by Josie Finch
“I’ll take care of her for a little while so you two can rest,” Clara said. “We’ll meet for supper then I’ll take her again. You can have the whole night to yourselves.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Warren said.
“I want to,” Clara said. “It’s no problem. You two will have plenty of nights ahead to be up all night with her. Take it where you can get it, little brother.”
“Yeah, but…” Warren sounded anxious and Joseph didn’t blame him. “What if I just, you know, need to see she’s all right?”
“Anytime in the night you want to check in, the door will be open,” Clara promised. “But I really want you to enjoy the time alone. Shubert isn’t a spectacular location for a honeymoon, but I trust you’ll make the most out of it.” She swooped over to the dresser, picked up the key to the other room, and slipped it into Joseph’s hand. “He’s all yours.” She winked. “Now, go.”
Joseph blushed and Warren decided to listen to his sister.
*
In their room, the quiet settled around them, comforting and intimate. They shed their coats and boots and Warren casually turned down the quilt on the bed while Joseph drew the lace curtains shut.
If having a real bed to himself in White Spring had made Joseph feel indulgent, a real bed to share with Warren was downright sinful.
Except Warren was an angel, and more importantly, Warren was his husband.
Joseph wasn’t used to that idea, but he was really looking forward to becoming used to it.
“How are you feeling?” Joseph asked.
“Good,” Warren said. “Great. More than great.”
Joseph wrapped his arms around Warren’s waist. “I could get used to how great this is.”
Warren smiled and leaned into Joseph. They kissed, slowly. There was no need to hurry. For once, they had their whole lives ahead of them.
“So,” Warren said between kisses. “We could… wait… until after supper.”
“That is…” Joseph answered, “…one option.”
“I’m thinking… another option,” Warren confessed.
“Me too,” Joseph breathed.
With that Joseph’s body ignited a deep need and he realized how long he had waited for this, never thinking it would happen at all. They let their hands tell each other how much they had wanted each other from the first moments they had been close enough to feel each other’s warmth.
Joseph and Warren fell into the bed and began to caress their way through the layers of each other’s clothing.
As his skin was bared, Joseph was filled with gratitude that he had found this before it was too late—while he was still young enough to enjoy his body.
As they revealed more of themselves to each other, Joseph was overwhelmed by his love for Warren. He loved everything about him. He loved how Warren spoke about his sisters. He loved Warren’s sincerity, his humor, his security. He loved how Warren made him feel whole. How Warren made him want to lead and protect. How Warren had given him a family.
Warren peppered kisses down Joseph’s abdomen and Joseph released all his earthly shame. He gave himself fully and eagerly. They became lost in each other, wrapped in whispers and sighs and shivers. They took turns giving, receiving, with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. From not quite there to beyond heaven to the soft glow of summer stars.
Joseph knew then he was not going to get out of this life without everything—the pain, the sadness, but also the joy, the ecstasy, the contentment. Together, they had it all.
Laying together afterward, forehead to forehead, Joseph ran his hand through Warren’s hair.
“Are we going to stay in bed through supper?” Joseph asked.
“Mmm, no,” Warren answered. “We’ll get up and have supper… then do this again before bed.”
Joseph had to agree this sounded like a divine plan.
Epilogue
Three weeks later
Mount Etna, Colorado
Warren had just set the new clock and was straightening it on the wall. The wheels and mechanisms churned a happy tempo into his studio.
The new set up in Mount Etna was quite similar to the one Warren had in California. A store front on main street with an apartment for he, Joseph, and Leona to live in the back.
The Harting family had been welcomed warmly by the angelic community of Mount Etna. Their little apartment was fully furnished in a day from things they had bought or been given to them. A local carpenter had made Leona a proper cradle and a sturdy rocking chair for late nights.
Mostly, though, angels liked to gift food, and their shelves were soon full of glass canned vegetables, herbs, and dry ingredients for cooking. There was also now a little sign post in a plot at the community garden that read Harting for when they would begin planting in a couple months.
Warren was just now getting around to setting up the photography studio because, besides setting up their home, Joseph and Warren had been spending most of their time thus far cleaning up the local church. Joseph was going to take over as preacher. Mount Etna had not had a regular Sunday service in quite some time. Perhaps it was ironic that the only human in a town of angels was going to look after the spiritual lives of its citizens. But it was also rather poetic.
Still, the job as preacher would bring stability to their lives. For Leona’s sake, Warren was very happy for that. Photography work was never predictable. But Warren was hopeful. He already had a list of families that wanted portraits as soon as the studio opened, which would be soon.
As Warren was getting things organized, Joseph sat in a chair in the corner, gently rocking Leona’s cradle with the tip of one boot. His hands were busy carving a figurine out of wood with his pocket knife. The carving was still rough but Warren could surmise Joseph was attempting to carve an angel.
“Do angels have wings, in other worlds?” Joseph asked casually as he worked. “Like how the great artists portray you in paintings down here on earth?”
“Yeah, in some places we do,” Warren answered. “But in other places we also have eyes in our elbows, but those never became popular in paintings.”
Joseph contemplated this a moment then said, “Don’t think I could carve that.”
Warren grinned and turned to pick up a picture frame but stopped suddenly. He spun around.
Joseph frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Lettie,” Warren said.
Joseph sat up and looked at Warren quizzically. He jumped when there was a knock on the door, but Warren was expecting it.
Warren answered the door and Lettie burst in with a gust of cold air. Warren quickly shut the door tightly behind her as she brushed snow off her cloaked shoulders.
“Sorry I couldn’t pop in sooner,” Lettie said as she pecked a kiss on Warren’s cheek. “ Hoo, wee, this is quite the change from California.”
“Feels like Déjà Vu to me,” Warren countered.
Lettie ignored him. Joseph had pocketed his carving work and stood to shake Lettie’s hand, but she ran up and gave him a giant hug. She said something along with the hug, but it was so high pitched not even Warren could make out what it was. When she let Joseph go she reached into her cloak and pulled out a tin with a fruitcake in it.
“Welcome to the family,” Lettie said, handing it over to Joseph.
“Thank… you?” Joseph said, awkwardly taking the gift.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to me,” Lettie barreled on.
Joseph threw Warren a look and he just shrugged.
“And I finally get to meet Leona-Pearl, eee!”
Lettie plopped down on the floor next to the cradle. Leona was awake and her bright eyes looked over Lettie, full of new curiosity.
“Oh, she has Joseph’s eyes!” Lettie gushed.
Joseph gave a confused look from the fruitcake to Lettie. Warren hid a smile behind his fist.
“Has she shown any clues to what she’ll be able to do when she grows up?” Lettie asked eage
rly.
“She’s three weeks old,” Warren said. “Eye contact is a special skill at this point.”
“Maybe she’ll be a Traveler like me.” Lettie’s voice hitched into a high pitch again as she leaned in over the cradle. “Yes, you can pop all over the Universe with your marvelous Aunt Lettie and then we’ll get ice cream.”
Warren put his hands on his hips. “You took me all over the Universe and never got me ice cream.”
“You’re not cute like she is,” Lettie said. “Besides… looks you came out on the other end pretty good.”
“More than pretty good,” Warren conceded. “Still. You owe me one.”
“I brought you a fruitcake what more do you want?”
“Take our picture,” Warren said, moving to set up the camera on its easel. “I want the first portrait in the new studio to be a family photograph.”
Lettie grinned. “That I can do.”
Joseph abandoned the well-intentioned fruitcake so he could pick up Leona, cradling her on his shoulder. Lettie jumped up and helped Warren hang a background canvas for them to pose in front of. After focusing the lens and quickly showing Lettie how to use the camera, Warren moved to stand next to Joseph, taking Leona-Pearl in his arms.
“You know,” Lettie said casually, squinting through the camera lens, “After a year or two, if I have another soul that needs to be brought through, Leona could have a little brother or sister.”
Warren sighed and glanced over to Joseph.
But when his husband shared the glance, the look Warren saw on Joseph’s face wasn’t fear—it was delight.
Warren gulped. Lettie took the picture.
The end.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
While I did do research regarding certain aspects of the 1880’s for this book, I do acknowledge I took many creative licenses. In writing a book like this, I was putting together a puzzle made of pieces from history, reality, and pure fantasy. I hope the picture I ended up with fit together well enough for my readers to enjoy the story. Also, thank you for suspending your belief regarding Warren riding a horse nine months great with child. That one, I admit, was a stretch.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josie Finch is the Mpreg pen name of Leandra Vane. Sanctuary Among Strangers is her second male pregnancy romance. The first is entitled Brought Forth.
https://www.facebook.com/JosieFinchMpreg/
www.josiefinch.com
I make no pretenses about being an independent author. If you enjoyed the time you spent with this book please write a review or request a copy at your local library. If someone you know is into male pregnancy romance, please recommend the book to them.
