26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Andy

As soon as 7:30 rolled around, I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. This had been a very slow shift that had felt even longer because of the somber mood. We all felt horrible about Cody's store and worries about what this guy might do next weighed heavily on all of us.

What I needed was some snuggle time with my Daddy… and maybe a blow job. Blow jobs always helped. I told everyone goodbye and made my way out to my truck, only to find Jesse parked right next to it.

When he saw me coming, he hopped out and came around to give me a hug. "How was the rest of your shift, baby boy?"

"Long. Seriously long. What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you to breakfast. I thought you might need a special treat after yesterday."

"Oh, really. I was thinking about a different kind of treat, but if you're thinking about taking me to The Early Bird so I can get their cheesecake-stuffed waffles with strawberries, I'm game."

"And just what were you thinking?"

"Nope, that ship has sailed. I want stuffed waffles."

"Okay, why don't you ride with me, and we'll come back for your truck later?"

I stopped and looked up at him. "Daddy, you do realize that you can't follow me around everywhere all the time until they catch the arsonist."

"Says who? Now get in the truck."

I shook my head. We had no idea how long it would take for them to catch this guy, assuming they even did, but he was worried, and I would let him have it for today.

He backed out of the parking lot and got on the road to the restaurant before he looked over at me. "You know, I'm not the only one worried about you. Victor is as well."

"Did you tell him about the record shop being the arsonist?"

"I didn't. I figured I'd leave that up to you."

"I'm tempted not to say anything, but I know I should." I hated worrying Victor, but I loved my work, and I wasn't going to give it up to make him feel better.

"Why don't you give him a call and see if he wants to join us for breakfast?"

"I thought this was supposed to be a treat?" I grumbled.

"How about this? You be a good boy and invite your brother to join us, and I'll reward you for it later."

"Reward me how?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

I pulled out my phone. "Fine, but it better be good."

I sent my brother a text and shoved my phone back in my pocket, then glanced over at Jesse.

"Okay, I told him to meet us there if he wanted to join us."

I could have called him, but I knew he was up because he'd sent me a meme before I even got off shift. My brother drove me crazy, but I loved him, and I knew he just wanted the best for me, even if we didn't agree on what that was.

He must have gotten the message right away because the server had just brought our coffees when he strolled into the restaurant looking like he'd spent an hour getting ready. The older he got, the more he looked like our dad, all the way down to the casual slacks and button-down shirt that had become his signature look. He slid into the chair across from us.

"Have you ordered?" he asked.

"Not yet, but I know what I'm getting. Have you ever had the stuffed waffles? They're the best. They stuff them with a cheesecake filling and then top them with a fresh berry compote. It's so good." I reached over and pointed at the place on the plastic-covered menu that had the waffles.

He pulled the menu out from under my finger and glared at me. "I think I'll go for something a little less likely to kill me. I'm not as young as I used to be."

Like I said, so much like our dad. I rolled my eyes and let out a sad-sounding sigh. "Live a little, Vic. Be adventurous, try something new."

"I just got back from an adventure. I don't think I should push my luck with a high-fat, high-sugar breakfast. I'll get the egg white omelet and a side of turkey sausage."

I mean, why come to a place like The Early Bird if you aren't going to get anything good? "Well, you do you, boo. I'm getting the waffles with a side of real bacon. How about you, Jesse?" I looked over at him to see him watching us with an amused grin.

"I think I'll meet you two in the middle, somewhere between uber healthy and diabetes on a plate, and get the huevos rancheros."

"You can't get diabetes from eating sugar," I insisted.

"Yes, brat, I'm fully aware of how diabetes works."

Our server, Chloe, walked up just then and smiled at Victor. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I'll have a coffee."

"Okay, I'll bring that right over. Do you know what you want to eat, or do you need a few minutes?"

Vic looked at us, and we both nodded. "I think we're ready."

We placed our order and made small talk until Chloe brought Vic his coffee, then Jesse reached over and placed his hand on my thigh. "Hey Vic, there's something Andy wanted to tell you."

"Okay." Victor picked up his coffee cup and leaned back in his chair, waiting for me to speak.

"Did you hear about the fire at the record store yesterday?" I asked hesitantly.

"The one that wasn't open yet?" I nodded in confirmation, so he continued. "Yeah, I read about it. That's a shame. The article said a lot of the records were collectibles and irreplaceable."

"The owner's a firefighter here in town. As a matter of fact, he works at the same station I do."

At that, he set his coffee cup down and looked me in the eye. "Well, isn't that just a crazy coincidence?"

"They don't think it's a coincidence at all. They think it was the same guy who set my car on fire."

He drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. Then he rubbed his forehead, a sure sign that he was about to say something I didn't like. He turned and looked at Jesse. "That's what you meant yesterday when you made the comment about wishing they would catch the arsonist."

"It was," Jesse agreed.

Vic took another of those breaths. The ones our mother had always told us to take before we spoke when we were angry. Then he looked at me. "So they think he, what? Has some kind of vendetta against the fire department or your station?"

"Honestly, we don't know. They seem to be focused on our station for now, but that doesn't mean it'll stay that way."

I had no doubt Victor had plenty more to say, but Chloe showed up with a large tray covered in all our food. She passed out the plates and, after making sure we didn't need anything else, left us to eat.

"This looks delicious, Jesse. Thanks for suggesting we come here."

"I just said breakfast. Coming here was all you, slugger."

"Well, see how smart I am. Look at this waffle." I cut into it and took a big bite. "Oh man, this is good."

Victor wasn't finished. I knew it, and he knew I knew it, but I kept talking, hoping to put it off as long as possible.

"So I was thinking maybe we could take another trip back up to the lake. I don't know when it'll get too cold to go out on the water, but even if we can't fish, we could rent a cabin. I bet it's really peaceful out there in the fall."

"The fall is one of my favorite times to go. How about you, Victor? Would you be interested?"

"Anything that gets Andy out of town is okay with me," he ground out before shoving another bit of his omelet in his mouth.

I completely ignored his tone and just kept on running with it. "Well, maybe I'll see if we can find a cabin to rent. I like that idea."

Jesse gave my leg another reassuring squeeze, and I shot him a smile.

"Of course I have the softball game coming up. It's going to be fun, and all the proceeds go to charity."

"There's an arsonist targeting you guys, and you're going to play softball?" Victor glared at me like I was doing something wrong.

"It isn't just our station. We can't stop living because this guy is out there trying to scare us."

"I'll tell you what you can't do. This job. You have to quit, Andy. It's bad enough that you chose a career where you put your life on the line every day, but now there's some psycho out there who's targeting you. And you want to go play softball?"

"He isn't targeting me, Vic, he's targeting the station."

"He set your fucking car on fire, Andy. Don't tell me he isn't targeting you."

"Vic," Jesse said in a calming voice. "He's okay. I'm sure the fire chief wouldn't continue with the game if he didn't think it's safe."

"It's not just the game. It's the whole thing. There's no reason for you to be doing this. You have plenty of money. Quit that job. Go back to school, open your own business, whatever you want. You don't have anything to prove, and you don't owe anybody anything. You could do something you love."

"I love being a firefighter, Vic. How many times do I have to tell you that? I love my job. I love the guys I work with, and yeah, I love the adrenaline rush."

He put his napkin on top of his unfinished omelet. "Whatever." He reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty. He tossed it on the table and stood. "Jesse, I can handle the club tonight. You just keep an eye on him."

Then he turned and walked away.

"That went well, don't you think?"

Jesse let out a wry chuckle. "Could've gone worse, I guess."

Jesse

We finished up our breakfast, and I stopped by the station so Andy could grab his truck. Then we went home. He tossed his bag on the couch and headed out to play with Seph.

I stood on the porch for a minute and watched him throw the ball for her. Upsetting Victor upset my boy, and I hated that. The brothers really did love each other, and it was easy to see that Vic just wanted what he thought was best for Andy. That was the problem, though. What he thought was best. He used to talk about his little brother and how much like their mother he was. How his father thought he was too soft and needed to toughen up.

Seph brought the ball and dropped it about five feet away from Andy, her sign that she'd had enough fetch. He plopped down on the ground beside her and let his eighty-pound horse of a dog climb into his lap. And I could see the soft boy that Victor believed Andy to be.

But what I saw that Victor couldn't was a mix of both strong and soft, and that was what made him special. He was kind and selfless. Qualities I had no doubt the older Ward had seen as soft or weak. But what Ezekial Ward hadn't realized was that to put yourself out there like that in this world today took strength, something Andy had in abundance.

I pushed open the screen door on the porch and went out onto the deck. He looked up at me and gave me a sad, weary smile.

"Come sit with me, slugger." I sat down on the wicker loveseat my grandmother had insisted belonged on my back deck and patted the cushion beside me.

He got up off the ground and joined me on the loveseat.

"So, do you want to talk about what happened at breakfast?"

"Not really. Victor loves me. I know that. My job scares him, and this arsonist makes it worse. If I thought he would never find out about it, I wouldn't have told him, but you know he would have, and then he would've been furious."

"I agree that he loves you, but he realizes that you're an adult and are perfectly capable of making your own decisions."

"Yeah, right, because the last time I made my own decisions, I did such a fantastic job."

"That was before. He can't keep holding that against you."

"I agree, but I also think it's going to take time for him to see that I'm in a better place now, and I'm willing to give him that time."

"Remember that time you told me you were selfish? Well, baby boy, you're anything but."

He snuggled in beside me and let out a sigh. "I am where you're concerned. I want all your time and attention."

"Which is perfectly fine with me because you have it." I placed a kiss on top of his head. I wasn't just saying that either. This boy owned every part of me. I wasn't even sure when it happened, but it did.

"Vic isn't all wrong, you know." He turned to look at me. "This is a dangerous job, and I don't have to work. I could literally live off of my inheritance as long as I used what's left of the money wisely."

"You mean this inheritance that you get control of next spring on your birthday? That inheritance?"

"Well, that's the only inheritance I have coming, so yeah."

"I thought you told me you blew through most of that money before Vic came to get you."

He shrugged. "After what happened back then, I don't trust people easily. I didn't lie, though. I blew through a lot of money before Vic caught on to what I was doing. As a matter of fact, I thought about asking Victor to remain in charge of the money."

"You don't trust yourself with it?"

He shook his head. "Not really."

"Well, I trust you to make the right decisions. But if it makes you feel better to leave Vic in charge, then you should do that."

"You think so?"

"I do, but you have to remember, you aren't doing this alone anymore, baby boy. I'm right here with you, and I'm not about to let you get off track like before. I mean, can you see me being okay with you going drag racing on a public highway or paying for a bunch of people to go jump out of airplanes?"

"No, not at all."

"Let me be your touchstone, baby. I want to do that for you."

"For how long, Jesse? Because if this is a temporary thing for you, I'll stick with my brother."

"For how long?" I reached for his hand and pulled him against me. "Forever, Andy. I love you, and I don't plan on ever letting you go."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, baby boy, seriously. You're mine, and I'm yours for as long as you'll have me."

He tossed one of his legs across mine and slid over until he was straddling my thighs. "I love you, too, Daddy."

He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine before he pulled back, giving me a saucy grin. "And you owe me a reward for being a good boy this morning."

"I do, don't I? Hmm, I wonder what it should be. What do you think, baby boy? What would be a good reward for such a good boy?"

"Orgasms are always good."

"Oh, you think so, do you?"

He nodded his head. "Definitely."

"Well, okay then. I guess we should take this to the bedroom."

He slid off my lap and stood up. "I'll see you there."

I waited just a minute to give him time. I loved walking into our bedroom to find him naked and waiting for me. Something about that just really did it for me.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed a couple bottles of water, and then I made my way to our room. And sure enough, there he was, laying on his side and waiting for me in nothing but a pair of dark blue lace briefs. I could see his hard cock through the holes in the lace, and fuck, if that wasn't the sexiest thing I'd ever seen.

I stripped off my clothes as I moved toward the bed. I leaned down and kissed him before sliding onto the bed next to him.

"Let me look at you." I lightly traced his face from his cheekbones to his lips, continuing down to his chest as it rose and fell with each breath. "Damn, baby boy, you're gorgeous, and mine. All mine."

I lightly brushed my fingers over his nipples, and he sucked in a breath as they pebbled beneath my touch. From there, I slid my hand down his stomach and traced the ridge of muscles there, and he let out a little gasp.

"Fuck you're so sexy, baby." I slowly trailed my finger up his stomach, over his chest, and across his collarbone, watching as a trail of goosebumps followed my fingers.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Worshiping you, baby boy. I'm worshiping you."

"Daddy," he whimpered.

"Yes, baby boy?" I slid my hand up over his neck and placed my thumb on his pulse point so I could feel his racing heartbeat.

"I want you inside me, please."

"Really? Is that what you want for your reward?"

I reached down and stroked his cock. It was swollen and rock hard. I moved my hand slowly up and down, giving that little twist at the end he loved.

"Yes, please," he moaned as he thrust into my hand. I rolled to the other side and grabbed the lube.

"You're so hard. Are you going to be a good boy for me?" I asked as I opened the bottle and poured some in my hand.

"I'll try, Daddy."

"Good boy. Now, on your back, take those pretty lace boxers off, and spread your legs for me." He didn't hesitate at all. He just rolled from his side to his back, shimmied out of the lace, and let his legs fall apart to give me access to his body.

I slid one finger inside him, and he moaned. I added another finger and slid them in and out. "You like that, don't you? When I play with your hole, getting you ready for me?"

"Yes, feels so good, Daddy, so good."

I watched as my fingers moved in and out of his tight, hot hole. When I was sure he was good and ready, I pushed his legs farther apart to make room for me, lined up my cock, and slid in. He let out a little moan, and I started thrusting into him over and over.

"Please, please, please," he chanted. I reached down, wrapping my hand around his cock and letting the force of my thrusts push him into my grip.

"Come for me, baby," I ordered, and he cried out as hot liquid ran over my hand.

As he came, his muscles tightened around me. I couldn't hold back any longer. I slammed hard into him a couple more times, and then, as my orgasm blasted through me, I pushed into him and stayed there, letting the tremors wash over my body until I was completely spent.

I collapsed down next to him and pulled him into my arms. "I love you, slugger. So damn much."

"Hmm, I love you, too, Daddy."