“Yeah, but Mama’s mad cause she’s got luggage under her eyes and it’s all Delilah’s fault.”
Robby and Calder laughed. “Are you sure she didn’t say bags under her eyes?”
“How am I supposed to know?” he asked before darting off as quickly as he’d arrived.
Once Calder and Robby bought the farm, they set about changing everything. They’d leveled the old buildings and built two rather enormous houses on the property. One for Rebecca and her librarian friend, Beau, who they learned was much more than just her friend when she’d shown up with tears in her eyes, a huge smile on her face, and a white stick with a pink plus sign in her hand. Delilah was born just in time to settle nicely into Beau and Rebecca’s new house.
Rebecca breezed into the room, looking fresh as a daisy, without so much as a smudge beneath her eyes, Delilah on her hip. “How do I look?” she asked, spinning in a dress that wrapped around her middle and hid her slight postpartum bump.
“Gorgeous, as always,” Calder said, giving her a huge grin.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Don’t forget to trim your beard. We have that interview with the papers before church service, and nobody’s goin’ to trust any of us with their children if you look like some beatnik ragamuffin artist.”
“But I am a beatnik ragamuffin artist,” Calder said.
She gave a put-upon sigh. “I can’t with you two today. Save all this lovey-dovey stuff for tonight when we don’t have a million things to do. Everybody’s at the breakfast table already, and we have to leave in forty-five minutes.”
Calder captured Robby’s mouth in a kiss. “Your sister is awfully bossy.”
“She’s always been bossy, but at least now, she’s using her powers for good instead of evil.”
Calder narrowed his gaze. “Is she, though?”
Robby slapped Calder’s arm playfully. “Yes. Now, get up, sexy. We need to go eat breakfast.”
Robby stood, but Calder snatched him once more, this time bringing him down to straddle his thighs. “How can I eat breakfast when the only thing I’m hungry for is right here?”
Robby flushed to the tips of his ears. How did this man still get to him over the simplest of compliments. He prayed he never tired of hearing Calder say things like that. He leaned in, nuzzling his nose against Calder’s throat, kissing his way to his ear. “Didn’t you get enough this morning? My sister isn’t the only one with bags under her eyes. I could open my own luggage store with these babies.” He pointed towards his eyes.
“I’m twice your age. I should be the tired one, trying to keep up with you and your twenty-two-year-old recovery time.”
“Hey, I’m not the one who wanted to have sex in the shower this morning.”
Calder growled against Robby’s cheek. “No, but you were the one begging me to fuck you up against the wall last night. Do you know how much effort that takes at my age?” Calder joked, gripping Robby’s ass and dragging him closer so he could feel Calder’s semi-hard length against him.
Robby whined but then forced himself to shake his head. “No. Nope. We are not doing this. You are not going to make me horny right before I have to give a graded sermon in front of an entire congregation.”
“That’s what the pulpit is for. Besides, you’re the one who decided to become a preacher. It’s not my fault I can’t keep my hands off you. Besides, we’re married. Even Jesus approves.”
Robby scoffed. “My sister is right. You are ridiculous. Jesus does not approve of church boners.”
Calder pouted. “You’re no fun.”
“Oh, my God, will you two get in here and eat your breakfast? You have the rest of your lives for whatever it is y’all are doin’ in there,” Rebecca shouted from the kitchen.
Robby sighed. “To be continued.”
Calder stood with Robby still in his lap before gently setting him on his feet.
By the time they made it to the table, they had no choice but to scarf down breakfast as the camera crew had already arrived to begin setting up outside. Robby had butterflies in his stomach as he watched Calder and Rebecca go through hair and makeup, and Rebecca bitched the entire time about how Calder had not, in fact, trimmed his beard.
Once they were mic’d, the reporter began the interview. Robby didn’t participate. That part of his life was over. Calder and Rebecca could be the public face of the foundation—Robby was content to put in the work behind the scenes. He had no interest in spotlights anymore.
Once the pleasantries were over, the reporter began questioning them about the real reason for the interview. “Tell us the purpose of the buildings behind us,” she prompted.
Rebecca pointed to the white wooden signs with their tidy raised letters. “That’s Jennifer’s Place, and this one over here is Megan’s Place.”
“Jennifer’s Place is a non-profit transitional housing program for children who’ve been rescued from human trafficking rings. They’ll receive medical care and counseling and a safe and nurturing environment while they recover before returning to their parents or entering the adoption system,” Calder said, delivering the information with that smooth Texas drawl that still did funny things to Robby’s insides.
