Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Ezra
It had only been a few months since my first date with Skylar, but I’d never felt like this. I was excited to see him and it was easy to talk to him, unlike with pretty much everyone else. He was so energetic and curious, and he really listened, even if I wasn’t used to talking and still got flustered.
And the lovemaking…
I knew it was crazy to call it lovemaking already, but it was. I was a level-headed man, which worked in my favor with parenthood and my job. But it could also prevent me from feeling intense excitement or joy. Skylar barreled right past all of those inhibitions, so in the moment and so honest in how thrilled he was to be with me and how much he liked me. It was impossible not to echo his joy with my own, whether it was laughter or cries of pleasure.
All of which added up to being in love. Madly in love, I knew Skylar would say.
I hadn’t told him and had no plans to do so anytime soon. I was patient and I didn’t want to rush, not after he’d worried I was putting too much pressure on a new thing. I knew he liked me and enjoyed dating, but I wanted a long-term, committed relationship and I wasn’t sure if he wanted that or was ready for it. There was also the fact that he’d only moved here for his grad program, so that didn’t mean Wildflower was his forever place.
But I wasn’t pretending like this was no big deal. I would never disrespect us like that.
“ Dad! ” Dov shouted. “Are you even listening?”
Dragging my focus back to my son, I sent him a look. “Are you even saying anything you haven’t said already?”
“ Aargh! ” he shouted. “Mia’s here to pick me up. I’m out of here.”
He stomped out of the house while I called heartily, “Love you, son!”
I bent over and laughed silently when I heard him mutter, “You love ruining my life .”
Once I caught my breath, I went back to cleaning up in the kitchen, thinking about how bright my life was now, even if it featured one too-blunt preteen and one moodier-every-day teenager. Things I might have worried about way too much before had come easily knowing Skylar supported me, like telling family and my employees at the clinic I was dating a man. I hadn’t been expecting rejection or hatred, but I’d still rolled my eyes when my mom burst into tears and told me she was just happy to have proof my penis wasn’t broken.
Rolling my eyes again just thinking about her over the top reaction, I moved some laundry and wiped down the bathroom sink before whistling for Rocky to go on our walk.
When I didn’t hear him thundering towards me, I whistled again, figuring he was snoozing on Naomi’s bed, his favorite place to be when she’d slept there recently.
“Rocky! Walk time!” I called as I jogged upstairs.
But he wasn’t in Naomi’s room and I frowned, moving through the house with increasing speed as I checked all his favorite places, until I got to the back door. It was swung open about a foot, and there was no screen, which meant Rocky could have slipped out. He’d never gone farther than the backyard, so I put on slippers since it snowed a bit last night and walked to the three bushes along the east fence where Rocky had a little hideout.
“Rocky,” I said sharply. “Let’s go.”
My heart started to pound, quick and anxious, when nothing happened.
I rushed inside to put on shoes and a jacket and grab my keys, then jogged around my neighborhood, calling for my dog, but I didn’t find him. Feeling panic, my eyes burning, I ran back home in case he’d come back, but he hadn’t. I called my kids, my mom, and my ex on my landline since my cell was dead. I didn’t know Skylar’s number by heart and he was on campus all day today, but I hated that I couldn’t tell him Rocky was… missing.
My baby.
I’d adopted him after I moved in, freshly single and feeling lost. He had been as soft as dandelion fluff, all oversized feet and a tail that wagged so fast it seemed to blur. When I’d been awake too late, not used to sleeping alone, he shoved his nose into my armpit and slept there. When I was eating sad meals for one on the couch, he’d brought one of his toys to chew on next to me, then danced around until I took him out to walk and play.
I couldn’t lose him.
I got in my truck and headed for Skylar’s, even though I knew he wouldn’t be home yet, because I needed him. When I got there, though, his car was on the crowded street, and I almost collapsed in relief as I rushed up to his door and rapped my knuckles on it hard.
When it opened, it wasn’t Skylar. I had to catch the step into his arms I’d already been taking, frowning in confusion and asking more sharply than I meant, “Who are you?”
“Aren’t you delicious?” he purred . “I knew you’re a hottie silver fox but whew .”
“Who are you talking to?” I heard Skylar call, sounding stressed. “I need help here!”
Too scared about Rocky to care who this was, I dodged him and shouted, “Skylar!”
Skylar ran out and his face crumpled in relief. “Thank God, your cell kept going straight to voicemail so I wasn’t sure if you were getting my messages or not,” he babbled in relief, not making sense until he pulled me into the bathroom and I saw Rocky in the tub.
I staggered against the doorframe, feeling the vice grip of fear around my heart snap open as I dropped to my knees on the mat next to the tub, my hands reaching for Rocky.
“My cell’s dead,” I said. “I couldn’t find Rocky and then I came right here.”
“ Aww ,” the guy cooed from out in the hall.
Ignoring that, Skylar stroked my hair in slow, soothing passes as he took a breath and explained, “Tiegan and I were leaving here and Rocky bounded up to me and I thought, What a great surprise, but then you weren’t with him. He looked like he’d swum in snowy mud, so I tried calling you while I got him in the bath, and then Rocky was freaking out because I was freaking out when I couldn’t get hold of you. I don’t know why I didn’t just go to your?—”
I cut him off with a kiss, clamping my hand over his in my hair to keep him close.
Rocky’s cool, wet nose pushed between our stomachs as he made worried noises, and Skylar and I broke the kiss at the same time, both of us immediately soothing my dog.
“You scared me, Rocky,” I whispered into his clean, wet fur. “Did you want to see Skylar?” Rocky gave a tentative wag of his tail, sensing we were still anxious. I scrubbed the fur between his ears and smiled over at Skylar. “I get it. I always want to see him, too.”