Cartography for Beginners by Jones Jenna

Author:Jones, Jenna [Jones, Jenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian
Publisher: Torquere Press, Inc.
Published: 2012-08-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Leo didn't want to talk about it as Stuart drove him back to the house, so Stuart didn't press it. Once they reached the house, Leo went straight upstairs to his bedroom despite Dune calling from the lounge, "Dad? Dad, what's wrong? What happened?"

He looked at Stuart and Stuart could only shrug. "He called me to come get him," he said as he poured himself a drink. "That's all I know."

Micah and Dune looked at each other and got up from the sofa together to run up the stairs. Jamie and Ben did the same, the look on Jamie's face grim. Stuart sighed, finished his scotch in a burning gulp, and followed them upstairs.

What he found was a rather sweet scene: the boys had surrounded Leo on his bed in a protective circle, and Leo lay against Dune's chest as Dune held him and stroked his hair. "Really, I'm fine," Leo was saying when Stuart came to the doorway. "Rupert didn't do anything wrong."

"I'll go there now," Jamie said. "I'll have it out with him."

"There's nothing to have out," Leo said. "It was a lovely evening. He's a perfectly nice boy. I can see why you liked him so much, Jamie."

"It's been fifteen years," said Jamie.

"He grew up. So did you. I enjoyed talking to him. You can all stand down, for God's sake."

The boys looked at each other helplessly, as if they wanted to act and were frustrated they couldn't. Dune said quietly, "Then why did you ask Stuart to get you?"

"Because I got lost on the way home." Leo leaned his head against Dune's arm. Micah leaned against Leo, and Leo smiled as he patted Micah's cheek.

"Stuart, come comfort Leo," Micah ordered. "Jamie, move over so he has room."

Jamie moved closer to Ben as instructed, which left the open space by Leo and Dune's sides. Stuart sat on the edge of the bed, feeling everyone's eyes on him with various degrees of curiosity and disapproval. Ben had never liked him and he didn't expect that to change, but even Jamie and Dune looked like he was their least favorite person today. Even Leo's expression was guarded, which looked unnatural on his guileless face. Only Micah had his usual look of sweet openness. Thank God for that child.

Stuart leaned back against the headboard, which put him shoulder-to-shoulder with Dune, and folded his hands together on his chest. "I don't know how much comfort I'll be."

Leo hesitated, and then pulled Stuart's hands apart so he could hold one in his own. "You're always a comfort."

"Oh," said Stuart. "Thank you."

"How was your night?" Micah said to him. "Did you talk to your daughters?"

"Oh, yes," Stuart said. "Quite a bit. They had a lot to say, and most of it was even good. They've grown up to be lovely girls. Nicole is a dancer and Amelie was an actress until she stopped to have a baby. I expect she'll go back when he's old enough. She even showed me pictures of my grandson.

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