Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2014 09:34:58 -0700 (PDT) From: bryan wilson Subject: betting-on-love-and-life-24 This story is a work of fiction involving sex between consenting adult males. If this disturbs you than leave now. I have no knowledge of the sexual identity of anyone mentioned in this story, including any celebrities. This is my original story, please do not copy duplicate or repost anywhere without my express written permission. This is my first attempt at writing all comments are welcome and will be answered. wilson81abc@yahoo.com I want to thank Jeansguy and Mark for all their hard work proofreading and editing for me. Please make sure to donate to nifty to help keep the site free for everyone's enjoyment. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Part 23 ending: Kyle turned and headed for the den as he made his phone call. I went back over to Mrs. Upton, who was still in shock as to what happened. " Why would he do that to himself and leave me and the kids that way? " She asked without ever looking at me. " I'm not sure Mrs. Upton, I was leaving the den and had my back to him when he did it. He did not say a word to me before. " " Thanks for telling me Jerry, I just don't understand why he would do this. " I was about to step over to her and give her a hug when I realized that she called me Jerry and I had not introduced myself to her. ======================= Part 24 I guess the look on my face let Mrs. Upton know she screwed up, " Oh fuck, you caught that didn't you Jerry? " " I suppose I did Mrs. Upton, would you like to explain, or should I guess at the facts? " " As the old saying goes, 'behind every great man is a great woman. ' I guess you could say that I'm the great woman behind my husband. That silly old fool could not find his way out of a room full of doors, I was the one who was pulling all the strings on him. I would say that made him my puppet. " " I take it that you know the reason for my visit tonight. " " If I had to guess, I would say it had to do with that whore that my stupid husband got involved with and that bastard of a son that she had. " " Throw names around all you want Mrs. Upton, but if it was you behind the Senator, are you planning to continue on with the matter at hand? " " I will see that orphaned bastard living on the streets before I give up. He will never have a chance to come after my family, to use us to try to pull himself out of the gutter. " " You will not have to worry about that Mrs. Upton, as of now you have less than he does. " " I think not Jerry, there is no way you know what I have and could ever get to any of it. " " I'll give you the chance I gave your husband, but first I want you to check your accounts and see that I'm telling you the truth. " Mrs. Upton walked into the living room and pulled out a laptop and started her search through their online accounts. After a few minutes she stood up and charged up to me, " How in the hell did you do this Jerry and where is my money? " " It is traveling in cyberspace and I will give you the chance to end this and get back the money. " " What do you want? " " I want your word that you will not do anything to interfere in Jack's life ever again. I will be watching and if I have any suspicions that you have any plans to go after him again, you will spend the rest of your life in jail and your children will be in foster care till they are 18. Then they will be thrown on the streets with nothing. " " Don't you ever threaten my children, you piece of trash. I will make sure that bastard child never knows who his father is nor will he ever get his filthy hands on anything from the estate. " " Wrong answer Mrs. Upton, I will make sure that the information the government needs to throw you in prison arrives on their desk in the morning. " " You have nothing and there is nothing to prove my involvement in anything my husband has done. I think you can leave now Jerry, before I have one of the guards throw you out. " " I think I will wait till the police arrive Mrs. Upton, pardon me for saying, but I don't trust you. I value my privacy, but I will protect my own interests tonight. " I stepped into the foyer and spoke with Kyle, " I need you to get the team pulled back, we have to stay until the police are here. It was Mrs. Upton behind all of this and not her husband. I need you to grab a camera from the command unit and get some pictures of the scene in the den before the police arrive. I want our asses covered in case Mrs. Upton tries to pin this on me. She doesn't know about the team outside and thinks her security is still on the grounds. Place my briefcase in the command center and get those pictures done, it won't be long till the police are here. " Kyle took my briefcase and rushed out the door to get his job done. I placed a call to Scott and asked him to do a complete search on Mrs. Upton and grab control of any accounts she might have hidden, paying special attention to Western Europe. I was not going to give this woman any chance at having the opportunity to cause me problems. I watched Mrs. Upton as she paced the floor in the living room and I could see her running plans through her mind. The details I'm sure were not any about her current problem, a dead husband in the den. I was sure they were plans concerning Jack and how she was going to continue trying to ruin his life. I was also aware that she may have been planning on pulling me into the death of her husband. I decided to make a preemptive strike on that front and called the apartment. " Mitchell, I need to speak with the Governor. " I said as Mitchell answered the phone, to make sure the Governor was not making contact to anyone while I was away. " Jerry? How did your meeting go? " The Governor asked with a little too much worry in his voice. " Well Governor, it did not go anywhere near as I had expected. I need you to get in my limousine and get to the Senator's house as fast as you can. The damn fool killed himself and I might need your presence here to make sure things go smoothly, for both of us. " " That stupid little worm, I will be damned. I didn't think he had it in himself to do something like this. " " Well, I can tell you he had us all fooled Governor, it was not his own brain he built his career on. His wife was behind him all this time pulling the strings. I need you here to make sure the police do their jobs and are not influenced by her. Please bring Kim with you and see if she can have some influence as well. " " We will be there as fast as we can Jerry. " The Governor gave the phone back to Mitchell. " Mitchell, I need the Governor and Kim at the Senator's house five minutes ago. " " We are on our way now Sir, we will be there as fast as we can. " Mitchell ended the call and I returned to the front door as Kyle exited the den and nodded at me as he removed the memory card from the camera and headed back out to the 'tank'. The police were at the door and Mrs. Upton, as the grieving widow, was in rare form and playing on the sympathies of every officer that walked in the door. I grabbed a sergeant and pulled him aside, " I need you to radio in and have your captain and chief of police sent here as soon as possible. " " I can't do that, Mr. ? " " Martin, but I do not think you understand Sergeant, the Governor is on his way and will be here in less than five minutes. I don't think your superiors will appreciate being left out of the loop and an opportunity to have face time with the Governor. " " I guess you're right there Mr. Martin, please excuse me while I make those calls. " " Thank you Sergeant, I appreciate your attention to this detail. " I figured a little smooth talk and ego massaging was not a bad idea, until the Governor was here and the odds were more in my favor. I noticed that Kyle had not returned from the command center after he returned the camera. I was wondering if this was a smart move on his part or if he was being kept out. I found the Sergeant again and asked him if my assistant was outside and being denied entry. " I will check to see for you Mr. Martin, and the Governor has just arrived. " He said as he turned and headed for the door. I went outside on the porch to meet the Governor and Kim, giving us some privacy before he went inside to meet Mrs. Upton. I watched as Mitchell escorted them up the sidewalk through the neighbors that had started to assemble around the police cars. " Thank you Mitchell for bringing them here so quickly. " I shook Mitchell's hand. " No problem sir. " Mitchell's answer was short and then moved back out of the group. " Governor, Kim, thanks for making it here so quickly. I have had the captain and chief of police called and I'm expecting them soon. I just wanted some back up here just in case Mrs. Upton tried to pull the police into a situation with her made up sobs of grief. " " I can't believe she is behind all of this Jerry, how did you find out? " The Governor and Kim asked at the same time. " I was offering her my sympathies and she addressed me by my first name, and I have never been introduced to her before. As soon as she did it, she saw the look on my face and realized she had messed up. She told me that her husband was just a front and she was the real power behind the man. " " Well, I will be damned, Jerry, that woman is a real political player. I never suspected the Senator was just a front man. They both played their roles well. " The Governor stood shaking his head in disbelief. " I can assure you Governor, I had no idea either. I was so focused on the Senator I never gave a thought to someone controlling him like that. " I let out a sigh and looked at the ground. " I don't think she is done either. " I let out a little quieter sigh. " Good God Jerry, you mean she is determined to keep up the battle with you, after all of this? " Kim stated with a look of hatred on her face. " I'm afraid so Kim, but I have someone looking to see if she has any means to continue this battle without any help. If I can cut off any means of support, she should come to her senses fast. I don't see her being able to live on the streets after being so used to the luxury. " " She has become accustomed to that status Jerry. If she does not have a stash somewhere you can't find, then I would say she is done. " The Governor smiled at me. " I may need your help there Governor, if she has something hidden away I can't find then it would have to be in hard currency and in a bank vault. I will have her tailed until I can make sure she is out of the picture. " As we were talking in our little group, the Sergeant came back up and had a couple new faces in tow. " Governor, Chief, Mr. Martin, I would like to introduce my Captain of detectives and the chief of police. " As handshakes were done around the group, the Governor and Kim pulled the chief and captain to the side and I stepped over to speak with the Sergeant. " Did you find my assistant yet Sergeant? " " I did not find anyone trying to gain access to the site Mr. Martin, if you see him, let me know and I will have him brought to you. " " Thank you Sergeant, I will try and contact him now. " I pulled out my phone and called Kyle. " Where the hell did you disappear to Kyle? " I asked when he answered his phone. " I thought it best to keep a low profile while the local police were on the scene Jerry. Being introduced as your head of security might raise some red flags with the locals. " " I thought that far ahead Kyle, I told the Sergeant on the scene you are my assistant. Please make your way back here, we have some things to discuss and make plans. " " On my way Jerry. " Kyle hung up, I turned and stared at the Senator's house. It's presence showed a strong dominance in the neighborhood, compared to the other homes. I guess that was Mrs. Upton's idea of showing off their position and wealth. The Sergeant make an appearance, with Kyle in tow behind him, " Is this the man you were looking for Mr. Martin? " " Yes it is, Sergeant. I thank you for bringing him to me. " I smiled and shook his hand, and watched as he went back to the beehive of activity in the house. " The Sergeant is a very helpful person Jerry, I get a feeling he could be useful to us. " " I sensed that too Kyle, maybe we should look into his background. But right now we need to plan out a strategy to deal with Mrs. Upton. I need a team to keep her under surveillance for the next couple weeks. Until I can determine if she has any means of continuing on with this foolishness. " " Do you want to use one of my teams, or do you want this outsourced? " " I want one of your best teams on her, Kyle. I want special attention paid to any banks or investment firms she may visit. " " You realize that means pulling Mitchell and Josh off your protection and sending them with their team. " " I do Kyle, but the risk has to be taken. I don't trust that woman, especially knowing what she is capable of masterminding. " " Nine of the 15 teams have dropped off their packages and are returning to the house. I will have a couple meet us at the apartment and we can fill them in on the details and send Mitchell and Josh home tonight for some rest. That way they will be ready in the morning. " " Great Kyle, I want 3 extra teams on patrol at the house. They will be needed for at least the next three weeks, or until we are sure Mrs. Upton is handled. " I looked at Kyle with a stern look on my face. " I understand completely Mr. Martin. " Kyle turned and headed back to the command center. The Mr. Martin approach again, he was sure in business mode and understood what I meant about Mrs. Upton being handled. A course I was not comfortable with, and one I would have to bury deep to keep from Sean. She made her feelings quite known to me and I would not allow anything to happen to Sean and Jack. Even if it meant the outcome I had in mind. Standing there deep in thought about my decision the Governor and Kim came up behind me. " Jerry, are you alright? " Kim asked, a little concern showing on her face. " Yes, Kim, just contemplating my next move. How goes the investigation? " " They're about done, it was ruled a suicide and I think all mention of you and your presence here will be omitted from any reports. " Kim placed her hand on my arm and gave me a knowing smile. " Thank you Kim, I know it was asking more than I should of you and the Governor. I just can't risk my name being out in the news on this one. " " Believe me Jerry, it was nothing, I owe you my life. I will make sure that there will never be a word of your involvement in any of these events. " " That is very kind of you Governor, I suspect we are going to become much better friends after this is all over. Now are we ready to get out of here? I have some work to do at home and I need to get Sean and Jack home, we have an important day tomorrow. I'm sure Kim will be busy the rest of the night with her charges and the Attorney General will need to be brought up to speed on all these cases. " " We are clear to go at anytime Jerry. I need to get back also, before Marge sends the squad looking for me. " The Governor laughed and we headed for the limos. The Governor rode back in his limo and as Kim and I got into mine, I noticed that Kim stopped Kyle and spoke to him a second as I slid into the back seat. Kyle held the door open as Kim entered the back with me, then closed the door and got in the passengers seat and put up the privacy window. I looked at Kim, " Something on your mind Kim? " " Yes Jerry, I asked Kyle to give us a moment to speak during the trip back. I have seen that look in your eyes too many times during my career and I know what you are planning. I can't say I approve of your decision, but I do understand why you are considering it. " " I know what she wants to do Kim, I'll not allow her to follow through. They are my family now and I will protect them, fiercely. " " I wouldn't expect anything less of you Jerry, but this is going to be national news and she is going to be the center of attention for a long time. If she goes missing the reporters will start their digging and one of them will find their way to you. " " I'm prepared for that Kim, just as long as they are safe. " " Jerry, I know that Sean cares deeply for you, but that is putting yourself in harms way. Can Sean handle knowing the truth if something happens to you? " " He will never know the truth Kim. I want your word that anything you suspect you will keep to yourself. " " If there is no evidence to support my ideas then I can't ethically make any comments or assumptions Jerry. Please, before you do anything, I want you to think it over. Maybe a few dozen times would be better. I don't want to lose you as a friend Jerry. " " This is all up to Mrs. Upton, if she doesn't continue her crusade then I am done. If she keeps going on her insane plan to harm Jack, then I have no choice. If I don't stop her and Sean finds out, he will not stop and think for a second. I can't allow him do something that will take him away from Jack, both of them have already lost too much. " " Give me some time to look into her past Jerry. There has to be another way to stop her if she wants to continue this insanity. " " Kim, what would you be willing to do if someone threatened Janice? Would you not risk everything to keep her safe? " " I would Jerry, and I know you are doing the same. I just want the chance to find you a safer way out. I can assume you could get out of the country and never return, but I don't want to lose you that way. " " You have as much time as Mrs. Upton gives you Kim. Remember that I will not put them in any danger. I will sacrifice myself before that Kim. " " That's all I ask Jerry, I will make this my number one priority and will put all my resources on it. You love him, don't you Jerry? " " Yes, Kim, I do. All I have to do is see him and I have a hard time controlling myself. I have never felt that way before, not even with Brad. " " I know how you feel Jerry, just try and keep control of yourself until we can find a solution to this problem. " " I will try my best Kim, but I make no promises if I am pushed. " We arrived back downtown at the apartment and headed back upstairs, we all rode up in the elevator without a word spoken between us. The Governor picked up on the somber tone between Kim and I and surprisingly held his tongue. I ushered Kim and the Governor into the apartment as I stayed in the hallway to collect myself. I knew Sean would pick up on my mood as soon as he saw me, and I didn't need him questioning me as to why. I stood and stared out the window at the lights of the city, asking myself if I could carry through with these plans. Yes, but could I live with myself afterward? I heard the door to the apartment open and Sean's reflection appeared in the glass as I stood there observing the city below. I lowered my head trying to gather the strength to turn and face him. Just as I was about to turn I was suddenly wrapped in a pair of strong arms, and I could feel the love and the strength of Sean. " I'm so happy Jerry, happy you came back safe. " Sean held me as he looked at our reflections in the window. " You are alright, aren't you Jerry? " " I'm fine Sean, and I am glad to be back. Glad to see that my family is safe. " I leaned back into Sean. " All because of you Jerry, and we are all thankful that you keep up safe. Now let's go inside, everyone is waiting to see you. " Sean turned me around and leaned down and kissed me, giving me the strength to go inside and see everyone. I looked up into Sean's eyes, " I love you Sean. " I stated simply and with all my heart. " I love you too Jerry. " Sean said with a glistening in his eyes. " Come now, we have guests to get rid of and Little Man to get home. We have a serious day ahead of us tomorrow. " I grabbed Sean's hand and pulled him back into the apartment. As we made our way through the groups of people in the apartment, I thanked each for their patience. I bade farewell to the Governor and his wife and children. I approached Janice and Kim and thanked Janice for helping me with the dinner we had interrupted and for allowing Kim to be involved in the rest of the mess. I promised them both that we would have a do over of the dinner and actually be able to finish dessert. As they were heading for the front door, Sean and Janice ahead of us, Kim stopped and placed her hand on my arm. " He loves you Jerry, and he is hurting, don't add to that. Keep in mind what we talk about earlier. " Kim leaned in and kissed my cheek, then left with Janice. Sean turned around after closing the front door and a questioning look came across his handsome face. " We need to talk when we get back home. " I looked at him with a bit of shock, " What's wrong, Sean? " " Did you not tell me that you would not lie to me? " " You know I did Sean, and I haven't since then. " " Then what the hell are you keeping from me? Cause I know there is something, I can tell by your mood since you got back. " " I do have something to tell you, but this is not the time or the place. We will talk about this when we get home. " I was starting to get upset. " As long as we talk, and you tell me what is bothering you, Jerry. I can see the tension you are holding. " " I will Sean, but if I ask to hold off on this till tomorrow evening would that be agreeable to you? " " You're right Jerry, I guess I need to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow night though is quiet time for you and I . " " Quite right Sean, and I intend to enjoy every minute of it. Now let's get Little Man and Dad and get home." We entered the apartment in search of our 'family', a term I was growing accustom to using. Sean put his hand on my shoulder, " You love him, don't you Jerry? " I stopped, " Yes I do Sean, he is the closest I ever thought I would come to a child. Even if he is not mine, I love the idea of him being in our home. " " I thought so Jerry, he really has a way of getting inside your heart. " Kyle was standing in the kitchen as we walked by heading for the bedroom, " Is the house secure for us to head home, Kyle? " " Everything is secure Jerry. I have two teams on the perimeter and a team in and around the house. " " Thanks Kyle. Give us a minute to get Dad and Jack and we will be ready to head out. " " Very well Jerry, I will have the limo waiting. " Back in the bedroom, Dad was reading a book to Jack, who was almost asleep. "I hate to stop you in the middle of a story Dad, but are you two ready to head home? " " I think we are both ready Son, I'm sure it won't take long till he is asleep. " " Lets get going then, we need to get Little Man to bed and it wouldn't be a bad idea for the rest of us to get there also. Tomorrow is going to hard enough without any sleep. " We all filed towards the front door, I turned and looked back at the apartment and wondered if this was over. " Come on Jerry, it's time to let go and quit trying to control everything, Son. " " I know you're right Dad, but.... " I could not finish. I turned and started towards the door. " Jerry! No matter how much you try, you can't keep them safe forever. I have tried and look how terribly I failed. You are going to drive yourself crazy if you try, focus on the good times and be ready to survive the bad. " " I know Dad, but I'm having a hard time accepting the fact that I now have the chance at what I have always wanted. It's difficult not to try and hold onto it with everything a person can muster. " " You hold on too tight and things can slip away Jerry, you must learn the finesse, the balance of the whole. Let it come together naturally and smoothly, it's better that way. " " Damn Dad, I feel like a teenager again. You're not going to have 'the talk' with me again are you? " " No Jerry, I think once is enough. " Dad laughed and put his arm around my shoulder and rushed us out the door. We caught up to Sean, Jack and Kyle at the elevator and we all rode down, got into the limo and headed home. Dad and Jack sitting facing me and Sean, as I watched Jack's head slowly start bobbing as sleep fought it's way in and overtook him. Soon as his eyes closed I reached over and took Sean's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. My heart skipped a beat when Sean squeezed my hand back, sensing that he was over his bit of earlier anger. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes to rest a bit before we got to the house. Being far enough out of the city always gave me time to think and contemplate during the ride home. I decided it was time to lay all my cards on the table with Sean. Maybe a nice quiet after dinner conversation Monday night after I returned home from downtown. Damn, I had to go back to work and I just didn't know if I could put my heart into it this week. Thank goodness that Michael was still in town and could help make sure I kept my mind on business. I would have to give him a call in the morning to remind him to pick George up at the airport and get him settled in the apartment. I better remember to call the cleaning service and have to apartment cleaned after all the use it got tonight. I was arranging the weekend schedule when Sean squeezed my hand, " Wake up sleepy, we made it home. " " If I was snoring I was sleeping, if not, it was a scheduling meeting in my mind. " I laughed as I squeezed Sean's hand. " I heard no snoring, but, " and he leaned in to my ear to whisper, " the drool on your chin says differently. " I raised my hand up quickly and wiped my mouth and must have turned ten shades of red with embarrassment. Dad laughed, " I guess I will have to find that box of baby stuff and get the old bibs out for you Son. " " I think we can leave the box stowed away Dad, at least until I will need them for you in a few years. " I laughed and jumped out of the back seat before Dad could get a hold of me. " Damn you Jerry, I will get you for that one. " I heard Dad saying as I stood there by the door waiting on Sean to hand Jack out. I helped Dad out of the car as he lumbered out and gave me a push for the bib comment. I waited as Sean picked Jack up in his arms and swung around and handed him out of the car to me. I walked into the house and back to Jack's bedroom and placed the sleeping Little Man on his bed. Sean pulled pajamas out of the dresser and sat down on the bed and started changing Jack. I stood there as I watched Sean, so careful and yet graceful getting Little Man ready for a nights sleep. " It really is easier than it looks, Jerry. " Sean's comment brought me back from my thoughts. " I would say it's the years of practice Mr. Austin. I have a hard enough time dressing myself, let alone a sleeping child. " I smiled and let out a quiet chuckle. " Jerry, I have seen you throw on a hand tailored suit in minutes and look like you walked off the pages of GQ, don't tell me you have a hard time dressing yourself. " " Years of practice, Sean. If you want to see Jack in a little Armani suit, then I'm your man. " I winked at Sean. Sean finished his task and had Little Man all tucked in and sleeping like a rock. Amazing considering the was always so full of energy the rest of the day. Sean walked up to me and pulled me into a hug, " I think that I'm ready for bed also, you think you can get me into my pajamas as easily? " " Hell no, but I can get you out of them quicker. " I kissed Sean and turned to head out of the bedroom. While walking through the kitchen I stopped abruptly and Sean walked into me. " What do you think about a little getaway this weekend Sean? " " Jerry, you know nothing about a 'little getaway', but what do you have in mind? " " I told Jack that I would clear my schedule so he and I could play this weekend, and after all that has happened I was thinking some time away to do that would be better. " " I think that is a good idea, but the question is still out there Jerry. What do you have in mind? " " You don't miss much do you Mr. Austin? " I laughed, " I was thinking about flying down to Florida and maybe taking in Disney for a couple days. " " Now that is some play time Jerry. Are you trying to get in good with Jack? " " Nope, I'm trying to get in good with you. I will tell Jack it was your idea and you planned the whole event on your own. " I leaned back into Sean with the hopes he would hold me as I laid out the details. " You're a devious man Mr. Martin, I think it would be a great idea. Just don't tell Jack till we leave, or you will never hear the end of questions and the never ending 'is it time to go yet?' " " It's a deal then, I will have get the arrangements done and we can leave out Thursday evening after I get back from the office. " " Office? " I felt Sean stiffen as he held onto me a little tighter. " You going to work this week? And take off early for a long weekend? " " It's not a problem Sean, I know the boss and he won't give me a hard time. " " I'm sorry Jerry, I just didn't give any thought to you going back to work. What the hell am I going to go all day? " I could feel Sean thinking about his new role in life, the 'father' of a three year old child. The responsibility of all that encompassed washing over him. I turned around and put my hand under Sean's chin and lifted his head up. " You will do whatever you want Babe. I will have a team on standby here at the house, you can go anywhere you need or want. Miss Nance will be starting on Monday and will be here to help you with any questions you have. If needed you can always call me, I am available 24/7 for you. " " Oh shit Jerry, you are making it sound like I'm a kept man. I don't know that I can do any of that. " I let out a loud breath, " Sean, you have to realize that you are going to have a new life and a new routine. You are Jack's sole provider now, you will have to work out a schedule for the both of you. Once you are settled into all of that, then you can make decisions about what you want to do. Whether it be college or a job, that is up to you, but it is going to take time and planning. I'm just here to help you ease into this new part of your life. It will be up to you to implement into a workable plan, I will give advice as solicited, but the final decision is yours. " "You're right Jerry, I'm sorry for saying that. I know you would never treat me that way. It's going to take some time to get adjusted to being a father to Jack, not just the uncle who gets all the fun times. " " Sean, I promise I would never treat you like that. I would never treat anyone like that, especially someone I care so much about. " Sean looked at me, his eyes glistening as a tear formed in each eye. " You really do, don't you Jerry? " " Yes Sean, I can't be more clear. I love you, I can only hope that you can handle that and accept it as the truth. I want you to be the best part of my life from here on out. " " I'm trying Jerry, I just can't see what you want with someone like me. What have I to offer someone like you? " " Let's get upstairs, I think you need to get some rest. Maybe you will see things clearer with some sleep. " I turned Sean around and nudged him towards the steps. As we climbed the stairs I could not help but admire the scene in front of me, Sean's firm round ass being hugged by his dress pants. It was all I could do to stop from reaching out and grabbing a handful. When we were in the bedroom I shut the door, " Now get in the bathroom, and get ready for bed. " " But I thought... " Sean tried to say. " No buts, I said get in there and get ready for bed. We both have had a long day and tomorrow will be worse. You need your sleep, there will be time for talking later. " I turned Sean towards the bathroom and swatted him on the rear. It wasn't what I wanted to do earlier, but it was the best for the moment. " Leave your clothes on the floor, I will pick everything up when I go in to finish up. " Sean headed slowly into the bathroom as I went over to the bed and turned down the blankets and comforter and turned on the lamp on my nightstand. I heard the water turn off in the bathroom as I headed in, Sean was standing at the sink staring in the mirror. " Something on your mind Sean? " I asked. " Do you think I can do this, Jerry? " Sean dropped his head and sighed. " Yes I do Sean, I'm not saying it is going to be easy, but you are a strong, decent man and you love Jack. Now, get in into bed while I finish up in here. " I washed my face, brushed and picked up all the clothes and readied them for the cleaners. I would have to show Miss Nance how to send them out. I turned off the bathroom light and went to get in bed, I stopped, looking at Sean, already asleep and looking so peaceful. I got in on my side of the bed and pulled up the covers and pulled Sean into my arms. Sean's arm came to rest across my stomach and his head on my chest as I held him and ran my hand through his hair. I was lightly humming as I thought about tomorrow and the pain that Sean and Jack would be facing. I was hoping that I could pull him through and get him to think about next weekend. I would have to get busy Monday morning at the office, after I started George on learning the company computers and what I expected of him in the home office. As usual my mind started to play out every scenario, every option, every idea and variation. The thousands of plans were nixed as the most logical were filed away as possibilities. I shifted my position as I realized the sun beginning to filter in the window as the room began to lighten. I looked over at the clock and it was almost 7, the day was starting with a vengeance. I gently lifted Sean's arm and slid out of bed and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and pull on a robe and headed to the kitchen. ===================================== I have decided to put all my problems on the back burner for now, at least until I can face the people that have some explaining to do. I am working hard to get the story chapters sent more frequently and bring this story to an end, or as close to an end as I can. Thanks everyone.