Page 50 of Love in Mission City

He winced. Then smiled ruefully. “Well, you know well they sleep in here.”

The dog fur on the comforter was a good hint. But I’d always suspected.

I rolled the condom off, knotted it, then stalked over to the bathroom to toss it into the garbage. I wet a warm cloth and returned to Byron. I lazily wiped his belly and chest. Cock and balls.

He moaned.

One of the pooches woofed.

After setting myself to rights, dropping the cloth in the bathroom, and pulling the sheet and comforter over Byron, I made my way over to the door and opened it.

Sheffield barreled into the room, bolted over to the bed, and launched himself to Byron and began a thorough tongue bath.

I checked the time. Less than an hour. Kind of sweet the dogs missed us that much.

Rosebud sat at my feet and gazed up at me.

“Bed?”

She cocked her head.

I made my way over to the bed. My lover had shuffled over, so I had a side of my own. I crawled in and yanked the comforter up.

Rosebud leapt up.

“I’ll eventually have to get her stairs.” Byron’s voice caught.

Yeah, the dogs would eventually get older. But not today. Today Rosebud was spry and ensuring I knew exactly how much she’d missed me.

Somehow, while gently moving pooches, I managed to get closer to the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

He stretched out an arm.

I cuddled against his side.

He scratched my scalp—just the way I loved.

I pressed a kiss to his jaw—the way he loved.

We drifted into a lazy sleep. We got up and had Domino’s Pizza. We discussed our futures. We made love again.

And I never did spend another night alone in my condo.

Epilogue

Rosebud

Ilazed on the back deck as Sheffield tore around the backyard like a maniac.

Crazy dog.

Best brother ever.

I almost never thought about where I’d come from. Of my life before Byron.

Before Daddy. And then had come Daddy Two. Well, we called CarterPapa. But I understood—Sheffield and I had two daddies. And a nice house with a huge fenced back yard. Utter perfection.

Each daddy had a place where they sat and worked on those things that looked funny. I didn’t pay attention to that. I just loved that each had a bed for me, and I could go between the two all day. I didn’t have to choose. Moving was simple.