Chapter 21

Rain watched him closely. “Hey…are you okay?”

“I’m more than okay.” Tristan kissed Rain’s lips again. Did he really stand a chance with Rain?

“Uh, I think maybe I should go home, right? I mean, Pip isn’t going to like waking up in—”

“No, no, I understand.” Tristan fixed Rain’s T-shirt, pulling on it a little. “I had such a great time tonight. It was so quiet. So lovely.”

Rain put his lips to Tristan’s ear. “I do want to stay, you know that, right? But I need to take it slow.”

Tristan stepped away. “I’ll help you with Pip.”

In the living room, Rain gently woke Pip, but Pip sat up abruptly, like a soldier being called at attention. Didn’t say a word. Didn’t argue or resist. Tristan led the way out of his home, and Rain guided Pip’s steps to his own front door. They helped Pip into Rain’s apartment, and feeling a little blue, Tristan watched Rain and his son walk down the dark hallway.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Rain said, looking over his shoulder, at the end of the hall. “Right?”