grasped both of Jason's hands in his. "You know you can talk about your parents anytime you want. It's okay to miss them and even better to remember them. We will make it through this together. Okay, Cowboy?"
Jason sniffed again but nodded. "Okay."
"Now you still want to swim?" Travis released his hands and stood.
"Yeah."
"Good cause I don't think Evan has seen your new trick."
Jason smiled, turning to Evan and sniffed, whipping his wrist under his nose. "I can do somersaults in the water."
Evan stood and moved toward the pool. "Show me. Last one in…" His voice faded as he jumped into the water.
Jason laughed and went running, diving in beside him, and water splashing back over the patio.
Travis watched as Evan grabbed Jason around the waist and tossed him across the pool, splashing even more water. His heart swelled seeing the two laughing, and wrestling together. Refusing to think how easily all this could disappear he forced the thought from his mind and jumped into the water.
*****
Evan sat on the edge of the pool, his feet still in the water as he watched Jason and Travis race as they dived for rings at the bottom of the pool. He was having a great time and couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much.
He combed his fingers through his wet hair. His attraction to Travis was growing and even his attachment to Jason. He sighed. He should remove himself from this case, but he was sure Travis wouldn't get a fair report from any other person.
He had hardly met the Steeles and he was ready to recommend Jason stay with Travis. How fair was that? Swinging his legs in the water, he thought back to Jason's reaction about maybe having to live with the Steeles. In his mind, the boy's desires meant a lot. The court would take it into consideration but it wouldn't matter as much to them as it did to him. He frowned as he tried to think of a way to make the case for Travis easier.
"You're in deep thought." Travis swam toward him, stopping and resting his hands on Evan's thighs to hold him up in the water as he settled slightly between his legs, and stared up at him.
Evan smiled, reaching down to rest his hands over Travis's. "I was just watching you two."
Travis frowned. "Lying to me already?"
Evan laughed. "No, but maybe it's a conversation that should wait." He glanced over Travis's head to where Jason was trying to coax Flossie into the pool.
"Fair enough." Travis brushed his thumbs over Evan's legs. "It's getting late. I will get him out and if you want to stay while I get him showered and to bed, we can talk after."
He should leave. Nothing good was going to come of this. No matter how right it felt. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, smelling the chlorine from the pool. Every moment he spent here only strengthened the connection he was feeling with Travis. His heart and mind did a silent battle before he looked back at Travis and nodded. "I'll wait."
"Good." Travis glanced over his shoulder at Jason. "About time to get out, Cowboy. We've got to get you a shower before bed."
Jason swam up behind Travis and laced his arms around his neck, pulling his body down into the water. Travis tightened his grip on Evan's legs to keep from sinking.
"Can't I stay up?" Jason begged.
"Not tonight. You have to be up early." Travis let go of one of Evan's legs and reached for the edge of the pool, twisting around until he could set Jason off his back onto the pool coping. Once Jason stood up, Travis pulled himself out of the pool. Gently touching Evan's shoulder he bent toward him. "I'll be about ten minutes. Make yourself at home."
"I think I might just stay right here and enjoy the quiet." Evan looked up at him, reaching out and brushing his hand down his leg.
"I'll hurry." Travis turned to grab his towel.
"Goodnight, Jason," Evan called as the boy headed for the door.
"Night, Evan. See you tomorrow." Jason waved and ran inside, dripping water in his path.
Travis rolled his eyes as he followed
Jason sniffed again but nodded. "Okay."
"Now you still want to swim?" Travis released his hands and stood.
"Yeah."
"Good cause I don't think Evan has seen your new trick."
Jason smiled, turning to Evan and sniffed, whipping his wrist under his nose. "I can do somersaults in the water."
Evan stood and moved toward the pool. "Show me. Last one in…" His voice faded as he jumped into the water.
Jason laughed and went running, diving in beside him, and water splashing back over the patio.
Travis watched as Evan grabbed Jason around the waist and tossed him across the pool, splashing even more water. His heart swelled seeing the two laughing, and wrestling together. Refusing to think how easily all this could disappear he forced the thought from his mind and jumped into the water.
*****
Evan sat on the edge of the pool, his feet still in the water as he watched Jason and Travis race as they dived for rings at the bottom of the pool. He was having a great time and couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much.
He combed his fingers through his wet hair. His attraction to Travis was growing and even his attachment to Jason. He sighed. He should remove himself from this case, but he was sure Travis wouldn't get a fair report from any other person.
He had hardly met the Steeles and he was ready to recommend Jason stay with Travis. How fair was that? Swinging his legs in the water, he thought back to Jason's reaction about maybe having to live with the Steeles. In his mind, the boy's desires meant a lot. The court would take it into consideration but it wouldn't matter as much to them as it did to him. He frowned as he tried to think of a way to make the case for Travis easier.
"You're in deep thought." Travis swam toward him, stopping and resting his hands on Evan's thighs to hold him up in the water as he settled slightly between his legs, and stared up at him.
Evan smiled, reaching down to rest his hands over Travis's. "I was just watching you two."
Travis frowned. "Lying to me already?"
Evan laughed. "No, but maybe it's a conversation that should wait." He glanced over Travis's head to where Jason was trying to coax Flossie into the pool.
"Fair enough." Travis brushed his thumbs over Evan's legs. "It's getting late. I will get him out and if you want to stay while I get him showered and to bed, we can talk after."
He should leave. Nothing good was going to come of this. No matter how right it felt. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, smelling the chlorine from the pool. Every moment he spent here only strengthened the connection he was feeling with Travis. His heart and mind did a silent battle before he looked back at Travis and nodded. "I'll wait."
"Good." Travis glanced over his shoulder at Jason. "About time to get out, Cowboy. We've got to get you a shower before bed."
Jason swam up behind Travis and laced his arms around his neck, pulling his body down into the water. Travis tightened his grip on Evan's legs to keep from sinking.
"Can't I stay up?" Jason begged.
"Not tonight. You have to be up early." Travis let go of one of Evan's legs and reached for the edge of the pool, twisting around until he could set Jason off his back onto the pool coping. Once Jason stood up, Travis pulled himself out of the pool. Gently touching Evan's shoulder he bent toward him. "I'll be about ten minutes. Make yourself at home."
"I think I might just stay right here and enjoy the quiet." Evan looked up at him, reaching out and brushing his hand down his leg.
"I'll hurry." Travis turned to grab his towel.
"Goodnight, Jason," Evan called as the boy headed for the door.
"Night, Evan. See you tomorrow." Jason waved and ran inside, dripping water in his path.
Travis rolled his eyes as he followed
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