbing his head up and down.

  Fortunately, Douglas came moments later while Connor was moaning around his cock. When Connor finally collapsed, rolling off him, he dragged himself around on the bed and snuggled against Douglas, facing him, pulling Douglas’ arms around him.

  Connor wanted to be the little spoon tonight.

  It wasn’t a Top or bottom thing, it was a “be cuddled by his husband” thing.

  Connor had spent too damn many years alone to feel apologetic that he wanted to snuggle against his man.

  A leg hooked over Douglas’, his arm draped over him, and his head pressed against the man’s chest.

  Douglas’ arms around him.

  Like they used to sleep all the time, leaving Connor feeling safe.

  The best sleeping aid ever—the security of Douglas wrapped around him.

  “I love you so fucking much,” Connor whispered against his chest.

  Douglas chuckled. “I love you, too. But don’t say fucking in front of the girls.”

  He snickered when Connor poked him in the side.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Douglas never thought he could love Connor more than he did at this moment. Especially knowing what he knew about the man and what he’d endured and survived.

  The complete and utter trust and love his husband held in him blew him away.

  He also looked damned good in his su
it and tie.

  They sat in the front row, Connor holding a sleeping Zee in his arms and Kayleigh sitting on Douglas’ lap. Because of the girls’ ages, this would take place first, so they could take them to the Unitarian Universalist church’s nursery and then return for the rest of the service.

  Rev. Sellis assumed her usual place, standing on the church’s small stage at the front of the congregation as the sound tech in the back of the sanctuary faded out the happy, joyful mandolin music that had been playing.

  Over the four months Douglas had been attending the UU church, he’d not only regained the greater sense of belonging he’d thought he’d lost forever, but had accidentally stumbled upon what would soon be his third career—albeit only part-time and as a volunteer.

  With Connor’s blessing, he’d decided to look around at local churches and had attended several over a couple of months before finding the UU church and loving the congregation and its energetic reverend. There was a gorgeous Episcopal church not far from their house.

  Except that Douglas knew their rites were too close to Catholicism for Connor, and he’d wanted to find a new spiritual home his husband might one day wish to visit with him.

  The short and petite seventy-year-old woman wore a playful dress with abstract turquoise and fuchsia and emerald shapes gamboling across it. Her gold-colored stole was embroidered with rainbows on both ends. Her beaming smile couldn’t be denied a response. “Good morning, everyone.”

  The congregation responded, “Good morning.”

  “To start our service today, I have the joyful honor and privilege of presiding over a dedication ceremony to officially welcome some of our newest—and youngest—members to our congregation.”

  She held out her hand to them, and Connor carefully stood so as not to awaken Zee, asleep on his right shoulder, while Douglas stood and slung Kayleigh on his left hip instead of making her walk.

  Douglas paused at the end of the row and handed their phones off to Rev. Sellis’ husband and adult son-in-law, who had already agreed to take pictures and video for them.

  Connor followed Douglas up onto the stage and stood next to him, on his left. He’d left all this completely up to Douglas, telling him his one and only requirement for the day and wanting to be surprised by the rest of it.