Beck sank into the couch next to him. “You’re welcome.” He got a real kiss, not a hello peck.Mmm.Someone missed him.
Oh, didn’t that make him shiver. “Hey, babe. Love you.”
Every day that felt better.
“I love you. What did you do today? Did you figure out what shelter you want to go to yet?”
“I’m still looking. I don’t know if I should wait to fall in love online or just go.”
“There’s no rush. After all, you know best what Walter will like.” Beck laughed and stood up. “Maybe it’s time to tell Kevin you need to rehab with stairs. I’d love to move my study back in and stop pretending you’re ever going to use that hospital bed. You don’t even nap on it. Not that I blame you, this couch is perfect for napping. You’ll love it in the winter when the stove is going.”
“I love that you don’t make me sleep alone. I’ll talk to Kevin. It’s time.” He was ready to be actually well. Ready to walk, climb the stairs, drive.
“Ha. As if I would. My motives are purely selfish, babe. I don’t want you sleeping anywhere else.” Beck grabbed a couple of Cokes out of the fridge and handed him one. “We need to shop, you’re almost out of Diet Dr Pepper.”
“God forbid and Heaven forfend. As soon as I can drive, I’ll do that for us. Kevin says a couple more weeks at most.” He hated having to be so patient, but Kev assured him he wouldn’t regret it.
“Cool. I trust him. I don’t know what we’d do without him, honestly. I think we should invite Kevin and his shift over for a barbecue.”
Beck looked a little tired but was in a good mood.
“We can invite your buddies too. I want to meet them.” He turned Beck halfway from him and grabbed his shoulders. “Loosen your tie, honey. I’ll love on your shoulders.”
“Oh.” Beck didn’t just loosen it, he took it off entirely, and opened up his shirt a couple of buttons, too. “Marry me?”
The groan he got as his fingers dug in was deep and satisfied and sexy as hell.
“Yes, sir. Over and over.” He kissed the back of Beck’s neck, and then he got to work, hunting down one knot after another.
“Jesus, I didn’t realize I…oh.Ow. Goodow, butow.” Beck breathed through it as he worked out a stubborn one. “Your hands.”
“You’re like frozen rope, babe. I missed touching you.” And that was no bullshit. His hands had been empty for years.
“You’re not going to hear me complain.” Beck leaned into his hands, so trusting. Beck had been so open the last few days, not holding things back, letting him listen, trying to hear. Everything had changed as they relaxed around each other.
Sky started singing, singing and rubbing, letting them both be right there for a second.
“Adam needs me to come back to work full-time.” Beck’s voice was a little muffled with his head dropped forward. “He hasn’t asked, but he’s starting to get buried. What do you think?”
“I think I’m a big boy. I can handle things. Hell, I can ask Parker to come bring the truck for the last couple weeks of therapy. I don’t want your guy to hate me any more than he already does.”
“Nobody hates you. He’s trying to retire. The firm was supposed to be mine in September, we’ve put that off until the end of the year now.”
“I bet he hates me a little bit.” He had to chuckle, had to. A couple of cowboys on tour probably hated Beck, after all.
“Only because his wife wanted to cruise in May.” Beck’s shoulders shook lightly as he laughed. “You’ll like her. And she’s a mean cook too.”
“I bet I will. Don’t worry about me, babe. I got this.” He needed to start thinking about things like work anyway.
“I know. I do.” Beck turned toward him, ending the backrub. “Have I told you how great it is to come home to you? I look forward to it every day.”
“Yeah?” Part of him worried that he’d cramp Beck’s style.
“Yes. It’s the best part of the day, knowing you’ll be here. Well, next to Walter of course. I mean, we’re buddies.” Beck gave him another quick kiss. “What should we do for dinner?”
“Let’s cook up that shrimp. We got bacon and a jalapeño. It’ll go good with rice.” He did love spicy shrimp with bacon.
“Perfect. Sautéed, or do you want to grill it? We have skewers…um. We do, I just need to look.” Beck offered him a hand up. “Where’s your cane?”