Surrender (Firsts and Forever Stories Book 11) by Alexa Land

Author:Alexa Land [Land, Alexa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-09-21T00:00:00+00:00

The next several hours were hectic. Tracy had offered to work a twelve-hour shift so a couple of his coworkers could have the day off, and he was determined to make the day special for the shelter’s young residents. He served a delicious brunch, which included the fresh baked goods he’d brought, and he organized several games and activities throughout the day, before getting the residents involved in cooking. It was all capped off with a huge holiday feast in the late afternoon.

I looked around the table as we sat down to dinner. Even though they’d been through way too much in their young lives, I saw a lot of smiles and optimism on the faces of the fourteen beautiful souls who called this place home.

They looked like the living embodiment of the Pride flag. Half the residents wore their hair in bright, cheerful colors, including a few multicolored works of art they called mermaid hair. Most of them also wore vivid, tie-dyed T-shirts. They’d made them earlier that day, thanks to Tracy, who’d donated all the supplies.

He sat between me and the shelter’s newest resident, a shy eighteen-year-old named Joaquin. The boy always sought Tracy out, and I could see why. He probably identified with him, not just because they were both gay and Latino, but because they were two quiet introverts in a sea of loud, outgoing extroverts.

The food was being passed around family-style, but instead of moving in one direction, it was pure pandemonium. Everyone was talking at once, while platters and bowls came from not only the left and right, but zigzagged across the table.

Joaquin was too hesitant to take part, so Tracy made it his mission to intercept each and every item, which he then offered to the kid. Once Joaquin either turned it down or took a small helping, Tracy would pass the dish to the right and set his sights on the next item. He didn’t even think about taking any for himself, but fortunately, he kept passing everything to me.

I filled Tracy’s plate right along with mine, and he was so focused on helping the boy that he didn’t even notice—not until all the food had been distributed and everyone began to eat. When he saw his full plate, he grinned at me and said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“The mashed potato volcano with gravy lava is a nice touch.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty proud of that.” I’d had a little time between dishes, so I’d used my fork to sculpt a tiny mountain.

“You’re always looking out for me.”

“I try.”

There was emotion in his eyes as he whispered, “It means a lot to me.”

I ran my knuckles along his jaw, and he reached up and caressed the back of my hand. Then we quickly turned our attention to dinner, and I glanced around the table. Fortunately, none of the residents had noticed our little moment. They wouldn’t have hesitated to tease us mercilessly, which wouldn’t have bothered me in the slightest, but it was easy to embarrass Tracy.

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