You are still damned cute came the reply—which warmed him, but he got no selfie in return.
Now you, he prompted after a few minutes.
No.
Oh fu-dge. Goshdarnit, Spencer! You’re being childish.
I don’t want to scare you off. I’ve gotten kind of… used to the idea that you’ll be there when I show up.
That’s the plan. When is that again?
Sooner than you think. So, which dog has the biggest crap?
Preacher, but Preston won’t admit it.
HA! I KNEW IT!
And they continued like that, off and on, for the rest of the day. Theo didn’t ask for another selfie—only because he planned to get a picture the next time he saw Spencer in person.
But that didn’t stop him from venting his irritation at the dinner table with Preston, Oscar, Belinda, and little Caden when Preston brought the subject up. He’d been pleasantly surprised to find they did this—not every night, but particularly when Damien was out of town and Preston was alone. He was even more surprised to find that he was invited. He’d taken to washing the dishes afterward as payback, because Belinda sort of cooked for everybody and didn’t ask for anything more than groceries. One day after visiting Spencer in the hospital, he’d had Preston stop so he could bring her takeout Chinese, and she’d cried all over him. He’d told Preston and Oscar privately to maybe give her a day off cooking once or twice a week, even if it was just one of them making mac and cheese.
Belinda had been so touched, she’d asked about his three favorite things to eat—and had made him two of the three this last week.
So they were in the middle of one of the best tamale pies he’d ever tasted when Preston asked him how Spencer was doing and Theo let loose.
“How’s he doing? I’ll tell you how he’s doing. He’s a six-foot, four-inch colossal pain in my you-know-what, that’s how he’s doing.”
Preston and Oscar exchanged careful glances, and then they both looked at Theo again like he might be a bomb.
“What did he do?” Belinda asked, and Theo smiled at her gratefully.
“I asked him to send me a selfie, because he was whining about being thin, and he refused.”
“But he’s coming home soon,” Preston said, sounding boggled. “Why would you need a selfie?”
Oscar—who was not conventionally attractive, but whose heart radiated such a pure warmth that Theo could see why Preston would crush on him so hard in high school—beamed at his curvy blond wife. “So he can look at Spencer when he’s gone and think nice thoughts.”
Belinda smiled shyly back at her beloved. “And so you can feel connected, even when you’re apart.”
Oscar’s homely face split into a wide grin, and they both blushed and concentrated on their food. Theo thought his heart might burst from their complete and total devotion to each other, and then he saw Preston scowling like a man putting things together.
“I do have pictures of myself and Damien,” he said carefully and then looked at little Caden, who was busy stuffing SpaghettiOs into his mouth with a chubby fist, “that are inappropriate to discuss with a baby here. I use them to make sure Damien doesn’t stay away too long.”
Theo checked out Belinda’s and Oscar’s expressions and saw that their eyes were very large, but other than that, they were unhorrified.
“Brother,” Oscar said, his voice level, “remember how we talked about how some details you need to keep to yourself?”
Preston nodded. “I figured that was one of them.” He looked at Theo. “I think having a picture of Spencer is a reasonable thing to ask,” he proclaimed. “It doesn’t have to be naked.”
Theo covered his eyes with his hands, and Oscar and Belinda bravely kept any stray thoughts to themselves.
“Thanks, Preston,” he said, his voice squeaky. “Can we talk about something else now?”
“Sure,” Preston said. “Glen’s interviewing the new pilots in two days. He wants you to be in the room along with Damien and Elsie since Spencer can’t make it. He told me to tell you to be ready to leave with Damien that morning, bright and early. Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah, sure,” Theo said, thinking about the helicopter pad on the far side of the property from the kennels. It was big enough for the Black Hawks—of which Glen had two—but so far, he’d only seen Damien fly a smaller four-seater in and out. His pattern was to leave for two days and come back for one or two, and Theo had the feeling that would be Spencer’s schedule as well. He could see how having two more pilots might make it easier for the four who worked for Gecko Inc. now to have lives.
“Good,” Preston said. “Damien’s bringing the Black Hawk home tonight. Don’t be alarmed. It’s louder than the Hummingbird. It might freak the horses out.”
“I’ll be prepared,” Theo said gravely, and Preston nodded.
“I’ll go tell them you’ll be okay with that,” he said, and he stood and took his dishes to the sink. “Thank you, Belinda,” he said. “The meal was really good. If you tell Theo what to get when he goes into town tomorrow, he can do groceries for you.”
Theo grinned at her, and she grinned back. “Chinese food,” she said happily before sighing. “And a grocery list. I’ll text you.”
“No worries.”
Preston left, and Oscar watched him go and then heaved a sigh of relief. “You all, remind me that I never, ever, ever want to look at Preston’s phone.”
Theo broke into a chuckle, and then he clapped his hand over his mouth. “Deal,” he squeaked.
And then Oscar blew his mind. “Spencer had all sorts of hookups before he moved here.”
“Color me surprised,” Theo told him dryly.
“We never knew their names,” Oscar said. “And I’m pretty sure he was only a pretty face and a rockin’ body to them. And now his rockin’ body isn’t in top form. Preston wouldn’t see it that way. I’m just saying—asking for the selfie was a good move. Maybe take one of the two of you the next time you see him.”
“How would you know Spencer’s got a rockin’ body?” Belinda asked, a little amused.
“Oh, sweetheart, we’ve known Spencer for a while now. I may not have a personal interest, but I can recognize the real deal when I see it.”
She giggled and then winked at Theo. “Spencer’s sex on legs,” she said. “Anyone can see it. But the fact that he’s embarrassed now is a good sign.” Then she sobered. “And he’ll hate this, but did you set up a mirror in the PT room?”
Theo groaned. “No! Dammit. Can we look one up after I do dishes?”
“Sure!” she said. “Want to watch some TV with us?”
“Yeah,” he told her. “Want me to bring out ice cream after you get your boy there washed off?”
“Oh, Theo, you’re a blessing,” Belinda said, transported. Oscar stood and kissed her cheek.
“Thanks, Theo,” he said. “I’ll go do the final rounds with the dogs. And she’s right. You’re a godsend. Spencer does what he can, but he’s gone as much as Damien. You being here, being part of our team—you make all the difference.”