Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
ARICK
Waking up the next morning felt like a fever dream.
Morning might have been an exaggeration though. It was more mid-afternoon when I scrambled from the bed in a panic.
I vividly remember the events of the day before. Every second of worry, every ounce of hope. All of it came together and worked to reunite me with my son.
Sol. Where was he?
Throwing on a shirt, I went to the bedroom he’d been in the night before. I’d been lucky enough to grab the other spare bedroom they had, and now I needed to find my boy.
When I got to his room, it was empty. I didn’t immediately panic. There was far too much sunlight coming into the room for him to have still been in bed. It was wishful thinking on my part.
Downstairs, I found the house mostly empty. There was a man in the kitchen cooking something in a big pot. He nodded at me, then went back to work without saying a word.
I left him to it while I took off for the back porch. The view from the window looked as if it might be the best place for me to get a general idea of where Sol could be. You could see most of the land from this single vantage point.
And if I couldn’t find him, then I’d likely see someone who would know where he was.
The air was brisk when I stepped outside, making me realize I was only in a thin shirt and baggy sweatpants. It wasn’t enough to combat the cold in the slightest.
Ignoring how I felt physically, I scanned the area for any sign of Sol. A few men were working, but I didn’t see any small figures. His size would be a dead giveaway if he popped up.
I was about to turn around to go inside for a jacket when I heard a hearty laugh. Warmth flooded through me at the sound.
“That’s right, big guy. You might just be the quickest to pick up horse-riding I’ve ever seen,” Orion said as he came around the corner holding Sol’s hand.
My son beamed up at him, his expression one I recognized. It was a look he’d sent my way when I’d done something he especially liked — usually telling him he’d done a good job or encouraging him to give it his all.
I’d taught him from a young age that failure wasn’t the end. We had to keep going, keep trying, if we wanted to grow.
That particular piece of advice had always stuck with him. It stuck with me too. In fact, it fueled me as I searched for him all these months.
“Dad!” He dropped Orion’s hand and ran to me. I kneeled, accepting the love I’d missed for so long.
“Morning,” I said.
“It’s not morning, silly. We already had breakfast and lunch.”
“Don’t tease your dad, kiddo. He was exhausted.” Orion ruffled his short hair.
I was still kneeling, which created an awkward angle to look up at the other man. Well, maybe not all that awkward. It was more… enticing, I guess.
Arousal and sex had been on the back burner for so long, it felt like I was being bowled over when it returned. My desire to fool around with Orion confused me to no end. It had crept up last night too, though I’d equated it to exhaustion instead of real desire.
But I wasn’t tired anymore.
I’d slept for hours without interruption knowing my son was safe and with me. My excuses for my cock hardening at the smirk Orion wore were invalid.
He was attractive.
There was no denying it. And I wanted him. Again, I couldn’t hide this fact.
With my position, he couldn’t see what he was doing to me, thank heavens. I didn’t need to go around flashing this inconvenient erection around.
“I think your dad needs some food and coffee, kiddo. Why don’t we go bug Harlan into making something while he gets dressed?” Orion looked me and up down, humor shining in his eyes.
His face might have changed a bit over the years, but the amused look he wore was the same. A beard, his rugged jawline, and some added muscle didn’t change the boy I knew deep inside.
“Thanks,” I said as they turned to leave. He winked at me, then ushered Sol into the house.
I kept my position for a minute as I let the cold take over my body. The wind helped ease the heat his gaze had sent through me. I was no longer at risk for indecency.
A quick change later, I was back in the kitchen and watching a stoic Harlan showing my son how to scramble eggs. The pair was huddled together near the stove with Sol on a stool that looked custom built.
Orion moved to stand beside me; his arms crossed. “They’ve been really good with him. He’s learned a lot and besides the nightmares, it’s been like any normal kid on a ranch.”
“Nightmares?”
“Yeah. I’ll explain it all later. Let’s get you fed, then later, we’ll let reality creep back in.”
I understood what he meant. None of this felt real. It was too much of a dream for me to find them both in a place as idyllic as this.
We stood watching the two guys in the kitchen finish plating up the food. Once Harlan deemed it ready to go, Sol thanked him with a hug and a wave. He climbed off the stool, then carefully brought the plate over to me.
“This looks delicious!”
His smile grew at my praise, just as I’d hoped it would. My boy had truly done a good job with this meal.
“Can I go play with Dakota?” Sol asked.
Orion sighed, then gave him a nod. “Stick with him and Beau. They could probably use some extra hands.”
Sol ran out of the room at lightning speed. I had to stop eating because I got too choked up seeing him just being a kid again. I’d feared the worst when he was taken. There was no way to know how much he’d be changed when he came back to me.
“It’s amazing to see him like that.”
I turned to Orion. “How so?”
“Because he would barely say a single word before you got here. When we were back in the office, I couldn’t get him to tell me anything. Getting his name took a lot of work and building his trust. Then you got here, and he’s a chatty Kathy.”
Snorting at the nickname, I shook my head. “He’s always been that way. It feels completely insane for me to think of him being reserved. He’s the first to jump in and the first to speak up.”
“That’s not the kid I first met.”
His words sent my thoughts to a dark place. What happened to my son to make him close himself off that way? How bad could it have gotten?
Orion grabbed my hand. “Hey now. Don’t go thinking about that.”
“But you just said?—”
“I know what I said. It’s still not something you should be thinking about. Worrying over it won’t change things. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. You being here is already making a huge difference.”
His words grounded me in the moment. I could do this. I could continue to show up and be there for my kid.
No matter what came next, I’d have his back. He was my whole world.
Looking at Orion, I felt like maybe I should amend that thought. Because while Sol was my primary focus and always would be, my old friend felt like he was quickly becoming a pretty big part of my world too.
A few days passed in peaceful bliss. I got back on a normal sleep schedule. We woke up early to eat with the other men on the ranch. I learned about their stories and how they’d all come to find love in a place this secluded.
Sol would play with Dakota during the day. The two got on really well, which gave me a tiny bit of guilt I’d never been able to give him a sibling. Then again, I was struggling as it was as a single dad, what with him being taken. I couldn’t imagine two of my children in that scenario.
The more time passed, the more I realized it wasn’t my fault that he’d been trafficked. It was the fault of the evil people who thought people were property. I’d done everything right. I’d been a good dad.
And still, my kid fell victim to their disgusting ways.
One morning, Orion sat beside me at breakfast and put his hand on my thigh. The touch burned, sending a shooting desire of need up my spine.
I froze, unsure why he’d chosen that moment to do something so bold. When I looked at him, his face was a picture of innocence. He wasn’t even fucking looking my way.
“Orion,” I called out to get his attention.
He turned my way, that same smile in place from when he’d been talking to someone else. “Yes, Arick?”
“Did you need something?”
“Not really. Just wanted you to know we should probably head back to the city today. I want to get you two settled before the big snowstorm rolls through.”
Sean clapped his hands from where he sat across from us. “It’s going to be gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it all white outside.”
There was a round of agreement, which made me wonder why we couldn’t stay. Atticus must have been watching me because he spoke up to explain.
“Weather is going to be nasty for several days. If you don’t head out before the storm, you’ll likely be stuck here two to three more weeks.”
My eyes went wide at the knowledge of how bad it was going to be. “We need to pack.”
So that’s what we did.
After breakfast, I took Sol up to his room and helped him gather his stuff. Beau and Jackson had gifted him some things that previously belonged to Dakota. Sol also told me how each of the other ranch hands had also given him gifts during his stay. There was a mix of functional things like a coat and gloves, along with the more fun stuff, like toys and games.
When he was done, I let him run off to play with his friend one more time so I could gather my few items. It didn’t take me long, which left me far too much time to think of what was coming.
We were moving in with Orion. My long-lost friend Orion. The Orion I was currently fighting not to take to bed each day.
This was a disaster in the making. How could we do this without it getting messy?
And what was it about him that made me feel like I couldn’t separate myself from my desires? Every touch, every look set me off. My cock had never been as hard as it had this past week.
“You ready?”
I nearly groaned at the sound of Orion’s voice. Did he know I was thinking of him? Could he sense when my body craved him?
The worst part of all this was that I wasn’t sure what to do about it. I could ignore it, obviously. Pretend like he didn’t affect me.
Except, my cock couldn’t seem to get that memo. Even now it was fighting against my zipper to come out and play.
“What’s bothering you? Did something happen with Sol?” Orion asked as he moved further into the room.
I shook my head. “No, he’s fine. I’m just a bit out of sorts. Big changes and all that.”
“Lots of them. It can be daunting, I’m sure. Good news is that I’m here to help anyway I can. All you have to do is let me know what you need.”
“I can’t ask that of you. You’ve already done enough. Offering your home, working to keep Sol safe, and heavens knows what else you did that I don’t know about.”
Orion sat beside me on the bed, his thigh pressed right against mine. It was far closer than I expected him to sit, and I didn’t know if I should move back or not.
“You need to listen to what I’m about to say because I don’t want to repeat myself.”
My mouth went dry at the tone of his voice. He was all kinds of intense.
“Ok,” I replied, voice soft.
He stared in my eyes as he spoke, making sure I felt the sincerity of his words. “You do not have anything to thank me for. I wanted to help Sol. I wanted to find you. None of that was a burden.”
I wanted to believe him. Fuck, did I want to.
But a part of me still questioned how a short friendship over two decades ago could lead a man to bending over backwards to help. It wasn’t something I was used to.
“As for staying with me, it’s really more selfish than you think. I want the two of you with me. It’s partly about your safety, and partly because I can’t imagine losing you again,” Orion admitted. “I don’t want to scare you with how I’m feeling right now, Arick.”
His voice had dropped even more, the tone suggesting his feelings matched mine. Could he be attracted to me too? Was this some type of trauma bonding thing we were doing? How could I trust that a relationship with him would work once we were past the initial relief of being reunited?
“You’re overthinking everything right now. I can see it will take time to convince you.”
I shook my head, unsure how to explain what I was thinking. “While I want to believe what you’re saying, I don’t know that I can. This all feels like a dream.”
My eyes closed, the need to avoid his stare too strong to resist. I couldn’t keep looking him in the eye when all I wanted was to kiss him, to hold him, to give him all of me.
I’d never been a passionate person. My relationships were all mediocre. Even the one with Sol’s mother wasn’t all that great.
Somehow, I knew Orion would be different. Being with him would change everything.
The idea terrified me. I couldn’t imagine what the reality would be like.
With my eyes closed, everything could disappear. I wasn’t hurtling towards unknown feelings or fighting to keep my cool.
I could pretend everything was fine.
Except —
“Arick, look at me.”
I was helpless to do anything but follow his words.
When I opened my eyes, I found him watching me with an intense stare. His hands moved towards me slowly, as if he were giving me space to stop him.
There was no chance of that happening.
As he cupped my cheeks, my heart kicked into overdrive. The touch didn’t feel platonic.
“This isn’t a dream, my love. I’m really here. So is your son. We both care about you and want what’s best. I merely want the chance to get to know this version of you. And I’ll be honest, I’m extremely attracted to what I’ve seen so far. That doesn’t mean anything has to happen. You are not beholden to me in any way. Nothing about your living situation will change if you decide you don’t want anything to do with me. That I can promise.”
Was it foolish to believe him? Probably so.
I would have to be called a fool then.