Page 51 of Chance's Choice
“He sure is,” Daddy tells her in the same tone he uses for me when I’m Little. “I wanted to name him Fuzzlebutt, but I was outvoted. He also didn’t like Killer, and then I was all out of ideas.”
I cock my head up at him and growl my annoyance, and that sends Katie off into a fit of giggles.
“Can we play with Kade, Uncle Chance?” she asks him, once again petting the top of my head, as though she’s apologizing for laughing at Daddy’s stupid joke name.
“Sure,” he agrees readily. When he was getting me ready, we discussed my comfort level, and I admitted that I was excited to play with the others and to see how different it felt. “Don’t be too rough, though. He’s just a puppy, okay?” He squats by my side and unclasps the leash from my collar, giving the leather around my neck a tiny tug to make sure I’m focusing on his words. “And you play carefully, too.”
Feeling bold, I lick his bearded cheek before bounding across the grass towards the group of Littles with Katie at my side.
Chapter Twenty-Three - Chance
Matt laughs as he’s tackled to the grass by an enthusiastic pup hellbent on stealing back his ball. Matt had been faking throwing it for a good thirty seconds, so as far as I’m concerned, he had the attack coming.
“You gonna call your pup off my boy, Chance?” London asks me, but there’s no real demand in the question. Still, I can’t help taunting him.
“You gonna teach your boy that teasing a pup is likely to get him pounced on?”
London chuckles and jerks his chin over to where Kade is still sprawled out over Matt’s much wider chest, snapping his jaws and whining in the direction of the ball, which Matt is easily holding well and truly out of Kade’s reach. “I’m pretty sure he’s learned that lesson now.”
As predicted, the whole group has been super cool and inclusive of Kade’s kink. If anything, the Littles have gone nuts for a different kind of playmate, and the other Daddies have enjoyed doling out pets and playing fetch and tug-of-war with my pup, too. Kate was right on the money when she said there were parallels between Littles and Pups, and today has completely cemented that.
With everyone else paying Kade so much attention, I’ve been surreptitiously focusing a bit more on Josh. Considering he was the one who said he needed the playdate to relax, it’s been a surprise to watch him basically hover on the edge of the group. He’s been joining in on the play, dressed in short shorts and a t-shirt with a teddy bear decal right over the front, but he hasn’t been as boisterous or attention-seeking as I’d expected him to be. If anything, his expression has been wistful bordering on sad whenever he’s stepped back from the group, and that sets off all sorts of alarm bells in my head.
I’m distracted from my musings when Matt finally throws the ball, sending it rolling half-heartedly across the grass, and Kade scrambles off him to chase after it. But, once he’s got it between his teeth, he trots over to where Josh is sitting cross-legged beside Tony, dropping it into Josh’s lap and pawing at him to toss it.
I wonder if Kade’s noticed my concern for Josh, or if this is his way of showing his own. Either way, I’m filled with pride that he’s making an effort to connect with the other Little. Whatever’s going on with Josh, he needs to be reminded that he has a support system here.
“And that’s my cue,” London says, setting his half-empty bottle of beer on the table before he pushes from his chair. I follow his gaze to where Matt has gotten to his knees and is holding out his arms and calling out for his Daddy. London helps him up and then pats the front of his onesie over his crotch, and Matt flushes adorably, averts his gaze, and then nods at whatever question he’s just been asked. I’m guessing it involves a diaper change or potty time.
London takes his boy by the hand and leads him past me, confirming my suspicions by grabbing their duffel bag from the pile by the door, and I turn back to watching the group playing, only to notice that Josh was focused on London and Matt with that same wistful expression, his gaze glued to the doorway they just walked through.
Huh. I’m not sure what to make of that.
I know he’s close to Matt, of course, but is it more than that? Does he have feelings for Matt or London? Or am I misinterpreting the wistfulness?
Could it be Josh wants more than just the odd scene or playdate? He’s always maintained that he’s just a scene Little, but the fact that he reached out to us to organize a get-together for his Little time instead of venturing to The Grove to let off steam is telling.
I watch as he seems to shake himself and then smiles down at Kade, who has just yawned widely and curled up on the ground at Josh’s side, his head resting on Josh’s thigh. Josh cards his fingers through the soft, blonde hair on top of Kade’s head and pets him like one would a real dog or cat, and I’m tempted to pull out my phone and snap a photo of the moment.
“That’s the most relaxed I’ve seen Josh in ages,” Charlie tells me, taking London’s vacated seat at my side.
“What’s going on with him?” I ask, unable to keep my curiosity veiled. “Reaching out and asking for today was kind of out of character. But I’m glad he did,” I rush to add.
Josh’s older brother nods and shrugs. “He’s a stubborn ass and won’t actually tell me what’s wrong. But I think being a Detective is more intense than he thought it would be and,” Charlie sighs and turns his head to look me in the eye, “I think he’s lonely. I mean, we’re all paired up now, and he’s the odd man out.”
“Because I’m sure it’s hard for him to find dates looking the way he does,” I scoff sarcastically.
Charlie rolls his eyes. “He’s in his thirties now, Chance. And he’s a big, buff dude with an authoritative job. He won’t say anything, but I think he’s starting to come up against the same issues Matt had. Daddies don’t want Littles like him. They want…” he trails off and looks towards his husband, who has dragged Tony off to play with a couple of stuffies that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “Well. I can’t talk, can I?”
He’s got a point. Ash, like Tony and Kade, is smaller and more ‘boyish’, for lack of a better word. He’s still got a masculine, athletic vibe about him, but he’s slender and lean where Josh is built and broad.
Still… “You can’t help who you’re attracted to, man.”
Charlie shrugs. “Yeah, well, you gotta admit, except for London, the rest of us Daddies have been kind of stereotypical in our tastes.”
“Josh wasn’t interested in any of us, anyway. That’d be weird. He’s like family. Hell, for you heisfamily.” I make a face. Charlie laughs.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying…” he scrubs a hand through the scruff on his jaw, “I don’t know what I’m saying. He just…I think he’s lonely. Stressed and lonely and finally realizing that he wants more out of age play than the odd scene to blow off steam.”
