“Just like you and I, the odd couple.” Brenden searched his pants pockets and pulled out his keys. “When do you think you’ll start hauling your stuff over to the house?”
“I’ll probably start next weekend, do it in bits, then get the bulk over by March when my lease goes out.” Damn, he was really going to miss his apartment, but being front and center to harassing Brenden twenty-four seven would totally make up for it. “This is going to be awesome, you and me against the world again.”
Brenden looked away, the set of his shoulders stiff as if he was about to face an execution. Dakota shook his head with a shrug. His anal-retentive friend would chill out once they were together. Dakota just needed to give him time to get used to the idea and not take it personally that Brenden wasn’t as excited about the move as he was.
“Hey, it’ll be okay, I promise.” Dakota gave him a nudge with his elbow and crouched to lash down their boxes.
Brenden gave him a faint smile, his eyes warming with a light that few got to see. “It’ll be a disaster, but there’s no one I’d rather be a disaster with.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“WHAT PROJECT are you working on now, Felipe?” Lola asked, patting the couch beside her. “I haven’t seen you in weeks you’ve been so busy.”
With a twinge of guilt, Felipe flopped down, determined to stop moping. He had been busy, between a new project for school, his new enterprise with Abby, and a delicious distraction in Richmond. His lingering irritation with his dad had him staying away too. None of which was fair to his lola.
“You remember Abby Albion?” Felipe asked, taking her hand. He loved his lola’s hands. He’d spent a lot of time looking at her hands as she taught him how to sew, how to cook, and a hundred other lessons she imparted to him. His mother had the same hands, hands that had soothed every childhood illness he’d had and a complete inability with crafting. He’d always found that funny. The talent had definitely skipped a generation.
“Oh yes, Abby. The girl who stole your crayon.” Lola’s husky voice enveloped Felipe in a thousand comforting memories.
Felipe cracked a smile at her oh-so-serious tone that meant she was gently teasing him. All around them their family buzzed, talking over each other in cheerful chaos, the way they did at every family holiday. The little ones ran all over the living room, tumbling over each other and squabbling. The teenagers sat in their little spheres of isolation, their faces over their phones, except Mariana, who flitted from one group to another, like she hadn’t seen anyone in decades when they’d all gotten together just on Labor Day and they’d see each other again at Christmas and New Year’s. Felipe’s family was never far away.
“That would be the one,” Felipe admitted.
“The same Abby who dated the gentleman you were pining for in tenth grade.” Lola’s memory was as sharp as ever. Felipe was embarrassed to remember that jerk. He was glad Abby had the sense to drop him as soon as he started making her life miserable. Lola was the only person in his life who knew about that guy. She’d been the first person he’d come out to, and she’d held on to his secret for years.
“True, but I nabbed the guy she wanted for prom.” Not that Abby ever figured it out, considering her surprise at his orientation. He still didn’t get how she didn’t clue in on that one.
“You didn’t go to prom.” She narrowed her eyes at him as Felipe smirked.
“True, and she didn’t go with him either.” Prom night Felipe had been getting it on in the barn out back. They’d had a candlelight dinner, music, and a really sweet bed made up in the loft. That memory had carried him through the rest of high school. There were some things, though, he couldn’t tell his lola. “But that’s a different story. So you know she’s been competing with me at shows, doing her own cosplay thing, and pretty much trying to drive me as crazy as I probably drive her.”
“You had told me that. Sounds like she’s doing good for herself, even if it ties you up in knots. We need people who will challenge us.” She glanced fondly across the room at her husband. Frankly, Felipe never understood what she saw in the old man. He was cranky, set in his ways, and convinced he was always right. He never hesitated on giving his opinion, whether Felipe or anyone else wanted to hear it. He annoyed the hell out of Felipe.
“Well, we’re kind of working together. We’ve picked up a demanding project that’s going to take both of us to finish. And doing some shows and panels.” It still made Felipe boggle. They were being civil to each other, and it was working. The sniping had been outrageous fun, but this was its own kind of fun.
Lola considered that a long moment, absently patting his hand. “I’d like to see what you come up with. Bring her by. I haven’t seen Abby since your last day of elementary school.”
Felipe groaned. Damn, Lola really did have an amazing memory. “Do you remember every single one of Mariana’s misdeeds, or is it just me that gets the special treatment?” He and Abby had gotten into an epic food fight that last day, and since both of his parents had been working, it had been up to his lola to pick him up from the principal’s office. Abby had been right by his side waiting for her dad, and they’d bonded over how much trouble they were going to be in.
Her dark eyes sparkled as she tweaked his earlobe. “Certainly, I do, but perhaps there is not as much to remember for her as there is for you. Mariana is quiet like me, like your mother. You, you are fiery like your lolo.”
Felipe looked out at his family again and caught his dad’s eye. Trask had made him look at the situation in a different light. Felipe had blown it out of proportion, and he really shouldn’t have come downstairs cussing at Dad like he had. His dad would like Trask if he just gave himself a chance to get to know him. His dad was quiet and steady too. Felipe was the oddball of the family. His gaze slid to his lolo, who was teasing Felipe’s mom with a sly smile. But he was not like that man in any way.
“I can agree with fiery,” Felipe said grudgingly. “But I draw the line there.”
He wished Trask had come. Mariana had asked about Trask’s whereabouts more than once, much to his parents’ discomfort. Felipe pulled out his phone and curled in closer to his grandmother. “Smile, Lola. I need to send a picture to a friend of mine.” He snapped a photo and admired the image before sending it to Trask. Thinking of you. Happy Thanksgiving.
“The young man you were telling me about?”
“He’s not that young, Lola.” Felipe felt that he had to point that out. Not that Trask was as ancient as everyone else complained about either.
She laughed her warm, rich laugh. “At my age everyone is young.”
His phone dinged, and Felipe pulled up the picture of Trask with Sophie, curled up on the floor of his apartment. Miss you too, imp. Felipe’s heart panged. He really wished he was with the aloof twerp. He had so many emotions where Trask was concerned, deep emotions that he’d once longed for but now wasn’t sure what do with. He wanted to talk about it with his grandmother, but he couldn’t with the bedlam surrounding them.
Lola took the phone from Felipe and examined Trask’s picture through her bifocals. “He considers you an imp?” She gave Felipe a fond glance. “I think that name just might serve.”
Felipe loved the way Trask said imp. There was a warmth and affection in his tone when he did, as if he didn’t wish Felipe to be any other way. “Yeah, I’m his imp, and he’s my Tin Man.”
“He has kind eyes.” She handed the phone back to Felipe. “The eyes don’t lie, Felipe.”
“Yes, he does.” And he had a kind, quiet way about him, a steadiness. Felipe liked that. Morris was similar, though Trask made Morris seem downright extroverted. “Dad doesn’t like him.”
“That’s not precisely what I heard. You have an old soul, Felipe, but a young mouth that speaks too fast sometimes.” She patted his hand again and looked at her husband. “Like others. You both butt heads because of your similarities, not your differences.”
Before Felipe could respond to that bit of
nonsense, she got up. “Come on. I’ve stolen enough of your time. Let’s see what game Mariana has pulled out for us.”
After-dinner family games at Thanksgiving and Christmas were a ritual that he didn’t dare back out of, even if he’d rather trade pictures and chat with Trask over his phone. The spot next to his dad was open at the table and Felipe slid in next to him, feeling like he had in high school when he’d really opened his mouth too far and regretted it. Felipe stole a look at his dad, and guilt squirmed like a living thing. He’d been the one to etch those lines around his dad’s mouth. It was a holiday. He shouldn’t have let these bad words between him and his dad linger for so long.
Felipe nudged his dad’s arm. “Can I get you a fresh cup of coffee?”
His dad turned his dark eyes on Felipe. Felipe looked more like him than his mom, but he had none of his dad’s personality. His dad was grave and serious, worked hard and spoke little. His dad, hell, his mom and sister too, were blindingly smart. Not that Felipe was stupid, but he didn’t have the same intellectual drive they did. On rare occasions it made him feel inadequate, like he wasn’t living up to some nameless potential. Though, if he were fair to himself, both he and his dad preferred to work with their hands and being their own boss. Which was why his dad formed his own company and found his own success. Felipe wanted to do that, too, just with sewing and crafts, not construction.
“I think I’d like that,” his dad said cautiously. “Do you want some help getting the coffee maker started?”
It was an opening, and now that Felipe had made the overture he had to follow through or he’d regret it later. He looked down at his hands and nodded, his throat tightening. Whether or not he’d deserved to be angry, Felipe hated it when he was at odds with anyone in his family. They were too tight-knit for that to be a comfortable situation.
The kitchen was quiet now that the remains of the meal had been packed away, and no one was ready to tackle dessert yet. Felipe filled the coffeepot with water as his dad spooned beans into the grinder. “I’m sorry, Dad,” Felipe said in a low voice, casting a quick glance at his dad’s stern visage. “I shouldn’t have cussed you out like that. I should’ve waited until I’d calmed down and then talked to you.”
A faint smile touched the corner of his dad’s lips. “Let’s be honest, Felipe; calm or not you would’ve cursed. There are other ways to get your point across without F-bombs.” His dad turned to face Felipe and leaned back against the counter. “But mouth aside, I owe you an apology too. Sometimes I forget that you’re an adult with adult responsibilities and making adult decisions. Your friend reminded me of that in no uncertain terms.”
“I think you’d like him, Dad, if you gave him a chance.” Felipe regarded his dad seriously. “He’s a good guy. I know he has a past and he’s been through some real shit, but if I’ve met anyone who’s learned from their mistakes and grown from them, it’s him. And he didn’t stalk me like some old lecher either. Hell, it was probably the other way around.”
Okay, it was definitely the other way around. Felipe did tend to zero in on a guy when he was interested. Trask had been no exception.
His dad sighed, a frown of concern still visible between his brows. “I believe you did the chasing, but he didn’t have to let himself get caught.” He held up a quelling hand as Felipe straightened. “I’m not as progressive in some areas as you’d like to believe. Relationships require compatibility, and a big age gap can hamper that.”
Felipe did not see any problems in that area at all, but he did know better than to equate chemistry with compatibility, which was why they were taking things slow. And Trask was definitely not one to dive into anything without testing the waters three times or more. It would’ve been frustrating if Felipe hadn’t been enjoying the slow build. Besides, it wasn’t like Trask was ducking him. He was just one to make sure no one got hurt, and Felipe definitely wasn’t interested in being hurt again.
“I’m just asking you to give him a chance. Talk to him in a nonjudgmental way. Let’s face it, Lolo will be doing all the judging for everyone.” Felipe cast a look at his grandfather. He would have to let him know before Trask came over for a family dinner and let the disapproval storm its way out. At least once it was over, Lolo usually moved on.
“I thought you had invited him over for Thanksgiving?” His dad filled his mug with fresh coffee as Felipe grabbed a cup for himself. “Did you back out of it because of our argument?”
“I don’t back down.” Felipe pulled out the creamer and shook the carton at his dad. “You know that. Trask had a friend who had no family to be with, so he’s having a little celebration at his place.”
His dad nodded thoughtfully as he took a sip of his coffee. “How long has he been clean?”
“Since I was still throwing a fit over not having two recesses in grade school.” Felipe doctored up his brew, piling on the cream and sugar. “He’s been on his own a long time. Owns a successful business that I suspect is more prosperous than he lets on. He mentors others. In all the years I’ve seen him at shows, he’s never lost his temper, even when he had the provocation.”
“Enough, Felipe, entiendo. You don’t need to list all of his good qualities. I suspect you could entertain me for an hour and I would learn more than I wish to.” His dad smiled as Felipe shot him a wicked grin. “Maybe sometime soon we can have dinner together, you two and me and your mom.”
Felipe swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. “Thanks, Dad. I really like this guy. He’s really got me right here.” He pressed a fist against his chest. “You should see him with Sophie. Those two, it was love at first sight.” Felipe suspected he was playing second fiddle to a dog, but he completely understood unconditional pet love. “He’s got so much in his heart that he doesn’t let many see, but it’s there if you look.”
“What does Morris think of him?” his dad asked. He had a real soft spot for Morris, probably because he felt that Morris looked out for him, but it was a pretty mutual friendship. Felipe always had Morris’s back too.
Felipe let out a huff. “He teases me and calls Trask an old geezer. But in all fairness, I give him a rough time about his choice in a fiancé. Morris has adopted his soon-to-be brother-in-law and is protective of him, and he has no qualms about bringing Lincoln to Trask’s place for our games. If he didn’t think Trask was a good match for me, he’d say something, not just tease.” Like how Morris had tried to warn him about Dakota. Felipe might not listen, but Morris would try.
“That does ease my mind.” His dad laid his hand on Felipe’s shoulder. “It’s not that I don’t trust your judgment, but you’re someone who throws their whole heart into an endeavor from the beginning, whether it’s a new guy or the business you’ve been working to develop. I would just like to see a little more caution from you. Because I hate seeing you get hurt.”
Well, Felipe could hardly blame him for that attitude. He’d definitely given everyone who’d listen a bitching earful when he’d parted ways with Dakota. The man was still his friend, by some miracle, but Felipe was very grateful the relationship had ended. They’d been all wrong for each other despite their chemistry in bed. Sex wasn’t everything. And he couldn’t believe he’d actually had that thought.
“Come on.” Felipe nudged his dad. “Mariana has pulled out Boggle. You know that means it’s going to get cutthroat.” He sucked at Boggle, but it was always entertaining to watch his family argue over whether a word was real or not, and to make it more challenging, house rules said not all of the words had to be in English. Mariana and he had to learn to be on their toes because everyone would try to sneak past a word in Spanish or Tagalog.
“Just as long as no one starts bleeding on the linen. Your mom will make us pay if she has to pause in her domination to give someone first aid.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
TRASK STARED at the picture of Felipe and his grandmother. It was clear that they were close. He could see that in their body language. It made him miss hi
s own grandmother. She’d looked like an angel and had a spine of steel that had never broken. She’d been loving when Trask needed it, and he’d drank in every bit of her attention. She’d also been stern when he needed it, and he had to admit he’d deserved equal doses of that with the love. He liked to think she looked down at him and was happy about where he finally ended up. She was the one person in his family who understood him, who gave him a sense of home and family. Trask blessed her memory often.
Felipe would’ve shocked her to her sensible Southern core. Trask smiled at that. Yeah, but once she recovered, she would’ve adored the imp as much as he did. He wished she could meet him.
Sophie came up to his chair, set her paws on his leg, and lifted up to nuzzle his arm. “I’m being maudlin, aren’t I?” Trask crooned in a low voice. “And you can sense it, can’t you, sweetie?”
Just like Spaz had. Trask looked over the remains of his single meal. Jason had never shown up. He didn’t want to think that the man was in the middle of a bender or had come off one and was ashamed and didn’t want Trask to see the signs. It was crazy how people could delude themselves so much while they were using. Trask remembered thinking he was so damn clever and no one would notice the mood changes, all the little clues. Then looking back later, he realized how much of an obvious idiot he had been. But there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about Jason, and sitting here by himself on Thanksgiving night wasn’t good for his state of mind right now either.
The idea of spending a holiday alone hadn’t bothered him in years. He had plenty of books. A day off from the store and instead of relaxing, he was restless. It was time to get out of Richmond for a bit. There was a show in Pittsburgh at the beginning of December. One that he often attended as a ticket holder instead of a vendor and picked up some odd stock that no one else had, and at crazy bargains. There was nothing in the rules that said he had to go alone.
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