“God, I love sucking dick,” Braden said.

“And you proved you are really fucking good at it.” Suddenly, he wanted his mouth on Braden, too. Wanted to feel the man’s rod against his tongue.

“We have to be quiet and you can’t stay long.” He grabbed Braden and pulled him to his feet, but Braden shook his head.

“I have a hand that works just fine. Tonight was just for you. Relax. Get some sleep. You deserve it.”

Stay lingered on his tongue but he didn’t let the word free, for the first time easily accepting the gift that was given to him. Braden nodded his head to the side, telling Wes to move from in front of the door. He did, but when Braden’s hand wrapped around the knob, Wes grabbed him, pulled Braden to him, and owned his mouth. He tasted himself on Braden’s tongue as he sucked it, as he explored every part of his mouth before pulling away.

Braden smiled. “Good night. And have I told you I like this?” He fingered the hair on Wes’s chin but didn’t wait for a reply.

Braden got the door pulled open before Wes said, “Happy Thanksgiving...For tomorrow.” It was a random comment, but he’d needed to say something.

Braden nodded. “You’ll do great. You guys will have a good time. Get some sleep. I’ll lock up.”

And then Braden Roth was gone.

Chapter Nine

Braden had to leave his house at eight thirty the next morning to make it to his parents’ place by ten. They wouldn’t eat Thanksgiving dinner until about three, but he didn’t make it home as often as he should, so when he did go, he went early.

He climbed out of his truck, taking in the two acres of land around the place he’d grown up. Living in Blackcreek was the closest he’d lived to their house since he left it at eighteen.

Not because he wanted away from them, or not because they weren’t close, but there was a whole lot of world out there to see. But it was still beautiful out here. He’d always remembered how gorgeous it was every time he came home.

Braden pushed open the heavy, wooden door to the house his parents had designed and built just as his mom walked by. Her blue eyes lit up. “Look who it is! My favorite son decided to come see me!”

She wrapped her thin arms around him, and Braden hugged her back as his brother Evan said, “Nice, Mom.”

Evan smiled at Braden and embraced him when he parted from their mom. “She can’t help it that she’s smart.” He patted Evan on the back. The truth was, Evan and their mom were very close...and exactly alike. “Are you two going at it again?” Braden asked.

“Yeah. I forgot she’s always right.” Evan rolled his eyes at their mom, Emmy, who hugged him.

“Oh, my boy is back. I missed my favorite son.”

“Hey!” Braden pretended to try and pull them apart before the three of them started laughing.

After that, his mom made her way to the kitchen and Braden and Evan went to the living room, where his dad, two sisters, their husbands, Evan’s wife, and six nieces and nephews ran around. Football blasted through the TV because his dad’s hearing was going a little, even though he’d never admit it.

“Uncle Braden! Uncle Braden!” A whole herd of kids from age eleven down came at him.

“Did you bring me a fireman sticker?” his nephew Tommy asked, and Braden pulled a few out of his pocket and handed them to him.

He went down the line, talking to and hugging all of them, before he walked over to his sister, Yvonne, to say hello. Her belly looked like someone stuffed a basketball into it, another new baby planning to make an appearance soon.

“Good to see you, baby brother.” His other sister Lizzy grinned at him. They all spoke for a few minutes before he went over and sat next to his father to shoot the shit with him for a few minutes, too. Man, it felt good to be home.

“Hey, old man.” Braden put a hand down on his dad’s shoulder. Where Evan and his mom had a similar personality, Braden and his dad did, too. Though he guessed in a way he shared a lot of traits with his mom as well, but he and his dad had the same hair and eyes. The same strong build, and they both liked to laugh.

“Do I have to kick your ass to show you I still got it? Wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of the family.”

“What if you break a hip?”

“What? Break a hip? You better take that back.” He stood up to pretend to go after Braden, but in the end just squeezed Braden’s shoulder the way Braden had just done with him. “Come on. I got something to show you.”

Braden followed his dad outside and to the workshop he, his dad and Evan built when Braden was twelve. When they made their way inside, his eyes landed on an old Harley. He could have came right there. “Holy fuck. She’s beautiful. Does Mom know?”