Page 62 of A Shared Mind

We ate the pastries, which were delicious, and I got my caffeine pick-me-up that I’d been deprived of earlier. EZ stood from the table and snapped at the dogs, who hurried to step next to him.

“We’ll meet you at the medium’s place tonight. Enjoy your day.” Off he went down the empty street with the hounds behind him. Myself? I was still freaking out.

When would this nightmare end?

I awoke, glancing at the clock on the nightstand next to Clay. He was still sleeping, which was good since it was only five in the afternoon. I got the impression he hadn’t slept much the previous night.

We’d made love when we got to our room, though I was guessing we could have done it anywhere since nobody was on our plane, whatever the fuck that meant. There was an envelope on the front desk of the hotel, which wasn’t far from Madame Stella’s shop, with my name on it and a room number, so we took it. The cardkey inside opened the door, which wasn’t a surprise. I had no idea who we should pay for the room, but that was the least of my worries.

Clay rolled to his side facing me. “I can hear the gears turning. What’s wrong?”

I snorted. “Don’t you find all of this a little discombobulating? I mean, it’s nuts, right? It’s like something out of an episode of that old Twilight Zone television show. And Clay, sweetheart, you just believed me when I told you this crazy story about being possessed. How can that be?”

Clay put his hand on my left thigh, pulling it over his right hip. “Trust me, I’ve had my doubts in the beginning, but seeing those hounds drag Ramon out of you opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of unbelievable things in the world and remaining open minded is best because you might miss the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you if you don’t.

“That’s you, by the way. I love you so much, Justin, and I’ll go through anything if I can go with you. If I had a nickel for every tear I’ve shed over the years before you came into my life, I damn well wouldn’t be driving a damn combine in a circle around those fields.”

I grinned at him. “I bet you still would. You love what you do, Clay. I saw it on your face when I came out to the sorghum field to bring you lunch.”

He chuckled as his right hand continued to stroke my thigh. “You’re probably right, but I’d still have a bundle in the bank.”

I moved closer to kiss his soft lips. “I love you. If we make it out of this shitstorm, I’m gonna put a ring on your finger and never leave your side. You are definitely the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not letting my chance at a wonderful life with you pass me by.”

Clay laughed. “If you wanna put a ring on my finger, you better do it better than that. That was a lame ass attempt at a proposal, darlin’.”

We both dissolved into fits of laughter at his snarky comment.

We got out of bed and showered, sharing mutual hand jobs in the process. Once we were dressed, we went down to the lobby and walked out the front door. We walked all around the French Quarter, reading all of the historical markers along the streets. Unfortunately, there was no one around to make us dinner or fix us a drink, but we did have a good tour.

“So, what do you think you’ll do about your job?” Clay asked as we headed back to the hotel.

“I’ll call Steve and resign. I want to be with you at the farm, and I don’t wanna wait. I mean, if you’re okay with that. I guess I just sorta invited myself to move in with you. If that’s not okay, I’ll cool my jets until you’re ready.”

Great job, Justin. Scare the fuck out of the man that he’s got a compulsive immature partner in his life. Nobody wants that for their future.

Clay stopped us at Jackson Square off Charles Street and led me to a bench. We sat down and turned to face each other. “If there was any way I could get a moving truck to load up your things, including your car, and take it all to the farm, I’d do it in a heartbeat. There’s no inviting yourself to move in. It’s where you are supposed to be, right by my side. Mama’s gonna be so happy to see you movin’ in, she’ll never leave us alone.

“No doubt she’ll walk in on us fucking in the kitchen once and then she’ll call or text to come over going forward, so we’ve got that to look forward to. No, you’re not inviting yourself to anything. You are very much wanted.”

That was good to hear. My nerves calmed immediately.

“Do you think you’d want kids some day?” It was something I hadn’t wondered much about until we were sitting in that park.

Clay took my hand and began caressing the top of it, twining our fingers together. “Yes, I would. I’ve always wanted to be a father, and there are so many kids who don’t have anyone, so I think I’d like to adopt. I was of the mind I’d just be doing it by myself.”

Relief consumed me. “After I figure out what to do for a job, I think we should start looking into the adoption process. I’ve heard people say it’s a long, trying endeavor, so the sooner we start educating ourselves to the steps, the better,” I said.

He lifted my hand and kissed it, which brought back the familiar flutter in my belly.

“Do you think your parents would have liked me?” Clay asked.

I smiled, thinking of my parents. Mom, the office administrator who was always one to give a helping hand. She heard a lot of stories where she worked, and she was always making food to take to someone who was ill or down on their luck. She truly had a heart of gold.

Dad, Orren, the insurance salesman who treated his clients like family. If someone called him to say a tree fell on the roof of their house during a thunderstorm, he was quick to grab a raincoat and a hammer so he could go help them put a tarp over the mess until their claim could be processed.

As I stared at the man in front of me, I realized I was going to end up marrying my parents. Clay was the embodiment of all the good things I saw in my mom and dad. How I found him was still a mystery.

We sat on that bench and talked about our future for a few hours. When we walked out of the park, it was dark. The sun had gone down long ago, but we’d been shaded by the trees, so I suppose we didn’t notice.