Chapter Eight
Will
I gave Sammy my contact information, but I never heard back from him. After spending the day with him up at the cabin, I’d rejoined my friends for the fishing trip and seen him a few times, in passing, but he’d been busy working on the cabin and hadn’t wanted me to give up any more of my vacation.
Truly, I had a great time with him. It hardly seemed like work when we were doing things together. We’d even found a sketchbook tucked away that had his eyes filling with tears. “It would have been a present for me. He encouraged my drawing, everything I did, really.”
When I got home, I knew I could have tried to reach him through our friends in common, but I chose not to push.
If he wanted to call, he could. And we both belonged to Chained but somehow never were there on the same night.
My schedule had not gotten any lighter, but I did go when I could on the off chance…
On this particular night, I had managed the trick of getting out of the office not only early enough to go to the club but to go home first and grab a shower and change, a real triumph in my scheduling in the past few years.
My short fishing vacation had reminded me how important it was to take the time to refresh myself, and Summit, an attorney with a busy practice, had nudged me as well.
He knew what it was like to put business ahead of life.
Chained was always a good time, even if I didn’t scene.
An evening with friends who understood my mind and how it worked was like a cool breeze on a hot day, and as soon as I arrived and passed through into the conversation area, I spotted several daddies and littles who were enjoying snacks and beverages.
The littles were seated either in their daddies’ laps or on the floor at their feet, pushing around a fleet of little cars. Making vroom vroom sounds.
“Will, come sit and visit. Unless you’re going right to the little room.” Bridger moved over on one of the sofas to make room. “I hear they have some great games tonight.”
I plopped down next to him with a sigh. “Maybe later. For now, I’m just glad to be here and relax.”
“Busy day at work?”
“It was, but it’s over now until tomorrow. How are all of you doing?”
I got the usual chorus of fine and great and other platitudes, and a server came over to take my order. I rarely drank if I was going to play, but one was fine, and I didn’t plan on it anyway. As long as there were people sitting here to socialize, I was all about it.
Bridger was crocheting, as usual. A pattern designer, he was almost always working on a new design and this one caught my eye.
He glanced over and saw me watching. “What do you think?”
“Love the colors. Is it a peacock?”
He held up the partially completed yarn. “It is. I had a request, actually a couple, and I thought how fun. I want to do that.”
“I can’t wait to see when it’s done. Sometimes I wonder if I should learn to crochet.”
“You should.” Hudson poked his head up from where he’d been playing with the cars. “Daddy show you.”
“That’s right, Will.” Bridger chuckled. “I’d be glad to teach you if you ever find time.”
“Isn’t that the trick?” I touched the yard. “That is so soft. Do you tell people which type of yarn to use or only colors?”
“I do give the color they need and the weight but not a specific brand usually. I have done a couple of collabs, though. Generally, I prefer not to. I like the idea that if someone gets a better deal on one brand or another, they can grab it. And I actually do kits, so I guess in those cases it is specific. But even there, I try to find the best deal I can for the best quality.”
“No wonder people love working your designs. I’ve heard a few doms, head-to-toe leather, talking about how great your instructions are, too.”
Just then, the server returned with my drink and as she turned away, Rowan came skipping over. He held his daddy’s hand, grinning from ear to ear. “Look, Daddy. Daddy Will is here!”
“I see that.” Summit greeted the other daddies and settled in an arm chair. “Do you want something to drink, Rowan?”
“First, I have to do something important.” Letting go of Summit’s hand, he approached me, his smile remarkably even bigger. “Daddy Will, I have something for you.” He held his other hand behind his back.
“You do?”
“Yes. It’s a present.” He thrust a large manila envelope in my direction. “For you.”
“That’s nice, Rowan.” I took it, puzzled. “But why?”
“It’s from Sammy.”
My heart rate kicked up, and I opened the flap and slid out the contents.
It was a drawing of the cabin where I’d stayed with the other daddies and littles, the lake in front with a little boat bobbing in the water.
I wasn’t sure how he made the boat seem to move, but the whole thing was so good.
“Wow. Look at this.” I turned it so the others could see. “Isn’t it great. He has a real gift.”
“Yes, he does.” Summit pulled his little over to sit on his lap. “A lot of work went into that, too.”
“I can’t even imagine, but I really love it. What a great memento from a special weekend.”
“Notice there are no fish in sight,” Bridger quipped. “So, it’s very accurate.”
I let them pass it around, wanting to be gracious but nervous that anything should happen to it.
When it finally made its way back to me, I tucked it carefully in the envelope and set it on the sofa next to me.
“What a thoughtful gift,” I said, really wanting to ask Rowan for Sammy’s number. “I’m going to have it framed.”
I stayed until all of my friends wandered off to the little room.
Right now, I was only interested in one little, and if I went along, I’d feel like I needed to play with a single little.
Driving home, I was so mixed up. He’d gone to so much trouble with his gift to me, and that had to mean he liked me a little, right?
But he’d had my phone number all along and never contacted me, so was this just his way of thanking me since I hadn’t allowed him to pay me?
At home, I pulled the picture out again and looked at it. The detail was incredible, and this time, it brought with it a sticky note that hadn’t come out before.
A phone number.
I couldn’t stop smiling.