Page 1 of Having HIs Back

ChapterOne

What thehell am I doing?Kerry Sutherland asked himself, clinging to the edge of the bed next to Trevor, his boyfriend, who had spread out across the mattress the way he always did. They had been dating for a month, and Kerry strongly suspected that the end of this particular relationship was zooming up on them.

“Hey,” Trevor said as he woke, stretching out like a sleek cat, making no effort to provide any room for Kerry. “What time is it?” He rolled over to check the clock, the covers pulling away, giving Kerry a flash of Trevor’s incredible ass.

Heck, it might be worth staying with him just for that ass. But no. Kerry got out of bed even though his first client appointment wasn’t for a few hours.

Trevor jumped out of bed and began pulling on his clothes.

“What’s the rush?”

“I have to be at work in forty-five minutes. You let me sleep too late.” That was typical and reminded Kerry why this relationship had to end. Everything was always someone else’s fault, and no matter how hot, well endowed, or talented with his backside that Trevor was, this was not going to work. Trevor pulled on his shirt. “Do you want to get together on Wednesday? We could have dinner or something.”

Kerry shrugged. “I think this is probably about as far as we can go. We had some good times and all, but I don’t see things moving forward for us. Do you?” He really hoped he could end this in as friendly a way as possible.

Trevor stared at him, not blinking. “You’re dumping me?” He actually put his hands over his chest in disbelief. “You have to be kidding me. Don’t you know that I’m a catch?”

Did he actually fucking say that? It took Kerry a few seconds to make sure he had heard him right.

“Sweetheart, if you have to tell someone you’re a catch, then believe me, you aren’t. You’re a nice enough guy and great in bed, but beyond that, we don’t have much in common. Besides, do you really think I don’t know about the fact that on nights we don’t see each other, you’re cruising down at the Triangle? And that’s why things aren’t going to go anywhere between us. We want different things. So go on and have your fun.”

“Is there someone else?” Trevor asked, and Kerry shook his head.

“I want more than what we can have.” He stayed calm, even though he wasn’t sure if Trevor was going to blow up or not. But eventually, Trevor sat down and pulled on his shoes. Then he gathered the few things he had in the apartment before swooshing out of the room and slamming the door hard enough to rattle the dishes.

Kerry sighed as he wondered exactly what he’d just done. It wasn’t like he was interested in anyone else, but it seemed that no amount of good sex was worth being second best in your own relationship.

He dressed and double-checked his client schedule before sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, snatching up his phone when it rang. “This is Kerry.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” the woman on the other side of the line said. “I’m Karen, and I’ve been trying to find the number for you. I’m Caroline’s neighbor. She and I have been friends for years, and I have Henry and Phillip at the house with me.”

Instantly, Kerry was on edge. “What’s happened? Where is Caroline?” She and the boys were the only family he had left after their parents’ death in a car accident five years ago. When it came to men, his sister was a loser magnet. But for her boys, she was a tiger and a wonderful mother.

“Phillip came over this morning because he couldn’t find his mother. I went back to the house with him. Henry was still there. I got them settled and then went to look for Caroline. I found her in the garage.” She began to cry. “The police are here, and they are going through Caroline’s house right now.”

Kerry gasped. “Are you telling me that she’s…?”

“She passed away,” Karen said, and cried harder. “The boys are fine. They’re playing with my daughters, and I’m doing the best I can to keep everyone calm and away from the windows in front.” She sounded broken, but Kerry could only imagine how those boys were going to feel once someone told them that their mother was dead.

“I’m going to clear my schedule, and I’ll get on the road down from Seattle as quickly as I can get there. Don’t let the police talk to the boys. I’ll explain to them about their mother. Please don’t let anyone else do it. I’ll call you at this number when I’m on the road.”

“Good. These boys need their family.”

“I’m on my way.” He ended the call and made another to the scheduling department at the practice. He explained what had happened, and Shirley said not to worry about anything—she would clear the week and reschedule all his appointments.

“Thank you. You’re a gem,” he told her as he pulled out a bag from his closet.

“Chocolate,” she told him, and Kerry half smiled. Shirley’s sweet tooth was legendary.

“You got it. Let me know if there is anything super urgent.”

“I will. You take care of your family,” she told him as he shoved pants, socks, shirts, and underwear into the bag. He also packed a sweatshirt as he said goodbye. Then he got the rest of what he needed and locked the door behind him before hurrying out of the apartment. Less than fifteen minutes from the initial call, he was in his car and on the road south toward Olympia.

Traffic wasa pain in the ass south of the airport, with clouds obscuring everything. On days when it was clear, Mount Rainier could be seen to the west, but on a day like today, she was shrouded in gray, just like Kerry’s mood. But he kept all that at bay, just thinking about his nephews and knowing that they needed him. That was all there was to it. Each and every mile of the trip increased his anxiety about Caroline, the boys, and what the hell he was walking into.

It was hard for him to believe that his sister was gone. She was vibrant, one of those people with a zest for life. The men she chose were terrible, but that never seemed to bother her. She’d kick them out, and if the men showed up again, she’d kick their asses. That was Caroline. And she loved her boys with everything she had. Those boys were the center of her life, and she doted on them. And for them to lose her…. Kerry felt himself speed up just to try to get there faster. But of course, he was stuck in traffic, and there was no place for him to go.

As soon as the traffic broke, he pushed his Toyota Sienna as fast as he dared to go until he reached the turnoff for Olympia. He took the exit and made his way directly to the residential neighborhood where his sister rented a house.

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