“After?” Seg raised a questioning brow. “You mean when I retire from the NHL?”
“Or get hurt. Or…”
Seg leaned back, resting his arm on the couch behind Roan. He was making an effort to show these people that he wasn’t scared of who he was. “Or…?”
Daniel had the decency to blush, but Lydia was the one who spoke up.
“What Daniel is trying to say,” she explained with a slightly haughty tone, “is what will you do when you get fired from the league?”
“That is not what I was asking,” Daniel corrected, a glare directed at his wife. “I meant when he was too old to play.”
Seg was interested in the obvious offense Daniel took to Lydia’s accusation. He set it aside for a second and decided to answer Daniel’s initial question.
“I’ve got a degree in sports management,” Seg confessed.
“Really?” Daniel seemed content with that revelation. “Same as Cam.”
“It’s a good thing you thought ahead,” Lydia added. “I hate to play devil’s advocate, but I feel your career playing hockey is limited. Once they have the right to speak up, they will.”
“They? Who’s they?” Seg asked pointedly, keeping his eyes on Lydia. He damn sure wasn’t going to make this easy on her. It was clear she was trying to make a point, and Seg was going to let her. But she was going to have to come out with it.
“The fans, the other players, owners.”
Seg pretended to misunderstand. “Last I checked, they didn’t have a say in my performance evaluation. Not the fans or my teammates, anyway.”
Lydia’s face darkened. “Mr. Seguine—”
“Please, call me Seg. My friends and family do.”
Lydia cleared her throat. “Seg. There’s a reason you didn’t come out before now. You know that it’s frowned upon to have homosexual players in sports.”
Seg cocked his head to the side. Again, he acted oblivious to her line of questioning. “Frowned upon? As in it makes people sad?”
Roan cleared his throat and shifted, but Seg put one hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. This woman wasn’t going to push him back into the closet, that was for damn sure. And Seg was more than ready to school her on a few things.
Reaching for her drink, Lydia glanced over at her husband. Seg figured she was looking for some support, but Daniel did what he’d been doing all night. He pretended not to notice.
“Being gay is a phase, Seg,” she said.
Surprisingly, the woman had the balls to look Seg in the eye when she said that.
“A phase?” Seg leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as though processing that information. “Shit. If I’d known that, I would’ve kept my mouth shut.” He lifted his head and pinned Lydia in place with a glare. “So what you’re telling me is that Roan’s been going through this phase”—he used air quotes for emphasis—“for twenty years now? It must burn your ass that you haven’t been able to redirect his attention to women.”
Lydia looked appalled. For half a second, Seg thought Daniel was going to speak up, but he kept his mouth shut. Smart guy.
As for Roan, Seg felt his eyes on him. But Seg came here with an objective tonight. After meeting Lydia, he got the impression that Daniel backed down from her whenever conflict arose. As for Roan, it was obvious the man didn’t have much to do with his father or his stepmother. Probably for this very reason.
“He’s rebellious,” Lydia said with a wave of her hand.
Seg choked out a laugh. “Is that what you call it?” He sat up straight. “I call it something else entirely.”
“I just don’t think that this is what your mother would want for you,” Lydia told Seg directly. “As you’ve probably heard, Roan’s claim to be homosexual is the reason his mother left.”
Wow. This woman was certifiable. But based on her calm, cool demeanor, she honestly believed the bullshit coming out of her mouth. Luckily, Seg had honed his patience before he walked in the door, because he definitely needed it now.
“First, let me tell you something about my mother,” Seg began, elbows on his knees, hands hanging between them, giving his full attention to Lydia. “She’s been my biggest supporter my entire life. No matter what I attempted to do, she stood behind me. And when I came out and informed her that I was in love with a man, she didn’t bat an eyelash. That’s why she’s a mother. There’s this thing called unconditional love, and she was blessed with it. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Roan’s mother. If she’d possessed it, you and I probably wouldn’t be here.”
Lydia bristled.
Seg continued, “Because Daniel would still be married to his first wife, and Roan would’ve long ago found happiness rather than avoiding it in an effort to deal with the bigotry that comes from his family.”
“I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Lydia countered.
“Let me ask you something, Lydia.” Seg added a hint of frustration when he said her name. “When you and Daniel have sex, is it always missionary?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she said with a gasp, her face turning a shade lighter than the maroon curtains hanging over the windows.
“No? Then why is my sex life any of your business? Or the media’s? Or my teammates’, for that matter? Is it not enough that we can look at each other and see that we’re happy in our respective relationships? Because I’ll be the first one here to tell you that I’m in love with Roan. I fully intend to marry him. And I intend to help him raise Liam.”
Seg hadn’t wanted to be the one to mention the elephant in the room, but he knew someone had to or this would possibly last all night long. And quite frankly, he was damn tired of this conversation already.
Lydia once again glanced at Daniel, but the man had disappeared in plain sight. He clearly had nothing to contribute to the conversation.
“We think it would be best if Liam is raised by…” Lydia trailed off, her eyes searching the room but never able to land on anyone or anything in particular.
When she finally met Seg’s gaze again—evidently she was only having this conversation with him—she didn’t say anything.
With a questioning look, Seg waited.
And waited.
When Roan shifted, Seg put his hand on Roan’s leg, wanting him to wait. It seemed Lydia and Daniel could talk the talk when it came to harassing Roan over the phone, but they were having a hard time in person.
“From what I’ve seen, Roan is a great father,” Lydia finally stated.
“But…?” Seg interjected.
“I simply don’t think it’s wise to raise a child in a gay household.”
“What’s different about a gay household from yours?” Seg asked. “I’d really like to understand. There are two people, they both love the child, both have jobs, stability. Plus, Roan has plenty of friends he considers family. They’ve been there for Liam when it was necessary. In fact, it isn’t much different than the house I grew up in. So, please, Lydia, help me understand.”
“I just don’t think Liam needs to be subjected to that.”
“That?”
“Two men being intimate.”
“Ahh,” Seg said, sitting back, his eyes wide with mock understanding. “I think I see where the confusion is.”
“Where’s that?”
“See, if that’s the way you did things here”—he leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper—“being intimate in front of the children … I can understand why you’d be worried. But be assured, that’s not the way it’s done in our house.” He masked his expression with concern.
Roan’s eyes cut to him and Seg could feel the weight of his stare. Yes, he’d said “our house.” And he’d meant it. Because that was where they were headed, and Seg wanted Roan to know, without a doubt, that he was on his side.
Now and forever.
Thirty-Four
SEG HAD A WAY WITH words. No way could anyone dispute that.
Wh
ile Roan would’ve gone on the defensive, Seg had played the role perfectly, urging Lydia to explain her reasoning for wanting to raise Liam. So far, Seg had managed to shoot down her every excuse.
And it was kind of amusing. At one point, Roan was pretty sure his dad’s lips had twitched, but he’d managed to hold back his smile.
Although nothing had been officially settled, Roan had come to the conclusion that his father played no part in this, other than being the one to deliver the message. For some reason, that made him feel better. Daniel Gregory was a lot of things, but a homophobe he was not.
“And quite frankly, Lydia,” Seg continued, “I’m not sure that’d be good for Liam. You know, if you were to raise him. The being intimate in front of him might be more than he can handle.”
Lydia’s face turned an interesting shade of purple. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No?” Seg’s tone remained even. “That’s what it sounded like. You made the assumption that’s what takes place at our house. Why shouldn’t I think that’s what happens at yours?”
Roan’s father cleared his throat and all eyes drifted to him.
“This is going nowhere,” Daniel said in that same flat, gruff tone.
Sitting up, Roan decided it was time to bring this to a close. “Look. We get that you’re concerned about Liam. We get that you want to spend time with him, and we want that, too. But you have to realize that we have and will put his best interest before anything else.” Roan forced himself to look at Lydia. “Seg’s made a good point. Gay, straight, or whatever, my house is no different than yours.” Roan held up a hand before Lydia could interrupt. “And this is what Cassie wanted. She signed over guardianship of Liam from day one. She knew she had issues, and she knew I would put him first. I loved my sister, in spite of all her flaws. She screwed up her life, but she made the conscious decision not to screw up Liam’s.”
Seg reached over and brushed his pinky against Roan’s leg. It was a silent show of support that Roan appreciated. “So, I’m gonna put an end to this right now. I am going to raise Liam. And when the day comes that Seg and I get married, he will adopt him if that’s what he wants.”
“I do,” Seg leaned over and whispered softly.
Roan couldn’t help but laugh. Yeah. He’d already known that. Which was why he’d brought it up.
“And when you want to spend time with Liam, you get to do that. As his grandparents. You get to enjoy that time without having the strain of raising another child.” Roan looked at his father. “Do you really want that, Dad? To start all over?”
“No,” Daniel said sharply. “I don’t. I want what’s best for Liam.”
Roan glanced between the two of them. “Can you honestly say that I don’t have his best interest at heart?”
Daniel shook his head, and Lydia glanced away.
At that moment, Liam decided he’d had enough and erupted into a loud cry from his spot on Roan’s knee, where he’d been chewing on a teething toy and watching everything in the room. Roan was instantly shifting him so Liam could stand, while Seg gave him his full attention.
“What’s up, little dude? Is it past your bedtime?”
Roan continued to watch his parents while Seg spoke to Liam. Lydia didn’t seem as convinced as Roan’s father.
“I do want you both to know that I don’t want any animosity between us.” Roan waited until they both looked at him again. “But I am prepared to fight for Liam. I’m not handing him over.” He didn’t want to be a dickhead, but he knew he needed to make his point very clear. “So, if you decide to push this issue and take me to court”—Roan pinned Lydia in place with his eyes because he knew this was her issue—“I will spend every penny I have, and I’ll ensure you’re broke by the time it’s over.”
A flash of anger brightened Lydia’s eyes, but she didn’t say anything.
“And I’ll put my money behind him,” Seg noted, his tone hard for the first time since he walked into the house. “Let’s just say that I’m a very frugal man and I make a shit ton of money. That degree I have … I’ll only have to use it if I choose to.”
Roan swallowed a laugh that erupted in his gut. He loved that Seg was willing to go to bat for him and Liam. In fact, he loved Seg period.
“You ready, little guy?” Seg lifted Liam into his arms and turned him to face Lydia and Daniel. “Say good night to Granny and Pop Pop.”
This time Roan couldn’t hold back his laugh.
He seriously doubted Lydia wanted to be called Granny.
“Roan,” Lydia said, ignoring Seg completely. “I think we need to talk about this some more.”
To Roan’s shock, his father interjected. “I think we’ve done enough talking, Lyd.”
“Daniel?”
“No,” he stated harshly. “I’ve sat back long enough. I see no issue with the way Roan lives his life. I never have. And I never will. I dealt with this homophobic shit from one wife…” He held Lydia’s stare. “I won’t do it again. Enough is enough.”
Roan’s heart pounded like a bass drum as his father took up for him. For the first time in his life, the man was standing up for him.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. Roan’s a good man. He’s a good father. Plus, this is what my daughter wanted.”
“Your daughter was a drug addict,” Lydia countered hotly.
“Yes,” Daniel acknowledged. “But she was also my daughter. I’m done having this conversation. Today and forever. If and when Roan needs help, he can come to us. Otherwise, we’ll visit our grandson. And enjoy the time we have with him.”
“Daniel—”
“No.” Roan’s father got to his feet. “I’m putting my foot down this time. I’m tired of fighting for no reason.”
Roan was beyond shocked by his father’s words. He’d never thought his dad had an issue with him being gay. At least not when he’d been growing up. Daniel had never shown any animosity toward him either.
But Lydia…
“Good night, Liam,” Daniel said, walking right up to Seg and Liam, hooking Liam’s hand with his finger and giving it a little shake. He turned toward Roan. “I’d like to spend some time with him. When you’re ready for that to happen.”
Roan nodded. “Of course, Dad.”
Of course.
ON THE DRIVE BACK TO Roan’s, Seg had managed to remain quiet. Not because he didn’t have anything to say but because he could feel the relief coursing through Roan.
He’d known that Roan’s father had put some undue stress on Roan. It had been evident simply by looking at the guy. And tonight…
Truth was, Seg was shocked as shit when Daniel finally stood up and stated how he really felt. Of course, Lydia wasn’t at all happy about that, but shit happened. We don’t always get what we want.
“Please tell me you’re staying the night,” Roan said when they pulled into the driveway.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” he admitted.
Roan smiled. “Good. That’s … good.”
Clearly Roan was at a loss for words.
To help him out, Seg got Liam out of the truck, carried him into the house, then proceeded to get him ready for bed. All on his own.
Oh, sure, Roan had been watching from the sidelines, but Seg suspected that was more because he had nothing else to do.
Half an hour and one finished bottle later, Liam was down for the night, and Seg found Roan standing in the kitchen, staring out the back window. When Seg approached, Roan turned to face him.
“I love you,” Roan stated, his tone chock full of emotion.
The words weren’t exactly a surprise; however, he’d expected Roan to start with something else. This would work though.
“I love you, too.”
“I didn’t know how tonight would go when I asked you to go with me. The only thing I knew was that I would be able to handle it better simply by having you there. In fact, I feel that way now. I don’t know what the next road bump is gonna be, but
I know that I’ll handle it better because you’re in my life.”
Seg didn’t say a word. He didn’t move. Hardly breathed.
“We’ve had a wild ride so far,” Roan continued. “But it’s a ride I want to continue. With you.” Roan took a step closer, but they were still separated by the kitchen island. “I was serious when I said I wanted to spend every night with you. Starting tonight, Seg.”
Seg wasn’t sure his lungs were working at this point.
Roan sidestepped the island, coming to stop directly in front of Seg.
If he hadn’t been watching closely, Seg wouldn’t have noticed when Roan reached into his pocket.
“And I want you to marry me.”
Okay, now he knew for a fact his lungs weren’t working.
Roan went to one knee in front of him.
Seg grinned. “I never took you for the traditional type.”
Roan’s eyes were serious. “Marry me, Colton. Marry me and spend every night for the rest of our lives with me.” Roan grinned. “You know, except for the nights you’re on the road.”
It was Seg’s turn to speak, so he reached for Roan’s hand and helped him to his feet.
“I thought for sure I’d be the one to propose to you.” Seg dug into his own pocket, pulling out a ring. He grinned, then reached for Roan’s hand. “Marry me, Roan. I want you to be my husband and Liam to be my son. I want you both to take my name.” Seg smiled.
Roan’s eyebrows rose. “I’ve never considered taking someone else’s name.”
“Are you against it? We could do the hyphenated thing. Maybe they’ll call me … Segory.” Seg frowned. “Aw, damn. That’s worse than Seggy. Please don’t make me hyphenate my name.”
Roan closed the distance between them, placing his ring in Seg’s hand. “You don’t have to hyphenate your name.”
“No?”
“No. Liam and I would be honored to take your name.”
Unable to stop himself, Seg pulled Roan into him, pressing their lips together and showing this man exactly how much he loved him.
Needless to say, he wasn’t about to stop with just a kiss.
Or just one night.
Harmless (Pier 70 Book 4) Page 29