What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

in a good hour, Laine saw a hint of Sev’s usual optimism. “Hey, maybe we can ask Miriam about the spirits. Chris and Rich probably aren’t aware of what’s going on since they don’t have any hanging around them. Did you mention anything about this to them?”

Laine knew he was giving his lover an ‘Are you serious?’ look. He wasn’t exactly the most talkative man on the planet.

“Right,” Sev said, laughing softly as he shook his head.

That little bit of laughter was enough to warm Laine through to his marrow. He cupped Sev’s angular chin and looked into his pretty pale eyes. Laine’s cock started to fill, pressing uncomfortably against the inseam of his pants. “You know, we might be pretty busy while your sister’s here.”

This time Sev’s laughter was louder as he dipped his head and kissed Laine’s palm. He licked up to the pad of Laine’s thumb then sucked the digit in his mouth. Laine’s eyes nearly crossed when Sev sucked, his tongue swirling and flicking just like Sev did when he sucked Laine’s dick.

Sev pulled off with a lewd slurp the leered at him. “Like you need to bother thinking up an excuse to get me naked.” He bit the tip of Laine’s thumb then waggled his dark eyebrows. “And there will still be lots of sex while my sister’s in town. She isn’t going to be spending every minute with me.”

“What else is she going to be doing? It’s not like there’s a lot to see here.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sev gnawed on his bottom lip for a moment then shrugged. “The Senior and Youth Center will be open in another two days. She can take the kids there. And they’ll probably want to spend a day in Dallas or Fort Worth, or maybe both.”

“I would think so. They’re going to be bored out of their minds if they spend a whole week here.” An idea occurred to him. “Hey, if they do go to Dallas, you could go with them and have your visit with Carlin’s dad.” Sev had been visiting Mr. Douglas in the Alzheimer’s care facility weekly for a while now. At first Sev had been trying to help the man with an ability much like his, but Mr. Douglas’ health had deteriorated quickly. Sev said he hadn’t had even a hint of lucidity from the man in months.

Neither had Carlin. Laine couldn’t imagine Carlin’s pain. Watching his father die a little more each visit had to be tearing the guy apart. Laine’s parents had died when he was in the Houston Police Academy. His father had suffered a heart attack while trying to land his beloved twin engine plane. He and Laine’s mother had died instantly upon impact. It had been a horrible shock, but he thought it would have been even worse to watch his parents suffer the way Mr. Douglas was.

“It’d save me from having to take the bus since if Carlin isn’t going to be visiting him that day, so maybe.” Sev narrowed his eyes. “You were quiet there for a bit. Where’d you go?”

Laine considered distracting Sev in a manner that would make them both happily boneless, but that would just delay this conversation. Sev wouldn’t let it drop, and it wasn’t that Laine minded talking to him, he just really wanted to make the most of tonight since he had a feeling Sev’s visitors would be more of an imposition than Sev thought. Laine kept envisioning Alma—in his mind’s eyes she was a sterner, feminine version of Sev—and her husband and kids all camping out at the house. It made him want to shudder.

When Sev poked him in the ribs Laine yelped and scowled at the man. Sev merely raised his eyebrows and started tapping his fingers on Laine’s collarbone. Any chance he’d had of getting laid first was well and gone.

“I was just thinking about my folks and Mr. Douglas. How even though I lost both of my parents at the same time and in such an unexpected manner, it had to be easier on them, and me, than watching them slowly die a little each day.”

Sev’s fingers stilled, his gaze going distant as if he peered inside himself. “Yeah, it is hard. Mr. Douglas isn’t even my dad and it hurts, watching Alzheimer’s eat away at him. I can’t imagine how Carlin must feel. I suppose quick would be better.” Sev sighed and looked at Laine. “What really sucks is that you and Carlin had parents who loved y’all, and they died way too soon, or, in Mr. Douglas’ case… Well, you know what I mean. My parents aren’t nearly so nice, aren’t anywhere near nice, and they’ll probably outlive all of us just to gloat about it. Not that I wish them dead or anything. Just funny how Fate seems to cut the strings on the good ones sooner than the others.”

“Not always,” Laine argued. “You and me are a couple of the good ones and we aren’t going anywhere for a long time. Even when we do, I’m sure we’ll be together even then.” Laine believed it with every fiber of his being. They might be separated briefly by death if one died before the other, but they both knew there were spirits, that it was possible to remain behind on some level after the body died. The how if it wasn’t clear, but Laine didn’t doubt for one second he and Sev would figure it out, as strongly as they loved each other.

Sev’s frown sent a shard of spiky pain straight through Laine’s heart. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Laine asked, cradling Sev to his chest. He buried his hands in the silky black hair, drawing comfort from the warmth of it against his skin as well as the feel of Sev’s body on his.

“What if all the spirits are gone, Laine? What does that mean for us? I don’t ever want to lose you, not in death or any other way. I don’t