Reading Time: 128 Minutes
Title: Take Good Care of My Baby
Series: Over the Mountain Across the Sea
Series Order: 3
Author: Keira Marcos
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Romance, Kid!fic, Slash
Relationship(s): Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Content Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Discussion-Sexual Assault, Discussion-Violence, Discussion-Combat Injuries, Toxic Family Dynamics, Character Bashing, Explicit Sex, Attempted Murder, OC Character Death, Ableism
Author Note: The discussion of sexual assault is not explicit but the event happened between a fifteen-year-old and an adult old enough to be their parent. Please note that the warnings encompass the entire series and I’ve them made the same on each part just to make sure. Take care with yourself.
Word Count: 32,260
Summary: Buck and Eddie make a legal family, Shannon comes back into the picture, and a personal conflict at the academy escalates.
Artist: Tintalle
Part 1
Eddie really didn’t enjoy abrasive people, as a rule, so it was a surprise how much he liked Evan Wayne. He had the old mountain man routine down pat. It was a relief, however, because Buck clearly adored the man and thought a lot of him. Christopher had taken to him quickly and followed him around the house whenever he wasn’t in the guest room, which was amusing enough in its own right.
In response, Wayne had started teaching Christopher how to tie knots. Christopher liked it a lot and really enjoyed the mechanics of the whole thing, which had made him give a hard look at the list of schools that the state had given him to go along with the educational grant they’d received. There were a few options close to the house, which was his preference. He’d focused on them first but was certainly willing to branch out to make sure his son got the best possible education experience.
“The state will pay for a nurse,” Eddie said as he set aside the tablet. “For Christopher, that is. Up to forty hours a week until he’s an adult. I don’t think he’d need one after he’s old enough to be left alone at home, but it would be helpful to set something up, right?”
“Yeah, maybe find one who specializes in that kind of care and is maybe licensed for physical therapy?” Buck suggested and closed the laptop they’d bought to share. Both preferred tablets, but some things were just impossible to do easily on the tablet.
They’d gotten a really good one, so Eddie could use it for his YouTube channel and whatever other editing he might want to do. He wasn’t sure about any of it but had been investigating how editing software had changed and what sort of look he wanted for his videos. His abuela had passed his link around, so he had over 200 subscribers for an empty channel because he was pretty sure she berated his cousins and very distant family into subscribing. Often he was torn between amusement and embarrassment on the issue.
“Hey, Eddie, Chris is basically falling asleep out here but arguing about nap time.”
He looked up and found Henry Wayne sticking his head into the house from the backyard via the French doors.
Buck stood. “If you guys still want to do the interview, I’ll wrangle Superman.”’
“Sounds good,” Eddie said, still surprised he’d talked both Waynes into appearing in his video series about firefighters.
“Dad says he gets to go first because he’s older and better looking,” Henry said with a laugh.
Eddie grinned. “Neither one of you are hard to look at.”
Shortly, he found himself with a camera in hand with a serious purpose in just over a decade. He felt weird and out of place.
“Something wrong?” Wayne asked.
“Just a change in circumstances,” Eddie murmured. “I never allowed myself to want anything like this as a kid because my mother was…a lot.” He watched the older man, who insisted on just being called Wayne since he and Buck had decided that if one couldn’t be called Evan that neither was going to be called Evan, shift around, and the afternoon sun caught him just right. “That’s a good position.”
He started recording. “Interview with Evan Wayne, LAFD retired, and team lead for an Aspen-based rural SAR facility.”
Wayne offered him a grin. “That’s new—the team lead thing. Didn’t want it and put it off as long as my captain would allow.”
“You retired from the LAFD as a Battalion Chief,” Eddie said. “Did you always intend it to be a career?”
“I came home and was discharged from the Navy because my wife was killed in a car accident. I was suddenly a single parent and had no family to speak of. My boy was just three at the time and had been in the car, too. Firefighters on that scene risked their lives to save him because the car was on fire and leaking gas. If you asked him—he’d tell you the only thing he really remembers is the smell of gas and a firefighter grabbing him and running after they finally go the car cut open.
“I’d planned to make the Navy a career and had just finished OCS. I was just five years in and had gotten a BS in engineering. I lost a lot that day.”
“Adjusting to civilian life couldn’t have been easy,” Eddie said.
“No, not at all, and you’d understand that better than most. My kid was traumatized, my wife was dead, and I didn’t know how I was going to go forward. A few weeks after the funeral, Henry asked to go visit the firefighter that had saved him. I contacted the LAFD and asked if that was possible, and they were kind about it. They said they’d pass the request on but couldn’t guarantee the firefighter would be willing as they were taught to let go as quickly as possible so they could focus on the next situation they faced.
“I understood that, and the mindset was honestly very attractive to me. Still, I got a call back a few days later with the man’s name and station. We’d been invited to lunch, barring any callouts for the station. So, I took Henry to see the man that saved his life. It turned out he was going to save mine too—because I was spiraling and really didn’t know it or understand it.”
“Sometimes meeting the right person on the right day makes a world of difference,” Eddie said. “How did he save your life?”
“For a start, he looked me right in the eye and told me I was clearly struggling and needed therapy. Now, at the time, that was practically a foul word. My daddy had drilled it into my head that real men didn’t need therapy and mental illness was a woman’s disease.” He waved a hand. “My old man was an unfortunate example of his time. At any rate, Gael told me I needed to get right for my boy because he didn’t have anyone else.
“So I started fucking therapy,” he paused. “Can I say that on that YouTube thing?”
Eddie laughed. “My channel will have too many adult topics to be labeled family-friendly, so it’s fine.” He paused and shrugged. “Tell me about your fucking therapy.”
Wayne laughed and picked up his water bottle. “It was awful. At the time, I was deeply invested in my stoic reserve and made no bones about it. I was also clinically depressed and bordering on suicidal because I wasn’t dealing with the loss of my wife at all. But Gael, despite being barely old enough to be a firefighter at the time, was really stubborn. He never accepted a single excuse and tolerated my bullshit only on special occasions of his own choosing.
“So I did the work, got myself right, and applied to the LAFD academy—it was different back then and easier, in some ways, to get in. I had nothing as far as qualifications went. I hadn’t even done anything similar in the Navy. But I worked my ass off and graduated at the top of my class. I ended up at the 133. Good house then and now. I found the discipline and the structure that had been taken from me when I was forced to leave the Navy. It was such a relief.”
“Will you tell me about the hardest day on the job as a firefighter?” Eddie questioned.
“Ah, well, every day has the potential, right?” Wayne grimaced. “We meet people on the worst days of their lives or sometimes the very last day of their lives. Children were always the hardest, and it was worse when I first started out—vehicles weren’t as safe, airbags were hit-and-miss as far as actually existing, and mandatory seatbelt laws were new. In fact, my first year on the job was the first year for them in California. People ignored the law, often.
“We got called out for everything—shootings, fires, accidents, and random acts of stupid.” Henry shook his head when Eddie laughed. “The human condition is what it is. But my hardest day wasn’t even really my own. By the time my boy joined the LAFD, I was a captain. It’s hard work—even cruel sometimes, and I didn’t want it for him. Still, he wanted it enough to work his ass off for it, so interfering wasn’t an option.
“Henry was a few weeks out of his probationary year when a warehouse fire came in—it was a five-alarm fire within minutes of the call in. The place was used for textile storage—the cheap shit that was brought in from overseas. Buck would tell you it’s the kind of crap that gets used in fast fashion. Don’t even sit still for that lecture, Eddie. It’s a lot, and there isn’t enough beer in the state to make up for it. These days they just bring in the clothes into the country already made, right? The owners don’t bother to work people to death in our own cities.” He took a sip of water.
“For those that don’t know, what does a five-alarm fire mean?”
“Fires are numbered based on threat, resource management, and people needed on a scene. A five-alarm fire is the highest level in most departments and, on average, can take as many as a hundred firefighters to contain and extinguish. It was a nightmare, and it raged for hours. We lost three people, which is rare. I know people think that firefighting is a very dangerous job. I can’t say it’s not, but it isn’t the most dangerous job out there, and active duty members of the LAFD are always more at risk at the scene of a traffic accident than they are in a fire.
“We’re taught to deal with fire and to know how it behaves. But a distracted driver who doesn’t care about anyone else but themselves is hard to prepare for.
“My son was on the scene of this fire, and I knew it—kept it in the back of my mind but concentrated on my own men and resources. My son is an excellent firefighter; I wasn’t worried.” He grimaced. “I should’ve been. There was this asshole from another station—who didn’t like me and loathed Henry for reasons neither of us ever figured out.”
“I’m prettier!” Henry shouted from across the patio.
Wayne grinned at the camera. “Could’ve been the problem—this asshole wasn’t winning any prizes for his looks.” Eddie laughed. “At any rate, this asshole was leading a team of firefighters into the building as we’d been told there were at least five workers missing. There were some protocols in place and a lot of off-limits areas set down by the Deputy Chief on the scene due to growing concerns regarding structural collapse. We were working at capacity and had been for hours, so she was trying to keep the risk of accidents down. My friend, Gael Alonzo, was the captain of a task force station, and he was on the scene working as well. He was about to be elevated to Battalion Chief, and was getting a lot of shit delegated in his direction.
“Sounds like the management was on point,” Eddie pointed out. “Even for a big scene.”
“It was,” Wayne agreed. “But management is only effective when everyone under you is listening and following orders. The asshole was a glory hog and thrived, even then, on getting on the news. He was more interested in appearing heroic than actually being heroic.”
“A genuine hero never worries about the optics,” Eddie said, and Wayne focused on him then smiled.
“Yeah, exactly that. You do the job, save as many as you can, and prepare for the next job. I never gave an on-screen interview the entire time I worked for the LAFD.”
“Thanks for sitting down with me,” Eddie said.
“Ah, well, you don’t have the attitude of a man looking for something lurid to share with the world, and that makes a difference.”
“So the glory hog didn’t obey orders?”
“That’s about the whole of it,” Wayne said. “He got most of his squad killed. In fact, he turned out to be the only survivor. Henry was near the collapse, dragged the asshole out of the debris, and carried him out of the burning building. The only problem was that the asshole fought him the whole way despite having a broken leg. He kept screaming he didn’t need rescuing.
“I had to listen to the whole thing on the radio, and honestly, there’s little worse than a victim who fights being rescued. It can get dangerous and lethal in the most mundane of circumstances, and there was nothing ordinary about Henry’s circumstances. He couldn’t leave anyone behind, and the man was literally struggling against him.”
“What did he do?”
“He asked for permission from someone to knock the asshole out for transport,” Wayne said. “All six captains on the scene and the Deputy Chief gave him permission to render him unconscious as safely as he could.” He paused. “So, he punched him in the face. Then reported that his victim had a compound fracture of his left leg and a probable concussion. A few minutes later, Henry hauled the asshole out of the fire and threw him at the first gurney he found.”
“Can I ask why that was your hardest day on the job?” Eddie questioned.
“Because that’s the day I realized that there were men and women on the job that I could not trust with my son’s safety,” Wayne said. “And that wasn’t something I’d ever worried about. I understand my privilege in this, of course, being a white man with a white son. There were others on the job—anyone who wasn’t entirely white, male and heterosexual—who did have those worries every single damn day.
“I just didn’t have that perspective, but after that fire—I knew it, and I hated it. I’d never tolerated any sort of bigotry on the job, but I was just one man at one station. A lot of old white guys like me talk about woke culture like it’s practically a crime and a shame at the same time. But none of them have ever had to worry about being killed because of the color of their skin or because of who they love. I certainly don’t have that experience either—I’m an old white man who’s, apparently, too straight for my own good.”
Eddie laughed. “Who told you that?”
“Buck did. There was this rich guy last winter—he decided that learning to ski was on his bucket list, and at his age, that was just a silly thing to decide. At any rate, we had to go get him off an intermediate slope he had no business being on because he broke his arm. Needless to say, he asked me out before we even got him down the mountain, so I had to tell him no. I don’t like to lead people on. Also, pouting after fifty is just really unfortunate for you and everyone around you.”
“Well, you’re pretty easy on the eyes. I can see how he’d be disappointed,” Eddie said in amusement. “Why did you retire? You could’ve continued up the ladder…so to speak.”
“Ah, well, Gael likes being the Chief of the LAFD a lot, so I figured I’d let him keep it,” Wayne said with a little grin. “Besides, I’d put in twenty-five, and I figured it was a good time to get out while my body was still treating me kindly. I meandered a bit, joined some friends in Aspen, and stayed. Volunteer SAR is good work. It keeps me fit but doesn’t bog me down with a strict schedule. Sometimes I even get to ride a horse, and any day on horseback is a good one as far as I’m concerned.” He drank the last of the water. “Why aren’t you on camera with me? Like on a talk show?”
“Because this isn’t about me,” Eddie said seriously. “It’s about the story.”
Wayne nodded and smiled. “That’s all right, then.”
Eddie shifted his camera as Buck replaced Wayne’s water with a fresh bottle. “A few more questions?”
“Sure, kid,” Wayne said and opened the water. “Now that the hydration police has made a drive-by.”
Eddie laughed, even as Buck huffed in the background.
“Tell him about those two dudes who nearly no-homo’d themselves into hypothermia,” Buck suggested off camera, and Wayne rolled his eyes.
“Yeah,” Eddie said with a laugh. “Tell me all about that.”
“Well, that’s really a story about toxic masculinity,” Wayne said and leaned forward. “Apparently, it’s an epidemic. Did you know?”
“I’ve heard,” Eddie said with a wry grin.
“So there was this blizzard—biggest fucking snowstorm we’d had in years,” Wayne started, and Eddie relaxed behind the camera. “Some company from back east decided they wanted to team build in Aspen. Three days into their trip, the blizzard struck, and two of the employees got lost on a beer run and ended up in a ditch on the side of a narrow mountain road.”
He was really glad that Buck suggested that he interview Evan Wayne.
* * * *
It was clear that Ramon Diaz had figured out exactly what was going to happen a few minutes after they showed up at Isabel Diaz’s house. The backyard was set up for a party, and a cousin Ramon hadn’t seen in over twenty years, per Pepa, was meandering about the place with a grin in place. The cousin was a Justice of the Peace and had agreed to officiate. Buck thought the Diaz family shenanigans were at a pro level. Eddie had brought his camera, but Sophia had confiscated it.
Buck hadn’t been sure about it, but Eddie had assured him that his sister was very good at videography and worked as a graphic designer. Henry and Evan Wayne had blended right into the partygoers. He’d invited Thomas Marshall and Sae Bu to the party because he wanted to concrete those friendships. They were making the rounds and endearing themselves to practically everyone they met. He was pretty sure that Sae was angling to be adopted.
He kind of understood as he had precious few blood relations to speak of in his life, and that had made holidays kind of lonely until he’d sort of burrowed into Evan Wayne’s life. Still, the older man had always left Colorado in favor of LA when it came to big events like Christmas because he wanted to spend them with Henry, which Buck understood and never intruded upon.
Maddie had already left for Peru and hadn’t bothered to meet with him before leaving—once she had the money and he had the Jeep’s title, their business seemed to be done. It had hurt, but he understood she was wrapped up in her own crazy situation.
Andrés Diaz had taken them aside upon arrival and given them some options regarding the vows they could take, but easily accepted the ones they’d already chosen and memorized. They’d gone with the simplest set as neither felt their public promises were more important than the private ones they’d already made to each other. They’d let Isabel do what she wanted on the food front, which Buck thought was a genius idea because he’d been presented with some sort of food every single time he got near Isabel or Pepa.
“Can we talk for a bit?”
Buck focused on Ramon and nodded as the older man joined him on the porch swing. “We’ve got about twenty minutes before everything is ready to go.”
“Well, I know why I wasn’t told in advance this was going to happen,” Ramon said quietly. “I thought…maybe the relationship between Eddie and his mother could be mended, but clearly, it won’t ever be what she wants it to be. She’ll be livid to find out about the marriage.”
Buck nodded. “It’s telling that you focused on her potential anger rather than the fact that it might hurt her.”
Ramon grimaced and looked out over the yard. “Christopher seems happy.”
“He’s adjusting,” Buck said. “And he loves your mother beyond reason. They have a whole social calendar.” Ramon laughed. “That we are often not invited to participate in. She got a new phone so she could FaceTime him.”
“Yeah, her first iPhone. She’d been using a flip phone for decades,” Ramon said wryly.
“I know. I took her to the Apple store,” Buck said with a laugh. “She had a great time. We mean this, you know.”
“I do know,” Ramon said roughly. “He didn’t invite any family to his marriage ceremony to Shannon. They went to the courthouse, got married, and sent a text announcing it. Then they refused to discuss it ever again, no matter how much Helena raged over the whole thing. She wanted a big wedding—still does.”
“She wants to throw herself a party,” Buck said dryly, and Ramon laughed. “There are entire subreddits dedicated to mothers like that, Ramon. I joined two last night because I think I’m going to need validation from strangers due to my evil mother-in-law and her behavior.”
“It’s difficult to manage a person who has no fear of consequences,” Ramon admitted.
“Well, consequences are extremely rare for her, right?” Buck said, and Ramon focused on him. “She throws a fit, does something awful, and there is some temporary management that she works her way out of in a few months. She’s probably already drinking again, right?”
“She had to get an Uber home from the country club last Friday night because she was too drunk to drive, and one of her friends took her keys,” Ramon admitted. “There’s nothing in the house because I should be able to be in my own home without having to face that kind of temptation every single day.” He took a deep breath. “What’s the rush?”
“Ah, well, Eddie’s insurance is going to run out with the Army, and SSDI won’t cover all of Christopher’s needs,” Buck said. “Plus, the VA won’t approve another surgery on his leg despite the fact they left a bullet in that is preventing the muscle from properly healing. We could fight it for a few years, but that would leave him with a permanent limp.”
Ramon stared for a moment. “So, you…you’ve gone through all that training and work to get a job with the LAFD to give Eddie and Christopher health insurance?”
“Yeah, that was the plan before we ever left Texas. We were just waiting on the divorce to finalize,” Buck said. “I love them both, Ramon, so it’s not a hardship or anything.”
“No, it’s clear that you’re both….” He exhaled slowly. “He never wanted to marry Shannon, did he? I forced that on him, and he was in love with you.”
“Eddie and Shannon both made their own decisions on that subject,” Buck said. “And sure, you weren’t great on that topic, but they could’ve both ignored your opinion and did what they wanted. I would’ve totally ignored you, for the record.”
Ramon nodded. “I see it. I enjoyed meeting your friend from Colorado.”
“Wayne’s a little blunt. Sorry if he was….” Buck waved a hand.
“I appreciate his perspective,” Ramon said. “He invited me to come to Aspen…said he’d teach me how to snowboard.”
“Absolutely not, Pop,” Eddie said as he appeared in front of him. “I mean it.” Ramon laughed as Eddie offered Buck his hand. “Come on, Andrés is ready, and Abuela is threatening to hype Christopher up on sugar before we even do this.”
“The more hyper he is, the more likely we are to spend an hour hunting for the rings in the grass,” Buck muttered as he was pulled up from the swing, and Ramon laughed.
Soon enough, Buck found himself standing with Eddie and Christopher in front of Isabel Diaz’s newly painted and decorated gazebo. They both felt kind of guilty about that, as they had no idea who’d done the work or who’d paid for food. Asking questions had gotten them both shushed sternly. Buck knew when to keep his mouth shut. Eddie had persisted for a few minutes before getting a huffy lecture in Spanish that Buck only half-understood.
Christopher was holding their rings in the box, using only one crutch quite stubbornly. Buck had put Wayne on watch as he was in one of the front row seats and probably the most agile of the four people who’d wrangled front row seats.
They focused on Andrés, and Eddie’s cousin offered them a cheerful grin.
“As marriage is built on trust, loyalty, devotion, kindness, honest love, and clear communication, we have all met on this day with the wishful and cherished hope of a successful union of Edmundo Diaz and Evan Buckley.
“Edmundo, will you take Evan to be your wedded spouse, to love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him, forsaking all others, for so long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Eddie said.
“Evan, will you take Edmundo to be your wedded spouse, to love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him, forsaking all others, for so long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Buck said with a little glance toward Christopher, who gave him a thumb’s up, much to the delight of their audience.
“Please take each other’s hand and recite the vows you’ve chosen,” Andrés said with a smile.
“I, Edmundo, take you Evan, to be my wedded spouse, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, to love and to cherish, from this day forward.” He accepted the ring Christopher offered up. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“I, Evan, take you Edmundo, to be my wedded spouse, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, to love and to cherish, from this day forward.” Buck plucked the ring from the box and laughed when Christopher motioned him to hurry up. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“In as much as Edmundo and Evan have promised to share their lives in marriage. We have witnessed and respect the covenant you have made before friends and family. By the power invested in me by the state of California, it is my honor to declare you married.” Andrés smiled and gave them a nod. “You may seal your vows with a kiss.”
Buck couldn’t say what he saw exactly, but out of the corner of his eye, there was movement. But they both turned, immediately crouched, and caught Christopher just before he fell. Christopher giggled and hugged them both as they kissed his cheeks instead of each other.
“That’s so sweet,” Sophia said from her place behind the video camera. “It’s awful. Stop being cute immediately.”
* * * * *
“So, Mercedes hates Mom,” Adriana said as she slid into a spot beside Eddie at the picnic table.
She had a piece of wedding cake that Eddie had declined for the party, and Pepa had purchased anyway. He wasn’t mad because it was chocolate, but still. His family had made a bigger deal out of the ceremony than either of them had planned for.
“What?”
“Mercedes….” Adriana waved her hand in the direction of their cousin. “Loathes Mom. She hates her so much that she bragged on Facebook about the wedding and the beautiful family you’re making with Buck.”
“Dios.” Eddie huffed. “She’s the only member of our whole damn family that Shannon is friends with on Facebook.”
“Oh.” Adriana exhaled slowly. “Well, she didn’t post any pictures, so that’s something. Speaking of—I think I took about a hundred, so I hope some of them are good.” She flushed. “Sophia’s video is very good. I saw some parts of it earlier before you confiscated the equipment.”
Eddie nodded and exhaled slowly. “I have Mom blocked. Has she called you?”
“I have a voicemail where she’s just screeching nonsense,” Adriana said. “She’s clearly going to blame the three of us for not telling her what was going on here today, and she probably won’t believe that we didn’t know until after the party started.”
“We did that so you wouldn’t have to make a choice,” Eddie admitted. “Because we didn’t want her showing up here. I’m not sure I want to see her any time soon. Sometimes, I think I’d be okay if I never saw her again.”
Adriana nodded. “I get it.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah, Eddie, I do,” Adriana cleared her throat. “I can’t have kids.”
“What?” Eddie turned to stare at her in shock. “What do you mean?”
She took a deep breath. “I mean, it’s like a five percent chance of natural conception at this point due to endometriosis. I think I probably aborted the only pregnancy I was ever going to have, and it’s Mom’s fault.” She poked at the cake. “So, yeah, I really fucking get it. Sometimes I can’t even stand the sight of her because her reputation meant more to her than I did.” She paused. “Than we did. She would’ve been ten this year.”
“She?”
“Well, I wasn’t far enough to know for certain, but I felt I was going to have a girl. Regardless, I’ve been thinking about that pregnancy a lot lately, and I realize now that I could’ve refused to go through with the abortion. No matter what Mom said…. Pop wouldn’t have disowned me or thrown me out. I was just so wrapped up, shocked, and hurt because Casey refused to even talk to me after I told him I was pregnant. Freshman in college and a single mother didn’t seem like the right choice.” She frowned. “I’m sorry—this is an awful topic for your wedding reception.”
“Mom’s been ruining special events since we were born,” Eddie said wryly. “I’ve never even had a birthday that didn’t end up about her.” Adriana huffed. “You know it’s true.”
“Remember the fit she pitched when Dad got you a used truck for your sixteenth? She acted like the world was going to end,” Adriana said.
“Well, it was independence, and she wanted all of us to depend on her for everything—even a ride to the freaking store. Plus, Pop brought one that he and Eddie could work on together, and that sort of activity was beneath her. She was excluded, and Mom can’t stand that.” Sophia settled into the table across from them. “Mercedes is sorry. She said we can kick her out if you want.”
Eddie shook his head. “I get the desire for revenge. But why does she hate Mom?”
“Mom’s been slut-shaming her for a decade,” Sophia said. “You know, because she has two kids and no husband ever.”
“Ah.” Eddie huffed a little, and a piece of cake slid into place in front of him. Buck joined him on the bench, tucking Christopher between them casually. “What’s up?”
“I’m fed up,” Christopher declared. “I’m peopled enough.”
Buck grinned when Eddie laughed. “It’s nap time, like whoa.”
Christopher huffed and slumped against him, so Eddie wrapped an arm around him as he picked up his fork. They’d refused adamantly to participate in a cake cutting, so it was the first time he’d actually been offered a piece of cake. It looked great.
“What are we discussing?”
“Facebook announcements,” Eddie said and inclined his head. He shrugged when Buck made a face. “No video or pictures.”
“Full names?” Buck questioned. “Public post?”
Eddie focused on Adriana, who was browsing quickly through her phone. “Well?”
“Hmmm,” she exhaled slowly. “So, yes to both. Is that a problem?”
Buck pulled out his own phone with a grimace. “I’ve got a decent following on Instagram.”
“How big is decent?” Sophia asked.
“Over two million,” Eddie said dryly. “He climbed K2, Sophia. It’s been following him around like a savagely invested ex ever since.”
Buck laughed. “Something like that. My last climb only added to that since it was revealed who my uncle was shortly after I posted pictures of myself at the top of Kilimanjaro with his urn a few months ago. I kept his name off my posts, but I couldn’t completely control the comments on that front.”
Eddie had never bothered to read the comment section of Buck’s Instagram because the one time he had years before, he’d been kind of furious over the objectification. Henry Wayne slid into place beside Adriana, and she blushed. Eddie barely refrained from teasing her about it. Henry wasn’t really her type, but maybe she was expanding her horizons.
“This the best party I’ve ever attended that didn’t involve a keg,” Henry said. “If I eat anything else, I might die, though.”
“I’m so full,” Christopher muttered. “I ate everything.”
“Did you want to take a nap?” Eddie questioned.
“No.”
“I think you do,” he said, and Christopher huffed dramatically and switched to lean against Buck. “I see how you are.”
“So,” Sophia started and grinned a little. “Are you going to take our name, Buck?”
“Maybe privately,” Buck said before Eddie could tell his sister to mind her own business. “But I wouldn’t change it on social media. It would probably add another layer of privacy. The house is already part of a living trust and is hidden in an LLC that my uncle established that I inherited with the rest. So, my name isn’t on it, but it’s not unknown that he owned the house. Despite the following and a viral incident last year—I don’t get recognized often or hassled. I’m not famous. But Eddie’s profile could change a lot if the YouTube thing goes the way I think it will.”
“What’s that mean?” Eddie questioned.
“You’re gorgeous,” Henry said frankly. “And that’s going to attract a lot of attention on a platform like YouTube even if you’re rarely on screen. But you told us yesterday that you wanted to do a series on the VA which means you’re going to be on camera. Right?”
“Right,” Eddie agreed and grimaced. He wasn’t sure how he felt about his looks being the factor in how successful his work was.
Buck laughed. “You don’t think all of my Instagram followers care about professional mountain climbing and SAR, right?”
“I think your lack of shame has been distracting a lot of people for a while,” Eddie said wryly. “What viral thing?”
“Ah, that’s my story,” Wayne called out and dragged a chair to sit at the end of the picnic table. Everyone else seemed to follow the older man to crowd around.
Buck laughed. “I think it’s my story.”
“I tell it better,” Wayne assured. “Who’d know you be demure?”
“I really regret getting you that word-a-day calendar,” Buck retorted, and Sophia laughed.
“Okay.” Wayne clapped his hands together. “These two dumb…less than intelligent individuals were on a ski lift. There was a mechanical failure on the lift, and it got stuck. All the passengers were told to stay exactly where they were, and we’d either get the lift fixed or retrieve them when it was safe to do so.
“They did not listen. We started getting calls from carriages near them that they’d both left their seats and had managed to tangle themselves up in the cables of the ski lift itself. This meant we now had over fifty people stranded on a lift in twenty-degree weather, and even if we fixed the mechanical issue, we could not risk turning it back on with those…people where they were.
“Buck and I go down there to check it out. One of them was so tangled up he was losing circulation in his arm because he’d wound some cabling around his arm in an effort to hold on.”
“Intelligence wasn’t a gift he was born with,” Buck muttered, and Eddie grinned at him.
“So, we go back up the mountain a bit, and Buck climbed a tower and went down the line to get the idiots and freed them. Of course, neither of them had the ability to help themselves, so Buck had to lower them individually to the ground on a belay. It was apparently a very manly display of strength.” Buck huffed dramatically. “Someone recorded the whole thing. It was on YouTube before we got back to HQ.”
“What happened to the idiots?” Christopher questioned. “Did they get a ticket for being dumb?”
“They got thrown out of the resort,” Buck said. “And he kept his arm—though it was broken. It was fine.”
“You climbed a ski lift?” Eddie questioned with a frown. “Why I haven’t ever seen this video?”
“Probably because of the face you’re currently making at me,” Buck said.
“How tall was this thing?” Eddie demanded.
“In that section?” Wayne questioned. “A little over a hundred feet because it was a rocky area, and they had to account for snow drift. It was the side of the most difficult slope that particular resort maintained.”
“Can I watch the video?” Christopher asked.
“No,” Buck said firmly, even as Eddie said it.
Christopher huffed. “A double no? That’s so rude.”
* * * *
Eddie shut the back door of the SUV and leaned on it. Christopher had basically passed out. The night was cool, so the interior wasn’t too hot, but he pulled his keys out, slid into the driver’s seat briefly, and started the vehicle to get air circulating.
“We could keep him here,” Ramon offered.
“It’s not what we planned,” Eddie said as he left the seat and shut the door. “And he’d get really upset to wake up and find us gone without a previous discussion. Shannon leaving the way she did has caused some problems, Pop.”
“Leaving the way she did,” Ramon repeated. “What’s that mean?”
“She just left and hasn’t spoken to him since,” Eddie said. “He asked her to call her the day after she left, and she let it go to voice mail. So he left her a message, and that was it—that’s the last time he had any sort of contact with his mother. She never said goodbye.”
“I never thought much of her,” Ramon admitted. “But I did believe she loved him.”
“I told you before—I think she’s having some kind of mental health crisis. She had a lot hit her at once and clearly doesn’t have the coping skills to deal with it. Her mother is dying, and that has to be difficult for her. They aren’t close, and maybe there is some trauma on that issue as well. Shannon was raised by her father.” He took a deep breath as Buck left the house. “We’re going to have a brunch tomorrow—Tía Pepa planned it.”
“I’ve been informed,” Ramon said. “Your mother tried to buy an airplane ticket.”
“Tried?”
“I put spending a limit on her credit card, and purchases over a certain amount require my approval,” Ramon said. “Since it’s in my name. Regardless, she always flies first class, so she couldn’t get a ticket. It probably hasn’t crossed her mind that she could get a flight really cheaply if she flew economy.”
“She must be…apoplectic,” Eddie said.
“Sure,” his father agreed with a shrug. “My sponsor tells me I can’t be responsible for her emotions.”
“You’ve started going to AA again?”
“I never stopped,” Ramon said roughly. “Because you brought home a lot of ugly truths when you told me I couldn’t see my grandson if I was going to drink like a fish every damned day. I think I’ve been ignoring your mother’s building problem because it’s harder to face, much less manage or deal with. This is going to sound bizarre, but I think she’s drinking for attention. After she came back from rehab….well, it was clear that she never went through any sort of withdrawal.”
“So she’s only drinking to excess when it gets her attention,” Eddie said. “It’s not really a surprise.”
“I could’ve gotten my own kids killed,” Ramon murmured. “It’s the gravest sin of my life, Eddie. I don’t know how to make it up to any of you because I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve driven drunk in my life.”
“I think forgiveness is like grief,” Eddie said. “It comes in stages, and it’s hard for everyone involved. I don’t resent you the way I used to because I see the changes that you’re making, and I know that you’re trying.”
“Buck’s a good man,” Ramon said then. “You’ve made the best possible choice you could for yourself and Christopher. Your mother isn’t going to agree, of course. She hates Buck for no reason beyond the fact that he doesn’t tolerate her behavior and doesn’t pretend to. Helena told me she couldn’t figure out how someone involved with one of her children could be so uninterested in winning her favor and goodwill.”
“Buck…doesn’t consider parental approval a goal. It’s probably rooted in the fact that his own parents are horrible. He pretends they don’t exist, changed his phone number, and didn’t give it to them. He said his mother is a fragile narcissist, and his father is an authoritarian that lives in a perfect world and ignores anything and anyone that isn’t perfect. Apparently, Buck has been disappointing him since birth.”
Ramon nodded and glanced toward the house as Buck left it. “Makes sense. He’s been making his own way for longer than most young men his age. I can see how that would be appealing to you.”
Eddie laughed. “Yeah?”
“Eh.” Ramon shrugged. “Having a partner who wants you but doesn’t need you to manage their life for them must be nice.”
Eddie winced. “Are you and Mom going to get a divorce?”
“It’s on the table,” he admitted. “I love that woman, but I don’t like her much these days, and that’s not healthy. My sponsor tells me I need to make better choices for my mental health, or I’m going to take a hard fall off the wagon. Maybe I will take a bit of a vacation to Aspen without her.”
“Absolutely no snowboarding,” Eddie said, and Ramon laughed. “Seriously.”
“Skiing would be a better choice,” Buck declared as he joined them. “Wayne just loves snowboarding and will indoctrinate anyone if he can. Based on conditions, we could try Mammoth here in California if you’re really interested in some snow sport. That way, Eddie can micromanage the experience.” Ramon laughed. “But if you just want to rent a mountain cabin, lounge in a hot tub, and eat good food, then definitely go to Aspen. Wayne knows all the best places to eat.”
“I wouldn’t say no to a weekend like that,” Ramon admitted. “I’ll see you all for brunch tomorrow. I can’t promise Helena won’t have made it here by then. I’ll do what I can to manage that situation, and Mamá has already made it clear she’s not welcome here at the house. No one is going to tell her your address.”
Eddie nodded as Thomas and Sae left the house, both ladened with a bag of food. Their own food was already in the truck. Sae trotted in their direction first, and Thomas followed.
“Abuela told me to remind you that brunch will be at ten, so she’ll be there at eight,” Sae said. “And she loves you both, but neither of you are welcome to help with the cooking.” She grinned when Eddie laughed. “Today was great; thanks for including me. I have enough food for a whole week.” She wiggled her bag. “And I haven’t had anything home-cooked since I moved to LA.”
Thomas wrapped an arm around her and half-hugged her, which she endured with a pretense of a scowl. “You should’ve said—my mom would take feeding you as a challenge. But speaking of, I can’t come to brunch tomorrow because I’m taking my mom shopping, and canceling plans with her is practically an act of war unless you’re mortally wounded. Even then, a slow bleed might lead to a thorough discussion.”
“We can’t wait to meet her, right Buck?”
“Right,” Buck agreed. “Even if she does seem kind of scary. Feel free to bring her if she’s interested.”
“I’ll ask.” Thomas grinned. “It takes a force of nature to make a man like me.”
Eddie believed that wholeheartedly.
Part 2
“He brushed his teeth for four minutes,” Buck reported, and Eddie laughed a little as he started drying his hair. “He made me set a timer.”
He glanced over and found his brand-new husband leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom. “Any particular reason?”
“Two minutes per piece of cake he had,” Buck said, and Eddie huffed. “We clearly can’t trust your family not to give him whatever he wants.”
“He’s really cute,” Eddie muttered. “And hard to say no to.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Buck said wryly and pulled his shirt over his head. “I told him you’d be in a few minutes. I don’t know if he has a specific question, but he did ask for you to tuck him in.”
Eddie nodded and dropped his towel into the basket. “I hope he didn’t hear anyone talking about my mother at the party.”
“Yeah, that could be a problem considering how many of your relatives really don’t like her at all,” Buck said.
Eddie snagged his pajama bottoms from the counter and slid them on. “He’s had a long day, so I doubt he’ll make it through a full story.”
“Agreed, he was nodding off even as I helped him get pajamas on,” Buck said.
Eddie trailed his fingers over Buck’s stomach, curled his fingers into the front of the other man’s slacks, and pulled him close. “Come here.”
“Something on your mind?” Buck questioned.
“You owe me a kiss,” Eddie murmured just before brushing their mouths together.
Buck cupped his hips and pulled him as close as possible. He hummed under his breath and brushed his mouth against Eddie’s jaw as they separated. “You owe me some dick.”
Eddie laughed. “I’ll be back shortly, then.”
“Sounds good.”
Eddie left the bathroom and the main bedroom quickly since he wanted to make sure Christopher was down for the count by the time Buck got out of the shower. His son was not in bed when he entered the room, so he paused for a moment as he heard the toilet flush. Christopher came out, hand braced on the wall as he walked carefully to his bed.
They’d arranged the bedroom so he could use the wall all the way to the bathroom from his bed if needed. Christopher yawned as he crawled onto the bed.
“Long day?”
“Getting married was a lot of work,” Christopher said with a huff and snuggled down in his pillows. “Can I….” He bit down on his bottom lip and took off his glasses.
Eddie sat down on the edge of the bed and took his son’s glasses. He folded them and put them on the nightstand within reach. “You can ask any questions you want, Mijo. I won’t get mad.”
“Mommy won’t like Buck.”
“No, she probably won’t,” Eddie said. “But remember how I told you that I needed to make the choices that were best for you and me?”
“Yeah.” Christopher nodded. “Buck’s good for us.”
“Yes, he is.” Eddie pulled the blanket up the way his son preferred and tucked it in a little on each side. “When you were a baby, you really liked being wrapped up in a blanket.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think it made you feel safe,” Eddie said and took a deep breath. “Sometimes, when I was in the Army, I would use my sleeping bag even if I had a cot to sleep on.”
“Did it feel safer in the sleeping bag?”
“Yeah,” Eddie admitted. “Especially when we had hard days.”
“Do you still have hard days?” Christopher asked.
“I do,” Eddie admitted. “But everything is getting better all the time. I’m going to start seeing a therapist next week.”
“We already go to physical therapy a lot,” Christopher said huffily.
Eddie laughed. “No, not like that. I’m seeing a psychiatrist, which is a doctor who will help me process my experiences and emotions so I can have fewer hard days.”
Christopher’s gaze narrowed, and he pursed his lips. “Daddy, are you going to make me see an emotions therapist? That seems like a lot. I’m small.” He put his fingers together to demonstrate how much. “My emotions are small, too.”
“That’s…not how that works,” Eddie said wryly, and his son huffed dramatically. “And I’m not going to make you see a psychiatrist. However, if you decide that you’d like to talk to someone besides family, then you can ask, and I’ll find a person just for you. They even have therapists who deal with children specifically.”
“I’m okay, though.”
“Are you?” Eddie questioned. “It’s fine if you’re not, you know? There have been a lot of changes to take in. Did you want to talk about your mom?”
Christopher huffed and turned his head. “She left. I don’t care where she is anymore.”
Eddie winced and took a deep breath. “Did you hear something at the party today?”
He’d asked his abuela to make sure everyone knew not to discuss Shannon at all. But that didn’t mean something wasn’t said, even in a subtle way that his son overheard and understood.
His son shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. “Not really.”
“Then what?”
“I heard a bunch of people talking about how nice Buck was and how much they liked him. They said Grandma hates him, but that she hates everyone that her kids date.” He bit down on his bottom lip. “Is that why she was so mean to Mommy? Does Grandma hate her? Daddy, we can’t let her be mean to Buck. What if he leaves us because she’s horrible?” Tears welled and fell.
“First,” Eddie began gently as he tried to process all the irritation he was feeling. “I’m sorry you heard that. Second, Buck doesn’t care what your grandmother thinks or says. And he meant every single promise he made today, so he’s not going anywhere.”
“I heard Mercedes tell Tía Sophia that Mommy was sending her awful messages,” Christopher blurted out.
Eddie sighed. “Your mom and grandmother both found out about the wedding on Facebook because Mercedes bragged about being there for it.”
Christopher laughed.
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s very funny, Daddy!” Christopher exclaimed and started to giggle helplessly. “Facebook is so lame.”
“You only think that because Buck thinks that,” Eddie said in amusement. “And he only has a Facebook account, so he can complain about it. Did you want a story?”
Christopher laughed a little more and yawned in the process. “I’m too tired.” He yawned. “Daddy, can I call Buck my papa? Is that okay now? Will it make Mommy mad?”
“You can absolutely call him papa,” Eddie responded. “Your mom made her choices, Mijo. We’ve all been dealing with them for months, so she has to as well.”
“I think we made better choices,” Christopher confided. “Buck’s great.”
“I think so, too,” Eddie said quietly.
“That’s good since we’re married,” his son said. “I think he’s stuck with us now. Tía Andrea said you baby trapped him, but I don’t get it. We don’t have a baby.” He paused. “Yet.”
“Yet,” Eddie repeated faintly, and his son laughed. “I thought you didn’t want to share?”
“I’ve grown since then, Daddy,” Christopher declared and rolled over on his side to hug his pillow.
Eddie laughed and stood. “Good night, Mijo.” He kissed his son’s forehead. “Call out if you need us, okay?”
“Okay.”
Eddie paused at the doorway, turned out the light, and checked to make sure the night light flicked on. It was just a precaution as they’d made a safety choice to leave the bathroom light on at night. Satisfied with the amount of lighting, he picked up a pair of shoes from the floor and tucked them into the storage bin in the shelving unit next to the dresser.
When he returned to the main bedroom, Buck was out of the shower and was in the midst of putting lotion on. The man’s dedication to skincare was kind of endearing, as he’d even gotten Christopher in on it. They were both on the pale side, so it was good, and Eddie went along with it just to avoid getting disappointed looks from his own kid.
Eddie locked the door, then sat down on the bed. He slid up behind Buck carefully and picked up the lotion.
“Does it hurt to fold your leg up like that?” Buck questioned.
“I’m fine,” Eddie said. “I still get little sharp pains if I do something jarring, and the cramps aren’t getting any better, but different positions aren’t straining or painful.” He squeezed lotion into his palm and started to spread the fluid over Buck’s shoulders.
“We need to get a general practitioner,” Buck said. “Then we can get you referred to an orthopedic. What’s your primary concern? The leg or the shoulder?”
“My range of motion is decent in my shoulder,” Eddie said. “I can lift a normal amount of weight without pain. I’ll need surgery to recover my full range, of course.”
“So, the leg,” Buck said in amusement.
“It’s where the lingering pain is,” Eddie murmured. “It’s hard to get a proper amount of cardio with the leg the way it is.”
“Yeah.”
“Christopher overheard Adriana telling someone that I baby-trapped you.”
Buck laughed. “What did he think?”
“He was confused by the lack of a baby. Adriana is going to get an earful when Christopher figures out she was referring to him,” Eddie said in amusement and leaned on his husband’s back, then propped his chin on Buck’s shoulder. “Do you feel trapped?”
“I feel…really lucky,” Buck said quietly, and Eddie took a deep breath. “Because I kind of thought that having any sort of family wasn’t in the cards for me. I realize that’s a pessimistic view to take at my age, but I’ve never had a lot of luck in that department. But most of your family has been so nice and accepting about all of this.”
“My abuela might like you more than me at this point,” Eddie said dryly, and Buck laughed. “I’m sorry that my mother is a source of stress. I think she pretty much always will be whether I speak to her or not.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Buck said and stood. “But we don’t have to let her have space in our heads or our lives.”
Eddie nodded and leaned back on his hands as he watched Buck put the lotion away. “Oh, just so you know, Christopher has decided that you’re stuck with us.”
Buck laughed and let his shorts drop to the floor by the bed. “Sounds about right.”
He crawled onto the bed, and Eddie pulled him close as soon as he could. “I’m so relieved to be here with you like this. Part of me is ashamed.”
“For being happy that your wife abandoned you in the middle of the night?” Buck questioned as he cupped the back of Eddie’s head.
“Yeah,” Eddie admitted. “Christopher told me he doesn’t even care where she is right now, and she’s probably still having a meltdown over what my cousin posted on Facebook.”
“It’s a defense mechanism—Christopher doesn’t want to care,” Buck murmured and settled carefully in Eddie’s lap. “You don’t want to care, either.”
“Yeah,” Eddie admitted. “I think I’m probably going to have to get a lawyer here in LA.”
“My uncle’s estate lawyer is still on retainer for our own stuff. She’s part of a large practice, so there are probably other lawyers, including one that handles family law. We can call her tomorrow and get a recommendation.”
Eddie ran his hands over Buck’s thighs and settled them on his hips. “So, about that dick I owe you.”
Buck grinned and kissed him gently. “I considered plugging while you were gone, but I decided you should do all the work.”
The idea was very appealing, so Eddie prodded Buck onto the bed and pushed gently against his chest. Buck just wet his lips, lay down, and spread his legs. Eddie snagged the lube from the nightstand after he took off his pajama bottoms. He flicked open the lube as he crawled back onto the bed.
“I don’t mind doing the work,” Eddie said quietly as he slicked up his fingers and dropped the lube on Buck’s stomach. “It’s not fair to you to feel any sort of guilt about how we got here. So, I’m working on myself.”
“It’s okay to take it slow—make the right choices,” Buck murmured and cupped the back of his head as Eddie slid a hand between his thighs. His breath hitched as Eddie pressed slick fingers against his hole. “We’ve got plenty of time now.”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah, we do, and I didn’t think that was ever going to be our reality. In Colorado, everything felt rushed and hurried—like we were trying to live a lifetime in a few weeks.”
“That’s exactly what we tried to do,” Buck said, and Eddie couldn’t help but lean down and press their mouths together.
Eddie pressed his fingers in slowly, spreading the lube as he went. Buck’s body accepted the invasion easily as they exchanged a series of soft kisses. Eventually, Buck wrapped a slick hand around Eddie’s cock, and the tone changed in a way they both proved eager for.
He pulled his fingers free, slid on top of Buck, and settled between his legs, then pushed right in. The hot, tight grip of Buck’s ass around his cock was exactly what he wanted, and he started to move immediately. Buck wrapped his legs around Eddie’s waist and rocked into the penetration so eagerly that it made it hard to even think.
They had sex often, so there was nothing new about the pleasure they were creating, but it felt sweet and perfect regardless. When orgasm started to push against his control, Eddie slid a hand between their bodies and wrapped it around Buck’s leaking cock. His husband shuddered and groaned through each stroke until he was coming all over himself.
“Dios, I love you,” Eddie murmured against Buck’s mouth as he came.
* * * *
“Mom bitches about this house every single chance she gets,” Sophia said wryly as she put the shallow Dutch oven she was carrying on the counter. “This needs to go in the oven to warm up. Abuela is just minutes behind me.”
Eddie nodded. “I’m not interested in managing Mom’s issues on any subject, Soph. My plate is full.” The doorbell rang. “That should be Abuela or Adriana, right?”
“Should be. Pop’s driving them over,” Sophia said and checked her watch. “Did you need help getting Christopher ready for the day?”
Eddie shook his head. “He’s been up for two hours already, had some fruit, and is currently taking a swimming lesson from Buck.”
“What? Swimming?” Sophia scrunched up her nose. “Is that safe?”
“Safer than having a pool and a kid who can’t swim,” Eddie pointed out. “And Buck’s a great teacher. We also picked out a hydro-therapy class that was created for kids with CP. That starts next week, so we want to make sure he’s comfortable in the water so he can get the best possible use out of the class.”
Sophia nodded slowly. “Cool.”
“Are you just saying that?” The doorbell rang again, and they exchanged alarmed looks. “I forgot.”
She laughed and hurried out of the kitchen. “Coming!”
Shortly, Eddie was enduring a look of deep judgment from his abuela. “Sorry, Sophia distracted me with a question.” He turned on the oven to preheat it, and she huffed. “We had some fruit about two hours ago, so Christopher should be fine until we’re ready to serve at ten.”
Isabel looked out the window and hummed under her breath. “Your mother would be having a full-grown cow right now if she saw this.”
“I can just imagine,” Eddie muttered. “Can I do anything?”
She shrugged.
“Abuela?”
Isabel sighed. “Ramon is very stressed because of your mother. I’m worried he’ll start drinking again, nieto. There’s nothing for you to do about either situation. Helena isn’t your problem any more than she’s mine.”
“Well, she isn’t going off the rails because of your behavior.”
“I played a part,” Isabel said. “Especially when Ramon told her she was no longer welcome to speak to me. It is a permanent decision on my part. I will not ever have her as a guest in my home again. She’s…what she didn’t do….” She took a deep breath. “Had I known such a thing had happened to you, Edmundo, I would’ve insisted that Ramon send you to California to live with me. That she remained friends with that woman after she tried to hurt you is disgusting.”
Eddie exhaled slowly and leaned on the counter. “When did he tell you?”
“When he arrived,” Isabel said and focused on unpacking the insulated satchel she had brought in. “He’s devastated over it and cried. I’ve not seen him in such a state since he was a child. He said that he constantly worried about some man coming along and abusing one of your sisters, and all the while, his own wife had let a predator into his home to hurt his son.” She took a deep breath. “I’m never forgiving her.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you?” Isabel questioned and huffed. “I’m not remotely fine with any of this.” She huffed again when Adriana entered with a box. “Adriana, your sister is bringing the watermelon so we can make the fresca.”
“I could handle that,” Eddie offered. “Seriously.” He laughed when she frowned at him. “We’ve got a big blender as well—some kind of crazy health food thing.” He motioned toward the counter. “Buck is making protein shakes to supplement his diet since he’s heading into a bulking phase.”
“Bulking?” Sophia questioned as she came into the kitchen with the watermelon.
“Oh, a Vitamix. I’ve been thinking about buying one of these things,” Adriana said. “And what’s bulking?”
“He’s about to start building more muscle for the job,” Eddie said. “He’ll increase his caloric intake to gain weight while increasing his workout. Protein shakes help him keep the intake steady and avoid gaining more fat than muscle.”
The French doors opened from the patio, and Christopher came in. He shuddered a little at the cold air hitting him. “Gah, I didn’t dry off enough!”
“I told you,” Buck said wryly as he came in behind their son, drying his own hair with a towel. “But you were too nosy to finish.”
Sophia huffed a little. “Where on Earth would he put more muscle?”
Eddie laughed as Buck paused and raised an eyebrow. “I was telling them that you’re bulking.”
“Oh,” Buck said and flushed. “Well, I need to increase my deadlift maximum since Thomas is significantly bigger than me. We’ve already verified that he’s the biggest at the 118, and it’s my goal to make sure I can carry my heaviest crew mate, plus any gear they might have on my own, if necessary. Thomas comes in at around 245, plus forty for his turnouts and another eleven for a breathing system, plus a little leeway because I think he’s bulking as well. I’m currently deadlifting 310, and I’d like to hit 350 as soon as possible. I’ve given myself a goal of three months. My eventual target is 400. Right now, I could lift and carry him, with no gear, for about half a mile with no issues because we tested it at the academy.”
“Can he do the same for you?” Sophia questioned.
“Yeah, of course,” Buck said. “Sae was able to pick me up and haul me out of the building in a live fire exercise last week. She had to drag Thomas part of the way, but she still managed it. The minimum lift is 200 for an active-duty firefighter, no matter their gender, and she’s hitting that target easily. We can’t bulk her up much, but she does plan to get within 250 inside the next year.”
“Sae is smaller than me,” Sophia said. “I couldn’t pick you up and carry you.”
“You totally could,” Buck said easily. “A little strength training and technique is all you need because you aren’t unfit as you are. There are women all over the world who are lifting 500 pounds or more in professional circles on a regular basis. But on average, you should be able to deadlift 125 percent of your body weight based on your current level of fitness.” He focused on Christopher, who was leaning on his father’s leg. “Come on, Superman. You need to shower off the salt.”
“Salt?” Adriana questioned, even as Buck guided Christopher out of the kitchen.
“The pool has a saltwater filtration system,” Eddie said. “His uncle put it in. Apparently, it was very therapeutic for him. Saltwater pools are less stressful on joints due to extra buoyancy.”
“Cool,” Sophia said.
“Should I call Mom?” Eddie questioned, and all three of them focused on him. “Would it make it worse or better for Pop?”
“It’s not….” Adriana frowned and cleared her throat. “He wouldn’t want you to try to make things easier for him, Eddie.”
“He’s drowning in guilt,” Eddie said. “I’d rather that not turn into a trip into a bottle. Where is he, anyway?”
“I forgot limes,” Isabel said. “So, I sent him to the store.”
“I’m going to call her,” Eddie muttered and walked out of the kitchen before they could protest. He went to the den and shut the door, and slouched down on the sofa with his phone.
Because he wanted to see her face, he opened up FaceTime and called her. She answered immediately, as he assumed she would.
“You’ve turned everyone against me!” Helena shouted. “Your grandmother doesn’t even want to speak to me!”
“That’s not my fault,” Eddie responded. “You’re the one that couldn’t be a good mother because all of this boils down to that. If you were a good parent—you’d have protected your children. You never have. You can’t even be a mother to me now because you’d rather focus on stealing my son so you can have a do-over on motherhood.”
“Shannon called me,” his mother interjected. “She’s furious that you married that boy and accused you of having an affair with him while you were married to her. How can you ignore the mother of your own child? I had to give her your new number because she didn’t have it.”
“Mom, I have multiple documents from court telling me to not contact Shannon personally under any circumstances by her request. I’m not giving her an opportunity to take some sort of legal action against me,” Eddie said flatly. “I had no intention of giving her my phone number, but thankfully I blocked her number. What I do is none of her business.”
“She has the right to know where her son is, Eddie,” Helena exclaimed.
“Really? You’ve never cared about Shannon’s rights before,” Eddie said roughly. “And she doesn’t have any, by the way. The judge terminated her parental rights in the divorce, which has been final for nearly two months. She’s not getting my address, and neither are you. You clearly can’t be trusted with my personal information.”
“Why did you get married again? This is ridiculous!”
“No answer I give you would satisfy you,” Eddie said evenly. “The only way you’re happy is if everyone around you does exactly as you wish. Since that’s not ever going to be my circumstances again—well, get used to being very disappointed in me and my choices.”
“So, I’m just supposed to sit back and let you ruin Christopher’s life?”
Eddie frowned at her and decided not to take the bait.
“Well?”
“Your input and opinion is unwelcome,” Eddie said dryly. “And I’m not going to defend my choices to you as a result.” He stood up from the sofa. “I have to go. We’re getting ready to host a family brunch to celebrate my brand new marriage.”
“Family? Without your mother?”
“At this point, Mom, I can’t consider you anything more than someone I’m related to. You have a lot of work ahead of you if you want to be considered a part of my family going forward. Because I don’t have the resources to manage your mental illness for you. Frankly, none of us do, and you’re going to find yourself completely alone if you aren’t careful.” He paused. “Well, you’ll just have your country club.”
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. It’s like I can’t make mistakes without paying for them forever.”
“That was almost like you were trying and failing to apologize for not giving a shit about anyone but yourself,” Eddie said thoughtfully. “Stop harassing Pop about my behavior, Mom. He can’t control me any more than you can and doesn’t deserve to be treated like shit because you can’t get your way.”
“Your father is going to do what I want eventually. I’m his wife, and I’ve always come first. I always will come first and no matter what he promised you.”
Eddie stared for a moment. “I will burn your life to the ground and salt the earth afterward. Don’t doubt it—because I’ve never hesitated to do exactly what was required when it comes to dealing with an enemy. And it’s fast becoming clear that’s exactly what you are to me.” He ended the call even as her eyes went wide with shock.
He blocked her again and left the den, tucking the phone into his pocket. When he entered the kitchen, Sae Bu had arrived and had gotten the watermelon duty assigned to herself. She was peeling it with a knife. Eddie watched the operation for a few moments, kind of impressed but also weirded out by her knife skills. But it did make it clear he was unnecessary in the kitchen.
The doorbell rang, so he went to get it, checking the camera on his phone as he did so. Thomas Marshall was on the porch with a woman Eddie hadn’t met, so he figured she was the man’s mother. He checked his shirt to make sure it was clean before opening it.
Thomas sent him a look the moment the door opened. “Dude, we see you’re putting that supermodel money to good use.”
“Buck inherited this house,” Eddie said with a shake of his head, and the other man laughed. “Come in, please.” He stepped back.
“Mama, this is Eddie Diaz, the supermodel my new co-worker married,” Thomas said wryly, and Eddie flushed. “Eddie, this is the light of my life and mother, Dr. Sutton Marshall.”
Eddie took the hand she offered. “I’m honored to meet you, ma’am. Your son told my whole family about you yesterday.”
She huffed. “Yes, I heard. So I’ve come to assure you all that I’m a human being.” Thomas laughed. “But he wasn’t exaggerating about the look of you.”
“I swear on my life I’m not actually a model of any sort,” Eddie said, and she grinned. “Seriously. My grandmother and sisters are in the kitchen with Sae, Thomas. Christopher just finished his swimming lesson, so Buck was wrangling him through a shower and clothes that sort of match. He’s four and has ideas about color coordination that do not adhere to anything normal.”
“Sounds about right,” Dr. Marshall said. “Please call me Sutton.”
“Eddie,” he said. “Can I get you a drink?” He guided them both through the formal living room that they never used and toward the back of the house, where the kitchen and dining space were more open and inviting. “We’ll be setting up to eat outside.”
“I can help with that,” Thomas offered.
“If everyone shows up early to help, this is going to be less of a party than anticipated,” Buck said dryly from behind them. Christopher was half-asleep in his arms. “He’s resisting a nap.”
“We have guests!” Christopher protested. “It’s rude to nap with guests.”
“Dr. Sutton Marshall, this is our son, Christopher, and my husband, Buck,” Eddie said and took the crutches Buck had clenched in one hand. “How about a little nap, Mijo? I’ll wake you up when Wayne gets here.”
Christopher huffed a little but nodded, so Buck transferred him into Eddie’s arms with a shrug.
Buck shared a look with Thomas as Eddie left them. “I’m terrible at discipline. He almost cried.”
“You can’t show a child any sort of weakness to tears,” Sutton said and offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Buck. Thomas talks about you and Sae all the time.”
“We’re happy to have you here,” Buck said as he took her hand. “The kitchen is just this way, and everyone is there. We’ll be eating outside today unless the weather takes a turn. Though I’ve been told that rain in LA is practically a fairytale. Can I get either of you something to drink?”
“Water for me,” Thomas said. “Do we need to move tables outside?
“It’s already in place—we’re in the set-the-table phase. I’ve got a box of supplies already out there,” Buck explained. “Nothing complicated. Everyone, this is Thomas’s mother, Dr. Sutton Marshall. Dr. Marshall, this is Isabel, Sophia, and Adrianna Diaz, Josephine Padron, and Sae Bu.”
Sutton took off her purse and passed it to her son. “You boys go somewhere and be productive. I’ll get some water for myself.”
* * * *
As much as he’d enjoyed the large family celebration the day before, the smaller brunch was better. Eddie loved the extended family in LA and the acceptance he’d been gifted with by nearly all of them. Still, it was nice not to worry about one of his cousins blasting the event on social media. Plus, he’d been able to keep control of his equipment. He’d brought out his abuelo’s camera after the meal, and his abuela had been startled to discover that he still had it and it was functional.
Eddie focused the camera on his father and Christopher. They were in a lounger by the pool with the iPad mini that was the only strictly kid-friendly device in the house. He took several pictures.
“Hey, can we talk?”
Eddie glanced toward his sister. “Yeah, what’s up?”
Adriana took a deep breath. “Pop had me sign power of attorney papers for him—legal and medical.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, Mom has no clue,” Adriana said and crossed her arms. “I’ve told Sophia about it, and she thinks it’s the best choice he could’ve made. But I didn’t know how you’d feel about it.”
“I don’t feel insulted if that’s your concern,” Eddie said. “You’re still living in El Paso, and you know the business the best. Mom hasn’t been able to run roughshod over you in years. I’ll back you, of course, on any decision you have to make if it comes down to it.”
“Do you have legal stuff in place for Christopher? A will?”
“We’re working on all of that estate stuff, and Buck is going to adopt him,” Eddie said, and his sister appeared only briefly surprised. “We have wills in the works and a living trust for the house and all of our financial assets. Plus, I’m going to use most of the money from the sale of the house in El Paso to set up a medical trust for Christopher. We’ve been investigating programs here in LA to supplement his care.”
“That’s great,” Adriana said. “I just want to make sure that there’s never any chance that Mom will get custody of Christopher. She has all these bizarre ideas, Eddie, about his medical care and seems to think he should be using a wheelchair. I think she wants him to be essentially helpless so she can control every single aspect of his life. And I know that seems crazy.”
“No, I agree,” Eddie interjected, and his sister’s shoulders relaxed. “That’s exactly what it seems like to me, too. Every single time one of us left home, she went completely off the rails. When I enlisted in the Army, I thought she was going to stroke out. She screamed at me that no one should have more authority over me than her and that I’d ruined her life.”
Adriana exhaled noisily. “My therapist thinks she’s a narcissist.”
“Mine said she has an untreated mental disorder,” Sophia said as she joined them. “He’s leaning toward borderline personality but wouldn’t give me any sort of real diagnosis, of course.”
“The few sessions I had before I was discharged were focused on my combat trauma,” Eddie said. “But I’ve gotten a referral for a therapist here in LA.” He walked to the patio table where he had his bag sitting and tucked the camera back in the foam pocket he’d created for it. “Is Pop worried about his health?”
Adriana shook her head. “He’s healthy as an ox despite his history. Even though his liver numbers are great, he realized recently that he can’t trust Mom with his finances or the business. He also updated his will to reflect that. She’ll get money in a managed trust so she can’t spend it too fast and have nothing to live on. He said he didn’t want to leave a burden behind for the three of us.”
Eddie huffed a little. “Right.”
“Anyways, he’s considering retirement, and he’s asked me if I want to take the business over,” Adriana explained. “I said yes, of course. Mom’s going to have a fit because she’s been planning for years to force you to take over the business and even now thinks it will make you return to El Paso for good.”
“Gah, we wouldn’t live in El Paso for free,” Buck said as he joined them. “It’s boring, and I almost lost my mind while I was there. Plus, I’d have to take a twenty to thirty percent pay cut. Which is ridiculous considering my qualifications.”
“You checked into that?” Eddie questioned.
Buck shrugged. “Of course, Eds. If we were going to be stuck there going through an extended trial process, I needed to make a plan for it. I even checked into the regional fire academy. Abuela and Sutton are precariously close to becoming best friends as we speak, so I’m a little concerned about the sudden maternal authority in my life.” He made a face. “It’s really hard to tell either of them no. Thomas looked scandalized by the thought of telling his mother no. This can’t be good, Eddie.”
Eddie laughed. “As long as we can keep my mother at bay, everything should be basically manageable.”
* * * *
“I think we cursed us,” Eddie said frankly, and Buck made a face at him. “Seriously.”
“What?”
“Shannon called my lawyer in El Paso demanding contact with me.” He waved his phone with a frown. “I responded and told him that I’d get a lawyer here in Los Angeles to deal with that, and he agreed that it was best. He offered to provide a list, but I told him about the firm we’re working with already, and he confirmed they have a good reputation after some research. So, there’s that.”
Buck nodded. “What can she do?”
“If she wants to appeal the decision regarding her parental rights, then she needs to go back to Texas. Right now, she has no rights to Christopher. She can’t even legally request information about his whereabouts or general health. Her rights were terminated due to abandonment, and she repeatedly told the court that she didn’t want to be responsible for him.” Eddie took a deep breath. “Ignacio finished up all the legal paperwork regarding the termination suit, then Shannon was notified by the court and she didn’t show up to fight it.”
“Do you think the judge did something he shouldn’t have?” Buck questioned.
“I’m sure it’s all legal, and everything is all tied up in a neat little bow at this point,” Eddie said. “I did protest it initially, and I’ve felt a little guilty about it, but she did abandon us.” He paused. “Him.”
“She abandoned you both,” Buck said. “And trust me, it matters. She didn’t even care that you were physically incapable of taking care of him. Anything could’ve happened, and we’re just lucky that everything worked out as it did. We can handle the lawyer fees, so don’t worry about it.”
“We shouldn’t have to waste money on this,” Eddie said roughly and checked his watch.
“What?”
“Pop’s just been gone a while, that’s all. Christopher probably talked him into buying something silly that won’t fit in his room.”
Buck laughed.
“Mom tried to buy him one of those battery-operated cars last year,” Eddie said. “But Shannon refused to allow it. I don’t even know if he’d want it or if he’d be offended by it. Sometimes, he’s weird about anything that looks like a mobility aid. I blame my mom for that, too. She railed so hard against every single advancement that now he feels like he has to fight to keep whatever progress he makes on every single front.”
“Those things aren’t safe,” Buck said. “And kids have died in them so….I’m not on board with that, Eds.”
“Her argument was that he couldn’t ride a tricycle,” Eddie said. “I wasn’t on board with either because of his balance issues and the likelihood of a head injury.”
“Maybe a balance bike with wide tires,” Buck said. “And a helmet, of course. We can get a recommendation from his physical therapist on that front. He’ll express interest in a bike sooner rather than later, so if we have an option already in place that will work and allow him to have the same experience that kids have at school, then…that’s the goal, right?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to mislead him about his potential, Buck. But also, I don’t want him to see a world full of nothing but limitations.”
“Let’s focus on options rather than limitations,” Buck said. “Because there’s plenty of things in this world that neither one of us could do on a bet, and I don’t feel limited by that information. I just literally don’t have the ability to perform brain surgery, and I’m okay with that.”
Eddie laughed. “Yeah, me too.” He shook his head and rubbed his head. “I don’t understand what Shannon wants in all of this, Buck.”
“Maybe she wanted you to chase after her, beg for forgiveness, and promise that you’d be a perfect husband for her,” Buck said. “Or maybe she feels guilty for what she did and wants forgiveness. Maybe she expected to come back, and you’ve made that impossible.” He shrugged. “The only way to know what she wants is to arrange a meeting.”
“Yeah.” Eddie frowned but then went to answer the door when the doorbell rang. He checked his phone as he walked and watched Christopher make a face at the camera. He opened the door, and his pop immediately passed him three plastic bags from Target. “Really?”
Ramon shrugged. “He wants tacos for dinner. Don’t worry—it’ll be easy.”
Eddie was pretty sure that not being able to make tacos was a profound insult to his ancestors, so he just nodded as confidently as he could as his father laughed.
Part 3
Buck checked his watch after he finished stacking his rope. Both training sessions were at a climbing facility that the academy had rented out for the day. He was considering a private membership because the level of complexity on offer was good, and he wanted to keep his skills sharp. It was the first time in weeks he’d set eyes on the asshole, and it hadn’t been pleasant at all since it was everyone apparently knew he’d been moved for assholery.
“Firefighter Buckley, what’s the important factor in any climb?”
Buck focused on Marcus Wallace. “Trust in yourself and anyone in climbing with you.” He avoided looking at his classmates. “It’s the difference between life and death.” He focused on the wall in front of him. “You said we should treat this wall like the top three floors of a high rise.”
“Yes.”
“Then every single person that has done this before me today is dead,” Buck said. “Everyone laughed with each fall—maybe they’ll respond differently after they have to scrape another human being off a sidewalk.”
“Like you’ve had to do that,” Sonny Donaldson muttered.
“Well, it wasn’t a sidewalk,” Buck said. “I can’t say a 500-foot fall onto a bunch of boulders was any different. The worst part was we had to climb down into a ravine to get him, then haul the body out.” He paused. “We split the load.”
“Split the load,” Sae repeated. “You mean he was….in more than one piece.”
“He got wedged between two boulders that were too big to move,” Buck said shortly. “We had to make some difficult decisions or leave his body behind.” He focused on the wall and checked the routes. “I can take the 5.15.” It was the highest-rated and most difficult climb on the wall. “That’s what you want them to see, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll handle your belay,” Wallace said. “You pissed with me, Buckley?”
“I don’t mind setting an example, sir. I do mind being used as a teaching device.”
“Understood,” Wallace said wryly as he took hooked the rope into his harness. “How do you want it?”
“I need room, and shorting my rope won’t make me feel safe,” Buck said as he flexed his toes in his shoes.
Buck focused on the wall, taking in the full route with a frown. “This has been maintenanced recently, right? Anything spinning?”
“Took care of it myself this morning, Buckley.” The owner of the facility was leaning on the wall nearby, probably for a variety of reasons. So Buck didn’t consider him just there to be an audience.
“Good to know.”
“Why the hardest one?” Thomas asked.
“It represents the kind of difficult choices you’d have to make on a class five mountain,” Buck said. “The overhangs, vertical trajectory, small holds, dynamic movements plus the roof.”
“The roof,” Thomas looked up. “That’s gotta be…a forty-degree angle.’
“Forty-five,” Wallace corrected, and everyone started talking. “Quiet.”
“No, let them talk,” Buck said. “A climb like this in the real world wouldn’t be quiet, and frankly, doing this in SAR is probably going to involve radios and someone screaming in agony or terror if they’re alive.” He passed Thomas his phone. “Christopher is with Abuela, so keep an eye out.”
“Yeah, of course.”
He picked his spot, chalked his hands, then dropped the chalk ball back into the pouch on his waist. Buck started by leveraging upward on the first foothold and getting a good grip. Ten feet up, he hooked his rope into a carabiner and kept going. The wall had been designed to mimic a natural outdoor climb, so the texture and terrain were familiar. The first vertical slab was too easy, and he knew it. Most of the class had fallen shortly after accomplishing the lower-rated route.
He slowed down at the first ledge, moved around the obstacle slowly, and made overtly safe choices as he really didn’t want to demonstrate something risky he might do on his own. Buck hit the roof inside ten minutes, ignored the applause from a few of his more rowdy classmates as he rocked downward and jumped to catch the next set of handholds. He hung for a few seconds before he swung upward, hooked a foot into place, and crawled slowly across the roof to the end of the path.
Wallace called it, and Buck casually let go. He swung for a moment then was slowly lowered to the floor. The instructor gave him a nod and unhooked the rope. Buck returned to the wall and pulled the rope free slowly from all the carabiners he’d used. Thomas lingered beside him as he stacked the rope again.
“Problem?” Buck questioned.
“The asshole’s daddy showed up,” Sae murmured as she joined them. “Captain Nash is here, too. Rumor has it that Captain Donaldson asked Captain Nash to make room for his son, even if it meant getting rid of someone already in the house.”
“Including us?” Buck questioned.
“Apparently, Sonny thinks that he’s better than you,” Sae said in amusement. “There’s no telling what he’s told his father, but Captain Donaldson arrived just in time to watch you climb.” She frowned. “Sorry that I laughed about falling.”
“An exercise like this is fun,” Buck said. “And that makes it hard to take seriously, but the skills you learn here could save your life, Sae. It’s important.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I’ll do it better.
“I was hoping maybe we could meet outside of class,” Thomas said. “The owner of this place said the LAFD gets a discount on memberships.”
“It’s nice with a lot of challenge to be had, and yeah, we can do that.” He rubbed his forearm. “Decent workout.” He looked around the room and saw Marcus Wallace having a conversation with a man he didn’t recognize and Bobby Nash. “Doesn’t look good.”
“If they come this way, we’re gonna run away,” Thomas admitted and offered Buck his phone. “Nothing from Isabel. Also, I recorded that whole thing on my own phone for review. Plus, I figured Eddie would like to see it. I sent you a link to download it.”
“Oh, thanks,” Buck said and checked his texts out of habit. “Eddie’s in a difficult meeting right now, and I honestly don’t have the spoons to put up with stupid stuff.”
“What kind of meeting?” Sae questioned.
“Ex-wife sort of thing,” Buck muttered and pocketed his phone. “Wallace just motioned me over there. Do you think I’d get in a lot of trouble if I ran away?”
“You’d definitely get a lecture,” Thomas said. “I’ll take care of the rope.”
“Thanks,” Buck said and walked across the room to meet a man he’d rather not have anything to do with. He couldn’t imagine that Sonny’s father was any better on the personality front.
“That was good work, Buck,” Bobby Nash said as he put a hand on his shoulder. “You made it look easy, which might not have been what Marcus wants.”
Wallace laughed. “They all know it’s not easy—I made him go last to bring home the point. Cadet Buckley, this is Captain Michael Donaldson from the 96.”
Buck took the hand the man offered easily. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“It’s good to meet you, Buckley,” Donaldson said. “Quite a few people were surprised that you made an employment decision after one interview.”
“Not having a job lined up was stressful,” Buck said. “I have a family to think of, and I needed the stability.”
“My son told me you were a little reckless with your personal life and engaged to be married to some guy, with a kid, who won’t get a job,” Donaldson said shortly, and Marcus Wallace gaped in shock. “We expect better judgment from our employees in the LAFD.”
“I’m married,” Buck corrected, and because he felt the need to drive the point home, he decided to put down a hard truth for Sonny’s father. “My husband is barely eight months out from being shot three times in the line of duty while serving in the Army in Afghanistan. He has a long, hard road to recovery, and the last thing we needed to worry about was my job or insurance for our family.” He paused when the man blanched. “Despite his injuries, Eddie stayed active in the combat situation that saw the helicopter he was on shot down until his unit was extracted. The Army awarded him the Silver Star for his uncommon valor in combat.” He checked his watch and was relieved to see the time was more than up for the day. “Captain Wallace, can I go? I’m due to pick up my four-year-old son from his grandmother’s.”
“Of course, dismissed,” Wallace said. “Tell Eddie I said hi.” He turned to Captain Nash. “So Bobby, have you met the supermodel Buckley married?”
He offered Bobby Nash a quick nod, which was returned before he walked away. Buck shook his head. Thomas’ joke had taken on a life of its own, and he only wondered briefly if he should do something about it. He grabbed his bag from the bench where it sat with just a few others and headed for the door.
“Mr. Buckley.” The owner of the facility jogged over to him as he walked toward the exit and offered an envelope. “It’d be a privilege if you’d become a member. All LAFD employees get a fifty-percent discount.”
Buck accepted the envelope. “I didn’t get a chance to look out back—they told us you have some outdoor walls and towers.”
“We have classes and events for climbing that are attended from all over the world,” the man said. “I’m Eli Hobbs.”
Buck accepted the handshake. “I noticed you have an area for kids. My son has cerebral palsy. Would it be a problem for me to bring him?”
“I didn’t include info on a family package—let me get that,” Eli said and motioned toward his office. “And, no, we don’t have a problem with disabled participants. We aren’t legally allowed to, even if I was that kind of bastard.”
“Oh, I had no idea,” Buck admitted with a flush. “I’m new to the whole thing.”
“Ah, well, a learning curve is to be expected. You’ll want to read up on the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is a whole list of rules and guidelines that public facilities, including schools, must follow to be compliant. How old is your son?”
“He’s almost five and has already graduated from a gait trainer to a pair of crutches. He’s in physical therapy, so I’ll ask his therapist about climbing and get some guidance on what we should allow. He’s taken well to swimming.”
“We use top ropes on all the walls we have for anyone under the age of thirteen,” Eli explained as he picked up several brochures from a rack behind his desk. “And I have four instructors in that area at all times. Of course, you’d be allowed to spot your own kid and teach him whatever skills you’d like as you know him best, and your qualifications aren’t in question. There will be some release forms to fill out for insurance purposes.”
Buck nodded as he tucked the new information in the envelope and slid it into the pocket of his duffel bag. “I taught skiing in Aspen, but I never had kids with disabilities. I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise considering the environment and the activity. But I kind of feel like I missed out on an opportunity to provide an experience. I just didn’t know to ask or to offer something like that.”
“You said he’s swimming?” Eli questioned. “Have you considered surfing? My brother is a surf instructor, and he has two classes for the disabled—one for adults and one for children.”
“Card?” Buck questioned. “My husband and I want our son to focus on options rather than limitations.”
Eli smiled. “Yeah, it’s a good perspective to learn early.” He opened up his desk and pulled out a card. “William Hobbs-Torres. We’re half brothers—I got a great deal on the step-mom front as a kid.” He paused. “We also got a sister, eventually.”
Buck laughed. “Bossed around for life?”
“Something like that,” Eli said wryly. “The discount will apply to the family plan as well. I hope you’ll give it a go.”
“Are you looking for an endorsement?” Buck questioned.
“No,” Eli said firmly. “And I don’t let influencers film here for their social media without certain conditions being met. Normally, I make them rent the whole facility on Sundays so they can’t film anyone else. I noticed one of your classmates filmed your climb, so I’m not opposed to you posting that since there aren’t any other customers in the footage.”
“Sounds great,” Buck said. “And I’ll definitely join. The family decision requires a conversation with my husband, but he’s a climber, too. He might be a little iffy on Christopher’s inclusion.”
“He’s welcome to come watch a class and judge for himself regarding the safety procedures we have in place.”
“Yeah, we’ll want to observe,” Buck said. “Thanks for your time.”
“Thanks for taking on the hardest path this morning. It was great to watch. I need to make some changes, though.”
“Yeah,” Buck agreed. “There are clearly some points that could be more difficult, and if someone is using it to prep for a big climb, then they need more of a challenge. Especially on the transition from the vertical to the roof.” He tucked the card in the pocket with the rest of the information. “Thanks for your time.”
“No problem at all.”
* * * *
Eddie figured that his ex-wife’s willingness to show up for a meeting with little warning more than proved how irritated she was with him. He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he’d spent the hour he’d waited in a conference room playing with the new bone-conducting headset he’d gotten. They’d originally bought a set for Christopher as he didn’t like earbuds in his ears. Since they were cool, the adult version had been immediately put onto the must-have list.
He’d been plied with food and drink since his arrival, so he wasn’t suffering, and he intended to declare all of his YouTube browsing to be research if Buck asked. He wouldn’t ask, specifically, though he was certainly interested in what Eddie was doing. There was no accounting for every minute of his day. The comparison between Buck and Shannon wasn’t fair to either of them, but one of the worst parts of his first marriage was Shannon’s intense desire to account for every single minute of his time when he was home on leave.
Looking back on it, that behavior was clearly rooted in her lack of trust in him. He wasn’t even sure, at this point, if he could blame her for that. It was clear he was dialing it in on the marriage front with her, and just acknowledging how much he’d never wanted the marriage, to begin with, had been a kind of relief. But, it had also increased his guilt, which he was trying to keep to himself.
The therapist he’d been referred to by the VA wasn’t the best fit, as the man was mostly focused on issues around PTSD and combat injury. Eddie needed that, of course, but he also needed to unpack the whole subject of his mother and come to terms with the utter clusterfuck that was his first marriage.
The doors opened, and his new lawyer, Natalie Rutledge, entered. The estate lawyer that Buck’s uncle had used was in a law firm with two other women—one who was a family lawyer, and there was another who handled criminal matters. They’d joked, upon introduction, that they were looking for a woman in corporate law to round out their practice.
Shannon and a man he figured was her lawyer entered after Natalie. Eddie stood and put his phone face down on the table as he did so. His ex-wife glared at him, and Eddie gave himself a silent lecture to not be hostile in return.
“Eddie, this is Travis Adkins representing your ex-wife in this conversation,” Natalie said. “Let’s sit.”
Eddie pulled out the chair next to him as Natalie rounded the table, and she offered him a smile. He wasn’t always sure when to offer anyone any sort of courtesy, but she struck him as the sort who wouldn’t get angry with him even if she thought he was being an old-fashioned asshole.
He sat down and focused on Shannon, who still hadn’t stopped glaring at him. Eddie raised an eyebrow before he could help himself.
“You’ve been ignoring me for weeks!” Shannon exploded.
“You were told during the divorce that all communication between us going forward would take place through lawyers,” Eddie said evenly. “From the moment you abandoned Christopher and me in the middle of the night, you explicitly told me over and over again not to contact you, Shannon. I’m not ever going to give you ammunition to use against me on that issue. You have an awful temper, and I don’t need to have a restraining order filed against me.”
“I said I would contact you when I was ready,” Shannon said with a frown.
“I didn’t agree to that kind of contact,” Eddie said evenly, and her mouth fell open slightly. “Frankly, I’d rather not hear from you ever again. I’ve moved on, Christopher is doing well, and we don’t need you.”
She blanched. “Is that why you had my parental rights terminated? You didn’t have any right to do that! You were gone for years, Eddie! I was the one raising Christopher. I was the one making all the sacrifices. You owe me better than this.”
“All the sacrifices?” Eddie repeated and exhaled slowly. He rubbed the scar on his leg as it started to sting. It was certainly psychosomatic, but knowing that didn’t take the edge off the pain. “You left in the middle of the night without a word to me, Shannon. I owe you nothing.”
“Our marriage wasn’t working, you weren’t putting in any effort, and I needed a break. I didn’t want to argue with you about it,” she said and crossed her arms.
“Had you been mature about the situation, you’d have told me that you wanted a divorce, and I would’ve agreed. I wouldn’t have argued with you for even a moment about it, Shannon, because I agree—our marriage wasn’t working. Frankly, I think the only reason we lasted as long as we did was because we were rarely even in the same country.”
“No, it’s clear you couldn’t wait to get rid of me,” she muttered. “How long was I gone before you had that asshole from Colorado in my house?
Eddie stared for a moment. “That depends. What time did you actually leave? I mean, I was asleep, so I don’t know for certain.”
She gaped at him. “I….” Shannon wet her lips. “I had to be at the airport at 4:00 am.”
“Because I could barely walk due to being shot three times, I needed help. I called my best friend, and he was in El Paso, in the house I paid for, by 8:00 pm that night,” Eddie said easily. “And he doesn’t deserve a single bit of your hostility as he’s done nothing but be everything I need since the day I met him. He’s been saving my life one way or another for over five years.”
“I should’ve pushed to include adultery in the divorce,” Shannon muttered.
“We proved that we weren’t guilty of that, Shannon. Buck provided location data to the court from the day I left Colorado until the day you left El Paso. The judge determined that there was no sort of affair.” He exhaled slowly. “And you know it because it was included in the written judgment.”
She glared at him. “You can’t even pretend you feel guilty about any of this, can you?”
“What exactly should I feel guilty about? Serving my country? Trusting my wife? Providing for my child the best way I knew how?” He watched her cheeks darken. “Listen, I don’t know why I’m here, so if you could get to the point, I would appreciate it.”
“I’m going to sue for custody of Christopher,” Shannon blurted out.
“You don’t have any more right to sue for custody of my son than a stranger on the street,” Eddie said evenly. “First, you’ll have to go back to Texas and go through the courts to get your rights reinstated. And frankly, it would take more money than you have, and you’d probably fail. I’ve already been told that any appeal you make will end up in front of the judge that handled our divorce. The same judge you sent more than one letter where you said you couldn’t be a mother, didn’t want to have children at all, and didn’t believe you owed me child support.”
Natalie sucked air in through her teeth. “Such a case would be a hundred or more hours of work for your lawyer, Ms. Whitt. And in these circumstances, getting your rights returned to you would be unlikely. If you did succeed in getting your rights back, everything you said and wrote during your divorce would be evidence against you in a custody hearing. You’d, at best, gain supervised visitation with Mr. Diaz’s child in a visitation center here in LA. Perhaps as little as one hour a month, depending on the judge in LA, as the judge in Texas ruled you were an emotional danger to your own child and that contact with you would be detrimental.”
“My client is aware of how much this will potentially cost her.” Travis Adkins held out his hands in a gesture of what looked like peace. “But it’s the route she’s willing to take.”
“Or what?” Eddie questioned and focused on Shannon. “What do you want? I’m not giving you money, Shannon.” She frowned at him.
“I want you to annul your marriage and separate from that asshole. I don’t want him in our son’s life in any single way. We can figure something out between us, remarry, and you’ll help me petition the courts in Texas to get my rights returned.”
Eddie stared for a moment, more angry than shocked. “No.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m not doing any of that, and it’s obscene that you’d even ask. I didn’t want to marry you in the first place and only did it out of obligation. I’m relieved by our divorce and wouldn’t allow you back in my life as a romantic partner even if I were single,” he said, and her eyes welled with tears. “You made it clear that you never wanted to be a mother, Shannon, and I’m starting…to wonder if maybe you only kept the pregnancy so I’d marry you.” He huffed a little when she averted her gaze. “Dios.”
“I made a mistake in leaving. I was stressed out and worried about my mother,” Shannon snapped. “And I didn’t mean for all of this to happen the way it has, Eddie. I didn’t think you’d actually agree to a divorce! But you just rushed me through this whole process, and I didn’t feel like I could stop it. I just wanted you to understand what I went through while you were away! I wanted you to finally get where I was coming from, and you just….”
“You told me not to contact you for any reason,” Eddie said evenly. “You ghosted our four-year-old and broke his heart. I’m never going to allow you to do such a thing to him again.” He cleared his throat. “I’m done with this, and the only way I’ll agree to another meeting is if the state of Texas informs me that your parental rights have been restored.”
He stood and braced briefly against the table when pain shot down his thigh. It was infuriating as he never knew when it was going to happen or how. Eddie hissed a little as he straightened away from the table. “If that happens, feel free to contact Ms. Rutledge to arrange for us to meet so I can tell you no to your face again.”
“You son of a bitch,” Shannon whispered, clearly shocked. “How can you be like this?”
“You burned any affection I had for you right out of me, Shannon,” Eddie snapped. “You accused me of leaving you alone with a child you never wanted. My son is not a burden, and he’s not a mistake. And frankly, fuck you for thinking so.”
“Eddie,” she began and stood.
“I said no.” He exhaled slowly and grasped the back of the chair as a cramp wrapped around his thigh like a snake. “And it will take a court order forcing me to allow you any contact with Christopher. So, good luck with that.”
“Mr. Diaz,” Natalie Rutledge said firmly. “Please sit before you fall. Do you have a cane with you?”
Eddie reluctantly sat. “It’s in my SUV.”
“Keys,” she said and held out her hand. Since arguing with her seemed like a bad job, Eddie pulled the keys from his pocket.
“Black Cadillac Escalade on the second floor of the garage. I was able to find a spot just past handicapped parking, which was full.” Eddie ignored Shannon’s shocked little gasp. “I’d like to be alone, Ms. Rutledge.”
“Ms. Whitt and her attorney are leaving.”
“But….”
“My client is finished with this conversation, Ms. Whitt. Your only legal recourse is to return to Texas and appeal the court’s decision there. Considering the content of the ruling, Mr. Diaz can’t risk you having contact with his son, even if he wanted to. A judge declared you detrimental to the welfare of the child you birthed.”
“It’s been months, Eddie! Why are you still using a cane?”
Eddie focused on her then. “I took at least two .50 caliber rounds, Shannon. I’m going to need two more surgeries for a full recovery. I don’t know why you’re asking this—you didn’t care when you left me in El Paso.”
“I needed…I needed you to be strong, Eddie! The last thing I wanted was another fucking person in my house to take care of. You’re still not back to normal, even now? How can you blame me for leaving?” Shannon demanded, and Eddie sort of retreated because he wasn’t certain he could remain civilized if he didn’t.
“Leave immediately,” Natalie Rutledge snapped, and Eddie focused on her. She looked absolutely furious. “And trust me when I say this, I will come to court loaded for bear if you continue to be a problem for my client. I’ll keep you in litigation until the child you birthed is a grown man.”
Eddie just slouched back in his chair and closed his eyes as Shannon and her lawyer were escorted from the room. The cramp was contorting the muscle in his leg so much that he briefly considered if a bone fracture was possible. It was definitely going to cause more ligament damage if it didn’t ease off. He dug his hand into the muscle, ignoring the pain he was causing himself.
His phone went off, and he picked it up with a trembling hand. It was Buck, and just seeing his name was a balm to his soul.
“Hey.”
“Babe, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said quietly.
“Really? Because your lawyer just called me and told me she was worried that you’d disassociated.”
“What?” Eddie took a deep breath and looked out the glass wall where Natalie Rutledge was standing, arms crossed over her chest. “Sorry, Shannon just left a few minutes ago. I don’t….”
“You’ve been sitting there for twenty minutes,” Buck said quietly. “Do I need to come get you?”
“I didn’t realize…I think I might have sort of got lost for a while, and that hasn’t happened in months.” Eddie’s face heated, and he lowered his gaze as he swallowed hard. “She said she needed me to be strong when I came home and didn’t want another person to take care of.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Buck muttered. “Look, I’m on my way.”
“We’ll have two vehicles to drive home if you do that.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Okay,” Eddie said because he didn’t think he could drive and didn’t want to take any risks with it. He ended the call and focused on Natalie Rutledge. He waved a little, and she pushed into the room. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“I wasn’t scared,” she said. “But you’re really pale, and I said your name twice after I got your ex-wife and her lawyer out of here. It was clear you didn’t hear me.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m going to send a cease and desist letter letting her know she isn’t allowed to contact you going forward. If she keeps trying, we’ll go for a restraining order. Because it’s clear that she isn’t just detrimental to your son. I sent my paralegal down to get your cane, but I don’t think you should drive.”
“My husband is coming to get me,” Eddie said. “I…I agree with the letter. I’d rather not have any contact with her going forward.” He rubbed his face with a shaking hand and grimaced. “I’ve been doing very well, you know?”
“PTSD doesn’t have an end date,” she said. “I see it a lot since I have a family practice. Granted, I see it most often associated with domestic violence.” She sat down at the table across from him. “Both my parents served. They met in the Marines, and I grew up on bases all over the world. She left after my brother was born, but my father retired as a two-star general. They’re both living it up in Santa Barbara now.”
Eddie nodded. “Sounds nice.”
“My dad never saw combat that I’m aware of since he worked in intelligence, but my mom served in Iraq,” Natalie explained. “She was over there for a year. When she came home, it was hard, and often she’d wake up screaming. I’ve never asked her about it because it feels like she’d only tell me things that would hurt us both. Is that a mistake?”
“I wouldn’t discuss my service with my kid,” Eddie admitted. “Even if he was an adult. Maybe it would be different if he were in a position to serve in combat, but he isn’t. Your mom has your dad and hopefully a therapist. That’s for the best, in my opinion. I don’t think you’ve let her down if that’s your worry. But it would hurt nothing to ask.” He paused. “Except maybe your feelings if she refuses to discuss it and tries to ground you as an adult for getting in her business.”
Natalie laughed. “Yeah, my mother isn’t the one to cross.”
“I might need you to send my mother a cease and desist, too,” Eddie admitted. “She seems to think she should get custody of my kid just because she wants him. She’d have already sued if my father agreed to fund the whole thing.”
Natalie made a face. “Is it likely he will?”
“Not currently, but she has a history of berating him into doing what she wants. I want to trust him, but it’s hard. She’s in a time-out right now and wasn’t invited to my wedding, which caused her to throw an epic fit.”
The paralegal, who had introduced himself merely as Hector, came in at that moment with the cane and keys.
“Nice ride,” he said as he put the gleaming ebony cane on the table in front of him. Buck had bought it to replace the metal one he’d been discharged with.
“It’s inherited,” Eddie said. “My husband is genuinely embarrassed to own it.”
Natalie laughed.
* * * *
Eddie shifted on the passenger seat of the SUV. “How did you get here?”
Buck put on his seatbelt and put the vehicle into reverse as Eddie did the same. “Sae picked me up and dropped me off. Pepa is at our house watching Christopher.”
“I don’t want him to know I had…whatever this was,” Eddie said roughly.
“What did it feel like?”
“I didn’t realize how much time had passed when you called me,” Eddie admitted. “The cramp was clearly a stress reaction. I’m not sure if it was just because I was suddenly so tense to be in the same room with her or what. I can’t explain it any better than that. I didn’t know how furious I was with her until I set eyes on her. Then she went on that little tirade blaming me for my injuries and making it clear I was a disappointment to her.”
“And she reminded you of your mother,” Buck said quietly.
“More than ever,” Eddie admitted and exhaled slowly. “You asked me once before when the last time I’d had any sort of sex with Shannon.”
“Well, I wasn’t that explicit,” Buck said dryly.
“The leave before the last one, she got in the shower with me, and I got her off with my hand,” Eddie said roughly. “But I never got hard, and I avoided a conversation about it because Christopher came into the bathroom. I’d come home for his third birthday.”
“And he’ll be five in just over a month,” Buck said. “Right.”
“Don’t judge me,” Eddie muttered. “I know I’m fucked up.”
Buck laughed. “I wasn’t going to say that you’re fucked up. I just…. So, listen.”
Eddie focused on him. “Okay.”
“You either already disliked your own wife so much at that point that even grudge fucking her was off the table, or you’re just gay.”
“I have no problems sleeping with a woman.”
Buck nodded and backed out to the parking spot. “Okay, unpack that.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you jerk off—what do you think about?”
Eddie flushed and blew air out noisily between his teeth. “Most often? You.”
“Even when you were married?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks—that’s sweet,” Buck said and grinned when Eddie groaned. “When it isn’t me, who is it? How does it go?”
“Well.” Eddie crossed his arms. “Ryan Reynolds is usually a safe bet. Chris Hemsworth is…a special case.”
“What does that even mean?”
“He just strikes me as real toppy,” Eddie said. “And that’s not something I think about often.”
“Fair,” Buck said.
“Charlie Hunnam.”
“Wow.”
“What?” Eddie questioned.
“It’s just…how the hell did you end up with Gabriel when he isn’t remotely your type?” Buck asked.
Eddie started to deny it, but, in truth, Gabriel wasn’t the sort of guy that would normally catch his eye at all. “We were friends first. He sort of grew on me, and I still consider it one of the bigger mistakes I made in high school. He says I’m the love of his life, but I never wanted to believe it.”
“I believe it,” Buck said quietly. “Also, it’s gratifying to know that I am your type.”
Eddie laughed.
“Plenty of gay men can have sex with a woman, you know,” Buck said quietly.
“What?”
“I mean, it’s perfectly possible for a person who is gay to have heterosexual sex. Some even get married and have kids while they ignore who they really are. They live a whole life like they’re straight when they’re actually totally gay.”
“I….” Eddie took a few deep breaths.
“You cool?” Buck asked and put a hand on his leg.
Eddie curled his own hand over Buck’s and, after a moment, laced their fingers together. “I dated several girls in high school, including Shannon. I kind of thought my response to women, in general, was about Margery.”
“Maybe it is,” Buck said. “Did you date those girls after Gabriel to prove a point? To show him you could move on and conform easily?”
“Yeah, and I know that’s some asshole shit to do,” Eddie muttered.
Buck laughed. “You were a kid with unaddressed trauma and a broken heart, Eddie. I imagine you treated those girls very well.”
“I tried, but I only slept with one of them besides Shannon.”
“But think about it, seriously, and tell me, when is the last time a woman made you hard.”
“I suppose the last time I actually had sex with Shannon,” Eddie said in confusion.
“Did she, or were you thinking about something else?”
“You mean someone else,” Eddie said. “I tried really hard to not think about you when I was in bed with her.”
“I wasn’t actually implying you were thinking about me while you fucked your wife,” Buck said wryly. “But think about it—did she turn you on, or were you already turned on, and she was convenient.”
“You’re making me feel like a real bastard,” Eddie said roughly.
“Hey.” Buck squeezed his hand a little. “That’s not my intention. This is something you can work on with your therapist, okay?”
“I know you aren’t trying to make me feel bad,” Eddie said quietly. “And the answer is no, by the way. I don’t think any woman specifically has ever turned me on, and I feel weird about it. Shouldn’t I have this stuff figured out already?”
“There’s no timeline on this. You aren’t failing some developmental milestone,” Buck said. “I’ve had what I would consider to be performative sex, too.”
“What does that even mean?” Eddie questioned. “You’re bi, right?”
“Pansexual fits best,” Buck said. “Gender doesn’t mean much to me on any front. But I’ve had sex with someone to avoid hurting their feelings when the attraction wasn’t there for me. I got off, and I’m always keen to come, so it wasn’t traumatic or anything. I could’ve just gotten the same experience by jerking off.”
“You’d tell me, right?”
“Tell you what?”
“If you weren’t in the mood for sex,” Eddie said. “You’d tell me?”
“Yeah, of course, but honestly, that’s not….” Buck shrugged. “I do want you, I love you, and as I said, I’m always game to come. Even when I’m exhausted. Maybe, especially when I’m exhausted because I sleep better afterward.”
“What turns you on about a woman?”
Buck hesitated, and Eddie kind of wished he hadn’t asked.
“I like women who are soft, eager to be fucked, and confident. Plus, some of them can come repeatedly when you go down on them, and I enjoy getting my partner off.”
“Are you going to miss being with women?”
“No.” Buck shot him a look. “If I get the urge to eat someone out—I’ll just put you on your knees.”
Eddie couldn’t help the fact that his mouth dropped open. “What?”
Buck laughed.
Eddie didn’t know if Buck was serious but just the thought of…well. He huffed a little and decided that ignoring the whole topic was the best choice he could make. He’d never bottomed at all and rarely fantasized about it. He’d also never been rimmed. Though, it was something they would discuss later.
“How’d things go today?”
“I met Captain Donaldson,” Buck said. “And Captain Nash came to watch the climbing session at the commercial facility. I got some information because they have family memberships.”
“I don’t know if Chris….” Eddie trailed off. “He’s limber, and his upper body strength is good.”
“They have classes for disabled children and adults,” Buck said. “And the owner told me we could be as hands-on with him as we’d like during a class. They do a top rope on all the walls made for minors. I figured we could try? Thomas did film my climb, and he sent me a link so I could share it with you.”
“Cool.” Eddie frowned. “What did the asshole’s father say?”
“Oh, he tried to lecture me for being reckless with my personal life,” Buck said easily. “It was really awkward when I pointed out that my husband was an Army veteran and not the lazy bastard his son told him you were.”
“Wow,” Eddie muttered.
“Yeah, apparently Sonny thinks you refuse to get a job, and I’ve been manipulated into providing for you and your kid,” Buck muttered. “I can’t stand him, Eddie. Sae said that Bobby Nash was pressured to make room for Sonny, and I swear if that happens, I’m going to start an immediate job search.”
“You should probably talk with Nash then,” Eddie said. “Let him know how serious you are about not working with that dumb kid.”
Part 4
The call to Captain Nash had netted an invitation to the station. Buck hoped that meant that the conversation would go well. Everything looked busy as he entered, and it was quickly clear the shift was just coming down from a call. Some of them were half-dressed, and the ones in turnouts were a little smokey. He’d called earlier in the day and had been told he’d get a text when he could come over.
“Hey, Buck.”
“Henry,” Buck said. “You guys look a little worse for wear.”
“Big house fire,” Henry said and rubbed his head. “Not great. Bobby is upstairs. We’re offline for the next three hours since we had an injury. Not major, but it was enough to get a hospitalization out of the whole thing.”
Buck nodded. “Your dad called me today—he finally meandered his way back to Aspen. I’m considering sharing his location on his iPhone the next time I see him. He won’t notice, and we probably need the information.”
“He spent a whole week in Vegas,” Henry said with a wry grin. “Won 10,000 dollars and left some truly epic reviews on Yelp. Can the world blame you for that?”
“The Yelp thing?” Buck questioned. “Yeah, but in my defense, I got tired of him complaining about food delivery and suggested he vent his frustrations online. I really didn’t think he’d explore the whole thing and realize he could leave outrageously amusing, but also offensive reviews on everything. I think he left a review for a bar he visited twenty years ago and still deeply resents.”
Henry grinned. “The old man doesn’t let anything go.” He motioned toward the loft. “Go get Bobby’s mind off the last call. He takes it personally when one of us is injured.”
“Yeah, okay,” Buck said and headed for the stairs. “Take a shower, man. You smell, and it’s not even in a manly and hot sort of way.”
Henry just laughed.
Bobby Nash was across the loft in the back near a kitchen set up, poking at something in a frying pan. Buck walked across the space, ignoring the looks he got along the way. He figured introductions should come from the captain since he was replacing one of the people currently on duty.
“Hey, Cap.”
Bobby Nash glanced his way before focusing on what turned out to be a lot of onions in the large iron skillet. There were two other skillets on the stove in a similar condition. “Frittatas. Something on the light side, comparatively speaking. Figured I’d pair it with a big salad.”
Buck nodded and leaned on the counter. “Henry said there was an injury.”
“Yeah.” Bobby grimaced. “Unexpected grandstanding. I should’ve realized that was brewing under the surface. We’re retooling the station due to the new designation as a task force, and it’s caused some resentment as I started pointing out the lack of certifications for everyone.”
Buck nodded. “Are you the station commander, or is it one of the other captains?”
“It’s me,” Bobby muttered. “And I regret it.”
Buck hummed under his breath and took the last sip of water he had. He looked around and located a recycle bin, so he tossed the bottle and focused on Bobby Nash. “I heard a rumor that you’d been pressured to take Sonny Donaldson on.”
“Oh, his father tried,” Bobby said roughly. “But after that conversation with you this afternoon, he backed off with his tail tucked between his legs. He believed every single word his son said about you without any sort of verification, which led him to disparaging a decorated Army veteran in public. Marcus Wallace explained to Mick that his son’s behavior at the academy was so overtly offensive that other recruits are running interference on your behalf.”
“Which is embarrassing,” Buck admitted.
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed,” Bobby said. “It speaks to your character that others are willing to have your back. All of the instructors tell me that you’ve done well at the academy and that you’re very mature for your age.”
Buck exhaled slowly. “I’m trying, you know? I don’t want to let my family down. Frankly, I wasn’t always sure I’d get lucky enough to have a family of any sort. Being a parent is a heavier load than I anticipated.”
“How so?” Bobby questioned.
“Recently, I realized I have his little heart in my hand,” Buck said quietly. “I’ve got big hands, and sometimes I forget my own strength. Sometimes, I’m clumsy and dumb.”
“Well, I saw none of that on the climbing wall yesterday,” Bobby stated. “You were competent, professional, and graceful under pressure. Marcus is worried that he misstepped with you on that whole thing, by the way.”
“I see what he’s doing,” Buck said. “And I don’t even disagree. In his place, I would leverage the kind of experience I’m bringing to the table as often as I could. But yesterday, there was a level of objectification that I can’t explain. Maybe it’s because both sessions were in attendance, and we were outside of the training environment. I like the commercial climbing facility, so I’m going to get a membership. It just felt performative and maybe like he was using me to shame them.”
“Well, he certainly did that last part,” Bobby said. “And they needed that lesson. Most of them won’t graduate the academy with a rope rescue certification, so they need to know if they have the aptitude to pursue it on their own.”
“Sae asked me for some off-duty training, and she’s going to start building more muscle. I think I can get her ready for a rope cert within six months, and we expect to get her deadlift around 250 pounds in that time frame as well. She can already lift and carry me, but Thomas is going to be the biggest of us. She had to drag him out of the live fire exercise.” He paused. “But she did it like a boss.”
“All the instructors tell me that the three of you are doing well together,” Bobby said. “I’m relieved as I need that level of teamwork, considering I’m taking on three probationary firefighters at once. The one I currently have will finish their probationary year next week.” He shifted the skillets around so he could stir a different one. “Did you want to stay for dinner? We have plenty.”
“We’d just finished up eating dinner when you texted,” Buck said. “What’s going to happen with Donaldson, if you can say?”
“Father or son?”
“Both, either,” Buck shrugged.
“It’s complicated, and I know that sounds like a cop-out,” Bobby said. “Donaldson, Sr has certainly backed off because it was made clear that even attempting to make you work with his son was a lawsuit waiting to happen. The kid is exhibiting some weird obsessional behavior where you’re concerned. You’ll hear about this on Monday, so it’s no secret—they had an altercation in the parking lot of the climbing center that got physical.”
“Whoa.”
“And not the way one would assume. Sonny punched his father in the face in front of several instructors and was expelled from the academy as a result. Mick tried to interfere and protect his son, which I get, but there’s no coming back from it because he was on duty. The best he can do is try to prevent criminal charges being filed, but the LAPD was called in.”
“This whole situation has been a lot,” Buck admitted. “It’s insane.”
“Sonny Donaldson has clear behavioral issues that have nothing to do with you, and frankly, Buck, you’re just the kind of man that Mick Donaldson wishes he’d raised. There’s no predicting this boy’s behavior, which is another reason why I’d never have him in my command—no matter how the rest of it falls out.” He paused. “Just watch your back on this subject.”
Buck sighed. “Yeah.” He watched the older man for a few moments. “You okay?”
“Just recognizing that I’ve not corrected all the issues around here. I thought I’d gotten a handle on all of the problems, but clearly, I was mistaken. So I’m stressed out regardless of the Donaldson family and their crap.”
“I won’t pretend to understand how much work it is to manage all of these personalities, but Wayne would tell you that humans aren’t perfect, and even you are human.”
“I met Evan Wayne recently,” Bobby said wryly. “There would be a lot more F-words in that statement if he’d said it.”
Buck laughed. “Yeah, probably so. Meeting him changed my life, you know. I can’t regret a single bit of it.”
“Well, he raised an outstanding human being, so I knew going into this that his recommendation meant you were going to be exactly what I needed around here.” He waved a hand toward a large fridge. “I have a bowl of chopped veg in there—get it out for me.”
* * * *
Christopher fell asleep halfway through chapter one of the first Harry Potter book, and Eddie was relieved. He was absolutely going to delegate the reading of that to Buck if it was going to be a nightly feature. He was honestly on the fence about it. Eddie checked the baby monitor, which was active and on the charging station on top of Christopher’s dresser. They kept it out of the way so their son couldn’t play with it. He pulled the door shut gently as Christopher preferred the security of a closed door.
Buck was already in bed with his phone when Eddie entered their bedroom, so he shut and locked the door as a matter of habit. His gaze flicked toward the monitor, which was on his side of the bed. They hadn’t really discussed the placement when he’d finally moved completely into the main bedroom.
“How’d things go on the Harry Potter front?”
“I skipped some stuff because the kid was abandoned on a doorstep and abused by his aunt and uncle,” Eddie said roughly. “I think he’s too young for that shit.”
“Oh, well.” Buck frowned. “I read it in elementary school, Eds.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I borrowed the first book from the school library when I was seven or eight? Maddie bought it for me after I borrowed it for the third time. I had all seven books, eventually. The YA genre is kind of like that, by the way.”
“Violent with abusive, irresponsible adults?” Eddie questioned and huffed when Buck shrugged.
“Plus, he’s already watched the movies,” Buck pointed out, and Eddie groaned. “We’ll work on framing the content and making sure he understands that Harry’s circumstances aren’t normal or appropriate.” He put his phone on the nightstand after plugging it into charge. “Want to talk about the meeting?”
“Not remotely, but I know that’s not a good place to be,” Eddie said. He plugged in his own phone and sat down on the bed to take off his socks. “She threatened to sue for custody, which we know would be difficult for her to accomplish since she’d have to get her rights back first. But that’s between her and the state of Texas. Then she tried to blackmail me.”
“Excuse me?”
“She wanted me to annul our marriage and go back to her with the eventual goal of remarriage and….” He exhaled slowly. “Shannon accused me of railroading her through the divorce process, and she claimed she only wanted a break. Which we both know makes no sense considering her behavior and communications with both my lawyer and the court. She was also appalled to realize that I’m not fully recovered.”
“That goes back to the fact that she didn’t want you to be vulnerable and hurt in front of her,” Buck said. “Right?”
“I think so, yes. Maybe she saw me sitting there and thought I was back to normal. I don’t know, but I feel awful about the whole thing. It was like she distilled me down to the parts that were palatable to her and ignored the rest.”
“When I first met you,” Buck began, and Eddie focused on him. “Your physical competence was attractive. While it wouldn’t be a factor for me, you’re a big guy compared to most women. From experience, I can tell you that some women like a strong, physically impressive man because it makes them feel safe. Stacy liked me to basically wrap around her at night because of it.”
Eddie made a face because he really didn’t want to hear about the woman that Buck had dated for about a year. He’d been relieved when they’d broken up, and that made him feel gross.
Buck laughed.
“What?”
“You used to make that face at me on FaceTime whenever I mentioned Stacy,” Buck said in amusement. “Like me being some nice lady’s cougar experience was the worst thing you’d ever heard.”
Eddie groaned. “Buck.”
“Dude, do you have any idea how much ass an attractive ski instructor in Aspen can get?” Buck questioned and grinned when Eddie made a disgusted face at him. “But back to Shannon. She had this mental image of you—strong, manly, and very able. You came home injured and struggling, which wasn’t what she signed up for. It’s toxic but not uncommon.”
“And I became just another person she was going to have to take care of,” Eddie said quietly. “She never loved me.”
“What?” Buck questioned.
“She just never loved me,” Eddie said roughly and slid down on the bed to snuggle under the blankets. “I don’t know what she really wanted from me, but I’m clearly a disappointment to her.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you do love me,” Eddie murmured and shifted on the mattress as Buck laid down with him. “And you’ve not begrudged me a single moment of your care or concern. Even when I’ve been less than gracious about it, and I’m grateful.”
“Maybe she wanted a fantasy life with a man in uniform. If that was the case, the reality was never going to measure up.” Buck rolled over onto his back and stretched. “I’m super tired.”
“With no nagging intended, you should probably start working out more regularly, and I feel guilty that our whole deal is kind of getting in the way of that. Your stamina could be improved,” Eddie murmured.
“I agree,” Buck said. “At least about the working out and the stamina issue. A climbing wall shouldn’t have put a dent in my energy this way. But don’t feel guilty about it. We’ve had a few long months, and things were complicated. I did lose a bit of weight, actually, because I wasn’t working out every day, and my calorie intake took a corresponding nose dive. Bulking will help even me out on that front, and I’m certainly a cut above many already on the job at the 118.”
“Yeah?” Eddie questioned.
“I didn’t get a formal introduction because I got the feeling that Captain Nash wasn’t interested in having a conversation with his shift about the three new hires he has coming on board soon. But, I did lay eyes on most of the shift. They’re fit, but Thomas and I are going to be the strongest of the whole lot. And two appear to be close to retirement. Everyone is required to do an hour of PT during a shift, but that can just be cardio.”
“So, make sure that Thomas has all the skills you need him to have,” Eddie said. “You both deserve a solid partner. I want to watch your climb tomorrow.”
“So you can judge me?” Buck asked in amusement.
“Someone has to since your instructors kiss your ass,” Eddie said and grinned when Buck gaped at him. “Come here and make me feel safe.” He tugged him close even as Buck laughed.
Buck shifted him around into the little spoon position and pulled him back against his chest. “I’m sorry that Shannon was so stressful.”
“She’s been stressing me out for a while,” Eddie confessed before reaching out to turn out the lamp on the nightstand. “Did you set the security?”
“Yeah, of course,” Buck murmured against his neck. “And I’m never going to resent a single minute I give you and Christopher. Honestly, Eds, all of my time is yours to have.”
Eddie blinked back tears he couldn’t possibly explain and just breathed as he waited for sleep to claim him. Buck pulled him closer and pressed a hand against the center of his chest. It was so comforting that he trembled.
“I got you,” Buck murmured against his hair and relaxed into sleep.
* * * *
Buck treaded water in the deep end of the pool as he watched Christopher swim back and forth in front of him. The boy had taken to water like a fish, much to Buck’s relief. Eddie had taken some pictures early on in the morning, then after some reluctance, retreated to the studio. Buck figured they were going to have to work on that as his husband seemed to feel guilty about the desire to work on his project.
His phone started to chime. He snagged Chris as the boy swam close and went to the side of the pool where he’d left the device. Chris put both hands on the side of the pool as Buck picked up the phone. It was Bobby Nash, so that was a concern. He answered it.
“Hello?”
“Buck, this is Bobby Nash,” the man began. “I woke up to several calls from the LAPD this morning, and I’ve been asked to check in with you. Has Sonny Donaldson reached out to you or showed up at your house?”
“Showed up at my house?” Buck repeated. “Give me a second, sir.” He put the man on hold before getting a response and lifted Christopher out of the pool. “Stay right there, Superman.”
He handed the phone to his son.
“Okay, Papa,” Chris said easily, and Buck offered him a quick smile. The sudden transition from Buck to Papa had been such a sweet surprise that he’d nearly cried the first time it happened.
He leveraged out of the pool, picked Chris up, and headed for the studio. Buck opened the door, and Chris shuddered at the blast of cold air. “Sorry to interrupt. I need to have an adult convo on my phone.”
Eddie stood from the desk and walked to them. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Buck said tersely. “I forgot his crutches.”
“I’ll get them,” Eddie assured as he walked across the large room to go into the walk-in closet where they kept the pool supplies.
Buck exhaled slowly and pressed a kiss against Chris’ forehead as Eddie left the closet, shook out a towel, and took the boy. Christopher offered his phone. He unmuted the connection as he left the studio.
“My apologies, sir. I was in the pool with my son,” Buck said as he headed into the house. “I’m going to check security. How did he get my address?”
“Rumor has it that you are Dixon Mallory’s nephew. True?”
“Yes, sir,” Buck said and huffed. “So rumor also assumes I’m living in his house.”
“Yeah, kid, exactly that. Are you?”
“Yes, sir. It’s hard to turn down a house with no mortgage,” Buck said as he headed for the security room. He was never going to admit that the room was labeled a butler’s pantry on the house plans. “It has security. I can see…oh, you’re here.”
Bobby laughed. “Yeah, I am. I heard enough to be worried. This is Sergeant Athena Grant. She’d like to speak with you. She came over here to look for Sonny Donaldson on the off chance he was stupid enough to follow through with his threats.”
“Threats,” Buck repeated. “I’ll get the door.” He left the pantry just in time for Eddie to walk past him and casually toss a towel his way. “Thanks.”
“I’m going to get him showered,” Eddie said and inclined his head a little. “Adult conversations taking place in front of the security feed is a bit concerning.”
“I’m a bit concerned,” Buck confessed and grimaced as Christopher glanced between them. “It’ll be fine, Superman.”
“Okay,” Christopher said.
Eddie exhaled sharply as he walked away. He was clearly frustrated to not get information, but Buck figured he understood as neither of them wanted to worry or upset Christopher. He dried off haphazardly as he walked toward the door. He didn’t figure answering the door in a bathing suit was the best choice, but it probably wasn’t all that out of line in California.
He opened the door to his captain and a cop after taking a deep breath. The woman took off her sunglasses and quirked an eyebrow at him.
“I was giving my son a swimming lesson,” Buck said in defense, and she grinned.
“Sergeant Athena Grant, LAPD, this is Evan Buckley, recently of the LAFD. He’ll graduate the academy in three weeks and start working at the 118,” Bobby said as Buck motioned them to come in.
“It’s great to meet you, Sergeant. Can I get either of you something to drink? This morning we conquered the espresso machine and let YouTube talk us into making cold brew coffee as well.”
“I’ll take an iced coffee,” Athena said.
“Let’s head into the kitchen. My husband has our son in the back of the house, showering off the pool water. He’s four, and we’d rather he not hear about any of this.”
“Of course,” Bobby said easily. “If you want, I could pillage the place while you get dressed in some dry clothes.”
“That would be great,” Buck said quickly. “So, please make yourselves at home. There are some different flavored syrups in the cabinet.”
Athena Grant put her sunglasses down on the counter and scooted up onto a bar stool. “I’ll take caramel if they have it, Bobby.”
Buck hurried out of the kitchen, rubbing his head with the towel as he walked into the bedroom. He could hear the shower running and Christopher laughing on the baby monitor as he shimmied out of his trunks and tossed threw them in the laundry basket they used for wet or damp clothing. His skin felt gritty, so he hopped in the shower quickly to get most of the salt off. Then dried off again and dressed.
He returned to the kitchen in less than five minutes and found his guests seated at the counter, both with drinks. “Okay.” He stopped in front of the stove, which put him directly in front of them. “What kind of threats?”
“Sonny Donaldson blames you for everything going wrong in his life,” Bobby said. “The instructors at the academy were all interviewed this morning because one of them reported getting a death threat from him. His parents were also interviewed, and his mother revealed that Sonny had threatened to get rid of the obstacles in his life.”
“And I’m one of those obstacles,” Buck said.
“It’s a consideration,” Athena Grant said. “Right now, he’s facing charges for assault. The state of California sees the assault of a firefighter no differently than an assault on a police officer. In fact, most first responders fall under that penal code. His father was on duty, in uniform, and the DA’s office takes a hard line with that kind of thing. He’s facing a fine and at least a year in county jail if convicted. The law allows such a crime to be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony, but he’s escalating to death threats. Making a criminal threat could also be prosecuted as a felony.”
Buck retrieved a glass and got some water from the fridge door. “I don’t understand how we got here. I’ve barely spent five minutes in conversation with this boy. When I met him, I was already engaged to be married, and I made that clear. I was never available to him in any single way.”
“Well, for some, that’s a challenge,” Athena said. “You’re old enough to realize that some people are selfish and only concerned about what they want.”
Buck nodded. “Yeah.” He took a sip of water as she pulled out a notebook. “He’s not contacted me. I’ve never given him my information—phone number or address. Though he did offer to drive me home one day because Eddie had the truck.” He paused. “And I didn’t want to drive my uncle’s ridiculous SUV to the academy.” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s a Cadillac.”
Athena Grant laughed but then sobered. “I was sorry to hear of your uncle’s passing. I really enjoyed his work.”
“He was estranged from my mother, so I didn’t get to know him as well as I would like once I was an adult. My mother had always told my sister and me that he wanted nothing to do with us,” Buck said. “If it matters, his death was relatively peaceful, and he didn’t suffer.”
“It does matter,” Athena said. “Tell me about your interactions with Sonny Donaldson.”
“You should know up front that he’s a real bro,” Buck said seriously, and she grinned. “And he has zero game. I think that boils down to his looks, which are passable. My husband compared Sonny to a knock-off Ryan Gosling.”
Bobby snorted and raised a hand when Athena sent him a look. “Sorry. It’s just true.”
“He puts off an entitled vibe,” Buck continued when she focused on him. “It’s very disconcerting, and he seems the sort to get really bent when personally rejected. I did reject him very bluntly. He also asked me if my husband was marrying me for citizenship.” Athena raised an eyebrow. “Eddie is Mexican American and from El Paso.”
She laughed.
“Regardless, it was like he was deflecting the rejection so that it was someone else’s fault. I don’t think he should’ve qualified to attend the academy and that maybe his father should get a little ding for it.”
“Some say you’re getting a soft ride at the academy,” Athena said. “Because of your connection with Evan Wayne and your online following. One of the instructors at the academy implied the LAFD was looking for a poster boy, and you were going to be perfect for it.”
Buck shook his head. “I don’t know who is thinking that, but they’ll learn quickly enough that I don’t do that shit. I’ve turned down very lucrative endorsement deals in the past because I don’t allow myself to be bought.” He paused. “Captain Thomson said the poster boy stuff, right?” She raised an eyebrow. “He asked me how many Instagram followers I had when we met. I pretended I didn’t know.”
“How many do you have?” Bobby asked curiously.
Buck flushed and blew air out between his lips. “A little over two million.” He winced when the older man blinked in surprise. “Which isn’t a lot compared to people who are truly famous. I think the top account right now has close to half a billion followers.” He shrugged. “I don’t let it go to my head. I just did something that is kind of niche, and I worked in a popular resort town that saw over a million tourists yearly. It can cause a reputation to build, for good or bad. I’ve done some pretty interesting rescues in SAR in Colorado that got attention online because they looked reckless and crazy. That draws a crowd, and it isn’t always a good thing.”
“Do you think your online popularity is a factor in Sonny Donaldson’s pursuit of you?” Sergeant Grant questioned
“Yes,” Buck said. “Because we were in classes for weeks before he spoke to me, and it happened the day one of the instructors pointed out to the rest of the class that I’m a professional mountain climber. He made his overt interest clear pretty much immediately after that and followed me out to the parking lot to pursue the situation after I made it clear I was not remotely interested and never would be. He’s just not my type.”
Athena quirked an eyebrow. “What’s your type?”
Buck started to respond, but Eddie came into the kitchen at that point.
“Never mind,” she said wryly.
Buck laughed a little. “Eddie Diaz, this is Captain Bobby Nash and Sergeant Athena Grant.”
Eddie glanced between them and stepped forward to shake Bobby’s hand when it was offered. “Nice to meet you both.” Athena gave him a quick nod but stayed seated. He focused on Buck. “What?”
“She asked what my type was because of Sonny.’
“Oh, Buck is adamantly opposed to twinks and allergic to incompetence,” Eddie said and smiled when Athena laughed. “So that kid was never getting anywhere fast.”
“Where’s Christopher?” Buck questioned.
“Down for a nap of his own free will.”
“Did I let him swim too long?” Buck questioned. “Because he didn’t look tired.”
“No, but standing up for a shower was probably about his limit,” Eddie admitted. “So, I should’ve insisted on a bath. He just thinks that the shower is for big boys, and he wants to be grown already. And he pouted when I tried to run a bath for him.” He put the baby monitor down on the counter. “Can I stay for this, or should I go stare at my phone and pretend not to be worried that the two of you showed up at our house without warning, Sergeant Grant?”
“Stay,” she said. “I was telling Mr. Buckley that Sonny Donaldson has made some threats due to being dismissed from the academy, and the DA is pursuing charges regarding the assault of Captain Donaldson.”
Eddie shook his head. “Me and my old man have had our share of arguments, but I never came close to punching him in the face.”
“Apparently, Sonny blames me for his expulsion from the academy and considers me an obstacle to him getting a job at the LAFD,” Buck said.
“And his own behavior has nothing to do with it,” Eddie surmised.
“Does it ever?” Buck questioned and shrugged. “They’re here because it’s gotten around who my uncle was, and many assume I’m living in this house.”
Eddie put one hand on the counter and pressed his free hand against his thigh. Buck frowned and considered whether or not he should say something.
“Here, sit,” Bobby said firmly and slid off the stool he was on. There were four at the counter, but he didn’t sit back down.
Eddie flushed and sat down hesitantly. “I’ve noticed I tend to tense up when I’m irritated—it’s causing muscle cramps and pain.”
Bobby looked concerned, so Buck cleared his throat to refocus the man’s attention.
“We’re going to get another surgery on it. It’s why we needed private insurance—the VA doesn’t agree that it’s a problem.”
“Is that common for veterans?” Bobby questioned as he finally took a seat on the other side of Sergeant Grant.
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “Some get the bare minimum, and others get even less than that. I’m a little better off than most on that front because I push it and because of the chest candy.” He took a deep breath and rubbed his thigh.
“Chest candy?” Athena questioned.
“Just slang for service medals,” Eddie said. “I disabled out as rank of Staff Sergeant, so I had a few for various phases of my service, but the most important to some is the Silver Star. It’s not exceptionally rare and is awarded for a singular act of valor.” She nodded. “I’ve noticed that the staff at the VA who know about it are a little…more present. It’s not exactly something I find flattering as a result.”
“Well, it’s not insignificant either,” Buck said and smiled when Eddie made a face at him. “An excess of forty-one million Americans have served in our military, and less than 150,000 silver stars have been awarded since 1918. And less than 1,000 of those were awarded since 2001.” He shrugged when Eddie looked surprised. “I looked it up, Eds.” Buck checked his watch. “Christopher is going to wake up hungry.”
“I’ve just a few more details to clarify,” Athena said. “If you don’t mind.”
“No, it’s fine,” Buck said. “We just need to start figuring out dinner.”
“Let me help,” Bobby suggested.
“I shouldn’t,” Buck said. “Because you look the sort to take over, but you did lure me into working for you with cooking lessons. Eddie’s abuela stocked the kitchen with essentials, and I have the stuff to make chicken alfredo.”
Bobby hummed under his breath and went to the fridge. “Sounds good.”
Athena sent him a look that told him he was about to get worked like a dog and deserved it. “You’ll probably get a call from a detective if this situation escalates further, and you’ll want to make a report if there is any contact from him. Sonny Donaldson is a fool, so you’re probably tempted to dismiss him as a threat, Mr. Buckley….”
He raised a hand in a gesture of peace. “I won’t, and please call me Buck. I don’t play games on the issues of safety, and I have no ego attached to the idea of asking for help.”
She nodded. “Have you had any interaction with Sonny Donaldson outside of the academy?”
“No, and he mostly avoided me when we had the joint training sessions recently. I was surprised but relieved,” Buck said. “But now I see it’s a reaction to his building resentment, which isn’t good, right?”
“It rarely is in situations like this,” Athena agreed. “Have you ever had anyone do this before? And how did it work out?”
Buck frowned a little and pulled a knife out of the drawer when Bobby put an onion down on the cutting board in front of him. “I worked in Aspen as a ski instructor.”
“Of course you did,” Athena said dryly, and Eddie laughed.
“There was this guy—not interested in me on a personal level—but very competitive on a professional level. The high-octane sort that thought snowboarding off a cliff was a life goal rather than an immense life risk.” He cut the ends of the onion, peeled it, and sliced it in half. “He tried to bait me into weird competitions and got increasingly irritated by my lack of interest.”
“That Reilly guy, right?” Eddie said.
“Yeah, he was a lot,” Buck muttered as he diced the onion.
“Nice knife work,” Bobby said.
“YouTube taught me,” Buck confessed and grinned when the older man laughed. “As to Scott Reilly, it got weirder and weirder as I wasn’t engaging, and he couldn’t win if I didn’t play. So, finally, I got super frustrated with him and threatened to file a restraining order. He showed up at the house where I was living and got a face full of Evan Wayne.” He paused. “And Evan Wayne’s shotgun. That was the last time I saw that guy.”
Bobby huffed. “It’d have been the last time you saw me, too.”
Buck agreed, so he nodded and focused on the cutting board. “There was also an incident with a girl in high school. She kind of stalked me around town, claimed I got her pregnant, and tried to make me marry her at sixteen despite the fact that I’d never actually had sex with her. Her parents eventually came to know she wasn’t pregnant at all, and she was put in treatment for a host of mental issues. I haven’t heard anything about her in about ten years. Though her father did send me an apology email, which I kept for record keeping.
“All that to say, I’ve never had any sort of violent contact with another human being at all. No fighting in school, not even a shoving match in a bar.”
“I wouldn’t pick a fight with you,” Bobby muttered.
“My size can be a deterrent,” Buck agreed. “But sometimes I think other men see it as a challenge.”
“In some fashion or another,” Eddie said, and Athena laughed.
“Has Sonny Donaldson contacted you on social media?” Athena questioned.
“I don’t accept DMs from anyone on any of social media accounts,” Buck said. “If he’s using his real name, I can check to see if he’s following me.”
“Following you online wouldn’t be actionable, but it could be used to establish a pattern at a later date,” Athena said and pulled out her phone. She checked it. “The DA is pressing misdemeanor charges, so he’ll be arrested shortly. Bail will be granted because of his age and the first-time offense. His father has already made it clear he won’t support a case against his son. But Sonny Donaldson will be dealing with the ramifications of the fight with his father for a while. It’s a first offense, so he’ll probably pay a fine and get community service.”
She put her phone away with a frown. “But keep an eye out, and if he comes near this house, let me know. There’s no reason for him to be in this neighborhood.” She pulled out a business card. “This has my work and private cell. I live three blocks over from here, so if there are any issues, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose when you’re not on duty, Sergeant Grant,” Buck said.
“First responders take care of each other,” Athena said. “And please call me Athena.” She slid off the stool. “I’ll be in touch, Bobby.”
Bobby nodded. “Thanks for the time, Athena.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Eddie said and left the stool. He sent Buck a look when he started to protest. “I can handle it.”
Buck frowned as they left the kitchen. “He’s so stubborn.”
Bobby laughed.
“Stay for dinner?” Buck questioned.
“Sure, my kids have plans that don’t involve me,” Bobby said easily. “Robbie is at a friend’s for the weekend, and Brooke has a Girl Scout camping trip.”
“Gah, I don’t look forward to Christopher having plans that don’t involve us,” Buck muttered. “It’s bad enough he does stuff with Abuela, and neither of them invites us.”
“They grow up fast,” Bobby said. “Do you normally put garlic in this, or is that too much for your son?”
“We’ve not used fresh garlic in anything he eats yet,” Buck said. “His grandmother does, but I’m worried about burning it and don’t buy it fresh. He seems to respond very strongly to bitter foods, and with his CP, we have to watch his stomach, which can be sensitive to rich foods.”
“Explains the lack of cream,” Bobby said and nodded. “Okay, powdered garlic is fine and should be added to the sauce early to ensure it is absorbed.”
“So you and Sergeant Grant seem friendly.”
“Oh, God, not you, too. You’ve barely gotten hired.”
Buck laughed. “What?”
“Half the shift is invested in my love life,” Bobby muttered. “Athena is married, and I’ve not dated in a while. My kids hated the last woman I tried to have a relationship with.”
“Well, kids are a great judge of character,” Eddie said as he returned. “How old?”
“Brook is nine, and Robbie is eleven,” Bobby said and pulled out his phone.
Buck put the onion in the skillet as Bobby offered Eddie some pictures and went to wash the knife. He wondered if the captain was going to mention the boneless chicken thighs he’d bought for the pasta. He’d grilled extra chicken the day before for it because they’d had poor results with chicken breasts.
He retrieved the chicken thighs and diced it easier for Christopher to handle.
“Are you using a short pasta for your son?” Bobby questioned as Eddie returned.
“Yeah, he’s fond of gemelli,” Buck said. “We…had a big mess the one and only time we tried to feed him fettuccine noodles.” He pulled the box of dried pasta from the pantry.
Eddie laughed as he browsed the pictures. “But he tried his little heart out. Beautiful kids.”
“Thanks, I don’t look forward to puberty. I couldn’t get either of my kids to get pasta on a fork properly until they were well past seven years old,” Bobby said. “And they still prefer penne or shells on any given day.” He turned to Buck. “Did you buy a jar of sauce?”
Buck shook his head. “The first time we ever did it—I used a food kit from an organic market in El Paso. It taught us how to make the sauce from scratch.”
“Great—that’s perfect. I think meal kits are probably the best thing to happen lately when it comes to cooking at home.”
A half-hour later, Christopher was up and ready to eat. They’d heard him get up on the baby monitor, which the captain had eyed several times as they cooked.
“Why the monitor?” Bobby questioned as Eddie left the kitchen.
“He’s four and transitioned from a gait trainer about twelve months ago,” Buck said. “His mobility is better but not perfect, so keeping an ear on him when we’re not in the same room is important. We’re not trying to be helicopter parents or anything.”
Bobby nodded as Christopher came into the kitchen. Eddie was trailing behind him with a small smile on his lips. Buck wondered if they’d had a conversation about their guest. Eddie quickly situated their son at the table in his booster seat.
“Christopher, this is Captain Nash. He’s going to be Buck’s boss at the fire department.”
“Thomas and Sae, too?” Christopher questioned. “Hi, Captain Nash.”
Buck watched his captain fall prey to the cuteness of his kid.
“Hello Christopher—I’ve heard good things about you.”
Christopher nodded. “I’m pretty great.”
Eddie laughed. “We’re really relieved by his healthy self-esteem.”
Their son laughed, and Buck sighed.
Bobby Nash proved to be very good with a hungry four-year-old, and Buck was relieved by how well Christopher took to Bobby. The meal was relaxed, and somehow the alfredo sauce that Bobby had walked him through creating was better than the one he’d been making on his own.
Eddie hadn’t been distracted by their guest, which was unfortunate. He was clearly agitated and on alert in a way that Buck hadn’t seen since they’d left El Paso. It made it clear to him just how stressful Helena Diaz had been for her own son, and that made Buck realize that there was never going to be a genuine reconciliation between mother and son. He was ashamed of how relieved he was, but he didn’t trust Helena with his family’s emotional well-being.
After dinner, Bobby not so casually quizzed them about the security and suggested that they consider locking the front gate. Buck felt kind of ridiculous for it but agreed. But Eddie followed the older man out and took care of it. When he returned, he seemed a little more relaxed, so Buck resolved not to complain about having to locate the gate remotes for the truck and Jeep. The SUV already had one clipped to the driver’s visor.
Buck was lingering in the security closet when Eddie returned from seeing Bobby Nash off.
“You made a great choice on the captain front,” Eddie said.
Buck focused on his husband. “He’s personable, and Christopher seemed to like him a lot.”
“Yeah, but that’s not what I meant,” Eddie said and leaned on the counter next to Buck so he could stare at the cameras, too. “A good leader takes care of his people, and he showed up here on his day off to check on you. Neither one of us would’ve raised an eyebrow if only Sergeant Grant showed up.”
“True,” Buck said and nodded. “It was nice, though.”
“Yeah, and I’m looking forward to him expanding our meal options,” Eddie said wryly, and Buck laughed. “I like him and the care he takes with his people. It makes me feel better about you working such a dangerous job.”
“Well, statistically speaking, my position wouldn’t make the top ten of most dangerous jobs. Bobby’s is more dangerous, and he’s more likely to die at a traffic accident than on any other kind of call.”
Eddie nodded. “Then you’ll keep an eye on him in those circumstances.”
“Yeah, of course,” Buck said and stretched. “I’m considering a run.”
“On the treadmill?” Eddie questioned, and Buck made a face. “I get the desire to get outside for that kind of thing when you can, but it would be….” He huffed and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Stressful for you?”
“My stress levels shouldn’t be an issue,” Eddie muttered. “And you shouldn’t curb your own behavior around my PTSD.”
“In this particular circumstance, Eddie, you aren’t wrong to be concerned. We have no idea what that little asshole is capable of. I’ll use the treadmill. Of course, this means you’re on story duty again, and he’s pretty intent on the whole Harry Potter thing right now.”
“I can handle it,” Eddie muttered. “But, if we could pick something else up to distract him, that would be great. Let’s try the library tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Buck said. “It’ll be a good reward trip after PT.” He glanced over the three little monitors. “Maybe we need to sell this house.”
“I think it would be…upsetting for Christopher.”
“Yeah,” Buck agreed and huffed a little. “Between my sister and your mother, he’s very concerned about not having anywhere to live. It’s frustrating as fuck, Eddie.”
“Yeah,” Eddie said and frowned. “Maybe in a year? We could work him around to the idea of looking for a new house. But we told him that this was our house and no one could make us leave it.”
“Yeah, that was pretty rash of us,” Buck said wryly.
“Well, he cried,” Eddie muttered and looked at his shoe. “I hate to see him cry, and he doesn’t do it often. Christopher has to actually get really upset or feel horrible to cry.”
“True, but he’s learning that whole pouting thing quickly.” He made a face. “Does this mean that one of us has to be the bad guy?”
“No,” Eddie said. “I’ve been reading a book on gentle parenting. I’ll send it to you because I think Christopher will respond best to it because it focuses on respect and boundaries. Did your parents spank you?”
“My mother did several times,” Buck said. “Nothing extreme, and that’s saying something considering how much she clearly never wanted me. My father ignored me when I misbehaved and would often tell me that I was an immense disappointment to him. What about yours?”
“Physical discipline was rare,” Eddie admitted. “My mother couldn’t be bothered, and Pop seemed to realize he couldn’t trust himself to do such a thing to his kids when he was drunk. Once at the garage, I went out into the bays without permission, and one of the mechanics was moving a car in for service. He nearly hit me. My father jerked me up by the arm and smacked my ass. I think, looking back on it, he was petrified I could’ve died. One of his other mechanics barely managed to get me out of the way of that car. It would’ve certainly killed me. I was about Christopher’s age at the time.”
Buck exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I can get that kind of reaction from a parent. But nothing else?”
“No,” Eddie said. “Which I admit was rare—nearly all the kids I went to school with were petrified of getting punished at home if they behaved badly. In the third grade, there was this girl that would come to school with welts on her legs. It’s obvious to me now that she was getting whipped with a belt. I told the teacher, and she told me to mind my own business. So, I went home and told my mom because I figured everything was her business.”
“What happened?” Buck asked curiously.
“My mother joined the PTA and shamed the shit out of the girl’s parents and called them uncivilized monsters to their faces. She also eviscerated one teacher after another over it. I have to think it made that kid’s life worse, at least in the short term, but she ended up in foster care the next year. My mom likes to tell everyone she saved that little girl from her abusive parents.”
Buck nodded thoughtfully. “So even at eight, you knew how to deploy the best possible weapon in your life to your advantage.”
Eddie laughed reluctantly and bumped his shoulder against Buck’s. “Go get your run in. I’ll settle Christopher in for the night.”
Part 5
Christopher was enthralled with the climbing walls but not on board with participating with the other children, which surprised Eddie but not Buck. He’d had a lot of students in Aspen who’d been anxious about participating in classes and activities with their peers for fear of being made fun of. Fortunately, there were four walls for children, and only two were being used by the class.
“Okay,” Buck said and put one hand on Christopher’s back. “We’re going to have two ropes on you—one from the top and another that your dad is going to use to handle your belay.”
“What does that do?” Christopher questioned.
“A belay provides tension on a rope to prevent a fall,” Buck said. “This wall isn’t very tall, so even if you fell from the top onto the cushions, you’d just be sore afterward. The rope from the top is controlled by an auto-belay that uses magnets to manage the rope. You barely weigh enough to activate it. If you were just on that rope and you fell, it would catch you and lower you slowly to the ground. When we get to the top, I’ll activate it so it will unravel the rope while your dad lowers you to the ground.”
Christopher bounced a little on the floor that was covered with thick crash mats. “It seems kind of bouncy.”
“They’re made to cushion the fall of an adult, so you’re going to get a real soft landing at your weight, Mijo,” Eddie said. “But we won’t let you fall.”
“Should I learn how to fall?” Christopher questioned as he braced himself on the wall. “The other kids are.”
“You should absolutely learn how to fall,” Buck agreed. “But the lesson they’re getting is kind of…generic. The instructors have to teach a method that works for everyone. We’ll have some specific lessons. But for now, a few things—if you fall, keep your hands off the rope to prevent hurting your hands, try to push away from the wall so you don’t hit any protrusions or handholds, turn your face away from the impact, and don’t hold your breath.”
Christopher nodded. “Okay.”
“In this situation, you aren’t going to fall, so you have nothing to worry about. Your dad is going to keep a lot of tension on your rope since this is your first time. If something gets uncomfortable, tell us immediately. It’s okay to push your body. It’s never okay to hurt your body. Remember?”
“Sometimes I’m sore after physical therapy. Isn’t that hurting my body?”
“No, PT helps your body, and being sore isn’t the same as being in pain,” Buck said. “As you work muscles and joints, you’re going to be sore as your body adjusts to the activity. You have a lot of upper body strength for your size and age due to using crutches.”
“Which color should I use again?” Christopher questioned as he looked up at the wall, which was a vertical slab.
“Green,” Buck said. “Pick your handhold and set your foot. Let’s start with your right foot.”
“It’s my stronger leg,” Christopher said.
“Yeah, that’s the point,” Buck agreed. “Now, don’t tense up as you lift up off the floor, and keep your knees bent in a way that is comfortable to you. You don’t want your body pressed straight against the wall—it’ll make it hard to maintain your balance.”
Christopher lifted off the floor easily, and Buck exchanged a look with Eddie, who gave him a nod.
“Okay,” Christopher said quietly. “Which green one next?”
“You tell me,” Buck said. “Review your options and pick the one that feels the safest.”
“Safest?”
“Always make the best, safest choice you can make for yourself in a situation like this,” Buck said. “Minimizing your risk makes it easier to enjoy yourself.”
Eddie kept a firm grip on the rope and watched silently as Buck took their son up the wall that was just shy of six feet. Frankly, Christopher looked tiny on the wall, but it didn’t feel unsafe.
“Excuse me?”
Eddie looked to his left briefly and found a couple and a child around Christopher’s age standing near him. “Hi?”
The man cleared his throat. “Please don’t let us distract you. We didn’t know they offered individual lessons here. How much are they charging, if you don’t mind answering? Cassie does better with one-on-one instruction.”
“Oh.” Eddie smiled. “This isn’t a class. My husband is a professional climber. We’re trying out different physical activities with approval from our son’s physical therapist. The fitter he is, the better his next surgery will go.”
“Does he teach for a living?” The woman asked. “Sorry, I’m Sarah Gentry, and this is my husband Victor and daughter Cassie.” Eddie glanced toward them again. The little girl was leaning on her mother. “She’s deaf.”
“I’m Eddie Diaz. Christopher has cerebral palsy,” Eddie said. “Was the big class too much for her? You might ask the owner if he has instructors that will take on individual clients.” He paused. “Buck’s a firefighter.” He focused on the wall and found that Buck had chosen to grab a couple of handholds and was demonstrating to Christopher how to properly hang. “And a big kid.”
The small family moved closer and into his field of vision, but he appreciated that they didn’t get in between him and the wall. The little girl was staring at him intently.
“She’s learning to read lips?”
“Yes,” Victor said and looked over at Buck again. “He’s a very good teacher. A lot of people don’t have the patience to teach children.”
“We like to focus on providing options rather than focusing on limits,” Eddie said. “It helps.”
Christopher reached the top at that point. “Daddy! I made it to the top!”
“Great job, Mijo,” Eddie said. “You ready to come down?”
“Yep.”
“Okay,” Buck said as he pulled firmly on the top rope, and the magnets on the auto-belay engaged. “Remember to push a bit from the wall, and your dad will lower you to the ground.”
Christopher, ever confident, let go with a little push and giggled all the way to the floor. Eddie grinned and found that the family watching them was also smiling. They took him off the rope for a little break but kept the harness on because they’d promised him at least two climbs before Buck had to meet Thomas and Sae.
“Hi,” Buck said as he set Christopher up with his crutches. “Making friends, Eds?”
“I can be personable, Buck.”
Buck nodded. “Sure.” He grinned when Victor laughed.
“This is Sarah, Victor, and Cassie Gentry. My husband, Buck, and our son Christopher.”
Cassie signed something that Eddie wished he understood. He started to ask for a translation from her parents, but both adults had been focused on Buck.
“Oh.” Christopher gave his crutches back to Buck, leaned heavily on his leg, and responded with several slow gestures. “Hi, I’m Christopher. I’ll be five next month.”
“You know sign language, Chris?” Buck asked in surprise.
“A little,” Christopher said, and he continued to make gestures as he spoke. “Jackson at preschool didn’t talk with his mouth, so we learned enough to help him play. I’m not very good at it since I have to have my crutches.”
“You did really well,” Sarah said with a bright smile. “It was nice of you to learn so you could include your friend in your play.” She turned to Eddie. “What preschool are you using? Ours is not that focused on accommodating anyone.”
“Oh, it was in El Paso,” Eddie said. “But you know facilities are required to provide reasonable accommodations for the disabled.”
“Some people’s version of reasonable accommodations isn’t so reasonable,” Victor said and picked his little girl up when she yawned widely. “We got a referral here from the surfing class we tried. She was not…interested.”
Eddie laughed. “At least she was decisive.”
“Is there a problem?”
Eddie turned and found the owner of the facility approaching with a frown in place. “No, the Gentrys were hoping that Christopher was in an individual class and wanted information about it.”
“Oh,” Eli Hobbs said with a nod. “We can do that, of course. I have several instructors who take private clients, and Lena works with a lot of children. Plus, she’s fluent in ASL.” He focused on the Gentrys. “I can get you a card. Her rates are very reasonable for children.”
“And for adults?” Eddie asked curiously.
“She sometimes adds a bad behavior tax for adults,” Eli said with a grin, and Buck laughed. “If you folks are ready, we can go to my office and get that information.”
“Yes, of course,” Victor said as he adjusted his daughter, who had drifted right off to sleep. “Sarah?”
She glanced between them and focused on Eli Hobbs with a frown. “Were you worried that we were being inappropriate because they’re gay?”
Eli laughed abruptly. “No, ma’am. I was worried that you’d recognized Mr. Buckley. I promised him and his family when they signed up this morning that I wouldn’t allow any inappropriate attention.”
“Are you famous?” Sarah questioned even as her husband cleared his throat loudly.
“No, ma’am, not at all,” Buck assured. “I’m known in some circles—professional climbing circles. Eli knows that there are certain individuals who’d like to corner me and talk my ear off. Or, alternatively, demand training from me.”
“Thank all three of you for your time,” Victor said and gently guided his family in Eli Hobbs’ direction. “Come on, sweetheart, we should let them get back to their climbing.”
“What did he do to get well known, Mr. Hobbs?” Sarah asked as they walked away with a little wave in their direction.
“Ah, well, he climbed a few famous mountains,” Hobbs said wryly.
Eddie focused on Christopher, who was eyeing the wall. “You ready to go again, Mijo?”
“Yep,” Christopher said cheerfully. “We should learn sign language for real. I bet there are lessons on YouTube.”
“Agreed,” Buck said easily. “It would be a great skill to learn.”
Eddie nodded his agreement. “We’ll see what’s available and maybe get a book or something.”
“Cool.”
* * * *
Eddie shuddered and spread his legs further as Buck licked up the length of his cock. He’d been thinking about arousal and his own journey with it for days. It was hard to concentrate in their more passionate moments, and he certainly didn’t want to treat any of it like an experiment, but it was hard to forget the conversation they’d had about his sexuality.
He trembled and groaned softly when Evan pressed slick fingers against his asshole. They’d discussed it when they’d been getting ready for bed, and if his husband had been surprised by the request or his interest, he hadn’t let on. A single finger pressed inside, and Eddie could help but push down into the penetration with a soft, shocked sound.
“Okay?” Buck questioned.
“Yeah,” Eddie answered immediately and exhaled loudly. “Christ.”
Buck hummed under his breath. “Let me know if it gets weird for you.”
“Weird?”
“Like….” Buck pressed in, and the moment his fingers glanced over his prostate, Eddie’s vision blurred. “Good or too much?”
“I…fuck,” Eddie threw his arm over his face and took a deep breath. “I’m so totally gay.”
Buck laughed and scooted up the bed as he rearranged their bodies. Eddie was relieved that Buck managed to do the whole maneuver without removing his fingers. He urged one of Eddie’s legs over his body, spreading him wide open. Eddie felt exposed but also relieved by the way Buck’s body was pressed against his own.
“I’m going to add another finger.”
“Please.” Eddie shuddered because he’d never thought being fingered would be such a turnon. He’d tried it himself more than once, and it hadn’t done much for him. Clearly, he’d been doing it wrong. “It’s fantastic.”
Eddie fisted one hand in the towel they had on the bed under them. It was so good that he was kind of jealous, and that was weird. He’d clearly been missing out for years. His cock was hard and leaking on his thigh. Part of him was tempted to jerk off, but he knew he really didn’t need the extra stimulation to come as he was already super close.
“You’re gorgeous,” Buck murmured against his shoulder as he slid his fingers out and returned with a third.
The stretch and fullness was nearly enough to send Eddie right over the edge. “Dios, Evan.” He arched against him. “You gotta fuck me.”
“You sure?” Buck questioned.
“Yes.”
Buck pulled his fingers free, and Eddie took a deep breath as he heard the lube open. “It’ll be easier from behind. You cool with that?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “Like this?”
“Sure,” Buck murmured and kissed his shoulder. He shifted Eddie’s leg off of his own body and forward a bit. “I apologize in advance if I don’t last long. I’m stupidly turned on.”
Eddie laughed. “Me, too.”
Buck pushed into him slowly. It was overwhelming and perfect. Eddie braced one hand on the mattress and arched into the penetration with a groan.
“Good?” Buck questioned.
“Hell yes,” Eddie said hoarsely.
Buck pulled him close, tight against his chest, and started to grind into him with short thrusts. It was hot, intimate, and felt so loving that it took Eddie’s breath. It was all slick, sweet pleasure, which surprised Eddie as he’d expected a little discomfort. Buck had clearly prepared him far more than he’d realized.
“Do you need my hand?” Buck asked against his shoulder.
“No,” Eddie confessed. “But I want it.”
Buck wrapped a hand around Eddie’s aching cock without a word as he continued to grind into Eddie’s ass. “Come for me, please.”
Eddie gave into the plea and groaned as he relaxed into one of the most intense orgasms he’d ever had. The prostate stimulation was almost harsh as Buck pressed into one final time and moaned softly against his shoulder. Eddie’s breath hitched, and Buck’s hold tightened on him.
“Eds?”
“I….” Eddie turned his face into the pillow and shuddered as Buck pulled gently from his body.
“Hey, babe, talk to me. Are you okay?” Buck’s hands were hesitant as he touched him, and Eddie hated that.
“I just need a lot of fucking therapy,” Eddie said roughly and turned on his back to face his husband. “I think I pursued women to prove to myself that I wasn’t fucked up over what Margery tried to do.” He watched Buck nod. “You suspected that?”
“It makes sense, in a way,” Buck said and let a hand rest on Eddie’s chest. “But you told yourself it was just to prove to Gabriel that you could have what he pretended to want to please his family. Teenagers aren’t the most rational of people.”
Eddie laughed reluctantly and took a deep breath. “I’m more fucked up than I ever thought I was.”
“Well, everyone is,” Buck said reasonably. “Let’s take a shower.” He wet his lips. “Because I got you filthy.”
“You did,” Eddie agreed with an amused grin. “It was great.” He caught Buck’s hand. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“You’re just everything I want, and it’s relieving to know that I can tell you what I’m thinking and wanting without being judged for it. You might not realize this, Evan, but you’re practically a unicorn on the relationship front.”
Buck laughed and flushed. “Shut up.”
“Seriously, I knew a lot of guys in the Army that had outrageously judgmental partners who would flip their shit over little to nothing. Shannon couldn’t tolerate a single bit of emotional discontent or trauma from me in any circumstance. I had to be in control at all times, and when I wasn’t—I was the problem.”
“Judgment comes from a place of superiority,” Buck said quietly. “And I don’t believe myself superior to anyone decent.”
“Anyone decent?”
“Well, I think I’m superior to anyone that would prey on someone weaker than them. You know?”
“Yeah, I get it.” Eddie let himself be pulled from the bed then and gamely followed his husband into the bathroom. “And for the record, you’re a superior fuck.”
Buck laughed. “Eds.”
“Seriously—you’re great in bed, and I’m kind of weirdly jealous over all the people you slept with who didn’t deserve your time as much as I do.” He grinned when Buck prodded him into the shower stall and started the water.
Eddie yelped as the cold water hit them. “You asshole!”
“Just getting your ego in check,” Buck said in amusement and laughed when Eddie pulled him into a hug under the water that was warming up. “I really love you.”
“I really love you back,” Eddie murmured and kissed him. “I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you, Evan. Even if I had managed to survive that fall—my life would be so different without you. I can’t even imagine it.”
“Oh, I think we were always going to meet,” Buck said as he settled his hands on Eddie’s hips. “If not in Colorado, then it would’ve been another day, another moment in the time we share. I think sometimes we’re meant to meet people in the most difficult moments of their lives, and other times it’s the quiet, mundane moments that change everything around us.”
“Yeah,” Eddie said and let himself rest on the cool tile. “Would you change anything?”
“I wish you hadn’t gotten shot,” Buck said quietly. “But everything that happened brought us here, and this moment is perfect, Eddie.”
Eddie pulled him closer still and buried his face against Buck’s neck. “Yeah.”
“And, of course, you’re going to get so much therapy.”
He huffed like it was a problem, and Buck just laughed. He was so relieved by Buck’s easy acceptance.
Eddie had never felt safer in his life.
The End
Good story
I love the way you write the love between them. It feels incredible.
Thank you
I’m on my third full read of this series… yeah, you’ve given me another addiction and I’m not in the least bit guilty about it. No guilt, just pure, unadulterated PLEASURE!!! <3
Buck’s support of Eddie makes my heart melt and the scene teaching Chris to climb was adorable!