Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2022 09:23:06 +0000 From: Wes Leigh Subject: Misunderstood, Chapter 27 (Gay Adult/Youth) MISUNDERSTOOD By Wes Leigh This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/. Chapter Twenty-Seven The sun wasn't up yet, though the sky was beginning to turn a mellow orange hue. Up until around midnight, Blue and King had cuddled together to sleep as best they could on a hard, concrete picnic table at a roadside rest stop. Then, when the mostly full moon came out and gave them enough light to see where they were going, they'd shaken off the cramps and kinks and started walking again. Walking felt good. The night air was invigorating. There was very little traffic on the highway. They seemed to be all alone, free of all hindrances and responsibilities, wandering nomads. Blue chuckled. He could be such a fucking silly romantic, at times. Under the light of the moon, it had been easy enough to find their way. Blue didn't need the map anymore. He knew where he was and where they were going. And now, they were less than a mile from their destination. The air was fresh and nippy. It was September 15th, exactly 4 months after he'd left Oklahoma and thought he'd never return. Now Autumn was creeping up on them. King stopped and sniffed. Blue knelt beside the Rottweiler and scratched his neck. "What'cha smell, boy? Hmmm?" Blue took a deep breath too. The scent of freshly mowed hay was carried on the breeze from a nearby farm. And curling around the fresh farm smells was a heavier, musty odor, probably from the lake just ahead. He hugged his dog. "You're gonna love the lake, King. It's full of ducks. Well, they may be gone by now, but I imagine there's still plenty of fish and frogs and other stuff you can chase to your heart's content. Let's go, fella." The bumpy country road began climbing up a hill. It wasn't much of a climb. By the time they neared the top, the sun was well and truly up. It was getting warmer, at last, so Blue took off his jacket and stuffed it partway inside the backpack. At the top of the hill, Blue stopped. The road continued down the other side of the hill to a white farmhouse next to a red barn surrounded by scattered trees. Just behind the barn, a small lake could be seen, and a dock led out over the lake for anyone who wanted to sit and enjoy the view. Blue had loved sitting there, feet dangling over the water, just chatting with Gray. Well, he'd loved it most of time, anyway. There had been a few heart-breaking talks at the end of that dock too. But with any luck, there would be only happy conversations there from now on. Time to finish the journey, Blue decided. Before heading down the hill, Blue stopped and knelt, throwing his arm around King and pulling the big Rottweiler close. "This is the place I been tellin' you about, King. I think you're gonna like it here, and I think they're gonna like you, too. But you gotta promise me you'll behave. No fightin' with the other dogs. This is their place, but I'm gonna make sure they take you in and let you be part of the pack." Blue looked around but saw no one. Nothing was moving on the farm below. The house was quiet. The barn was too. Even the water on the lake was still without the faintest breeze to disturb its tranquil surface. Blue stood up and tugged on King's leash. "Let's go, big guy. Gray's probably eatin' breakfast `cause it's still kinda early. You'll like his cookin', and you'll like him too. He's a good fella. He always treated me good, and he'll do the same for you." At least, Blue hoped that was the case. He hadn't talked to Gray for months. Things couldn't have changed that much in a few months, could they? Gray still cared about him, probably. Gray wouldn't mind them just showing up unannounced, most likely. Gray would be happy to see them. Well, happy to see Blue. Maybe. Blue's nerves were beginning to get the better of him. "Get a grip, Blue," he mumbled under his breath. "Why'd'ya gotta make such a big deal out of this?" But he knew why. He still loved Gray, and he hoped with all his heart that Gray still loved him. Blue and King reached the farmhouse and walked up onto the porch. "Hello!" Blue shouted, pausing to look inside a window. "Anyone here?" There was no answer. Blue turned to look at the barn. There, standing just outside the door, was a tall, handsome man. Black wavy hair curling out from beneath a dusty, old cowboy hat. Alabaster skin showing underneath his overalls. Even from a distance, Blue could see the sparkling, silver eyes of the man he loved. Gray stood next to the barn, waiting, so Blue walked with King down the hill toward the barn. He stopped when he was still a few feet away, suddenly unsure of himself. But then he grinned and said, "I hear you're runnin' a farm for misunderstood dogs." Gray nodded. "Yep." Blue pointed at his Rottweiler. "This here is King. He's misunderstood quite often, and he's lookin' for a home. You think you could find a place for him?" Blue thought he saw the beginning of a smile on Gray's face. Gray shrugged and said, "I'm pretty full up at the moment, and I'm also shorthanded. I don't think I could take on any more dogs without having at least a part-time helper." Blue grinned, excitement replacing the nervousness he had been feeling. "Well," Blue drawled, "it turns out I'm looking for a part-time job. I just turned 15 you see, so I'm still in school, and that means I gotta spend part of the day on that. And every now and then, I need to run down to Amarillo to see my mom--" Gray nodded, walking up and taking Blue into his arms. Leaning forward, he stopped Blue's rambling the only way he could, by pressing his lips against Blue's in a deep and passionate kiss. Blue closed his eyes and felt his fears and frustrations melt away as he relaxed into Gray's strong arms. It was like time had turned backward. All the pain. All the yelling. All the anguish of the summer disappeared there in Gray's hug and kiss. Blue pulled away and stared into Gray's dazzling silver gaze. "God, I've missed ya' so much." Gray nuzzled Blue, nose to nose. "I've missed you too, Blue." "I wish I'd never left." "Me too." "Well I'm back, if that's okay with you?" Gray frowned. "Are you kidding me? How could it NOT be okay with me?" "Dunno," Blue mumbled, "Figured you might have finally had enough of my bullshit." "Oh, Blue, damnit man!" Gray grabbed Blue's shoulders and gently shook him. "Don't say that. Just don't. You missed your family. You wanted to go home and see them. There's nothing wrong with that. Nothing!" Blue's eyes filled with tears. "There's just one problem, Gray. I've got family right here too. As much as I missed my mom, turns out ... I missed you even more." Gray didn't know what to say, so he pulled Blue in for another kiss. Gently at first their lips caressed, and then their tongues danced, darting back and forth, drawing them together, reminding them of the love they thought they'd lost, reigniting the fire between them that time and separation could never extinguish. Lost in the kiss, they were startled when King squeezed between them, pushing them apart. They looked down and saw the Rottweiler's huge face staring up at them, drool dripping down onto their shoes. Blue laughed. "Hey, King! I didn't forget about ya', my goofy dude." Gray reached down to scratch behind King's ear. "I guess it's time to cut out the mushy stuff and introduce you to the rest of the Langston pack." "Oh, yeah! Where are the dogs?" "In the house," Gray replied, nodding toward the old farmhouse. "It's easier to do my chores with them inside. They can get in the way and stir up the kennel dogs if I let them out while I'm cleaning up." Gray pulled Blue into a sideways hug. "Come on, champ. Let's make the reunion complete!" *** Amber was the first one Gray let out of the house. She ambled up to King, who sat calmly next to Blue. Amber sniffed King's ear, then his shoulder, and finally his loin. He accepted her snuffling inspection, holding his head up like royalty accepting the fawning greeting of a loyal subject. Amber seemed to like what she saw in the Rottweiler. She finished sniffing him head to toe, then stood quietly, allowing King to smell her over next. Mutual inspections complete, she sat down next to King. And that was that, as far as Amber was concerned. Crash the black and white Pitbull pup was next out. He galloped over and slid to a skidding stop at King's feet, sniffing King's paws and licking the much bigger dog's chin repeatedly. King endured the puppy's frantic efforts to curry his favor. With Amber and King, it had been reciprocated respect. With Crash, it was instant hero worship. King tolerated the pup, licking his face once to show he accepted the younger dog's adoration. When they let Caleb out, he was hesitant around the big Rottie. The two sized each other up, bodies stiff, tails erect, but there was no snarling, no aggression. They simply accepted each other, although they did keep their eyes on one another the entire time. Junior was the last to be let out of the house. He approached the stranger. They touched noses. Junior turned around and found a shady place to flop down and relax. Obviously not a big deal, as far as he was concerned. And so the pack grew in size to five dogs and two humans. *** Blue was amazed with all the changes Gray had managed to make in a few short months. When the two of them had moved Gray's belongings out to the farm four months ago, they hadn't had time to do much more than stash boxes here and there. Blue hadn't even had a chance to look around really, nor had he felt like doing so, knowing that he'd be leaving soon for Amarillo, so it was nice to walk around with Gray and see all that Gray had done with the place in four months' time. "The house was built in 1930," Gray stated as he showed Blue around. "Solid construction. All wood floors and paneled walls. Painted white just like you see it now, with black trim. Wrap-around porch just like this one. I have pictures of the house when it was first built, and what you see now is pretty much like it was then. "New owners bought it in 1965. They put carpet in all the bedrooms and front room. Updated the plumbing. Put in the dock out into the lake. They were hippies and spent all their time toking up and drinking. Let the place go. The porch rotted out in places. The barn fell apart too. "An oil man bought the farm in 1990. Dropped a load of cash on renovation. Restored the farmhouse to its original style. Replaced the porch. Ripped out the carpet and put back hardwood floors in every room. Updated the plumbing and electric, but he wanted it to look authentic so he used old fashioned fixtures, lamps, and hardware. "He also restored the barn. I guess he planned to put in stables and breed racehorses, but he had a heart attack and left the place to his kids. They didn't want anything to do with a `moldy old relic out in the boonies', so I was able to take the place off their hands for a few hundred thousand. "There's a little under a hundred acres, mostly woodlands and the lake, but you can see there's plenty of room for anything I want to build in the way of animal rescue facilities. "Most of the house is heated by this fireplace." An enormous gray slate fireplace sat in the back of the front room. "There's a library through that door, a full bathroom at the back of the library, and a sunroom off the dining room. I'm sure the library and sunroom weren't part of the original construction, but they're a nice addition. I put my gaming consoles and a 70" LED in the library. It's sweet!" Blue's eyes twinkled. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Can't wait to try that out!" Gray started up the stairs. "The second floor has two bedrooms that share a single bathroom. The fireplace goes all the way from the first floor to the third floor, right up the middle of the house. There are smaller fireplaces that connect to it on the second floor, heating each of the bedrooms. Then there's one more just like those in the third floor bedroom. The third floor is right under the roof, so it's got kind of a strange layout." Gray continued up the stairs to the third floor, stopping at the door at the top of the stairway. "This is the master bedroom. It takes up the entire top floor." He opened the door and motioned for Blue to go in first. Blue entered the room and turned a slow circle. It was an enormous room with sloping ceilings, dominated by Gray's king-sized bed made of dark gray walnut. The bed was covered by a silver satin comforter. Dormer windows on the east and west sides of the room looked out on the barn and lake on one side with an equally impressive view of the woods in front of the house on the other side. A smaller version of the gray slate fireplace was centered on one wall. Directly across from the fireplace, an open door led to a generously-sized bathroom with an old-fashioned claw-foot bathtub. There was no closet. Instead, Gray had purchased an antique black-walnut wardrobe that matched the bed. There was also a dresser and side tables made from the same wood. The walls were painted a light gray. Charcoal gray curtains were pulled back from both windows, allowing sunlight to flood the room. Blue took it all in. Then he started giggling. "What?" Gray asked. Blue began laughing and fell backward onto the bed, holding his sides. "What's so funny?" Blue gasped and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. He snickered and drawled, "Gray furniture. Gray walls. Gray curtains. I guess you really like the color gray, Gray." Blue started laughing again, rolling around on the bed. Gray squinted at the silly teen, then launched himself on top of Blue, pinning the giggling youth down. "Now that you're here, maybe you can change the color scheme to something less boring." Blue stopped laughing and stared into Gray's eyes. "Nope. I love Gray." Then he started giggling again, shrieking when he felt Gray reach between them to grab his semi-hard cock. Gray smiled. "That's good, because Gray loves Blue." Gray dropped his mouth onto Blue's and began thrusting his tongue deep into his young lover's throat. Blue moaned. This was what he'd missed: Gray's gentle touch and tender kiss and passionate love. His cock swelled rapidly and throbbed under Gray's caress. He slid his hand down Gray's side and onto Gray's crotch, finding a thick cock as hard as his own. Shirts and pants flew to the floor in seconds. Giggling, they rolled off the bed and ran together to the bathroom, where they enjoyed a long, sexy soak in the claw-footed bathtub. Clean and dry, they walked side by side, arms around each other's waists, back to the king-sized bed, where they fell down head to toe and began stroking each other. "I think you've grown a little longer and thicker," Gray whispered, kissing Blue's cock before licking his way down to Blue's lightly haired balls. "Maybe a little," Blue replied, engulfing Gray's cock in one quick slurp. Gray whimpered and tried to do the same, moaning from both the joy of pleasing Blue and the wonderful sensations Blue was giving him in return. Oh, how he had missed this boy, his sharp wit, his playfulness, his abandon. Their first orgasms hit almost simultaneously only a few minutes later, flooding each other's mouths with sweet cum. They could be forgiven for not lasting longer. It had been four months, after all. Blue's second orgasm came 30 minutes later with Gray on his back, his legs wrapped around Blue's back, and Blue balls-deep in Gray's ass. Gray's second orgasm was 20 minutes after that, this time with Blue on his stomach and Gray penetrating him from behind while nibbling on Blue's neck and ears. Their third orgasms didn't hit until almost an hour later and were mostly accidental. It started out as another bath, which was supposed to be simply for cleaning up. But then one thing led to another and the washing became so sensual and stimulating that their lovemaking naturally had to go into double overtime. The dogs sat at the foot of the stairs, patiently waiting for their humans to finish the reunion of the century. *** Blue woke up the next day and rubbed his eyes. Morning sunlight was pouring through the windows into Gray's bedroom. Blue tugged the silver satin comforter up and tucked it all around him. Gray must be out doing chores, Blue thought. Too bad. Blue wouldn't have minded cuddling in bed for an hour or two longer. It would have been a great way to start the day, after the incredible reunion yesterday. Blue smiled when he thought about the day before. After the three orgasms in the morning, they had walked in the woods, holding hands and enjoying being together again. Then they made a late lunch and ate, staring at each other, grinning, and giggling. Then they'd gone to bed again, spending the afternoon in gentle loving resulting in two orgasms each. And every one of those orgasms had been woven into a beautiful tapestry of love-making. Blue didn't know how he could have ever doubted that Gray would take him back. Not only had he welcomed Blue into his home and into his bed, Gray had also welcomed Blue into his heart. It was as if the calendar had flipped backward for both of them, erasing a painful summer and promising a new year filled with passion and love. Blue heard doors opening somewhere below. He closed his eyes and snuggled down deeper into the bedding, pretending to be asleep. The bedroom door opened, and he heard a soft chuckle. He heard the floorboards creaking and steps approaching. The bed sagged on one side, and the comforter tugged gently off his body. He felt a cold hand slide up his leg and rest on his stomach. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He grinned and began laughing, pushing Gray's frigid fingers away. "You should get up and help me," Gray whispered. "See how cold my hands are?" "You should get back in bed," Blue giggled. "See how hard my cock is?" It turned out that Gray also didn't mind cuddling in bed for an hour or two longer. *** Blue and Gray sat at the kitchen table, munching on scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. They had some catching up to do. Not when it came to their love, of course. They'd taken care of the love part first, as it should be, and they again felt comfortable with each other, knowing they were still deeply in love. But there was catching up to do in other areas also. Blue went first, telling Gray how much he'd enjoyed spending time with his mom again, relishing her hugs and chats, being spoiled with pie and ice cream, finding out she loved him more than ever. His dad, however, had never accepted him, never forgiven him for running away, never compromised his beliefs and never been anything but hateful. As much as Blue yearned for his father's love and approval, he was finally recognizing that he might never receive either one. And then there was Dallas. Blue took several minutes to confess everything he'd done with Dallas, breaking down at the end and apologizing in tears. He'd been a dumbass, letting his cock do his thinking for him, and that just fucked up everything even more. The only good thing to come out of it was Blue realized that Dallas didn't really love him like Gray did. Nobody could love him like Gray did. But Blue still felt like shit for letting Dallas fuck him up the ass--. Gray took Blue's hands in his own and squeezed gently to stop Blue. He shook his head slowly and assured Blue it was over and done with, then Gray forgave Blue immediately and completely, vowing that it would never be mentioned again. Then he stood up and retrieved a box of tissue, handing it to Blue. When Blue's tears finally stopped, he asked Gray what it been like in Oklahoma over the summer. Gray smiled and updated Blue on the McClary situation. The district attorney had refused to prosecute them for releasing the dogs and causing so much havoc--apparently the McClarys had connections in both the police department and the district attorney's office--so Gray had had no choice but to file a civil suit against them. The evidence was overwhelming, so to avoid a huge loss, the McClarys agreed to an out-of-court settlement: $200 every month for 2 years, to be paid to the Langston Farm for Misunderstood Dogs. Blue practically fell out of his chair laughing when he heard that. As for the charges Officer Daniels made against Gray for animals at large, trespassing, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, once again the DA's office refused to pick up the charges. Having his dad's law firm in Tulsa represent him might have influenced their decision. As far as the DA was concerned, it was nothing more than a dispute between neighbors that he hoped would just fade away. Rumor had it that Daniels was so furious he threatened to quit the police force over it, which made Blue wonder if maybe Daniels and the McClarys weren't working together the entire time. Nevertheless, the city was trying to sweep the whole matter under the rug. Gray hadn't decided yet whether to let them off the hook, but he was leaning toward letting it go and moving on. Now that he had the farm, Daniels and the McClarys couldn't hurt him anymore, and revenge just wasn't his style. As for Cameron Schaeffer, Gray hadn't heard from him at all. The guy seemed to have disappeared entirely, and the Gay Action Alliance website never came back on-line. But ironically, Gray had heard from Ray and Anne Wilson at the Desert Shoppe. They were as busy as ever and their business was thriving, especially because of demand for their wedding cakes. Soon after the fiasco with Cameron, a lesbian couple from the college had asked the Wilsons to make them a triple-layer wedding cake. It was a masterpiece, and soon the Wilsons were in high demand by other couples, gay, lesbian, and straight. Not surprisingly, none of this made front page headlines for the Tribune. Gray's parents were in Tulsa now. His dad was working for the Finnegan law firm, and his mother was now a researcher at a children's hospital. They'd visited the farm a few times and still supported the kennel. They understood that this was what Gray wanted to do with his life, so they accepted it. Just as they accepted that Gray was still single, still alone. It was a matter of some concern for his parents, but Gray assured them he was doing fine and keeping busy with his new business. And now that Blue was back, Gray was trying to think of a way to let his parents know he was no longer alone. Blue was a little nervous hearing that, but Gray assured him his parents would love him as their own son, once they had a chance to meet him. As for Langston Farm ... there was a great deal to catch up on there as well. Gray asked Blue if he'd had enough breakfast. When Blue nodded, Gray stood up and said, "I've got a lot to show you, champ. And a lot for you to do, too." *** "Shit, Gray. How many dogs you keepin' here?" "Twelve at the moment. Let me see. Drake and Angel are red-nosed Pits. Micah is an American Bulldog. Shasta and Montana are German Shepherds. Hardy is a Pit. Calamity Jane is an American Staffordshire. Honey is an American Bulldog. Oh, so is Rocky. These two over here are my newest additions. Mamma Mia is a blue-nosed pit. She was found in an abandoned house, starving to death. That's the only puppy who survived. I've named him Fernando. I'm going to try to adopt them out together, as soon as I get them back to good health." Gray looked around. "Who am I missing?" An excited yelping came from several kennels over. "Oh, yeah! Trevor." Blue laughed. "A BEAGLE! You took in a beagle?" "Any dog who needs a home, Blue. Trevor was dropped off on the highway. Someone--" Gray swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "--someone just abandoned him. He came dragging his way down the hill, every rib sticking out. Covered in fleas with ticks in his ears. A bad case of heartworms. Took me three weeks before I was sure he'd make it. Now look at him!" Trevor was a shining example of good health and joy in life. He was leaping and spinning in mid-air, landing on all four paws before launching himself into the air again. "They're all up for adoption. I have a website that shows pictures and videos of each of them. I want to turn the website over to you, Blue. You'd be updating it weekly, adding a feature story on a different dog each Friday. Really show them off, you know? Tell what they're like, what their personality is, and make people fall in love with them. I know that's right up your alley. We both know how you work magic with your writing; people are sure to respond to your pleas. If you do that, it will give me more time to run the business parts of the farm, including reviewing adoption applications. I'm not letting just anyone have a dog. I check them out carefully and I talk to them, making sure they know what they're in for if they adopt one of these dogs. Then there's the home visit. We look at the house and yard. Make sure it will be safe for the dog. Talk to the adopters and make sure they're up for it. I want you to go with me on those." "That's a lot of work to give a dog a home." "Yes, it is. But it's worked out good so far. I've had several successful adoptions already. And this--" Gray paused and opened a door on the other side of the barn, "--is where I keep their food." "Wow!" Blue exclaimed. "Yeah, I know," Gray said with a laugh. It was a large storeroom with heavy shelves along the sides and a cabinet at the back with a sink and microwave. The shelves were lined with bag after bag of dog food, except for one shelf where cans of wet dog food were stacked. "I have a contract with a dog food company. They deliver 10 bags of dry and 8 cases of wet every month." "Dude! How'dya pay for it all?" "Donations mostly. That's another thing the website does for us. Gives people an easy way to send money. I filed as a non-profit, so it's tax deductible. My mom donates $1000 a month." Blue laughed. "Not surprised about that." "Yeah," Gray acknowledged, "she's a huge fan of the farm. She calls it Misfit Farm." Blue laughed again. "Hey! I like it!" Gray poked Blue in the ribs. "You fit right in." Blue frowned. "You callin' me a misfit?" "If the shoe fits ..." Blue wrapped Gray in his arms and maneuvered the taller man around in front of him, hugging him tight from behind. Then Blue leapt up onto Gray's back, locking his arms around Gray's neck and his legs around Gray's waist. "Yahoo! Take this here misfit on a ridin' tour of the facility. Giddy up there, you old nag." Laughing, Gray carried Blue out the back door of the barn and down the hill to the dock. He walked out onto the heavy wooden platform, straight to the end of the dock, and stopped there. "This is the lake. I think you've seen it before," Gray said with a smirk. "In fact, I think I promised to throw your sorry ass in a few times, but never did." Blue squeezed tighter around Gray's neck and waist. "You better not. Might find your own sorry ass gettin' just as wet." "It'll be worth it," Gray said, stepping off the dock. "Shit!" Blue screamed as they hit the water. Seconds later, Blue was leaping and splashing. "FUCK, THAT'S COLD!" Gray was shaking with laughter as he pulled himself back onto the dock. Blue tried to climb out, but slipped back in. Gray reached down and took the teen's hand, hauling him up onto the dock. "Your mom must have been feeding you good. I think you gained 30 pounds!" "Shut up and pull me out!" Gray lifted Blue and unceremoniously deposited him on the dock. Blue sat there, chuckling as he squished the water out of his jeans and shirt. Gray smiled as he knelt down and kissed Blue gently on the cheek. "And that concludes our tour of Langston Farm, home for Misunderstood Dogs and Misfit Boys." *** Back at the farmhouse, the bath water was hot. So was the kiss. And the first loving caress. And the hug that led to hands sliding down soapy sides to hard, throbbing flesh. More kissing. More caressing, though it was becoming passionate and frenzied now. Hands slid across slippery buttocks and down inside clefts, and fingers found rosebuds to press and penetrate and stretch. Kisses become frantic, desperate, devouring. One turned his slender body to face the wall. The other leaned forward until their bodies were pressed together, arms wrapped around pulling them close, gentle kisses peppering the back of the neck. A hard shaft slowly slid up between ass cheeks and down again. Up once more, grazing the now slippery hole. Then a third time, this time popping through and inside, bringing guttural moans from both throats. Penetrating slowly and carefully. Deep inside and holding there. Still pressed together, chest against back, holding each other tight. Hips began moving in a circling, rhythmic dance. Never fast. Never rushed. Gentle. Firm. Deep. Long. Slow. And then they stopped only because their hearts were pounding and their bodies were shaking and their throbbing shafts were pulsing. Finally they sank down into the warm water, still in each other's embrace, bodies joined as completely as their souls. *** Eight dogs chased each other around the yard. Amber and Crash. Caleb and Junior. King and Mamma Mia and little Fernando. And Trevor the beagle. Blue and Gray sat beneath a tree, holding hands and talking. "Do you want to see your family again?" Blue paused to consider the question. "I guess I do, but I ain't so sure I should. Might not be a good idea." Gray nodded. "True." Blue laughed when Trevor tripped and rolled end over end, but his smile disappeared and he grew quiet and introspective. "I do miss my mom. A lot. It's not enough talkin' to her every now and then. I really got used to sittin' with her, lettin' her hug and love on me. Kinda hard to just stop feelin' that much love, you know?" "I get it, champ. I do." Trevor recovered from his tumble, then took off like a bolt of lightning, whizzing around the great oak tree that dominated the front yard. The other dogs were after him in hot pursuit, except for Junior, who was stretched out in the shade of some apple trees. "She's the only one I miss, to be honest. I mean, there were other good things about Amarillo. Father Soto was pretty cool for a priest, I guess. Dallas. Well, Dallas was a good friend, except at the very end. I'd kinda like to patch things up with him, if I could. But as for all the rest, well, there's nothin' there I can't live without." "We could try to set up a visit," Gray offered. But Blue shook his head. "Wouldn't work, my dude. I'd have to see my dad too, and I just ain't ready for that." "She could come here." Blue thought about it, then shook his head again. "My dad would find a way to follow her, and then he'd make trouble." Blue sighed. "It's okay, Gray. Just forget it. I get to talk to her any time I want, so it's okay. Really." "At least she knows you're safe." "Yeah. She said to tell you thanks for takin' such good care of me. I didn't tell her about you droppin' me in the lake. She probably wouldn't think so highly of you if she knew you were a huge jerk." Gray raised his eyebrows. "A huge jerk, huh? I'm thinking I haven't used the lake enough. Want to go for another dip?" "Better bring help. That's all I'm sayin'." Blue glanced sideways at Gray and smiled. "Love you, champ." "Love you too, my dude." The end of MISUNDERSTOOD, Chapter Twenty-Seven