by Megan Slayer
He was so fucked in the head.
Now he had to figure out how to keep Remy at the house. Telling Remy he couldn’t leave because someone had to monitor him for signs of concussion was valid, but he doubted Remy would go along. He’d done so much damage.
“Rem.” Bobby strode into the living room and stopped at the couch. He stepped between Remy’s knees and grasped the back of the sofa. He tipped Remy’s chin, forcing him to look Bobby in the eye. “Don’t go. Okay? We need to talk, and that wasn’t how I wanted any of it to go down. I messed up.”
“You don’t trust me,” Remy snapped. “You think I’ll mind-fuck your kids the way that asshole ex of yours did. I don’t understand that situation, but that was him and I’m me. If you can’t trust me, even a little, then this won’t work.”
Bobby wanted to fight Remy. He wanted to duke it out until they both saw reason and ended up fucking to make the negative go away. “This isn’t over.”
“Uh-huh.” Remy tucked his tablet and keyboard into his bag. “Answer the door. You’ve got company.”
“We’ve got company,” Bobby corrected. He still wanted there to be a ‘we’.
“I’m not a single father or parent.”
“Honorary.” Bobby swiped his thumb across Remy’s bottom lip. “I want you here. Stay. Please?”
Remy shook his head, but didn’t leave the couch.
Bobby sighed and pushed off the sofa. He glanced over his shoulder. Colin, Jordan, Farin and Steve waited on the porch. Gage and Genie were right behind them. He opened the front door. “Welcome to my home.” He waited for them to enter the living room. “If you haven’t met him already, this is my boyfriend, Remy Nicholas.”
“The reporter.” Farin crossed to Remy first. “The Positively Cedarwood columns are fantastic.”
Bobby blew out a ragged breath. Remy hadn’t objected to being called his boyfriend and he hadn’t left. Not huge scores, but not awful, either.
“Colt and Ash will be here in a few,” Colin said. “Michael’s out on tour, so I called Niall. He gets lonely. Besides, this is more than a single father problem.”
“You’re right.” Bobby nodded to the stairs. “Chris and Darcy are in the family room up there. They’re supposed to be watching a movie.”
Steve nodded. “Go. It’ll be more exciting up there than down here.”
“Told you,” Colin said. He nudged Gage. “You know Darcy from being at the pool together. She won’t bite. Go.”
Genie tapped Gage on the shoulder. “Last one to the family room…” Instead of finishing her sentence, she bounded up the steps.
“Man,” Gage groused, then followed her.
“Families are so much fun,” Steve said. “I’m not even a dad. She’s my sister.”
Bobby leaned on the chair next to the front door. He’d forgotten how chaotic having people over could be. So many bodies…
Within a few minutes, Colt, Ashley and Wyatt were on the porch. Colt held three bags. “Knock, knock.”
“Come in.” Bobby held the door for them. “Wyatt, the kids are upstairs if you want to watch a movie with them.” He met Ashley’s gaze. “Sorry. If you don’t mind.” He’d overstepped his boundaries with another parent—something he’d sworn not to do.
“Go,” Ashley said. He scooped one of the bags out of Colt’s hands. “I was worried he’d get bored. I’m glad you thought of them.”
“Oh.” Bobby held out his hands. “Let me take those. I’ve got plenty of room in the kitchen.”
“Nah. I’m good. Lead the way and we’ll bust out the snacks,” Colt said.
Bobby rushed around. He moved the fruit bowl off the island, then grabbed the stack of napkins. As Colt opened each of the boxes, Bobby set out paper plates. Now he remembered why he preferred not to host parties—he hated the stress involved.
“I’ll get the kids and they can eat around the bar,” Remy said. “That way they don’t destroy the family room.” He disappeared up the stairs before Bobby could argue.
Bobby backed out of the way. He had to admit it—Remy had a knack for dealing with kids. He was smart too. Fuck, he needed to fix things with Remy.
Half an hour later Niall arrived, and Colin called the meeting to order. Bobby sat on the arm of the sofa beside Remy. He wasn’t going to let Remy out of his sight. Although Colin seemed to be in charge of the discussion, everyone spoke at the same time. The noise irritated Bobby. He preferred the quiet of his office versus so much chatter.
Steve nudged Bobby. “We keep it lively.”
Bobby nodded. ‘Lively’ was one way to put it. They hadn’t made this much noise at the last meeting, but maybe this was how the group normally acted. He’d only attended two, and those had been reserved.
Colin stood and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Okay. We’ve eaten, argued and everyone’s a little pissed. What’s the next step? Bobby suggested we have flags for everyone who wants one. Like blanketing Cedarwood with positivity.”
“I like it,” Colt said. “Lord knows this town needs a few good things to happen to lessen the blow from the Coalition.”
Bobby listened to the group talk but barely heard any of it. The issues with Remy still bothered him. He’d created the problem and wanted it fixed…like, yesterday. That wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t say the words out loud, but he loved Remy. He couldn’t stomach the possibility that they might be splitting up—if they hadn’t already. He didn’t want to lose Remy.
“I have a suggestion,” Remy said. He grabbed Bobby’s attention with his abrupt comment. Remy twiddled with his tablet. “I’ve been thinking about the flag idea.”
Oh great. He wants to put the kibosh on it. Bobby bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning or saying something else to piss off Remy. Hear him out, then ream him out. Christ. What was wrong with him? It was like he wanted to destroy the good things in his life because he didn’t trust people. Terry hadn’t been trustworthy and neither had Neil, but Remy was a different situation.
“If we went the traditional route with the flags, we’d have to approach people in order to distribute them. Talking about fabric flags or even those tiny simple plastic ones will cost some serious money. A lot of people won’t want to be bothered. So this is my suggestion. Keep the flag idea—it’s a good one—but what if we have them printed in the paper?” Remy asked. “I’ve worked this out in my head and run the numbers too. We’d essentially take out a full-page ad in the paper, but instead of an advertisement, we’d have the flag placed in there. Then that way, anyone who wants to display it can without having to feel pressured.”
“Do you mean like when The Tribune puts the American flag in around the Fourth of July?” Bobby asked. Remy wasn’t totally shutting him down and had a better spin on the problem. His heart swelled with appreciation and love for his boyfriend. Damn it, they’d stay together. He wasn’t giving up, and when the group left, he’d take Remy upstairs for some special TLC.
“Yeah, but we’d create our own flag,” Remy said. “Not a pride flag, per se. A pride in Cedarwood kind of thing. Something with the rainbow incorporated into it, but a little of everything included too. Go with the stuff that makes Cedarwood great.”
“How about the school mascot, the Cedarwood Ducks?” Bobby asked. He wanted to reach for Remy and congratulate him on the great idea, but held back.
Colt shook his head and rested his elbows on his knees. “Well, wait. It could get pretty involved if we used everything that makes Cedarwood great. Think about it. Whatever we left off could rankle people. Plus, wouldn’t the flag be almost too busy?”
Farin nodded and widened his stance. He stood behind the chair Steve sat in. “The pride in Cedarwood is great, though. How about the duck, like Bobby said, and the school colors? Like, a row of the ducks in each color and a band each of yellow, white and green in the background? That says we’re all in this together to me.”
“With the label ‘Pride in Cedarwood’ and instructions for the flag alo
ng the bottom of the page so people know what to do with it.” Ashley grinned. “We could sponsor it, but keep that kind of on the down-low.”
“Nice,” Colt said. He clasped his hand on Ashley’s knee. “So smart.”
Bobby sighed. He couldn’t wait for the meeting to conclude. He’d agree to whatever they wanted to do if it meant he’d finally be alone with Remy.
“What if people complain? What if they feel duped?” Niall asked. “Like we’re asking them to participate even if they don’t agree with our message. I mean, what if they say they don’t want to do this because they’re afraid the Coalition will have a bitch fit? The Coalition have pride, but they won’t put anything that smacks of LGBTQ pride anywhere on their houses. They’ve got pride. It’s fucked up, in my opinion, but it’s theirs.”
“No matter what we do, someone will be pissed,” Bobby said. “Our existence pisses them off. But we can’t keep allowing them to dictate our lives. Let them keep punching. We don’t have to give in.”
“The punches fucking hurt,” Remy muttered.
Bobby winced. He couldn’t get the memory of Remy’s bruises out of his mind. He needed to do something to help the cause. “That wasn’t what I meant.” God. Could he stop putting his foot in his mouth? “The point I’m trying to make is there isn’t going to be an easy way out of this. I’ve thought about this a lot. If we move, then they win. If we stay, they stay pissed. If we shout, then they’ll claim we’re inciting…everything. Colin’s right. We live our lives and show we’re not going away. This flag idea is still valid. If people who aren’t in the LGBTQ community display them, it’ll prove to the rest of the town that we’re not such a minority after all.”
“I agree that everyone won’t love it, but you’re right. It’ll prove we’re not going anywhere and we have support too,” Colin said. “We’ve all got pride, no matter what color it happens to be, and we’re all living in the same town.”
“Maybe this would help,” Remy said. He handed his tablet to Colin. “I know it needs work, but that’s the op-ed piece I want to put in Friday’s paper. I’m all for input on how to polish it or whatever you think should be added. It’s the working draft.”
Bobby wanted to be the first to look at whatever Remy had written but didn’t push. He’d get his turn.
“I already turned in my stories about the meeting I had with the Coalition leaders and the attack on me afterward. This I won’t turn in until I’ve gone over it a few times.” Remy sagged in his seat. “Colt, you weren’t kidding. They’re wicked with the punches.”
“I’m sorry it happened,” Colt said. He scratched his chin as he stared at the tablet.
“What exactly went down at the meeting?” Colin asked. The muscle in his jaw twitched. “Can you disclose it?”
“It’s getting printed in tomorrow’s paper, so it’s not a huge secret.” Remy folded his legs up under him and rested his hands on his lap. “There are seven members of the Coalition board. There’s like thirty people who claim membership in the group. Of the top people, four are men and three are women. They believe in what their literature says—we’re freaks and need to be stopped. We’re brainwashing kids into thinking being gay is cool. We’ve turned being gay into an accessory, like a purse or belt. Why are we doing this? Because we can’t make children, so we need to recruit. Oh and they think we’re telling said kids that we can fuck whomever we want, whenever we want, and that makes it a turn-on.”
“We’re all parents,” Colin snapped. “Okay, Niall isn’t, but that’s not the point. Being gay isn’t a shirt we put on. Christ in a basket, we’re trying to raise our kids to be accepting. This isn’t accepting anything.”
“Correct.” Remy nodded and glanced over at Bobby. He half-smiled and grasped Bobby’s hand. “The thing is, they’re afraid of us. They think we’re the ‘young and in’ thing, while their values are on the way out. What they’re failing to see is we’ve all got the same core values—raising our children to be productive members of society, sticking with one partner and having a family. Our version of family happens to be a little more fluid than theirs.”
Colin bowed his head. “What’s the cost to run the flag ad, and who can create the artwork?”
“I’ll double-check the prices, but around five hundred dollars to run it on one day.” Remy let go of Bobby’s fingers. “I’ve got some wiggle room with the boss and the advertising department, so that could go down, most likely.”
“Nice.” Colt handed the tablet to Steve. “Why don’t one of you do the art? Ash? You could.”
“I’d like to.” Ashley stood, then waved to Colt. “Can we talk?” He left the room, followed by Colt.
Bobby knelt beside the couch. “How are you feeling?” he asked Remy. “That looked like it took a lot out of you.”
“I’ll be okay.” Remy toyed with Bobby’s watch. “I’m a low-drama kind of guy. This shit is way out of my comfort zone.”
“It’s extreme for all of us.” He met Remy’s gaze. “What I said was wrong. I’m sorry. I deserve for you to be angry with me, because I never should’ve opened my mouth. You’re right—Terry and Neil aren’t you. I can’t measure you with their stick.”
“You just don’t want me to go home tonight.” Remy lowered his voice to a whisper. “You want me in your bed. Horny toad.”
“Damn right.” He wanted Remy naked and beside him as he slept. He wanted him beneath him and begging to come too. Remy had become special to him. Part of the rush of feelings could be chalked up to what Remy had just been through, but most of it boiled down to Bobby coming to terms with the situation. He’d found a great guy and wanted to keep Remy in his life.
“Everything hurts too much to argue. Besides, I can’t go home. I don’t have a car,” Remy said.
“I’ll take care of you.” No hesitation or thought needed. “Love you too, Rem.”
Remy’s eyes widened, but he didn’t get the chance to respond. Colin clapped his hands.
“Okay,” Colin said. “We’ve ponied up a little under five hundred right now. Bobby, I’m putting you in charge of placing the ad once Ashley has the art done. Remy, thank you for the offer to put the flag in the paper. That was a stroke of genius. You and Bobby should collaborate more often. As for the op-ed piece, I’ve got some ideas to tweak it. No huge changes. I’ll email them to you along with the input from the others.”
Colt nodded to the leftover boxes of food. “Keep the extra food as my thanks for having the meeting.”
“Thanks,” Bobby said. “I appreciate it.”
“We have to get moving. Wyatt is supposed to be at his grandmother’s in forty-five minutes.” Ashley said. “We’ll see you.” Ashley, Colt and Wyatt strode through the living room to the front door.
Niall shook hands with Bobby. “I’ve got to go too. I’m supposed to video chat with Michael tonight.” He shrugged. “That’s the fun of dating a musician. He travels, and I keep the house clean.” Within moments, he’d left too.
Chris hurried down the stairs. “Dad? I need the steam cleaner. Someone spilled soda all over the carpet. I just found it.”
“It’s in the closet in the hallway.” Bobby groaned. He hadn’t wanted anyone eating in the family room but hadn’t said anything to stop them.
“I’ll give him a hand.” Remy grabbed a roll of paper towels. He headed upstairs. Chris carried the smaller steam cleaner and went to the second floor.
“Sorry.” Steve clapped Bobby on the shoulder. “Kids are slobs sometimes. I’ll give them a hand too.” He disappeared up the steps. Colin and Farin followed him to the family room, leaving Bobby and Jordan alone together.
“Thanks for having the meeting,” Jordan said. He gathered up empty paper plates and tossed them into the trash bin. “We needed this.”
“My pleasure. My carpeting might not survive, but that’s life.” Bobby closed the box on the uneaten pizza, then put the leftover portions of sub sandwiches into the foam box. “It’s not the greatest carpet, but I
wasn’t looking to replace it for a while.”
“If you put in hardwood and rugs, you can wipe the messes up easier, and the rugs can be machine washed.” Jordan folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “So…you and Remy?”
“For now.” He needed to talk with Remy more before he felt certain about their relationship. He’d admitted he loved Remy and hadn’t given Remy a chance to answer.
“I didn’t like him when he first moved to town. He seemed sleazy,” Jordan said. “I guess it’s that he’s a reporter.”
“Really?” Bobby put the boxes into the refrigerator. “Seems rather extreme.”
“He’s a reporter and seemed to be sniffing around everywhere.”
Bobby rolled his eyes and wiped his hands on the dishtowel. “You’re a cop. Does that automatically make you a dick?”
“Depends on who you talk to. Those who don’t like cops would agree. Colin would say otherwise.” Jordan shrugged. “You were so quiet in school. I thought maybe you and Colin might hook up. It was pretty obvious back then you were both gay and liked each other. You could’ve gotten a date with Daryl. He liked you and so did Lonie.”
“Daryl? Lonie? I hadn’t come out yet. How did you know and I didn’t?” Bobby snapped. He hated that Jordan acted so smart about the situation.
“You could’ve hooked up with Lonie right now. He coaches the track team. I bet once you met, you’d hit it off.” Jordan crossed his ankles. “He’s nice and quiet.”
“Well, the school year hasn’t started, and track season is a while off. Chris will want to join the team, I’m sure, so I’ll meet him sooner or later. Chris holds records back at Chagrin High.”
“That’s great.” Jordan cocked his head. “He doesn’t look like you. Darcy does, but Chris doesn’t.”
“He’s adopted,” Bobby replied. He opened a bottle of beer. Jordan hadn’t completely changed—he was still an asshole.