Chapter 27 Kamirah #2
Toasts for Hewitt rang out. This was his second retirement party.
We’d already had a get-together for him after the team returned from their final game last season.
The Seals had won against the Maple Leafs but missed out on going through to the playoffs.
That game had been a good send-off for Hewitt—he’d managed a goal, an assist, and some stellar passes.
It was one of the best performances he’d had all last season.
He’d struggled for most of it, exhaustion and niggling injuries playing havoc with his confidence.
He’d made the decision to retire right around the time Chris had come out but held off announcing it publicly until after that last game.
Keeley had notified all of us partners, and we’d scrambled to organize a celebration for him.
That one had been at Skyline. This one was a whole lot more personal even though the guest list was twice as large.
Things were changing. Everything was different. But it was all for the better.
Two years ago, my life had been upended. I thought my marriage was over. We’d lost Hux. I’d never felt more alone.
Now I had everything I could ever have dreamed of and more.
Locke was incredible. He loved hard and so fiercely that we were never in any doubt about the depth of his feelings for us. It was in everything he did, the little things as much as the big ones.
I hadn’t ever seen Chris smile as much as he did now.
He’d lost his parents and brothers. He thought he’d lost his nieces and nephews, too, but the older ones had reached out to him, keeping the lines of contact open.
James’s son, Junior, had his baby sister sit in on every call, and William, Martin, and Josh set up weekly video chats with the other cousins.
Chris was determined not to lose them too.
As awful as his coming out had been, Chris firmly believed he was better off because of what happened. He was free now.
His father and brothers pleaded guilty and got a slap on the wrist. It kept their case largely out of the media, and as much as I wanted to use the way the media clung to our every move to bury them, Chris had refused. He just wanted to move on.
I cut off all contact with my mother too.
The fallout from that weekend was catastrophic.
Mom and Dad split. She sided with Chris's family and couldn’t understand why Dad disagreed.
Her vitriol made it impossible for Dad to stay.
My sister got angry and blamed me, never really forgiving me for what went down.
She and Dad don’t talk much anymore either.
But we’d all decided to focus on the good things that had come out of it. Dad would be arriving in San Diego as soon as the house closed. He was looking forward to enjoying the milder falls and winters in his retirement.
We all paid a heavy price, but we had to believe it was worth it.
Locke was worth it. Our happiness was too.
My changes had been more subtle. I’d regained my trust in Chris, the stress of that mistrust floating away on the wind.
He’d more than redeemed every one of his faults in my eyes, and our marriage and relationship with Locke was stronger than ever.
I felt like myself again, but… more. I was settled and content now, the wake up in the morning, stretch, and smile kind of happiness that had me floating throughout each day.
I was busy doing what I loved, and during my time off, I spent every moment with people I loved.
I watched as Locke walked over to me with a bottle of water. I took it gratefully from him and murmured, “Thank you, V.” He flashed me that shy smile I loved so much and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I snuggled into him, enjoying the feel of him in my arms.
The three of us had been inseparable for the whole summer.
Those few months in Vancouver were glorious.
We spent every spare moment together, including walking those same nine miles through Stanley Park, remaking those memories as ours.
We’d visited every tourist attraction within a day’s drive, and when Locke had a few days off, we’d chartered a flight to Juneau and hopped on a private yacht to see Alaska’s Glacier Bay and the humpback whales. It was magical.
Carina looked in my direction and smiled.
She, Jacques, Travis, and Rusty were the worst-kept secret on the team.
They’d never officially come out, and from the limited conversations I’d had with her, never would.
But they’d made it obvious to us the day Charlie was born.
Having two “roommates” in the delivery room and giving them a say on your daughter’s name wasn’t exactly the norm.
But more than that, they acted like a unit, solid, unrufflable, and filled with a deep love and respect for one another.
In the twelve months I’d known Carina, she’d become the sister I’d lost. Cara and I had worked on our relationship too.
Hux and Chris acted like brothers, best friends who had a deep affection for each other.
Monroe had kept his word as well, being there for Chris when he’d needed family.
Their bond really was beautiful to witness.
Monroe was a father at heart, and taking Chris under his wing had been the best thing that could have happened to both of them.
They became great friends, and Chris had blossomed under Monroe’s praise and open acceptance. The team really was our family.
Chris had grown so much. He faced every day with a confidence he’d never had before. I hadn’t realized how much he’d been suffering, watering down everything about himself so he could hide. Now, he didn’t hesitate, going with the groove and reveling in his newfound freedom.
Of course, freedom was relative. The media storm after Chris's coming out and our relationship announcement with Locke was crazy. Our neighbors had complained so much, we’d been forced to move into a gated community with security that was a far cry from our suburban street’s neighborhood watch.
The cameras in our faces were a lot, but our trip to Vancouver had pressed Pause on a lot of it.
The focus shifted from us to Locke’s movie.
Now we just had to find a place that was perfect for the three of us.
All the issues, all the challenges we’d faced, were just that. They didn’t matter in the long run. They were just hurdles we needed to jump over, and we had and would. There was no way I was giving my men up; I was happier than I ever thought I could be.
“You’re very quiet,” Locke remarked. “You okay?”
“I’m being introspective,” I responded, squeezing his waist.
“And what, my sweet thing, are you thinking about?”
“About how much our lives have changed over the past two years, and especially over the past twelve months. It's hard to believe how different everything is.”
“Different good?” he murmured against my hair, then pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Different amazing. Look around.” I gestured to the groups of people surrounding us. “We have friends who we count as family and who love us as much as we love them. Chris isn't hiding anymore. He's free. The three of us are happy and in love. I wouldn't change a single thing.”
“Neither would I,” he murmured, then tilted my face up to his and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips.
I grinned and squeezed his sexy-as-sin butt. "I'd have to chase you down if you did."
Locke laughed, happiness lighting up his eyes. He tugged me closer to him, moving us away from the fence, spun me around, and dipped me low. I squeaked in surprise, but he quietened me with a slow kiss that had me melting into him. I clung to his shoulders, pressing my body against his.
When Locke straightened, Chris was there. He wrapped his arms around both of us and nuzzled my throat. This right here, was perfection.
***
I tossed the button-down shirt of Locke’s that I’d been wearing into the clothes hamper in our walk-in closet along with my silver leggings. I couldn’t get my conversation with Locke out of my mind. For once, I wanted to chase him down.
I plucked last year’s Halloween mask out of the drawer and shivered at the desire that slammed into me when I remembered the three of us dressed as Vigilante.
Locke had two Vigilante costumes delivered to us that morning so that all three of us matched.
We’d spent part of the night handing out candies to the neighborhood kids, then as the sun set and Chris and I increased our teasing touches, seeing how far we could push Locke before he snapped, he’d rasped his ordered, “Run,” to us.
We’d taken off, upending the candy bowl and scattering candy bars all over the front yard in the process. Locke chased us inside where he’d quickly cornered us in the living room. By the time Locke had finished with us, we were jelly-legged and completely sated.
Now it was my turn.
I shimmied out of my panties, flicked the switch to turn the mask on, and strutted back out into the bedroom with a smile on my face.
Chris was brushing his teeth, a towel around his waist, and Locke was in the shower.
I watched Chris watch me in the mirror as I stalked closer and tugged at his towel.
Locke turned the faucet off and stepped out, looking me up and down as he dried himself with quick, rough strokes.
All three of us were naked except for my mask, and I was so fucking wet.
I wanted them.
But I was going to make them work for it.
"Run, boys," I ordered.
They did, both coming at me so fast that I barely had a chance to react. They worked as one, each picking me up under my arm and tossing me on the bed like I weighed nothing. I laughed, my plan completely derailed in the space of thirty seconds.
But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This was us—full of love and laughter. I floated in it as my men kissed lines down my body and took me to heaven.
I threaded my fingers through their hair and tugged them back up my body, my legs like jelly and my pussy still tingling.
Chris pressed his weight onto one side and Locke the other.
I loved having them next to me, being surrounded by their warmth and strength.
I tossed the mask, drew them each in for a kiss and held them tight, never wanting to let them go.
I would be forever grateful we didn’t fuck up our chance at happiness. Because this, these moments together, this love that we shared, was everything, and I would cherish it, and them, always.
And they lived happily ever after.
***
Thank you for reading Don't Puck Up.