“Oh, I really like him.” Caleb’s dad flashed a grin at Caleb before giving his full attention to Jayne. “Wisdom shall be had, just you wait. I’m thinking we’ll swap Caleb-wrangling secrets a little later tonight, after Marshall inevitably pulls Caleb and Everett away to talk about whatever. You might want to approach Marshall, too, actually, if you want the most comprehensive guide to Caleb-wrangling. I promise he’s not scary. Not sure if he’d be willing to spill his secrets, but the worst you can do is ask.”
As far as Caleb was concerned, banter and wit was the Alcrest family language of love, and Jayne was already fluent. Whatever fears he’d had about Jayne’s reception evaporated. Even if Caleb weren’t there to act as a buffer, Jayne would have been fine on his own.
“Ican hear you, you know.” Caleb parted from Everett’s side and slid his hands into his back pockets. He stood before his dad and Jayne, effortlessly slotting himself into the conversation. “I’m starting to feel like I should have dropped Jayne off, then headed home to eat Hot Pockets.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” His dad waved him off. “I would have at least given you a to-go bag with last night’s leftovers. I’m not a monster.”
“He’s not.” A new voice joined the conversation, coming from the doorway—one Caleb instantly recognized. It was his father, Marshall. “But while he might not be a monster, that mouth of his is trouble. Proceed with care.”
“Hey, Uncle Marshall,” Everett said, turning toward the newcomer. Not many of the sort-of cousins addressed Marshall so casually. He wasn’t a severe man by Caleb’s standards, but he embodied sophistication and understated dominance that could come across as intimidating. To Caleb, he’d always been the family rock—the one all of them could depend on to keep it together during emotional times, and whose cool voice of reason rarely came unhinged. He was also limitlessly kind, and as Caleb came to appreciate him after the hard feelings he’d let sour their relationship, he found himself hoping that one day, he’d be even half the man his father was.
With thoughts of raising Parker on his mind, Caleb respected him more than ever.
Tonight, his father was dressed as usual—smartly. His sensible, non-vulgar button-down paired well with his gray slacks. His hair was combed back, and he wore a thick banded platinum watch that Caleb recalled he’d received for his birthday one year. There was already a smile on his face, but when he spotted Jayne, his smile widened. The expression lasted little more than a moment—before long, he turned his attention to Everett and addressed him. “Hey. It’s good to see you again. I’m glad that Caleb’s brought you along tonight. It’s been too long.”
“It feels like forever. Thanks for having us.”
“You’re always welcome here.” Sincerity laced Caleb’s father’s invitation, and Caleb knew that he’d meant what he’d said. With some luck, by the end of the night, he’d still mean it. While Caleb had no reason to believe that his parents would fly off the handle when he told them the truth about his relationship with Everett and Jayne, the unknown was frightening. Anything could happen.
But it was better to tell the truth than to hold back and live in fear.
Caleb wouldn’t keep his lovers a secret. They deserved better of him than that.
“Dads,” Caleb said, standing just a little straighter. His heart hammered, but he didn’t let his fear overwhelm him. There was nothing to be afraid about. Even if things went bad tonight—which they wouldn’t—Everett and Jayne would be there to help him through. In them, he’d found his strength, and with them in mind, Caleb kept himself calm and initiated the conversation that could change his relationship with his family. “I need to tell you something.”
Visible excitement sparked in his dad’s eyes. “Shoot.”
Every eye in the room was focused on Caleb. Every mouth, apart from his own, was silent. Caleb glanced from person to person, between the family who’d raised him, and the family he’d made for himself, and felt nothing but love. After all he’d done, he didn’t feel like he deserved it, but he was humbled by their forgiveness, and he swore to himself that he’d never hurt them again.
“I want to introduce you to someone special.” Caleb lifted his chin and improved his posture, as if standing formally would help soften the blow. He gestured to Jayne, who still sat on the couch beside his dad. “This is my boyfriend, Jayne.”
Caleb’s dad pumped his fist in victory and celebrated with a gleeful, “Yesss!”
Jayne, who looked close to laughter, patted Caleb’s dad’s knee and raised his fist. Caleb’s dad bumped it.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jayne,” Caleb’s father said, bowing his head. “Any man able to conquer our son’s heart is welcome here.”
It was now or never. Caleb swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth and continued. “Then I’m glad you’ve welcomed Everett, too. The three of us are in a relationship. I love him, Dad. I love them both.”
Nothing was said. Caleb’s dad looked from Jayne, to Everett, to Caleb, then back to Jayne. This time, he was the one to raise his fist. Jayne bumped it.
“Oh. My. God,” a scandalized voice crowed from behind Caleb’s father. It was Gage, Everett’s younger brother, and Caleb’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Glit!When you said you didn’t need my help, I didn’t think it was because you’d already made a move onbothof them!”
Jayne opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again. He pushed his lips to the side and grinned in an uncomfortable, lopsided way. “Um, surprise?”
There was no time to reply, because a second after that, Bo spilled into the room, tumbling past his grandfather’s legs, and latched on to Caleb. “Uncle Caleb!”
“Hey, goob.” Caleb stooped down and swung Bo up into his arms. “You sure know when to crash a party, huh?”
“Yup,” Bo said with a laugh, clearly not understanding what was going on. He twisted himself around to look across the room at Everett, his big blue eyes sparkling. “Hi Uncle Ev-rhett. Can we go play catch in the backyard?”
“Later, bud,” Everett assured him. He moved in close and hugged Bo, effectively hugging Caleb while he did it. Caleb didn’t mistake the gesture—it was Everett’s way of showing that he was there, and that he always would be, no matter what anyone thought. “I think us uncles and your grandpas and maybe even your dads need to sit down and have a talk first. Why don’t you take Penelope and go play in the living room? I bet your Grandpa Oli put out some great toys for you two to play with.”
“Okay,” Bo said simply. Caleb set him down, and off he went.
“How many minutes do I have left on my timer?” Caleb’s dad asked, taking out his phone. “I mean, I’m going to put it out there and admit that I think a man as fabulous as Jayne deserves two boyfriends, but you know, I want to make sure I’m not in the minority. If anyone’s planning to be a jerk about it and I need to call in some favors with my kitchen gods, I wanna be here to do it.”
The swelling, uncomfortable tension building in the silence between the adults in the room immediately burst, and relief crashed over Caleb like a violent wave breaking against a cliffside. He laughed, and his dad laughed, and Gage, who was the most impressionable in the room, laughed, too.
