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Lio made a soft whimpering sound that only I heard. I kissed his cheek, then showed Russ my smoking operation. He was impressed before he sampled the food but referred to it as a religious experience after he got his first taste.
“Honey, I really want a smoker,” Russ said to Alyssa.
She looked up from the rib bone she’d cleaned off and smiled. “And I want you to have one.”
We discussed the finer points and pitfalls of making good barbecue that I’d learned over the years and offered to help him pick out a smoker and set it up.
After we finished eating, Alyssa and I worked to store the leftovers in the refrigerator and tidy up the kitchen.
“I’m so happy you and Lio are officially a couple now,” Alyssa said. “I’ve never seen him this happy.”
I looked out the window and watched Lio talking to Russ. “He makes me want to be a better man,” I replied.
“You make each other better men,” Alyssa said.
We were sharing a hug when Lio walked in to get the Uno cards. “I’m watching you,” he warned Alyssa. She rolled her eyes and shooed him away.
Alex had wanted to play Uno in a double-elimination tournament, so Eric excitedly made up brackets in a notebook he’d found in the kitchen. We drew straws, and Lio and Alyssa were chosen for the first match while the rest of us jeered and cheered.
“Abe, can we take out the drone first thing in the morning?” Alex asked me.
“Never heard of sleeping in on the weekends, huh?” I teased.
“I want to capture the fog rising from the lake.”
“I hope you packed some warm clothes,” I replied. Alex assured me he had, and I suggested other spots he might like and the best times to capture the images based on sun exposure.
The tournament went on much longer than I’d anticipated, but I took my turn getting trounced, which meant I had too much time on my hands. Eric was in a similar boat, so the two of us wandered inside to get stuff to make s’mores.
“I want to be strong like you someday,” Eric said.
“Real strength is here and here,” I replied, pointing to my heart and head. “People will remember the strength of your character over brawny arms. Deciding to do what’s right, even when others don’t. Standing by your people when the chips are down. Those are the traits that count most.”
Eric’s face fell, and he stared at his feet for a few moments before meeting my gaze. “I messed up and wasn’t the friend Alex deserved. Guess I should work on my character first, then worry about the ripped body.”
His chin wobbled, and I put my arm around him. “We all mess up. You realized your mistake and made things right. You’re lightyears ahead of other people.”
Cheering erupted from outside. I looked out the window in time to catch Alex’s victory dance. Poor kid had moves like his dad. I handed Eric the plate of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate squares. Russ had boasted about his s’mores-making skills, and I was eager to put him to the test.
Lio held the door open for Eric, then entered the kitchen with an impish smile. “Finally, I get you to myself,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Everyone flocks to my man.” He nuzzled his nose against my shirt and sighed. “I can’t blame them. You’ve got this magnetic energy that makes you irresistible.”
I carded my fingers through his hair. “It sure took you long enough.” Lio looked up at me, and his eyes were soft and warm. I pressed my fingertips against his scalp, and he practically purred beneath my touch. “I know, I know. Timing is everything, and I had some growing to do.”
“Wehad some growing to do,” Lio countered.
I pressed a quick kiss against his lips. “I’m always going to be that abandoned boy, but you’ve taught me that the reward of love outweighs the risk.”
“I’m always going to be the private control freak, but you’ve taught me to let others in to know the real me.”
“The real you is beautiful.” Love for Lio bloomed in my chest and spread through me, settling heavily in my groin. It seemed my traumatized libido was making a comeback. I nuzzled my nose under his ear, then bit the lobe. “We have blackout curtains, fancy sheets, and a bed that can support the drilling you requested.”
“Think the boys brought their noise-canceling headphones with them?” Lio asked.
“To play against each other in the same room? I doubt it.” I leaned over and opened a drawer next to the stove. I pulled out my grandmother’s old turkey baster and removed the silicone bulb from the end. “We can drill a hole in the other side and feed something through it for a makeshift ball gag.”
“Christ, Abe,” Lio whispered huskily.
The back door flew open, and Alex walked in just as Lio started to inch his hand lower. He looked at the turkey baster and rolled his eyes. “I don’t even want to know. Russ sent me in for the skewers so he can roast marshmallows, but I can whittle down some sticks.”
