Page 73 of The Road Home
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jared smiled as he stood in the doorway, watching Orson and Tippy sleeping on the bed. There didn't look to be any space as the two curled up together. He was almost jealous of how close Orson and the dog had become.
One thing he did notice was that the nightmares seemed to come less often since they got the dog. He wasn't sure if that was because he was getting more comfortable or if it really had something to do with having Tippy beside him every night.
As much as he wished he could give Orson that security, he was more than happy to let the dog take the credit if it kept the nightmares away. It was a relief to not have him waking up in a cold sweat, shaking every night.
He glanced at the clock, debating on climbing back into bed. It was only nine in the morning, but he wanted to get a lot done before they headed into work later.
Leaving Orson and Tippy to sleep, he headed out to the kitchen and started to make breakfast. Most mornings it was cold cereal, but he was craving pancakes, and he wanted to keep them from settling into a boring routine. A hot breakfast would be a nice change.
As he cooked, he thought about the last couple of months. Things seemed to move so fast, but when he looked back, they really hadn't. Having Orson in his life was life-changing, and the more time they spent together, the surer he was that Orson was the person he was meant to spend his life with. He just wasn't sure how to do that.
Everything was comfortable as long as they were in the house, but being out in public he always felt as if everyone was staring at them. He watched other gay couples and wished he could be like them. Orson deserved a relationship like that. After all he'd been through to be out, he didn't need to be trapped in a relationship that was only taking place behind closed doors.
Jared sighed. Somehow, he needed to move past the point of hiding. He needed to take the steps to give Orson the life he deserved, or he would risk losing him.
"Morning." Orson walked into the kitchen, Tippy following behind.
"Hey, babe." Jared opened his arms and welcomed Orson into them. "Sleep well?"
"I did until I woke up and you were gone."
Jared kissed him softly. "Thought I'd start breakfast."
Orson glanced at the stove. "Pancakes and bacon?"
"Good?"
"Yeah, really good." Orson stepped back. "I'll let Tippy out back and come in and help you finish." He made his way to the back door, opening it so Tippy could run outside.
Jared smiled as Orson returned to his side. He lifted a piece of bacon to Orson's lips.
"Thanks," Orson said as he chewed. "So, what's the special occasion for a cooked breakfast?"
"Do we need one?"
"No, it just surprised me." Orson flipped one of the pancakes over. "It's a great idea. I'm starving."
"Me too." Jared trailed a line of kisses up Orson's neck. "Cameron is coming over with his truck at eleven so we can take the hutch over to Richard's."
Orson turned. "I'm going to run over and see Harry. Do you mind if I skip out on Richard's?"
Jared shook his head. "Do you need a ride over?"
"Nah, I can take the bus. I don't mind."
"You know you can take the car. You do have a valid license." Jared hadn't offered before, but he was comfortable with Orson driving if he wanted to.
"Thanks, but for now I'll stick to the bus. I don't know the area that well yet. Once I do, maybe we can go somewhere, and I can practice driving a bit before I put myself back on the road in traffic."
"Any time you want to." He would think about getting a second car once Orson was more secure driving. "Will you be home before you go to work?"
"Probably not, but can you pick me up after?"
"Yeah, I'll be there a little after eleven like always." Jared pulled the last pancake from the pan before running his fingers over Orson's ass. "Wanna grab the juice?" He reached up to grab a couple of glasses.
As they sat down to eat, they watched Tippy chasing birds in the backyard. She'd settled in perfectly with them, making the home her own without any nervousness. She was the perfect dog for them.
