Springtime for Justin

Chapter 3

"Daddy, what's Dada doing up there?" It was early morning at Edna's Treasures, Bree and Justin were painting at their easels. Justin was working on the Spring portion of his "Seasons" show while Bree was concentrating on a painting of a frog. Brian was up in his office wheeling and dealing with Emmett regarding the party of the season for one Miss Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor.

"I'm not sure, Baby, but whatever it is, Dada will take care of it," Justin reassured his daughter.

"I know, Daddy. Dada takes care of everything," Bree said proudly.

"Yes, he does," Justin agreed. "Your Dada knows just how to take care of us," Justin said equally with pride.

"Emmett, I want invitations. Stylish but not too snobby," Brian said into his headpiece as he paced the floor of his office. His computer was on showing his monthly calendar.

"Style, without being snobbish, check."

"And I want Bree to be able to invite her classmates if she wants to, and I don't believe I'm going to say this but we may have to hire something or someone to entertain the kids."

"Oooo, I know some drag queens who love to entertain the kiddies."

"Honeycutt, she's going to be five not thirty-five."

"Brian, honey, have I ever steered you wrong? Don't answer that. Let me take care of the entertainment. I'll speak to the fabulous Miss Bree and find out what she likes."

"With my luck it'll be someone dressed in a giant frog costume."

"Well, if it is, I promise it'll be a tasteful giant frog costume. Now, do I assume you're leaving the menu up to me?"

"You assume correctly."

"And do you want to be in charge of the grilling or shall I have my minions grill and serve?"

"I do believe my talents would best be served if I relegated myself just to host."

"Brian, sweetheart, you could never be 'just' anything but I agree. A soiree of this importance does need the consummate host and you fit the bill. Now, one last item and then I'll let you enjoy the rest of your Sunday; theme. What is the theme of the party?"

"Uh, Bree's fifth birthday?"

"I know that but that's so boring. Miss Bree is nothing if not the center of the universe."

"I'm not sure," Brian mumbled as he looked over the balcony rail. He could see the flowers of their garden blooming, dotting the landscape with bits of color. In a couple of more weeks the whole garden would be alive with flowers. Then Brian saw Justin's latest painting. Finished with all the Winter storm-scapes, the new canvases were awash with color.

"Spring," Brian said into the phone.

"Spring?" Emmett repeated.

"Yeah. She's our Spring baby and the snow is finally melting away. What better way to celebrate the season?"

"Spring. I like it! Spring it is."

"I'm glad you approve. Now go forth and plan."

"Yes, my liege!" Emmett cut the connection.

Brian finished emailing the guest list to Emmett then joined his family in the porch.

 

*****
 

"Did you sleep well?" Hector asked Curtis.

"Yes, sir, I mean Hector. I slept real well. Matty slept well too."

Curtis looked relaxed and was even gaining a few pounds. His bruises were all healed and even though he had a lot of school work to do, Curtis was doing it with enthusiasm. He spent a few hours at the vet clinic three days a week and the rest of the time at the drop-in center studying.

Matty had a home with Raph and Hector but officially remained Curtis' responsibility. And he took his responsibilities very seriously. Raph and Hector were getting to know the teen as Curtis was getting to know them.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Hector inquired.

"Yes, Sir!" Curtis replied with a big smile. They joined Raph in the kitchen as he was getting ready to serve up his large morning feast.

 

*****
 

"Mmm," Jennifer purred as she felt a warm hand slowly caress her negligee covered hip.

"Have I told you how incredibly seductive you are in satin?" Seth said as his hand followed her lean lines. "You are so beautiful, so very strong and yet have a vulnerability that I find so appealing."

Jennifer felt herself blush with Seth's words. Seth smiled as the color bloomed in her cheeks.

"See? You're a woman of the world and yet able to blush at simple praise. I love you Jennifer Taylor and I intend to keep the roses in your cheeks for the rest of our days," Seth murmured then pulled her in close to make love.

 

*****
 

Brian finished reading the reports on his computer. Both New York and Harrisburg were in the initial stages of expansion. Stacey was a little farther along with her proposals. He would have to go there in a couple of months to help with some final decisions. He stretched and leaned back in his chair. With a shake of his head he realized that he still wanted to be in control. Even though he had little hands on contact with any of his businesses anymore, he still had the final stay. He liked being on top of every situation that he could.

People that called him a control freak were probably right. But so the fuck what? He was a big fucking success in spite of his upbringing and tenure as the Stud of Liberty Avenue. He had gotten his life together and made something of himself. People respected him. Including the two most important people in the world. He had found the right man for him and they had a beautiful daughter. He had a great son too. He had friends and family. He even had his mother back. Life was sure a fucking surprise sometimes.

He got up and walked to the balcony that overlooked the sun porch. Brian stared down from the railing. He loved watching his two favorite people. Bree's frog was almost finished. The little devil loved her frogs … and loved tormenting him. He smiled. Justin's flower canvas looked so happy and colorful. It truly was spring captured on canvas.

Brian looked out at the spring flowers in his gardens. There were still some crocus, along with lots of daffodils and tulips. They were the harbingers of better weather to come, the first crocus telling you in the best way possible that the rebirth of spring had arrived. Brian felt his hands itch. He needed to work in his gardens.

"Squirt," he called down. "How about some gar-gar?"

Bree jumped up and down and clapped her hands. "Yay!" she squealed.

"Go put on your gardening clothes."

"'Kay, Dada," she called as she ran to her room. She had gardening clothes and painting clothes and school clothes and dress up clothes. Most mature women only had a fraction of the wardrobe Miss Briana had.

Justin looked up at his husband. "I can see your hands itching to dig in the soil," he laughed.

"I never would have thought I'd turn out to be a gardener," Brian said shaking his head as he came down the stairs.

"You've saved us a fortune by doing the gardening all these years."

"So, what does that make me? The hired help?"

"Of course, and very reasonably priced too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, a blowjob here and a fuck there," Justin grinned. "Very cheap."

"I expect to be duly paid when I finish the gardens today then," Brian smirked.

"I'll make sure that happens."

Brian pulled Justin in for a kiss. "Here a fuck, there a fuck, everywhere a fuck, fuck," he whispered in Justin's ear, while his hand groped Justin's crotch.

"Stop, O evil one. Or else you won't be getting any gardening done today," Justin laughed squirming under Brian's touch.

"I love how easy you are," Brian chuckled feeling Justin's cock swell in his hand.

"Only for you, big guy."

"Dada, I'm ready," Bree said coming back into the sun porch. She had on a pair of her pink gardening overalls. She carried the gardening gloves that Brian had had specially made for her. He couldn't find a small enough pair anywhere so he had them customized to fit her.

"Go garden!" Justin ordered pushing Brian away.

"Later," Brian whispered.

"Yeah, later," Justin agreed with a smile as he watched his husband and daughter head out to the garden.

 

*****
 

"Are all the flowers awake, Dada?" Bree asked remembering a conversation she had had with her father when the whole garden was buried in snow.

"Not all of them. They … space themselves out so that we can have flowers all spring and summer and fall."

"Flowers are smart," Bree declared.

"So are gardeners."

"Gardeners?"

"Yeah, I chose what flowers to plant so that they would come up at different times of the year."

"How did you know that?"

"You know the garden center where I buy plants?" Bree nodded. "The people there are very knowledgeable. They helped me learn. Now I just know which ones grow at what time of year."

"Can I be knawjable?"

"Sure you can, Squirt. I teach you things every time we're out here."

"What's this one?" Bree asked pointing to a flower.

"Ah, that's a very expensive daffodil that I sent away for last fall. I planted it before it snowed. Don't you remember?"

Bree frowned. They had spent so much time in the garden she wasn't sure she remembered that specific moment. "Why doesn't it look like these?" Bree asked pointing to more traditional daffodils that she could identify by that name. The new one was more white than yellow and had very frilly petals.

"There are different kinds of flowers within a species," Brian explained as he continued to work up the ground and pull out any early weeds that had dared to rear their heads.

"What's a species?"

Brian sighed. "A species is a big group … like people, but individuals make it up and they come in all sizes and shapes. Like Dr. Raph is black."

"Like Martin Luther King Jr."

"Exactly but they're still people. And Gamma Debbie is very loud and happy."

"And hugs me to bits," Bree said decisively.

"Exactly."

"But she's still people too?"

Brian chuckled. "Yep."

"Who else?"

Brian wracked his brains. "Grampa Craig is a very unhappy man."

"Yeah," Bree said thoughtfully. "But he's a people too."

"I guess we have to give him that."

"Who else?"

"Well, there's big flaming fairies like your Auntie Emm," Brian chuckled.

"And he's a people too?"

"I think he's a species unto himself, but yeah, he's people too."

"Who else?"

"Hey there, Squirt. I'm doing all the work and answering all the questions. How about a little help here?"

"'Kay, Dada," Bree replied taking the pile of weeds to the composter at the back of the yard.

Brian wondered how he got into these in depth discussions with a five year old, and could barely hold his own against her. He chuckled as he pulled some more weeds.

 

*****
 

"Curtis, it's time to go back to the center," Raph called out from the door to their small yard. It had warmed up enough for Curtis to be able to take Matty out to get some air. But as the sun was going down, it was getting cool.

"Dr. Raph, can I come back next weekend, I mean for the whole weekend."

"Sure! I think Hunter will approve. After clinic on Friday we'll come back here and then we can all go in on Saturday together. If we get your homework done early, maybe we can go to the Spring carnival at the church."

"Dr. Raph, do you go to church?"

"Not as regularly as I'd like. Not many churches are tolerant of alternative lifestyles."

"My grandfather and I used to go every Sunday but the Hardigans..."

"You don't have to explain. I bet they took you to service and then did the opposite of what the preacher said."

"Yeah, after a while it didn't make any sense."

"I hear you. Well, Father Tom does a fine service and he practices what he preaches. I hope you'll grow to learn that Hector and I do too. Now, let's get you back to the center before Hunter gets worried. Go say goodbye to Matty."

Curtis gathered up his belongings and backpack then spent a few more minutes with Matty in his room. Raph and Hector were very kind and treated him with respect. Curtis thought it wouldn't be so bad to be living with them. And Matty was happy too. Curtis was certain of that. He knew cats were very sensitive and wise. She wouldn't be this happy if she wasn't treated well. His grandfather was gone but Dr. Raph was a lot like him. A tall man with a big smile … and smart. Curtis still wasn't sure what to make of all the gay stuff. Hector and Raph were nothing like the man Hunter introduced him to, the one that helped to pick out all his new clothes. He was nice too, a little weird but nice. Curtis wasn't too sure what to make of him either. But it was okay. So far all the people he had met since Hunter took him in were nice and really wanted to help.

"Maybe my luck is changing, huh, Matty," Curtis said to his cat. "I'll be back soon," Curtis reassured Matty as he petted her gently then went out to the living room where Hector and Raph were waiting.

 

*****
 

"Hi, Sidney. No, you aren't interrupting anything important," Justin said into the receiver as he was cleaning off his brushes. He had spent most of the day at his easel. Brian was supervising Bree in the bathtub. She had gotten quite muddy during gar-gar. Brian was a little grubby too but he decided to wait until Bree was finished with her bath.

"Winter is all done; I'm into Spring. It's going good. I have plenty of inspiration, especially out here. What? Chicago? Yeah, I remember. When? The fifteenth? Of when? April! No, I can't. We're having Bree's birthday party that day. I have to be here. I understand this is important but I don't have to be there the first day. Sid, please, my baby doesn't turn five every day. We're expecting a houseful of people! Can't we compromise here? Let me do my man of mystery bit and I promise to make a big splash the following weekend. Please, Sidney, I'll be your best frieeend! Yeah, I know, I've been hanging around five year olds a little too much. What time's the opening? Nine? Okay, let me see what I can work out. Bye, Sidney. Fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Brian asked. He had heard the expletive.

"Where's Bree?" Justin snapped.

"In her room, putting on her pj's. What crawled up your butt?"

"Not you, obviously," Justin grumbled then threw a paint brush across the porch.

"Okay, now what the fuck is going on? No bullshit and no more throwing paint brushes. Those fucking things cost a small fortune. Now spill!" Brian's tone told Justin he was in no mood to be dicked around.

"That was Sidney on the phone."

"I surmised and he wants you to go to Chicago."

"Yes, but the opening of the "Old Masters" falls on the same day we want Bree's party. I don't want to miss it."

"Justin, we haven't sent out the invitations yet, we can change the date."

"No, the fifteenth is perfect."

"Then we'll work it out," Brian reassured Justin. He drew the younger man into his arms. Justin sighed loudly then deeply inhaled. "I know, I stink."

"Have I ever told you how much I love your stink?"

"You're a freak."

"Maybe. But I love the way you smell after you've worked out or been gardening. You smell so manly. It makes me hard. Makes me want to lick all the sweat off your body." Justin reached up onto his toes and kissed his lover.

"Fuck!" Brian growled.

"That's the general idea," Justin purred, his eyes growing dark with lust.

Torn between wanting to fuck the living daylights out of his spouse and their family duties of dinner with Bree, Brian was momentarily baffled.

"Hey, guys," Bobby called out from their end of Edna's Treasures, "the garden looks great. We're roasting a chicken. You want to join us? It should be done in an hour or so."

Just then Bree walked into the porch.

"Bree, Patrick's in his room. Why don't you go play while dinner is cooking," Bobby recognized the looks of love on his in-laws' faces.

Bree's face lit up as she scurried into their end of the cottage, calling out Patrick's name.

"Go on, you two," Bobby said knowingly. "We'll see you at dinner."

"Bless you," Brian said as he grabbed Justin's hand to lead him to their bedroom. "You're a good man, Big Red," Bobby heard Brian say, as Justin giggled and their bedroom door slammed shut.

"Everything all right?" John asked his lover, hearing the door slam. He leaned over to give Bobby a kiss.

"Everything's just fine," Bobby answered as he laughed. "Status quo, Babe, status quo.


 

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