by M. A. Innes
“It’s nice to meet you both. Please, call me Charlotte.” Her smile was warm and genuine, but I could see questions behind her eyes as she watched us.
“Thank you. You have a lovely home.” See? Functional adult.
Sawyer seemed to be going for the same boring, grownup style compliment. “Thank you for having us over. Something smells delicious.”
Ha. We were both fabulous. They were going to love us—once the awkward part was out of the way.
Leading us through the house, Charlotte pointed out things and did her best to be a charming hostess. She was like one of those TV moms. It was a little bit weird. Jackson must have seen something on my face because as her back was turned, he leaned in and whispered. “Company manners when she’s nervous. If she gets out more than one fork for dinner, we’ll spike her drink.”
Trying not to laugh, because that would ruin the image I was going for, I rolled my eyes at him and tried to look like a grown-up. He was not helping. When she was watching, he was all polite smiles and “Yes, work was going great,” but when she wasn’t looking, he’d wink at Sawyer or would pantomime reading a book while grinning evilly at Melissa.
“Jackson, I don’t know what you’re doing, but stop egging them on.” Charlotte gave him a stern look as she led us out to the back porch.
His innocent look was not nearly as good as mine. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Your sister is nearly purple, and your young men look like they want to smack you.” The quiet, reasonable tone had me running through her words twice.
Oops, caught.
Sawyer and I both smoothed out our expressions, and Melissa sighed. “It’s nothing.”
I caught myself before I could laugh. She just didn’t want to have to tell her mother what Jackson was teasing her about. I was starting to think that I’d missed something interesting by being an only child.
“I’m going to keep an eye on you, Jackson. I’m trying to make a good impression, and you’re not helping.” She was trying to guilt him into behaving, but that didn’t seem to be working. Jackson’s eyes still sparkled, and his grin was ear-to-ear.
“I was just smiling at her. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” We were going to have to practice his innocent act. It could use some work.
Shaking her head, his mother shooed us out the door. “Go introduce Cooper and Sawyer to your father and turn on the grill. I’ll be right there.”
The backyard was expansive and nicely manicured. A fence around the sides and some large trees at the back gave it a lot of privacy. As we headed over to what looked like a garage, I could hear hammering coming from the building—and an occasional curse word.
Jackson led us through a gate in the fence, with Melissa still following. I had a feeling she wanted to see everything firsthand, but I wasn’t sure if it was because she thought it was interesting or that it would be good in a book.
His dad’s back was to us, and all I could see was a tall, broad guy with salt-and-pepper hair. Jackson clearly got his height from both parents but his size from his dad. When the gentleman set down the hammer and started reaching for something else, Jackson called out. “Hey, Dad, we’re here.”
Jackson’s dad turned around, a big smile clear on his face even though he was tucked back in the shadows. “I have something for you.”
Jackson groaned.
Melissa started to laugh, and I tried not to react when what I wanted to do was elbow him in the side. Jackson recovered quickly and completely ignored the not-so-subtle bird feeder reference. “I want to introduce you to my boyfriends.”
The man nodded several times like he really wasn’t sure how to respond. That was better than saying something rude, though, so I didn’t really mind. Watching as the man wiped off his hands on a nearby rag and started coming to meet us, I was dumbfounded when he finally stepped into the light.
Then I forgot to be an adult for just a few seconds.
“Holy shit, Jackson, you’re going to be hot when you get old.”
Oops.
Melissa started to laugh so hard she didn’t seem like she could breathe. Sawyer groaned, and his head fell back like he was asking God why he was surrounded by morons. Jackson started to choke, but he really didn’t seem that upset, which I was grateful for.
“Sorry, that didn’t come out right.” I wasn’t sure how to fix it.
Jackson’s dad blinked at me and then shrugged. “Charlie said I was just supposed to say thank you when the little waiter down at the vegan place said I was a sexy beast and called me ‘Daddy.’ So I think the same thing still applies. Thank you.”
They were all really weird.
“You just look so much alike. I wasn’t expecting it. Sorry.” Someone really should have warned me.
Yup, this was not my fault. Jackson’s father was tall and broad, and Jackson seemed to be an exact copy of his dad. Strong features and a young-looking face were framed by silverish hair around temples that gave him a mature, sexy look.
Who doesn’t warn their boyfriend that their father looks like someone who could be in a porn shoot for older daddies? All he needed was a little twink staring up at him.
Yup, this was so not my fault. Jackson and I were going to have a talk when we got home.
Jackson finally managed not to choke to death. “Thank you, Cooper. Dad, this is Cooper and Sawyer. Guys, this is my dad, Daniel.”
After some slightly weird handshakes, Daniel led us back into the garage. Before he could show us any of the birdhouses that were stacked around the room, some done and some strangely shaped enough that I wasn’t sure, Charlotte came around the corner.
“Daniel, they need to get the grill going, or we’re never going to eat. Show the boys your projects later.” Her voice was still that same smooth tone, but I could almost hear her rolling her eyes.
Daniel looked over at her and smiled, a huge grin on his face. “Charlie! The little excitable one thinks I’m hot.”
Charlotte finally gave in and rolled her eyes. “And you had to tell him that. Every time we go eat at that vegan restaurant he struts around for a week. I’m still not calling you Daddy, Daniel Kent.” Then she looked at Sawyer and me, mostly me, and shook her finger at us. “Now, no more inflating his ego—it’s big enough.”
Sawyer and I were both speechless as she turned and walked back toward the house. “Jackson, come turn on the grill. It’s like having teenagers all over again every time you come home, I swear.”
“I don’t strut.” Daniel shook his head like she was crazy.
Jackson brought a hand up to my back. “Come on, I’ll show you how to get the grill ready.”
“They don’t know how to turn on the grill?” Out of all the things that had happened, that one little thing seemed to shock Daniel the most.
Jackson shrugged. “No.”
Daniel looked like he just couldn’t believe it, so I felt like I had to explain. “Um, my dad wasn’t very handy, and my mother didn’t like fire so…”
He clearly thought I was from another planet. “He wasn’t handy either? What kind of tools can you use?”
I just looked at Sawyer and shrugged. “Um, I’ve used a screwdriver to tighten the table legs when they got wobbly.”
Sawyer snorted. “You did that with a butter knife. I don’t think we even own a screwdriver.”
“Tattletale.” I wanted to look slightly functional after the “You’re so hot” debacle.
Sawyer finally seemed to find his voice. “Cooper’s dad probably never swung a hammer, and all mine did was use one to punch a few holes in the wall when he was drunk one time. So, we’re not terribly handy.”
Daniel looked like someone had killed his favorite power tool. “That’s just terrible.”
I wanted to make him happy, which was probably stupid, so I rushed to speak. “Jackson said he’ll teach us anything we want. He’s going to show me how to grill.”
Sawyer tried to restrain himself, but it was nearly impossi
ble. I could hear him mumble fire under his breath as Daniel started to speak. “Well, Jackson’s good at the grill, but no, I’ll show you how the tools work. We’ll get you boys up to speed in no time.”
“Oh, thanks.” I thought it sounded like fun, and it probably meant he didn’t think I was too nuts to have around, so I was going to go with it. “Does that mean I get to make my own birdhouse?”
Daniel nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, we’ll start next time you come over. Charlie said if I kept dragging everyone to the garage today she was going to hide my tools again. It took a week to figure out what she did with my table saw. She looks sweet, but she’ll get revenge when you least expect it.”
Melissa snorted. “She warned you.”
Daniel waved his hand around. “That’s not the point. Come on, I need my tools this week, so we’re not going to piss her off.”
Snickering, Sawyer and I followed the group back to the yard. Jackson and his dad were starting to debate something about the flames, and Melissa decided that they were both wrong and took up a completely different viewpoint. I was betting it was just to make them crazy, because her eyes sparkled. She was having a great time.
Sawyer stepped closer and dropped his voice low while we watched them argue. “I can’t believe you called his dad hot.”
“It’s Jackson’s fault.” Nodding firmly, I continued. “You’re supposed to warn people when your dad looks like a porn star.”
Sawyer snickered. “He looks like all he needs is a motorcycle and a twink wrapped around his waist.”
“And a T-shirt that says Leather Daddy, or something like that. What did Jackson say he did before he retired?” I couldn’t remember.
Sawyer grinned. “He was some kind of stockbroker.”
“That just sounds weird.” Looking at the three of them, I had to smile. “We don’t seem like the oddest people here. I like that.”
Sawyer smiled and took my hand to give it a squeeze. “Me too.”
“He’s going to teach us how to use power tools.” I was kind of excited about that.
“Jackson will kill you if you lose a finger on a saw or do something stupid.”
I just waved off his worry. “There’ll be lots of supervision. Daniel thinks I’m ‘the excitable one.’ There’s no way he’ll leave me alone with the tools.”
“We’re going to end up with a thousand birdhouses all over the yard, aren’t we?” Sawyer seemed to think that was a bad thing.
“Yes, it’s going to be great.” Smiling as I watched the fire discussion continue to rage, I couldn’t help but be glad I was right. I wasn’t going to shove my “I told you so” in their faces, but I had a feeling everything was going to be fine.
Chapter 14
Sawyer
I couldn’t decide if I was exhausted or wired. As I curled up on the couch with my head on the armrest, I wasn’t sure how I felt. The day had gone great, but it was still overwhelming. I’d slept in since Cooper had to go to work early, and once he’d left, Jackson had come back to bed and cuddled with me for a few more hours.
It had been a lazy, perfect morning, and the afternoon had gone well too. Jackson’s parents had been nice, and even though it was clear they were trying to figure everything out, they didn’t seem to have an issue with us. They’d even thought Cooper was funny.
The couch shifted as Cooper sat down beside me and then flopped on top of me. “That was great. My fire skills are awesome.”
I snorted. “Not burning the house or yourself down is not grounds for crowning yourself king of the grill.”
“Sure it is. My steaks were fabulous.” Cooper’s excitement and happiness were contagious, and I found myself smiling.
“Dinner was great, and the brownies turned out wonderful.” Even if I did say so myself.
“The brownies were beyond wonderful. I’m just disappointed there aren’t any more left.” Cooper’s sad voice would have been heart-wrenching if it was true.
“You’re just trying to see if we had any extras.” I knew better than to fall for his drama, most of the time.
“Do we?”
Jackson came wandering in. “Do we what?”
“He wants more brownies.”
Jackson groaned. “No more food for you. You’re going to pop.”
I could hear the pout in Cooper’s voice. “But everything was so—”
Jackson didn’t even let him finish. “I thought you wanted the obstacle course set up?”
“Oh, how did I forget?” Cooper bounced off the couch. “I think I left the puppy bag in the car. You get out the stuff, I’ll be right back.”
As he softly laughed, Jackson’s footsteps grew closer. When I peeked open one eye he was crouched down beside me. Leaning in, he gave me a tender kiss. “Long day?”
I shrugged a little, not sure how to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
My answer didn’t seem to bother him; he just brought his hand up and cupped my cheek. “Overwhelmed?”
Closing my eyes again while his fingers softly caressed my face, his question was easy to answer. “Yes.”
“How about you lie down with me while we watch Cooper run around and play?” Jackson’s fingers wandered up to my hair, and it felt so good I wanted to moan. “I don’t think it will be long before he’ll be done. Between work this morning and the barbecue this afternoon, I think he’s running on fumes.”
“Okay.” I wiggled my head a little when he stopped rubbing, and he laughed.
“I will give you all the cuddles you want as soon as I get everything set up.” Jackson was starting to stand as I opened my eyes again.
“Do you want me to help?” I wasn’t too tired to function. Lying down and relaxing so I could shove everything else to the back of my mind sounded just perfect.
“Nope, I got this.” He gave me a quick kiss and headed back toward the guest room.
The puppy beds were still in their corner, but Jackson had said leaving the tunnel and things out would drive him nuts, so they’d been put away. I liked the fact that he didn’t feel the need to hide everything about it. Sure, I didn’t want to have them out when his parents came over, because that would just be weird. But when it was just us, it was nice to know that he was comfortable with it.
More than comfortable probably, if the smile he was wearing as he came back carrying the tunnel was any indication. I loved the way he looked at Cooper’s pup when he was running around, barking and just having fun. Jackson watched him like he was the sweetest, most perfect thing he’d ever seen.
I wanted him to look at my pup that way.
I wasn’t jealous exactly; it was just that I knew what I was missing, and I only had myself to blame. I’d kept telling myself that I knew when I’d be ready, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. Waiting until I was comfortable sounded like the right answer. Waiting until I knew we were going to be part of his life sounded good too.
But we were past all that—meeting his parents proved that better than anything else.
My mind went back to the barbecue. I’d been outside helping to clean up toward the end of the evening, and when I’d walked into the kitchen, I heard Jackson and Charlotte talking about us. She’d said she could see why he was so serious about us.
Jackson didn’t downplay how he felt or argue with her that it was casual. He’d just grinned and nodded, telling her that we were wonderful, and he could see it really working out with us. She didn’t ask about any of the specifics of our relationship or comment about how much younger we were; she just smiled and said she was happy that he’d found us.
Like it was that simple.
Like there was nothing to worry about.
Like, of course, it would work out.
Like we would be a family together.
As he wandered in with more of the rails that Cooper jumped over last time, I couldn’t help but imagine how it would be a year from now, two years. Could I really see being in that same spot watching Jackson setting up fun things
for Cooper to play with? Could I really see us all together like that?
Yes.
It was a simple answer but a scary one because it opened up a flood of other questions. But none I was going to answer tonight. One crazy-ass decision at a time.
Cooper came bouncing back through the house as Jackson was setting up the course. He grinned and dashed back to the bedroom. “I’ll be right back.”
Jackson laughed. “I’ll be right there.”
Climbing off the couch, I stretched. “I’ll go help him. You finish setting up, so we don’t have an enthusiastic pup waiting to play.”
“Thank you. I’ll have everything ready when you come back out.” Jackson’s expression was loving and warm, and there was nothing in it that said he had any other expectations other than to enjoy the evening while I cuddled, and Cooper ran like a maniac.
“Sounds good.” As I headed back to the bedroom, I couldn’t help but think about the two different pictures in my head. One version of how everything would probably go and another of how I wanted it to go…but it was hard.
It was like those pictures where one thing was changed, and people had to pick out the difference. Only, in this case, the difference was clear.
Pup.
Person.
I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do even after I made it to the bedroom. Cooper, on the other hand, had no issues with what he wanted. He was already naked and digging around in the night table for lube.
“Ha, found it.” He grinned at me. “We need to put this on the grocery list.”
“Sure.” That was another thing that I wasn’t going to even think about tonight. The fact that we were almost living here.
A naked Cooper bounced over and gave me a kiss. “You’re going to help me?”
Smiling because his happiness was infectious, I nodded. “Yes, Jackson is getting everything ready.”
“Perfect.” Cooper gave me a side glance as he walked over to the bag on the bed and started getting out his things. “I’m not going to tell you what would make tonight even better.”
I might have rolled my eyes. “I appreciate that.”