Page 21 of Never Too Late for Love
“Onward,” Landry said. “If that’s amenable to everyone?” he added.
“Smart aleck,” Tilly snarked.
KC had become a seasoned traveler, even at her young age. She was asleep almost before the plane left the ground in Tampa. When it came time to decide who sat where, since they were in first class and the seats were only two per row instead of three, they’d put Tilly next to KC, and Cris and Bob together across the aisle. Landry sat in the row ahead of them, and they could all change seats as they wanted throughout the flight.
Cris reached over to lace fingers with Bob as the engines revved for takeoff.
“Here we go,” Cris said. “You ready?”
“Not sure how I’ll deal with the paparazzi. Tilly said it’s worse out there than in the UK.”
“It can be sometimes. Hopefully you won’t have to deal with too much. Just remember not to say anything to them. Don’t react. They might try to provoke you to get a reaction.”
Bob laid his head on Cris’ shoulder as the plane picked up speed and rumbled down the runway.
* * * *
Flying wasnothis favorite activity, but Bob knew getting used to it was mandatory.
Something he hadn’t had trouble getting used to was no longer feeling alone in the world. Unwanted.
Not understood.
Just when he’d resigned himself to spending the rest of his life alone and unfulfilled, enter Landry and Cris, with Tilly.
Hisfamily.
The contractor would be starting on the addition to the house next month. They’d pulled the permits for the job, and Landry and Cris had finalized the plans after checking with Bob. He’d have his own mini suite with a bedroom, office and sitting room area, and a bathroom as big as the master bath.
A place for all his stuff, a place to retreat to.
A place where if two or three of them wanted to retreat to it and still beinthe house, yet unable to be overheard by KC, they could.
The plane climbed and then gently banked toward the west. This was a direct flight to LA, no layovers or stops or plane changes.
Bob had a thought.
“Is the place you got your tattoo still there? In LA?”
Cris had deep, expressive brown eyes, sometimes intense, sometimes playful. Right now, those brown eyes studied Bob.
“Why?”
“You know why, Sir.”
Yes, it was supposed to be vanilla time this week.
Bob wanted Cris to know how serious he was.
Cris still studied him.
“Hetook you,” Bob added. “Youcan take me.”
Cris squeezed his hand, hard. “I’ll check when we get there,” he quietly said. “If not there, I’ll find someplace.”
Was it selfish to want to match Cris? Maybe.
Maybe if Tilly saw he was all in for real and not going anywhere, it might help her drop her restriction faster. It was a visceral need quickly growing in Bob to prove to them he was fine with this new world order.
