Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 19:37:38 -0500
From: Jim <sojourn1950@yahoo.com>
Subject: Change of Heart Chapter Five

Author's Note: I tried to rush this chapter because of the cliffhanger. It
may be even more poorly edited than usual, for that I apologize.

This story is fiction.

The characters are adults in adult situations.

Warnings: The only person you can ever hope to truly know is
yourself. Trust no one; use condoms.

If you are not of legal age or in a jurisdiction in which this document is
illegal, go way.

This is my story. Please respect the copyright. If you enjoy it, let me
know.

Please donate to Nifty. Surely these tales are worth, at least, a couple of
cups of coffee. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Feedback is appreciated

Jim Ford

Sojourn1950@yahoo.com

Chapter Five

As soon as he saw the flames burgeoning around the porch roof Jeff hit the
gas. "Call 911!" Glancing at Paul he could see the man was in shock,
staring in disbelief as he watched his house go up in flames. "Paul! Babe!"
Jeff rudely nudged Paul saying, "Babe, call 911!  We need to get the
goddamned fire department out here." Getting no real reaction he shook him
as he shouted, "Paul! Paul!"

Paul turned to look at Jeff, "Yeah, sure." Finally grasping the urgency, he
pulled out his phone and dialed. He clearly explained the situation and
location of the fire. When asked if everyone was safe he gasped, "Oh NO!
Pup is in there!" He clarified that Pup, a dog, was inside the house.

The Tahoe came to a screeching stop just short of Paul's drive. Jeff asked
Paul, "You got your keys?"

Paul looked at the inferno that was the front of his house then looked at
Jeff like he had lost his mind. Then the gears in his brain meshed. Running
up to his Explorer Paul jumped in and quickly backed it out of the drive,
stopping just in front of the Tahoe.

Jeff joined him as he jumped out of the vehicle, "You ok?"

"Yeah. Let's go!"

Keeping well clear of the heat and flying sparks together they circled the
house. Stepping onto the back porch Paul couldn't help feeling a sense of
deja vu. He had so many times come in from the barn this way. Now, this
would be the last time.

After watching Paul unlock the door Jeff gently but firmly pushed him
aside. Searching for heat, he moved the back of his hand around the surface
of the door. "Feels normal", he offered. "I'll get the puppy out and you
grab whatever is important to you. I don't expect the firemen will be here
in time to save much. I'll come back in and give you a hand. Pulling Paul
in for a quick kiss he pleaded, "Hurry! And Please!be careful."

When they entered the kitchen they could feel the heat and see smoke but no
visible flames. Jeff watched as Paul moved further onto the burning
house. The temptation to follow his lover and keep him safe was almost
overwhelming. He had to force himself to grab the kennel from the kitchen
floor and run it to what he considered a safe distance from the
house. Ignoring Pup's frightened whining/barking Jeff ran back into the
house. Flames were not only visible but were climbing the living room front
wall as smoke billowed against the ceiling. He knew they didn't have much
time.

He found Paul in his bedroom. He choked back a hysterical laugh as he
watched him busily packing a suitcase! Two already packed suitcases on the
bed, alongside a stuffed black garbage bag, were lying on the bed. The same
bed he and Paul had made love on. That happy time seemed like a lifetime
ago. "Babe, what are you doing? We don't have much time. Forget about your
clothes, we can buy new ones. Let's go now."

"Take those two! I'm right behind you", Paul indicated the two smaller
suitcases. Paul then reached into the closet and retrieved the same locked
tackle box from which he had pulled condoms and lube the night
before. "Mustn't forget the essentials. Let's get the hell out of here!",
he shouted as he grabbed the garbage bag and turned to follow Jeff out of
the bedroom.

As they headed out of the house, the living room looked like a scene from
some Hollywood inferno. The walls were painted in flames. The lumpy sofa
was almost entirely consumed. The heat that before had been overbearing was
now almost singeing their exposed skin. Jeff half expected his hair to
ignite. Breathing was now harder as well. Both men began a hacking cough as
they entered the kitchen.

As they exited the back door they felt immediate relief breathing in the
cool night air being sucked in to feed the flames. They ran to where Jeff
had left Pup's kennel. Dropping their burdens, their hands rested on their
knees as they gulped in cleansing breaths of fresh air. Once they were
somewhat recovered, Jeff set about inspecting Paul for signs of injury. Not
fully satisfied with his efforts, he questioned, "You Okay?"

Paul, still gasping for air, simply nodded.

Jeff draped his arm around Paul's shoulder. Silently offering what
consolation he could in the face of Paul's tragedy. Together they watched
for a minute as the house surrendered to the flames. As if in silent
agreement they picked up all that remained of Paul's and Maria's lives and
headed out together.

They stashed what they had in Paul's Explorer. Jeff put the kennel,
containing the still fussing Pup, into the Tahoe. He found Paul hunched
over the steering wheel of the Explorer, sobbing. Jeff opened the door and
pulled his lover into his arms.

Through the sobs Jeff could barely make out, "We could be, sob. dead now,
sob. Me, You, Maria! Regaining some self control he added, "We could have
been asleep in there." Pointing toward the house that was now totally
consumed in flames. "Why would anyone do this? What did I do to make
someone think this was justified. Did they know we weren't in the
house?... Did they even care?... Why?"

In the distance sirens could be heard. Jeff guessed they had just turned
onto the access road. Flashing lights were barely visible against the night
sky.

Soon the volunteer firefighters were there, ready to fight a fire that had
already won. It was clear to everyone that the obvious task was to keep the
fire from spreading. This could easily become a wildfire sweeping across
the dried grass, consuming anything or anyone in it's path.

Jeff was busy consoling Paul when Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Lovan approached
with what appeared to be an IPad in his hand. "Jeff, Paul, It's never easy
when I meet friends in an official capacity. Paul, I'm sorry for your
loss. I understand that you may not feel like it, but it's important that I
ask you a few questions tonight. I know the Fire Chief will have some as
well. We'll both try to make it as easy as possible... Wait a minute." With
that he walked over to his patrol car then came back with two bottles of
water. Both men accepted the water and thanked the deputy.

Jeff was surprised to realize he was really thirsty. This drink reminded
just how good plain water could taste. Just like that first breath of cool,
clean air had felt when he got out of the burning house. When he checked,
it was clear Paul felt the same. He gulped down nearly half his bottle at
one go.

Once their thirst had been slacked and paramedics had checked them out, the
questioning began. By this time they were joined by Fire Chief, Burl
Bumpkis, who had arrived conspicuously late to the scene. He was a short,
rotund, balding man in his late fifties. Even though he remained
professional, it was evident that Deputy Lovan had no use for the man.

The questions from Deputy Lovan were considerate, professional and
insightful. Jeff imagined they were what you would hear on a tv show. Fire
Chief Bumpkis insisted he had "Important questions regarding the
investigation of a fire of questionable origins". For the most part his
questions were parroting those already asked by the Deputy, which he had
clearly heard. Those that were his own were stupid and often personally
invasive. He made it clear, the idea of two men out together having dinner
and going to see a movie was "very suspicious" in and of itself.

Jeff was close to losing it, "What the hell does `dinner and a movie' have
to do with having your house sat on fire? Jeff took a step toward the
gaping Bumpkis. "You pompous..."

Bumpkis pretended to be blivious of Jeff's ire. "What makes think this
blaze was intentionally set. We ain't conducted our investigation
yet. Could have been faulty wiring. Could have been any number of things to
cause an old house like this to go up in flames. If you're so sure it was
set, maybe you know more than you telling us."

Jeff's fists and teeth were clenched as he glared at the fat, little man,
"If you we're listening with those elephantine ears you would have heard
`we saw the fire was started on the front porch. We were clear when we said
the whole front porch was aflame like someone had splashed it with gasoline
or something'. Even in your thick bigoted skull that should indicate at
least the likelihood of arson!

Deputy Lovan stepped in front of Jeff and placed his open palm on Jeff's
chest, "I think that's all the questioning for tonight. It's obvious that
someone set this fire for reasons unknown. Turning to Bumpkis, "I don't
think badgering these men will get us anywhere. It's clear that Mr. Wilson
is distraught. We have his phone number if we need anything. Right now he's
concerned with where he'll sleep tonight." This last was accompanied by a
surreptitious wink at Jeff.

The Fire Chief harrumphed loudly to show his lack of concern for the likes
of Paul.

They were then approached by a fireman carrying an opened, one gallon gas
can. "Chief Bumpkis, I think we've found the source of the accelerant. This
was laying over there in the side yard. I couldn't find the lid. It smells
of fresh diesel. The man was taking great pains to avoid contaminating the
can with his fingerprints. His finger was hooked inside the mouth of the
can.

"I'll take that", Bumpkis said. Oblivious to any caution required for
handling potential evidence he casually reached for the can.

The fireman stepped back to keep Bumpkis from grabbing the can.

"Stop!", Deputy Lovan shouted. Everyone froze! "Bill, follow me to my squad
car and I'll bag it as evidence. Paul, do you recognize this can? Does it
belong to you?"

"No, it's not mine. My gas can is in the old chicken coop out back where I
keep my lawn mower. I don't use diesel. Besides mine's a two and a half
gallon round can."

Not one to go quietly, Bumpkis harrumphed even louder than before and
stomped off. Yelling superfluous directions at his men who were already
busy following orders from the man who had found the can.

Danny, having stowed the evidence approached Jeff and Paul, "Sorry about
that, everyone one in town knows what an idiot that man is. His
brother-in-law is the mayor and he is buddy-buddy with a couple of City
Council members and they all attend the same holy roller church in town so
he has job security. They never come around during a fire so they are
blissfully unaware of his incompetence. Luckily we have Bill Jordan, the
guy that found the can. He's the one that directs any firefighting
efforts. I'm not sure those guys would even listen to Burl Bumpkis without
clearing it with Bill first."

It wasn't long before the tanker truck had finished extinguishing the fire
and was washing down what little remained of Paul's former residence. Bill
Jordan came up to the group and addressing Paul, extended his hand and
said, Mr. Wilson, me and the boys are sorry we couldn't save your
home. It's not always like this. I been telling the Chief we need to put on
more full time firemen and we desperately need a newer, bigger tanker
truck. He don't listen. Just got himself a raise last week for holding down
the budget. If things were different, if I hadn't been raised here. If my
wife's family wasn't here... I'd already be looking for a job in another
town. As it is, we got a great crew with a lot of heart. They deserve
better. Sorry, I don't usually carry on like that. I apologize."

Paul shook the man's hand not really knowing how to respond, "I appreciate
the effort you guys put forth. I know living out in the country we face
some increased risks. Your guys got here quickly and did your best. I
couldn't have asked more from any man. Thank you for your efforts."

Danny and Bill walked away together to figure out what more should be
done. There wasn't much left structurally speaking. There was little chance
the fire could reignite; there was little left to burn.

Jeff stepped closer to Paul, "Why don't we go on over to my place. We'll
have a drink and a long, hot shower and go to bed. We can sort this all out
tomorrow." He gently began rubbing Paul's back, "Does that sound like a
plan?"

Paul nodded. As he turned to get into the Explorer he couldn't help seeing
the look of disgust on the Chief's face. He froze mid-step and stared
fixedly at the man, daring him to say or do anything provocative. The
rotund Chief finally blinked and turned away. But not before Jeff noticed
the exchange. He felt pride in his lover and a strong desire to kick some
fat Chief ass. Jeff wasn't through with Bumpkis, not by a long shot. The
fat man obviously didn't know who he was fucking with, when he fucked with
the Adams family.

He smirked, as for the umpteenth time, when he said or even thought "the
Adams Family" that stupid theme song would play in his head. When they were
growing up, every time someone said "Adams family" Daniel Lovan would
cheerfully sing, "fingersnap... fingersnap... there creepy and their
kooky. Mysterious and spooky, their altogether ooky, the Adams
fammillyy... fingersnap... fingersnap." Daniel had committed to singing
that damned song anytime the words "Adams family" were said together. He
was discreet when any other family member was around. Then he would hum or
softly whistle the song just loud enough for Jeff to hear. It got so bad
that anytime Jeff heard the words "Adams family" the song would play in his
head. He smiled as the familiar melody played in his head... yeah, the fat
man shouldn't fuck with the Adams family, fingersnap... fingersnap.

Leaving the firemen to do their thing Jeff and Paul drove to the big
house. Paul made no move to retrieve the luggage from the Explorer, instead
he joined Jeff at the back of the Tahoe.

Hauling a more than willing Pup from the kennel, Jeff examined the dog for
the first time. What he had mistakenly thought of as a puppy was actually a
really ugly, small, mixed-breed dog. Attaching the leash that had been
lying on top of the kennel, he lifted the small dog to the ground. Trying
to lighten the mood Jeff flatly asked, "Ever considered plastic surgery?"
Getting a slight grin, he continued, "What happened? Couldn't afford a real
dog?" Seeing Paul flatten his lips trying not to laugh encouraged him,
"Living proof, being ugly isn't terminal. He would have never made past the
gestation period." While watching Pup do his business on the front lawn,
Jeff offered, "Smart move, y'all naming him Pup so people wouldn't confuse
him with an ugly, dead cat." At that Paul burst out laughing, spraying
spittle all over Jeff's face. Unfazed, Jeff deadpanned, "Thanks, but I was
planning on getting naked before I took a shower."

Paul slowly recovered from his gut cramping laugh. "Come on." Taking the
kennel and heading for the front door, "You're lucky you didn't get a
golden shower. I bought near peed my pants. We can get that nice hot shower
together and you'll forget all about me spitting in your face." As Jeff
unlocked the door Paul continued, "Thing is... most of what you
said... well I thought those things about him at one time or another. He
was the only survivor of an unexpected pregnancy involving a Shih Tzu and
party or parties unknown. Maria and I bottle fed him. He's a smart little
fellow. Maria's a natural at training him and he catches on fast. He likes
staying in his kennel at night and when we're going somewhere I lock him in
there to reduce separation anxiety."

Jeff led the way into the house and continued into the kitchen. Turning on
the light he indicated an out of the way corner for Paul to place the
kennel. Looking around at the spacious room Paul realized there was enough
room for a couple more kennels and a good sized dog run without impeding
food preparations. Looking more closely he noticed the kitchen was unlike
the rest of the house. Here it seemed function ruled. The appliances were
modern and big enough to cook for a large group of people or a small
army. The decor rested somewhere between `antique country kitchen' and
`modern tacky'. The ancient kitchen table was large enough to seat twelve
comfortably as indicated by the mismatched chairs. The ugly green laminate
countertop was something out of the seventies or maybe even earlier. This
room was to kitchens what Pup was to dogs... just embarrassingly butt
ugly. Paul feel in love immediately.

Running his fingers across the countertop, he absentmindedly commented to
Jeff, "This is amazing. My grandfather had the same countertop in his
kitchen. I love this place."

Jeff wasn't sure if he meant just the kitchen or the whole house. He would
be satisfied with either. Silently he sent up a prayer of thanks that his
Mother had never updated her kitchen.

Having got "Pup ugly" as Jeff called him, settled, he led Paul into the
den. Indicating Paul should take a seat in the leather grouping nearest the
bar Jeff stepped behind the bar and poured them each a large whiskey, neat.

Taking a seat on the sofa next to Paul he waited until they had half
finished their drinks. Turning to face him, Jeff clasped Paul's left hand
with his right, "Babe, uh... Paul, I know you have a lot of worries on your
mind right now. I don't want to add to those worries. Just know that I am
here for you and Maria. That includes Pup Ugly."

After a slight pause and another sip, "I'm not asking, so don't answer. I
just want to put something out there... Before the fire, If things kept
going the way they have been, it wouldn't have been long before I asked you
and Maria to make our relationship permanent. I have already practiced
asking you in the mirror. I just want you to know that I want you, Maria
and Pup to move in here. Maria can have her own fit for a princess." Then
more quietly he added, "You can have your own room too, if you want. If at
some point you decide to move out, I promise to help.  You can think of it
as temporary, if that makes it easier. I will think of it as a prelude to
forever."

Paul sat quietly sipping his whiskey and caressing Jeff's hand. Taking a
deep breath, he began, "Jeff,..." Just as he started to respond, his phone
rang. Letting go of Jeff, he dug it out of his pocket and answered before
the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Paul Wilson?"

"Yes."

"This is David Jantzen. T.R. and I just heard about the fire and wondered
if you and your daughter, Maria? Right?"

"Yes, her names Maria."

"We were wondering if y'all had a place to spend the night... or maybe the
next few weeks? We have plenty of room here at the Lake House. That sounds
more pretentious that it deserves. That's just what everybody has called it
since before we moved in. Anyway, we have plenty of room and would love to
help out our newest staff member. It would even help us all settle in with
each other. Since Maria and our son, D.J. are in the same class, Maria, our
nanny/maid/chauffeur/boss of everybody..." Paul clearly heard the sharp
sound of a "smack" alongside David's head. "Ouch! Apparently I just
offended `our' Maria. Anyway she insists it would be a pleasure to at last
have another female in the house... So what do you think?"

Paul was overwhelmed by the generous offer. "Tonight has been taken care of
but... Wait a minute, I thought we were going to discuss the possibility of
my joining your staff tomorrow?"

"The only question we were going to discuss tomorrow was your starting
salary. We have what we think is a generous offer. We've already made up
our minds that you would be a good fit. You apparently are seriously
interested in joining us, so what is there to discuss? We already know you
have a solid reputation, excellent credentials and the staff already loves
you."

"Look, how about you and Maria come to the Lake House for lunch
tomorrow. It will give us all a chance to get to know each other a little
better. We can convince you we have more than enough room and you get to
taste our Maria's excellent cooking. We've already arranged the day off so
we can help you in anyway you need. How bout y'all come by for lunch at
eleven?"

Now Paul was floored by the generosity these guys proffered. "Thing is..."
Looking at Jeff, "I have a partner..."

"You mean a life partner, right? Not a business type partner?"

"Uh... yeah, a life partner."

"Sweet! Bring him along. The bedrooms all have ensuites, so not a
problem. As long as we respect each other's boundaries, we should get along
just fine."

"Thanks David, we'll see you tomorrow at eleven. Thank you so much for
calling. It means so much to me right now."

"I am sure we are all going to be great friends. See y'all tomorrow. Good
night Paul."

"Goodnight David and thanks again."

Before he could set the phone down, it rang again. "Hello?"

"Paul?"

"Yes Joe."

"Are you and Jeff okay?"

"Yes sir we got some of my personal stuff and Pup out of the house before
it was too far gone. We're both fine."

"Are you staying there with Jeff tonight or would you like to come over
here with Maria. We got plenty of enough room for you two. Even put up that
ugly mutt of yours."

"Thanks Joe. I am ok here for tonight. I'll pick up Maria in the morning a
little after ten, if that's alright. I'll tell her about the fire then. We
are to have lunch with the two vets I told you about. Looks like me joining
their practice is pretty much a done deal. They also offered us a place to
stay for awhile if we need it."

"Did Jeff offer you a place to stay?"

"Yes, he did and to tell you the truth, I'm thinking about his offer."

"Well, you don't have to rush into anything, son. You know me and Mellie
think of you two as family, with or without Jeff. I mean we would love see
the three of you together in a family of your own. But, if you aren't ready
or if you think Maria needs more time before y'all can move in with Jeff,
well, there's always room for y'all here. Mellie's been taking calls from
people already asking if y'all's alright and how can they help. If you need
money to get set up in an apartment in town or to buy your own place, I'm
here for you. You can call it a loan if that makes you feel better. Hell we
can get your place cleaned up in a couple of days and set up one of them
modular homes, furnished with everything brand new. Same deal as
before. Son, what I'm saying is you don't have to worry, you just have to
decide what you want. Just know you've got friends and family that care
about and your little Princess."

"Thank you, sir. I can't tell you what..." Swallowing a lump in his throat,
Paul tried to speak and wipe away the tears... The moment overtook him and
handed the phone to Jeff. Jeff took the phone as he pulled Paul into a
warming embrace.

"Uncle Joe, this is Jeff. Paul is kind of choked up right now." Jeff went
on to share their experience with Bumpkis. Joe supported Jeff's plan to
contact Raymond Cargill to bring in some help from Dallas.

Once Jeff hung up, it only took a moment for Paul to agree that Bumpkis
couldn't be trusted. He was more than a little concerned about the cost of
'bringing in some help'. Jeff pointed out that the house belonged to the
ranch and a single act of arson could cause financial ruin for most any
ranch. Paul conceded that indeed the ranch had a vested interest in finding
out who started the fire.

Jeff handed the phone back to Paul. Paul then changed his voice mail
response to inform callers about the fire and that he and Maria were fine
and had a place to stay for the next few days. Jeff smiled broadly as he
heard Paul's last comment. Paul turned off his phone and returned it to his
pocket.

Jeff then pulled out his own and scrolled through his contacts. Leaning
against Jeff, as he was, Paul could easily hear the phone conversation.

"Well hello Jeff. It's been too long since we've talked. Is everyone
alright?"

"Yes Uncle Raymond everyone's fine. How are you doing these days?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Joe told me you were coming home. I made plans with him to
drive out and stay with them Friday night. Figured I'd enjoy the party, get
some business taken care of and visit with my favorite nephew all in one
shootin' match. He tells me he and Mellie think you've met someone
special. Is that true? Or is this simply a case of late onset adolescent
hormones." Even Paul could hear the blatant teasing in the man's sexy
baritone voice. Raymond chuckled at his own joke.

"Yes, I've met someone and no it's not hormones, at least not just
hormones. His name is Paul and I can't wait for you to meet him. Your are
gonna love him and his little girl Maria. She is such a sweetheart."

"But, Uncle Raymond that's not why I called. We need your help with a small
problem..." Jeff went on to recount the evenings events starting with
seeing a vehicle leaving the property and ending with Bumpkis' look of
disdain for Paul. "We want an independent arson investigator, an attorney
to protect Paul's interests and I want a private investigator to check out
that fat assed Fire Chief. I want a complete dossier on him." As Jeff spoke
his voice grew harsher until even Paul felt a chill. "If there is anything
crooked or underhanded, I want to know about it. That man's not to wipe his
ass for the next few days but we know how many sheets of toilet paper he
used. I know it's the holiday season. Pay double or triple if you have to,
just get it done. Nobody fucks with my family."

When Jeff finished speaking there was a silence in the room and on the
line... Then a simple, "Yes sir. I'll get on it right away and I'll see you
all tomorrow." Paul noted the tone of respect in Raymond's voice.

"Uncle Raymond I didn't mean to screw up your holiday plans. Can't you just
put your people on it?"

"Jeff, my boy, first of all they are 'your' people. Secondly, you are
right, Nobody fucks with our family. So I'll see you boys tomorrow. Have a
good night. And Jeff. I figure you're not going to let your man out of your
sight so keep a loaded gun handy. I just checked and your permit to carry a
concealed weapon is up to date. I know you're an excellent shot. Just be
careful. This has most likely been an attempt on Paul's life. If it was, it
won't be the last. They probably thought he was asleep since his car was
parked in the drive. The fact that they didn't care if there was a child in
the home speaks to desperation on their part. They will most assuredly try
again."

"Thanks Uncle Raymond. I'll sleep with one eye open. Have a good
night. We'll see you tomorrow."

After hanging up, Jeff led Paul down the hall into what was obviously an
office. It was, like every other room, spacious. Jeff moved behind the
massive desk to a large painting of cowboys roping and branding longhorn
cattle. Thumbing the right hand edge until an audible `click' was heard. He
then swung the painting out on hidden hinges. Turning to Paul he grinned,
saying, "Old school right? Bet when it was first installed nobody thought
to look behind a painting for a wall safe." After spinning the dial Jeff
opened the safe. Grinning at Paul again he shrugged, "The combination is my
birthday. Tough one huh?" From where Paul was standing he could see stacks
of cash, jewelry boxes, a couple of accordion folders and a revolver. Jeff
sat a small box of strange looking keys on the desk. He dug around until he
found the one he was looking for. "Aha! This is the key to my
gunsafe. Let's go."

After turning off the lights and setting the alarm, Jeff led Paul down the
hall and into his old room. Stepping into the walk-in closet he inserted
the key into an almost hidden keyhole. While Paul watched in amazement, a
good sized door swung open revealing a lighted space. Inside he saw a rifle
rack and numerous pistols hanging on pegs. On a side shelf were a variety
of boxes of ammo. Pulling out one of three drawers below the rifle rack
Jeff exposed a small stack of gay porn magazines as well as magazines for
rifles and pistols. The magazines for firearms were all loaded. Pointing at
the porn magazines, he said, "Tom gave me those when I first told him I
might be gay." Chuckling he continued, "Most likely some of the pages are
still stuck together with my teenage cum." Choosing two identical
magazines, he closed the drawer.

Selecting a pistol he offered it for Paul's inspection, "Are you
comfortable around handguns?"

Paul accepted the weapon. "Hmmm, Sig Sauer P320 40 caliber, sweet. I keep
my old Glock 9mm in my tackle box. It's on a trigger lock for safety. You
think we need protection tonight?"

"You know that old cliche, "better safe than sorry". I'll keep it in the
nightstand tonight. In the morning it'll take a minute to break it down
into the 9mm subcompact model. I have a couple of holsters that offer
concealed carry. Until we learn more about the threat, at least one of us
should armed at all times. You okay with that?"

"Absolutely! I have no problem shooting at someone who tried to kill me or
my family. All I have to do is think of Maria or you in that fire and I'm
ready to kill that bastard with my bear hands. I would feel better if any
gun not on your person or in the gun safe had a trigger lock while Maria is
in the house."

"I can agree with that. Kids and firearms, without proper supervision, are
a tragedy waiting to happen. Tomorrow I get Uncle Raymond to get a permit
to carry a concealed weapon permit for you."

Paul nodded solemnly.

Jeff inserted a magazine into the pistol and locked the gun safe. Moving to
the side of the bed closest to the door, Jeff stowed the gun and spare
magazine within the drawer. "I'm sleeping on this side tonight." He then
pulled Paul into his arms and held him close. "I can't help thinking how I
might have lost the two you tonight. It feels so much worse than when I
watched you drive away Saturday night and I thought that was gonna kill
me."

Tightening the embrace mumbled into his neck, "I know what you mean. It
scares me to even think of being caught in a fire like that but to imagine
Marie... or you... being helpless in..." His mind refused to voice the
horror those thoughts conjured. Choking sobs were the only sounds Paul
could make as he collapsed in Jeff's embrace.

Jeff held him until the sobs abated and the tears had dried. He was trying
hard to be strong. Inside he fought the urge to just break down and bawl
right alongside his man.

A couple of minutes passed, then Paul said, "Thank you."

"You are most welcome. Don't you know it's a pleasure for me to hold you in
my arms. Besides, I know whose arms I want be held in when I'm hurting."

"Well, right now I want that long hot shower you promised me I would get if
I came here with you. Then I will be really ready to literally collapse. I
can't remember ever feeling so dead on my feet."

Jeff slowly undressed Paul and then himself. Adjusting the water
temperature to a little more than warm, he washed Paul's body and shampooed
his hair. He refused Paul's half-hearted attempt to return the
favor. Following through in his plan to pamper his lover, Jeff gently dried
every square inch of Paul's body. Fighting every impulse and his own
erection he did not spend any more time than needed to clean the more
interesting parts.

Paul was almost in a stupor as Jeff led him to the bed. He was softly
snoring by the time Jeff checked the gun, turned out the light and wrapped
himself protectively around his lover.

Author's Note: I have emailed some you links to a couple of my other
stories. I include those links below in hopes you might enjoy them also.
My first ever writing efforts, "Gordy Comes Home". That link will take you
to "Gay Authors". A website which has a better edited version than that
posted on Nifty.

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/sojourn/gordycomeshome

The next link is, "T.R.'s Tale" set in the same small Texas town as both
"Gordy Comes Home" and "Change of Heart" (time wise, falling somewhere
between the two). Their timelines are in sequence, but stand alone as
individual tales.

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-friends/trs-tale/

This is a short tale I wrote when I needed a break from writing some
depressing portions of "Gordy..". I enjoy "Not Yet Doc" every time I read
it. I hope you will too.

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/not-yet-doc

A story that came from musing about a hitchhiker...

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/unclaimed-hearts/

I encourage all my readers to contribute to Nifty.org

http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html