Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 3

watching in horror. His house was engulfed in flames.
    "Where's my son?" he cried, trying to get through. "Where's my son?"
    He pushed through the crowd of onlookers, knocking down a few officers with his speed and size. Michael was terrified that his world was about to come crashing down on him the moment he got that call. He knew he should have taken Joshua to work with him. He knew . Something told him to take him with him.
    Fuck. Fuck .
    "Where the hell is my son ?!" He yelled. An officer came up to him and stopped him from going to the house that was now being drenched in water. The flames had died down.
    "Sir, is this your house?" The officer asked. He was a tall man, looked to be in his forties, graying hair and eyes.
    Michael nodded, his face twisted with the pain of not knowing where his son was.
    "I-I need my son. Where is he?" It seemed no one could give him an answer. He could feel his heart pounding, his blood rushing, and his brain fogging up. If his son was…no. He decided not to go down that road.
    Suddenly, a firefighter came bursting out his ruined front door; his shoulders were hunched, as if he was carrying something. Michael broke free of the officer and sprinted to the firefighter. As he got closer he saw the top of his son's dark brown head and almost fainted with relief.
    "Is he all right? Is he breathing?" Michael's mouth was moving so fast, he wasn't sure the firefighter could understand him.
    "He should be fine." The firefighter responded. His voice was low and muffled due to the oxygen mask he had on. Michael followed him to the ambulance and the paramedic immediately rushed to his son's aid. Michael suddenly wondered where the babysitter was.
    When the paramedic said Joshua had only suffered mild smoke inhalation, it was then that Michael knew everything would be all right.
    As long as he had his son.
    ****
    2 Days Later
    Joshua spent two days in the hospital. He had suffered from severe smoke inhalation and then was allergic to one of the medicines the doctor gave him to fight off infection. It had been a long two days. Michael sighed as he leaned back in the chair next to his son's bed. A few more hours and he could be discharged. Joshua was sleeping now but every time he woke up he would mumble something about blue eyes and soft voices. Michael couldn't figure it out.
    During the hospital stay Michael had booked a hotel room so they'd have some place to stay and called his insurance company. They were going to do an investigation with the police and the fire department to determine the cause of the fire. They were also paying for the hotel until he could get a new place. Dammit, he thought, he only had the house for about six months. He'd miss that place. But he wouldn't think about that. He had to focus on his son. It would be hard enough trying to get him acclimated to the hotel. Joshua hated new places.
    A knock sounded at the door to the room. A tall, tanned blue-eyed man stepped into the room. Michael's breath caught. The man, dressed in faded jeans and a tight white thermal shirt, looked like he had just stepped out of a Calvin Klein magazine ad. Michael hadn't seen a man that hot since well, ever. Oh, man, Michael wanted to run his hands through that brown hair and lick his face. Instant fucking hard on. Michael groaned quietly and adjusted himself before standing up and addressing the man.
    "Can I help you?"
    "Are you Michael Davenport?" At his nod, Jace introduced himself.
    "Hi, my name is Jace. I just wanted to stop by and see how your son was doing." He walked further into the room and held his hand out for Michael to shake. He shook it but also wondered who this gorgeous man was, and why he cared enough to come visit his son.
    "Joshua is doing fine, but, who are you, exactly?"
    "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm the firefighter who rescued him. I found him hiding in his closet. I got there just before the flames engulfed his room. He was very lucky." Jace smiled and Michael felt his knees buckle a bit. This hunk of a man had saved his son.
    "Oh, thank you!" Michael jerked Jace's arm and pulled him into a fierce hug.
    "Oh! Um, you're welcome. I was just doing my job." Jace said after a brief moment of hesitation, awkwardly patting his back.
    Michael realized what he had done and let him go just as quickly but not after groaning internally at the feel of all that hard man and muscle pressed up against him. He hoped Jace did not feel the evidence of his attraction.
    "Sorry. I just…"