“Steaks look good.” Morris crouched down for a better look at the rib eye.
Theo had to agree with him, but he liked the price on the leg of lamb. He noted the farm it came from with a satisfied nod. He’d never been disappointed with their meat. “I was wondering if Lincoln would actually talk to you. I hoped so,” Morris continued.
“You knew?” Theo turned to Morris in surprise. Lincoln didn’t open up to many.
Guilt flashed across Morris’s face. “Yes….” He drew out the word. “Sorta? We talked last night on the way home. He asked me not to say anything, but I urged him to talk to you.” He paused, cocking his head. “Are you mad?”
“No… no.” Theo studied the lamb again with a shake of his head. “Was it about Mom and Dad?”
“Yeah, your brother and sister too.” Theo couldn’t miss the curious look Morris was giving him. He supposed Morris deserved to hear that bit of ugliness too. He should know about what he was getting into.
“We talked about that. Dustin blames me for Mom and Dad. Robin less so I think, but she generally follows Dustin’s lead. They’re tight like that.” He stepped forward on his turn and ordered the lamb, bantering with the man behind the counter, though his heart wasn’t entirely in the moment.
Morris touched his hand. “Just as long as you don’t blame yourself.”
Theo gave him a rueful smile. “Wouldn’t you?”
Morris considered that, his broad face solemn. “Yeah, I would.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing right by him. Other times I think I’m nailing it. I’m just not sure which it is this morning.”
Morris chuckled and nudged Theo with his elbow. “I think you’re nailing it.”
“I think you’re biased,” Theo replied. “Whenever I thought about possibly one day maybe being a parent or guardian, it was way off down the road, and I always thought I’d start from the ground up, you know? Then I’d have a learning curve as the little squirt grows.”
“I think you’re doing better than you think you are,” Morris said more seriously. “You and Lincoln talk to each other, like really talk. How many teenagers have real conversations with their parents?”
“You’ve got a good point.” Theo shook his head and decided to put that worry away for now. Lincoln was in a good mood and had opened up to him. Morris was with him. And they’d made a killing at the market. All in all, it was a good start to the day. “Thank you for being there for him.”
“I like him. He’s like the little brother I wish I’d had. It might’ve saved my sanity growing up.”
Soon Theo would get to meet all those terrorizing sisters of Morris’s. “Come on, let’s get the truck loaded and check on Lincoln. Once we have the veggies, there are donuts with our names on them.”
“Lead the way.” Morris patted his stomach. “Standing here in the presence of all this bounty has made me hungry.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“WOW, SWANKY neighborhood.” Theo leaned his elbow in the open car window to examine the houses as they went by. “I forgot your dad’s a lawyer. This looks like a neighborhood where a high-profile attorney and his family would live.”
The homes were tall and stately, the lawns and hedges neatly trimmed with plenty of space between neighbors. Close enough to be friendly but far enough away that each house was showcased. Morris loved his home growing up, but he wanted something a little less polished, a little more bohemian for himself.
“He isn’t like one of those lawyers on TV, is he?” Lincoln asked in a worried voice. “All growl and intimidation?”
“Yes if you show up in court or come home with a bad report card, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Morris remembered many times when he’d had to face his dad from the other side of the desk after a misdemeanor. It still made him cringe. “Or if you fuck up. I can’t see you fucking up. It’s only me and my sisters who get that side of him at home.”
Morris tried to squelch the nerves that tingled his spine as he turned down the street toward his parents’ house, but it didn’t do a damn bit of good. He’d brought guys he dated to family gatherings before; this was nothing. He should be as calm and collected as Theo, who did not seem bothered in the least.
Who was he kidding? This was everything. He’d never been so serious about a guy, and including Lincoln made it seem like he was introducing his future family. His palms started sweating. Ugh. He was thinking about it too hard. If he kept this up, he’d have an ulcer before they parked.
“If you tug on your hair one more time, you’re either going to pull it out or give yourself a headache,” Theo said with an amused smile.
“You’re abnormal. You do realize my sisters are going to tease and hound you and be incredibly nosy until they’re satisfied,” Morris said as he eased the car to a stop at the end of the spacious driveway, half-full of cars.
“That’s what sisters do.” Theo shrugged. “It would be worse if they didn’t. That would mean they don’t take me seriously as your boyfriend.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’m nervous enough for all three of us.” Lincoln leaned forward and poked his head between the seats. “I hate meeting new people. Why’d I have to come?”
“Jill is cranky and restless today. Craig warned you about coming over and you said you didn’t want to deal with that,” Theo reminded him.
“I could’ve stayed home and played my games,” Lincoln muttered.
“I wanted you to come,” Morris said. Again that little flutter of nerves brushed over him. “Because you and Theo are a package deal, and I want my family to know that.” Morris twisted to look at him. “Besides, you know Laila, and you don’t have anything to worry about. They’ll mother hen you, but they won’t give you a hard time.”
“Just me,” Theo said with a sunny smile. Morris suspected he was actually looking forward to the grilling to come. “I’m the one who has to pass the test, and when I ace it, we can go forward on the next part of my plan to get Morris to move in with us.”
That was the logical next step. Morris had been spending most nights upstairs with Theo except when Lincoln was elsewhere and they slept at his place. But officially moving in was a big leap, and Morris was a little cautious about it. It wasn’t just the two of them they had to worry about.
Lincoln pursed his lips, though he didn’t look surprised. Either Lincoln had figured it out on his own or Theo discussed it with him first. Morris was thinking it was the latter since Lincoln’s back wasn’t up. “We’d need a new place. The apartment’s not big enough for three of us.”
“True,” Theo said, his expression turning serious. “I’d hate to uproot you again so soon.”
“Not like we’re moving out of state.” Lincoln rolled his eyes. “I’d rather have elbow room and Morris with us than not.”
“Good to know,” Theo said, his expression lightening. “Though it’s all moot until our leases are up.”
That gave them several months before they had to start making the decisions. Morris’s wasn’t up until January and Theo’s until the spring. He pocketed his keys and got out of the car before his sisters could get curious and come looking for them. “Come on. Let’s go meet the brood.”
“It’s probably a bit too late to ask you this, but did you tell your family I’m white?” Theo asked, resting his elbow on the top of the car.
Morris’s mind went blank. He wasn’t entirely sure he had. Probably, during one of the many conversations he’d had about the status of his life. “I’m sure Laila has already let them know, or Rose.”
“Along with me being a vegan and a llama herder,” Theo said with a perfectly straight face.
Morris grinned. “So you heard about that, huh? And it’s alpacas, thank you very much. There’s a difference.”
“Oh yes, I heard,” Theo said, his eyes lit up with suppressed laughter. “Rose was laughing so hard when she told me she could barely stand up. Your sis was bugging her for more details.”
Theo chuckled. “Who said I was going to reassure them? In fact, I think moving to Montana, raising alpacas, and learning to knit is a fine idea. We can mail them serapes for Christmas gifts.” He opened Lincoln’s door. “Hey, Linc, what do you think about opening up a new restaurant in Montana?”
“Don’t even fuck around like that. My sisters would hound me all day long. Seriously, Boarman.” Morris leveled a finger at him as Theo laughed. “You’ve got sisters. You should understand my pain.”
Lincoln poked his head out of the car. “What’s so funny? And what’s this about Montana?”
“We’re becoming vegan,” Theo announced, his eyes still laughing, and Morris wondered how long he’d been waiting to pounce with this little joke.
Lincoln blinked and shot Theo a look of pure astonishment. “Like hell we are.”
“Thank you!” Morris shook his finger at Lincoln. “At least one of you has some sense.”
Lincoln smirked at Theo. “Hear that? I have sense.”
“That’s debatable. Seriously, though.” Theo turned back to Morris. “Did you say anything?”
Maybe Theo was a little more nervous about meeting Morris’s family than he let on, and that made Morris feel less nervous himself. His jitters about this meeting had nothing to do with race, though. He’d dated white guys before. It had everything to do with his wish for Theo and Lincoln to slip right on in like they belonged there.
“I didn’t even think of it, to be honest. It’s not going to be a problem, though. After I came out to them and Makayla moved in with Victor before marriage, nothing will faze them anymore. What you should worry about is showing up at this house wearing a Georgetown Hoyas T-shirt.”
Theo grinned and held out his arms. “Maybe I’ll find a few converts inside.”
“Keep dreaming.” Morris glanced toward the car, where Lincoln was digging out the side dishes Theo insisted on bringing and the bag of things he brought to entertain himself. Morris remembered those days, being the shy, quiet one at their family gatherings. It had never lasted long, and Morris was certain Lincoln would find himself involved with the fun before long. Laila would make sure of it. “What about your family? You think they might have an issue with it?”
Theo shook his head. “To be honest, I think Jill’s happy I’m seeing someone period. She likes you. Lincoln adores you. And at this point, the others don’t have a say.”
“I can hear you talking about me,” Lincoln said, kicking the car door closed. “I don’t adore you. Adoring is for girls. We’re cool.”
Morris suppressed a grin at the prissy line of Lincoln’s mouth. “Yeah, we’re cool.”
“And I don’t get funny.” Lincoln turned that look on Theo. “I know what you’re worried about. I don’t even get clingy. I’m okay with you two. I’m okay with the baby. I’m good, got it?”
“Got it.” Theo gave him a little salute and then took one of the casserole dishes. “Sorry I offended your sensibilities.”
Morris took the other one as he saw a curtain twitch. They probably had five more minutes before they sent Laila out to haul them inside while they pretended they hadn’t been peeking out the window. He squelched the last silly flutter. Time to do this.
“How’d it go, when you came out to them, I mean?” Theo asked as they walked up the driveway. From the backyard, Morris could hear the music from his dad’s new sound system. Vince and Joe were probably hanging out on the deck right now with Dad.
Morris grinned at the memory. He’d really gone about that the wrong way. “I may have announced my intention to major in art first. While they were still reeling from that and trying to argue me out of it, I let them know I was gay too. It didn’t defuse the situation as much as I thought it would. They thought I was making it up to divert them from arguing about college. So then I got pissed and locked myself in my room to sulk over my misunderstood hurts.” Morris shook his head as Theo laughed. His sense of timing needed work. “How’d you tell your family?”
“I was never really all that discreet about it. They figured it out long before I actually said anything. It was anticlimactic.” Theo pursed his lips. “I think my dad said something like, okay son, pass me the paprika.”
Morris started laughing. He had the feeling he would’ve gotten along fine with Theo’s parents, just as he knew his family would like Theo. Especially his sisters, once they realized Theo was the only one alive who could tease him and get away with it. He was so damned sneaky about it. With that realization, his worries eased.
The front door opened and Laila wheeled herself out with a whoop of delight. “Uncle Morris!” She spun around in a circle around him and then turned to Theo and Lincoln. “Hey, guys. We don’t have basketball here, but Grandpa has a cornhole game in the back. Want to play?”
“What’s cornhole?” Lincoln asked. “Is it on Xbox?”
Laila shook her head with a laugh. “No. Come on. I’ll show you. It’s fun.”
Lincoln looked back at them and Theo nodded. A relieved expression crossed Lincoln’s face. Morris could read his mind—a chance to avoid the crush and not be accused of being unsociable and he was in. “Show me the way, Laila.”
“It’s probably better that he relaxes with someone he knows before meeting your parents and sisters,” Theo said as Lincoln followed Laila around the side of the house.
“Yeah, we can be intimidating.” Morris wouldn’t want to be in those shoes. “You ready?” he asked as he reached the door. “It’s going to be loud.”
“Definitely.” Theo held up his casserole dish. “This is my secret weapon, that and my charm.”
Morris had to give him that. If he had Theo’s charm, he’d be able to sell out his table at every convention. He heard activity from the kitchen, feminine chatter and the rattle of silverware. As he shut the front door, Makayla let out a whoop that matched the one Laila gave them. “They’re here.”
She came bounding out of the kitchen, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Whoa, wait, holding goods.” Morris managed to get his arms up and the dish out of harm’s way before she pounced. She jumped up, wrapped herself around him, and bussed him on the cheek. “Hey, Tigger,” Morris said with a smile.
“Hey, Tree.” Makayla gave him another squeeze and let him go before turning appraising eyes on Theo.
“You must be the boyfriend.” She held out a hand, all cool professional now with no trace of his playful sister. Oh boy, the grilling was going to start early. “I’m Makayla, this demon’s twin.”
“Theo.” Theo took her hand and kissed it. “Thank you, thank you, thank you for sending me Rose.”
Makayla’s eyes suddenly sparkled. “Yeah, she’s pleased with the job, and she’s picky about those she works with. She told me to go easy on you.”
“So did I,” Morris said, hip checking her. “Everyone else in the kitchen?”
“Your dad’s out back,” his mom said as she came in, wiping her hands on a towel as Morris’s other two sisters followed. Laverne Proctor had her graying hair cut close to her scalp, but with her round, smiling cheeks, she looked almost girlish. “So happy to meet you, Theo. I heard you were bringing your brother with you?”
“Laila took him out back. He’s a little shy, so we’ll ease him into it,” Morris said.
His mom shot him a fond look. “Sounds familiar. Sierra, why don’t you see if he and Laila want some lemonade outside. I think he’ll be more comfortable with Laila’s mama to start.”
Theo greeted them all with an easy smile and a few words for each as Makayla called in their father and the rest of the guys. His family filled up the entryway, everyone talking at once in a mad cacophony of sound. Theo
looked to be right in his element. Schmoozing. Him and Makayla ought to be best buddies by the end of the day.
“Come on,” his dad said, lightly clapping Morris on the shoulder. “We have a fresh pitcher of margaritas outside. Let me pour you guys some.”
“I’d love one.” Theo lifted his dish. “Just let me stick these in the kitchen.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” his mom said with a pleased smile as she took Theo’s and gestured for Monica to take the other dish, “but I’ll admit I’m glad you did. Morris raves about your cooking. What did you make?”
“Charred-corn salad and roasted-peanut slaw.” Theo rubbed his hands together as a gleam came into his eyes and Morris knew he was about to volunteer to cook.
“Come on.” Morris plucked his sleeve. “I’ll pour you a drink and show you my dad’s pride.”
Augustus’s eyes brightened in pleasure. “I have a setup that will make a grown man cry. Best grill there is and a small smoker on the side. Come on. You have to check it out and give me your opinion.”
“I’d love to.” Theo followed Augustus out through the bustling kitchen. He paused, his eyes widening at the long counters and stove with its six top burners. “You have a butcher’s block counter and a farmhouse sink in an island? I have kitchen envy.”
Morris gave him a light shove before he could get diverted. If not he’d lose Theo to the stove for the rest of the day. “It’s your day off, remember? Drinks and a grill big enough to make even you happy.”
Theo turned around and gave Morris an innocent look. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were afraid to leave me alone in the kitchen with your mom and sisters,” he said in a low voice for Morris’s ears only.
“A normal man would find that nerve-racking.” Morris had to admit he didn’t trust that gleam in Theo’s eyes. “No, I want to introduce you to some serious pro-level relaxing. It’ll be good for you. You make me eat green things and rare steaks, and I make you chill out for an afternoon.” He gave Theo another push toward the deck door.
A Little Side of Geek Page 30