Liam waved to the side table where he’d been keeping his broken bucket and shovel before continuing to the chair underthe awning. He sat and watched as Jude set out the toys in neat rows.
“Are you hungry?” Jude asked once he was finished.
Liam shrugged. Now that he was in more of an adult mindset, Liam was trying to broach the subject of what was happening between them. His biggest secret wasn’t much of one any longer. The fear of rejection was still strong though.
“I made some cold pasta salad this morning. I could go grab it and some crackers. Even get you some more lemonade. We should probably talk,” Jude told him.
“Okay.” Maybe by the time that Jude returned, Liam would know what to say.
“I’ll be right back,” Jude promised.
Liam turned his head as Jude walked away. This was awkward, but Jude was probably right. They did need to talk. They were neighbors, maybe friends, and truthfully Liam didn’t know much about Jude. It wasn’t like Jude was the easiest to talk to.
Even in the BDSM community, the Daddy and little relationship was not common. The chances of having his neighbor turning out to be the Daddy that Liam had been searching for his whole life was nearly impossible. Wishful thinking on his part.
It seemed like Jude was barely gone but five minutes before he was rejoining him. Liam had not figured anything out.
Did Liam bring up being a little? The fact that he was looking for a Daddy? He danced nervously in his seat.
Jude walked over slowly and placed the tray in the middle of the table in front of him then sat across from Liam.
Liam’s belly rumbled. He ate so much better with Jude around.
Jude filled a glass of ice with lemonade from the pitcher he brought over. “You have questions.”
“Are you a Daddy?” Liam blurted out.
A look of pain crossed Jude’s features. He didn’t answer right away as he set a bowl and package of crackers in front of Liam then himself.
The growing hope inside him dimmed a little.
“I was,” Jude said quietly.
Using his spoon to layer some of the pasta salad on the cracker, Liam struggled to find more words.
“I had a boy once,” Jude explained with soft words. “We were in the same unit in the army. His name was Sam.”
“Were you together long?” Liam asked when Jude didn’t continue.
Jude nodded. “He was the love of my life.”
Why did that hurt Liam’s heart? Not for himself but for the pain and torture he saw in Jude’s eyes. “I’m sorry. You lost him, right?”
“Yeah.” Jude cleared his throat. “On a mission when we were still on active duty.”
Liam closed his eyes. “That— I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. It’s been a long time. A very long time.”
“How long?” Liam was scared to ask. He had the feeling that he wouldn’t like the answer.
“Ten years.” Jude shrugged. “Ten years, three months, fourteen days to be exact.”
Yep, Liam hated that. He looked over at the house that belonged to Jude, knowing that it wouldn’t have been Jude’s choice. “You lived next door together?”
Jude pushed his bowl away. He hadn’t even eaten one bite. “Sam loved the beach.”
“I’m very sorry, Jude,” Liam said sincerely. He had never been in love like the obvious way that Jude spoke about Sam. Was Liam luckier for never knowing loss like that? From the look on Jude’s face, Liam had to assume he was.
