Call William.Tom’s suggestion wasn’t a horrible one.
I flipped the phone over in my hands a few times. Hit the unlock button as I settled into my
recliner. Stared at the screen a bit more. Took a sip of water to fight off the sudden desert in my
mouth. Scrolled to William’s contact info. Set down the phone and paced, trying to talk myself out of
pursuing anything. Sat down again.
“You’re fucking ridiculous,” I muttered as I grabbed the phone again. This wasn’t how a good
Daddy acted. I needed to be confident, especially if there was something that had the potential to hold
Sam back from giving himself over to me. Before I could second-guess myself, yet again, I tapped the
call button. Either William would answer, or he wouldn’t, simple as that.
“I was starting to wonder if we’d ever hear from you again,” William said as soon as the call
connected. I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or amused by the delay in me reaching out but, either
way, he didn’t seem surprised to hear from me.
“Yeah, well you gave me a lot to think about,” I admitted. A pit formed in my stomach, and the
headache I’d managed to escape earlier started creeping in again.
“And have you thought about what I said?” The man had missed his calling. The deep rumble and
lack of inflection in his tone would make him a teacher that students feared but respected.
“I have,” I confirmed. “I can’t make any promises, but I’d like to know more. And that’s part of
why I haven’t been around. It’s unfair to get hopes up, for either of us, but without proceeding I’ll
never have an answer.”
“This isn’t a business negotiation, Theron.” William sighed heavily. “But you have a good point.
Are you doing anything right now?”
“Now?” My voice cracked. Was I ready to jump into the deep end right this minute?
No time like the present.
“Well, not this very minute, but in the next hour or two,” William clarified. “Fair warning though,
if you want to sit down and talk to Sam, I will be there. He has some very valid concerns and I’ve
told him I will act as his protector with any man he’s interested in until such a time everyone agrees
it’s no longer warranted.”
That…helped. For some, it might have been disconcerting to have someone acting as a shield but
with so much uncertainty, I was grateful William had given him protection. If I knew my friend, that
also meant he would see to Sam’s needs until he found a Daddy worthy of him. That, too, was
