Chapter 57
“Sir… Monroe is here…”
“Oh, good. Go ahead and show him around back, Reginald. Thank you.”
The concerned look on the butler’s face is amusing, but I don’t let on.
I admire his professionalism, but I also understand why Javi likes fucking with him.
Around here, being too serious can be a hindrance.
Though encouraging the psychiatrist to be a menace would be a fucking nightmare, so boundaries and pay cuts when necessary.
The butler goes off to direct Monroe and his…pets to the backyard, while I track down Jude and Javi.
Roman and Lio are waiting with Javi in his office. “Are the goats here?” Roman asks, jumping up from his seat.
I sigh. “Yeah, the goats are here. Come on.”
We head to the back door, but before we can get through it, Keegan’s voice stops me. “Incoming, Papa.”
Spinning around, I smile and crouch to catch Cole as he runs into my arms. “Are you too excited to sleep?” I ask him.
“Whoever told him about the goats gets to do naptime round two,” Keegan says as he steps closer to me, but keeps his eyes on Roman and Lio.
I chuckle a little, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “If they handle naptime, does that mean Papa and Daddy get our own naptime?” I ask innocently, but the look my love gives me is full of heat, and it goes straight to my cock.
“As…stimulating as this is,” Javi says. “There are children present, so keep it in your pants. At least, until after we get to play with the goats.”
Keegan glares at the psychiatrist, but I just ignore him, knowing it’s sometimes better to pretend the crazy isn’t happening.
“You want to go see the goats?” I ask, voicing and signing at the same time.
Cole nods, though his enthusiasm doesn’t quite show on his face, and that makes my heart ache. I hope Monroe is as good as his qualifications suggest, and Anderson assures us he is.
Roman opens the back door, skipping out into the yard, tugging Lio along with him.
Javi follows behind them, one of his suckers in his mouth, and an amused smile on his lips.
“Oh,” he says, looking over his shoulder at us.
“Did one of you tell Brannigan and Rowan that the goats are here? Don’t want Rowan to miss out. ”
“Let’s not overwhelm Monroe,” Jude replies. “These are his personal pets. It’s not a petting zoo.”
Javi pouts around his sucker, and I sigh at his dramatics.
We make our way over to the new enclosure, where Monroe is leading two goats on leashes as they explore their new home. One of the goats is white with black spots on its side, back, and face, while the other is a solid dark-brown.
Anderson is already in the enclosure, talking to his friend, though he makes sure not to get too close to the goats.
Not that I blame him—the cream sweater vest he’s wearing is somehow still pristine, and I question his sanity for wearing white.
Having a preschooler is teaching me a lot, and that is definitely a color I avoid in my wardrobe.
They both look up as we approach. “Hi!” Monroe says, smiling widely.
“Welcome, I hope everything is to your specification?” Keegan asks.
“It’s great! Bigger than the space they had at my place.
We’ll need to talk about maybe getting some more things for them to climb on.
The picnic table and swing are great, but they need some more activities and stimulation.
I also need someone to help me move the swing away from the fence.
This breed are known escape artists, so for their safety, we need to make sure they can’t find a way to get out. ”
“Of course. I can come in and help you move it now, if you want?”
Monroe smiles at Keegan. “That’ll be great, thanks! The rest of you can come in, too. They love meeting people.”
Roman and Lio don’t have to be asked twice, heading straight for the enclosure entrance. “Hi, I’m Roman, and this is Lio. We’re part of the Council. Thanks for letting us see the goats.” Roman beams at Monroe. “What are their names?”
“This one,” Monroe points to the dark-brown one, “is Lizzie, she’s the big sister. And that’s Billy, her devoted servant.”
Roman kneels on the ground, his skirt billowing around him as he holds his hand out for the goats to sniff. “Do they like cats?” he asks. “I have two new kittens, so I don’t want them to get scared if they smell them on me.”
“They’re okay with other animals,” Monroe assures him. “I can actually take them off their leads now, as long as the gate is secured.”
“I made sure to latch it,” Jude replies. He steps forward. “I’m Jude, one of the Council Voices. I’m the one you should contact if you need to acquire anything for your pets or yourself. Though you can bring any other issues to me as well, same as Keegan. We’re here to help.”
“Oh, thanks. So you’re the one that organized the playground of my babies’ dreams?” Monroe gives Jude a sweet smile, batting his eyelashes a little.
Anderson snickers. “Pretty sure Jude’s dance card is full, my friend. But he is pretty, isn’t he?”
Jude’s expression seems to go even blanker than normal, and Roman snorts as his lover shuts down rather than show his confusion at being flirted with.
“Good thing Antonio isn’t out here,” Roman says in Italian. “We don’t need to scare Monroe and his goats away with our fellow pocket twink’s possessiveness.”
Jude stares down at Roman. “I didn’t catch all of that, Tesoro Mio, but what I did hear makes me want to put you over my knee, like I do my Boy…”
Roman just grins and continues to pet the goat. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Amante.”
Jude sighs.
I shake my head. “Ignore my son, he’s a troublemaker. This one, however…” I adjust Cole on my hip. “He’s an angel.”
“Cole, right?” Monroe keeps his distance, but smiles gently. “I’m Monroe. Your daddies have told me a lot about you, and I can’t wait to play with you; Lizzie and Billy are excited, too.”
As if on cue, one of the goats lets out a bleat.
Cole tries to bury his head in my throat, and my heart breaks. I understand his need to cling to us, especially with other people around. Anderson and Monroe being strangers isn’t helping at all, but it still kills me that he’s hiding what I know is a happy little boy full of personality.
Crouching down, I hold my hand out for the boy goat, Billy, to sniff. “You want to pet him?” I ask Cole gently.
He lifts his head, showing interest as the goat headbutts my hand. “Hold your hand out.”
It takes a minute, but Cole stretches out his hand, a small giggle breaking free when Billy nudges him.
It’s quiet, and he clams up as soon as the sound escapes him, but it’s something.
I can’t help but smile, raising my head to look at Keegan, who’s been joined by Marcus at some point, both of them watching our son.
The three of us exchange matching grins.
There's still worry on their faces, but like me, they’re taking any positive sign of our Cole that we can get.
Shifting my grip on Cole so he can more easily reach out to pet Billy, I press a kiss to his hair, letting hope swirl through me that this is only the first step of many toward getting our family healthy and back together.