A Love Unexpected Ch. 12

Kisses And More



The next afternoon Jake slipped into the staff dressing room in the pool house, and it was exactly as Dylan had said. He was able to shower and change without interruption, and by five o’clock they were standing in line at L’Alta Montagna. They filled their plates with salads, pasta dishes of all sorts and roasted meats and found a table away from the crowd.

Getting more comfortable all the time, the two boys talked as they ate. By the time they had taken their last bite and pushed their plates away, they were holding hands across the table in a relatively self-assured manner.

Seeing as how Jake had already explained his coming out, Dylan thought it would be best to talk about his own, but he wasn’t certain how to bring it up in a way that didn’t seem pushy. He would have much rather have Jake asking questions, but Dylan realized he wouldn’t know to ask.

Instead, he began with a question, already already aware of part of what Jake would say. “How did you know you were gay?”

“You mean at the beginning before Tony?” Jake clarified. Dylan nodded.

“My brothers claim it goes back to when I was twelve or thirteen because they say I was checking out their friends. I do remember one boy on my brother’s football team named Gary who I thought was cute, and I was in… let’s see… sixth grade. But you know how it is. Being different from everyone else because I’m gay wasn’t something I wanted to celebrate unless I was very secure and had a wonderfully sympathetic family, and that was a no-go on both counts. I fought it subconsciously until I had no other choice but to admit the truth.

“What about you?” Jake looked into Dylan’s blue eyes and smiled.

Dylan told Jake about his own sexual history, surprising him with how long it had taken to figure out what he wanted and his vast experimentation with females prior. “I went through this totally terrifying stage where nothing made sense. I had the supportive family and all that, and I was still disconnected with my own psyche. It was like I started out straight and began moving left towards an attraction to boys without realizing it. And then one day I woke up and there it was. I’d already stopped pretending because I couldn’t maintain any kind of relationship with a girl. But I wasn’t gay either, or I should say, I wasn’t aware of it. I was just nothing. Luckily I have two gay uncles who helped me out by explaining things to me.”

“That is so cool,” Jake exclaimed earnestly, remembering what he’d said the day before about people he trusted. He must have been talking about his family. “You are very fortunate. I guess I am too, even though my dad is a piece of work; at least my aunt and uncle love and support me. I don’t know where I’d be without them.”

I don’t know where either, thought Dylan in relief. He hated Mr. Nielsen for everything he was but especially for what he’d done to Jake. However, if not for the bigotry and violence, Jake would never have returned to Aleppo Park to stay for the summer. Dylan wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet this extraordinary boy or have a chance at falling in love. It felt awful in a contrary way to be both horrified and thankful at the same time for his abusive parent.

Dylan followed Jake out to his Ford and waited as he unlocked the passenger door. Jake straightened after removing the key and turned to look up at Dylan, at his mouth, wishing he had the courage to rise up on his toes and kiss him. At that moment he was spun around against the door of the truck as if his wish had been spoken aloud.

Stepping forward, Dylan pinned him with his body; his mouth was descending on Jake’s and those firm, warm lips were fitting over his in a kiss that left no doubt in his mind that Dylan wanted him. Sizzling and tender all at once, it was love, but it was also hunger, and Jake gave into it, wrapping him in his arms tightly as he plundered his mouth.

How perfectly Jake fits in my arms, Dylan thought. He was perhaps four or so inches shorter than himself, not enough to slip under his chin but able to burrow into him. So different than holding a girl, so much better with hard muscles down his willowy back and across the corded sinews of his shoulders, slender hips and a hardening cock trapped in the coarse fabric of his jeans. He ground into his groin, listening to Jake groan, and their tongues danced together in joy. They were so public standing in the parking lot on one of Aleppo Park’s busiest streets, but he didn’t care.

Pressed against his truck, Jake didn’t even feel the cold metal against his back. He whimpered his desire wishing he could crawl inside Dylan. His senses were filled up with his masculine woodsy scent and the softness of his skin under Jake’s fingers where they rested against his throat. Their lips working together in tandem was flooding his senses, and all he could think of was how much more he wanted from him. His nipples were like little rocks beneath his t-shirt, and was he actually trembling? His dick was so hard it felt like a steel column in his pants, and, just as solid, Dylan’s pushed back against him.

Panting wildly, Dylan took half a step away and shook his head. “Sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t know why…”

“Don’t be sorry.” Jake followed him, grabbing at Dylan’s arm to keep him from escaping. He dropped his eyes to the ground and blushed. “I, uh… liked you taking control like that. It felt… you know, sort of dirty, but… fun too, and… you, uh… you kiss really well.”

“Really, you’re okay that I did that?” Dylan had been afraid of scaring him off with his aggression, but one look at the lust in Jake’s eyes told him the truth. Oh yes, they were both turned on by it.

“Solid,” Jake murmured. Jake planted a light peck on Dylan’s chin before reclaiming his lips in another punishing kiss. They kept gasping for breath, but who needed air when he had his boyfriend in his arms.

For the next couple of minutes they stood lost in each other excluding the rest of the world and making out. The gentle evening breeze they could feel because it flowed and cooled across overheated skin. The scent wafting up around them was clean male and the musk of arousal. It took the startle of an insistently honking horn from the street corner nearby and a giggled, “Get a room, guys,” to bring them out of their daze. Looking up, they saw Noah and Sage in Noah’s Chevy truck staring at them and laughing until the light turned green and they disappeared down the road.

“I guess I should take you back to the rec center before they padlock the parking lot and your SUV is stuck there all weekend,” said Jake, fidgeting slightly to make his rampant dick more comfortable in his jeans. He was definitely going to have some explicit fantasies to rub one out to tonight.

When they arrived, Dylan hopped out and walked around to the driver’s side to give Jake a quick, nippy kiss that ended up not being so quick. This was rapidly becoming an obsession as far as they both were concerned but neither complained.

“Aunt Pat asked if you could come to dinner tomorrow,” Jake told him quietly. “Maybe Marcus said something to her about us so I hope you don’t mind.”

Dylan smiled. Seeing as how neither Noah nor Sage had looked unduly surprised by their making out, the fact that the two of them were going out together probably wasn’t much of a secret among the crew. What they had going between them already felt like it had staying power, and they might as well meet the folks. He wanted to introduce Jake to his whole family too, especially his uncles.

“Awesome, I would love to come to dinner. Text me and let me know what time, and I’ll fix it with my parents.”

He leaned in the window, and Jake accepted one last deep kiss. He wished he could tell Dylan he loved him but was afraid he would think he was rushing along too fast. He didn’t want to leave but it was starting to get dark. “Okay, see ya.”

**

The next evening, Jake was nearly hopping up and down in nervousness as he dashed between dining room and kitchen, assuring that everything would be perfect for Dylan. Marcus, who worked for his dad a few hours a week when an employee at the auto shop was out sick, arrived home with Avery to the smell of good things cooking in the kitchen and a crazy-ass cousin pacing and sweating bullets.

“Mmm, what’s for dinner, Mom?” Marcus asked as he stepped into the kitchen, his work clothes stained with grease and grime under his fingernails. He tried to raise a lid on a pan of the stove, only to be bumped aside by Pat scolding him over his dirty paws touching food. He glanced at Jake. “And what’s up with you, bro?”

“Never you mind,” Pat scolded in a singsong voice. “Go shower and make sure to get those nails clean.”

Avery joined them, sniffing appreciatively. It wasn’t that Pat didn’t cook; she did, and beautifully. But the scents emanating from the kitchen had more of a formal Sunday dinner quality to them.

“Are we expecting company?”

Jake thought if he heard one more question, he was going to explode in a pile of anxious goo. There was really only one way to stop the inquiries.

“Okay, okay,” he gulped, breaking out in a light sweat. “My boyfriend is coming over for dinner.”

“Boyfriend?” Avery wasn’t as up on the house scuttlebutt as the rest of the family, and he grinned mischievously at his nephew. “Very cool, Jake. Who is he?”

In the background Marcus whooped loudly as he headed through the family room for the shower. “Dylan Moore, Dad. Jake and Dylan are officially an item. Or so I was told last night by Noah who caught them making out in the parking lot of L’Alta Montagna when he and Sage drove by.” He turned and winked at a furiously blushing Jake.

Whatever the information that Avery possessed about his son’s friends didn’t include the fact that Dylan was gay. What he did know about the kid was that he was a poised young man who was intelligent and resourceful, had goals and a plan to achieve them and he treated people with respect and wasn’t wrapped up in his own selfishness. He didn’t use drugs or smoke, even if he did drink an occasional beer like the rest of the local college students, and he came from a decent family. Jake could do a lot worse. He smiled at him to let him know all was well.

And it was. Dylan arrived at six to a shy peck on the lips when Jake answered the doorbell. The braised chicken, rice pilaf and steamed vegetables were perfectly done, and chatter around the table centered on the boys’ day camp jobs and returning to school in two months. The only annoyance was Marcus who chose to act slightly less than his normal maturity level.

Even though he was a guest, Dylan insisted on helping with clean-up, and he and Jake had the kitchen squared away in no time. Marcus would have helped too, but his smirking at them and childish remarks was beginning to get under Jake’s skin, and he banished him to find something else to occupy his attention. Afterwards, Dylan and Jake took advantage of the lovely early-summer evening to walk down the hill to a nearby park.

The sun had already gone down and the playground was empty. Heading for the swings, Dylan grabbed one and pulled Jake over to stand between his knees. They began to kiss, fluttery little wisps of mouth on mouth that built until both were wheezing for air. Jake felt like his legs were going to collapse and sat down opposite him on the vinyl, fitting his legs through to straddle Dylan’s lap. The feeling of his boyfriend’s erection beneath his ass turned him on in a big way, evidenced by his own cock creating a distinct bulge that pressed into Dylan’s abdomen. The fit of the boys between the chains was rather pinched and uncomfortable, but neither cared.

Dylan worked his hand up under the hem of Jake’s t-shirt to stroke the warm, supple skin around his navel. It was so soft, and yet, he could feel each ridge of his sculpted torso. Moving higher, Dylan’s fingers made contact with a nipple which shrunk under his probing. He heard Jake gasp and felt his prick pulse against his stomach, and he stored that useful information away for later. He wished they had the privacy for further exploration, surprised at himself that he wasn’t at all afraid or intimidated by the intimacy.

“That feels so good,” Jake husked into his mouth as he curled his fingers around the shell of an ear. His mouth left Dylan’s and wandered down his chin, planting small kisses in its wake. He nibbled a tender spot between the juncture of earlobe and jaw. The smell, so distinctly Dylan, drove him wild, and his tongued dashed out to taste him.

There was a noise behind them, a quiet sneeze that was hastily suppressed. Dylan struggled to his feet in panic, almost knocking Jake to the ground. Only the smaller boy’s feet getting caught up in the chains of the swing and quick action as Dylan’s arm swept around his waist kept him from falling. They turned to find a flushed and snickering Marcus standing in the dim light about fifteen feet away.

“Spying on us, Marc,” Jake sighed in frustration that they had been followed and observed. “You are such a perv.”

Marcus grinned at them evilly. “Sorry, but this is too interesting to miss. I’ve never seen two guys make out before.”

“Come on, dude, that can’t be true,” Dylan groaned, just as irritated as Jake. “Remember that Andy kid, the short one on the soccer team in our senior year at A.P. High who was so out in everyone’s faces? Him and his merry-go-round of boyfriends, they used to sit on the senior lawn every day at lunch sucking face.”

Marcus’ grin got bigger. “Yeah, but Andy isn’t my younger cousin who is sucking face with my best friend. Please continue. Pretend I'm not here.”

Jake had taken almost as much as he could stand. “Go home, Marcus. I don’t need a chaperone.”

Marcus stood up and started to move off, sniffing in fake indignation. “Alright, I know when I’m not wanted. I don’t want to cramp your style or anything.” The last they heard was his raucous laughter drifting up the street.

Dylan could see that Jake was very angry and struggling not to erupt and blow Marcus’ joke out of proportion. Yes, it was exasperating that he refused to act like an adult and leave them alone, but Dylan was used to his friend’s humor. He thought Jake should be as well because he had never seen the two of them do anything but agree and get along.

“Hey, Jake, don’t let it bother you,” he sighed. “If he gets to be too big of an ass, I’ll speak to him, alright?”

Jake nodded and just held on to Dylan. He hoped Marcus wasn't going to turn into a problem. They had always been closer than siblings, and a rift between them would feel like dying.

The next day was Saturday and the end of June, a perfect weekend with warmer than average temperatures, the kind of day southern California was known for. The surf was supposed to be up, and a building south-southwest swell was expected to bring in strong, chest-high sets with occasional head-high peaks in the falling tide. Spencer texted everyone, and the gang scurried to get to Doheny before the packed beach crowded the best breaks and made it all too much of a chore.

Marcus was going to drive Jake, but Dylan had already volunteered to pick him up. He told him he’d be running a half-hour late, and by the time they arrived, the rest of the group was already coating themselves in protective lube and suiting up.

Perhaps tipped off by Noah and Marcus, the rest of their friends turned to stare at the couple as they made their way across the sand, hand in hand. Sage’s eyes were luminous as she gazed at them in dreamy satisfaction, but the rest regarded them, amused. A few throats cleared, gazes turned elsewhere to stare out into the surging waves, and Marcus elbowed Luis whose mouth hung open.

“Duuudes, that was fast,” Spencer gaped. “How long have you two… well, you know?”

His twin slapped his arm. “Spencer, that’s rude.”

Completely unruffled, Dylan looked down at Jake. “Three days?” he asked and received a tentative nod in reply. He took charge. It was time to get this out of the way.

“Look, we talked about this. Do any of you have a problem because Jake and I can surf somewhere else if you do.”

Shock and concern replaced merriment, and as a group they chorused protests.

“You’re our friends.” Noah spoke for all of them. “We’re cool, Dylan. Maybe a little flabbergasted that it was only a week ago that you told us you were gay, and now you two are, um… well, you’re…”

“The word is ‘dating’, Noah,” Jake laughed, taking his cues from his boyfriend and seeing no real harm meant by the rest of the gang. He looked around and noticed that Kelsey was missing.

So did Dylan. “Where’s Kelsey,” he asked, glad for her absence. Then he felt guilty.

“Hurray for us, she went on vacation with her family,” Spencer stated in a cheery voice, shaking his long blonde hair out of his eyes and not feeling bad for his satisfaction. Out of all of them, he probably resented her the most, but it earned him another loud whack from Sage. “It will be at least nine whole days until I have to look at her again.”

Dylan nodded quietly, not wanting to hurt Sage’s feelings, but he was relieved as Spencer was. He could only imagine what Jake must feel like. He would’ve been surprised to know that the younger man just wanted to get the announcement out in the open so Kelsey could have her little pity party drama explosion and get it over with. Despite her promises to behave, he knew best that she was a risk to his budding relationship with Dylan.

They surfed all morning and again the following day because it was too nice to stay indoors. Most of them were recently employed in part-time summer jobs that afforded little time off, especially on weekends. With the approach of the hot season, finding uncrowded breaks would become nearly impossible unless they surfed before dawn.

The fourth of July was approaching; the day camp would be closed to celebrate, but Jake and Dylan were scheduled to work on Friday to make up for it. The entire group of teens made plans to meet at the beach very early on Wednesday morning to obtain a good spot near a fire ring. Over the previous three years it had become something of a tradition for them to remain all day and let their families drift in to locate them in the early afternoon and celebrate en masse. Coated in sunscreen and loaded down with blankets, umbrellas and enough food to feed an army, they would watch the large fireworks show off the end of pier after dark.

The day before was a Tuesday, and Dylan showed up at camp with an invitation to take Jake to the cinema that night. He volunteered to find out what was playing and get a list of show times by lunch. Completely comfortable now with Dylan and unafraid of what anyone might think, Jake leaned in for a quick kiss. “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

They met at the edge of the lot and hiked to their favorite quiet spot that seemed if it had been made just for them. Dylan and Jake had been trading off making each other lunch, and Dylan laid out still-warm meatball sandwiches. The talk turned to which film they wanted to see that evening.

“There are only four worthwhile movies at the multiplex,” Dylan told him. “One brand new one, one out last week and two from the beginning of the month.” He set his mouth in a bantering smile. “We could see…”

Jake laughed and his eyes snapped in fun, already knowing what Dylan was going to suggest. He had been teasing nonstop over Madagascar 3 and how, since he was a year younger, a kid’s movie was entirely appropriate. Jake had gone along with it for the most part since they both knew he had a love for Disney films just like his aunt.

Jake rejected Prometheus immediately. From one extreme to the next, he wasn’t a fan of sci-fi horror where the suspense would be so biting he’d be shielding his eyes the entire time, manly boyfriend to protect him or not.

The third film, based on the pretense that vampires were the true agitators behind the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln was assigned the task of hunting them down, was placed in the maybe column. That left one- Magic Mike, a movie about male strippers. Jake was doubtful.

“You do know the only men in the theater watching that movie will either be with their girlfriends or gay, don’t you?”

“Jake, we are gay,” Dylan chuckled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Unless the real reason is that you’re worried about getting a boner in the middle of the movie from watching all that naked skin.”

Jake fought the pink staining his cheeks and pretended to consider. “Well, it does have Alex Pettyfer and Channing Tatum in it, and they’re both hot. Watching Alex up there shaking his ass?” He fanned himself with his napkin much to Dylan’s fake-chagrin.

“So you’d rather have Alex Pettyfer than me?” He pushed Jake away from him. “I’m insulted. Go eat with Alex. See if he makes you sandwiches without pickles.”

Jake studied him and the playful gleam in his eyes. “Nah, he probably doesn’t kiss anywhere near as good as you do either. So until I find somebody better, you’re stuck with me.”

Dylan picked him up in time for the 8:45 show. Jake felt Dylan reach for his hand as they approached the box office and decided to let him take the lead since Dylan was the local boy who had stayed put and had the most to lose if the people he knew didn’t understand. After purchasing tickets and snacks Dylan escorted him to seats in the center up near the back row, giving them the most privacy. The theater for this showing wasn’t as full as expected, and there was a hushed intimacy in the near-dark that relaxed both boys.

Jake pushed up the arm rest between them so they could sit closer together. They spoke quietly during the upcoming attractions but their eyes were transfixed by the screen once Magic Mike started. For the next two and a half hours they groped buttery fingers in the shared popcorn bucket without a care. Jake tried to make himself comfortable, being unsure of what level of affection Dylan expected, but the occasional kiss on his temple or forehead settled that issue quickly. Soon he was snuggling on his boyfriend’s shoulder, their hands lying loosely entwined. Dylan would have made gentle fun of the way Jake’s dick would sometimes tent his shorts, depending on the scene depicted before them, except that the same thing was happening to him.

Having consumed a mega-large soda each, they had to pee as soon as the movie let out and met up with each other again in the lobby. At ease, Jake nuzzled into Dylan’s arms and let the crowds surge around. He was fairly sure he saw two girls he’d attended freshman year at APHS with who recognized him by sight and turned to gawk at them. By the same token, he watched Dylan raise his hand in greeting several times like this was no big deal. He didn’t even startle. Just the idea of being so demonstrative in public with a boyfriend and knowing that there were no safety issues involved was very freeing. If Dylan wasn’t going to freak out, he wasn’t either.

“I can’t wait until I’m twenty-one,” Jake exclaimed later as Dylan was driving him home. “I hear they have several good gay clubs in Santa Monica.”

“Why do you want to do that?” Dylan was surprised, never figuring Jake to be the clubbing type and wondered if he danced at any of the no-alcohol raves or teen clubs. It also made him worry over how lasting Jake considered their relationship. A lot of men used the gay bars and clubs to meet men. He thought he was in this for the long haul and hoped Jake would be too.

“You take a hot guy to a dance club. Dance a little, let him watch the action on the stripper pole and the man you take home only has one thing on his mind.” He grinned at Dylan. “Would that work for you?”

Dylan didn’t answer for a few minutes. They had arrived at the Walker residence and he concentrated on parking his CR-V down the block a ways in a narrow space between two other cars. Then he turned to Jake. “What if I made my own stripper pole?” he asked in a husky voice. “We can perform for each other, just a private show.”

“Oh yeah,” Jake panted. “You’re the only person I want to take anyway.” His eyes darkened in blatant lust, and he imagined Dylan’s muscular body in a tight thong that hugged his cock and balls and showed off his well-toned ass.

Dylan leaned towards Jake and his mouth met smooth, warm lips. As usual, a few soft goodbye kisses soon turned into a full-scale make-out session. Dylan climbed over the console to get into the passenger seat which he reclined fully and scooted under Jake so the man could straddle his lap. He gathered him into his arms as best he could inside the cramped vehicle, and their bodies meshed. For the next half-hour they cuddled and plumbed each other’s mouths with their tongues until they were breathless and so horny they almost couldn’t stand it.

Jake wanted to touch as much of Dylan as possible. He found the open collar of his shirt and began to work the buttons through the fabric. The cotton edges gaped open, and Jake began to stoke his chest and abs, running his hands all over his skin in what almost felt like a religious experience. Dylan had the perfect upper body, hairless except for a few strays surrounding his tan areolas, and those were so pale as to be nearly invisible. His swimmer’s build with the wide shoulders, narrow waist and slim hips fit Jake so perfectly the two boys were like interlocking pieces of a puzzle.

Kissing down Dylan’s neck, Jake’s tongue darted out to lap up a drop of sweat. Another drop dotted his collarbone, so he caught it too. Under his ear, down his square jaw to the hollow of his throat, scraping his teeth over the pectoral, he worked his body further down the reclined man. Bringing Dylan’s nipples in line with his mouth, his tongue rasped against one brown nub, and Dylan moaned and clutched at Jake’s curly hair. As the nipple shriveled into a knot, Jake fingered the other one, and Dylan’s hips tried to lift off the seat.

“I’m so hard, I wish that you could touch me,” Dylan moaned. His eyes were hooded, and his dick strained against the seam of his jeans seeking relief and leaking into his boxer shorts. His body temperature had to be several degrees above normal, and he was more turned on then he’d ever been before. He wanted nothing more than to have the room to lay out Jake somewhere and do all the things to him his carnal thoughts dictated, but he was afraid of rushing him.

“I want you too, Dylan,” Jake gasped. “Just you.”

It sounded odd to Jake listening to Dylan voice his own innermost desires. Pulling off his t-shirt, he lay down on top of him and his nipples dragged against Dylan’s. They groaned together, and Jake thought he was going to explode. It was the most exquisite feeling in the world, sending strong jolts straight to his steel-hard cock. His briefs were damp with dripping precum, and the desire to get completely naked with him was like a wildfire that was rapidly blazing out of control. What he wouldn’t give for some time and privacy but he rejected using the car because it would be cramped, tacky and too damned public. The condensation covering the windows was already a dead giveaway to the activities going on inside.

Jake’s cell phone rang, and he grunted in disappointment. The caller was Marcus, and he wanted to throw the phone.

“You better answer,” Dylan said, raising the seat back up. “I have to leave anyway.”

“What, Marc,” Jake asked into his mobile. He heard snickering.

“You two have been out there for the last forty-five minutes so you should get your ass in here before Mom and Dad lock up the house. I’m just giving you fair warning.”

“Okay, I’ll be right in,” Jake sighed.

Dylan walked him to the front of the house, unwilling to give up a single second he could be with his sexy green-eyed boy. They stood on the front porch lost to the world entangled in each other’s embrace. Lips pulled at one another, sweat trickled down their backs and fingers stroked moist skin. Dylan didn’t think he was going to survive without drawing a breath and then Jake would push his tongue back into his own mouth, giving him that minute gasp to go on. Time stood still for them in the sultry dark.

But Dylan had curfew, and Jake nearly pouted at having to separate. “I need to go,” Dylan soothed. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the beach, Jake. We can spend all day there and watch fireworks together.”

Jake was upstairs getting ready for bed when Marcus sauntered into his room, looking decidedly unhappy. “Did you have fun?” he asked morosely.

Jake nodded shortly, searching for clues in his cousin’s behavior. He just knew it had something to do with Dylan. “Out with it,” he said.

Marcus shrugged but decided to be honest. “I think I’m jealous because he takes up all your time. I didn’t know it was going to be like this. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t losing your every waking minute besides the rec center hours to you two going out. It isn’t fucking fair because I can’t even hang out with Dylan either. And Noah is with Sage.”

“So what do you want me to do?” Jake held his breath, hoping Marcus wasn’t going to demand he break up with Dylan.

But Marcus just shook his head. “I don’t know. Do more with the rest of us instead of just him? Spend some evenings the way we used to- watching DVDs and playing video games. I swear, I won’t make fun of you holding hands or kissing.”

Jake had to admit that Marcus made sense. He felt sorry for him, losing all of them at the same time. What Marcus needed was a girlfriend, but he was too busy enjoying his unattached bachelor status to settle down. Besides, he was too much of a goof to be serious with a girl. All he could do was swear to try harder to include him, but that was going to play havoc with spending private time with Dylan.

He might be young and naïve but he had finally found the man he thought he could love for the rest of his life. Nothing, and he meant nothing, was going to mess this up for them. Not even a favorite cousin.

(To be continued...)