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The slap of Robby’s pelvis against his ass, the driving pressure, and the slick slide of his hand, along with the gruff edge of the words drove him over the edge with a shout. As his eyes rolled back, Robby went silent and rigid…then let out a heavy breath.
The world stood still.
Then, Robby rubbed a hand along Matt’s arm. “Don’t move.”
Matt mourned the loss the fullness as Robby pulled out and stepped over to the bathroom. His body might never feel complete again without the other man beside him—or inside him. Thankfully, his lover returned quickly with a warm washcloth he ran over Matt’s stomach and below, taking care of him yet again in his tender way.
By the time Robby turned off the lights and settled in beside him, exhaustion had wrapped him in its grip. He fought it as long as he could, determined to appreciate the moment and the man snuggled up in his arms. What if something snatched this happiness away and he’d wasted a perfect part of it by drifting off?
Robby must’ve known, or maybe he felt it too. “Sleep,” he whispered. “I promise, we’ll still be together when we wake up.”
He held the vow close to his heart, allowing him to let go and drift off into a content and peaceful oblivion.
Chapter THIRTY
Robby
Robby floated through the next day on Cloud Nine. Though he’d hated saying goodbye to Matt this morning, the knowledge they’d be together again tonight, maybe every night, made it much easier.
Sitting at the big, wooden table at the Q-Center that afternoon, he flipped through the loose-leaf journal pages he’d collected from his work clipboard. Most of his early entries chronicled his loneliness, but over time, he could see the infusion of hope in his ramblings.
Nowhere did he document explicitly when Brick came into his life, but the paragraphs he wrote about friendship and family announced it as clearly as a neon sign. As he read through his self-affirmations, his scribbles about sunrises and happy ever after, he could see the journey he took falling in love.
The stack of papers had to be two or three inches thick. The pages had served as a friend and confidant when he didn’t have one. Given him a place to unburden his heart when no one else cared to listen. They’d kept him sane.
And now, he didn’t need them anymore.
He scooped the pile into his arms and fed the loose-leaf into the shredder. With the destruction of each page, his heart grew even lighter.
Now, he had people who wanted to hear what he had to say, and just as importantly, he was no longer afraid to say it. They’d love him no matter what. Smile or no smile. Docile or obstinate. He could be happy or angry or sad, and they would never throw him away.
Smiling, he bagged up the shredded remains.
“They got you on trash duty now, doll?” Sara leaned against the doorframe to her room. The hesitation on her face told him it wasn’t the question she’d really wanted to ask. He hadn’t seen her since the meltdown with his father.
“Thank you for sending Matt my way and for whatever you said to him. It changed everything.”
The tightness in her shoulders relaxed. “And your daddy?”
“Gone. Hopefully, for good.” He wasn’t sure how to deal with Parker and the trouble he’d tried to make, but right now he had more pressing concerns. “Have you seen Brady? We were supposed to talk about long-term housing.” If anyone caught a whiff of an underage kid staying here, social services could get involved.
“I’m right here.” The smile on the boy’s face transformed him from cute to downright gorgeous. In his jeans and T-shirt, he looked like the carefree teenager he’d probably never had a chance to be.
Paul and Chris, hands joined, stood behind him.
“The housing issue is covered.” The reverend beamed. “Chris and I have been approved to foster him.”
“So fast?” Robby was no expert, but he’d looked in to doing it himself, and his Google search indicated the process would take months.
“We got licensed a few years ago, and we fostered a little girl, Tammy. She stayed with us for nine months.” Chris spoke with the echoes of old hurt. “When they took her back, we needed time for our hearts to heal.”
“We’re going to get some placement tests done so I can go back to school in the fall.” Brady stared at the couple with unabashed wonder.
“We also made a report to police about the back room at the nightclub.” Paul folded his hands. “The detective assured me they’re going to shut it down. God willing, we can make a difference for some other folks who need it too.”
“I’m so happy for you guys.” With Paul and Chris, Brady had a chance at a real future.
Chris lifted his shoulder. “We’ve always wanted a son. This could be the miracle we’ve all been praying for.”
