I got in the shower then would decide whats for dinner, I was getting out of the shower and a knock on the door. I towelled off put on some shorts and answered the door.
"Hey Tom is this a bad time?" Terry asked me.
"No not at all let me grab a shirt come into the kitchen we can have a beer if you like." I said to him.
"Okay I never refuse a beer Tom." Terry said to me.
I grabbed a shirt and got a couple of cold ones out of the fridge, handed one to Terry and opened mine up.
"Whats up Terry?" I asked him.
"I wanted to talk to you about a few things, I just talked to Ryan he told me you really helped him by talking with him, he seems to really trust you Tom, so I was wondering if he would be able to spend more time with you, let him hang out here more, help him with his problems, then fill me in on some of the things that are bothering him?" Terry asked me.
Was he serious he wanted his son to spend more time with me, for me to talk to him, I was feeling guilty here.
"Of course Terry , Ryan is a great kid, he and I seem to be like best friends, he feels safe to talk to me about anything, I will say I will not tell you anything he does not want me to tell you, I will leave that up to him." I told him.
"Oh yes of course Tom, I don't want you to breach his trust, he needs a man to talk to and it seems it's you. One more thing we are going out of town this weekend would you be okay with Ryan staying here with you? I would just feel better if he was in your house with you than being alone in our big house alone. We are going to visit my wife's Aunt and he is adamant he does not want to go. I told him I was not comfortable him rambling around our big empty house alone." Terry said to me
"Of course that's fine Terry, he is welcome here anytime, it will give us time to talk, and this way you won't come home to some house party, or worse." I said to him.
"Thanks Tom this is great, Ryan will be here Friday at about four if that is okay with you?" Terry said to me.
"Yes if he needs to come over sooner tell him to drop in." I said to him.
"Tom you are the best neighbour a guy could ask for." Terry said clinking our bottles.
Terry drained his beer and headed out, thanking me over and over. Did I feel a bit guilty of course I did, but we were not breaking any laws, Ryan was safe with me. Less than an hour later there was a knock on the door, then another, then another. I did not have to ask who it was. I opened the door and he rushed past me.
"Shut the door Tom, my Dad wants me to stay with you this weekend as they are going to my Aunt's for the weekend. I told them I did not need to stay with you I was old enough to take care of myself." Ryan said his face a glow.
"Yes I guess I have to get the spare bedroom cleaned up as I will have company on the weekend." I said jokingly.
"Tom seriously, you think I am sleeping in your spare bedroom? Come on man be serious here." Ryan said kind of huffy.
I walked up to him pressed him to the door, held his face as my lips went in for a kiss, just as I was about to shut my eyes I saw something in the peephole. Terry was at the door, I grabbed Ryan spun him around.
"You're Dad is here." I whispered.
"Okay Mr M thanks for letting me stay with you, I really don't want to have to go with them." Ryan said winking.
"Okay Ryan see you tomorrow night then." I said as I opened the door.
Hey Terry, what's up?" I asked him.
"Hey Dad you following me?" Ryan asked laughing.
"No just making sure everything will be okay with you two is all, I don't want to burden you Tom." Terry said to me.
"Not at all Terry I will enjoy the company." I said to him.
"Thanks a lot Dad a burden am I?" Ryan said laughing.
"Mr M is cool Dad we will have fun together, after all he does have a pool. Stop worrying please." Ryan said putting his arm around his Dad's neck.
"Thanks Tom appreciate all you do for us." Terry said as they walked away.
