Joshua laughed. “I kind of think Paul would flip out if that happened.”
Lee snorted, guiding Joshua up to his hands and knees and running a finger over Joshua’s sensitive anus. “Just Paul, huh? You know I’m kidding, babe.”
Joshua didn’t manage to ask if the lack of additional bed partners was something Lee regretted because he tended to lose track of his thoughts when he was being fingered open with such focus and determination.
Then Lee was over him and in him, taking his time and letting Joshua fall apart on his cock, before he pulled out to shoot onto Joshua’s back. Lee kissed Joshua’s sweaty neck and gave him three of his fingers to ride. Joshua moaned and writhed on them while he worked to bring himself off, until finally a string of curses fell from his lips and come splattered the sheets below.
“All mine,” Lee whispered as he rubbed his come into Joshua’s skin and then pushed his cock back in for a second round. “Not sharing.”
Joshua squirmed as Lee pounded his prostate. He didn’t want to share either.
Chapter Five
August 2022—Scottsville, Kentucky
There was somethinggoing on. In the past several months, Joshua had started to become somewhat paranoid that Lee was having an affair. There were whispered phone calls in the kitchen late at night that ended abruptly when Joshua walked in. Plus, Lee had been getting home late from the shop so often that Joshua decided to drive down there himself one evening to hang out since Lee couldn’t break away. But the shop had been closed up and the lights were out. Lee was nowhere to be found, and calls to their mutual friends didn’t turn him up.
When Lee had shown up at their house later, he’d been super apologetic for worrying Joshua, and made some weird excuse about having gone on a night bike ride through the woods to clear his mind.
“Of what?” Joshua had asked.
“Just work stress, babe,” Lee had replied.
Joshua didn’t think there was anyone Lee was interested in, though. He wracked his brain trying to think of a single, solitary man that he’d seen Lee check out since coming to Scottsville. The only one he could think of was a young Mennonite man who worked in the lumber yard, Zeb Reimer. But, well, that would be a lost cause for Lee even if therewasanything to be jealous about. Zeb was very devout, straight, and married with two children. And even if he wasn’t straight after all, he’d have a lot of cultural programming to get past before he’d commit the double sin of homosexuality and adultery. More even than Joshua had had to overcome in his own quest to be true to himself despite his upbringing in a conservative church.
So, no. Not Zeb.
But maybe there was someone else? Someone that Joshua had overlooked? Or possibly someone he’d never met before? There were always people coming through the store, some from as far away as Louisville or Nashville, looking to have their bicycle repaired on their long-distance bike tours. For all Joshua knew, one of them could have caught Lee’s eye and, possibly, his heart. Joshua hoped that he was being an idiot, hoped this wasn’t a case where love destroyed him again.
“Hey,” Joshua said, answering Lee’s call.
He was at his desk at the lumberyard, ostensibly working on some Stouder Lumber schedules but actually worrying about Lee and wondering if his marriage was on the rocks or not. He supposed the thing to do was to just ask, get it all out in the open, but he didn’t want to come across as unreasonably jealous if he didn’t have to be. What he needed was some proof.
“I need you to come down to the Medical Center,” Lee said.
Joshua sat up straight. “Why? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Everyone’s fine. I just… You’re just needed here. Can you get here as soon as possible?”
“Sure, yeah. Yeah.” Joshua stood up and started gathering up his things. “Are you sure you’re all right? Is it my mom? Dad? Sam?”
“Shh, Joshua. Relax. It’s all fine. Just come.”
Joshua was frustrated when the call went dead before he could get any more out of Lee, and he considered ringing back, if only to askwherein the hospital he should meet him. But he didn’t want to waste any time, just in case there was something Lee wasn’t telling him. He shot off a few texts demanding answers as he raced to his car, but only got one word in reply.
Cafeteria.
The cafeteria atthe hospital was completely decked out. There were streamers, and balloons everywhere, and tons of people who yelled, “Happy Birthday, Joshua!” when Joshua raced through the door.
He stopped dead, shock rolling over him. Happy birthday? It wasn’t until next month. He stared agog for a few minutes at the crowd around him, and then grinned, shaking his head, amused and annoyed with himself for having doubted Lee. Lee, who was there clapping, his face all lit up with happiness and pride at succeeding in his surprise.
Joshua took Lee into his arms and kissed him on the lips.
“I can’t believe you!”
“I can’t either!”
Joshua laughed and looked around. Paul was sitting on the other side of the room with Fisher, near a table boasting a giant cake and a podium with a microphone. Joshua started to head that way, a wide grin on his face, when suddenly, he stopped. Aside from Paul, Chris and Dale, Chris’s oldest stepson Declyn, Joshua’s parents and little brother, Sam, he didn’t know anyone in the massive crowd.
