Page 77 of Candy

At five-thirty, Monica arrived to take over, and I rushed out the door. I arrived a few minutes before six and found Candy’s SUV already there. When I got out of my truck, I could hear laughter around the back of the house, and then a teenage boy ran out kicking a soccer ball. Behind him was Harley, grinning as I had never seen him do.

I strolled toward the back, and the boy said something to Harley. He turned toward me and waved before running for the ball again. Okay, maybe not baseball or football. Perhaps soccer would be played in our backyard.

I came around the side of the house just as Candy peered around the edge. “I thought I heard a truck. Come on up.”

Several people were on the porch, but only a couple I knew the names of. “Mr. Young, I’m Mike Bollard.” I shook his hand as he greeted me at the top of the stairs.

“Fine boy you got there, Mike. I’m not sure if you know my wife, but this is Patricia.” I put my hand out to her, but she stepped forward and placed a kiss on my cheek.

“In this house, we hug or kiss.” She patted my cheek, and then I was in front of a shorter athletic woman I recognized from the tavern.

She put her hand out. “Hi, Mike, I’m Nolan, Tyler’s stepmom.” She pointed out to the yard. “That’s Tyler.”

“Nice to officially meet you,” I told her as I shook her hand. The back door opened, and Wesley Young stepped out.

“Hey, Mike, glad you made it.”

We shook hands, and he handed me a beer. As I sat next to Candy, I realized that it had taken me ten seconds to go from being nervous to being welcomed like an old family friend. I was somewhat amazed.

Wes sat beside me. “So, I talked to Carmen today, and she told me about what she learned. Because of the type of abuse that he suffered…” He paused, and I nodded for him to continue. “I wanted a buffer there for him, and I asked Nolan to bring Tyler over. I think having another kid around during the exam will ease the tension. If he gets upset, I will refer him to a female doctor. That might be better for him in the future, but let’s see how this goes first.”

“Alright, whatever you think will be good.”

He nodded, then stood. “Tyler! Can you and Harley come back here, please?”

When they joined us on the porch, I immediately noticed how tired Harley looked from running around. He also wasn’t sweating like Tyler was, and I wondered if I should be concerned.

Candy bent down in front of Harley. “Do you remember when I told you that one of my friends was a doctor?” He nodded. “Well, this is him. Dr. Young.”

“Hey, there, Harley. You can call me Doc Wes if you want.”

Harley shifted closer to Candy. “Hi.”

“Harley, can you go in the house with Wes and Tyler?”

Harley stiffened, and Tyler looked at his stepmother for a moment. “Hey, Harley, come on. I’m going with you. Uncle Wes will listen to our hearts, look in our ears and nose, and feel our bellies to make sure we aren’t sick.”

“You too?” he asked in a small surprised voice.

“Yep. I’ll be there with you the whole time.”

Harley glanced at me, then turned to Candy as he wrung his fingers in front of him. “Can you come?”

“Would you like me to be there?”

“Yeah,” he said with a slight nod.

“Then let’s go get a checkup.” She stood, smiling, and winked at me before taking his hand and walking him into the house.

Before Wes stepped in, he shifted toward me. “I’m not surprised by his response, knowing what I know. It will take him time to trust men, including you. Just give him time, and don’t take it personally if he shies away from you. You have a long road ahead of you, Mike, but you two will get there.”

* * *

Later that night, I was staring at the ceiling, listening to Candy breathe deeply beside me after ravishing her for almost two hours. I glanced around her room and wondered if I would someday share this room with her.

I had never pictured myself with someone long-term, and the thought of marriage had previously always made my blood run cold. Had my thoughts on that changed? Perhaps they had, not that I would be proposing anytime soon. That would be fucking crazy.

I stared at her for a moment. She was lying on her side facing me, her hand curled under her chin, and my heart filled with something I had never felt before. Was that love? Was I, for the first time in my life, falling in love with someone? Or was it thankfulness for all that she had done for me?

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