As much as George wanted to spend the night with Levi, it didn’t work out logistically. Levi had to work tomorrow, and Doug was only in town until Monday. George couldn’t be selfish and deny Levi time with his father, so he went home with Orry and Zoey. He genuinely liked Zoey, who was positive, funny, and made Orry laugh. A lot. Orry deserved to laugh as much as he could, after working his ass off these last couple of years.
For the next few weeks, George figured out a driving schedule with Orry and Levi that allowed George to stay over during the ghost town’s “weekend.” They were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, giving all the staff got proper time off, and it not only gave George time with Levi, but it allowed them to continue helping Shawn and Robin renovate their house. Once the kitchen was complete, they moved on to the hardwood floors in the rest of the house, sanding and staining, and George enjoyed the labor. And the company. Miles occasionally joined them for a few hours too, since his own husband was busy running the ranch on those days off. George had never felt so accepted by a group of people in his life.
Never truly felt like part of a family who loved him for who he was, not for his potential.
Levi came into the city for Valentine’s Day, despite working a long day at Bentley. They shared a late dinner at a nice restaurant—George was a touch nervous about it but no one stared or cared who he was or used to be—followed by a lot of time in George’s bedroom. Touching and moving and sucking and simply making each other feel good. Afterward, they lay together under the covers, tangled into one person with George’s head tucked under Levi’s chin.
“Does it bother you that I don’t want to try anal sex?” George asked before he could censor himself.
“No.” Levi didn’t hesitate for a second. “We have sex the way that makes sense to us and that feels right. Sex isn’t one size fits all, George. There’s no have to, there’s only what we want and desire.” He slid a hand down to gently squeeze George’s hip, prompting George to prop up on one elbow and look his boyfriend in the eyes. “I desire you, George Thompson. Your mind, your spirit, your courage, and yeah, your sexy body. I love what we do together.” His blue eyes glimmered in a brand-new way a moment before Levi said, “I love you.”
George’s heart trilled with joy and adoration, and he kissed Levi breathless before saying, “I love you, too. I’ve never been in love before but this feels right. I love you, Levi.”
“Yeah?” Levi rolled George to his back and kissed him for a long time, until their cocks both took notice of the friction. They came close together, rutting through their releases, creating something unique to them. A relationship defined by their own terms.
And George would fight any battle necessary to protect it.
Chapter Twenty-Two
For as much as George missed Levi’s physical presence—and kind of envied Orry’s frequent interactions with Zoey—they were making a long-distance relationship work for them. Frequent Skype dates, texting and phone calls throughout the week helped ease the ache he felt from Levi’s absence. They communicated constantly and George had reworked his own schedule so his personal weekend off was now identical to Levi’s.
Win-win.
Shawn and Robin’s house was also shaping up in the best way, and the pair was hoping to have a housewarming party soon. Scheduling was the issue, because most of the planned guests either worked at Bentley or Clean Slate, and the days/nights off didn’t exactly mesh. Maybe multiple parties to accommodate schedules? Whatever, it wasn’t George’s problem to fix. All he needed to worry about was getting from Garrett to San Francisco and back again, based on who could drive him where.
Not for the first time, George considered looking for a really cheap car. He wanted to stop relying on rides from other people. Orry always had dibs on their car, because of his various jobs and his need to be mobile. And George hated how many miles he was constantly asking Levi to drive for him, whether halfway or all the way to the city. One day, a deep-down part of him wanted to call Garrett home.
He wanted Levi to be home.
The second week in March, George and Shawn were painting the bathroom while their guys worked outside in the yard, pulling weeds and preparing what Shawn hoped to be a nice little vegetable garden. They’d randomly paired off that way, and George enjoyed Shawn’s friendship. He was about two years older and had a familiar wariness of the world at large, while embracing the people closest to him that George sympathized with a lot. Shawn had chosen a pale yellow paint for the home’s full bathroom, and George liked how it complimented the shower curtain and rugs Shawn had already picked out.
Will I ever have a house like this with Levi? Or will he always want to live on top of wheels?
They needed to have that conversation sometime in the near future. George adored the tiny home, but its placement was temporary. It might always be temporary.
“I think it looks pretty damned good,” Shawn said once their task was done. They both stood back and admired the walls. “It’s bright and airy.”
“I love it.” George put his roller in the pan and wiped his hands on a rag. “It makes the room seem bigger than it is.”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t imagine how stressful it is to pick so many things at once. Kitchen cabinets, paint colors for a bunch of rooms, furniture and curtains.”
“It’s definitely a chore but worth it.” Shawn wandered out into the kitchen and grabbed a canned soda from the fridge. “Thirsty?”
“Sure, thank you.” He accepted a cola and popped the tab. Took a long drink to both wet his whistle and get the smell of paint out of his nostrils.
“I guess the bonus of a tiny house is there isn’t a whole lot to worry about changing in terms of colors or décor. It’s all kind of set in stone.” Shawn peered out the kitchen window to the backyard where Robin and Levi were wrestling in the grass instead of working on the garden. “God, they’re like a pair of kids sometimes. I can’t imagine Robin trick riding with anyone else up at Bentley.”
“Well, Levi’s not going anywhere, so you don’t really have to imagine it.”
An odd kind of relief came over Shawn. “Levi told you he’s turning his dad down?”
George blinked, confused by the question. “Turning his dad down for what?”
“Taking over running Lucky’s Rodeo when Doug retires at the end of this season.” Shawn’s eyes popped wide. “Fuck, Levi didn’t tell you about this?”
As confused and unsure as he was, George didn’t want Shawn to think he’d said or done anything wrong, so he obfuscated. “Yeah, sorry, it slipped my mind. He didn’t say anything, um, specifically about his decision. I meant right now. We aren’t going anywhere.”