“And last but not least….” Grace, his eleven-year-old pit bull wagged her tail as she came to give him a hug while he cleaned her paws too. “We’re ready for bed. Go reserve a spot for yourself, lady.” He patted her flank and she limped to the bed that took one-third of the length of the back of the RV.
She was getting older now, and the malnutrition and abuse from her youth hadn’t done her any favors. He hoped he wouldn’t have to leave her with Seth anytime soon, though. She’d hate it, even though Seth would love having her there. Then again, if he left Grace behind, then he would have to leave Missy too, and Husky would get lonely on the road….
Sighing, Leaf got up from his crouch and winced at the aches and pains in his body. Hell, he was getting older too. Maybe both of them needed to be put out to pasture in the next few years?
He snorted at the grim thought. Like Seth would ever let them go. His lover was amazing. The best guy Leaf had ever met. The most dedicated, passionate person behind a mask of brilliance and control issues.
But Seth had found someone, hadn’t he? Leaf thought of it when he climbed into bed, pushing Missy off his pillow and being careful not to kick Grace. “Night, ladies. Night, Husky.” He pulled his portion of the blanket over his body.
Seth had met someone. The best thing was, he didn’t seem to realize he was already attached to this younger man. The way he’d beamed through the webcam was… irresistible. Leaf wasn’t jealous, not in the least. In fact, he thought this could be good for them in the long run. But time would tell.
AS USUALwhen he was on the road, he woke up around five. He let the dogs out, made himself a huge mug of coffee, and put the dogs’ breakfast bowls outside the RV so they’d slobber less on the floor. Once he’d taken a cramped shower and felt ready for the day, he collected the bowls, told the dogs to get in, and made sure everything was in its place for the next bit of his long way that would eventually lead him home.
He refilled his travel mug, put away any loose things in the barely there kitchenette, and went to start the vehicle. By then, the dogs went to their spots without being asked: Husky on his bed, Grace on hers next to him, and Missy on the passenger’s seat. It was just big enough for a bull terrier, but Grace, despite being only slightly bigger, couldn’t fit there.
As he drove through the farmyard, he could see Cammie coming out of the stable. He waved at her, and she waved and nodded back. He knew neither of them wanted him to stay and chat more. They’d done that the day before.
Since Rain had made herself a tight schedule, Leaf knew she’d be up by now, as it was almost half past six. He pushed speed dial on his phone and clicked on his hands-free thingy Seth had given him a while ago.
“Morning, brother mine,” Rain said, sounding surprisingly perky.
“You sound good, sister,” he replied.
She laughed in her oddly clear yet throaty style, and he could hear her sipping something, probably her morning tea. “What’s up?”
“Just started the drive to Salt Lake. Guess where we parked for the night?” he asked, knowing she would both love trying to figure it out and hate when she heard the right answer.
“No way….”
“Yeah. Cammie’s. Was about time,” he said quietly, and she hummed.
They sipped their respective caffeine-laden wake-up drinks in silence for a while.
“How was she?” Rain asked finally.
“Good. Better.” It was the truth. Then he sighed. “We talked a bit.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” They both knew what he and Cammie had talked about, and he could tell Rain wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about this right then. Sensing that, Leaf said, “I need to…. There are things I remembered when I was talking with her. Could we maybe talk about that sometime soon?”
This time it was Rain who sighed. “Yeah. Of course. Now?”
“Not necessarily, if you’re not up for it. I know I sort of sprung this on you.” He winced a little, knowing that he’d brought her discomfort already. He never wanted that. At fifty and forty-eight, they were both old enough to have this discussion by far, but it never got any easier to talk about their past.
“Well, if we don’t talk about it now, I’ll just obsess over it all day and won’t be able to work anyway, so might as well. Let me just get comfortable first.”
It was code for “let me go sit in my favorite chair and light a joint.” Leaf could understand the urge for sure.
“So, what did you talk about, then?” she asked after the click of her Zippo shutting again.
“She asked me if I remembered the house in Venezuela.”
A thoughtful noise signaled Rain was trying to figure out what to say.
“Do you?” Her voice was gentle, which went against the situation. It wasn’t him who should be handled carefully here, not when talking about that place.
“Yeah.” He sighed and took one hand off the wheel to rub it over his face. Then he took a gulp of coffee and wished he still smoked cigarettes. “I remembered some when we talked.”
