“You’re welcome, little lady.” Wren smiled at Becca, and it changed his entire appearance.
“Thank you,” Mary Lou said breathlessly. She grabbed Becca’s hand, and they headed out the front door.
Josh introduced Wren to the staff as he showed him around. Everyone seemed to respond well to him, and he, in turn, was cordial, if a little guarded, when he shook each hand. While it was true that we were huggers, we didn’t get the same vibe from Wren.
“What do you think?” Josh asked him after the tour and discussion ended. “Can you see yourself being happy here with us?”
“I’m pretty easy to please, Josh. I want to get paid when it’s promised, and I want my employer to treat me with respect. I show up on time, I mind my own damn business, and I never cause trouble. I will always treat clients with respect, but I’m a private person. I guess the question is do you see yourself happy with me here?”
“Absolutely,” Josh told him. “How soon can you start?”
Wren’s personality might not have perfectly matched the rest of the staff’s, but I had a feeling that he would compliment our personalities in a way that made the salon thrive. Josh looked relieved and happy, and that was enough for me. I shook Wren’s hand and welcomed him to the team before I finished my daily tasks so I could leave.
I headed home and started working on the outline for my next book. It was Kyle’s late night at the animal hospital, so I knew I had a few uninterrupted hours to get a lot done. I dove into it right away and lost track of time while I immersed myself into the new world I was creating. An email notification popped up on my screen, and I saw that I had a new message from Jennifer Sugarbaker, the literary agent Agnes Simmons mentioned. After giving it a lot of thought, I had emailed Agnes back and thanked her for reaching out to me. I told her that I was such a fanboy over her career and loved her work. We’d chatted a few times since then, but Jennifer never contacted me.
My heart raced when I opened it, and just like with Agnes’s email, I had to read it multiple times before the words sunk into my brain. Jennifer wanted me to come to New York City to meet her. She mentioned a book convention happening the first weekend in December and asked if I would like to attend as her guest. She told me that Agnes was attending and wanted to meet me and show me around also. I was both excited and terrified at the same time.
“Why terrified?” Kyle asked when I told him about the email later that night.
“I’ve never been to New York,” I replied. “It’s intimidating.”
“New York is an awesome city,” Kyle said.
“You’ve been?”
“Numerous times,” he replied. “I hate to sound presumptuous, but I’d be more than willing to go with you if you’d like some company. I can show you some of my favorite places.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun, but I have to warn you that I might embarrass you,” I told him.
“How?” Kyle asked in disbelief.
“I might fanboy all over the place at the convention center when I see my favorite authors,” I said in awe.
“Just don’t get it in my hair or eyes,” Kyle said.
Yeah, my head went straight to the gutter and I knew that I wouldn’t get another damn thing done that night. “What are you doing right now?” I asked.
“Sweet talking you into spending the night with me,” Kyle said. His voice had dropped a few octaves and made goose bumps pop up all over my skin.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh man, I’m not feeling well.” Chaz took his seatbelt off, leaned forward, and tucked his head between his knees.
I removed my seatbelt and rubbed his back. “They’re going to love you,” I assured Chaz. “Besides, you’ve lived in the same town as them your whole life.”
Chaz raised his head a little and turned to look at me. “This is different. I’ve met them as Brittney’s friend from school and the local spaz, but never as your boyfriend.” He returned his head between his knees. “I know I’m going to end up saying something stupid.” His jeans muffled his voice, but his misery came through loud and clear.
“You make me happy, and that’s all they’ll care about, babe.” I leaned over the center console and added, “Besides, I think your outbursts are adorable.”
Chaz met my gaze once more. “Somehow I think your mom would be horrified if I slipped and said something sexual about you.”
My cheeks heated when I thought about the time I overheard him confessing that he thought about me while masturbating.
“See!” Chaz exclaimed. “I’ve already embarrassed you, and we haven’t gone inside yet.”
“My cheeks aren’t flush with embarrassment.” I lowered my voice and said, “I’m turned on.”
“Oh! Maybe we should speed away before they realize we’re here.”
“Too late,” I said when I spied my mom standing in the big picture window. She had both hands on her hips and wore her Don’t Even Think About It face. “Might as well make the best of it.”
“Okay,” Chaz glumly said as he straightened in his seat. “This was nice while it lasted.”
“Hey,” I said, hooking my arm around his neck and pulling him toward me. “They’re going to love you because I do and…” The rest of my words died in my throat when I saw Chaz’s shocked expression and realized what I’d let slip out. “You’re not the only one who blurts things out,” I said, trying to recover. I hadn’t planned to say the words right then, but that didn’t make them less true. I also realized that I didn’t regret saying them. “Tell me that I’m not in this alone, Chaz. Tell me that you feel a fraction of what I do and that there’s a good chance you’ll return my feelings someday.”
“Someday?” Chaz asked then shook his head. “Kyle, I arrived at that destination a long time ago. I knew that I was crazy in love with you when you pulled me closer instead of pushing me away when I confessed about the Drew thing. I had planned to tell you in New York with a big romantic gesture,” he confessed.
I smiled in relief then chuckled a little because I had planned to do the same thing. “Great minds think alike,” I told Chaz.
“How were you planning to tell me?” he asked.
“I’m not going to ruin your surprise,” I said. “How were you going to tell me?”
“No way,” Chaz said, shaking his head emphatically. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
I placed my hand on the back of his neck and pressed my forehead to his. “I love you, Chaz Hamilton. I’d love to demonstrate how much, but my mom is watching us.”
Chaz let out a soft sigh. “I love you, Kyle Vaughn.” Chaz gave me a sweet kiss that made my body hum and tingle for more. “We better not eat too much or we won’t have room for Josh’s pre-Thanksgiving feast tonight.”
“True, and I definitely want to save room for that.” Josh and Gabe wanted to celebrate the Sunday before Thanksgiving since everyone had plans on the holiday. “Chaz, I promise that they’re going to love you.”
“Okay then,” he said softly. I realized that he’d just have to see for himself to believe it.
My mom opened the door and smiled when we stepped onto the porch. “Hi, Chaz. Welcome to our home.” She opened her arms wide and hugged him tightly. “Did he have to give you a pep talk to get you out of the truck? We’re not too terrible.”
Chaz blushed when he pulled back. “No, he was telling me that he loves me.” He loudly gasped when he realized what he said. “I can’t believe I just blurted that out there.” Chaz looked miserable when he turned to look at me. “See what I mean?”
“You’re so damn adorable,” I told him.
“Let me tell you a little secret,” my mom told Chaz as she looped her arm through his and led him into the house. “I already knew that Kyle is in love with you.”
“You did?” Chaz asked.
“A mother knows these things,” she said in a sing-song voice. “I bet Clara knows that you’re in love with my son also.”
&nbs
p; “Chaz!” Brittney cried as she ran into the room. “I haven’t seen you in ages.” She threw her arms around Chaz and hugged him tightly. “It’s been too long. How are you?”
“I’m doing great, Britt. How about you?” Chaz replied without missing a beat.
“I love Chicago!”
“Unfortunately,” my mom grumbled. “What?” she asked when Brittney pinned her with a baleful glare. “Is it wrong that I wish you lived closer?”
Brittney turned loose of Chaz and hugged our mother. “I miss you too, Mama.”
“Are you still working with Josh?” Britt asked Chaz.
“Yep, I manage the salon for now,” Chaz answered.
“Are you leaving the salon?” my mom asked. “How will Josh manage without you?”
Chaz laughed nervously. “It’s a possibility, but I haven’t made a final decision yet.”
“And go where, dear?” Mom asked.
“Well, I…”
“Let the guy breathe a little,” my dad said. “He’s barely into the house, and you guys are drilling him already.”
“Hi, Mr. Vaughn,” Chaz said.
“None of that mister stuff,” my dad told Chaz. “Call me Derrick or Dad. Come on in and have a seat. They could at least make sure you’re comfortable before they start drilling you with questions.” My dad screwed up his face into a super serious expression. “What are your intentions toward my son?” he asked in a stern voice.
“Dad,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Leave him alone.”
“I was just teasing him,” my dad told me. “You knew that right, Chaz?”
“Uh, yeah,” Chaz said, but not very convincingly.
“Hey, I treated my sons-in-law the same way when the girls dragged them home to meet us,” my dad told Chaz.
“Kicking and screaming the entire way,” Brett said from the sofa where he sat next to Jenna.
Jenn smacked his thigh playfully before she stood up to hug Chaz. “Hey, cutie,” she said to Chaz. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” Chaz answered. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing great,” Jenn said to Chaz before shifting her focus to me. “Did you get settled into your new house?”
“Pretty much,” I replied. “There are still odds and ends I need to pick up.”
“You’ll be doing that for a year at least,” my mom told me. “We would’ve helped you unpack.” She sounded a little disappointed that I kindly refused their help.
“I didn’t have much to unpack, and the furniture was delivered and set up for me. I just wanted to have it completely set up before I have you all over,” I said.
“I bet,” my youngest sister, Sierra, said. “When are you going to have us over and what will you feed us? I need something more substantial than celery and carrots to survive.”
“Hardy har har.” I snaked my arm out and hooked it around her neck then pulled her to me for a head noogie.
Sierra giggled and squirmed while she tried to get away. “Quit it, you big lunkhead. You’re messing up my hair.” That only made me rub my knuckles across her head harder.
Britt returned to Chaz’s side with her husband. “Chaz, this is my husband, Mark.”
Mark shook his hand then Brett introduced himself. Chaz seemed to relax after his near slip until Britt said, “So, what were you saying about possibly leaving the salon? What are your plans?”
I was curious how much he would tell my family because only a handful of people knew that he published a book. He said he liked being anonymous because he wrote whatever came to mind and never worried what certain people would think. He started to reply, but the oven timer went off.
“Hold that thought, dear,” my mom said before she ran out of the room.
“Time to eat,” my dad said, rubbing his hands together gleefully. “Let’s head on into the dining room.”
I snagged Chaz’s hand and held him back while the others left the room. “You don’t have to tell them anything before you’re ready. It’s fine if you want to tell them that you’re a writer but not give your pen name. That’s your business and I don’t want you to feel pressure to please my family.”
Chaz stood on his tiptoes and kissed me. “You’re so damn precious. It’s no wonder I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Kyle, quit hogging Chaz to yourself,” my mom yelled from the dining room. “Bring him here so we can feed him and he can finish telling us about his big plans.”
Chaz turned and looked up at me as he started walking backward toward the dining room. “Do you really think they want to hear about my big plans?” I knew by his tone of voice and the way he kept looking at my crotch that he wasn’t referring to his writing career.
I closed the gap between us and pulled him against my chest. “How about we sneak out the front door and go back to my place,” I said.
“How about you get your ass in here and eat the food I made for you,” my mom said. “Sounds like you’ll need the energy.”
Chaz threw his head back and laughed. “Mama ears,” he told me. “They don’t miss a darn thing.”
I pinched Chaz’s plump ass, and he smacked my hand.
“I saw that,” Mom yelled.
“Eyes that can see through walls too,” I told Chaz.
Everyone had taken their usual spots at the table which left a seat vacant across from me for Chaz. We passed the dishes around so we could fill our plates and I got ribbed for my healthier choices while everyone else loaded up on French toast casserole and real sausage or bacon.
“I made you some low-fat blueberry muffins,” Mom said.
“Probably low taste too,” Mark commented.
“Thanks, Mama,” I said, helping myself to two of them. I bit into one and was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. I had expected Mark to be right, but I was glad he wasn’t. “These are really good.”
“She’d give you the recipe, but you don’t cook,” Sierra teased.
“I’m thinking about learning now that I have that big fancy kitchen,” I confessed. Sierra reached for one of my muffins, and I jabbed my fork at her playfully like I was going to stab her.
“Really?” Jenn asked.
“I figure it can’t be that hard to make basic stuff,” I said with a shrug. “Hell, I can read so I should be able to follow a recipe.”
“I’m so happy to hear you say that, Kyle,” my mom said. “I bought something for you then questioned whether it was the right thing to do.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“I bought you a Quirky Chef membership,” she said.
“What’s that?” I asked her.
“It sounds kinky,” Brittney said. “Mom, he has Chaz now!”
“It’s a service that sends meal kits filled with fresh, healthy meats and vegetables to your home with recipe cards that tell you how to prepare the food. I thought it would be fun for you and Chaz to do together,” she said. “Did I overstep?”
“It’s a great idea, Mom.” I looked at Chaz and asked, “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds fun. I eat way too much carryout and frozen foods,” Chaz said. I agreed that Chaz and I could have a lot of fun learning to cook together.
“Okay, can we get back to what Chaz plans to do after he leaves Curl Up and Dye?” Britt asked.
“Well, I…”
“Oh my God!” Jenn exclaimed. She jumped up from her seat and ran to the bathroom down the hall.
My mom narrowed her eyes and looked at Brett. “What’s going on?”
“Um…” Brett said.
“Brett?” My mom used her Don’t Fuck With Me tone. “Is there something you’d like to tell us?”
“Um, I’m just going to check on my wife.” Brett retreated hastily from the room.
“I recognize that reaction to food,” my mom said. Tears filled her eyes and she placed her hand over her heart. “Oh, Derrick. We’re finally going to have a grandchild.”
“Maybe she just had t
o pee really bad,” Sierra said with a shrug.
“And Brett felt the need to assist her with that?” my mom countered.
Britt and Mark started laughing like crazy hyenas. “I don’t believe it,” Britt said, wiping tears off her face.
“You and Jenn always had a little bit of a competitive streak going between you,” Mark said to his wife.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Dad asked.
“We’re pregnant,” Britt said excitedly.
“We were going to tell everyone on Thanksgiving,” Mark told us. “It seemed fitting.”
“That’s what we were planning too,” Jenn said, reentering the dining room. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant too. Our babies will grow up together and be so close.”
“They’ll be trying to outdo one another like we did,” Britt said.
There were a lot of hugs and happy tears as we congratulated the couples. I couldn’t wait to be the favorite uncle who spoiled my nieces or nephews rotten. Of course, there would be times that I paid my sisters back for things they did to me when we were growing up. I would buy the loudest, most obnoxious toys I could find for birthdays and Christmas.
“Wow, this has been an amazing day. All of my kids are happy, healthy, and doing things they love. Sierra, you’re so close to having your Ph.D., Britt and Jenna are becoming moms, and my boy has found a man who makes him happy and bought his first home. It’s just so wonderful.”
“That’s not all, Mama,” I said excitedly. “You won’t believe what Chaz gave me for a housewarming gift.”
“We could probably guess,” Sierra said snarkily.
“He bought me an X-Men lunchbox to replace the one you accidentally put in the yard sale.” My family groaned when they heard my joyous news.
“Uh oh,” Chaz said. “Did I mess up?”
“No, baby, you didn’t,” I said. “It’s my most treasured possession.”
“I bet he starts taking his lunches in it again to work,” Jenna said.
“And everywhere else he goes,” Sierra added.
“Yeah, remember how he even carried his comics or rock collection in there?” Britt asked.
“It’s sitting on the fireplace mantel for everyone to admire when they visit,” I said proudly.
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