Full Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 3) Read online

  “You’re feelin’ a bit left out in the cold?”

  “A bit.” He was glad his dad could always suss out what the real problem was. “I just don’t know how to get through to him. He doesn’t like talking about what he’s into. It’s like he’s afraid if he lets us get to know him it’ll … I don’t know. Make him vulnerable, maybe?”

  “Sure. Makes sense.”

  “It does. I just don’t know how to get through that wall. I don’t even know what he enjoys doing.”

  “Well, I think you just gotta keep at it. It’s not one conversation, it’s bringing it up a few times and following the breadcrumbs he leaves.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “And if that doesn’t work, maybe ya gotta lead by example.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Show him what you enjoy. Share a part of you so he can see it’s safe for him to do. You’re the one being vulnerable and letting him in first.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that.” Russ smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Anytime. And when y’all are ready, I’d really like to meet that grandson of mine.”

  “I’d like that too,” Russ said with a smile. “I’d like that a lot. You’re going to love him.”

  “I’m sure I will. And I love you too, son.”

  “Love you too, Dad. And thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  “I know you said you kinda liked soccer,” Russ said on the way home from school the following Friday evening. He’d spent the past week making a plan for how to reach through the barrier Austin had around him. “Do you like playing or watching?”

  “Playing.”

  “Well, maybe we can figure out something for the summer?”

  Austin gave a listless shrug. “I guess.”

  “What else do you enjoy?” Russ said. “I know you aren’t crazy about math but what about other things in school?” He tried to remember if there were any classes Austin had done really well in but his academic record was so fragmented and all over the place it was hard to pin down anything without the information in front of him. “Like music or art or …”

  “Um, I had an art class a few years ago that was kind of cool.” There was a glimmer of animation in Austin’s voice.

  “Yeah?” Russ smiled. Finally! We’re getting somewhere! “Tell me more about that?”

  “So like, sometimes I like drawing.” He looked down.

  “We could get you drawing paper and pencils or whatever you use,” Russ said. “If it’s something you enjoy, we’d be happy to help you explore that.”

  “That would be cool. But, um, what I really like is on the computer. The school had this software I loved, but I haven’t been able to do it like that since.”

  “Ahh, okay.”

  “And the software’s like really expensive. So none of my foster parents have been able to afford it. Not the Nashes but the one before that told me it was a big waste of money. So I stopped asking.” Austin’s words came out in a jumble, rushed in places and halting in others, like he wasn’t quite sure how to get them out.

  “I’m sorry they worded it that way,” Russ said quietly. “They shouldn’t have. It might have been out of their budget but that was an unkind way of wording it. No one should put you down for your interests.”

  “Thanks.” Austin looked down at his backpack.

  “Why don’t we explore the options together?” Russ offered. “You can show me what you like to do, and we can see what’s out there. Maybe there’s a class you can take where you can have access to that program or something similar and we’ll see how it goes from there? Like if you show you use it a lot and really want to stick to it, we could do some research and consider getting it for you for your birthday or Christmas or something.” They were stopped at a light, so Russ glanced over at him.

  “So like, I have to earn it?” Austin looked up at him through his lashes.

  “By showing responsibility and good decision making and proving you will get your money’s worth out of it, yes,” Russ said.

  “Oh. That makes sense.”

  “I try,” Russ said.

  Austin cracked a smile and Russ took that as a win.

  That night, after dinner and the dishes were done, when Austin turned to go to his bedroom, Russ stopped him. “Wait, Austin.”

  “Huh?” He turned back. “Did I forget to do something?”

  “No. But I have an idea.” Russ said. “Let’s go for a swim tonight.”

  “A swim?” Austin gave him a curious look.

  “Well, there is a pool on the roof and they just opened it up for the season,” Russ said. “I thought maybe you’d like to check it out. You do know how to swim, right?”

  “Of course,” he said scornfully.

  “Well, would you like to go?”

  “Oh yeah, that would be kinda cool.”

  “How about you?” He glanced over at Stephen. “Would you like to join us?”

  “I think I would,” Stephen said.

  “But it’s like eight at night,” Austin protested.

  “Is it past your bedtime?”

  Austin cracked a smile. “No.”

  “Well, then unless you think you’re too old to stay up so late,” Russ teased, “we should go! Pool’s open until eleven on the weekends.”

  “Yeah, okay.” His face fell. “I don’t think I have a swimsuit though. I outgrew it last year, so I didn’t take it with me when I left the Nashes.”

  “I had a feeling that might be the case,” Russ said. “Good thing I planned ahead and picked one up on my lunch this week. C’mon. I’ll get it for you.”

  Austin looked up at him wide-eyed and excited, and Russ ruffled his hair. For once, he didn’t pull away.

  “Where is the pool?” Austin asked as he came out of his room a short while later in a pair of gray and green board shorts. Russ eyed them. They were a little baggy, but the tie kept them snug around Austin’s narrow hips and he’d grow into them.

  “Let me show you,” Russ said. “Come on.”

  He led Austin up the steps. The main floor of their apartment was the top floor of the building. But the two penthouse condos had an additional lofted area built on top of the roof that was surrounded by the balcony on three sides. He let Austin and Stephen out onto the balcony, then around the corner to where a small gate was set. It led to the roof, and the pool and hot tub area. “Check that out. We have secret access to the pool!”

  “Oh wow.” Austin stopped in his tracks to peer around. “This is cool.”

  “It is cool. When Stephen brought me up here for the first time, I couldn’t believe it.”

  Austin ran over to the edge and stared out at the city. The sun was almost below the horizon and the city lights glowed against the dimming sky.

  “So, now that you know this is here,” Russ said, “we have one more rule.”

  “Huh?” He sounded like he was only half-listening.

  “Please pay attention,” Stephen said. “This is important.”

  “No coming out here without an adult, okay?” Russ continued when Austin turned to look at them. “You can hang out on the balcony any time you want, but the pool is off-limits without an adult here. There’s no lifeguard, so no swimming without Stephen or me.”

  “What about the babysitters?”

  “Sure, if Addie and Joseph or Jeremy and Evan want to go swimming with you or hang out while you swim, that’s totally fine. But you have to be supervised.”

  “Got it.” Austin bounced a little on his toes. “Can I go in now.”

  Russ laughed. “Sure, you can go in. No diving headfirst though! It’s shallow.”

  Austin kicked off his sandals, tossed his towel on the lounger, and did a belly flop into the water.

  Stephen grinned at him. “That’s nice to see.”

  “Him just acting like a kid?” Russ asked quietly.

  “Exactly.”

  “Come on,” Austin called. “What are you waiting for?�
��

  They moved a little more slowly, but they joined Austin in the pool and Russ floated on his back for a minute, enjoying the sound of Austin splashing around and talking to Stephen. The sky was growing darker and although they couldn’t see the stars, it was a warm, pleasant evening.

  When he finally righted himself, he saw Austin swimming lazily around. “Did I ever tell you I swam competitively?”

  “No.”

  “Yep, in high school. I was pretty good too.”

  “Did you win a lot?” Austin swam a little closer.

  “Some meets, yeah. My dad still has some of my old trophies, I think. Maybe sometime when he comes to visit, he can bring them.”

  “Where does he live?”

  “Not too far,” Russ said. “Cordele is about two hours south of here. He would love to meet you, but we didn’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”

  “He wants to meet me?”

  Russ smiled. “Of course. You’re a part of his family now too.”

  “What’s he like?”

  “Big. Gruff. Kind. He had a really hard time showing emotion when I was a kid, especially after my mom left, but he has a soft heart and he’s gotten a lot better at that over the years. I always go to him when I have a tough time.”

  Austin gave him a curious glance. “And he helps?”

  “Always,” Russ said. “He’s had a lot of good advice for me over the years. I talked to him about work trouble and when Stephen and I hit a rough patch.” Stephen smiled at him. “I know it’s safe to talk to him about how I’m feeling.”

  Austin nodded.

  His instinct was to tell Austin he’d be here for him that way too, but he decided maybe that was pushing too much. He should lead by example and let Austin see what he did.

  “Did you know swimming is my favorite stress reliever?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Yeah. I like to come up here when I have a bad day. I like working out in general, but swimming is my favorite. It gets me out of my head and lets me just relax.”

  “Cool.”

  Austin was starting to look bored, so Russ decided to wrap this up. “I think I’m going to do some laps now, actually. Wanna race?”

  He gave Russ a curious look. “Sure.”

  “Stephen?”

  “Well, of course.”

  They lined up along one wall and Russ laid out the rules. Austin nodded seriously. And with Russ’s shouted, “Go,” they all took off. Austin took an early lead, but Russ quickly lapped him and Stephen was close behind.

  By the time Russ’s hand touched the wall on the final lap, he was panting, and he’d only won by a hair. “Wow, you’re fast,” he said to Austin as he slicked his hair back.

  Austin grinned.

  “I’m used to Russ kicking my butt,” Stephen said. “But both of you? Ouch.”

  “Guess you’re too old to keep up,” Austin said with a grin.

  “Double ouch.” Stephen pressed a hand to his chest. “That hurts, Austin.”

  “I’m sorry.” A worried flicker crossed his face. “I was just kidding.”

  “So was I,” Stephen said with a smile. “But maybe we should race more often so an old man like me can keep up!”

  Austin giggled. It was the first, honest to god giggle Russ had heard from him and it made his heart warm.

  “Can we go again?” Austin asked.

  “Sure, we can do that.”

  After several more races and some time floating around the pool, it was late, and Russ’s fingers were beginning to prune.

  “Okay, you two,” he said. “It is getting late. We should probably go in.”

  “Just a little longer? Please,” Austin begged. “It’s so nice.”

  “It is nice. Okay. Twenty more minutes but then we get out.”

  “Deal.” Austin dove under the water. “Thanks, Russ!”

  He still wasn’t ready to leave in twenty minutes, so it took a little coaxing but they finally got Austin out of the pool. “I think he’s part fish like you, Russ,” Stephen said as he dried his hair on a beach towel.

  Russ chuckled. “I do love it.”

  “Me too.” Austin shook his head, spraying water everywhere. “Can we swim again tomorrow?”

  “Probably,” Russ said, wiping his face. “I’ll need to look at our calendar, but I think we can fit it in at some point after we get back from the center.”

  “Awesome.” Austin darted for the gate that led back to their balcony. “This was so fun.”

  After they got Austin off to bed and they were in their bathroom, stripping out of their wet suits, Stephen beamed at him.

  “Who totally knocked it out of the park with being an excellent dad tonight?”

  Russ’s face went hot as he hung his towel up to dry. “Me?”

  Stephen chuckled. “Yes, you. You were great with him. He had so much fun tonight.”

  “It did feel good. Like we really connected there a little.”

  “You did a wonderful job.” Stephen kissed him. “Just so you know, I find you in Dad mode pretty hot too.”

  “Yeah?” Russ grinned. “Good thing because I think we signed up for the long haul in this.”

  “Good thing,” Stephen agreed.

  EIGHTEEN

  Russ was surprised but pleased when Stephen asked him to meet him in his office for lunch the following Monday. He was more surprised when Stephen shut the door behind him. There was a takeout lunch spread out on his desk, but he had a strangely intent expression on his face.

  “Everything okay?”

  Stephen stepped closer and slid a hand around his waist.

  “I want you to find a day in the next couple of weeks where you can cut out early. Leave after lunch.”

  Russ raised an eyebrow, settling his hands against Stephen’s chest. He wore a pale blue dress shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. And despite Russ’s concern that something serious was going on, he felt a thrill at the sight of him. At the feel of him being so close. “Does it matter what day of the week?”

  “No.”

  “Are you going to tell me why?”

  “I enjoy the idea of leaving you hanging, but …” Stephen grinned at him and slid his hands down to cup Russ’s ass. “I was thinking we could play hooky from work.”

  Finally understanding, Russ gave him a pretend look of shock. “Stephen Parker!” His grin only widened and he squeezed once. “And what did you plan to do while we played hooky?”

  Stephen leaned in and spoke quietly in his ear. “I plan to bend you over our bed, eat your ass, fuck you, then plug you. And fuck you again a few hours later.”

  Chills raced through Russ’s body, making the hair on his arms stand on end. He shifted his weight as his cock hardened in his suit pants, but it only served to brush the front of their bodies together and arouse him further. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “I think I can find an afternoon to take some time off.”

  “I thought that might provide some motivation for you.”

  “It sure did,” Russ said faintly. “I’m sure people will comment if we’re both gone at the same time though.”

  Stephen shrugged. “We’re a married couple, Russ. What are they going to say?”

  “Oh, I know. I wasn’t saying it was going to stop me.”

  “Besides, for all they know, we have an appointment or something Austin-related.”

  “True.” He shook his head in mock-disapproval and clucked his tongue. “Using our child as a cover story for us to get laid. I’m appalled.”

  Stephen shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “I just thought it might be nice to have the apartment to ourselves while he’s in school and enjoy some time together.”

  Russ grinned. “I like that thought.”

  “Thought you might.”

  “What I do not like is the fact that I’m hard. At work,” he teased. He smoothed his hands across Stephen’s shirt, feeling the crisp polished cotton over hard, warm muscle.

 
“I’m sorry.” Stephen’s eyes twinkled.

  “I might take that apology more seriously if you weren’t smirking at me like that,” Russ said with a little laugh.

  “That’s fair.”

  “And you don’t have to wind me up like this. I would have agreed to it even if I wasn’t currently turned on.”

  “Don’t I? I don’t know. It’s pretty enjoyable.” Stephen leaned in and kissed the side of his neck, right above the collar of his shirt. Russ shivered again.

  “Whatever happened to the man I met?” he said breathlessly. “The proper one who didn’t even want to get involved with his coworker?”

  “He wised up.” There was so much love in Stephen’s eyes it made Russ weak in the knees.

  “Damn it, Stephen,” Russ grumbled. “I can’t stay mad when you talk sweet like that.”

  “That’s why I do it.”

  “Clever bastard.”

  “So, afternoon off for clandestine sex with your husband?” Stephen prompted.

  “Yes, please.” Russ shivered at the thought. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Of course, it took them nearly two weeks to find a day that worked for both of them. Elizabeth gave them an amused glance as Russ met Stephen in his office and he packed up to leave. She’d either picked up on the eager anticipation radiating from them or simply knew them well enough to guess what they were up to.

  “What did you tell Peter when you asked for the day off?” Stephen asked as they walked down the stairs. Russ smiled at the thought that it was the same stairwell where they’d had their first real meeting. God, he’d gotten sentimental since he’d met Stephen. He didn’t mind though.

  “Tell Peter?” he repeated, trying to remember what Stephen’s question had been. “Oh, about why I’m taking the time off? I didn’t actually explain. Just said I needed the time and he didn’t question it.”

  “He may have figured it out.”

  “I think Elizabeth might have picked up on something too.”

  “Probably.” Stephen looked unconcerned. “Frankly, I don’t care. I’m not ashamed that I can’t get enough of my husband.”