Re-United - 6. Chapter 6

James made a few calls during our flight, and one was arranging for cars. When we landed, Scott, Billy, and I loaded Charlie and his car seat into the Denali while Tommy and Leonard helped Clint with our bags. Jenny, James, and Donna got in a second car, and we were off to the farm. Clint & Co would follow once they had secured the plane and arranged for its maintenance.

I wasn’t surprised to see my Riviera parked beside my dad’s car in the courtyard when we pulled up; I was surprised to see all my friends standing there with Mary, Mike, and David. After taking our things inside, I introduced Jenny to Mary and then asked her for advice on where everyone would sleep. While we discussed this, I noticed that Jenny kept glancing in the direction of my friends. That reminded me, so I went through the introductions, then asked Jenny to take Charlie to our room and have Leonard help get things set up for him while we met with everyone else in the office.

When we entered the office, I realized that seating was going to make conversation awkward, so I turned around and led everyone to the family room. Billy and Scott immediately went to the bar and started sorting out drinks. Once that was done, the room was silent as I sorted through the issues and decided where to start.

“What’s the status of Dad’s memorial service?” I asked, looking at Mike.

“The priest suggested Saturday so everyone could attend without missing work, Greg, but that’s your call. You can do it as early as Thursday.”

“No, I agree; Saturday works best.” I thought for a minute, then added, “I’d like the urn with my mom’s ashes to sit beside Dad’s on a table at the front of the sanctuary. There’s a photo of them together on the mantle. Take it and have it blown up and put between them.”

Mike looked like he didn’t like my plans, but he nodded. When I pushed him, he said, “In my opinion, that would make it seem like they both just passed, Greg. I know he loved Camilla, but Saturday is about Charlie.”

A tear came to my eye as I thought about his words. I knew he was right, but I wanted to somehow highlight what Mom meant to Dad. Scott took my hand and said, “Have your mom on a table to the side with her picture, Greg. That way, she’s there, but your dad is still the focus. On the other side, put pictures of them together, to balance the room and show their love. Make sure to include pictures of you as well.”

I looked around to see everyone nodding their head, agreeing with Scott’s idea. “Ok, Mike, let’s do it that way,” I said after a moment. “Is there anything more I need to know?”

“If you mean about the will, everything is clear cut,” Mike replied before glancing at David.

Realizing the cause of his hesitation, I needed to change the subject. “Well, we can go into details later, Mike.” I turned to James. “When is your real estate man coming, James?”

“He said he could meet with you anytime you like, Greg. Should I have him over this evening?”

“As soon as possible, please. I’d like to view some properties tomorrow,” I said. Then asked, “Did you find an architect?”

“He should be here around twelve, Greg. His plane lands at ten.”

Before I could ask, Billy said, “The car is already on the way to the airport.”

I noticed David eyeing Billy, wondering about this teenager making travel arrangements, and realized I had two choices. Either I bring him into my circle of trust, or I find a vampire contractor and cut my ties with him. When I added his sons to the equation, I knew there was only one answer. I quickly came up with a plan to ease him into things.

“Jake?” I asked. “Have you or Chris talked about college with the others yet?”

Jake and Chris exchanged a glance, and then Jake said, “No, Greg. We thought it should come from you.”

Knowing where I was heading, Billy ran to the office and returned carrying the envelopes George had given me. As I handed them out, I said, “Each of you is free to choose for yourselves, but Scott and I will be staying in high school this year. I don’t want our sudden departure to raise questions.” I paused, then said, “Before you open those, there’s another issue I need to address.” I looked at Jake. “It was your idea; explain the rumors I need to spread.”

Jake made a point of looking at his dad, but when I nodded, he explained. “Greg can’t go anywhere without Tommy or Leonard along for security. They have to drive him everywhere, and that’s going to cause a lot of questions. You guys remember we suggested the broken leg idea, but we talked it through, and there are too many holes in that one.”

Chris rolled his eyes and gave Jake a shove. “Dear god, get to the point.”

“I am, geesh,” he said, giving a shove of his own. “Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted. We came up with the idea that Charlie’s accident wasn’t an accident. We need to spread the rumor that Charlie found some dirt on some mob boss, and they had him killed.”

Mike was nodding as he thought about it, but David looked lost. “Why would you make up a story like that, Jake? And why does Greg need security?”

I looked from Jake to Josh, then back to Jake. “Do I tell him?”

Jake bit his lip and stared at his father for a moment, then said, “I think so, yes.”

Jake took a breath to explain, but Chris interrupted with, “I think the envelopes might soften the blow, Greg. Start there?”

Jake gave a slight nod, so I told Brian and Josh to open their envelopes. Chris and Jake already knew what was inside, but they also pulled out the paperwork and looked at it. Chris handed his papers to Mike, who was looking through them as Jake handed his to David.

David glanced at them, then looked at me, stunned. “You’re telling me that you somehow secured Jake an appointment to West Point? And a year before he graduates if he wants?” He shook his head. “I hope this isn’t some kind of prank, Greg.”

“No prank, David. I can call the Senator to confirm if you like.” I thought for a second, then nodded at Billy. While he made a phone call, I turned to Josh. “Yours is MIT because you told me you wanted to study architecture and engineering, and Harvard doesn’t offer those. I hope you’ll finish school with us so we can all share a house in Boston, but if you want to go this year, we can make a quick trip, and I’ll buy something now.”

Josh looked at his brother, and it almost seemed like they were talking mind-to-mind for a moment. He looked at me and said, “We both will wait, Greg. I think we’d both like to wrestle this year.” He paused, then added, “I’m guessing you won’t be on the team?”

I shook my head and smirked. “No, Billy’s eager to break my arm, and it won’t be healed before the season ends.” As if hearing his name was his cue, Billy handed me the phone. I put it on speaker and set it on the table. “Senator. Greg Fowler speaking. I apologize for calling so late, but I needed your help with something.”

“No problem at all, Baron; what can I do for you? Has your friend made his decision?”

I looked at Jake and raised an eyebrow. He said, “Good evening, Senator, Jacob Jackson speaking. I wanted to thank you for what you’ve done, and yes, Sir, I’ve decided to finish high school this year.”

“Nice to hear from you, Jacob. If it were me, I would probably make the same choice. Speaking of choices, are you sure I can’t talk you into being a Navy man like me?”

Jake laughed and nodded, then remembered he was on a phone call. “My friends call me Jake, Senator, and if I did attend Annapolis, I’d want to be a Marine, but West Point has been my dream for several years now.”

We heard a laugh. “Can’t blame a guy for trying; I’ll call my chief of staff when we’re finished, Jake. I look forward to meeting you. If you’re free, there’s a leadership program in two weeks that a lot of incoming cadets find helpful.”

“I’m familiar with it, Senator, and yes, I’d like to attend that if it’s not too late?”

“I’m under instructions to move heaven and earth for the Baron’s friends. If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to call me direct. The Baron can give you this number, it’s my personal cell phone. Is there anything else, Baron? I have a vote in a few minutes.”

“Thank you, Senator, nothing else. Jake’s father is listening, and he thought I was pranking him,” I explained.

“I assure you, Mr. Jackson, no prank. If the Baron doesn’t object, I’ll send you a letter on Senate letterhead confirming the appointment. Of course, if Jake is waiting until next year, we can’t officially announce it until spring, so please keep this quiet.”

I thanked the Senator and made him the same offer, saying if there was anything I could do, he should call Billy. When the call disconnected, David was staring at me. He glanced at the letters for Jake and Josh, then back at me. I waited.

“Two questions, Greg; or should I call you Baron?” He paused, then continued, “That’s one question, but the first is: how?”

I looked at Jake and asked, “How do I go at this?”

Jake sighed deeply, then looked at his dad, considering everything he knew about the man. Turning back to me, he said, “Straight on, Greg. Just say it.”

I nodded, looked at David, and said, “Vampires are real, and I am one.”

Without flinching, he asked, “And James, Scott, and…” he paused and looked around. “Billy? Also, vampires?”

I nodded. He turned to Mike and asked, “And you’re not shocked, so I assume you knew?”

“Since the day James hired me, yes,” Mike calmly stated.

David looked at his sons for a moment, then asked me, “What do they owe you for the schooling?”

“Nothing. They are my closest friends, and if I’m honest, I’m not the one that did it.” I went on to explain how we had offered to help Josh, Chris, and Brian with college before George had stepped in to make all this happen this way. I reassured him that George also expected nothing in return, even going as far as saying that I didn’t expect to change any of them. At that last part, Jake’s face fell for a second, but he quickly recovered.

“And the Baron part?” David asked.

Before I could, Billy gave a brief explanation of vampire nobility, mentioning the prince of North America and avoiding saying ‘George’. He also mentioned that my human friends, if they wanted, would have good jobs working for me for the rest of their lives.

David sat a few minutes, considering all he had been told. Billy got up and got more wine for the humans and brought an unopened bottle of elk for the vampires. After looking to me for the approval to serve blood in front of a newly exposed human, he poured. David watched as the thick red liquid filled my wine glass, and then he looked me in the eyes.

“I assume there’s a reason you’ve let me in on this, Baron?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m still Greg, and yes, I realized that I wanted you to handle all the construction on a project I’m working on, and I knew there would be questions. It’s easier this way.”

“And if I go running to the newspapers, I’m a dead man?” he asked, rather calmly.

“No,” I said to his surprise. His face fell when I added, “Everyone in this room is dead if you expose us.”

“Guess I should have expected that one. Still, I’m not one for gossip, so it’s not a problem.” He turned to his sons and said, “Probably best if you don’t tell your mother about the schools yet. I’m sure we can figure out something when we need to.”

Josh said, “That’s easy, Dad. Jake was likely to be considered for West Point anyway, so she won’t be shocked. For me, Greg can say he’s helping with the expectation that I’ll become the managing partner when you retire. And with Jake at West Point, the college fund would cover most of MIT anyway.”

“Like I said, we’ll figure out a story when we need to,” David said before turning to me. “What’s your project, Greg?”

It took an hour for me to explain what I wanted to do and another hour to explain why. Billy, Scott, and James were very helpful, giving their input where appropriate. Unfortunately, I was so excited to be making progress that I forgot that we had two others involved, so when the doorbell rang, and James escorted the real estate agent in, we took a break for some food so we could wait for the architect. While we ate, I gave the real estate agent a quick rundown of what I was looking for, and she quickly pulled up a few listings on her laptop.

When the architect arrived, I went back through the entire plan, and soon, he was making some rough sketches of how he envisioned things. I was happy to see he wasn’t egotistical and accepted several of our suggestions as he drew. When he disagreed with our ideas, he explained his reasoning, and we were happy to concede on several points. He and David tossed several things back and forth, discussing things that I didn’t understand. When Josh asked about snow loads, I excused myself and went to check on Charlie.

Jenny was about to enter our room when I got to the top of the stairs. “I was just about to come get you, Greg. I can feed him deer blood, but I prefer he only get yours and Scott’s for now. Can you spare the time?”

I smiled. “Anytime my son needs me, Jenny, you come and get me. Nothing is more important. I’ll take him down with me, and we’ll both feed him.” I opened the door and went in. “What did Mary work out for sleeping arrangements?”

“She and I will sleep in her bed, alternating nights,” she explained.

“We’re only here a night or two, so don’t unpack,” I said as I picked up my son and moved him to the changing table. Quickly changing his diaper, I went on, “I still don’t have the details worked out for my house, but I’ll try to get you a bed that you won’t have to share.”

“Jake told Tommy there was a plan for some remodeling, Greg. Until that’s finished, he and Leonard will alternate nights with me unless you object?”

I picked Charlie up, deftly slit my thumb, and slipped it into his eager mouth. “James and Donna have a house across the street, so we also have Scott’s room if we need it. We’ll work something out. For now, go relax a while; I’ll have Billy come get you in the morning. We’ll probably be gone all day, so I’ll fill a few bottles; they’ll be in the kitchen refrigerator.”

Of course, when I returned with my son sucking my thumb, I had to explain how we ended up with him. David was amazed at his size and development, having guessed his age at three weeks. That required a short explanation of vampire aging and the subsequent revelation that Scott was six and Billy was five. Naturally, Billy had to emphasize that he would be six in a few weeks. When he did, I understood the wink from Scott and knew we had other plans to make.

Somewhere around three in the morning, I noticed Jake and Josh were cuddled together on the couch, sound asleep. Chris and Brian were on the floor in front of them, also gently snoring. Scott was holding Charlie, so I got Billy’s attention, then went over and gently picked Brian up and headed for the basement with Billy following me carrying Chris. After putting them in one of the queen beds in the guest room, we slipped the covers over them and returned to get the twins. When I picked Jake up, the loss of contact with his twin woke him. Embarrassed, he woke his brother, and Billy led them downstairs to the room they would share with Brian and Chris.

I turned to David and Mike. “You two should probably get some sleep. How long are you here?”

“We both have meetings tomorrow, well, this afternoon, Greg, so we should leave around ten,” David said. “Josh can help you narrow down your choices on the land. From the photos, I’d say that second one is your best option, but all four will do.”

“And you can build this for us?” I asked, confirming everything he’d said already.

“James said he can provide the crews, and with an architect helping, Josh can handle this for you. I’ll reassign all of his projects, so he’ll be free to start clearing the land as soon as we have permits.”

I had one more issue I wanted to address with Mike and David, and I didn’t want to bring it up in front of my friends. I thought I knew what they would say, but I wasn’t sure, and I was afraid that even asking it might upset them. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

“One more thing,” I said as they stood. “I need to be clear that I have no plans to do this, but I need to know your thoughts if…” I hesitated. “I won’t say which, but one of your sons has asked—”

“Jake asked you to change him,” David interrupted. I nodded. “He’d be just like you? The same person with a new diet and a bit more strength?”

“It’s a bit more involved, but yeah, if I did it, he could hide it from you until you died,” I answered as honestly as I could.

“I have no say in it, Greg. Both of my boys can decide for themselves,” he said firmly, then added, “And it’s up to them whether they tell me after it’s done; please respect their privacy.”

Shocked, I replied, “You sound like you’re sure it’s going to happen.”

“I know my boys, Greg. The only way they won’t become vampires is if you refuse to do it and forbid others to do it for them.” He smirked and added, “You’re like their triplet brother from another mother; there’s no way they’re not going to spend the next few centuries at your side.”

Before I could reply, Mike said, “Same goes for Chris. Do what you think is best, Greg. He’ll make you an incredible lawyer after the first hundred years.” He paused, then added, “I wouldn’t recommend you letting Brian’s parents in on this. As much as I hate to speak ill of him, I don’t think Jason would be able to keep his drunk mouth shut.”

I nodded as I said, “I hadn’t planned on it, Mike. I feel for Brian. I know his parents love him, but the last few years have been rough on him. I’m glad I can help him out.”

“One last thing, Greg,” David said. “You, Scott, and I should sit down next week and figure out how this is going to affect your role in Jackson Group.”

I immediately replied, “No need for a meeting, David. We will follow through with the purchase of Don’s share, but we will not be active at all. You’re the managing partner, with full authority to do as you see fit. We’ll be doing something similar at the real estate office sometime before the spring. If we can’t find someone there, James has agreed to manage it with his other businesses.”

David looked unhappy with that answer, so I raised an eyebrow; he took the hint. “I like your ideas, Greg. I understand you’ll be busy with school and this project, but I’d welcome either of you at the office at any time.” He paused, then said, “At least drop by and give me your ideas about that farm you mentioned; I’d like to do it.”

After we agreed to meet with him, David followed Mike up the stairs to the room they were sharing. With the humans gone, Scott gathered several baby bottles, and we sat and filled them with our blood so Jenny could feed Charlie while we were gone. While we were doing that, the real estate agent was making arrangements for a helicopter so we could fly over the four properties and narrow our choices down. The architect was settled in at the desk in the small office, furiously working on his laptop, creating floor plans for the required buildings and making freehand drawings to show how he imagined their final appearance.

Billy, after one of his trips to the kitchen, said that Tommy wanted to speak to us in the office when we were free. Scott and I carried the bottled blood to the kitchen, and after putting them in the fridge, we headed for the office.

“What do you need?” I asked Tommy as Scott, Billy, and I entered.

“If you’re not going to use the planes for a few days, I’d like to send them to pick up the five people I’ve hired as additional marshals for here and the two for the other house, Greg.”

“And you need both planes for this?” Billy asked.

“Yes, Sir. I’ve spoken to Ted, and Clint can act as co-pilot on the Gulfstream to get the three from Vegas and the two in Phoenix. Mickey will ride down with Mr. Jackson tomorrow and take the Phenom to Miami to get those two. They’d be back in time to help at the memorial service,” Tommy explained.

“I don’t see a problem with that,” I said. “You know these guys?”

“The two in Miami are police detectives that I’ve worked with a few times and are husband and wife. Lenny knows the two from Phoenix, and we both know two of the three in Vegas,” Tommy said, then nervously added, “The two from Phoenix will want to bring their mates.”

“All vampires, I assume?” Scott asked. When Tommy nodded, he asked, “Do their mates have careers they’re giving up?”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “All four of them are young and in their first lives. The one’s wife is a college student and is willing to transfer; the other’s husband is a construction worker. I figured he could help with your project.”

I nodded. “OK, get it done. The only issue will be housing. Any ideas?”

“Not a problem, babe,” Scott said. “We have an empty apartment for the ones in West Virginia, and we can convert the room over the garage to an apartment for the ones here. For the immediate needs, they can stay in the basement guest rooms.”

“Then problem solved?” I asked.

Everyone nodded, so Scott, Billy, and I headed to our bedroom, where Scott put Charlie down for a nap. He had remained awake and alert for the last few hours, and even I knew this wasn’t normal for an infant less than a week old; I took it as part of his change. His eyes were still the bright red of an unranked vampire, and his newborn onesies were tight. Ever observant, Billy pointed out that we only owned four newborn onesies. I must have looked as confused as I felt because he went on to show me the stacks of three-month and six-month onesies, as well as 1T clothing. It took me a moment to realize that Charlie was growing so fast that he would be outgrowing the three-month onesies within a few weeks.

Scott was standing on my left with his arm around my waist, and Billy moved to my right, snaking his arm around with Scott’s. When he laid his head on my shoulder, I realized that Billy finally understood his place. I turned and gently kissed his forehead, and when he looked up into my eyes, I leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his lips. After a nervous glance at Scott, Billy returned my kiss with a bit more force. As our kissing became more passionate, Scott gently guided us to the bed, where the three of us fell into a make-out session that led to Billy undressing both Scott and me. When he reached to remove his own shirt, we stopped him, then stood and slowly undressed him, kissing and licking every inch of skin as it was exposed, save one rather swollen portion. Scott and I had yet to cross that line, and we both knew we wanted to do that to each other first.

Billy seemed to understand this and pushed us back onto the bed, then moved aside and nodded for us to continue as he watched and rubbed his body. When Scott took me into his mouth, I thought I was going to explode. He quickly pulled off and shook his head, waiting until I calmed down a bit, then resumed his attack. I’d like to say I lasted a while, but I again quickly approached the point of no return. When I warned him, Scott simply increased his speed and happily accepted what I offered. When he finished, I could taste myself in the kisses he gave me. After a few kisses, I was ready to reciprocate, and I evilly teased him with my tongue as I kissed and licked my way down his body. I was almost to my target when I heard Billy’s breathing change. Scott heard it too, and we both reached over and grabbed his hand, stopping him before it was too late.

“You wait,” I told him before taking Scott into my mouth. I was lost in the connection between us, the feelings of our bodies being joined as my tongue explored his most private parts. He squirmed as I hooded his foreskin up and worked my tongue up inside it, working around the tip. Like me, he didn’t last long, and I was soon rewarded with the most amazing-tasting protein I’d ever had. As his breathing slowed, we both reached over and used our hands to take Billy over the edge, finishing by licking Billy’s offering off our hands.

I heard a noise and looked up to see Charlie wide awake and silently watching us. I nudged my bedmates, and they followed my gaze, then smiled. I stood and picked up my son. After a glance at Scott, I offered Charlie to Billy and said, “Feed him.”

He sat there, frozen, utterly flabbergasted. I stood firm, inviting him to join Scott and me in a way even more intimate than what had happened only moments before. He finally reached out and took Charlie from my hands, then, after a glance at Scott, he pierced his thumb. Tears were rolling down his face as he sat and fed our son.

Scott and I watched for a few minutes until Billy carefully climbed onto the bed, still holding Charlie. We helped him lay down between us, and we held them both as we all fell into a peaceful sleep.

A knock woke us, and before we could respond, Jenny walked in. She didn’t seem surprised to see Billy in bed with us, nor did she seem phased by our naked bodies. “Would you like me to take him so you can shower?” she asked.

Billy nodded, so Jenny leaned over my body, deftly picked Charlie up, and turned to go. “Jenny, wait,” I said, sitting up. She turned back, so I asked, “From your reactions, you’re not bothered by nudity? Or shocked to see Billy with us?”

With a smile, she said, “Who you choose to share your bed with is none of my business. I’ve known many poly-amorous families in my life. And I prefer nudity, Greg. If I thought it wouldn’t bother you, I’d be dressed just as you three are. Though, judging from the reactions I’ve seen from your friends, that might cause some embarrassing moments.”

I noticed Billy covering himself and thought I saw some growth in a certain part when Jenny mentioned being naked. Hoping to distract them both, I said, “Please tell me to mind my own business if you like, but I noticed you looking at them earlier. Would you like a proper introduction?”

I could sense her reaction before she spoke. “I… uh, well… I do feel attracted to one, Greg. I didn’t know how you would feel about my pursuing it since he’s human and so young.”

I couldn’t stop my laugh, but quickly stopped. “I’m sorry, Jenny. I’m not laughing at you. I remember when we told you about Scott and me.” She blushed and nodded. “And you thought we would be upset about you being interested in a human?”

“It’s obvious he’s going to be a close advisor for you. That puts him well above my place,” she argued.

I was shaking my head as she said this last part. “I refuse to accept that our place is set by our job or birth, Jenny. I grew up in the United States, where they teach young children that any of us can grow up to be President. Now, either tell me to butt out and I’ll drop this, or tell me which of my friends you have the hots for.”

She rolled her eyes, looking much more like the twenty-year-old she appeared than her true two hundred-plus. “Fine,” she sighed. “I think you said his name is Brian. He wasn’t in California, and he’s not Jake’s brother.”

“Yup,” I nodded. “That would be Brian. Would you like another introduction?” I asked, remembering that I just gave everyone’s names when we arrived.

“I would prefer to see if he shows signs of interest first if you don’t mind,” she replied.

I put my hands up in surrender. “I’ll stay out of it. I just wanted to let you know that we support you in whatever you like. That goes for nudity as well. If you cause an erection or two, I expect everyone to act like the adults we are,” I said, giving Billy a quick glance.

“I appreciate it, Greg. I’ll think about it. And to be clear, erections won’t bother me, but at your age, most guys not used to the lifestyle would feel devastated, so I’m hesitant, for their sake.”

Billy surprised me by saying, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll deal with it if it happens. At my age, it happens too often to let it bother me.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Is that why you covered up?”

“I covered up out of respect for you,” he said. Then, with a smirk of his own, he added, “If it doesn’t bother you, I’ll be happy to toss the sheet aside.”

I sighed and said, “Both of you, act your age. Jenny, do you have what you need for Charlie for the day?” She shook her head and walked over to his table. “We need to shower, so let’s move.” I couldn’t resist one last jab of my own. “He’s going to get up now if you want to get another peek.”

Jenny’s reply made us all laugh. “I don’t need to peek to notice that thing, thank you.”

I knew this was all in fun, but it was also a potential problem, so I said, “While I know you’re both teasing, I hope you both realize that this would be considered inappropriate by most people?”

They both said, “Sorry, Greg,” at the same time.

Billy then said, “Before I say more, can we both agree that we can clear this up without any hard feelings?” Realizing his poor choice of words, he shook his head and grinned. “That was unintentional, honest.”

Jenny replied, “Yeah, but it was funny. And yes, let’s be honest. May I go first?” Billy nodded, so she said, “If I were interested in you, Billy, I would first clear it with Greg. As his Lord Steward, it would be inappropriate, and I don’t mean just because I’m a lowly nanny. You’re a handsome young man, Billy, and if we’re both interested, I wouldn’t be against some fun, in a few years. Right now, you’re only five. Everything I’ve said was meant in fun, and only said because I felt you’d take it as such.”

Billy smiled and said, “We can talk in a few years, but for now, I agree. I won’t deny that you might play a part in some private time in my future, but for now, I’m happy with Scott and Greg. When the right girl comes along, that may change. Like you, I was just teasing. I don’t think I did, but if I offended you, I apologize.”

I looked from one to the other and knew what this meant. I sighed. “In other words, you both plan to continue the sexual sniping.” They both grinned. “Fine. Just keep it away from anyone who might not understand, am I clear?” I realized a problem with something Jenny had said, so I said, “Billy, take Scott and go shower; I need to speak with Jenny for a second in private. And I mean private, so stick your head in the water or something so you’re not tempted to listen, understand?”

After he nodded and headed off to the shower with Scott, I looked at Jenny. “I’m confused about one thing. Billy will be six in a few weeks, and Brian will be seventeen in a month; they’re not that far apart compared to your actual age—”

“I’ll save you the time, Greg. I feel pulled to Brian, not just attracted. If he is my fated mate, he will sense it, even as a human. You, of all people, should understand that.” I nodded. “I won’t push him into anything, but if I sense that he feels the same way, I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

Her words touched my heart, and my eyes were damp as I smiled and said, “If you both feel that way, I’ll offer to help you share several lifetimes.”