Laramie

Laramie Chapter 17

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As a reminder, the previous chapter took place in April.

17

May 10, 2023

Laramie Jenkins (34)
Mitchell Sanders (34)

Mitchell

My 9 o'clock meeting was four blocks from Joe. I decided to treat myself to a cup of coffee and whatever pastry Brad might be serving.

"Heeeeyyy," Brad said, as I approached the counter. "It's nice to see you, Mitchell!"

"Thanks, Brad. It's nice to see a familiar face here."

"It's good to have you back."

"Yeah. I'm sure the guys still come in on Sunday mornings?"

"They do."

"I miss it."

"I know they miss you, particularly Cooper."

"I know. I hear that from time to time at work. It's ... it's hard, Brad. I'm still not over him. My heart hurts so much. I hate that I messed us up."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Really."

I ordered a latte. Brad said they had just made blueberry muffins. He said he'd bring me one.

I took a seat. I decided to sit at the table we did when I came for coffee at 9 for the first time. That was a mistake. I pictured everyone around the table. It was a table way too big for just me. I remembered where Emory and Cooper sat. Corey had joined us for the first time too. And I remember where Larry sat.

Larry.

Laramie Jenkins.

Cooper's partner, Laramie Jenkins.

Goddamn Laramie Jenkins.

I told myself to stop thinking about all that. I moved to the corner. I had never sat at that table before. I scanned the walls to gaze at the posters I hadn't seen in almost five months. I enjoyed our mornings here. I missed Emory. I missed Cooper and Corey — so much. I didn't miss Larry.

Until I realized I did.

I just held him at fault for the end of our relationship. But that wasn't fair. Cooper walked in on me and Derek. I had to own that. And I did. Cooper forgave me, but I shattered his trust. And he owned that. I knew I would never have cheated on him again. But a month before I had even met Derek, I never would have pictured cheating on Cooper.

What was wrong with me?

Brad came with my order.

"Can I sit a moment?" he asked. The coffee shop seemed oddly slow.

"I'd like that."

"What have you been up to?"

"Not a lot. Work is busy. My department more so the last month."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah. A small bonus, but a bonus is a bonus."

"Amen to that, brother."

"Tell me about you, Brad," I asked.

"Aren't you sweet. No one asks about me. Oh, Mitch, I won't drag you down the rabbit hole. Some weeks I am loving life, and then ... things ... just slam you to the ground."

"Oh? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. No love life to speak of, but ... I'm fine."

"I can relate." I could. My one attempt to get past Cooper was a miserable failure.

I took a bite of the muffin. "Mmm. You guys make the best stuff."

"Thanks. I'll pass along the compliment." Brad saw others entering the shop. He patted me on the hand. "I hope I see you again."

I didn't pay attention to the people who had come in.

Laramie

Brad looked at me strangely.

"Just a large black to go today, Brad."

"Coming right up."

As I waited for him to pour my coffee, I inhaled the aroma of blueberry muffins. Joe really had a great reputation for its baked goods. On occasion I would notice a straight couple come in just to see what was available that day.

I glanced around the coffee shop. It looked slow for 8:30. Not everyone should be at work yet. It seemed curious.

Brad handed me my coffee. Normally he would be flamboyant and sassy. He wasn't. His gaze seemed nervous, almost as if the store was being robbed. I noticed his eyes dart to the corner for a second and then he returned to look at me.

"Have a great day, handsome."

For some reason, I turned to look at the corner.

Fuck.

Mitchell and I saw each other at the same time. I didn't know what to do. If I had just waved and left, that would have been a dick move. I had no idea what he thought of me. Was I still a friend? Or was I the piece of shit that stole his boyfriend?

Fuck.

I inhaled a deep breath and slowly walked to Mitchell. He had to have felt the same awkwardness I did. He watched me get closer. I had absolutely no idea what to say as I stood there.

"I'm sure I'm the last person you want to see," I offered.

"Hi, Larry."

"Can I sit a minute?"

He didn't say anything. He just used an open palm to gesture to the seat.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"I've been better," he briefly said.

"I know you probably hate me but-"

"I don't hate you," he said cutting me off. "I ... I want to. But I don't."

"I'm sure you won't believe me, but ... I miss seeing you. We all do."

"Okay." He didn't say anything else for a moment. "I suppose that's nice."

"I just want you to know, Cooper and I never intended to fall in love. We were just friends. That's all we were supposed to be. But ... I fell for him."

"Cooper's pretty easy to love," Mitchell said.

"Yeah, he is."

"So, I take it you two are happy?"

"Very much so. He hates that you got hurt, and I want you to know that I do too. No one wanted that."

"It was inevitable once he went down that road. One of us had to be. I can't ignore that I hurt him first."

Mitchell

I hated this conversation. I didn't want to talk to Larry. I didn't want to talk about him and Cooper. I didn't want to know he was happy.

I wasn't.

But I also knew I missed him. On some level, I missed the coffee group. Had I not fucked Derek, those guys never would have gotten together. He never would have met Larry. But they all did. And I was a part of it for a while. And now I wasn't.

"I don't know how to get over him," I just said without thinking.

"I get it," Larry nodded. "I do. I'm sorry."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'll – I'll leave you alone. It was good to see you, Mitch." Larry extended his hand.

I simply waved.

He lowered his hand and turned. After he took a few steps, I called out, "Larry!"

I extended my hand. There was no reason for me to be a prick. He had every right to just say, "Fuck off." He didn't. He reached out and shook my hand.

"Take care, Larry."

He then walked to the counter.

I took another bite. It was still delicious. But I didn't enjoy it. I hated myself. I hated myself for being a prick. I hated myself for coming into this damn coffee shop. I hated myself for cheating. I hated myself for losing Cooper. I hated myself.

I didn't know how to get better.

Laramie

That was awkward.

As I approached the counter, Brad had a look of terror on his face. He had his hand on his heart. "Bless your heart," he whispered.

I pushed on the door and walked to the car. That was unexpected.

As I drove to my store, I didn't know what I was feeling. I felt bad for knowing I had helped cause Mitchell pain. I felt weird for just having randomly run into him. I felt grateful that I was still the one who had ended up earning Cooper's love. I felt unsure if I should mention the encounter to Cooper. Or would Mitchell do that at work??

My coffee wasn't as satisfying as my Sunday cappuccino. But it was hot, and it was caffeine.

Laramie Jenkins (34)
Cooper Snow (39)

Laramie

"How was your meeting tonight?" I asked Cooper over the phone.

"Fine. Ophelia and I had a nice time afterward. Kaden and Lydia were off on an end-of-school year thing, so the two of us enjoyed a nice long chat over coffee."

"That's good." I hesitated. "Anything happen at work?"

"Nothing in particular. Why?"

"I stopped in at Joe to grab a coffee before work this morning."

"And ...?"

"I ran into Mitchell."

"Oh. Oh. OOHHhhhhhhh..."

"Awkward."

"How was he toward you?"

"As to be expected. He didn't yell or cuss at me for falling in love with you ... or the other way around. But he was probably less than thrilled."

"I'm sorry, hon'."

"At least we got past that point. It would be nice for us all to be friends again."

"I'd love that. I really miss him ... you know, as a good friend. We were so close."

"He's not over you, Cooper. Give him time."

"Did he say that?"

"Yeah."

At the start of the year, I wondered if Cooper would ever regret choosing me. Would he feel he had made a mistake? Since then, he had gone to great lengths to let me know he was happy with his decision. We were deliriously in love. Still.

"See you this weekend. I can't wait to hold you," I said.

"Same here, hon'. I think about you all the time."

Words are fascinating. So easy. Free. No time involved. But they were the most powerful things in the world. Cooper could make me melt with just a sentence.

I usually spent the night at his place a couple nights a week; he'd come to mine at least once.

Having sex with Cooper routinely each week, it was curious to me that I never really jacked off anymore. Maybe on rare occasions if I was thinking about him — or sex. I was so completely into us as a couple, I never even pictured anyone else on those "rare" occasions. He was everything. I hoped he felt and did the same.

Mitchell was great in bed, or so I was led to believe. I wondered if Cooper ever missed him that way. Did he jack off thinking of Mitchell? He was faithful to me, so that wouldn't bother me. Much. Damn, I was satisfying Cooper, wasn't I? Yes. We had hot sex. I needed to stop trying to ruin things.

Cooper

I felt sorry for Mitchell. Part of me was glad that the two of them bumping into each other was now out of the way.

But Laramie said he wasn't over me. Deep down that was flattering to a degree, but part of me would always love Mitchell. I didn't want him to be sad. I didn't want him to hurt. And I hated hurting him. Granted, it all was a cascading result of him cheating on me. Heaven knows I was crushed because of him. But that didn't mean I didn't love him. I did the whole time. And I missed him. We had something special. Or we did at one time. I hadn't forgotten him or the wonderful moments we shared.

I wondered how many he was up to in his black book. His description of me was both flattering and blunt. "Not a big dick." He loved everything else.

But I didn't have a big dick. It was a bit hard for me to accept that in high school. It seemed like jokes and movies and comedians and ... the universe made disparaging remarks in regard to penis size. Natalie was awesome. She couldn't have cared less. Our sex life was nice. She never compared me to other men because she had never been with other men. It wasn't' until I started fantasizing of men, longing for men, lusting after men that it began to bother me again. Gay people seemed to be so dick-centric when I explored porn and literature. Not that I did that very much.

Did Laramie ever think about other people? Our sex was hot, so hopefully I was satisfying him. He's so perfect for me. I can't fathom possibly loving anyone any more than I do him.

I couldn't wait to see Laramie this weekend. We see each other so frequently, but I remembered the days of Mitchell and I living together. I remembered the days of Natalie and I living together. Coming home to the person you loved ... it was a daily blessing.

We'd only been a couple for five months, but I knew weeks and weeks ago I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Laramie. It's not that we were taking things slow, we were both homeowners. I just built this house last year. But it wasn't right for me to ask him to give up a house he had made his home. For now, we had to make this work. Maybe giving each other space was a good thing too.

Hearing about Mitchell had my thoughts all stirred up as I prepared for bed. I missed him but not in bed. Mitchell had a beautiful body; there was no denying that. I loved his anatomy even though he hated his balls.

Laramie had nice balls. I loved his dick. I loved the scent of him.

I turned out the light, pulled off my boxers and threw them to the floor. I grabbed my rigid erection thinking about Laramie.

May 18, 2023

Laramie
Cooper

Laramie

"Can you come over tonight?" Cooper asked me. It was curious that he called in the afternoon. He could have texted.

"Um. Yeah. I just saw you at my place Tuesday night. But I love spending the night with you. That's what you are implying, right?"

"Well, I'm not calling about sex."

"You kind of sound excited," I said.

"I am!" Cooper exclaimed. "I – I – I want to ask you something."

It was quiet.

"Is it a secret? You aren't asking me anything."

"I just want to tell you tonight. I'll grab some take-out. Come straight after work if you can."

"I'll be kind of grungy."

"I like your grunge. And if you work hard enough to get really sweaty and dirty and messy, I'll be happy to shower with you."

My penis moved.

"Please don't make me hard at work," I muttered as turned away from anyone who might have been able to hear me.

He laughed over the phone.

"I love you can't wait to see you okay bye." Cooper hung up.

Well.

That was different.

My cock was now fine, but as I continued to work, I would glance at any task that would make me dusty and sweaty. For the last three hours of my workday, my penis grew and shrank just thinking about showering with Cooper.

Maria came in and wanted to show me the books. Several accounts receivable came in. That was good. Financially, the shop was in good shape. But she showed me three new projects that had come in. Big projects. That was really good, but somewhat overwhelming with the workload we already had. It was the kind of stuff I liked though, so I was glad to do it. Detailed things.

I was too busy.

Cooper

Take-out from Thai Me Down was sitting on the counter. We would have had to warm it up anyway.

My hands were so sudsy spreading a frothy, cleansing foam down Laramie's back. The shower spray continued to rinse through his hair as my role was to clean this wonderful male body from head to toe. He turned around to rinse his back. As I massaged shower gel into this chest hair, his hands reached down to hold both of our cocks together. Both of our hard cocks. Both of our wet, clean, firm, long, hard cocks. They wriggled and rubbed in his grasp. I reached below to clean his testicles.

"Turn around," I said.

I hated for him to let go, but he turned and used his hands to rinse the shower gel from his chest. I had more on my fingers as I rubbed his crack and teased his hole.

"I am assuming I'm spending the night, aren't I?" he said, as water poured over his front side.

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"Okay. Otherwise, I would take you right this second."

I grabbed the shower nozzle and sprayed him down fully as he slowly rotated. I held it above our heads as we kissed.

"You weren't sweaty. You didn't need a shower," he whispered into my kiss.

"I needed you. That was enough," I said as he groped my erection.

I dropped to my knees to suck on his hard-on. I only teased him for twenty seconds, but it was still satisfying for both of us.

After we toweled off, we didn't get dressed. We lounged around in pajamas and warmed up the to-go entrées.

"So, what's this big secret?" he asked, as we sat at the kitchen table.

There is a branch of our firm in Tampa. Yvonne is a former employee at our office. She transferred down there a year ago. I have to go down next week for a quick meeting."

"Okay," Laramie said, somewhat blankly.

"I'd like you to come with me."

Laramie's eyes widened. "You would?"

"You said you've never been in the ocean, and ... I thought it might be fun. I've talked it over with Natalie. I'm bringing Corey too. Guys' weekend."

"Oh gosh." Laramie's eyes darted all over the place as he pictured how it could work.

"I realize this is short notice with you and your store and everything. But the company puts me — us — up one night. Since I'm opting to stay longer, we'd have different accommodations following. Yvonne has a cousin that has a beach house in Clearwater. She has arranged for us to have it."

"Doesn't the cousin want to make money on it that weekend?"

"It was originally scheduled for another relative. Sadly, that person now has to have surgery done and can't be there that weekend. Yvonne snagged it, aaaaand ... was sort of willing to take her cousin's kids another weekend so she and her husband could get away. We're actually benefiting from her generosity. However, she's taking one of the rooms. Corey will sleep on the pullout."

"And Natalie is okay with him missing school?"

"Finals are Monday through Wednesday. He'd have pretty much everything done. He misses a school trip, but he said he'd much rather go with us. Well, I think part of it is you coming. Of course, I can give it all up if you want."

To be honest, Natalie wasn't a fan of Corey missing school, but since it was right at the end of school and his grades wouldn't be affected, she was willing.

I looked at Laramie. He was lost in thought. He craned his neck to look at the calendar next to the fridge.

He pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Kenton. Hi. This is short notice, but I have a favor to ask."

The two of them had a conversation lasting several minutes. Laramie paced as he talked to his former boss. I knew the trip would be Memorial Day weekend. This was going to be so last-minute, I started to feel guilty about making Laramie contend with all this unnecessary drama. I hoped he didn't feel I was pushing this on him. As excited as I was for this opportunity for the three of us, it really was quite a bit of arranging.

He hung up.

"And...?" I anxiously asked.

"He's agreed to do it."

`Yes!! Really?"

"Yeah. In a way, he's grateful. His wife has relatives coming in and he hates the brother-in-law. This allows him a bit of escape in the daytime on that Saturday. We'd be closed on Sunday and Monday anyway."

I lunged for Laramie and hugged him. I was so excited. I was excited for us. Our first trip. Even though Corey would be with us ... I was just excited.

We finished our meal and loaded silver and plates into the dishwasher.

Laramie

I loved seeing Cooper be like a school kid. So often he had to play the father figure for Corey that he rarely got to be overly silly. You'd think we were going to Disney World.

"I've got to make some arrangements now." Cooper turned to me. "Honey, I'm not pushing this on you, am I?"

"No." I paused. "The only pushing you will be doing is in bed later."

Cooper tilted his head and gave me a look that was both scornful and loving.

Getting on his computer, the first step was airline tickets. We were only about a week out, so we expected tickets to be high. They were by no means "a deal," but we just took it stride and planned to enjoy ourselves. The fact that we were leaving on Wednesday evening and flying back on a Sunday of a holiday weekend helped a little. The bigger trick was finding three seats next to each other. By moving to the back of the plane, we managed to do so. I knew Cooper would have preferred being closer to the front, but he insisted we all be together. Corey hadn't flown in seven years. I hadn't since seeing Freddy at his wedding.

We discussed plans. His meeting was Thursday. Corey and I would be on our own during the day. We would discuss things we'd both enjoy.

Yvonne had tickets to Busch Gardens for Friday through an arrangement with the firm.

Saturday was a day in Clearwater. We'd have a partial day there Sunday before returning home. Yvonne had the beach house to herself on Monday. She was reportedly psyched about that.

Between going to Kansas last month and soon to be heading to Florida in the next week, I was doing well on my New Year's resolution to allow myself time away.

"I know you will have to pay Kenton extra hours to cover for you. I'll take care of your flight and obviously the lodging is taken care of."

I looked perplexed. "Why would you pay for my flight?"

"I just sprung this on you. I wouldn't expect you to drop everything and then have to shell out for an expensive plane ticket. Besides, the company pays for mine."

"Cooper, you don't have to do that."

"I want to do that."

We moved into each other's arms. We kissed.

"I'm excited," I whispered to him.

"Me too."

—

Cooper pushed his cock inside me.

"I've never been to the ocean," I said.

"I know."

Cooper pushed his cock in, over and over.

I groaned in his thrusts. He moaned back at me.

"I can't wait to walk in the sand with you," he said.

I pictured us strolling the shore holding hands. Corey would walk next to us. I grew more excited.

"Ungh!" he called out as he pushed his cock further. Deeper. Stronger.

"Oooo yeah," I cooed in approval.

"Think we can make love at the ocean?"

"As in ... on the beach?" he asked as he pushed his cock.

"No. Of course not. Just ... in the beach house?"

"We'll see if we can get Corey and Yvonne distracted," he answered.

He pushed.

He pushed.

For minutes he pushed. And groaned. And moaned.

He pushed until he came inside me.

A moment later he was laying on his belly. I grabbed the lube and slid some on my erection. I dripped just a small bit on his crack. I moved my lubricated shaft up and down the beginning of his crack, stimulating the underside. I loved how my cock felt rubbing against his skin.

I kissed his neck as I rubbed and pushed my cock against him. I panted in his ear.

"You're my little beach boy," I whispered.

"I'm taller and older than you," Cooper mumbled into the pillow.

I chuckled and moved my hands below his chest. My hips continued to rub my cock up and down his ass crack and bottom of his spine. My hairy chest felt the warmth of his skin as it pressed into his back.

"Ungh, yeah," I moaned as my hands gripped his pecs. I kissed his neck. I nibbled his ear. I thrusted. I rubbed. I pushed. I sawed.

I squeezed us together tightly as my thrusts became more powerful. I became rambunctious as my climax began to build. I lifted on stiff arms and pushed my cock harder. I rubbed the most sensitive and pleasurable spot underneath into the hardness of Cooper's back.

"Fuck, yes!" I called out as my first pulse of cum went to his shoulders. Stream after stream marked my lover's back. "Guuuhhh!" I grunted as the last emergence of semen escaped me.

With a gasp, I flopped to his side. He turned his head to me, and we kissed. I took my finger and dipped it into my cum.

"I can't wait to walk through the ocean with you," I said, as I used my finger as an artist's tool and turned my male medium into ocean waves down the length of his body.

"Mmm," he hummed with his eyes closed. "Me neither."

May 24, 2023

Laramie Jenkins (34)
Corey Snow (14)

Corey

Dad picked me up at school. I had taken my last final this morning. Leaving right at lunch wasn't a problem. I was so excited for this trip. When I took the vacation with Mitchell and Dad two years ago, it was so much fun. I knew this trip was shorter, but I liked the idea of a "guys' trip," as Dad calls it.

I barely remember being at an airport before. I was little when we went for Uncle Curtis' and Aunt Anita's wedding. I don't even remember why they did it in Connecticut. It seemed like her parents lived there. Or something. I remember being the ring bearer and cake and looking out the window of the plane. And throwing rice at the end. That seemed weird. I remembered hating being dressed up. Funny how that isn't a big deal now. But I was a little kid; what did I know. The pictures I see from time to time probably help me hang onto those early memories.

I felt my pocket for the hundredth time making sure I had my ticket. Dad printed them off the night before. I watched him lug the suitcase on the scale. It had all our stuff. The woman at the counter lifted it and chunked it on a belt. I wondered what happened when it went through the flapped window. Who took it from there? How did they know which plane to put it on? Who would want to lift luggage all day?

Larry's suitcase wasn't as big, but it was just for him, while Dad and I shared the big one.

"You know this is two flights, right?" Dad asked me. Again.

"Yes. You explained it. We have to `connect' and board a different plane in the middle."

"Right. We're going to get in fairly late," Dad said. "We lose an hour too."

When we went through security, I thought it was funny when Larry had to go back through because of his belt. I called him a terrorist, but Dad told me not to make jokes like that in the airport. He said you never knew when someone might take it seriously.

As we stood waiting to board, Larry leaned over to me. "Do I stink?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Do I smell bad?"

I slightly leaned over and breathed in. "I don't smell anything. Why?"

"Eh. I worked up a slight sweat just after lunch. I didn't want to be the smelly guy on the plane."

I laughed at him. He grabbed my head and smashed it into his chest. I laughed some more.

"What are you two up to?" Dad asked.

"Nothing," Larry said innocently. We laughed again.

They started boarding a few minutes later.

"I am sooooo glad we weren't delayed," Dad said. "We were cutting it close as it is."

Even though he said that, it was still about ten minutes before our group number was called.

"This plane is smaller than the one we will get on in Chicago," Dad said.

"Chicago's the wrong way. Why do we go there?" I asked.

"Well, airlines have hubs where bigger planes go to the major cities. Since we don't live near a hub, we have to connect. Unless, of course, that hub is where you wanted to go in the first place. Kind of like spokes."

I tried to picture it. "Okay. Whatever."

There were two seats on each side of the aisle. Dad let me have the window seat. Both he and Larry were seated on both sides of the aisle. I wasn't paying too much attention to their conversation as I looked out the window. I remembered flying as a little kid, but I didn't remember much of what it was like. I was excited for this. Many of my classmates had flown before. While I had, it wasn't recent, so it wasn't something I could really relate to. I was really happy to take this trip. I quickly snapped a selfie with the airplane window next to me and texted it to Grace.

We were told to put our phones in airplane mode.

I thought takeoff was a blast.

Laramie

I thought takeoff was going to kill me.

I hadn't flown much. I had a smooth flight to Freddy's wedding. Corey seemed excited about everything. I would be happier once on the ground. I wouldn't have considered me a person afraid of flying, but I just wasn't super comfortable with it. I had no idea why that was. This flight was less than an hour. The flight to Tampa was the longer one.

There was just enough time to be offered a soda. A Sprite helped settle my stomach a bit.

I gasped in air as we touched down. It was 4:12.

Our connection left at 5:25, so we scarfed down burgers near our gate. It was an early dinner, but we didn't land until almost 9 o'clock.

On this flight, all three of us were in the same row. We were two rows from the back.

"I'm okay sitting in the middle seat," I softly said to Cooper.

"I'm fine," he said, settling in. He sat between Corey and me. Being able to view the aisle comforted me for some odd reason.

Chicago O'Hare was a much busier airport. The various planes outside the window seemed to keep Corey occupied.

It seemed like we taxied forever. Finally, as the plane started gaining speed, we were about to take off. I clutched Cooper's hand in a death grip. It was reflex.

"Are you okay?" he quietly asked.

"Mm-hm," I weakly nodded. "Just not a major fan of flying."

He smiled. "I love still learning things about you."

I closed my eyes as the plane tilted upward. We were airborne.

The captain warned us we might face some choppy air early on, but the second half of the flight would be smoother.

It wasn't too bad, but there was enough of a rumble to keep me unnerved. I reached for Cooper's hand a few times. About thirty minutes into the flight, the plane suddenly dropped several feet.

"Shit!" I yelled out.

I squeezed his hand tight.

I turned to Cooper. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud." Corey snickered. Cooper gave me a sympathetic smile.

"We're okay," he reassured me.

And we were. Once the "bumpy clouds," as the captain liked to call them, had subsided, it was a very smooth flight. I enjoyed a beverage, and we shared a bag of overpriced candy from a gift store at the airport.

9:02 Touchdown.

9:38 Our luggage came out onto the turntable.

9:55 We had our rental car.

10:38 We checked into our hotel.

11:04 Cooper slid a hand under the waistband of my boxer shorts. He gripped my butt cheek. With Corey in the room, we couldn't make love. I was content with his touch in the darkness. My hard-on wasn't.

—

Corey

I heard the alarm on Dad's phone go off. He got up first. I must have drifted back off because he didn't wake me up until 30 minutes later. Maybe it was the change of time zones, but I still felt a bit sleepy.

Once the three of us had all showered, we went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. I was surprised by how much it cost, but Dad pulled out what he called "the company card." I guessed that meant we didn't have to pay for it.

I was expecting amazing food for the price, but it was ... food. I liked it, but I couldn't really say I liked it better than if we had stopped at McDonald's or any other place that served breakfast.

"So, what plans do you two have for today?" Dad asked.

Larry and I had looked over a few options. Since we were all going to Busch Gardens tomorrow, I felt that was the day arranged for my benefit. I let Larry take the lead.

"Well, the architecture of the Henry B. Plant Museum looks really sharp. Corey is allowing me to do that. We thought the TECO Line Streetcar might be fun. It is a bit of a drive, but since we have the rental car, Corey thinks the ... who?"

"Salvador Dali," I said.

"Salvador Dali museum looked kind of cool."

"Sounds great," Dad said.

He looked at his watch. "Hm. Yvonne will be picking me up in about fifteen minutes. I should head up and brush my teeth."

We took our last sips of coffee and made our way to the elevators.

Minutes later, Dad prepared to leave.

"Good luck on your meeting," Larry said.

"It should go smoothly," Dad answered.

They gave each other a quick kiss. The two of them kissed in front of me all the time. I liked the way the two of them looked at each other. It made me happy to see Dad happy. He deserved it. Some of the kids in my class still think it's weird that guys kiss each other, but I saw it all the time on TV. No biggie.

We followed Dad down to the lobby. We got to meet his friend and coworker Yvonne before they drove off. Larry and I were free to explore this city neither of us had been in. We were kind of psyched.

The Henry B. Plant Museum looked kind of cool. Larry was interested more in the architecture and the interior more than he was of what was actually inside. I kind of thought it looked like some place in another country. Parts were really fancy. We didn't have anything like it in Jackson Bend. We strolled through it for about two hours. Following that, we grabbed a burrito for lunch.

We thought riding the TECO Line Streetcar would be interesting. It wasn't as fun as it sounded, but it was still something to do. Neither of us had been on a streetcar, but we were probably expecting San Francisco. Still, we took some pictures and texted them to Dad. He was happy that we were having a good time.

We still had about three hours. We had to pick between The Florida Aquarium or the Salvador Dali Museum. It was actually about a half hour away in St. Petersburg, but Larry let me decide, and I chose that. I had seen some of Dali's work in art class. I thought it would be cool to see some in real life.

"A lot of this is really bizarre, Corey," Larry said to me after we had been there for about fifteen minutes. "But this is a really cool building."

"His work is called surrealism," I said, sounding like some kind of expert.

"I knew that. But ... it's ... out there."

"I like it," I said.

We walked through all the galleries before going outside. The building was really interesting. Parts of it bulged out, and there was a spiral staircase in the middle that Larry really liked. We were right on the water too. I had to admit, this was much better than being in school.

The two of us sat on a bench that looked like it was melting, just like Dali's famous clocks.

"I've enjoyed my day with you," Larry said.

I leaned into him for a moment, and he put his arm around me.

"Think Dad has had as good a day as us?"

"Ha!" Larry scoffed. "No way. He's been talking numbers all day. That's why he brought us along. We're the fun people. He needed us when his meeting was over."

I laughed at Larry's words.

This was the first time that Larry and I had ever spent a day together, just the two of us.

Laramie

This was the first time that Corey and I had ever spent a day together, just the two of us.

I wasn't father material. I was barely boyfriend material. Cooper finally made me believe that in myself. I didn't think Corey thought of me in a fatherly way. I think he felt I was just an adult who liked him and liked being with him. And I did. A year ago, I never would have that such a thing possible. I was never into kids. Cooper and Natalie had done a wonderful job raising him. He was a great kid.

I looked at the time. "We should probably go soon. Your dad said he would be done by 5. The drive back will probably be longer with rush hour."

"Okay."

Corey took one last ten-minute walk through the museum. I took pictures of the spiral staircase.

As we drove back to downtown Tampa, Corey seemed captivated by the water and Tampa's skyline on the horizon. It was admittedly bigger than the simplicity of Jackson Bend.

"Do you like where we live?" I asked.

"Meaning the house or Jackson Bend?"

"Our town."

"It's okay, I guess. I never really thought about it. When Dad and I were in New York last year, it seemed cool and exciting, but we got stuck in so much traffic and everything seemed expensive. I thought it was nice to visit there, but I liked how things were back at home. Yeah. I guess it's all good."

"Well, it won't be long before you will graduate high school and be off to college."

"Won't be long...?? That's four years. That's like forever."

I chuckled. "If only."

"High school seems a bit scary."

"Trust me, Corey, you won't have a problem. You have friends, you're smart, you do well, and you'll have lots of opportunities. You'll love it. And if anyone gives you problems, let me know and I'll go pound the crap out of them."

He laughed.

"I'm not your dad, so I can't get in trouble."

"If you beat up a kid, you can!"

We giggled.

"This isn't your real vacation. Where are you and your dad talking about going?"

"We've talked about Nashville. Or maybe Utah."

"Utah?"

"Mr. Kyriazi and Mr. Terry are wanting to do Arches National Park and Zion National Park. I've heard them talking about it."

"Really? How nice!"

"Dad's fine with either. I've looked at pictures and video. Both seem nice, but I like the whole weird landscape of Arches. It looks fun."

"Cool."

Corey was quiet for a moment. "I hope you can come," he said, staring out the window.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Dad's really happy when you're with him." He was quiet again. "Me too."

"Aw. You say the nicest things."

"It's not an excuse to get mushy, though."

I felt he regretted saying it.

"We'll see how work looks in July. I'd love being with you all."

Getting away was hard. I lucked out with this weekend. Memorial Day helped. A whole week? I was proud of Jenkins Mantle, but there were times that I felt like a prisoner to it. Maybe Kenton would step into the role. Plus, I needed to appoint an assistant manager. Business was good. I should be able to promote someone to a higher role.

"Are you okay if I post pictures of us on Facebook?" he asked.

"Well, sure. That would be great."

We parked in the hotel garage. Parking fees were a bitch. It was amazing that everyone just learned to accept stupid prices for the simplest things.

Cooper was already in the room.

"How was your day?" he asked us.

"Awesome. We had a good time," his son answered.

"I liked it when you texted me photos."

I did too. It was nice that Corey wanted pictures of us just as much as I did. We had built a relationship over the past five months. I didn't feel like a father, but I also didn't feel just like his father's boyfriend who stopped in now and then. I felt a part of his life. Mitchell had too. If Corey did post pictures of the two of us, Mitchell might see them. They were still Facebook friends.

I felt sorry for Mitchell. Had he not cheated, he and Cooper would be in the house together. God, I was lucky. Had he not cheated, Cooper and I could never have been together. I was so grateful, but I also knew what it must feel like to lose Cooper. We weren't even an official couple in December, but I just knew Cooper would choose him instead of me.

I made a plan to say a prayer of thanks when I went to bed. I didn't pray. Much. But I owed God something. If he listened anyway. I didn't deserve to be this happy. But if he heard me, I was grateful.

"You should have seen this painting, Dad! It was Abraham Lincoln, but it was really a naked woman."

"What!!??"

"Here," Corey said, pulling out his phone. "See?"

Cooper looked at the painting. "I see how it is Abraham Lincoln. Where's the naked woman?"

Corey enlarged the photo to show the woman in the center of the painting. Cooper shrank it and enlarged it back and forth.

"Interesting."

"Too bad it couldn't have been a cute man's butt," I said.

Cooper gave me a scornful look. Corey paid no attention, but I detected a wry smile trying to form on his lips. He liked me. He loved me. I loved him.

We made plans to have seafood for dinner. In the restaurant, we did something that the three of us hadn't before. Cooper said a prayer before he ate. He thanked God for our safe travels. I found it the right time to silently add my prayer of gratefulness for these men being in my life.

Dinner was wonderful. We all liked what we ordered. Corey had fried shrimp. Cooper had sea bass. I had blackened red snapper. I had always heard of it. It lived up to my spicy expectations.

The Next Morning

Laramie
Cooper

Cooper

I looked at the time.

"All right gentlemen, let's get a move on. I told Yvonne that we would be in the lobby at 8 o'clock."

Laramie came out of the bathroom. I could tell he had defined his beard. It was still short but looked impeccably trimmed. I felt Yvonne would find him handsome. I sure did.

I threw a bottle of sunscreen at both of them. "Slather it on gentlemen."

Corey was in shorts, so he did both his arms and legs. I rubbed some on the back of his neck. Then I did some on Laramie's neck. I found rubbing it into his skin to be sensual. We weren't able to do anything sexual since being here, although I did wake up with my hand on his ass at least. Not that the mere touch was any type of "activity." But at least there was an essence of intimacy.

In the lobby, we greeted Yvonne as she was right on time. It was interesting to see her so casual in shorts and a summer-like top. She also wore a floppy hat. Laramie had a baseball cap on. He looked so sexy in hats.

Following a quick stop through a drive-through for some on-the-run breakfast sandwiches, we pulled into the Busch Gardens parking lot at 8:50. The park was scheduled to open at 9.

"The prices people have to pay to park nowadays," Laramie grumbled from the back seat.

Corey was transfixed by the roller coasters we could see in so many directions.

"This place looks cool," he said.

"I love it here," Yvonne said. "I think you will enjoy it. Are you a daredevil?"

"Dad and I rode everything at Six Flags Great Adventure last year."

"Perfect."

Laramie's glance looked at a few of the rides. He didn't seem so sure.

Yvonne had our tickets in hand, and we were through the front gate in no time.

We headed to the left. The park's newest ride was to the right, so a lot of the crowd went that way, but still a large portion headed to the first roller coaster we approached.

A sign was positioned in front saying it was temporarily closed but would open later.

"Iron Gwazi rocks," said Yvonne. "It is so crazy. It's definitely the wildest ride here."

"I'm glad we didn't start with that," Laramie breathed behind me.

The park was beautiful. The landscaping was lush in so many places. All of us were impressed. We walked past flamingos, and Corey took a few pictures. He seemed taken with him. Further on was a Sesame Street area, which didn't interest him, although it looked fun for little kids. As we walked through a bird aviary, we all paused to see what we might find if we looked awhile.

Not far away, a towering red coaster loomed on the horizon.

"SheiKra!" Yvonne shouted.

Laramie

"Please tell me we're not riding that," I whispered to Cooper.

"That looks awesome!" Corey excitedly said.

"Yeeeaaahhhh," I replied. Fuck. We were riding it.

"This one takes you up 200 feet and then just hangs you for a second at the edge of a 90-degree drop. It's real fun!" Yvonne explained.

Fun was not the term I was tumbling over in my head. I was determined that Corey would not see me as a woos. Or Cooper, although he had seen me at my weepiest. I was fairly pathetic on the plane too. I braced myself to man up. It was a two-minute ride; I could survive.

The coaster cars were massive. I had never seen any roller coaster train so wide. The seating was eight people in a row. Yvonne was more toward the middle, but our seats were the last three seats on the front row. It wasn't until we were dispatched from the station that I realized that there was no track below our seats. Our feet were just dangling over nothingness. My hands had a sweaty, white-knuckle grip on the restraints.

The climb was steep. We topped the 200-foot lift and made a slow curve. The others commented on how you could see downtown Tampa. I took their word for it. My eyes were closed. The mechanism below our car made a sound. It made me open my eyes.

Lord, we were high.

Brakes clutched our car and — as Yvonne had described — momentarily paused us, just hanging over the edge of the drop straight down into roller coaster hell.

It was probably three seconds, but it was an eternity. We just hung.

"shitshitshitshitshitshit."

The car released and we began to plunge at 70 mph.

"Shit!"

Lights flashed taking our picture as we curved toward the bottom. The next thing I knew, we were rotating upside down.

"Fuck!"

We roared along through more curves, another steep drop and over a small pool of water, which threw up a large spray. What seemed like seven hours later, we screeched to a halt in the brake run.

"I'm sorry," I said to Cooper.

"I would have held your hand, but you had a death grip on the bar," he smiled.

"That was SO FUN!" Corey said, bouncing up and down, once we got back out to the walkway.

"To be honest, it kind of was," I said in reflection. "Sorry about the language."

Cooper kissed me. On the midway. In public. "Try to be better."

We smiled at each other. I gave him another quick kiss. Yvonne smiled at us. I guessed Cooper was comfortable with who he was — who we were — with coworkers. I was out to mine, but I wasn't sure if I would kiss Cooper in front of them.

Nearby was a log ride. Yvonne suggested we jump on now before the heat of the day caused the line to get really long.

With four of us weighing our log down, we got a good splash. I was in the back, so only part of my shorts took a hit. I had my arms around Cooper pulling him back as a shield. Corey and Yvonne had a good drenching, but the outside temperatures were in the 80s, so they didn't find it too uncomfortable. We all enjoyed the ride; it was more my speed.

"Did you ride a lot of roller coasters when you were young?" Yvonne asked me.

"Hardly. We lived in the middle of Nowhere Kansas. I took a school trip to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City when I was in high school. I guess I didn't have a lot of opportunities. I'm determined to work my way up."

Kumba was next. Seven loops. I passed. They all seemed to enjoy it.

We skipped the rapids ride as we didn't want to test our luck. Scorpion, a single-loop coaster, and a wild mouse coaster weren't too tall. I played along. Everyone laughed listening to me scream, but truth be told, I had fun on them.

A spin on the carousel was a safe bet. Corey indulged the adults.

Cooper, being the accountant that he was, looked over the dining plans. He found the deal to "Eat All Day" to make sense for us, particularly since we chose to purchase two and then just share throughout the day.

Busch Gardens had some nice animal exhibits. We passed large elephants, which were captivating to watch for a while. We noticed a safari ride that allowed you to feed giraffes. We paid for that experience, and we loved it.

The newest ride had a long line, so we opted to pass it up.

I felt I was succeeding in my crusade of not being a woos. I was having a good time.

Cooper

I was having a good time. We had a weird family dynamic going. Although Yvonne probably appeared to be my wife to any onlookers, I loved the three of us guys enjoying a trip. Laramie was hanging in there, and Corey was loving everything.

In mid-afternoon, we slowed down a bit. I gave Corey my credit card and had him get in line to get us a snack.

"Buy the biggest funnel cake they have, and we'll split it four ways," I told him.

He nodded and headed inside to purchase the completely unhealthy snack. Natalie wouldn't approve, but if she were here, she would be a guilty accomplice. I was sure of it.

"Thank you so much for the tickets, Yvonne," I said.

"Oh, I'm thrilled to do it. The company gets a certain number of comps. I'm glad I could use mine with all of you. And thanks for taking care of the food."

"Corey's having a blast," Laramie said, as we watched him slowly move through the serving line.

"I'm just glad he has an opportunity to be a kid."

"What does that mean?" Laramie asked.

"He's an only child. I am so grateful that he is very mature. But sometimes I wonder if I've forced him into being too adult too fast."

"How?"

"Well, the divorce didn't help. Before that he had to deal with me being a drunk. And ... hey look, I'm gay too! He's dealt with a lot of grownup stuff for someone his age."

"He socializes with kids at school," Laramie defended. "He's in choir with kids his age. He can still be a kid even if he enjoys being with adults."

"Maybe. I wonder if I should have asked someone like Aiden to join us, so he'd have someone his own age here."

"He's fine," my boyfriend said.

A minute later he came out with a big plate and several forks in his hand.

"They had one with ice cream and strawberries on it, so I chose that," he told us.

"He's still a kid," Laramie whispered to me.

Allowing our stomachs a break, we boarded the park's train. Yvonne said she never tired of riding it through the animal habitats, and the variety on display was pretty impressive. Although the train was one of our tamer rides, even Corey enjoyed it.

Despite the funnel cake, we still made use of our dining plan, eating our way through the day. Even though we had done endless walking, it would not counteract all the calories we had consumed.

"Having fun?" I asked my son on one of our walks.

"Totally. This place rocks."

I was happy that he led the charge to make sure we had taken several pictures of each other. I texted one to Emory. He was jealous. Natalie was pleased that Corey was having fun. She loved the one I sent showing Corey feeding a giraffe.

A roller coaster called Cobra's Curse wasn't too tall, so Laramie was fine riding it. His favorite was Cheetah Chase, a launched coaster. He loved that burst of speed. He had worked up his fortitude to join us on everything now, but a couple roller coasters still remained.

Montu had seven inversions and your feet dangled. He wasn't so sure, but Corey grabbed his arm and maneuvered him into the queue, which resembled an Egyptian tomb. I had learned my lover's expressions well enough to know that he would've preferred to pass on that particular attraction, but once their eyes locked, he wasn't going to disappoint my son. I found it brave. Of course, I couldn't wait to ride.

It was outstanding.

"Well?" Corey asked.

"I survived," Laramie smiled. "Actually, it wasn't that bad. Pretty smooth."

I kissed him on the cheek. "You're doing well. I'm proud of you."

"You owe me," he whispered into my ear.

Our biggest challenge remained. Iron Gwazi.

Laramie

Our biggest challenge remained. Iron Gwazi.

Fuck.

It looked insane. Watching it run a few times let me know that it was going to surpass everything else we had done. I was unsure how it even stayed on the track doing the things it did.

Fuck.

I gave myself a pep talk reminding myself that everything else had actually been pretty fun. I had kept myself out of woos-dom.

The queue was a thirty-minute wait. That probably wasn't a good thing. It was enough time to allow myself to get all worked up.

As we zigzagged through the queue in the station, another father was with his son and daughter. He was delicious, and I could tell Cooper thought so too. He and I shared a knowing smile and a glance saying silent, flattering things about the gorgeous daddy. Once we finally positioned ourselves to board, I leaned over to Cooper and said, "He still doesn't hold a candle to you."

"Flatterer."

Suddenly Corey grabbed my arm. "You're riding with me."

Cooper and I traded places. He was now paired up with Yvonne.

"Why did you want to ride with me?"

"You're fun," he said not looking at me.

I appreciated that. I wasn't the tag-along boyfriend. I was Corey's friend.

I kissed him on top of the head. "You know, at the rate you're growing, I won't be able to do that much longer."

"As mushy as you and Dad are, you'll figure out something else."

I squeezed him incredibly tight and lifted him off his feet, shaking him back and forth in a frenetic hug. Corey giggled. Cooper smiled at us and enjoyed seeing us enjoy our time together. It kept my mind off being scared shitless.

"Our turn," Corey said.

We stepped into the roller coaster train. Once again, I was being dragged more than 200 feet in the sky and about to experience the steepest drop of the day. I promised myself I wouldn't cuss in front of Corey.

I failed.

After a dozen expletives and railed chaos, we slammed onto the brakes. "God damn," I softly said.

"That was so crazy!" Corey yelled. "Wow!!"

"It certainly was," I gasped.

Cooper turned around to look at us. "Even I thought that one was incredibly intense."

He and Yvonne giggled.

I leaned over to Corey and quietly asked, "Do you think he heard me cuss?"

"The whole train did," Corey answered.

"I wasn't that loud."

"A couple times. But everyone was screaming. I don't think Dad will be too mad. He was glad you joined us on this one."

I was too.

I had come to realize that Cooper and Corey were giving me a sense of family. I hadn't felt it for so many years, I hadn't recognized it as it was slowly happening. His family welcoming me, him giving me keys to his house, my bond with Corey, small repairs with my own parents — it was all because of him. Them. There were times when feelings would just swarm me. Now I understood they were feelings of family. Even our coffee group was an extended family.

As we walked down the exit, I pulled Cooper close to me.

"I love you," I said.

He looked at me strangely. It was admittedly an odd time to say it.

"I love you, too. Are you okay?"

"Completely."

He smiled at me, not fully understanding. But he knew I was happy. He could tell.

The Next Morning

Laramie
Corey

Corey

Yesterday exhausted me, but what a totally awesome day. We all just slept in. Yvonne said she would be at the hotel at 10:30, and we would follow her to the beach house in Clearwater. I didn't know how far away that was, but it didn't sound bad. We would finally be getting in the water!

Before hopping in the shower, I texted Grace some pictures from yesterday.

"Looks awesome," she texted back. "Jealous." She followed it with a red heart. I kind of missed her. I wondered how much we would see each other over the summer.

I wasn't sure why, but I texted one of Dad and me to Aiden. He always liked Dad. One of us with a giraffe was really hysterical.

"Beats the fuck out of being in school," he texted back.

For some reason when Larry used cuss words it didn't bother me. It put me off when Aiden started doing it. Why was he using those words? What was he trying to prove? Which of his friends talked like that? I knew his parents didn't. He had been hanging around with Greasy.

We hadn't set an alarm. I had woken first. I turned over to Dad and Larry. I didn't see them together in bed hardly ever at home. Dad had a T-shirt on. Larry didn't. I saw Dad's arm around him. I wondered how many of my classmates would be freaked out — or grossed out — to see it. It didn't bother me. I thought their affection was cool.

I tried to picture Mom and Daryl cuddling like that. I couldn't. I guessed because they didn't sleep together yet, it just didn't seem possible. I knew they would be in a few weeks when they got married. I still couldn't see them being romantic. That was kind of gross to me. Maybe because Dad and Larry kissed in front of me a lot, I knew they were happy and really loved each other. It made me wonder if Mom was as happy as Dad. She probably was, but she just didn't show it around me.

Honestly, when they were asleep, it was more cute than mushy.

I had slept in just my underwear. I crawled out of bed and went to my suitcase. I would shower first. I figured since we were going to the beach, I'd just wear my swimsuit and a T-shirt today. I grabbed my trunks and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door as quietly as I could.

This hotel was nicer than the ones Dad and I stayed in on our vacation last year. But his company was paying for these nights.

The hotel bathroom was bigger than mine was at home. I liked the space. I knew my parents had bigger bathrooms at both houses.

I turned on the shower to begin the hot water. As my underwear fell to the floor, I glanced at my reflection. I was growing armpit hair. The hair around my dick was thicker than it used to be. Aiden and Rick had hair growing on their legs already. I didn't. I hoped mine would start growing soon. Blond hair would be hard enough to see.

I flopped a towel over the shower rim and slid the glass door. The hot water felt excellent. I looked at my body as the water ran down my chest. I hadn't really seen any of my friends' bodies. My balls had changed. I liked the hair around my penis. Before we left, I stayed up late studying for my last final. The last two nights, Dad and Larry had been in the room. I hadn't jacked off in over three days. I got hard thinking about it.

Were Dad and Larry still asleep? I coated my hard-on with shampoo. Would I have enough time to take it all the way? I jerked on my dick, creating suds from the shampoo. I stepped away from the stream of hot water so it wouldn't rinse off.

I wanted to moan like when I was alone upstairs but couldn't. I jerked my dick harder.

I panted in the hot steam of the shower. I jerked my dick harder.

It felt so good that I knew I was getting closer. I liked looking at my dick. I liked it when it was long and hard.

Long and hard. Jerking. Dick. Steam. Hot. Hard.

"Oh yeah," I softly said.

Liquid shot from my dick into the hot spray. I saw it land on the shower floor. It kept coming.

Cum. That's what one of the guys outside at school called it. They called it semen during that chapter in Health. One last drip of cum came from my dick. I grabbed soap and washed up my penis.

My shower was only a few minutes. I don't think Dad and Laramie would have suspected I jacked off in the shower. I was glad I did it.

The mirror was fogged up. I wiped it with the towel. My dick was still a little red. A few of the guys at school would talk about sex. Sergio. The jocks. Some of them claimed to have had sex. Most people thought they were lying. I liked kissing Grace, but I would never want her to see me naked. It just seemed ... wrong. Not to mention letting a girl see my private parts would be embarrassing.

I slipped on my swimsuit. I was glad I jacked off. It felt good.

Laramie

I'm glad I came in Cooper's mouth. It felt good. Corey's shower was just long enough for one of us to get off.

We had gently fondled each other the past couple of nights, but with Corey in the room, we couldn't do anything. Cooper had felt my erection and serviced me while his son was in the bathroom. I had come just as Corey had shut off the water. Our timing was pretty good. Sadly, we didn't have time to take care of him. I would have loved for us to shower together, but I didn't think Cooper would attempt that with Corey in the hotel room.

I reached for his cock. It was still incredibly hard. I knew I would be the one getting out of the bed first. I had pulled up my boxers well before Corey came out.

He was growing so fast, just in the half year that I knew him. His hormones were going to kick into full gear very soon. What questions was he having about sex? I couldn't even remember when I started thinking about it. It was such an awkward time. I masturbated all through junior high. At least when Grayson wasn't around. You'd think that would be so impactful on one's life, and now I could hardly remember it. Weird.

Today was a beach day, so I rummaged through my small suitcase for appropriate apparel.

Corey emerged from the bathroom in similar clothing.

"All yours," he said.

"Good morning," I returned.

"Morning. Morning, Dad."

Cooper mumbled something I didn't understand as I went into the bathroom.

During my shower, I thought about Cooper's fast blowjob as I rubbed soap into my bush and on my cock and on my balls. I wished we were under the hot water together. Even though I had just come ten minutes earlier, I felt my penis stiffen just thinking about him.

Cooper was my everything, and I didn't mind admitting it. I loved being in love. Finally. At 34.

When I came out of the bathroom, Cooper stepped forward with his few things. He gave me a quick peck on the lips in front of Corey, who was used to it. "Morning," he smiled.

Cooper emerged from the bathroom following his shower, and I noticed he was unshaven. It was only two-days' growth, but there was just enough blond scruff to give him a rogue look. Rogue for Cooper anyways. I let my hand gently rub over his jawbone and smiled.

"You handsome devil," I said and gave him another kiss.

"Enough," Corey said, but his turned smile gave away his inner peace at seeing his parents happy. At least one of them. I was glad I made Cooper happy.

We were in the lobby and checked out well before Yvonne was supposed to arrive. Corey noticed a Starbucks next door on the corner. I handed him a twenty, and we all agreed black was fine.

"I missed you in the shower," Cooper softly said as we waited for our coffee.

"Same here. Thinking about you made me hard again."

"I was too," he smiled. He reached to hold my finger.

Perhaps it was because it was a Saturday in downtown, bur Corey returned faster than we had expected. I was impressed with both Cooper and Corey that they felt trust in the young man's ability to take care of the errand on his own. Granted, it was all of 20 feet away. Corey confirmed he had left a tip. I told him to keep the change.

Fifteen minutes later, Yvonne pulled up.

"I've got a lot of food in the car if you guys can hold out until we get to the beach house."

We all agreed. So that she didn't have to drive alone, I offered to ride with her while Cooper and Corey followed us. It was nice to not have to drive or give directions or anything. I was content to just sit back and be good company.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Yvonne," I said as we pulled out of downtown. "You've been a great ambassador for Tampa."

She chuckled. "It's nice to have you guys here. Corey has sure grown. The last I saw him was a few years ago at the company picnic. I think he was ten then."

"How long have you known Cooper?"

"Eeeeeehhhhhh ... five years? Six years? We worked on the same floor before my transfer. I left a few months after the divorce."

"He was excited to see you."

"We always got along great at work. He looks ... So. Much. Better."

"Oh?"

"Well, he's always been handsome as hell. That one year ... it was rough. As hard as it was, it was for the best. AA was a godsend. I don't think he could have handled the divorce and ... well, coming out if he wasn't sober."

"Could you tell he had a drinking problem?"

"He hid it well. Of course, there were no major effects at the beginning of the day. I'd go into his office now and then and see glasses of whisky on his desk in the afternoon. When that became more frequent, I began to get worried. One time I knew he had too much to drink, and he started going on about how he was a terrible husband. Cooper wasn't really open with his feelings, but he had a few drinks in him that afternoon, and I guess he felt confident enough to tell me he was gay. I just listened. I knew that had to have been hard to say, particularly after being married for like a dozen years. I felt sorry for him."

"That was all before me."

"YOU are so good for him!" Yvonne said, still looking through the windshield.

I turned to look at her directly. "Why do you say that?"

"I've never seen him this happy. He mentioned your name like a hundred times on Thursday."

"Really??"

"Oh gawd, Larry. Continuously. Then when I saw the two of you at Busch Gardens — and he kissed you in public without flinching — it was like he had been released from prison. You really make him happy, Larry."

"Gee. It's mutual, that's for sure. And thanks for not freaking out when we did."

"Oh please. Guys kiss on Grey's Anatomy and everything else. No biggie."

"I – I never thought I would have a chance to find a love like what we have. I was alone for quite a while. The move. The house. The store. Not only did I not devote any time to it, I also just wasn't good at dating."

"You're so good looking. I can't believe girls weren't ... okay, guys weren't falling all over you."

"Hardly in Kansas."

"But I get you. I'm jealous. I dated a guy for two years. I thought we were serious and had a future. When I finally brought up marriage, he became a different person. He fled shortly thereafter."

"Fled?" I asked.

"Ha! Well, he didn't leave the country. He wasn't ready for marriage — we were both 26 — and he broke up and moved on."

"I'm sorry."

"Starting all over two years ago was sort of tough, but like you, I threw myself into my career. We'll see if anything ever happens."

"I highly recommend bumping into people carrying coffee."

Yvonne laughed at my comedic strategy.

"I'll keep that in mind." We were both quiet for a moment, then she started again. "I remember Cooper had started up with Mitch before I left. It was nice to see him be his true self. It was like he learned how to breathe. And he was sober. But I still could see conflict in him. He felt so bad for what he had done to Natalie. And being a person of faith, he wrestled with that. He was better, but he wasn't like he is now. He's so happy with you."

It warmed my heart that other people could see something special between the two of us.

Corey

We rounded a curve, and I could see the water. It looked so blue. Although Larry and I saw water at the museum, this looked like a real beach. Yvonne's car turned off on a side road. The beach house wasn't directly on the beach, but it was just a short walk. Both cars parked in a small driveway.

Dad got the big suitcase. I got my rollaboard. Larry walked back to get his suitcase.

Yvonne fumbled for keys in her bag. "I'm so glad we were able to get this."

She opened the door. We all walked in. The living room had trim in teal. Curtains had coral and sea green. It looked like it belonged at the beach. The furniture didn't look new. It looked several years old, but it still wasn't dirty or torn up or anything.

"Corey, the couch pulls out into a bed. That'll be yours for the night."

"Right," I said.

We all helped Yvonne bring in things from her car. It looked like she had enough food for a week. I saw her whisper something to Larry, but I couldn't hear. I noticed when Dad wasn't looking, she pulled out a bottle of wine and slipped it into her bedroom. I guessed she didn't want it to be around Dad. She had a whole day to herself once we left.

Dad went into his bedroom to change into a swimsuit. The rest of us were ready.

Yvonne had everything. Chips, soda, macaroni salad, turkey sandwiches, Twizzlers, popcorn, tea, coffee, chicken noodle soup, milk, Frosted Mini-Wheats, peanuts ... it was like a store. The four of us sat at the table. A sandwich and chips was just right before we headed out to the beach. The men thanked her for her kind efforts.

I liked Yvonne. She was younger than Mom, but she seemed more fun. Not that Mom wasn't fun, Yvonne was just more fun to be around. She laughed a lot. I liked that. She was fun to ride with on the coasters at Busch Gardens too.

After we put everything away, Larry and I hopped up and down to get to the beach. Neither of us had ever been in the ocean.

"Okay, okay, okay, you two. We're just about ready," Dad said.

Larry and I smiled at each other. He put his arm around me. We were pals.

Yvonne had brought beach towels for all of us, as well as a couple of folding chairs. She warned us about how hot the sand could get and that we should all put on sunscreen. Dad and Larry had sunglasses, and Larry had his baseball cap. Yvonne had her floppy hat she had worn the other day.

The beach had a lot of people already there. We found a place to set up camp and claimed our spot. Yvonne was content to sit in a chair while the three of us walked to the water.

Dad watched the two of us smile as we stepped into the water. I paid attention to how the wet sand felt below my feet. Occasionally I would step on things that I wasn't expecting. I looked out to the horizon wondering how far away that water actually was. I liked staring out into the water that went on forever. The breeze blowing on me and the sound of the waves was cool. I ran back to Yvonne to leave my shirt on my towel. When I got back to Dad and Larry, I charged deeper into the water. As it was late May, the water was not cold. I swam a little bit. I could taste the salt on my lips. It was different than a swimming pool.

"What do you think?" Dad asked, as I rejoined them.

"Cool. I like feeling the waves. It's kind of fun to bob in them."

Larry threw his shirt to Dad and went back out with me. The two of us swam for a while. Dad had draped Larry's shirt around his neck and was taking pictures of us on his phone.

Photos continued. We asked Yvonne to take a few of us on our beach towels, and I took a couple of Dad and Yvonne so he could send a few to coworkers. Dad sent a couple to Mom, one to Emory and a picture of him and Yvonne to Mitchell. Larry sent one to someone named Freddy. I texted a few to Grace and one to Aiden. I didn't call Ben or L.J. much on the phone, but I texted a shot of the beach and Busch Gardens to them.

"Do you not get in the water?" I asked Yvonne.

"I do, Corey. My favorite thing is to walk in the surf."

We decided to do that. We felt our items were safe enough. Dad had his phone, and Yvonne had hers. My swimsuit was wet, so she was willing to hold mine and Larry's in her bag.

There were a lot of people that we walked by. I wondered if people thought Yvonne was my mom. Then I noticed Larry grabbed my father's hand. Their fingers interlocked. I liked that. It wasn't mushy, it was just them being in love. It was good.

Laramie

I reached over to hold Cooper's hand. He gladly accepted it. I noticed a few gay couples as we walked along the shore. I didn't think my simple gesture was that outlandish. Straight couples were holding hands. We shouldn't draw too much attention.

I took a moment to take it all in. Walking in the surf holding hands with someone I loved — I couldn't have pictured such a thing even a year ago. It was like a dream. Heaven. A magical fantasy.

"Fags," one guy called out.

That ruined it.

But we didn't pay him any attention. We were gay, so it wasn't like it was horribly insulting. His attitude was the offending part, but we both felt not acknowledging it was the most irritating thing for him.

Cooper gripped my fingers tighter.

"Does that bother you?" both Corey and Yvonne said at the same time. They were on both sides of us like bookends.

"Slightly," Cooper said. "Obviously, our actions showed that we were gay. We're okay with that. I just find prejudicial people and hateful people to be a blemish on mankind as a whole."

"Amen," said Yvonne.

A few step later, I removed my hand from Cooper's, and we walked with our arms around each other.

Corey noticed some shells and began to sift through the sand to collect a few.

"I have a Ziplock bag if you want to take some home," Yvonne said.

"I'm not sure what I'd do with them, but ... maybe."

"Hey, champ, I'd like to take one for me as a keepsake. Find me one you think is nice," I said.

We took a break from walking through the froth at the water's edge. Corey explored for a few minutes. I felt this is one of those "kid moments" Cooper was referring to that Corey had been neglected from. I wondered what it would have been like to have been an only child. As much as my brothers annoyed me growing up, I couldn't fathom a childhood without them. I should tell Gray that the next time I called him. Was Corey lonely at home? No wonder he preferred it when Daryl and I were around. Did he wish he had a friend his own age with us here in Florida like Cooper had said? I wondered.

A minute later, Corey walked up to me. "How's this one?"

The shell he had chosen for me was striking with streaks of charcoal black and rusty red through it.

"Fantastic choice. Thanks, man." I turned to Cooper and Yvonne. "Could you grab my phone and take a picture of us?"

Cooper fumbled through Yvonne's bag. We posed with me holding my shell and Corey holding a handful.

"I'm going to print that picture and place it and the shell on my dresser."

Corey's lips slightly curled into a smile as he pictured my intentions.

I had loved Corey almost from the beginning, but ... I loved him. I had no fatherly inclinations my whole life, but I knew he had added something to my world. I wasn't an authority figure, but I questioned if I had even been a good role model for him. Then I remembered cussing my head off on the roller coasters. I closed my eyes in a grimace. That was an epic fail. I wasn't his dad, but I hoped I was a person he respected.

We resumed our walk. All four of us were quiet for a while. We took in the sounds of the wind and the waves. I had come to cherish it. It was soothing and majestic and natural and romantic and magical. So many people loved going to the beach. Now I knew why. I hoped Cooper and I could do it often. It was a shame Jackson Bend was lightyears from any ocean.

Corey

I didn't know when I would ever see an ocean again. It wasn't like Jackson Bend was close to one. However, if I ever visited a beach again, I wasn't sure if it would feel the same. I liked the beach; it was fine. But I liked this day because I was with adults who enjoyed being with me.

Some kids at school sometimes thought I was sort of a loner. I didn't think of myself that way, but I didn't do the arcades and skateboards and all the Tik Tok crap like a lot of them did. I liked working with my music and reading and writing. I ate out with my friends often enough. I felt fairly close to several in choir.

But I liked adults. I questioned if I looked silly trying to act like one. No one had ever called me pretentious. Still, I loved the roller coasters like any other kid would.

Aiden was more of the loner among my friends. He seemed so unhappy at home. I did feel sorry for him from time to time. He was an only kid like me, but ... I was happy. He didn't seem to be. Grace and I needed to show him stronger friendship. I'd hate for him to turn out to be some school shooter in high school. Good grief, what had made me go there?!

Dad treated us to dinner at a street taco food truck. We still carried it to the beach house so we could sit at a table. Yvonne had sodas too.

"I have really, really, really loved today," Larry said. "Thank you, Yvonne ... and Cooper."

"Yes, thanks," I added.

"It's been great having you all here. I've enjoyed it too," Yvonne said. "It's wonderful to catch up with Cooper. I'm sure there is still gossip from the old office that you haven't shared."

"Oh, I don't know. I sometimes wonder if I'm the lead story," Dad replied.

"Why?" I asked.

Dad looked at me. "The whole Mitch thing."

"People talk about that?"

"Busybodies will talk about ANYthing," Larry said. "Get used to that."

"I guess some of the kids at school do too. Especially the girls."

"Hey!" Yvonne said defensively.

We all laughed.

After we cleaned up, we all sat on the porch. There were two chairs, which Yvonne and Dad took. I set on the steps. Laramie sat on a beach towel at Dad's feet. It wasn't a great view, but I could still make out the water around another house and between a couple of trees.

There were a few games in the house and a puzzle. We decided to play cards. It was fun. I thought I was going to win, but I came in second. Yvonne passed me on the last hand.

At 8 o'clock I was craving ice cream.

"Hey, Dad. I saw an ice cream place on the walk back today. What do you think?"

He thought a moment. "I'm still stuffed, but how about you and Yvonne go grab something." He handed me a twenty. "Bring back the change."

Yvonne winked at him.

The store was just over ten minutes away. We could tell there were fewer people on the beach, but some were probably remaining for the sunset. Yvonne asked if I wanted to watch it. I said it sounded nice.

"Your dad is so proud of you. He really says nice things," Yvonne said.

"Like what?"

"Everything. Your grades. Your creativity. The way you treat people. Your music. He feels lucky to have such a great kid."

I thought about Aiden's situation with his parents. "I guess I'm kind of lucky too."

"Things good with your mom?"

"Oh sure. She's getting married in a few weeks."

"And how do you feel about that?" Yvonne asked.

"It's all good. I like Daryl. Enough. He's nice. He makes Mom happy. That's all the matters."

"Putting others first. No wonder Cooper is proud of you."

I chuckled. "In Sunday School growing up, they always taught us JOY:

Jesus first.
Others next.
Yourself last."

"As long as you get yourself in there. Everyone deserves to be happy."

"I am." I thought about it. I was. "Yeah. I am."

We looked over our flavor options as we walked up to the counter. I chose cookies and cream; Yvonne decided on chocolate almond. There were a few tables inside, but I asked if we could sit on the deck so we could see the water.

Yvonne got her ice cream in a cup and ate it with a spoon. I licked my cone but made sure I had a couple of napkins. I didn't want to get too sticky.

I didn't need to stay until darkness, but it was nice to be able to see the sun set. It was pretty. It made me want to write a song. Perhaps I would work on some lyrics on the plane.

"The sunset is beautiful. It's a shame Cooper and Larry are missing it," Yvonne said.

"Eh. They're probably getting romantic," I said.

Laramie

"Ohhhhh fuck, Cooper," I moaned. "Your cock feels so good in me. I needed you."

"Yeah," he panted as he thrust his erection into my hole as deep as it would go.

We knew we couldn't get too loud with people occasionally walking near the house. There was no guarantee when the two would get back either.

"Fuck me, beach boy," I smiled at him.

Cooper was on stiff arms above me. I loved watching him fuck me. His face was so beautiful. Sporadically I would look down and see his bush move back and forth as he thrust his cock in me. Our naked masculinity was illuminated by a simple lamp in the corner.

"You're so beautiful," I said, staring at the man above me.

He leaned down to cover my mouth with his. Cooper's tongue thrust in my mouth and rubbed mine. They danced. He continued to thrust and push and gyrate and shove.

"Thank you for coming with me," his lips softly whispered when he removed them from mine. "I love you so much, Laramie."

"I love you too, babe. I'm so glad I'm here."

"You're everything to me," he panted.

"I feel the same way." Cooper hit a pleasurable spot in my ass. "Ungh! Oh, babe. Fuuuuccck me."

"Yeah. Ungh! Ungh! Ungh!"

I clutched his shoulders from behind. His skin was on fire, partly from the day's sun, partly from our love.

We gasped and groaned and then kissed passionately again.

"Laramie ..." he breathed. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I love fucking you," he mouthed inaudibly.

He heard a text come in. He groaned in frustration. "I better check, just in case." I hated feeling his dick withdraw, leaving me empty.

"We are watching the sunset. You have plenty of time." Yvonne added a wink emoji.

Cooper laughed. "Yes!" He saw my puzzled look. "They won't be back for a while."

I smiled. "Fuck me, man. Fuck my brains out."

We smiled at each other, and he added a new squirt of lube. His erection was red and plump and meaty. And all mine. I spread my legs as far as I could.

"Fuck meeeeee..." I moaned as he re-entered my body. "Ohhhhh yeah."

"Ohhhhhhhh," he moaned back.

My hands were all over his backside. They rubbed his shoulders, the blades, the curve of his back, the top of his ass. They participated in his dance in and out of my willing body.

I looked deeply into his eyes. He looked at me. Our eyes were captured. They had a conversation all their own. It spoke of love. My fingers caressed the sexy stubble on his jawline. I liked it on him.

I knew Cooper would be getting close. I wriggled my hand down between us and clutched my hard-on. It was still firm, and as I jerked on it, it became a club.

Both of us groaned in rhythm. He fucked. I jerked. Fucked. Jerked. Fucking. Jerking. Groaning. Coming.

"Yes!" I cried out. Cum hit both of our bellies.

"I'm coming I'm comingI'mcomingI'mcomingI'mcoming... " he whispered.

Cooper let out a grand exhale and collapsed on me. My cum was further smeared. His cock was no longer in me. Sadly.

"I guess we have to clean up before they get back," I said.

"Eventually. I like our stomachs joined together with your love."

"Cum equals love, huh?" I chuckled.

"With us it does. I love you so much, Laramie. You have no idea." Cooper kissed me fiercely.

But he was wrong. I knew exactly because I loved him with the same intensity.

After bellies, cocks and asses were cleaned appropriately, we put our shorts and T-shirts back on. We went out to see the last few minutes of sunset. The sand was no longer hot, but we had our flip flops on.

By the time Corey and Yvonne returned, we were waiting for them on the porch. Corey handed the change to Cooper. Yvonne noticed we were wearing new shirts and shorts instead of swimsuits. She knew.

—

Cooper lurched in bed. It startled me awake. I glanced at the time on my phone. 3:12.

"Did I awaken you?" he said.

"Don't worry about it. Are you okay?" I whispered.

"Horrible dream. I can't remember a lot. I just couldn't get caught up. I was ... trying to find Corey ... I think. Anyway, I think I just might walk around a bit to shake it off."

Cooper started to slide out of the bed. I grabbed his arm.

"I have an idea."

Six minutes later we had our swimsuits on. We opened and closed doors as quietly as we could as to not awaken Corey. We walked through the sand to the water's edge. I thought there might be someone out, but we couldn't see anyone on the beach — or at least anyone near us.

We sat our beach towels down. I stepped into the water.

"It kind of feels fairly warm when the sun isn't out."

Cooper dropped his swimsuit and stepped out of it, leaving it on the towel. He stood before me naked. I did the same.

"I guess we're doing this," I said before I kissed him.

"Yeah. You wanted to have sex on the beach after all," he said.

"I don't know if I worded it that way exactly."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the water. Keeping our eyes on our surroundings, we walked knee deep into the water. A wave crashed up to our waist. We ventured deeper. Water undulated to fondle our balls. I liked feeling them bob as the water hit them. There, half submerged, we kissed. And kissed. We were holding each other tightly.

The incoming waves made us dance a bit. I wished I was wearing my cowboy hat so Cooper could remove it and hold it behind me. And kissed. And kissed.

We had enjoyed our dalliance with the ocean and the intimacy in it. After a few steps back to shore, some of our legs were above water again. Cooper dropped to his knees and placed my cock in his mouth. In the water, it was not hard. But that didn't mean I didn't love the feel of the warmth surrounding my male flesh.

"Babe," I said in approval.

Cooper sucked my dick for a couple of minutes. It was hard again.

"You know, I'd hate for Corey to remember this trip by his father getting arrested."

He laughed around my cock. "Right," he said, freeing my rigid captive.

We stepped back to our beach towels. Still naked, we kissed some more. His cock was as hard as mine.

"I should at least have my chance," I said.

He stretched his wet body on the beach towel. My mouth consumed his cock, noticing the saltiness now on his skin. For three minutes I licked and sucked and swallowed and savored Cooper's erection. A loud noise nearby startled us.

"I guess we shouldn't press our luck," he said.

"We had our fun. We both came six hours ago. Nightmare all forgotten?'

"Absolutely." He kissed me. "This trip couldn't have been more perfect."

We pulled our swimsuits on and walked back to the beach house holding hands.

The Next Morning

Corey

It appeared I was up first. I guessed the sun coming through the living room windows was fairly bright.

I looked out the window. It appeared to be a nice day again, but the sky did seem to have a slight haze. Nothing rainy though. It was kind of sad to head home today. At least we had the morning still. Since Yvonne was staying another day, we could all clean up before heading to the airport. I would wait until then to shower.

My swimsuit still felt slightly damp hanging over the bathtub. I grabbed it and draped it over the rail of the front porch. The screen door slammed a little louder than I had intended. I didn't want to wake anybody up.

The sea air felt different than the air back home. Or anyplace not at the sea, I supposed. In the quietness of the morning, I could barely make out the sound of the waves from the beach house. I grabbed all our beach towels and hung them on the porch too to help them dry a little more. We had shaken a lot of the sand off, but now that they were drier, more came loose. Dad's and Laramie's towels seemed wetter than the others.

Yvonne had Frosted Mini-Wheats. That was fine by me for breakfast. I poured myself a bowl and took it to sit on the front porch. I didn't mind being by myself as I ate.

I turned as the screen door opened. Yvonne was coming out before I had time to finish my cereal.

"Good morning," I said. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No. This isn't much past the time I normally get up, so it was time. We weren't up that late last night."

"I seemed tired, but we didn't do a whole lot. We sat around a lot of the day."

"The sun and all the walking can be tiring. Did you sleep okay on the pullout?"

"Like a rock." I knew we were leaving later. "Do I need to do anything with the sheets?"

"My cousin has a cleaning service between customers. Before I leave tomorrow, I'll pull all the sheets."

"K."

"But you are sweet to offer."

After I finished my bowl, she took it from me. "I think I'll go get one myself."

When she returned, we both just looked toward the ocean, or at least the little we could see. We noticed people were claiming their spots on the beach, even though it was still pretty early.

"Have you enjoyed yourself?" she asked.

"A lot! I really have. Busch Gardens was great. The Dali Museum. Being at the ocean. I've really had a great time. Thank you for all you've done for us."

"My pleasure. It's been so wonderful reconnecting with your father."

"Did you enjoy working with him?"

"I did! We clicked. As you know, he had some ... well, dark months. He confided in me a little, but he didn't tell me everything. I just hated seeing him succumb to alcohol as an answer. I hope that's okay for me to say that to you."

"I was there."

"But he came out of it. The Cooper I liked came back. Then I moved here shortly thereafter."

"Does Dad have a lot of friends at work?" I asked.

"Well, I've been here for almost three years. I don't know about now, but he seemed to get along with anyone, but he ... I don't, `visited' with a few of us more. And, Mitchell, of course."

"I miss him."

"Oh?"

"We were kind of like a family for a while. Don't get me wrong, Larry is awesome. I love him. He's so great for Dad. But Mitchell and I got along great, too. I miss him from time to time. I still wish he would come to coffee at 9."

"What's that?"

"Sunday mornings ... a few of us gather at a coffee shop named Joe."

"Kids?"

"No. I'm the only kid. But the adults welcomed me. When Dad and Mitchell were trying to patch things up, Mitchell came a few times."

"I'm sure the split was difficult."

"For everyone. It tore Dad apart last winter."

"I hate that." Yvonne was quiet for a moment. "When I first started, I sort of had a crush on your dad. I mean, obviously, he was married. And then it turned out ... he was ... well, you know."

"Gay."

"Right. But, jeez, he was so handsome. He still is. So are you, by the way. You get that from him."

I put my hand up to gently cover my face. I knew I was blushing. "Thanks."

We could hear the men stirring in the kitchen. They were up.

Laramie

After we all had breakfast and coffee, we decided to spend a couple more hours on the beach.

Cooper and I had slept well following our middle-of-the-night rendezvous. Cooper and Yvonne were sitting in the chairs. Corey and I reclined in front of them on our beach towels. The sun felt good on my chest.

Yvonne insisted we both put on sunscreen, which was good advice.

Before long, the two of them started talking business. It went on for some time. Eventually, Corey looked at me. He motioned with his head toward the ocean. I nodded.

"We're going walkin'," I said.

They smiled and nodded.

"Good plan, champ," I told Corey.

"I mean, how long can people talk about numbers!" Corey said sarcastically, waving his arms in the air to emphasize his point.

I laughed.

We had left our sandals behind. Our feet stepped into the water. The feel and sound of walking in the surf will always move me. This trip was a blessing. Thank heavens I had Kenton to watch the store. I needed to continue to make time for myself.

Corey found one more shell he liked. He picked it up and carried it. The sun was starting to burn off the haze. It was a good thing we had used that sunscreen.

I placed my arm on Corey's shoulder. "I've really enjoyed spending time with all of you this trip."

"Me too," he said.

"While ago, I called you `champ.' I remembered when you first started coming to Joe you told Brad your name was Corey when he called you nicknames. Why do you let me call you kiddo and champ and stuff?"

Corey didn't answer. We just kept walking.

"I guess back then, the nicknames made me feel like a kid, and I was with a group of adults."

"What's wrong with being a kid?"

"Nothing. But in that situation, I didn't want to feel ..."

"Belittled?"

"Yeah. That's a word that Dad uses. I wanted to be one of the guys. And I felt that way when people used my name. But then I felt like we were friends and-"

"We are," I confirmed.

"Right. So, it was okay."

"Hm."

We quietly walked further. The waves rushed over our feet and then receded.

"Is it okay if I call you something?" Corey asked me.

"Sure. What is it?"

"I'd like to call you Laramie."

"That's my name. Why would you ask permission for that?"

"You always introduce yourself as Larry. I didn't think you liked to be called Laramie. But Dad does it all the time."

"He always has. For some reason he thinks it's a great name."

"I do too."

"Really?"

"Mr. Larry seemed appropriate for when we were getting to know each other. And then when we were friends, especially when you and Dad became a ... couple ... thing-"

"Thing," I repeated with a smile.

"Yeah. You know. The mister part didn't fit. But now ..."

"Now?" I followed up.

Corey didn't know how to answer.

"I guess now I feel like you're family."

I stopped us. I held him tight in my arms. "I promise not to get mushy, but I need to hug you for a moment."

"It's okay," he chuckled into my shoulder.

I squeezed him tight. I didn't prolong it too long to where it was awkward. I wanted to scream, "I love you, you awesome kid," but I remained silent, allowing my arms to be my words.

"Calling you Laramie like Dad does means ... you know, we're all family."

"And when you say it, I'll feel just like I do when your wonderful father says it to me."

Suddenly, I darted out into deeper water and dove into the waves. Corey followed.

—

We had all showered and helped Yvonne as much as we could with wet towels and cleaning the bedroom. Things looked fairly straightened.

"I'm glad you get to enjoy this another day," I said. "Tell your cousin thank you for us."

"My pleasure," she said, giving me a hug. "It's been great meeting you. You two make a great couple."

I hugged her tighter.

Corey thanked her and gave her a hug.

Cooper and Yvonne looked at each other for an extended moment. "Miss you being at the office," he said.

"I miss seeing you. I'm happy here, but I do miss some folks back in Jackson Bend."

"I hope you can come visit someday," Cooper said.

"Possibly."

Corey grabbed his bag to go put it in the trunk. "I'll get yours too, Laramie," he said.

Cooper separated from Yvonne and looked at his son, analyzing those words.

That Evening

Laramie Jenkins (34)
Freddy Spaulding (35)

Freddy

My phone buzzed. I saw that it was Larry. I stepped away from the others into a different room.

"Hey there. Are you still having a good time?"

"Actually, we just got home. I hope I'm not calling too late."

"No. We just had yet another slice of pie. We're at Joshua's mother's home in Vermont. But we'll probably turn in shortly. I take it from your pictures you texted you had a good time."

"An incredible time. It was just thrown together less than two weeks ago, but ... Freddy, it was magnificent."

I loved hearing Larry sound happy. I had feared for him with the whole Cooper situation. After all these months, I had been able to release my worries that Cooper was a person that was going to use Larry and break his heart once more. I was relieved.

"We had so much fun. I was kind of a wimp on the roller coasters, but I hung in there."

I laughed picturing him aboard one.

"Let me guess. You cussed all the way through it."

"Completely."

I laughed more.

"The beach was wonderful for all of us."

"Nice."

"Guess what. In the middle of the night, Cooper and I walked into the ocean, and he gave me a blowjob."

That surprised me. From his description of Cooper, that seemed a bit out of character.

"I'm kind of shocked. You've always described him as sort of straight-laced."

"He's a moral person. Great father. Polite. Loving. But Cooper can have his risqué side. It's not like we were putting on a show for anyone. It was dark and 3 in the morning."

"You two are so bad."

"Then I sucked him on the beach."

"The things you tell me!!"

"You're the only person I can tell!"

I laughed again.

"So, I'm kind of jealous. The two of you really seem to be the real deal. It feels good knowing you are happy."

"It kind of scares me."

I didn't understand Larry's comment.

"What scares you?"

"Being this happy. I'm worried it will all fall apart, or I will ruin it or something bad will happen."

"Stop that right there!" I scolded. "You deserve this, Larry! It's time life treated you well, and it is, so don't question it."

Larry got quiet.

"I hope I deserve it," he softly mumbled.

"Everyone deserves to be loved. He loves you. You love him. There's no need to question. Just be there for each other."

It truly did make me happy that all my worries had been unfounded, but it made me sad that Larry didn't feel worthy. He was a wonderful man. He needed to feel that.

Laramie

"There was something else, Freddy."

"Oh?"

"I felt something I hadn't felt before."

"With Cooper?"

"No. With his son."

"Anything wrong?"

"Not at all. I've always felt like I needed to be friendly with Corey and get along. He's a great kid. Easy to love, just like Cooper."

"And...?"

"I felt different. I felt ..."

"Like a father??" Freddy said, finishing the sentence I couldn't.

"Yeah." I took a breath. "Kind of yeah."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Wow. I've never thought of myself in a fatherly type of way. The whole picture of diapers and spitup and crying and burping and gurgling ... ugh. But ... it felt good. The two of us had a rapport. We enjoyed our time together. So much that it sort of scares me. I'm NOT an authority figure to him. But ... I felt like a role model at times. That's probably not a good thing for me."

"Be kind to him. Support him. Love him."

"I do. Deeply."

"Then a kid should respond to that. But he's not through his teenage years. You might want to throw those fatherly vibes out the window in a couple of years."

I took a deep breath. "It was just ... strange. Feeling things inside myself that I never knew I possessed. It was strange ... and kind of wonderful."

"You have such a capacity for love. I knew that in our early 20s."

"I want it to last forever. I know it can't. People eventually move past the honeymoon phase, and-"

"And nothing. Just be happy, Larry bear."

"Thanks, Freddy bear. I love you. I'll let you go. Give Josh my best."

"Love you too, Larry bear. Enjoy it."

We hung up.

As I unpacked, I saw the shell that Corey had chosen for me. I placed it on my dresser. After smiling at it for a moment, I picked it up and held it to my heart.

* * * *

Look for the post "Tampa" on the blog. timothylane414stories.blogspot.com

Email: timothylane414@gmail.com