Page 25 of His Middle

“Aww, Bob. I feel so guilty.” Noah didn’t want to be too selfish, though. “Wouldn’t that be boring for you? You’ve put in so much work this week, I sort of assumed you’d want to lay by the pool all day or something. Not get spit on by my llama.”

Sawyer’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that a given?”

“No. Not a given. But not outside the realm of possibility.”

“Good tip. And no, meeting Bob won’t be too boring for me. You said you board him at Pacific Coast Farms near Nicasio?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a beautiful area. I bet after that we could head over to Point Reyes or Stinson Beach. There are lots of options along Highway 1.” Sawyer held up the bag with the remaining bagels. “That’s why I got extra. I thought we could make some sandwiches to bring with us. Picnic somewhere. It would be a shame to waste all this sun.”

“Can I have a PB and J?”

Noah couldn’t stop behaving as though Sawyer were his Daddy. He asked Sawyer permission all the time, and that wasn’t like him. Not even in genuine Daddy relationships did he ask permission all that much. He got spanked alot.

“With onions?” Sawyer pinched his lips. “That doesn’t sound very appetizing.”

Noah shrugged. “I can pick the flakes off.”

Sawyer shook his head, chuckling. “Well, you’ve worked very, very hard this week, I’m very proud of you. In which case, I think you should have whatever you want.”

Noah waggled his eyebrows. “Whatever I want? Intriguing…”

“Behave yourself.” Sawyer gave him a smirk.

“I dunno. Behaving myself and getting what I want don’t usually go together.”

Sawyer crossed his arms. “It does in my world.”

Noah’s eyes widened. He wanted to tease Sawyer, not piss him off.

“Oh.” He plastered on an exaggerated grin. “Then of course. Whatever you say.”

Sawyer gave a dip of his chin. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page.” He winked, and the tightness in Noah’s stomach disappeared. Sawyer opened the refrigerator and perused the contents. “Hmm. I spotted some deli turkey and cheese in the top drawer, but the vegetable and fruit bins appear strangely empty.”

“Yeah, well…” Noah rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t get to the store much. I mostly order in when I’m here. Actually, I do the same at the club.”

Sawyer let out a sigh. “Not only will I be working on the club while I’m here, but your unhealthy diet needs to be a priority as well.”

Ooh, Sawyer taking charge. He liked the sound of that. As long as his pizza wasn’t taken away, he was on board. And no broccoli. No broccoli or cauliflower or any of those other weird vegetables that were clearly the product of an ancient alien society.

“What are you mumbling about?” Sawyer had already pulled out the sandwich making ingredients and was regarding him with a bemused expression. “Did I hear you say something about broccoli?”

Had he said that out loud? Noah shook his head vigorously. “Lord, no. We must never speak of such horrors.”

Sawyer barked out a laugh. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out something healthy for you, but that you’ll also enjoy eating.”

While they made their sandwiches, grabbed some sodas and got the cooler out to pack everything up, they discussed their destinations for the day. Sawyer insisted on keeping things loose so they could change their minds if other options came up, which was fine with Noah.

They had just about finished packing the cooler when Sawyer paused before putting the last sandwich in. His brow creased the way Noah had noticed it did when he was contemplating something he considered important. Sawyer set the final bagel on top of the others, then zipped up the bag.

Sawyer locked eyes with Noah, and he was taken aback by how serious he suddenly seemed.

“I’d like to ask you something, Noah, but I don’t want you to feel I’m prying too much or getting too involved in your personal business.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “We’ve never had the chance to spend this much time together, to talk about our lives in such detail. Does that bother you?”

Oh boy. This could be dangerous territory, so many land mines could be triggered, depending on what his answer was. “No, I’m not bothered.”Well done, Noah. Delightfully vague.

Sawyer narrowed his eyes, once again studying him like a bug. “Your answer was a bit more non-committal than I was seeking. Could you elaborate? Because I’d like to ask you about your life as a middle, but I don’t want to upset you or cause you discomfort.”

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