It had been too damn long since he’d really tasted Mitch, but everything flooded right back as soon as their lips came together. There was no denying it, and he had to fight the urge to push a hand up behind Mitch’s head. He didn’t want to put a kink in that poor sore neck and back.
Mitch grabbed his hips to keep him close and held on, kissing him back like he meant it. And he guessed maybe Mitch did because they were cooking with gas all of a sudden. Then it was hotter than anything that was going on on the stove, even though the water was starting to boil under the lid on the pot, steam pouring out of it, and he could hear the spit and hiss of meatballs giving off their juices in the oven.
Everything seemed to stand still for a minute. And yet everything felt huge and magnified, loud and bright.
When they pulled apart to breathe, Mitch was staring at him, his lips a bit swollen and those cheeks just as red as apples. “I?—”
“Don’t.” Cam rubbed a thumb over Mitch’s lips. “The girls will be down for dinner soon, but I’m going to revisit this at some point. You hear me?”
Lips still parted, his breath coming fast, Mitch nodded, his pupils dilated to the point where they looked blown out. “I hear you.”
“Good deal.” Everything changed. That was the only constant in the world. But one thing hadn’t changed—how much he wanted Mitch. And he was going to have to figure out how they could both get what they wanted.
He had a feeling this was going to complicate things.
Chapter Eleven
“Okay, Mitch. Just one more set.”
“I’m going to one more set you, man.” Mitch’s physical therapist was a slave driver, a hard taskmaster who deserved to get his ass kicked because this was torture. The guy’s name was Javier, and he had Mitch doing things like lat pull-downs and lightweight deadlifts. After that, there was going to be stretching and making sure his muscles aligned, and maybe a massage, which sounded like it should be good, but it was agonizing.
He took a deep breath, then let it out before doing one more round of the pull-downs. When he was done, he glared at Javier. “Are you happy?”
“I’m pleased you did a good job.” Javier helped him stand up off the bench. “I really think you’re on the mend, Mitch.”
“Thanks, I hope so.” He would never admit it to anybody, but Mark wiring him that money had eased things up. He’d been able to pay off the bill he’d already gotten for the surgery, had been able to buy the kids their school supplies and that bike for Rachel’s birthday, and he was able to do his co-pays for this physical therapy. His boss was getting a touch pissy about himnot coming back to work, but he was talking with a couple of other contractors about bidding jobs for them that were small and solo.
“Why don’t we skip the massage today and you go right to the hot tub?”
Mitch moaned, the idea of that so good he couldn’t even believe it. “Absolutely, that sounds like the best idea ever.”
“Well, hit the shower and rinse off, and then get in the hot tub.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll do just that.” He knew he had to wash off some of the grime before he got in the hot tub, plus he needed to change into his swim trunks. But he felt strong enough to do that. His legs were shaking a bit because sometimes his nerves didn’t fire correctly, but he feltbetter.
In fact, he felt human.
It didn’t hurt that the kids were in school now, and so he got at least five hours every day of quiet and still and being able to focus and clean a bit and work on things that needed to be worked on.
Miz Halley had come and taken all three girls along with her other grandchildren to go school clothes shopping. He’d protested, but she hadn’t even acknowledged that. She just waved him off, and they were gone, and when they came home, the girls all had five outfits.
It was hilarious, because Bekka had five things—five sensible tops and five pairs of jeans that could be used together in every different way under the rainbow. Little Rachel had five separate outfits that obviously Miz Halley or someone had helped her pick out, and then there was Sarah, who had one long black dress and four black shirts and four black pairs of pants. One of them had a hint of white lace around the bottom, and one shirt had a white lace collar.
So different, his babies were so wonderful and amazing and totally different.
It had made a huge difference for the girls, though, and Bekka had gone to school with her head held high, a new backpack on her shoulder.
Today was Rebekka, Rachel, and Sarah’s first day at Girl Scouts.
He could not believe for a second that Sarah was going to do Girl Scouts, but her best friend Teresa was the daughter of the leader, she’d explained, and so she had to go because that was what best friends did, even if they knew Girl Scouts was stupid.
Mitch rinsed off after changing into his trunks, then moved to the hot tub, which was empty, to slip in gingerly. No falling.
“Oh, God. That’s amazing.”
“Hey, Javier. I’m early. I got done at the feed store, and I figured rather than drive all the way back to the ranch and then drive all the way back here, I’d just stop.” Cam’s voice was familiar, warm, and oddly welcome.
“He’s back there in hydrotherapy. You can hang out with him, talk to him. He needs to sit in there for at least half an hour and let all the jets do the work on his muscles.”
