“What do you mean?” Kay asked.
“On stage, you’re all rockstar. Playing to the crowd. But off stage, you’re…well, not shy, but more reserved. And you let Donny take the lead a lot.”
“Uh, guess I do. I was the lead singer, but it was too much for me. I’m more introverted. I love music, and don’t get me wrong, I love performing, but on those huge stages, I’d rather be the guitarist. I think that’s similar to the rest of my life.”
“Mostly,” Donny chimed in. “Except in the studio and writing songs. It’s like he saves up his leadership for what really matters.And he’s easy, ready to go along the rest of the time. He needs to be a little and let go of control. That’s why I’m glad you’re here, Saxon. I don’t want to be leader out of the office. I’m not like only a lawyer; I’m running the business. It’s stressful. When I’m home, I want to forget about the stress of the job and play.”
“Hmm…I think I understand more.”
Donny snuggled in, but Kay sat up and looked at me. “What about you? Why are you a daddy? What are you like at work?”
“I have a very strong caretaker personality. I love helping people.”
“That’s why you’re a firefighter?”
“Mostly. I tried college, but it wasn’t for me. I thought I might be a doctor or something, but it was too much. When my friend’s brother, Colten, wanted to join the LAFD, I tagged along to see what it was about. The next thing I know, I’m applying.”
“How do you become a firefighter?” Donny mumbled the question into my chest, and I squeezed him a little.
“If you’re accepted, you have to go to fire academy. Then you’re a rookie for about a year. That’s like being on probation. A lot of people don’t make it through the academy. It’s a lot of physical training, but I loved that. I was always athletic, and the academy got me into super shape.”
Kay rubbed his hand along my abs and up my chest. “I like your shape. Thanks, Academy!”
It wasn’t usually Kay who made the jokes. He was obviously becoming more comfortable with me, and it warmed my heart.
The TV was on, but the volume was low, and we talked a little more until Donny started snoring, and Kay’s eyes were drooping. “Why don’t we go to bed?”
“Yeah. Tired.” Kay rubbed his eyes. “Come on, Donny.” He shook Donny’s shoulders.
He got up and stretched. Then they padded off to the bedroom, while I shut everything off and made sure the doors were locked.The boys were cute with oversized shirts and ankle socks. I imagined them wearing my shirts for jammies instead.
I crawled into bed, Donny moving me to the center, and we all wrapped up together with arms and legs entwined. With them being warm and cozy, it didn’t take long to doze off.
Chapter sixteen
Kay
We needed to finish the room, and I was afraid it would take all of our time, but Saxon wanted to do it while he was here. At least the basics. Finish painting and set up the furniture. I didn’t have a lot of toys yet anyway. But I needed a home for my Barbies and the few trucks and LEGOs that I did have.
Also, it was Christmas Eve, and I didn’t have a tree. We decided to divide and conquer, with Donny getting a tree and some decorations while Saxon stayed with me to work on the room. I hadn’t planned on doing the molding, but I wasn’t about to tell him not to. We worked efficiently to roll out the room and get all the trim, including the molding, painted before Donny got back.
“We need a lunch break,” Saxon declared. Since breakfast was nothing but coffee, I was inclined to agree.
“Fuck me. No food. I need to put in an order.” I grabbed my phone.
“We can go to the store.”
I shook my head. “This will be faster. I don’t want to spend time shopping on Christmas Eve.”
Donny walked in and dropped the tree box in the living room. “I have more stuff outside, too. Where are we going to set it up?”
I stopped and looked around the space. It was essentially a shotgun-style layout, but with the kitchen and bedrooms situated to the sides. It made the living room a little smaller. There wasn’t much room to shove in a big tree.
Saxon put his hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the door. “How about right there in the window?”
There was actually a small space there in the foyer. The door was to the left and a big window to the right, which was why I’d bought this place. It let in great natural light. I’d put a guitar in a stand in that corner next to a stool. Sometimes, I liked to play there in the mornings when the sun streamed in through the window. “I can move my guitar…”
Donny walked into the foyer and turned in a circle. “This will work. We can bring in the footstool from the living room, too. It’ll make it look more inviting.”
