talking when Jasper would stop by to check on Preston's progress. "Do you play poker?" Stone asked. It seemed to him that Jasper could do everything.
Geoff answered the question. "Hell, yes. Last week he went home with all my money."
"Have you ever played?" Jasper asked, and Stone shook his head. His father would never allow cards in the house. "Tools of the devil," he used to call them. Never mind that the man used to drink like a fish and would hit him for the slightest infraction--but anything fun was inherently evil. "I'll teach you if you want."
Stone smiled. "Thanks."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Derrick offered, carrying his dishes to the counter. "I know we came early, but you always do all the work." Stone watched as Derrick and Eli finished up their preparations, talking together. Stone was about to ask Jasper to explain poker to him when a cell phone rang. Jasper reached into his pocket, checking the display before answering.
"Preston, what's going on?" Stone leaned against the counter, waiting for Jasper. "You've got to be kidding. You've told him you're gay, right?" Stone wondered what was happening as he heard concern creep into Jasper's voice. "When's this supposed to happen?" Jasper checked his watch. "I'm at Geoff and Eli's. It's poker night." Jasper listened again. "No, I don't think they'll mind if you hang out for a while." Jasper looked over at Geoff, who nodded, and Stone felt an unfamiliar clench in his stomach. Preston was coming over here? Since Preston's last therapy session a few days ago, Stone had found himself wondering what the man would look like out of his chair--and out of his clothes, if the truth be told. But he was more than a little nervous around him. Preston had apologized for being mean to him, but he wasn't too sure he really wanted to spend too much time around him. If he was honest, he was a little afraid of him, but he could barely admit that to himself, and sure as hell wasn't about to tell anyone else that.
"I'll be there in a few minutes." Jasper hung up the phone. "I need to rescue Preston." He turned to Geoff. "Do you mind if he joins us? I know he's been a pain, but he's not really a bad guy."
Geoff looked at Stone and then back at Jasper. "As long as he behaves himself."
"I need to go pick him up; I'll be back as soon as I can." Jasper retrieved his coat. "Would you come with me?"
At first Stone looked around before realizing Jasper was talking to him. "If you need my help, sure."
"Sometimes Preston has difficulty getting in and out of my truck, and I'd appreciate your help."
"Okay, I'll be right back." Stone got his coat and returned to see Derrick giving Jasper a gentle kiss. Stone followed Jasper to his truck, and they headed out of the drive and down the country roads toward town.
"Is that where Preston lives?" Stone remarked as they pulled into the long drive of what Stone thought was the biggest house he'd ever seen. "Yeah."
Stone looked at Jasper. "Then why's he so mean sometimes? If I lived in a place like this, I'd think I died and went to Heaven. Growing up, our farmhouse was only four small rooms. This place looks like a castle or something."
"Stone," Jasper said as he pulled up and parked by the garage, "just because someone lives in a big house and has money doesn't mean they're happy."
"I know that, but it's gotta help, right?" Stone actually smiled as he peered out the window at the massive house.
Jasper chuckled. "Come on, let's go rescue Preston." Opening the door, Jasper climbed out and Stone followed, walking up to the front door and ringing the bell. Stone looked around at all the shrubs and bushes pruned into balls and cones, each one perfectly shaped and lit with white Christmas lights.
The door opened slowly. "Jasper, we weren't expecting you." Preston's mother smiled at them as she stepped back and opened the door. "Thank God you're here." Preston rolled toward them as they entered. "He's driving me crazy."
"Preston, he's your
Geoff answered the question. "Hell, yes. Last week he went home with all my money."
"Have you ever played?" Jasper asked, and Stone shook his head. His father would never allow cards in the house. "Tools of the devil," he used to call them. Never mind that the man used to drink like a fish and would hit him for the slightest infraction--but anything fun was inherently evil. "I'll teach you if you want."
Stone smiled. "Thanks."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Derrick offered, carrying his dishes to the counter. "I know we came early, but you always do all the work." Stone watched as Derrick and Eli finished up their preparations, talking together. Stone was about to ask Jasper to explain poker to him when a cell phone rang. Jasper reached into his pocket, checking the display before answering.
"Preston, what's going on?" Stone leaned against the counter, waiting for Jasper. "You've got to be kidding. You've told him you're gay, right?" Stone wondered what was happening as he heard concern creep into Jasper's voice. "When's this supposed to happen?" Jasper checked his watch. "I'm at Geoff and Eli's. It's poker night." Jasper listened again. "No, I don't think they'll mind if you hang out for a while." Jasper looked over at Geoff, who nodded, and Stone felt an unfamiliar clench in his stomach. Preston was coming over here? Since Preston's last therapy session a few days ago, Stone had found himself wondering what the man would look like out of his chair--and out of his clothes, if the truth be told. But he was more than a little nervous around him. Preston had apologized for being mean to him, but he wasn't too sure he really wanted to spend too much time around him. If he was honest, he was a little afraid of him, but he could barely admit that to himself, and sure as hell wasn't about to tell anyone else that.
"I'll be there in a few minutes." Jasper hung up the phone. "I need to rescue Preston." He turned to Geoff. "Do you mind if he joins us? I know he's been a pain, but he's not really a bad guy."
Geoff looked at Stone and then back at Jasper. "As long as he behaves himself."
"I need to go pick him up; I'll be back as soon as I can." Jasper retrieved his coat. "Would you come with me?"
At first Stone looked around before realizing Jasper was talking to him. "If you need my help, sure."
"Sometimes Preston has difficulty getting in and out of my truck, and I'd appreciate your help."
"Okay, I'll be right back." Stone got his coat and returned to see Derrick giving Jasper a gentle kiss. Stone followed Jasper to his truck, and they headed out of the drive and down the country roads toward town.
"Is that where Preston lives?" Stone remarked as they pulled into the long drive of what Stone thought was the biggest house he'd ever seen. "Yeah."
Stone looked at Jasper. "Then why's he so mean sometimes? If I lived in a place like this, I'd think I died and went to Heaven. Growing up, our farmhouse was only four small rooms. This place looks like a castle or something."
"Stone," Jasper said as he pulled up and parked by the garage, "just because someone lives in a big house and has money doesn't mean they're happy."
"I know that, but it's gotta help, right?" Stone actually smiled as he peered out the window at the massive house.
Jasper chuckled. "Come on, let's go rescue Preston." Opening the door, Jasper climbed out and Stone followed, walking up to the front door and ringing the bell. Stone looked around at all the shrubs and bushes pruned into balls and cones, each one perfectly shaped and lit with white Christmas lights.
The door opened slowly. "Jasper, we weren't expecting you." Preston's mother smiled at them as she stepped back and opened the door. "Thank God you're here." Preston rolled toward them as they entered. "He's driving me crazy."
"Preston, he's your
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