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Two of the dogs were massive, but Corey had assured me that “Buddy and Beast are just oversized cuddle pups!”
They had an old Great Dane too. I patted him on the head, while avoiding stepping on the little Chihuahua, and veered right to go to the kitchen. Past the living room, where, sure enough, little Kyla was watching cartoons.
“Hi!” She waved at me with her sippy cup, causing some of the contents to splash over her. Which she just found funny.
“Good morning, Kyla.” I smiled tiredly and continued toward the kitchen.
“That’s why I only give her water,” Archie said with a wry grin.
I mustered a weak chuckle and slid onto one of the stools on the dining room’s side of the kitchen bar. “Anything I can do to help?”
He shook his head, busy with what looked like lunch. “Just sit there and take it easy.”
I loved their house. It was messy in a cozy way. The bar was the dumping site for a crate of vegetables and potatoes, one big bowl of eggs that I knew came from their own chicken coop, and two bread baskets. One stack of mail too, and two drawings from kids. I could barely see the fridge and freezer for all the children’s drawings there as well. Every time I visited, it made more and more sense for Archie to stay at home. It had to be a full-time job to keep this house standing.
“I’m surprised you slept through the morning hurricane of seeing the kids off to school,” he commented. “Not to mention that Master can’t spell indoor voice.”
I exhaled a laugh—perfect description of Master Greer. He was a loud one—and he loved meeting children at their level.
“When did everyone leave?” I wondered.
He gathered two handfuls of green bell peppers and checked the clock on his way over to the stove, where he tossed the vegetable into a large pot. Whatever it was, it smelled great.
“Master leaves shortly before six most mornings, and Sloan and the kids leave around seven,” he replied. “Corey went with Master today—he has a meeting with Lane in the city.”
Well, that explained it. I’d finished crying my eyes out at around four, so I’d been dead to the world.
“I don’t think I moved a single time once I fell asleep,” I admitted. “Your pullouts are weirdly comfortable.”
There was something about this house. While I preferred to pick up my farm eggs at the nearest farmer’s market, I couldn’t get enough of this sense of home. Partly because it reminded me of how I’d grown up—sans chickens and rescue dogs. But my mom was the one who made quilts and patchwork blankets of old T-shirts and sheets. She loved going to yard sales and picking up random mugs and knickknacks. All of which I could find here too. When everything was mismatched, it became a theme that just fit.
“I cannot tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep up there,” Archie chuckled.
I’d probably do the same. I thought Noa was exhausting at times. Imagine having five of them.
I scratched the side of my head, missing him. Exhausting or not, he meant the world to me—his energy was a source of life—and…I had disappointed him last night.
I patted my pockets to find my phone—I wanted to text him—and shit, I didn’t fucking have it. Okay, that was going to be difficult. Had Master Greer hidden it somewhere, or would he be so sadistic that he took my phone with him to work? What if something happened?
Everything felt so wrong. I felt out of sorts, because I was so used to following my daily routines. Put on my collar, make breakfast for Master, help him get dressed, see the affection in his eyes, read the paper with him—although, that had become a weekend thing when he allowed himself a single day off work. Then when he was off to work, I handled KC’s and Noa’s mornings. Noa was all over the place, spilling milk and Cocoa Puffs on the counter, singing along to whatever the radio played, yelling out that he wanted something put on the grocery list, asking if anyone wanted to meet up for lunch, et cetera, et cetera. KC was calmer, though he certainly had his moments. If he was in an extra-good mood and he’d gotten his rest, he could be a brat like Noa. I’d once witnessed an actual cereal fight between the two, and I’d intervened right before they’d started slinging spoonfuls of milk at each other.
I let out a breath and rubbed my hands over my face.
That was my crazy family, and I missed them so much.
A few weeks ago, Noa had quit his job at Hollister, and on the same day, he’d gotten a part-time job at our local grocery store. “So that I can see you when you pick up groceries, and also, also, also, I get an extra discount!”
He worked mornings and some weekends because that suited him best. KC had told him he didn’t have to work, a conversation that’d gone over as well as one might expect if they knew Noa. He wasn’t counting dollars and cents, but he needed to feel useful; he wanted to pitch in, all while he made accommodations to be there for everyone. He wanted to be able to see me during the day, and he…loved to visit Master for lunch.
Fucking pizza and burgers.
At the end of the day, he either came home with KC or the two stayed at the condo in town.
I checked the clock too. It was around this time that KC usually texted me. We touched base near lunch to confirm the rest of the day’s plans, whether or not I was including him and Noa in my dinner planning, who was staying at the condo, if anyone had errands after work… And I tied myself to every item on the to-do list. It was my purpose, my choice, what made me happy, to ensure all the puzzle pieces fit together at the end of the day. All to please my Owner and the men I shared my life with.
So what the fuck happened when I couldn’t trust the sun my planet revolved around?
As much as it killed me to be away from Lucian, I was so goddamn angry with him.
