Chapter 14

I was running late...again.

I maneuvered the car around another bend and overtook the truck ahead that was going about three miles per hour. In the backseat, my phone was vibrating nonstop and I didn't have to guess who was calling. My mother had a thing about punctuality and I could just picture her standing in her apron by the kitchen sink, waiting for me to pick up so she could give me hell for the delay.

I let it ring.

I'd had a string of meetings this morning, each of them having taken much longer than I'd anticipated, but they'd gone well and I could honestly say I'd made progress. Maybe cold lunch and a scolding from the mother would be worth it. When I turned down the street of my neighborhood, I felt a smile blossoming on my face of its own accord and as had been happening all day, Jason, and the night we'd had came to mind.

To say it hadn't been better than I'd expected would be an understatement. He'd been as perfect as anyone could hope a lover would be and seeing him this morning—wide eyed and staring at me in the bedroom mirror, with that ever-present blush on his face and the marks I'd left on his body, had made my whole day. That, and waking up to Timmy sitting contentedly in the center of my back, humming a strange tune.

This was my life now. It was hard to believe it, but waking up to the two people who meant everything to me, being able to provide for them, put a smile on their faces and being the one person they could rely on, was a feeling like nothing else.

Yes, this was my life now. Falling asleep next to the man I loved and waking up to him stretched out beside me...it was indescribable.

I pulled into the driveway of our place and the first thing I saw was Timmy at the window, his palms and forehead pressed to the glass. I waved when he looked my way and was rewarded with a wide, dimpled grin. This is how it should always feel coming home— like a healthy breath of fresh air.

I closed the door behind me when I stepped out of the car and jogged up to the front door, which was pulled open before I could insert the key.

"Micha." Timmy stood there, holding the door open, his face lit with a grin.

I bent and picked him up. "What's up you?" and pulled gently on his curls. "Where's daddy?"

When he pointed to the staircase, I frowned. I'd need to reposition the lock on the door so it would be out of his reach. We couldn't have him opening doors the moment we let him out of our sight.

"You don't open doors by yourself okay?"

Rather than answer, his hands went immediately to my hair and before I'd even made it to the foot of the stairs, he was pulling on the strands.

"Jason?" I called, taking them two at a time and I heard his muffled reply from the direction of his room.

"You ready?" I stuck my head around the open door way. He glanced up at me from where he sat on the edge of his bed, pulling on his shoes.

"Yeah, just gimme a sec." I straightened in the room, watching him tie his laces. "I was wondering if you were still gonna come."

"Yeah the meetings took longer than I expected, but mom will keep the food warm." I glanced at Timmy. "You hungry babe?"

"No." was his quick, yet distracted reply.

"I gave him something already." Jason said, looking guiltily up at me. "Do you think your mom will mind?"

"You worry too much." I told him with a grin, then set Timmy down.

"No Micha, up!" He latched on to my arm before I could straighten up.

"Go put on your shoes first."

"Shoes?" he asked, looking slowly around the room, but still keeping a firm grip on my arm.

"They're over there see? Go put them on." I pointed across the room and while he glanced over at them briefly, he made no move to get them.

"I think maybe he kinda missed you today." Jason issued hesitantly and I glanced from Timmy to him and back.

"Is that so?" I reached down and snagged him under the armpits before throwing him into the air. His squeal was deafening. "You missed me buddy?"

"No." he said automatically and I a tickle to the neck had him twisting a giggling in my arms.

"You don't miss your Micha?? I continued to tickle him and had to hold him tight to make sure he didn't fall. "I bet daddy missed me. Right daddy?" I glanced over at Jason and as expected he turned bright red.

I glanced back at Timmy. "See? Daddy missed me. Why are you trying to be a tough guy huh?" I poked at his sides and he squealed.

"No Micha!" he squealed, his laughter as rich and innocent as ever.

"Say you missed me and no more tickles!" I roared playfully and squealed again.

"Micha no tickows!"

"No tickles?" I pretended to eat his neck and he twisted and wiggled in an attempt to get away.

A peal of laughter rent the air when I did it again and a moment later his chubby hands were in my face as he tried to fend me off.

"You missed your Micha?"

More giggling. "If you missed me then I'll stop tickling."

"Misses, misses, misses!" he squealed and I stopped in an instant, allowing him a breather.

"See? That wasn't so hard now was it?"  When his giggling finally broke off, he wrapped his arms tight around my neck.

 I glanced over at Jason, there was a slight smile on his face and when he caught my eye, he bit his lip.

"I think we have a problem Timmy." I spoke to the little devil in my arms and he looked up at me.

"Daddy never told me he missed me." I told him and Timmy looked back and forth between us. "I think daddy needs tickles, what do you think?"

Jason's eyes had narrowed as he listened to me and when I took a step toward him, he held up his hands and backed away. "Hell no."

"What do you say...give daddy tickles?" I questioned Timmy who pointed at his father with determination.

"Daddy haf tickows!"

This time when I moved toward him, he darted out of the way and Timmy laughed.

"Daddy isn't being fair, is he Timmy?"

Jason stood by the wall now, eyeing the open room door as though it was his salvation and I quickly set Timmy down. "Let's get him!" I shouted and with a delighted squeal Timmy bolted after his father and I ran to block the doorway.

"Don't you dare Michael." He warned, hands still held out in front of him as he watched me close the door.

Timmy on the other hand had already reached his father's side and was trying desperately to wiggle his little fingers on his father's jean-clad leg in an attempt to tickle him.

I grinned and Jason reached down and snatched the little guy up, before throwing him onto the bed.

Timmy laughed as he bounced and I approached my target slowly. Jason turned his attention back to me, his eyes wide and darting from side to side as he planned his escape.

"We're really late Michael." He tried. "This aint fair to your mom."

I pounced and with a shout, he darted across the room, hopped over Timmy who sat in the center of the bed and came to a standstill by the closet doors.

"You know the rules Jace...tell me you missed me and this all goes away!" I shouted with glee and winked at Timmy who sat laughing.

I pounced again and once more he darted to the other end of the room. "I missed you, I missed you!" he shouted and when I only grinned at him, still approaching slowly, his eyes widened.

"You stay right there!" he commanded, backing up with arms outstretched.

Someone was afraid of being tickled.

My grin only grew. "I already told you I missed you!" he shouted again.

"I don't believe you!" I shouted and he bolted when I ran his way. He was making a break for the bathroom door, so I did the only thing I could. I ran for the bed, hopped over a giggling Timmy and Jumped in front of him, successfully blocking his way.

He sidestepped me and when he hopped onto the bed again, I was ready for him. In an instant I tackled him onto the sheets and he was laughing as I tickled without mercy.

"Stop!" he shouted, twisting this way and that.

"Help me tickle him Timmy." And without pause, Timmy turned traitor to his father and started on his neck.

Jason continued to twist, laughing so hard his face turned red.

"No Timmy, help me!" he begged and just like that, the little devil switched sides and began pulling on his father's fingers as though he could actually pull him from my grasp.

"Micha haf daddy!" Timmy explained to the wiggling Jason and I couldn't help it—I released him, clutching my chest as I laughed.

By the time I'd expended it all, I was laying on my back between Jason and Timmy.

Beside me Jason panted. "You're a dick." He said breathlessly, then turned toward me with a grin. His curls which had been nice and neat when I'd entered the room, were now messy and crazy, just the way I liked it.

I pushed up on an elbow and turned to him, just as Timmy climbed over me and sat between us

"Gimmie a kiss." I ordered and Jason glanced at Timmy, then at me.

"No way, Timmy's right here." He said in horror.

"Aint nothing harmful in a kiss. Right Timmy?" I questioned him as he watched us and Timmy shook his head.

Jason shook his as well. "I aint doing that with him right in front of me."

"Alright." I said, then pointed to the bathroom door. "Look at that Timmy." I said and the moment Timmy looked away, I planted a quick kiss on Jason's lips.

He was bright red before Timmy looked back and with a satisfied sigh, I pushed up from the bed, taking the kid with me.

"Time to go put on your shoes buddy." I told him and this time, when I deposited him next to them, he sat on the floor and began the task of pulling them on.

On the bed, Jason rolled over to watch us, resting his head on his arms.

He looked downright delicious laying there and if Timmy hadn't been in the room I would have had my way with him.

"Come on, we're late." I told him instead and he smiled.

"As usual."

I returned it. "Take Timmy downstairs. I'm gonna go change." I gestured to my wrinkled suit and when he slid off the bed, I left them to it, making my way quickly to my room.

While there, I discarded the formal wear and pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans and the first clean shirt I spotted.

Downstairs I could hear Jason and Timmy talking. I slipped on a pair of shoes, splashed some water on my face in the bathroom and about a minute later, I was trudging down the stairs.

In the dining room, I picked up Timmy's bag with his usual change of clothes and grabbed the damp bunny from the couch in the family room. When I made to pass through the kitchen on my way to the front door, I paused.

Jason and Timmy stood staring at each other, both wearing frowns as they did.

"Everything okay?"

Jason was the first to look at me. "He wants tea, but I keep telling him we don't have the time to make it."

Just then Timmy turned to me, then pointed an accusing finger at his dad. "Micha, daddy no want Timmy haf tea." He complained.

"We're going to a special place where you can have all the tea you want. You just have to wait a little bit okay?" I told him and his frown deepened.

I sighed. "Let's just make the tea and get outta here." I told Jason and with a shake of his head and a shrug he turned to do it.

I deposited the bag and bunny on the kitchen stool and lifted Timmy onto the counter.

"You're spoiled you know that?" I questioned him, but he only watched his father as he set the water on the stove.

"It's your fault for giving him everything he wants." Jason spoke up and I grinned, turning my attention back to Timmy.

"But a prince should get everything he wants, right Timmy?"

He looked up at me. "No." and I chuckled, ruffling his curls.

It was a good ten minutes before we could leave out. I'd thrown a couple ice cubes into the Timmy's cup to cool it down a little, then we ushered him out the door.

Jason buckled up in the front seat and I strapped Timmy in in the back, grabbing my phone from the seat beside him before closing the door.

Once I was seated around the wheel, I sent a quick text to my mom, handed Jason the phone and backed the car down the driveway.

It was a little over half an hour before we got there and the door opened as soon as we parked. There she stood, in a pair of jeans and a floral top, her face lit with a smile.

From his seat, Jason watched her for, his expression unreadable. "Come on."

I hopped out and around the back, I unlatched Timmy from his car seat and deposited him onto the ground. He'd finished his tea and was still holding the empty cup.

"Let's leave that in the car okay?" and he put it and the seat.

Jason took hold on Timmy's hand and they followed me up the short steps to where my mother stood.

"You're late." She scolded, then gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah I know, the meetings went on longer than I—"

"Oh Michael, you didn't tell me he was so precious!" she interrupted and I turned expecting her to be drooling over Timmy, but it was Jason who she had in her sights and a moment later, she had him enveloped in a hug.

"Nice to meet you." Jason offered when she let go. He was looking decidedly uncomfortable. Then mom glanced down at Timmy and before he could hide behind his father's legs, she plucked him from the ground and hugged him close.

"Hi sweet boy. Look at those cheeks!" and she kissed them both.

Timmy, who to my surprise didn't cry out at being accosted by a stranger, looked as bewildered as Jason did, staring at my mom, before placing his usual two fingers into his mouth.

"Come on let's get inside. I kept the food warm for you, so I hope you're hungry."

She turned and made her way inside with Timmy still in her arms and after closing the door behind me, Jason and I followed. She took us through the house, down the passageway, through the family room and onto the patio out back, where she'd set up lunch on the table there. She'd covered everything with a long cloth and when she set Timmy down, she pulled it off so we could see what she had prepared.

As expected, she'd cooked for an army.

"I made a variety just in case you don't like something." She told Jason, who nodded.

"Alright come on, sit wherever you want." She offered.

Jason waited for me to take a seat before he took the one beside me and Timmy climbed into his lap.

Mom took her seat beside Jason and gestured to the food. "Help yourselves boys."

She was smiling brighter than I'd seen her smile in a long time and it was contagious. I figured she was happy for the company. Being on her own for most of the day while my dad went to work must be lonely and I thought that maybe allowing her to babysit Timmy when Jason and I went to work in a couple weeks would be a good idea.

"Oh sweetie, your neck." I glanced over at her as I scooped the mashed potato onto my plate, to see her staring at Jason.

I shook my head. He'd tried to keep them hidden by hoisting the collar of his jacket up, but with my mother, nothing could go unobserved. Jason glanced at me and I shrugged.

 My mom wagged a finger in my direction.

"Michael's always played rough. Even as a kid, I'd had to warn him about that." She told Jason whose expression was one of pure embarrassment.

"Mom—"

"You need to be gentler Michael." She interrupted me again. "Look at the size of you, you're likely to break him in half."

Jason looked like he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in a hole and I looked skyward.

Yes...this was my mother.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

MY EXAMS START NEXT WEEK SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO POST FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THEY BEGIN...SO I THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU AS MANY CHAPTERS AS I CAN MANAGE BEFORE THAT TIME COMES.

ENJOY AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING.

In the meantime feel free to go check out any of my other books..I'm recommending A Vampire's Marine. Enjoy!

DoUbLe.A

-unedited.