Chris Bottoms is glad to be home from undergoing the first of two surgeries that will free him from the ostomy bag he’s been wearing for more than a year. He’s anxious about the upcoming second surgery, but life is keeping him on his toes.<br><br>The bank hierarchy is clearly grooming Chris’s partner, Mickey O’Donovan, vice president of a megabank, for a promotion. That doesn’t help reconcile the family who turned their backs on Mickey for not going into the family business. To make matters worse, Chris's little brother's abusers are still out there, and that makes Chris angry. He and Mickey are raising Ted now. Between dealing with spiteful relatives and doing their best by a hurt ten-year-old boy, Chris and Mickey wonder how much more reality they can take.<br><br>Chris's second and final surgery can't come soon enough. Both men are looking forward its most important side-effect -- Chris will once again be able to enjoy prostate massage, but not until three months after the surgery.

Bottoms Away

“Damn. I like them both,” Chris said. “I wish we could fly up there tomorrow and look at them.”


“I don’t think either one of us could get off work tomorrow just for that.”


“Technically they’re still listed with the other bank’s Realtor, although I intend to change that in the near future.”


“I’m going to turn all of the properties in that area over to our Realtor in Maggie Valley.”


“Before you do that, I want to buy both of them, subject to the usual caveats about inspection etcetera.”


“We can fix both properties up and decide which one we want to use during the process. The other property can be rented. Remember what the Realtor told us about rentals in that area?”


“Yeah, and you know what? I like it.”


“Then make it so, Number One. Wait a minute, we’re not breaking any rules here, are we?”


Chapter 45