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DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction and fantasy. No part of it is based on true events, and any similarity to any person, living or dead, is coincidental. It contains descriptions of homosexual activities between consenting adults. If you are not over 18 years of age, or if you find this type of story offensive, or viewing this material is illegal where you are, then please DO NOT READ IT! If you choose to read it, then - I hope you enjoy it!
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When You Least Expect By Josh Blake
Chapter 13
Over the next several weeks, Braden made great progress in his recovery. Within a week, he was up walking on crutches and could get himself to the bathroom. Stairs were still tricky for him, so we usually brought his meals upstairs to him. We had set up a folding table and chairs in his room so someone, usually myself, Austin, or even the entire family, could share meals with him.
Sleeping at home without Braden was not an enjoyable experience for me. I brought over an air mattress and slept in the floor of Braden's room several nights just to be close to him.
The physical therapy was working well. Normally, someone taking physical therapy has to go to a facility for that. But thanks to COVID-19, a physical therapist came to see Braden three times a week. The therapist remarked each time that Braden was far ahead of the curve for where most patients were at this point in their recovery.
Since our wedding was scheduled for less than two months from now, a lot of time went into discussing preparations. We had sent out `save the date' notifications to the few people we were inviting. So far, the guest list included Braden's family, Hunter, Tammy, and my friend Rachel. Also invited were Devin and his boyfriend Stephen, and Nurse Tabitha from the hospital.
Nurse Tabitha had taken a strong liking to Braden and to me, so much so that our Face Time sessions continued even after Braden came home. Tabitha wanted to keep up with him through his recovery, and I guess it had just developed into a friendship at that point. Both of us wanted her at our wedding, and she was thrilled when she got her invitation in the mail.
Bonnie had taken charge of planning out the details of the wedding. Finding gay-friendly caterers, bakers, florists, and photographers in the Chattanooga area wasn't terribly difficult. Chattanooga is one of those cities that still has a firm grip on the past, but is quickly becoming more progressive. When calling companies to inquire about prices and availability of services, we simply asked the question "Are you comfortable providing services for a gay wedding?" If the answer was no, then we simply said thank you anyway and moved on. We only had that happen twice.
A week before school was to start for students, I was having dinner with Braden and the family. Braden was finally able to manage the stairs pretty well, so we were having dinner in the dining room again for the first time in a while.
"So, Josh, how's it been trying to start school back in the middle of the pandemic?" Mark asked.
"It has been much different than usual. All of our meetings have to be virtual, and the kids are going to start virtual since the virus numbers keep growing," I said. "I have to tell y'all about what one of my teachers did today. So, I'm sitting in my office, and one of our math teachers, a crotchety old woman, came in in an uproar about being asked to teach online.
"Mr. Patterson, can I talk to you for a minute?" Mrs. Bradford asked. Of course, she and I both knew that with her, a minute was likely to be thirty minutes to an hour of her complaining about something over which I had no control and me pretending to listen and vowing to `look into the matter.'
"Of course, Mrs. Bradford. What can I do for you?" I asked politely.
"I just don't see how I'm gonna teach math to these kids online. Most of them can barely do it in the classroom, much less on the computer. How am I supposed to give a test and make sure they don't cheat on it?"
"Well, Mrs. Bradford, first off I have great faith in your capabilities. I know you have years of experience teaching math, so surely you know that there are methods of assessment other than tests."
"Of course I know that. I've been teaching for 37 years. Started back during the Reagan years. Man, those were good years. I bet you weren't even born then, were you?"
"No, Mrs. Bradford, you have literally been teaching for more years than I have been alive."
She fidgeted in the chair.
"Sorry, my hip is killing me again. This damn arthritis is eating me alive. Once I hit 60, everything just started going downhill."
"I'm sure that is quite a painful experience," I sympathized. "Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?"
"Well, I'm not done yet talking about the computer teaching. So how am I going to record myself teaching and all that?"
"Well, that's the easy part. The school district has purchased a learning management system that we will all use with the students. It takes care of recording and posting videos. You can even set up math problems and the students can work them out right there."
"So they print them out on paper and then hold them up for me to see or something?"
"No, Mrs. Bradford. They do it within the learning management system. It really isn't as difficult as it sounds. You'll get the hang of it after the trainer comes to train all of the staff."
"I'll tell you what. I've been teaching 37 years, and I have never seen anything like this. Kids these days have it too easy. Cell phones, those things they stick in their ears...what do you call those?"
"If you're talking about air pods, we've banned those in school."
"Whatever they are. Well, I've been thinking, and I talked it over with Gerald, that's my husband, and we think it may be time for me to go ahead and retire."
Hearing Mrs. Bradford say she was ready to retire was music to my ears. I could finally hire a math teacher that might be able to relate to the students a little better and they might actually want to learn math again. But I couldn't seem to eager.
"Well, Mrs. Bradford, we would certainly hate to see you go, but if you think it's time, I would completely understand," I said.
"Well, I hate to leave you in a bind like this. I don't know how you'll find a teacher that can teach Calculus, Algebra, and Trigonometry. You know I've served on the state curriculum committee seven times, don't you?"
"Yes, Mrs. Bradford. I am aware of that, and you have done a great job. Which is why this year, I had planned to give you a real challenge by letting you teach our incoming ninth grade Algebra class."
"You were going to give me Freshmen?! I've been at this school for 37 years and you want me to teach Freshmen? I need to go home and talk this over with Gerald."
"So what do you think is going to happen?" Braden asked.
"Well, either she'll come back with her husband and pitch a fit and claim age discrimination, or she'll do what I think she'll do and bring a letter of retirement."
"Can she claim age discrimination?" Bonnie asked.
"No, she absolutely cannot. She is a math teacher. I can assign her to teach any math course I want her to teach. If there was a basket-weaving course that involved math, I could have her teach it. Unfortunately, there isn't," I laughed.
We finished dinner, and then Braden and I went upstairs to bed. Since his leg was much better, we had quietly begun having some fun again.
"I really wish you could fuck me," Braden said. "I need it soooo bad!"
"You don't know how much I want to fuck that hot ass of yours, but I don't want to risk your leg getting injured in any way. We can't risk you not being up to walking at the wedding," I said.
"You're right, I guess. As usual," he bemoaned. "Can I at least suck your dick?"
"Now that, we can do!"
We were both already naked. We had figured out that with Braden's leg injury, the safest way for him to suck my cock was for me to straddle his body and bring my dick down to his face. The minute my cock went into his mouth, I was in pure bliss.
"Oh my! Your mouth feels so good! Keep doing that. Oh yeah. Lick my balls!"
As always, Braden knew exactly how to suck me so that I had the maximum amount of pleasure. We were trying to be quiet out of respect for his parents and his brother. While his parents' bedroom was downstairs and they were unlikely to hear, Austin was next door, separated only by the bathroom.
In no time, I was ready to cum.
"Oh, Braden, I'm about to cum. Keep sucking. Just like that! Oh, I'm cumming!"
I shot a huge load of cum in his mouth, which we both then enjoyed together through a kiss.
"Let me do you now," I said.
"Who am I to argue?" He grinned.
As always, the first thing I did was pull back his foreskin. I couldn't get enough of it, and I was so thankful that his parents chose not to circumcise him as a baby. I licked all around his moist, pink head, before finally enveloping his head and part of his shaft in my mouth.
"Oh, God!" Braden screamed out.
I kept sucking, taking in more of his cock with each motion. Finally, my nose was in his pubes. Braden was still moaning and cursing in pleasure. Suddenly, we heard the door from the bathroom open.
"Unless you guys are inviting me to join you, be a little quieter! I'm trying to study in here," Austin said.
"Fuck Austin! Get out!" Braden yelled.
Austin laughed and closed the door, going back to his own room.
"Well that was a buzz kill," Braden said. "Look, I'm not even hard anymore."
"You were getting loud," I said. "But I was too involved in doing my job here to do much about it. I bet I can get you hard again in no time!"
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Braden was pumping a huge load of cum into my mouth. Like the load I gave him, we shared his cum through a kiss.
I retreated to my air mattress on the floor where I slept when I stayed over.
"I think it's time to get you back home where you belong," I said. "You can walk okay now, if you take it slow, and you can always spend the days here if you want while I'm at work. Besides, I'm ready to get you back into our big bed and get off of this air mattress!"
"I'm ready to go home, Josh. You're right. The doctor even says I can drive now, so I can always come spend the day here, or Austin can come over there if I need him. Let's make that happen tomorrow!"
And so it was to be my last night sleeping on the air mattress. My man was coming home!
The next weekend, I had to drive to Chattanooga to meet with Dorothy and Rose about arrangements for the wedding. I really didn't want to make the drive by myself, and Braden wasn't ready to ride in a car that long yet.
"What you think about me maybe taking Austin up to Chattanooga with me on Saturday?" I asked Braden on Wednesday afternoon.
"I don't have a problem with it, but you know what's going to happen," he said. "He's going to try to get you to play with him."
"Do you really think he would do that? He knows that's not going to happen, and we've already had that discussion with him."
"I'm not worried about it actually happening. I know you won't let it happen. And if it did, I still wouldn't care. He's my brother. But I know you never would, and I get that."
"Yeah, that would get awkward if something did come up like that. Hey! What if I ask am if he wants to bring Hunter? That would give the two of them some alone time, and keep him from trying to molest me," I said.
"I think that's a great idea. Austin was just saying how he doesn't really get to spend much time with Hunter. Apparently, they reconciled their last little spat, whatever it was about," Braden said.
"Do me a favor and text him and see if he wants to do it. Be sure to tell him that Hunter can go, and I'll even get them their own room at the B and B so they can do their thing in privacy!" I emphasized.
"Alright, give me a few and I'll let you know what he says."
Shortly thereafter, after confirming with Hunter that he could take off for the weekend, Austin texted Braden back to let him know that they were excited about going!
We had decided to leave early Saturday morning so we would get there early enough in the day to do some of the things we wanted to do in the city. Austin had never been to Rock City, so with it being an outdoor attraction, we decided it would be safe to check it out.
We arrived at the Lookout Mountain Resort Bed and Breakfast shortly after 8:00 a.m. local time. We grabbed our bags out of the car and walked up to find Rose sitting on the front porch having coffee.
"Josh! It's so nice to see you again!" Rose said, excitedly. "And who are these two cute young men with you?"
"This is Braden's brother Austin and his boyfriend Hunter," I said, introducing them both to Rose.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Austin said. "I'd shake your hand, but that's frowned upon these days."
"Yes, dear, unfortunately so. My, you two do make a cute couple. Almost as cute as Josh and Braden! Say, how is Braden? Is he recovering well after his accident?"
"Yes, he's actually doing quite well," I said. "We just didn't feel like the long car ride was what he needed right now."
"I certainly understand that," Rose said.
"Please, won't you all come in! Dottie! Dottie! Josh is here!" Rose called out to Dorothy as we went inside.
Let me take a moment to describe Rose. If you picture Betty White in the 1980s, that's pretty much Rose. Except, our Rose has a more modern haircut. Her blonde, likely dyed, hair comes almost to her shoulders and then curls outward.
"Josh! So good to see you!" Dorothy proclaimed as she entered the room.
Dorothy was taller than Rose, and had short, gray hair. She really had a striking resemblance to the late Bea Arthur. That made her name even more ironic.
After some small talk in the parlor, which involved introducing Austin and Hunter to Dorothy, filling her in on Braden's condition, and, at Rose's insistence, enjoying a `light' breakfast of biscuits and gravy in the dining room, Dorothy took us to our rooms.
"Josh, no one had booked the honeymoon suite for tonight, so we thought we'd let you have it so you'll get an idea of the accommodations you and Braden will share when the time for the wedding arrives," Dorothy explained.
"That sounds great," I said. "I'm sure it's lovely."
"We don't call it the Lookout Mountain Room for nothing!" Dorothy said.
After opening the door to the suite up on the top floor of the house, I was amazed at the spectacular sight. There were windows that looked out over Lookout Mountain, allowing you to see down into the city of Chattanooga. There was a king-sized bed, a jacuzzi tub, and a huge bathroom with a large, walk-in shower.
"Wow!" Austin and Hunter both said in unison.
"That's the reaction most folks have," Dorothy said. "It's that view. It gets you every time."
"We have the same view from our bedroom next door," Rose said as she walked in the room.
"How long have you ladies been here?" Hunter asked.
"Oh, about ten years now, I guess," Dorothy said. "We bought the place from an elderly couple who couldn't take care of it anymore. They were looking for a couple who would love it as much as they did. Well, we came along, and the rest is history!"
"What did you do before you came here?" Austin asked.
"I was a school teacher," Dorothy said.
"And I was a nurse," said Rose.
"I did my years in the classroom and as the school librarian, then I decided enough was enough. I was tired of not being able to be who I really was. And, I had my 30 years in. I didn't want to hang around and become a relic. So, I turned in my keys at the end of the 2008 school year and went home!"
"Actually, you came to my house," Rose said. "We kept separate homes because of Dorothy's job. Of course, one of us was usually at the other's place, so we were together all the time."
"How long have you been together?" Austin asked.
"Well, let's see. I had my gallbladder out in '89, so in total 31 years in September," Dorothy said. "You see, I had been feeling under the weather at school all day. At lunch, my principal saw how pale I looked and insisted that I go home and rest and that he would cover my classes that afternoon. I went home and tried to relax, but I couldn't. Finally, the pain got so bad that I called my mother to drive me to the hospital over in Nashville."
"That's where we lived and where Dorothy taught. Nashville," Rose interrupted.
"Anyway, Ma came and drove me to the hospital, and it turned out to be my gallbladder. I had to have emergency surgery. And not the easy kind they have now!"
"And guess who her nurse was? I'll tell you. It was me!" Rose said.
"I knew I was a lesbian," Dorothy said. "But it was the `80s. Gay men were dying from AIDS left and right, Bush went in to finish what Reagan started, it just wasn't the time to be a lesbian in America, much less in Tennessee. But here I am, groggy with morphine, and in walks this goddess with big, poofy blonde hair."
Dorothy put her arm around Rose as she continued the story.
"I was actually married to a man at the time," Rose said. "But it was an unhappy marriage. I was already thinking about divorcing him, because something just wasn't right. Our son, Joey, was in middle school at the time, and Charlie, my husband, spent a lot of time at the bar. I kind of always knew I was attracted to women, but I never thought I'd meet anyone like Dottie! We talked a lot while Dottie was in the hospital, and we found we had a lot in common. We became fast friends."
"When they discharged me, Rose brought me the papers to sign. I let my hand linger on hers for a moment when I handed her back the pen. Do you remember what I said to you, Rosie?"
"You said, `If I have any issues, or just want to talk, can I call you?'" Rose said.
"So I called the next day. And the next. And the next. Pretty soon we met for coffee. Then we started having `Girls Night.'"
"I had finally filed for divorce from my husband, and I got to keep the house because of our son," Rose said. "Charlie actually didn't fight it. He wasn't a bad man, and he was a good father. We just weren't right for each other."
"It took us a few more years to get to the point of finally admitting to ourselves that we were a couple," Dorothy said. "Afterall, Rose had a young son at home, so we didn't have a lot of time to be intimate, although we did every time we would. We started that about a year into the relationship, when Rosie said she had always been curious about being with women. She already knew I was gay."
"Joey graduated from high school in '95 and moved out. Then, Dorothy moved in. Well, as much as she could. She still kept her apartment until she retired, just so she could keep the appearance that she was single."
"We came here to celebrate Dottie's retirement, and that's when we met the couple selling the house," Rose said. "So we went back home, put my house on the market, sold everything we could sell, and moved in!"
"Wow, it's amazing how y'all met and made a relationship work," Austin said.
"Yeah, for real," Hunter said. "I hope we are still together and as happy as they are when we are their age." Hunter put his arm around Austin. Austin gave a weak smile. I made a mental note to have a talk with Austin at some point about his true feelings for Hunter. Apparently, Hunter felt a lot more for Austin than Austin did for Hunter.
"So, what do you boys have planned for today?" Rose asked.
"Well, I have to be back here by 3:00 to meet with the caterer and the baker, and then at 5:00 we are supposed to discuss the setup for the wedding, so the boys and I thought we'd just explore the city for a few hours and see some sights," I said.
"Well, why don't you let Rose make you a picnic lunch and you can find a nice spot to enjoy it!" Dorothy said. "The restaurants are mostly open, but I know you probably don't really want to go in one right now."
"We can't ask you to do that," I said.
"It's no trouble at all!" Rose said. "I won't take no for an answer! Come see me in the kitchen when you are ready to head out."
Dorothy showed the boys to their rooms, and we spent some time freshening up before heading out. I knocked on their door to let them know it was time to go.
"Okay, coming!" It was Hunter's voice. "Actually, you head on down. We're right behind you." I chuckled to myself. I couldn't blame them for having a little fun. If Braden was here, I would have done the same thing. Both boys descended the stairs a couple minutes later with flushed faces.
"Here we go, Boys!" Rose wheeled out a cooler and handed it to Austin.
"Geez! What all do you have in here?" Austin laughed.
"That's a surprise for later! Now, I packed everything well, so it should be fine, even in this heat. Just eat it by 11, 11:30, just to be safe."
"You are the best!" I said to Rose. "I'd hug you if I could!"
"You boys run along and have a good time," Dorothy said. "We'll see you when you get back!"
We headed down Lookout Mountain and into the city. We drove around looking at some of the sites before parking near the historic Walnut Street Bridge. The bridge was actually the first bridge across the Tennessee River to connect the downtown to North Chattanooga. Now, it's open as a pedestrian bridge. We enjoyed walking across the bridge and back, doing our best to keep our distance from other people.
"I'm getting hungry," Austin said. "And I don't want any of that food to go to waste!"
"Well, let's look for a picnic spot!" I said.
We ended up going to Renaissance Park, which is a beautiful park in Chattanooga. We found a good spot, and unpacked the cooler. Rose had packed plenty of food. Each of us had two sandwiches, one peanut butter with homemade strawberry preserves, and one ham and cheese. We also had potato chips, yogurt, and peach cobbler for dessert. It was a great lunch. I made a mental note to be extra generous with the gratuity when I paid our bill. Even though lunch, dinner, and breakfast tomorrow were covered in the cost of our stay, Rose had gone above and beyond to pack a picnic lunch with generous portions.
After finishing lunch, we cleaned up by putting everything back in the cooler to dispose of later. There was no leftover food with two hungry boys! We headed back to the car, and decided to drive back up the mountain to see what we could find there. We ended up walking around some of the historic markers and parks, including the Chickamauga National Military Park, were a Civil War battle was fought. While it was great experiencing such history up close, the heat was getting to be a bit much, so we decided to head back to the bed and breakfast to take a shower and relax a little before the caterer was to arrive at 3:00.
Promptly at 3:00, Rose called into my room.
"Josh, the caterer is here!"
I had asked Dorothy and Rose to be involved in that process, since they had experience in hosting such events. I told Hunter and Austin they could enjoy the time in their room until dinner, and both of them agreed.
I walked down the stairs to be greeted by a young, pretty, brunette woman who could best be described as `bubbly.'
"Hi! You must be Josh! I'm Jillian, your caterer! I'm so excited to be working with you guys! Where is your fiancé?"
"Well, he had a little accident and is still recovering at home. But he's fine and will be back to normal before the wedding," I said.
"I'm so sorry to hear that!" Jillian said. "Well, shall we get started?"
Jillian went over all of the catering options with us. COVID-19 had changed everything, including the way catering events took place. Jillian explained that no guests could serve themselves in a buffet-style setting. Braden and I had already decided that we didn't want to deal with a typical meal at the reception, especially since there would not be that many guests in attendance. We decided on doing simple sandwiches, pasta salads, and fruits that could be packaged in individual containers for our guests. After confirming the details and the number of guests, Jillian left, promising to call if there were any issues before the wedding.
The baker, a man named John Mark, came over and discussed the details of the cake. After showing me several options, I settled on one I liked best. Again, we didn't go overboard with a huge cake. We just wanted something simple.
Rose prepared a fantastic dinner. We had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade yeast roles, and double chocolate cake for dessert.
"Wow, Rose, that was amazing," I said, leaning back in my chair and patting my full belly. They boys stated their agreement, and after thanking Rose for the wonderful meal, adjourned to their rooms for what I assumed would be a night of passionate sex.
"I'm going to go sit out back and watch the sunset," Dorothy announced. Josh, would you like to join me?"
"That sounds great," I said. "But Rose, can I help you with anything first?"
"Of course not! You're a guest here! Go enjoy yourself outside!"
I walked out back to find Dorothy sipping a gin and coke.
"Want one?" she asked.
"No thanks," I replied. "I'm not much of a drinker."
"This really is a beautiful place, isn't it?" Dorothy said.
"Yes. It's breathtaking. Braden and I fell in love with it when we visited. And we took to you and Rose so fast. You both feel like family to us," I said. "This place, this mountain, its history, it just does something to you."
"Yes, it sure does," Dorothy said. "And I can assure you that Rose and I feel the same way about the two of you. It's strange. We have lots of guests come through here. Not as many now since the pandemic set in, but still. But there's something about you two. I guess we think of you kind of like the sons we never had. Of course, Rose has Joey. He's great. But ours together, we don't have."
We sat in silence for a few minutes, the sky growing darker by the minute. Fireflies were flashing in the distance. Crickets were chirping. It was the sound of a typical, southern summer night. It was also humid, another staple of summer in the South. I wiped a drop of sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.
"Josh, there's something I want to ask you. And you don't have to answer me now. But soon."
"Of course, Dorothy. What is it?"
"This place. It means so much to Rosie and me. We love meeting all of the guests that come in and taking care of their needs. And we love this city, this mountain, this view. What do you think about making it yours someday?"
"Dorothy, what are you saying?" I asked.
"I'm saying that I'm not going to live forever. Eventually, like the couple before us, Rose and I will get to the point that we just can't take care of things anymore. Now, don't go panicking. We have a few years left in us. Probably 15, 20 years, I figure, and we'll be ready to let someone else take over."
"Dorothy, I don't know what to say exactly. I'll obviously have to talk this over with Braden. In 15 or 20 years my career will be done and I can move on, but he'll still have some time left."
"There are schools here where he can teach. You can always hire someone to do some of the cooking and cleaning. Hell, as long as Rose and I are alive we'll even pitch in just to keep a hand in it. But don't worry about making a decision right now. We have a lot of years left, I hope. I just wanted to plant that seed in your head, in case you hadn't started thinking about retirement plans just yet."
"It's certainly a lot to think about, and I want you to know that I am honored that you would even think about us like that. I promise you that it is something we will take into major consideration as time goes on," I said.
"That's all I ask," Dorothy said. "We just want to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Into the hands of someone who doesn't value it like we do. Who doesn't love it.
As I headed up to bed that night, I realized that I had a lot to think about. Is this where I wanted to spend my retirement years? I could think of worse places!
The next chapter in this series will be published soon!
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