Whispers of Home (10 page)

“Dogs aren’t green.”

“I know. But I don’t think Daddy knows that.”

“How are you gonna tell him?”

Bobby thought about that for a minute. His little face scrunched up in concentration. “Maybe if he saw one. Do you have puppies?” Bobby’s blue eyes lit up with an intelligent mischief that surprised Travis but probably shouldn’t have.

“It just so happens that I do.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm. You want to come to my house and play with them? If your daddy says it’s okay.”

Bobby looked at something over Travis’ shoulder. “Is it okay Daddy?”

Travis turned to look at the most beautiful person he had ever seen. His dark curls were disheveled from sleep and his eyes still looked tired. Travis would give anything to wake up next to that every morning. Jaron smiled at him and said, “Good Morning.” Jaron squeezed his shoulder and gave him a peck on the cheek as he walked passed to get to the coffee maker.

“Good Morning, Snuggle Bear.”

“Morning, Daddy. I love you.”

“Uh-huh. I love you too. What do you want?”

“Travis has puppies.”

“He does? I suppose we can go see them today if that’s okay with you, Travis.” Jaron looked at Travis again. A smile touched his lips.

* * * *

Jaron knew he would move in to Beverly’s house after seeing Bobby there. He watched Bobby play tug-the-rope with one of the puppies. Bobby’s little face lit up and he laughed as the puppy shook his head back and forth, trying to gain purchase on the rope. Bobby let go, both boy and dog falling down together, like little laughing and yipping puddles.

“He’s cute,” Travis said, standing behind him with his arms wrapped around Jaron’s waist.

“Are you talking about the boy or the dog?” Jaron leaned his head back onto Travis’s shoulder. Travis leaned in, kissing his neck, then let his lips linger there, where Jaron’s neck and shoulder met.

“Both.” Travis inhaled. “You smell good. I want you.” He ground his erection against Jaron’s ass the second Bobby’s back was turned.

Jaron whimpered. “I want you too. But Bobby.”

“I know, baby. I don’t mean right now. What about you two spending the night at my house tonight? I have an extra bedroom for Bobby.”

Jaron turned around in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down on Travis’ smooth arms. He liked silky things and Travis was as smooth as silk. He was also hard underneath all that silk though, which turned Jaron on even more. “I know about your extra bedrooms, silly. I’m your housekeeper.”

Travis placed a kiss on Jaron’s lips lightly. It lasted for just a brief few seconds before he pulled away and searched Jaron’s eyes. “You’re my mom’s housekeeper. And I don’t live here. I sleep here sometimes and I have clothes here, but I have a place of my own on the west side of the property.” Travis thought a moment and smiled. “I guess I live at both places.”

“Why do you sleep here sometimes?”

“Usually when I’m out too late. Just too lazy to walk home sometimes.”

“Like the other night.” Jaron dropped his eyes to Travis’ chest. He made little nervous swirls with his fingers on Travis’s arm.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Travis lifted his chin. “What is it, baby?”

Jaron met his gaze. “It’s nothing and it shouldn’t matter. We weren’t even a thing then so I shouldn’t even care that you were with someone else.”

“Someone else? What the hell are you talking about?”

Travis’ anger was so sudden it was shocking. Jaron instantly pulled away from the other man whose height and muscle was suddenly all too apparent. Travis’ hold on him firmed up, making it so Jaron had no choice but to stop struggling. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m sorry.”

“I am so fuc—” Travis began to say but looked over at Bobby just then. “Confused. What are you talking about and why are you apologizing?”

“Forget about it.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake.” Travis did let him go then, his exasperation clear. Jaron took a couple steps back, wrapping his arms around himself.

“I-I know you were out late with someone that day I fell in your bedroom. Remember, your mom asked you about her at lunch. I’m sorry I said anything. You can do what you want, of course.”
Shut up, Jaron.
He hated when he babbled.

“Let’s get one thing clear right now.” Travis took a step toward him. His hand came up abruptly. Jaron braced himself for the blow, protecting his face with his arms, shutting his eyes on instinct. The blow never came. Jaron peeked at Travis’s pale, stricken face. Travis whispered, dropping his arms down to his sides, “I could never hurt you. You have to know that.”

“I do know that. I’m sorry. I seem to be saying that to you a lot.” Jaron let out a nervous laugh. “It was just habit I guess.”

“Habit? So you’ve been hurt before?”

Jaron nodded. Before Bobby was born, he had a couple tricks that beat him up to get out of paying. Eventually he learned to get the money before the sex happened, that way he was already paid. He wasn’t proud of it but he did what he had to do to survive. He also wasn’t proud of the fact he let some asshole beat the crap out of him more than once. His ex-boyfriend had said he was sorry each time it happened, pleading with Jaron, so he kept going back. Jaron had finally pressed charges and filed for a restraining order. It was the oldest, saddest story in the world. He thanked God Bobby was a baby when it happened and couldn’t remember anything. Jaron wasn’t even serious about the guy, not dating very long. After that Jaron hadn’t even bothered dating.

He couldn’t look Travis in the eyes and let Travis see the shame he felt. Some remnants of the past were hard to shake loose. Even when he thought he was a stronger person and had learned from the abuse he suffered, his body instinctively remembered and strove to protect.

“Will you tell me about it someday?”

Jaron nodded and then looked over at Bobby. The taller man came in slowly for a hug. Jaron sank into the other man’s warmth and strength.

“I haven’t been with anyone in almost a year. Guess we both weren’t getting any until last night.” Travis laughed, but sobered quickly. “After my dad died I came home to take care of this place. Time hasn’t been my friend since then. At the bar last night was the first time I have been out with friends in four months. When I stay overnight at the big house, it’s because I’m working late. Usually, I’m helping out in the barn. I can’t tell you how many cows and horses I’ve helped deliver in the past two years.” Travis sighed. “So that’s where I was that night. Delivering a calf.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” Travis kissed the top of his head. “As for me just doing what I want, what I want is you. Only you.”

Jaron burrowed his face in Travis’s chest, holding him tight. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Jaron wasn’t sure how he felt about what he thought Travis was saying. He decided to lay it all out for Travis. He let go of Travis and looked him in the eyes. With as much conviction in his voice as he possibly could convey, he said, “I could fall in love with you.”

“Good. I could fall in love with you too.”

“Okay. Then we’re exclusive?” When Travis nodded Jaron continued, “Then you’re over your jealousy of Brian?”

“Look, I get that you have some unfinished business with Brian.”

Jaron rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to be with Brian.”

“Thank God.” Jaron chuckled and snuggled in for a hug.

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”

“I know what my reputation is in this town. I’ve lived up to it. Well, mostly anyway. I won’t lie to you and say I haven’t.” Travis held Jaron tighter. “It’s different with you, though.”

Jaron was struck speechless. Before he could reply Bobby ran across the yard and up the porch, puppies trailing behind in all their floppy eared cuteness. “Daddy, can I keep him?” Bobby held up one of the puppies as if he wanted Jaron to inspect the little dog.

Jaron pulled away from Travis. He knelt down to be at Bobby’s level. Jaron looked up at Travis for help. “Bobby, why don’t you go in and get something to drink? No soda though.”

“After you talk to Travis, will you let me have a puppy?”

Travis burst out laughing. “Smart kid.”

“Yes he is.”

Jaron decided to wait until after dinner to give Bobby an answer. Needless to say, Bobby was livid that he had to wait at all. The kid was turning into a spoiled brat. Honestly. And Bobby’s little temper tantrum consisted of the silent treatment interspersed with stomping, kicking and crying. Never in Jaron’s life could he have guessed that a boy of Bobby’s age would be good at the silent treatment but there you have it.

Jaron had to talk to Travis before giving his son an answer and then he had to talk to Beverly. After all, it wasn’t his house he was contemplating moving into. He couldn’t just move in to his boyfriend’s mother’s house without asking about having pets and he certainly wasn’t going to move in without discussing it with Travis. Hell, Jaron wasn’t a hundred percent sure that Travis was his boyfriend in the first place. They talked about being exclusive but Travis had never used the word boyfriend. How do you define a relationship that basically just started yesterday outside a bar? They had their first fight before they even had their first kiss for Christ’s sake. That did not make for a very good relationship.

None of this stopped Jaron from feeling guilty though. Jaron completely got the fact that Bobby was much too young to understand why his dad wasn’t giving him the answer he so longed for.

Travis’ house was within walking distance from the main house. There was a nice path through the forest to get to it. When the path opened up to reveal a nice sized yard and a log home Jaron sucked in his breath. Travis’s home was every person’s dream. The front of the house was completely made up of windows. They walked up a couple steps that led to a nice side deck. The deck held a grill, a set of wicker chairs, and had flower boxes scattered along its edges. The main door was sliding glass. Travis ushered them in, asking if they wanted anything to drink.

It was an open floor plan with stairs off to the left that must have led to bedrooms. The furnishings inside the house were a lot like the outside. All dark wood and dark colors. Jaron felt instantly at home here.

Bobby refused to come into the house, opting instead to sulk out on the deck. Jaron could see him through the windows, his little arms crossing his chest.

Jaron sat down at the kitchen island. The island was sort of a separator between the kitchen and the living room. “This is a beautiful home.”

“Thanks. It just got a whole lot better too.”

Jaron smiled at the compliment, then turned serious. “I have a question to ask you. Your mom asked me to move in to the main house as a live in housekeeper. How do you feel about Bobby and I doing that?”

Travis didn’t answer for the longest time. When he did, Jaron could see in his eyes that he wasn’t happy about the potential move. “I don’t know.”

Jaron flicked at the imaginary speck on the counter with the tip of his finger. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I just don’t know how I feel about that. I love the idea of having you closer, but my boyfriend living with my mom and not with me is weird.”

Jaron’s mouth dropped open. “Did you just ask me to move in with you? Because I am in no way ready for that.”

Travis came around to stand in front of Jaron. Cupping Jaron’s face in his hands, Travis leaned down and pressed a kiss to Jaron’s lips. “No, I didn’t ask you to move in with me. I’m not ready for that either. I would like to date you though. Starting with dinner at a nice restaurant somewhere.”

“That sounds wonderful. And I don’t mind putting off moving for a while.”

“Thank you. But I have an idea. Why don’t you move in here and I’ll stay in the big house until we’re both ready for more.”

“What if we never get ready? What if something happens?”

Travis’ eyes grew serious. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. In fact, I think the exact opposite will be our future. But I really can’t predict it. So why don’t you just live here for now and prepare for what we both want eventually. Not what may happen.”

“You’d do that? Just give me your house?”

“I’m not giving you my house. I’m letting you stay until we’re both comfortable enough to take the next step.”

Jaron must have looked doubtful because Travis said, “I’ll even let you pay rent if it would make you feel better. It’s not a requirement though.”

Jaron smiled at Travis and threw his arms around his neck. “Does my landlord allow pets?”

Jaron ended up staying the entire day at Travis’ house. He decided he would wait until his next day off to move into the house, which was in three days. “Can I take a tour?” Jaron asked.

“Sure.” Travis led the way through the house. The downstairs was a big open space with the kitchen separated from the living room by a bar that included stools. A table sat over to the side, near a display of windows that looked out into the backyard and forest beyond that. Looking out the windows, Jaron saw that Travis had planted a few flowers to give the space some color. Jaron envisioned a small vegetable garden and maybe some roses along the forest line.

Three bedrooms were upstairs along with a bathroom. The master bedroom had a half bath attached. Travis didn’t make the bed from the last time he had slept here. The rumpled blanket and sheets gave Jaron all kinds of erotic images. Coupled with the fact that the room smelled like Travis and Jaron was toast. Jaron tried to hide his sudden arousal, but by the knowing smirk on Travis’ face, he didn’t think he was successful. Travis let him continue looking around though, taking his job as landlord more serious than Jaron would have expected. Travis leaned against the open bedroom door-jam with his arms crossed at his chest, indulging Jaron’s curiosity.

Jaron went to the closet and opened the door. What he saw made his eyes bug out of his head. Travis was a clothes whore. Jaron had no idea the very masculine Travis Heath would have such an extensive wardrobe. “Wow.”

“I can move all of that to the big house if you want,” Travis said, coming into the room finally.