When I take the time to pause and look back at my path, I still wonder how I ended up…here.
With him.
Withanyman.
I was certain I’d spend the rest of my life in a monogamous relationship with Casey. Not married, maybe not even living together, but with her. The dynamic I have with her, while unusual, isn’t unheard of or even difficult to puzzle out.
I am a straight man.
Wasa straight man.
Now I’m in love with a man who also never previously entertained any kind of attraction or romantic feelings toward another man before.
How long can we keep this up before questions are asked? Before someone notices something.
Sure, George gets a lot of latitude with people because Casey and I don’t hesitate to play the “grieving widower” card whenever we feel we need to press an advantage with someone, but eventually that juice will dry up and his bounce will flatline.
Or we’ll get careless, or someone will end up flying a drone into the backyard and catch something on film through a window.
Casey gave me the option for her to set me up with someone, a woman, to go out on a few public dates to lay a false scent trail for the press, but I couldn’t make myself do it.
I don’twantto do it.
Unlike her, I don’t have a great poker face when it comes to my personal life. In a courtroom, or in the halls of the General Assembly, sure, I can be just as ruthless as anyone else, if not more. I’ve proven that in court hundreds of times already.
My personal life ismine, though. I have so little time alone with George and Casey that Ineedwhat I do have. Besides, it’s not like I have any free time right now. I refuse to give up my time with either of them. I feel like I can breathe after playing with George.
He’s not the only one who sleeps better when we’re together. I mean, I’ve always slept great with Casey, but there’s something about the way George is that he doesn’thaveto play with me for a deep and heavy sleep to roll my way.
I feel…safe sharing a bed with him.
Don’t get me wrong—feeling unsafe when I’m with Casey isn’t the natural corollary to that. Casey has such a thick outer shell that it always amazes me when she allows me to penetrate it in any way. I know she has nightmares she never alludes to in the light of day, but unlike George, they don’t drain her.
They fuel her.
I don’t know if she’ll ever tell me all her secrets, secrets I’m reasonably sure George isn’t privy to, either. If she never does? Okay. I still love her.
I hear my work phone buzz on the nightstand. Right now, it’s in silent mode, and only a few contacts are set to bypass that. Moving slowly, I stretch until I can get the tips of my fingers on it and drag it close enough to wrap my fingers around it and bring it close enough to my face to read.
As I scroll through my alerts, I pause. “Shit.”
“Huh?” George mumbles.
Adrenaline jolts through me and now I’m up and moving. “Sir, get up. Change of plans.”
“Whaaat?” he groans.
I lean in and shake him, hard. “George, getup. SEOC went to level 4 an hour ago and is going level 3 within three hours. We’ve got flooding. We need to fly back to Nashville so you can sign an EO. They’ll be activating TEMP.”
His eyes pop open. “What?”
I’m already thumbing the contact for the head of his security detail for this trip as I race to the bathroom. I get him on the phone and hope he can’t hear I’m peeing as I’m giving him orders. Get the airplane ready, be prepared to leave the hotel in under thirty minutes, and to please send someone for breakfast sandwiches and extra coffee for me and the governor.
Truth be told, I’m sort of pissed no one notified me an hour ago, when SEOC went to a 4. That’s a conversation for another time, though. They would’ve contacted Casey about it. I’m sure they tried George’s work phone, but I set his work phone toDo Not Disturbmode last night, not just silent, and the only contacts that can bypass that are me, Casey, the kids, and the head of his EPU detail.
By the time I make it back into the bedroom, George is sitting up on the edge of the bed and talking on the phone with someone, I’m guessing Casey. His hair is all wonky and even though he’s vertical, there’s still a thick, groggy undertone in his voice.
Back to the bathroom for me, to turn on the shower and get started. I’m already in there when he joins me a couple of minutes later, pausing to give me a long, sweet kiss.
