by Carly Marie
I tossed my napkin at my brother, but the smile on my lips told him I wasn’t upset. “I’m going to talk to him tonight about making this thing between us more official.”
When Carl’s mouth hung open, I held up my hand. “Not like, announce it to the town or anything like that. I just want to tell the kids. I don’t want to feel like I have to make excuses to see him. I want the people who are closest to us to know.”
Kathryn patted my forearm. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
“I still worry about being openly with a man, but I need to figure out where this is going before I get ahead of myself.” I hated the doubt that still crept in at times. The town had shown me nothing but acceptance, but I knew that if I came out, I could never go back in. I didn’t want Dwayne continuing to control my feelings all these years later, but his words still echoed in my head.
Carl nodded as he thought about my words. “Jeff will understand. Be honest with him. He’s a great guy—you two deserve to give it a real chance. You can’t do that if you live in fear of others finding out about your relationship. It’s not fair to either of you.”
Kathryn effortlessly steered the conversation in another direction before we could continue. “How are you settling into the clinic?”
That was an easy question to answer. “It’s amazing. Even when everyone was sick as a dog, it was better than any week at the emergency room. It sucks that everyone got so sick, but I met a large chunk of the town those few weeks. Now I’m starting to recognize people.”
“That’s amazing. It sounds like things are working out for you.”
They really were. Things were finally starting to work out. Six years of struggling to work enough, be present for my kids, and pay the bills on my own, and now things were working out.
And I had Jeff. Thinking of him, I glanced down at my phone screen and noted the time. “We need to get moving. Jeff and I are taking the kids to the movies tonight. We need to get ready to go.”
Carl clapped me hard on the back as we left the house. “I keep telling you this, but you guys are going to be great together. If you ever need to talk, I’m here. I’m really happy for you. But I’m also really proud of you.”
I blinked in confusion. Proud? “Why are you proud of me?”
“You’re going after something you want. For once, you’re doing something that makes you happy because it makes you happy. You aren’t going after a job promotion because it will make more money. You aren’t working at the hospital because it’s where your job is. You’re here, with us. You’re a part of our family again. Doing something that makes you smile. If you realize it or not, just talking about Jeff makes you smile.”
Now that he said it, I could feel a smile across my lips. “Asshole. Thank you, though. Thank you for being an open ear for me and giving me the kick in the pants I needed to come back home.”
Arriving home fifteen minutes later, I had enough time to get the kids changed into clothes that didn’t look like they were wearing more lunch than they had eaten, and get myself changed. For it being a simple movie with Jeff and his kids, I agonized over what to wear. To the point I almost texted Carl to ask him his opinion. I had my phone out and three lines of text written before I deleted the question, chastised myself for overthinking, and set to work finding an outfit on my own.
In the end, I settled for a pair of medium blue, straight-leg jeans, a white polo shirt, and a purple sweater. With a nice pair of brown leather and suede dress boots, I thought the outfit was perfect. Right on time too, since I got a message from Jeff just as I finished tying the last shoe.
On our way to the theater.
Eli’s eyes narrowed as I walked down the steps. “I don’t have to wear itchy clothes to the movies, do I?”
Any dress clothes were itchy to Eli. “Why would you need to wear dress clothes to the movies, Eli?”
Expressive eyes stared at me from head to toe. “Because you’re wearing itchy clothes.” The unspoken duh hung at the end of his sentence.
It was enough to have me second-guessing my clothing choice for the night. Was I trying too hard? With no time to change, I had to push the thoughts out of my head. “No, Eli, you’re fine just as you are. Let’s get our coats on and head to the car. Jeff, Seth, and Jenna are already on their way.”
Thomas jumped and hissed out an excited, “Yeesss!” He and Seth had hit it off quickly and he was anxious to see him again. He was bundled up and out of the house before I even got my coat out of the closet. It took Eli and me a few minutes longer, but finally we were out the door and heading toward the theater.
When the giant theater sign came into view, a blush spread across my face and I was thankful neither of the boys noticed. The last time I’d been here, I’d ended up cumming in my pants during an action movie. The thought of Jeff, with his hooded eyes, licking his fingers clean of my release popped into my head and my dick began to fill.
Not the time.
Jeff and his kids were standing just inside the doorway and waved us over before I could get into the ticket line. “Already got tickets.” Then he chuckled and sent me a wink. “Theater ten.”
I didn’t realize what he meant until we walked past the usher and I found that it was the same theater we’d been in last time. I did a decent job of keeping my thoughts under control until we made our way inside and I caught a glimpse of the seats we’d sat in. The visual reminder was all it took for my cock to become fully invested in the memory.
Jeff stifled a laugh as the kids took seats, then we went to the row behind them for our own seats. Before we sat down, Jeff’s hand reached behind him and cupped the front of my jeans. I let out a strangled squeak, somewhere between surprised and desperate, and Jeff finally couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore.
“Behave yourselves,” Jenna hissed back at us without ever turning around. I’d already figured out that Jenna must have told that to her father more times than I probably cared to think about. Jeff managed to shut his mouth, but silent laughter still creased his eyes.
He removed his coat, exposing a dark-colored shirt and a pair of jeans that fit him well, though slightly looser than I was used to seeing him in outside of the garage. He must have caught me staring at his pants because he took a seat and leaned close to me. “I’ve learned it’s not safe to have snug pants on around you.”
Jeff draped his coat over our laps and nudged my ribs with his elbow. “Insurance policy.”
I shook my head. “Didn’t Jenna just tell you to behave yourself?” I hissed at him. I probably would have sounded more convincing had I not been trying to swallow a laugh.
Thankfully, the movie didn’t end up with either of us having cum in our pants. Jeff had rested his head against my shoulder, and I’d draped my arm around his. It was so normal, with our kids sitting in the row in front of us. Twenty minutes into the movie, Eli climbed onto Jenna’s lap. Thomas and Seth pushed close together before the credits had even begun and were whispering in each other’s ears, and Jeff and I cuddled in the row behind them. When the credits scrolled across the screen, I didn’t want to move. The previous ninety minutes had been enough to show me what a quiet evening at home could be like.
I didn’t know if it was that we’d forgotten about the kids in front of us or if we were both so comfortable we didn’t care, but neither of us were in a hurry to get up. Eli bounced off Jenna’s lap and turned to say something to me, his words dying on his lips as he studied us closely. Thomas nudged Seth and pointed to us as we started to untangle ourselves from each other and the coat-blanket over us. Jenna’s smile was fond and I watched as her posture changed, like an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders at the sight of us. I didn’t understand the reaction, but as Jeff got up, he squeezed her shoulder.
He leaned back toward me and whispered into my ear. “There’s an ice cream shop next door. Would you be interested?”
“I think that would be a nice treat.”
Seth pumped his f
ist into the air. “Yes! Ice cream! Come on, I’ll lead the way.” And like that, we were hurrying to get our coats on and catch up with them.
Jenna and Seth led the way through the theater. I hung back, watching how they naturally kept an eye on the boys. Jenna had gripped Eli’s hand while they spoke, and Seth had Thomas at his side while they carried on a conversation. The easy familiarity between the kids and the way Jenna and Seth had them under their wings had me even more convinced that it was time to tell the boys. There would always be risks; I couldn’t mitigate them completely. Hell, I’d learned the hard way that even marriage was a risk. But Jeff and his kids seemed like they would be worth taking the chance on.
We’d managed to lose sight of them as we left the theater, causing me a moment of panic. Jeff saw the wild look in my eyes when they disappeared through the crowd and placed a hand on my shoulder. “They’ll be at the ice cream place as soon as we get there.” Despite his reassurance and calm tone, he picked up the pace and twenty seconds later we were walking through the door to find the four already in line. Jenna had Eli propped on her hip while they debated what ice cream flavors they wanted. I could see her pointing to each item and telling him the different flavors that he couldn’t read.
Thomas was talking about a basketball game coming up while he and Seth stood back, waiting on the clerk to take their order. Jeff bumped my hip. “See?”
I sagged, allowing my body to rest against his. “Logically, I knew they were fine. I’m just not used to having someone else out with me that will look after them.” Unbidden, a memory popped into my head of the first outing I’d done by myself. “We went to the Louisville marathon to support a coworker of mine shortly after Nicole left. I didn’t think anything of it. There was a little area of bounce houses set up. I let the boys play—I was watching them both. I walked over to get Eli out of the bounce house. Put him down, grabbed Thomas, turned around, and Eli was gone.”
Jeff winced. “Oh, that’s terrible.”
I nodded. “Long story short, thirty minutes and the chief of police later, we found him… eating snacks in the VIP tent.”
Jeff barked out a laugh. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
He laughed harder. “Okay, I’m sorry for laughing. But that’s actually really kind of funny.”
I chuckled. Six years later, yes, it was kind of a funny story to tell. At the time, though, I’d almost died a hundred times over. “When I lose sight of them, I still kind of freak out.”
“I lost Jenna in a toy store once,” Jeff admitted. “It took all of three minutes to find her. Longest three minutes of my life.”
Ten minutes later, we each had some ridiculous concoction of ice cream and add-ons in front of us. Unsurprisingly, Jeff had chosen chocolate ice cream and mixed in random chocolate cake and brownie pieces. Jenna attempted to grab a spoonful of his to try, and Jeff sat back, clutching it close to his body and using his shoulders to block her as he continued to eat. Then, to my surprise, he took a scoop and handed it my way.
Jenna’s gasp of surprise had us all laughing, but when I wrapped my lips around the spoon Jeff was holding out to me, the play drama intensified.
“Oh, I see how it is. Find a man you like and suddenly I’m chopped liver.” She threw a crumpled napkin at her dad. “Clearly, I’m no longer loved here.”
Jeff was laughing so hard he forgot to protect his ice cream, and Jenna took the opportunity to steal a spoonful of it. “Traitor!” He swiped at her with his spoon, and before long, Seth had joined the fray, reaching into his dad’s ice cream cup and snagging his own bite. Jeff laughed to the point that tears were streaming down his cheeks. “Help me!”
I shook my head back and forth, trying not to get hit with ice cream. “Not touching this one!” Thomas, however, jumped up and grabbed Jeff’s ice cream, finally stopping the insanity at our table that had drawn the attention of many of the other patrons. I unfolded a napkin and put it over my head. “You guys are so embarrassing.”
Jeff pulled the napkin down and stuck his tongue out at me playfully. Jenna and Seth were still working at pulling themselves together, and Jeff’s eyes were wet with tears from laughter. The joy that radiated from him had me fighting an almost overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss him. Our eyes met again, and Jeff’s honey brown eyes widened slightly and a blush spread across his cheeks. I leaned over, forgetting all about being in public or with the kids. My lips brushed the corner of Jeff’s mouth, and the little inhale of surprise Jeff made was drowned out by Eli’s voice.
“Ewwww. Gross.”
The world snapped back into focus, and I saw Jenna and Seth shaking their heads at both Jeff and me. “Hopeless, I tell ya,” Jenna said quietly to her brother before turning her attention to Eli. Jeff and I tried to recover from the kiss that would have quickly become inappropriate for the ice cream shop.
Despite wishing I didn’t feel it necessary, I glanced around the shop and found no one looking at us. Recovered enough to focus, I turned my attention back to Eli and Thomas. Jenna had quieted Eli’s protest, but now I had to figure out what that protest had been about.
I kept my voice even when I spoke. “Why was that an ewww?”
Eli’s nose turned up. “Because kissing is gross.”
“Fair enough,” I conceded. “Any other reason?”
Eli shook his head. “Nope. But now you have his cooties.”
Thomas laughed and leaned over toward Eli’s ear. “I don’t think Dad cares.” From the corner of my eye, I could see Jeff trying to keep his composure. Then Thomas turned to me. “Does this mean you two are dating?”
I nodded my head slowly. “We are.” The admission didn’t bother me like I had worried it would.
“Does that mean we get to do more things with Seth?”
A smile spread across my lips. Thomas didn’t care. “Yeah, I think it probably does. At least when he’s not super busy with school and his friends.” I focused on Eli, wondering how he would take the news. “Are you okay with that, E?”
Eli lifted one shoulder. “Kissing’s gross, so, like, don’t kiss a bunch around me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Just no kissing?”
Eli thought for a second, then nodded. “Yeah, hugs are okay, and you can hold hands. Just not kissing.”
Jeff turned away, his entire body shaking with silent laughter. Well, not so silent—I kept hearing snorts every few seconds. I breathed more easily knowing that the boys were comfortable with it. That neither of them blinked an eye at me dating Jeff proved that I’d done a good job of exposing them to a wide range of lifestyles over the years.
“Okay, minimal kissing.” I was not going to promise Eli that I wasn’t going to kiss Jeff in front of him. That would have been ridiculous, and impossible.
Jeff regained some of his composure by swallowing a few times and wiping the tears from his eyes. He cleared his throat and looked between the kids. “Listen, we’re taking this slow. We’ve talked about it. It’s something new, and we’re not ready for our relationship to be all over town.” He looked at Seth and Jenna. “Mark’s still adjusting to life here, and we don’t need to make a big deal out of us dating. When the time is right, we will let people know. Until then, it’s on a need-to-know basis.”
Jenna and Seth both nodded. “Got it,” Seth agreed easily.
To my surprise, my boys also nodded.
I looked over to them. “It isn’t a secret, but it’s private.”
Jenna snorted. “If it’s private, maybe you shouldn’t kiss in public.”
Jeff groaned. “We’re in Nashville, not Fairview.”
It was Seth’s turn to smirk as he spoke directly to his dad. “You two look at each other with dopey grins on your faces all the time. You don’t hide it well.”
My cheeks flushed, but it was Jeff who growled low in his chest. “That doesn’t mean that we’re going to go out of our way to announce it to the entire world. All we are asking is that, until we’re ready to tel
l people, you don’t go blabbing our personal business.”
Eli was the first to agree. “I understand.”
“Thank you,” Jeff and I responded in unison. And just like that, our kids knew.
Jenna looked between us. “Do I still get to babysit tonight?”
I blinked. “Babysit?” It was the first time I’d heard anything of it.
“Well, I told Dad earlier that I’d watch your kids so that you two can work your sh—stuff out. He was all tied in knots earlier.”
Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. “Is nothing sacred to you?” he hissed out playfully.
Jenna brushed him off. “I was kind of looking forward to it.”
I looked between the boys, who had both begun nodding rapidly, and Jeff. Jeff waggled his eyebrows at me, and that was all the push I needed. “I think that can be arranged.”
“Yes!” A chorus of cheers went across the table. I was pretty sure I heard Jeff’s voice mixed in there as well.
CHAPTER 23
Jeff
If dropping kids off at home for the night was an Olympic sport, Mark and I would have won the gold medal. It took all of three minutes from the time we each parked in Mark’s driveway until he had a bag packed and was in my truck. How was it possible that a drive only halfway across a one-light town could feel like an eternity? I swore it took an hour, despite only a handful of minutes ticking by on the digital display.
Maybe it had something to do with the hand that kept inching closer to my groin the closer we got to my house. Maybe it was the little kisses that were being peppered on my neck at every stop sign. Or maybe it was the way Mark had been massaging the front of his jeans since we backed out of his driveway.
I’d been horny since the movie theater. The drive from the ice cream shop to Mark’s house had been nearly impossible. I’d had a hard time focusing on the road knowing that we were going to have a night alone together to do whatever we wanted.
Mark wasn’t much better than me on the drive to my house. “Are we there yet?” he whined from beside me. His voice was so full of need I felt my dick grow even harder in my pants.