Free Wylde by Jan Irving Page B

not to be sidetracked from my life or driven away from my home.”
“Uh huh.” Kell felt some sympathy for Alec at her independent attitude. And yet, wasn’t Noah the same way?
     
J
OSH stared out at the woods, his brow furrowed. He’d been wondering about whoever had stolen their food, worrying that maybe the person was hungry, cold out there…. “Josh?” His dad put a hand on his shoulder. “Come away from the window. I thought we’d look at that Sheltie magazine again.”
    Josh nodded. His dad was treating the decision to get a dog like everything he did, cautiously. He insisted they both read up on breeds and discuss what might suit their new lifestyle, but it was kind of nifty to discuss their first choice. Josh knew he was lucky in the way Noah included him in all their decisions, which also made it important he let his dad know something….
    “It’s okay if you’re gay, Dad,” Josh blurted.
Noah blinked before color suffused his cheeks. “Josh….”
    “I mean, uh, I guess bi is more the correct term, seeing as you had me, so you had to like Mom’s body. But I’m just saying if you like penises, I’m okay with that.” He had to do this for his Dad. He’d been practically a shut-in for several months back in Seattle before they’d moved, and Josh had the idea his previous friendship with another man might have had something to do with it.
    Noah went to the kitchen table and sat down, running a hand over his face. He looked totally freaked out. “This is about the Chief.”
    “I like him. Okay, I admit the gay thing is slightly, uh. Do you think I’ll be…?”
“Josh, I have no idea, but I’ll love you whoever you are,” Noah said firmly. Then he took a deep breath and leaped off a cliff with his kid. “Can you do the same for me?”
    “I’ll try.” Josh blew out a breath. “He won’t mean that you… don’t have as much time for me?”
Noah frowned. “I don’t know,” he answered, trying to be honest with his son as always. “Maybe a tiny bit less because if I date someone, I might enjoy a little time with him, and I know that might be hard, since it’s just been us for a long time.”
Josh finally confessed, “I don’t know how I feel about this. I mean, I want to be all adult and shit but—”
    “It’s okay. I know it has to be….” Noah shrugged. “I also know you like him. He’s a good man.” Noah covered his eyes. “I can’t believe we’re discussing this.”
    “Hey, you’re the one who told me about safe sex and condoms way before the school nurse.” Josh raised his hands.
Noah nodded. “All right. We’re two men here….” He cleared his throat. “Wouldn’t you rather talk about Shetland Sheepdogs? There is that rescue site we found online….”
“Sorry, Dad, you’re so not off the hook!” Josh pulled out a chair and sat next to his dad. “So do we like him for you?” Noah couldn’t meet his son’s frank gaze. “He’s sort of on the… casual side.”
     
Josh nodded. “Okay, so how do we fix him?”
     
“Josh, you can’t just fix people! Not unless they want to change.” Noah shook his head.
     
“Da-ad! You built a life for us from nothing. Raised me on your own. You don’t think you’re up to taking on the Chief?” Noah’s lips quirked. “I’m not sure I want to, Josh. Fix him… hmm.”
     
Josh cocked a brow in satisfaction. He’d given his lonely dad a little push in the right direction.
    J
ADE took a deep drag of her cigarette, eyes carefully on Kell, as if she wanted to ignore the waiting and ever-hopeful Alec, who had showed up to lean against the archway into her kitchen. “There, uh, might have been something moving through the woods. But it could have been a shadow….”
“Noah and Josh reported someone stole into their kitchen and
    helped themselves to some food around about the time you and Thomas were in the woods nearby,” Kell said, scribbling on his pad. Thomas had mentioned it also.
“You mean it was the