Chapter Twelve

Vale

"Daddy!" I squealed and ran straight into Jack's open arms. Happy tears ran free, and I had no desire to stop them. I had my Daddy back, and I was one excited boy and he was trapped, ha-ha, having Ubered up to meet me and left his car at home.

"Sweet Monkey, I missed you terribly." Daddy peppered my face in kisses. "The backpack fits you perfectly." So glad I decided to wear it today. It was fun and fashionable and held my stuffies from Daddy perfectly so they were always with me.

"Ahem," Darcy cleared her throat beside us. "I'm down for a good show but are you guys sure this is the time and place?"

"Smart ass," I nudged her with my shoulder. "Let's get our luggage and go home."

Daddy held my hand all the way to the carousel, and I nearly skipped a couple of times along the way but managed to refrain. "Are you nervous about dinner?"

"No, should I be?" Daddy eyed me curiously, waiting for a punch line or something.

"Vale's mom is super sweet, you're gonna love her. She's like a second mom to me," Darcy happily shared.

"Will you be joining us tonight, Darcy?" Daddy asked her. Always including Darcy. I loved it and she did, too.

"Probably. My mom will likely be working."

"Yes, she will be." I hated that when Darcy was home she was always alone. I got it, her mom worked two jobs, but she had for as long as I'd known Darcy. Their finances were of no concern of mine, but my friend's wellbeing was.

"Okay, yes, looks like I'll be there." She grinned wide. Apparently Darcy listened to Daddy more than me.

"Yay!" I cheered, beyond excited to spend the first day at home surrounded by everyone I loved.

Daddy laughed. "Excellent. As Vale's best friend, I look forward to getting to know you better."

Swoon. Swoon. Daddy held my heart in the palm of his hand and was determined to win Darcy over. Little did he know he already had. Could he be any more perfect?

It's funny how easily I fell into calling him Daddy. At first I was like, no way, but the more he catered to and cared for me the more natural it became. Now I'd have a hard time remembering to use his real name when in group settings or around our families.

"Vale," Darcy slammed the car trunk shut. "How many times have we had this conversation?"

I knew exactly where this was headed. "In my defense, I didn't know I'd not only have a boyfriend but that he'd be joining us, or I'd have cleaned the car first."

"Lies! All Lies!" Darcy hollered as she hopped in the back seat.

Grr. I hated it when she was right.

"Sweet boy," Daddy grabbed the fast-food bag off the passenger seat and placed it in the nearby trashcan. "Do you live in your car?"

"Kind of?"

"Wait, what if your car doesn't start? It's been parked here for four months." Daddy was a worrywart.

"We leave the keys with them, and they start them once a week for us." I buckled up and put the car in gear. Traffic to get out of the parking garage was horrendous and didn't let up until I'd passed Northgate on our way to Lynnwood where Darcy and I lived. The closer we got to home, the tighter my stomach got.

Jack rubbed my thigh. "Are you okay, Vale?"

"Yes. No. Maybe."

"Too late to wonder, here comes your mom," Darcy announced and promptly hopped out to hug my mom.

"Here goes nothing." Jack and I walked toward Mom, her eyes assessing him all the way. "Hi, Mom." She yanked me to her and eyed me from head to toe, looking for…water damage? Could a human grow mold? No clue but when she was satisfied she hugged me.

"You look good, Vale, and your man is handsome, but is he worthy?" Wow, Mom didn't even use her whisper voice.

Oh shit, here we go.

"Jackson Barrett." Jack extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Harper."

Mom paused, a moment too long if you asked me, before she returned the gesture. "Please, call me Sarah."

"Wonderful to meet you, Sarah. Vale has told me many wonderful things about you."

"He's got it in his head he gets some sort of trust fund when I die so he thinks he gets paid to say nice things."

"Mom!" Darcy nearly doubled over laughing and I was beyond stunned at her brazen behavior. "Woman, what has gotten into you?" Likely the devil, though I'd not say that aloud. She'd probably put laxatives in my food if I did.

"You're right, Darcy, I do like her." Jack winked at me. "Why don't you and Darcy go inside, and I'll get the luggage. Darcy, should I bring yours in as well?"

"We can help you, Daddy." Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck. It was like time halted and the entire world tuned in to watch the war that was about to unfold.

"Daddy?" Mom questioned. "He's not your father and if he was this would be one sick ass stunt, son."

"No, not like that kind of Daddy, but like a handler Daddy." Shit, that wasn't any better. Before I could explain, she kicked into protective mother bear mode.

"Handler? You think my boy needs a handler? He's perfect the way he is and has never required being handled before. If you think that way you best move along, Jackson." Mom was pissed.

Fuck. My. Life.

"I agree," Jack stepped in. "Vale is perfect the way he is and doesn't need a handler. One of many reasons why I prefer to be called Daddy, and not in the blood relative sense but in the boyfriend way. I care deeply for your son, I'm in love with him and it's in my nature to take care of those I love."

"I think this conversation is best had inside, Jackson," Mom flipped off our nosy neighbor. Jack didn't know what to say but Darcy was back to laughing. "Nosy woman next door is all up in our business."

The way this woman talked. Where did she get it from?

"Mom, we need to limit your reality TV time. Flipping off the neighbors is not wise."

"Wise my ass. I'd like to see her old ass try and get a piece of me."

I had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide, though I did consider going for a long jog off a short and hopefully nearby cliff.

Mom stepped back inside while the three of us grabbed the luggage. "Jack, I'm so sorry. I should've warned you she's a loose cannon. Especially when it comes to me."

"Good, I'm glad. Makes me like her even more. Lots of energy and fiercely protective. Love it."

Could I hide now? Those two teaming up would be a scary thing.

Jack sat Darcy's luggage just inside the door while I took mine to my room and hadn't realized he'd followed me until his arms wrapped around my waist from behind and he whispered, "Deep breath, Monkey. Everything will be fine."

"I hope so. This wasn't the impression I wanted to make. Thank God she doesn't own a gun or she'd have been on the front porch waving it around." That image would haunt me for the rest of my life. "We're not even from the south, both born and raised here yet she just came off like a Beverly Hillbillies rerun." Mom and I spent many nights binging series from her childhood, though this was the first time I'd come to regret it.

Jack's chuckle rumbled through me. "She did and it was adorable."

"You say that now, but just wait." No clue what had gotten into that woman, but I was about to call bullshit on her crazy ass antics.

"Hey, Vale, pack an overnight bag." Daddy winked and my face heated. I knew what that meant and I was so pent up I was near bursting. Which would be bad. Oh my god, what if I came too soon? There went my brain… "Deep breath, Vale."

Daddy knew me too well. I nodded and shoved a few things into my new backpack and set it on top of Darcy's bags in the entryway.

"Boys, come on out. Don't be getting into none of that freaky shit." Mom's voice echoed down the hall.

"Just kill me now."

Daddy kissed the top of my head. "Not a chance, baby."

"Have a seat, Jackson. Tell me how you and my son came together."

Every time she opened her mouth, it only got worse.

"I'd say spare no details but there are some things a mother doesn't need to know." She rolled her eyes at herself. Who did that?

"Really? Now you're drawing boundaries." The audacity of this woman. "You're talking like a hillbilly thug, neither of which you are. What have you been watching while I was gone?"

"None ya," she smugly replied.

"None ya?"

"Yeah, none ya business."

"OMG, I'm shutting off the cable."

"You'll do no such thing. Now, unbunch your panties and come sit by your beau."

"Best. Night. Ever," Darcy announced from her perch at the end of the couch. All she was missing was a bucket of popcorn, watching the show like it was a televised event.

"Only because you're not in the hot seat." Pouting would get me nowhere and I needed to schedule my mother for a lobotomy.

"Little Monkey, come here." Daddy patted his lap, and I curled up on it. With my head resting above his heart, mine calmed down. "She's just trying to understand our relationship and get to know me."

"And poking fun at my expense and thoroughly embarrassing me."

"Jeez, Vale, can't a mother have a little fun?" Finally, Mom's normal voice returned.

"You're a kindergarten teacher who just came off as a Louisville thug."

"Now look who's got jokes." And back to the attitude-filled southern drawl.

"Oh my god, I don't even know what to do with you." My head shook as Daddy's chest rumbled with laughter.

"Sweet boy, she's just messing around." Daddy brushed the hair out of my eyes. "Please, Sarah, I know you have many questions and outside of personal ones such as our sex life, I'm an open book so ask away."

"Explain to me why my son mentioned you're a handler. Is that like training people to be something or someone they're not?"

"No. I live a kink lifestyle. I've had boys who are littles and middles." Darcy's intense stare was on me, I winked to let her know her secret was safe. This was about Vale and me, not her, and if she wanted to share that was her prerogative. "And I've had pups before. Those dynamics are considered a kink. On this trip I suggested to Vale he look into pet play as a means to release excess energy. I have zero problems with Vale or his neurodiversity, but he was concerned I would. In his research he decided to try pet play and on his own found his inner monkey."

"Inner monkey?"

"Yes. Pet play, littles, BDSM, praise, impact play—those and many more are forms of release. Outlets. To some therapy while to others a means to do nothing more than get off. When a person gets into any one of those mindsets, or subspaces as they're called, they find a way to release what plagues them, rest their minds, or in Vale's case, a way to release excess energy and tire himself out."

"Did it work?" Ah, now she was curious.

"Better than anything else has, Mom. Sometimes my brain just won't shut off but on the nights I got to play before bed I was far more relaxed, and it slowed it down enough for me to sleep. Some nights I got five to six hours versus the normal three to four. Daddy, err, Jack is going to take me to the club here so I can check it out and play with others like me there."

"I'm not going to pretend I understand it and I will be researching it myself. You're holding precious cargo right know, Jackson. That boy is my world and I'll protect him with my life until the day I die."

"As will I, Sarah. I have fallen head over heels in love with your son and would like to build a life with him, if he'll have me, that is." Daddy's confession blew me away. We'd spoken, albeit briefly, about these things and I just thought they were chatty talk. A way to fill our conversations, but now I knew Daddy meant it.

"Oh, Daddy!" Again, with happy tears, but I couldn't help it and even if I could I'm not sure I would have. "I love you so much."

"All right." Mom slapped her hands together. "Who wants pizza?"

"Please, Sarah, allow me." Daddy slid his phone from his pocket. "What does everyone like on theirs?"

I followed Mom to the kitchen and left Darcy and Daddy in the living room chatting while Daddy ordered dinner. "Mom, what gives?"

"What do you mean, Vale?"

"The attitude, the failed attempt at using slang? Seriously, no more reality TV."

She laughed. "I was just messing with you and Jackson. He seems like a nice guy. A bit old for you, though, don't you think?"

Ah, now we were getting somewhere. "Honestly, no. The guys my age have treated me like a piece of meat. Jack has been the perfect gentleman, always looking out for me and making sure I'm taking care of myself and getting enough sleep. He's everything I ever hoped for and more."

"I see that in him. The way he looks at you and had zero concern about holding you in front of me. He knew what you needed, and he put that need first." She pulled the plates and napkins out. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Mom, I've already been hurt which is why I had barely left the house before I took this job. Jack won't hurt me. I believe that with every ounce of my being." I did. There wasn't a single red flag with Jack. Not yet at least and the really ugly ones usually showed themselves pretty quickly.

"Sorry, Vale, I didn't know."

"That's on me. I didn't want to tell you. I felt like such a fool each time and it hurt like hell, Mom. That was more than embarrassing than your hillbilly gangster routine tonight." I wish I could've filmed it and played it back for her later. She'd have lost her shit.

Instead, she laughed. "It was all in good fun, Vale. But I'm glad you're home safe and sound."

"Me, too, Mom. Me, too."

"Wow." The food came and the boxes never ended. "How many people were you planning to feed?"

Daddy smiled and shut the door. "Well, everyone wanted something different so we each got our own pizza. But the salad, wings, and breadsticks were tempting so I ordered those, too."

Was it possible to feel something more than hard, soul-deep love for another human?

As the evening wound down and Mom had run out of questions, thank fuck for that, it was time to call it a night.

"Sarah, it was wonderful to meet you. You have a lovely home, and a wonderful son." Daddy had a way with words and making me blush.

"Yes, I do and I'm trusting you to take care of him."

"That's a promise I can make and will keep." Daddy turned to Darcy. "Can we drop you off at home?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, I'll load your stuff up while you guys say your goodbyes. Thank you again, Sarah. We'll get together soon. I'd like you to meet my parents."

I handed Daddy the keys to my car and he took Darcy's stuff out.

"Meet his parents? This sounds serious, Vale." Mom was concerned and I got it, having had the same reaction when he mentioned me meeting them.

"It is, but it feels right. Does that make sense?"

"It does, baby boy. I'd say be careful, but something tells me Jackson, or Jack, not sure which to call him, is the one."

"Me, too, Mom." We hugged and said goodbye and Darcy and I met Jack at the car, who'd made himself at home in the driver's seat.

"Where to, Darcy?" our new chauffeur asked as Darcy gave him directions to her house.

We pulled up to it ten minutes later. Pitch black inside and her mom's car, which they both shared, was gone.

"Darcy, let us help you inside," Daddy insisted. Protective of me, protective of Darcy. Daddy was the real deal in Daddy land.