Chapter 27: Inspired Grandparents
We stumbled our way into the sun-drenched kitchen on bare feet and with tighty-whitie-clad booties, chuckling over embarrassing our poor Riley Boy once again. Our sweet pup had been so excited to have both of his daddies back in his den last night - only to suddenly feel obligated to abandon his warm bed this morning when our even-more-excited morning hard-ons demanded our immediate attention. I could only hope Grandma and Grandpa hadn’t heard all of our, well… enthusiasm.
I was thrilled to be making our first breakfast together as a married couple when Joe and Laura sleepily made their appearance and settled on barstools around the island - the very same island that Corey had a tendency to bend me over. Dang it, Ollie. You have a whole lifetime ahead of you to make love to your Norse God. Chill. Just enjoy your grandparents for a moment. My inner monologue was being especially bossy this morning.
Before I could even set the coffee mugs in front of my incredible grandparents, Grandma Laura gently dismantled our carefully constructed feigned morning innocence.
“Ollie, you know how much we love staying with you and Corey in your beautiful home,” she said fondly, “but my sweet boys… First there was Ethan and Danial on rehearsal night, and then you and Corey this morning. To use your favorite word - Lurd.”
I caught the faintest, almost-smirk, tug at her lips before she added, “Tomorrow’s going to be a very long travel day for all of us, and we’re going to need our rest tonight.” I barely had time to blush before she leaned up, wrapped me in a hug and pressed a soft kiss onto my forehead.
Of course, Grandpa Joe couldn’t resist stepping in. “Laura, leave our newlyweds alone. Besides,” he said with a grin, “I thought you rather enjoyed how inspired Ethan and Danial’s antics made me the other night.”
Grandma rolled her eyes while I instantly turned beet red.
“Tell you what, Grandpa,” I said quickly, slipping my arms around my uncontrollable - and entirely too frisky - grandfather. “So… Why don’t we all agree to just ignore our house’s sound dampening shortcomings… And maybe let you go ahead and quiz us on any other relationship matters you might feel compelled to help us with?”
Grandpa Joe gave my backside a gentle, but unmistakably grandfatherly tap before continuing. “Ollie, Corey - aside from recently keeping me and Laura… inspired instead of letting us sleep in,” he added with a keen look that made my ears burn. “We love you both so very much. So, listen - we know you specifically asked for no wedding gifts. But we decided to ignore that particular request.”
He quickly caught the protest forming in our eyes and lifted a hand to stop us. “Now just let me explain. You’re both super-sized boys. And Ollie - you’ve never flown before, which means you have absolutely no idea what coach seats feel like these days. Laura and I want your honeymoon to begin and end the right way. We want it to be special and have plenty of leg room.”
They both stood up to pull us into warm, unbreakable hugs - the kind only grandparents have the ability to give. Laura took over from her grinning husband, squeezing my hand as she spoke. “With Chris’ help - Lurd, I just don’t understand those airline websites - we upgraded your tickets to first class.” She paused, visibly flustered. “Well, I mean, apparently first class doesn’t really exist anymore for domestic flights, so it’s called business now. But I promise you, sweet boys, you’re going to be very happy… and very comfortable.”
I knew there was no way I could fully appreciate the magnitude of my grandparents’ gift just yet, but Corey and I threw ourselves into another round of hugs, thanking them as sincerely as we knew how.
As touched by their generosity as we were, Corey still felt obligated to at least make a gentle protest. “Joe, Laura… thank you so much. But we really did mean no gifts, please on our wedding invitations. And you two especially have already given us so much. You have no idea how Ollie not having to worry about college expenses has changed our lives - in the best way possible. You two have been an absolute godsend.”
Laura immediately jumped back in. “Hush, young man!” she said with a wag of her finger. “Thank you Corey, but your dads already got to surprise you last night with those two cool-as-heck custom bicycles. So, we deserve our moment of surprise for the both of you as well.”
Corey raised his hands in cheerful surrender. “You win! But only if you let us treat you to breakfast in Miami tomorrow. I mean, Ollie and I will be served something resembling breakfast on the flight, while you poor souls back in steerage will be stuck with granola bars and water.”
Grandpa Joe let out a deep, delighted chuckle. “Forget tomorrow - I’m hungry today. How ’bout you two get cooking… and I mean in the kitchen this time.”
Laura sweetly nudged her husband and leaned in to reward him with a morning kiss.
I laughed one last time before turning back to my wolf and starting my favorite dance with him.
** Corey’s Stunned Perspective **
I don’t understand how I hadn’t realized it before. I mean, sure - I guess it just never really came up. But still, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around something like this even being possible in today’s world. After our wonderful breakfast two-step, my disbelief finally bubbled over.
“So, Ollie. After everything we’ve been through - after all the planning, all the chaos… Pup, I mean we just made it through the world’s most complicated wedding yesterday. And we crushed it. We really did.” I paused, searching his eyes. “But don’t you think you should have maybe mentioned that you’ve never flown before? I honestly thought you were just nervous about navigating DFW from the pick-up and drop-off side. Are you sure you’re going to be okay experiencing how the gate side of the airport works tomorrow?”
Ollie dropped his gaze, and despite everything we’d already survived together, he still managed to blush. He started his mandatory - unnecessary - apology, “I’m sorry, Corey. I kinda thought I had told you - back when we walked into that amazing hotel in St. Louis. The one you booked for the first night of our road trip. You know, when I confessed that my family never really traveled too far… That our vacations were always close to home. I mean, the kind that car rides and cheap hotels can easily cover.”
My pup regained his footing, a smile slowly returning to his beautiful face as he allowed his excitement to push past his embarrassment. “And now… Even more than last year’s epic road trip, this vacation we’re about to take is completely beyond anything I can even imagine. Seriously… you’re telling me we get to take two flights to get to St. John? Really? That means I get to fly twice tomorrow?”
Lurd! Ollie’s innocent joy nearly knocked my heart right out of my chest. I laughed softly, unable to hide my grin. “Damn, I love you my sweet husband. But listen - air travel isn’t quite as magical as it used to be. But I promise you this: I still have you, and all of us are going to have an amazing day together, even if it does start way too early.”
I chuckled again and added, “Just be prepared… You might be the only one in our group who isn’t at least a little grumpy about leaving home at four in the morning.”
I saw a familiar question bloom in my Ollie’s eyes and I quickly jumped in before his worry could take hold. “Hey. Do not stress my sweet pup. The flight itself is going to feel like paradise. Trust me - your grandparents’ gift is a big one. You’re going to be very, very impressed.”
I shifted into what I thought was simply playful honesty - only to realize a heartbeat too late that I might’ve gone a few steps too far.
“But taking an Uber to arrive at DFW by four-thirty… for a six-o’clock flight?” I grinned and gently booped his irresistible nose. “No one except you is really going to be excited about that. And even worse… you’ve never gotten to experience the joy of a TSA security check. You know - the part where you’re practically forced to strip half your clothes off - and maybe get to stand there while you get felt up - in front of total strangers.”
I immediately saw my curly-haired love’s excitement falter, just a little - and Lurd, I wanted to suddenly crawl into a hole. Corey! What are you thinking? You can be such an idiot sometimes. Fix this fast!
“Oh no Ollie. No, no - hey, I’m so sorry.” I rushed in softly, pulling him close. “My Ollie, I’m just being a typical grumpy, travel-weary, snob. I swear to you, it’s going to be an adventure. A very fun one. I promise.”
I let a smirk start to tug at my mouth as a favorite memory surfaced. “Just remember how you sweetly gave me a hard time for asking ‘are we there yet?’ about a dozen times on our road trip last year? Well… you might find yourself asking something similar as we keep dealing with ‘just one more little hassle’ throughout our day tomorrow.”
I sobered and met his eyes, needing him to hear the truth underneath the teasing. “But really my sweet husband, I promise to stay just as positive and excited as you. I know you’ve got me. So, are you gonna be okay, pup?”
My Ollie answered with his soft, sincere smile that always melted me. In that instant, I knew - without a doubt - we would all be just fine.
“Despite that little buzz-kill speech you just gave, my older and more practiced traveler…” he said with a gentle smirk, “I still can’t wait for tomorrow.” He tilted his head, curiosity winning out. “But… one more time. Why do we have to be in Miami so early?”
I smiled, ready to give my excited love our travelogue one more time. “Well, pup, there are exactly two ways to get to St. John from DFW. You either fly into Miami and then on to St. Thomas, or you do the same thing through San Juan. Dad and I like the Miami airport just a little bit more, so that’s the route we picked. Plus, connecting in Miami makes both flight legs a little more balanced. Believe me - that’s a big deal if we were still flying coach - like the rest of our party.”
Ollie still looked slightly dazed, like his imagination was charging ahead, trying to outrun reality. This clearly was his first truly big trip. “And you’re sure we don’t need a passport?”
I chuckled. “Nope. Despite the current administration’s rhetoric, both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are absolutely beautiful parts of our country. I don’t want to disappoint you about our big adventure again, but pup - you’re technically never leaving the U.S.”
I decided I needed to add a little spice back into the conversation, hoping to rekindle his excitement. “Don’t freak, but just to keep us mainlanders on our toes, both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands decided that driving on the left side of the road was the way to go. So even though everyone still speaks English and uses the same dollar we do, you get to absolutely feel like you’re in a foreign country.”
Ollie’s jaw dropped just a little.
“Pup, listen,” I continued, immediately softening. “This is all on me - all my fault. We should’ve talked a lot more about our family honeymoon and worried a lot less about Riley’s amazing performance. Believe me, it’s all going to be incredible once we get to Hakuna Matata. But I’ve got a lot more to share about what we have to do to get there…”
I saw my Ollie wince, just barely, and my heart tightened.
“Hey pup, just keep that sweet amazement of yours flying high,” I said gently, reaching for his hand, “along with your happy travel attitude, and I know that everything will be absolutely magical.” It was my turn to wince, “Even though tomorrow’s going to be a long, intense day.”
I continued, “Heck, even once we finally make it to St. Thomas from Miami, we’ll still have a few more big legs of our epic journey ahead of us. After we land and collect our luggage, we’ll take a shuttle bus across St. Thomas to Red Hook. I promise, it’ll be a bus ride like no other - St. Thomas roads really only have two directions: straight up and straight down. And somehow, both of those directions manage to share the same narrow lanes. St. Thomas and St. John are volcanic islands - with high, steep, forested peaks. You can either close your eyes or grab my hand for support and enjoy the thrill ride.”
I smiled at the image forming in his head and kept going more gently.
“When we finally get to Red Hook, you’ll get your first up-close look at all of the impossibly beautiful shades of blue the Caribbean’s water can display as we take a thirty-minute ferry over to Cruz Bay on St. John. That’s when it all finally starts to feel real. That’s when the big fun begins. We pick up our rental cars, wind our way along the island’s central ridge, and finally arrive at our villa. Which by the way, is on top of one of those forested little mountains I mentioned.”
I searched his eyes hoping that I’d restored at least some of his sweet amazement. “So… are you with me, pup? After everything we managed to pull off yesterday, can you handle one more big day tomorrow?”
I watched my Ollie beam but then soften into a thoughtful sigh. “Corey… all of this sounds incredible. I’m more excited now than I’ve ever been.” His fingers tightened around mine before he added, quietly, “But remember what almost derailed our big wedding surprise yesterday? We had no idea Riley would suddenly break all of his training and practically leap into your arms - after only spending one night apart. Are we really sure our pup will be okay without us for seven whole nights?”
I smiled and drew him in close. “Oh, my sweet doggy daddy. The way you worry about our furry boy fills me with a very special kind of pride.” I brushed my thumb across his bearded cheek. “But relax. Riley gets to stay in his den with two pack members he already knows and loves. Come on, they worked together so perfectly last night - you saw that.”
I kissed his temple, making sure my voice was steady and sure, “He might miss us a little. But he’ll be safe, he’ll be loved, and he’s going to be just fine. Ethan and Daniel will take excellent care of our fluffy boy.”
Chapter 28: Take Off
The last time I woke my pup up this early was for the start of a much less happy trip. This time, we were allowed to face each other with unabashedly joyful faces - even though it was only 3:15 on a still very dark morning.
I gave my love a greeting that might eventually become a new family standard for special event mornings, “Hey pup, you up?”
Wrapped in my arms, my new husband stretched himself awake, making sure his left pit was conveniently presented to my beard and mustache while he gently tugged my left hand down to greet his morning hardness. “My wolf, we don’t need to argue this time about who snored more during our sleepless night, but you - my husband - definitely need to take care of this before we call our Uber. I mean, from what you told me yesterday, we’re going to be trapped in airports, ferries, busses and uncomfortable seats for most of the day. So, I think we need to get our exercise in now before we have to endure all that.”
Ollie quickly rolled over in my arms and presented his other musk maker with earnest as he raised my arm and pressed his sleepy face into my now exposed pit. He assured me, “I love you Corey, and I need this so much.”
I couldn’t stop a lust filled groan and a low chuckle, “Damn Ollie, I need you just as much my amazing pup.”
After he allowed my arm to finally lower, I used my hand to cup his blond bearded cheeks and direct his sweet face to my awaiting kiss. “I still can’t believe this is really happening my pup - my husband. We really did get married. Hey, we even managed to get our suitcases packed. And now it seems that I’m about to get lucky before we fly away to the most amazing paradise on earth - with the people who love us most.”
My morning breath grin was uncontrollable. “Have I mentioned that you always make me the happiest man on the planet?”
Ollie chuckled as he nuzzled into my embrace and started kissing and licking my neck - causing my own morning wood to harden to the point of erotic pain. “Actually, my wolf, you usually say ‘luckiest man on the planet’ but I like it when you switch things up.
I raised his chin back up for another sensual kiss and tongue duel while directing his hand to my own leaking sword. “Hey pup, what about not switching things up too much this, er, wait - does this really count as morning?” We snickered, “Olliver Aaron Rainer, may I breed you once again to keep you mine - forever?”
Ollie gave me a flash of his wicked grin - a look that he’d been perfecting over our year together. “About that, you know I always want to try to make more puppies with you, but um - you keep telling me that I’ve gotta be on a plane, bus or boat for most of the day. Believe me, I don’t even wanna have to pee on an airplane, let alone do anything else, well, more significant. So, how about you pull out in time to give me a big shot of your cream somewhere that I can maybe enjoy it with my morning coffee?”
My grin was unstoppable and as bright as the sunrise will hopefully be - well, in about three more hours. “Roll over pup, I need my breakfast!”
Damn, in addition to getting big enough to almost knock me over with his muscled frame during our wedding night’s impromptu “trust fall,” My Ollie’s beautiful peach was finally getting to be as furry as his cleft and taint had been the first time I saw them - LOL - strictly as a medical professional.
I really had been given the privilege of watching my beautiful flower bloom over the past year. I will never stop cherishing my Ollie, his heart, his soul and his amazing body. And I treasure that he openly shares them all with me. I couldn’t wait any longer, I hastily parted Ollie’s perfect furry mounds of muscle and dove in, to breathe in his scent and taste his sweet hole. Damn pup, I’m so happy I get to do this every day for the rest of my life.
Watching my Ollie instantly ball our sheets up in his fists as my tongue ruthlessly attacked his hole was exactly what I needed to see. There was suddenly no travel stress or hassle to worry about. There was only my beautiful man to please, and a wonderful journey to herald the rest of our lives together. I just needed to take care of the first before starting the second.
I did my old-school trick of tonguing the alphabet on Ollies quivering hole. Not even the dads knew which high school friend taught me that little gem. But I only made it to ‘J’ before my Ollie lifted his broad shoulders off our bed and started begging for more. “Corey. Please open me up.”
I slid my body up along Ollie’s back and lowered my face down over his neck. With a tease in my voice, I probed, “What’s that pup? What are you asking?”
Ollie moaned, “Please my wolf, I really need your fingers in my hole now.” I caught his sudden smirk, “And I don’t care if they’re on your left - or your other left - hand.”
I couldn’t curb my sudden laughter, but still managed to give my pup’s vulnerable buns the stern slap they so deserved. “Okay - mister smart boy - be careful what you ask for.” I grinned and gleefully smacked my boy’s peachy cheeks once again as I slipped two spit-soaked fingers past his tightness and slowly curled them to brush his prostate.
His moans became dangerously loud, “Ollie, I’m always delighted to make you so happy, but we don’t need to give your grandparents any more grandad-joke material. I love you pup, but let’s wait to get really loud and wild tonight in our villa.”
Ollie turned his blushing head across the pillow, “Sorry my wolf, but you know exactly how to get me to make all the most embarrassing noises.” I was blessed with his smile again before he continued, “And I’m always going to be grateful for that - for the rest of my life.”
My groom rose up from our crumpled bed linens on his muscled triceps and reached over to his nightstand drawer to retrieve our trusty bottle of lube. Ollie practically sneered as he softly added, “Come on my Norse god husband, let’s get serious.”
I’ve never been a guy who could turn down such an enticing offer. I drizzled a generous amount lube on my boy’s hole and decided that no more fingers were necessary, it was time to wake my mate up - full howl. “Here we go pup, just relax and push back into me.”
Ollie’s higher-than-usual pitched moan charged through my soul and made it nearly impossible to stay restrained. There was nothing else that mattered in my world, I needed to take my man. Let him know that he is mine, was always be mine, and will never be without me - whether I was going to be allowed to breed him right now or not.
Still, through all my excitement, I managed to listen to my mate’s body, quivering under mine. “You still up and happy, pup?”
“Damn, Corey - please just fuck me into first class.”
Lurd! I sank in deep and fast, stifling my sudden chuckles and giving Ollie his requested mix of pleasure and pain for the morning. “I love you pup. I promise that I’m going to take you like this every day for the rest of our lives.”
I couldn’t keep from breaking character, “Well, except for the days I need you to take me - my big muscle boy.” I kissed across the back of his neck as I got serious.
I found my rut regrettably almost too quickly. I lost myself, pounding my morning steel into Ollie’s willing furry hole while rooting my nose into the back of his pit, reveling in the scent I had been deprived of for a whole, long, cruel - but damn fun - day. I knew I was going to reach my nut way faster than I wanted to.
All too soon I had to say, “Sorry Ollie, I think you need to roll over already. You made me promise not to make your trip unnecessarily uncomfortable...”
Ollie turned his head to give me a desperate side kiss. I gently left his tightness and allowed him to roll over under me before I was able to quickly re-enter his warmth with his furry calves now tickling my ears. I upped my game and saw Ollie’s eyes roll back in his head.
Just a short year ago, taking my pup in this position was too painful for him to manage, now it’s just as overwhelmingly euphoric for him to endure as it is for me to keep myself restrained. I gently coaxed him, “Okay, pup. I don’t want to reach our summit until you get there first. Do you need a helping hand?”
Ollie managed to shake his head, “No Corey. Just do NOT change your angle of attack and keep going. For just a little longer…”
I raised his arm, leaned down, buried my face in his pit once again as I granted his wish. The unexpected pit stimulation I gave him pushed my pup over the edge and we were suddenly blessed with millions of baby Ollies to lick up from both of our furry chests.
Mere seconds later, I somehow remembered my initial promise and quickly pulled out just in time to add my DNA to Ollie’s chest hair, his tummy trail and his pubes. In my afterglow, I couldn’t help myself, I had to scoop up a little finger-full of our mixed contributions and then slip it into Ollie’s still relaxed hole. Hey, there’s always that one chance we’ll eventually make a puppy of our own.
****
Despite our best efforts, we were once again gently scolded by Ollie’s sweet grandparents for waking them up, but this time, Ollie himself reminded them that it was our duty to make sure none of us were late for our airport Uber.
I nearly choked when Joe boldly added, “You know, with your current enthusiasm and impressive frequency, I’m expecting to get a great-grandson from you two soon, right? Whatever it takes boys - keep it up!”
I managed a meek, blushed, “Yes sir,” as we loaded our luggage and the four of us into the Uber XL that dad had arranged.
Even though I’d been told by Ollie last year, I finally got to hear the phrase that Joe apparently always said at the start of a long journey, he gleefully shouted out: “Sit down, shut up, here we go!”
Chapter 29: Connecting in Miami
** Ollie’s Perspective **
I hadn’t expected to walk into work on Monday morning to be greeted by a Sunday night probable kidnapping. “I’m just not on my game yet, Ridge. You mind if we grab some coffee? There’s a Starbucks right over there.” My lead detective gave me a nod as we changed course. We managed to make our way through the crowded entrance then he went to scout out a table while I headed for the line to place our order. I already knew what he wanted by heart.
The place was packed, like every Starbucks always seems to be, airport concourse or not. At least both registers were open. I slipped into the line on the right and did a double take. Next to me stood a big, curly blond-haired muscled kid - cute as hell - and beside him a slightly taller, drop-dead gorgeous hunk with darker blond hair. I suddenly had to concentrate on not staring. I wondered if they were maybe brothers.
Not that it really mattered. Airports are full of interesting people that you’ll never get the chance to see again. Still, I caught myself glancing their way as they placed their order just a minute before I could give mine. By the time I turned away from the register, I saw the two of them heading toward a cluster of chairs adjacent to the two Ridge had claimed for us. Sure enough, they joined a group of six other very happy people who had moved two tables together right beside Ridge’s space.
I followed them over and sat down across from Ridge, making sure my seat gave me a good angle on the party that had caught my attention. “Hey Ridge, what do you think the story is with the table to your left? At first I thought the two guys beside me in line were brothers, but now I’m not so sure. Looks like they’re with an older gay couple, an even older straight couple and a guy around your age with his wife. Tell me if I’m wrong, but that guy has got to be a cop. He’s got your eyes and your 5 o’clock shadow look down cold.”
I must’ve been staring too hard, because Ridge finally started to turn his head. I cut him off with a quick, “Hey! Don’t look, Ridge! I don’t want to make it weird.” That earned me the chuckle I was hoping for.
I finally dropped my curiosity and listened to my lead as he recited our current case while we waited on our coffee. We were looking for two boys who had disappeared after visiting their friend’s house yesterday - Sunday late afternoon.
It didn’t take long to discover that their parents were recently involved in a nasty divorce. It seemed that the father had most likely decided to reclaim his sons and was now attempting to quickly flee the city. The father was originally from Boston, so we were sure that he was headed back there. We had already alerted the Boston police, and had them setup check points at Logan.
Ridge had also sent Blake to their school to talk to the kids’ teachers just to confirm a few points. Ridge and I were here at MIA to talk to Airport Security. They were going to show us surveillance footage around the time the father’s flight took off and we were going to get to talk to the TSA agents who were working the check point during the same period.
I heard someone shout “Ollie” and I quickly headed back to the counter. I noticed that the beefy blond boy was once again by my side.
** Corey’s Ollie’s Perspective **
When I made it back to our group after giving my order, I nudged Kevin’s shoulder and tipped my head toward the table beside us. “Hey my big, burly, huggable police officer. You’re still rocking my favorite five o’clock shadow - at eight in the morning.” I playfully brushed the back of my hand against his stubbly jaw, much to his immediate embarrassment.
I subtly tilted my chin toward a guy whose archetypical hero-cop profile was deeply engaged in conversation with his friend at the table adjacent to ours. “But that intense man with the cute blond guy I just stood in line with really gives you some serious competition.”
Corey leaned in close, lowering his voice. “Uh, pup? Aside from your height and muscles, that could practically be you and Kevin sitting over there. Y’all have doppelgängers in Miami.”
I was about to point out that my twin was missing one key feature - my beard - when I heard my name called from the counter. I hopped up, and, of course, so did my new little, well at least smaller, brother. I mean it made sense; we’d pretty much ordered at the same time.
I couldn’t resist sneaking one more glance at his table-mate. Those eyes were downright mesmerizing. Serious. The kind of eyes that could stop you in your tracks. I couldn’t keep from wondering if they were boyfriends, or maybe even husbands.
I was too busy already making up their backstory in my inner monologue to pay attention as I reached for the cup with my name on it; only to realize too late, that the other blond guy was doing the exact same thing. Our hands bumped. We both froze. I felt my cheeks flush as I stammered, “Hi! Sorry for bumping into you. I’m Ollie - and I think this one’s mine.”
The guy’s face split into a wide grin, “Hi Ollie, I’m Ollie.”
We both glanced at the name on the cup, then back at each other, before he added with a laugh, “Don’t tell me we even ordered the same drink.”
It took me a second to catch up with the impossible reality of it all, but then a goofy grin spread across my face. “Wow. So, two blond Ollies with identical tastes in coffee. What are the odds? But hey! It’s nice to meet you.”
We lingered at the counter, clearly both politely waiting on round two to be delivered before either one of us left the counter with the first. I tilted my head, letting curiosity get the better of me. “So, not to be creepy or too nosey, but your, uh friend, looks really serious about something. Are y’all… a couple?”
The other Ollie burst out laughing. “Ridge!? Oh no. He’s my lead detective and unofficial mentor. Plus, my boyfriend Andy - and Ridge’s husband Lucas - wouldn’t exactly approve of it if we started dating.”
Before I could sink too far into my embarrassment, the barista slid another identical “Ollie” cup onto the counter. “Ha! My bad. Sorry about that,” I muttered, shaking my head.
His friendly grin never wavered and kept me at ease. He good-naturedly lobbed a similar question right back at me. “So… are you and the guy you were in line with, um, brothers?”
I nearly snorted into my coffee. “Lurd No!” Then I decided to just let the truth play out, “Well, at least not exactly. Um… but maybe kind of? I’m sorry, it’s complicated.” I gave him a conspiratorial grin. “But you’re a detective, right? So why don’t y’all just come over to our table? I’ll introduce you to my family and try to explain everything.”
We weaved our way through the crowded coffee shop until we reached our tables. My new friend Ollie motioned for his lead detective to join us. I offered him my hand as he approached my side. “It’s nice to meet you sir, I’m Ollie Ca… Rainier. I just accidently had the pleasure of meeting your Ollie at the counter.”
The man’s grip was firm, his presence commanding, yet his smile carried a comforting warmth. “Drake Ridgway,” he said. “Call me Ridge.” His gaze held mine a few seconds longer than expected, steady and piercing, as if he were sizing me up.
“Nice to meet you Ollie.” His eyes really did have me mesmerized, “My Ollie here was curious about your table while we were waiting on our coffee. I thought maybe he finally worked up the nerve to ask what you story was.”
It was my turn to laugh again, “Actually, I was just about to explain all that.”
I turned to the glowing faces gathered around our table and swelled with pride and happiness. “Let’s start at the top. These two beautiful people are my grandparents, Joe and Laura.” I winked at Grandpa Joe, “And believe me, don’t ever let Joe ask you any innocent relationship questions…” The handshakes were eager and heartfelt.
After Joe had stopped blushing and returned to his seat, I continued, “Next we have the two most amazing fathers in Fort Worth. The ones who took me in as their son, Mr. Ted Kern and his husband, Dr. Christopher Rainer.” I noticed a flicker in Detective Ridgway’s eyes upon hearing my last named repeated as Chris’.
That’s when I knew it was time to get to the heart of my story. I reached for Corey’s hand, unable to stop a huge grin from dominating my face. “And this stunning man is my new husband, and Chris’ son, Corey Rainer. I had a little epiphany last year that I didn’t need to keep my biological father’s name any longer. So, two days ago, I took Corey’s.”
Glancing back to the perpetually smiling Detective Ollie, I gave him a nod, “So, see? In a way, Corey and I are kinda brothers. Or… wait! Um, brothers-in-law? Lurd!” I helplessly motioned toward Chris and Ted “Our unique family situation gave these two a great ‘dad joke’ for the whole week before our wedding, they just couldn’t stop going on about their two sons finally marrying each other.”
I tried my best to calm my demeanor before turning to the last two faces at the table and continuing, “And this wonderful couple is Fort Worth PD’s finest - Officer Kevin Barrett and his beautiful wife Anna.” I gave Kevin a loving glance before adding, “We became great friends last year after Officer Kevin arrested me for grand theft auto.”
Detective Ridgeway and his Ollie both blinked in unison, their curiosity was palpable. I couldn’t resist smirking. “Long, long story guys. But, don’t worry - I’m totally reformed now and living a happy and crime-free life.”
Kevin jumped up from his over-taxed chair to shake their hands. “Technically, I never got to arrest Ollie. He fainted and cracked his head open on a rock. I kinda had to rush him to the ER before we could get too far along with his official incarceration.” He finished the handshakes with a laugh and then moved over and pulled me into a quick, but very sincere side hug.
Detectives Ridgeway and Ollie gave us their congratulations on our marriage. Their smiles were as genuine as any of the guests at our wedding. We allowed ourselves to linger over our steaming coffees in an unexpected fraternal buzz, while the drone of the airport faded away from our little bubble of conversation and connection.
As I giddily recited all the details of everything about our family honeymoon on the island of St. John. I caught the other Ollie’s amazed gaze and suddenly felt I needed to tone things down a bit.
“I know I’ve gotta be coming off as a St. John fan boy - even before I’ve ever even been there - but damn. I just can’t imagine the paradise that’s awaiting us in just a few short hours. I apologize. I know y’all are here on serious business - I don’t want to even think about how it must feel to suddenly lose contact with someone you love the most. So, I thank you for everything you both do.”
By the time our two new friends had to excuse themselves to return to their duties - and I’d gotten to have a universe-bending Ollie-to-Ollie hug - it all felt less like a random encounter, and more like fate had given us an unexpected gift: we somehow had two new friends in Miami. One a smaller version of “me,” the other a near duplicate of my sweet officer Kevin.
Damn, what’s wrong with those grumpy travelers who say long airport connections are always a beat-down?
****
After our unexpectedly rewarding Miami connection, I settled back into my second first-class - okay, “business-class” - seat of the morning. Even with all my excitement still buzzing, the gentle thrum of the plane’s engines and the steady warmth of Corey’s shoulder were too comforting to resist. I let our super-early morning finally catch up with me. This wasn’t the mile-high club fantasy people always joke about - it was something far better.
I drifted off into a half-waking doze, wrapped in contentment. Resting my head on Corey, letting the memories of our last few days wash over me. Scenes from our reception began gently floating through my mind…
One of my most cherished and unexpected rewards from sharing stories on GayDemon, has been the friendships I’ve made over the past year. Both with readers and fellow writers. I’ve also been given the honor of graduating from being a Lee Obrien fanboy to becoming a good friend and - miraculously - even a kind of co-writer.
And on that topic, it seems that there are two types of writer work ethics. First, there are those of us who freak and surrender to a two-month long case of writer’s block. And then there’s Lee - who can somehow just keep going, producing wonderful stories at an amazing pace.
I asked Lee for permission to mash up our Ollies way back late last summer. He graciously sent me a framework that would put Ridge and his Ollie at the airport the same time that my Ollie and Corey would be there. By the way - you have no idea how profoundly wrong it feels to write dialog and prose for another author’s characters. I couldn’t write more than two or three sentences without immediately emailing them to him for approval.
But the point of my confession is, Lee’s been waiting months for me to get my Ollie’s story to this point. I finally had to do it with a small cheat - I skipped their reception night. Don’t worry, I have lots of fun scenes written for it. And I promise to present them to y’all as flashbacks. I even think they’ll work better that way. At least I hope they will.
Thank you Lee for lending your characters to me and for then being so very patient. You are an amazing writer and friend.
And to everyone else - thank you for reading. I hope our shared readers enjoyed this fun little cross-over. If you’ve never read any of Lee’s “Miami” stories - go read them now! And even if you don’t, I hope “Connecting in Miami” holds up as another example of Ollie and Corey’s love affecting the lives of all the people they meet.
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