Paige snorted as she took her seat.
Keaton arched a brow. He knew better than to think she didn’t have ulterior motives. Any questions had been erased by her flimsy retort. She wasn’t the type to lay a guilt trip on him, even if he hadn’t consistently attended family dinner over the past few months. “Sure, Mom. And you love us so much that you invited us for dinner in the middle of the week.”
Diana sighed, pulling off her apron before sitting down. “All right. Your father and I were talking, and we think it’s time you started thinking about the future. When your dad handed over the reins of the company, it wasn’t so you could shackle yourself to the desk.”
Keaton frowned. “I do think about the future. Constantly. Making sure the business thrives is why I’m always working.”
Michael set his beer down. “She means your future beyond work, son. You need to have a balance, things you do that aren’t for the construction company.”
The words hit a nerve, exposing a truth Keaton had been trying to ignore. To say he wasn’t any more of a workaholic than his father had been would be a lie. There had been a time when he’d had hobbies, interests, a life outside the office. Now, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something just for the hell of it.
Keaton’s stomach clenched. “Why do you think I bought the apartment building? It definitely wasn’t because I’m looking for something to do with my abundance of free time. And Jeremy says my retirement portfolio is healthy.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “That’s not what they mean, and you know it.”
Keaton exhaled slowly. “Look, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.”
His mother pursed her lips. “You’re thirty-five, Keaton.”
“I’m aware.”
“We just want you to be happy,” she said, voice softer now. She rubbed his arm, the same way she’d settled him when he was younger. “You had such a nice house, and you sold it so you could live at work. That’s not healthy.”
Keaton’s jaw tightened. “I am happy. And it didn’t make sense to pay a mortgage when there was a perfectly suitable space we were already paying for sitting empty. Plus, with the housing market being what it is, I was able to sell it for a huge profit. It was the smart thing to do.”
His parents exchanged a look.
Keaton hated that look. It was the same one they’d given him when he announced he was taking a gap year after high school, when he’d broken up with his first serious boyfriend, and when he’d decided to sell his house.
Paige leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “If they won’t say it, I will. You need to get a life. Maybe go out on a date every once in a while, or at least go up to Afton so you can get laid. You should just be happy they’re not pushing you to give them grandkids.”
Thatwasone benefit of being openly gay. Unlike some families, his parents had never questioned his sexuality, and they knew he had no interest in having kids of his own.
He groaned. “Not this again.”
His father chuckled. “They’re relentless, son. Best to just nod and smile. But in this case, they’re not entirely wrong either. You’re a good man, but life gets lonely when you don’t have someone to share it with.”
Keaton shot him a betrayed look.
His mom waved a hand. “We’re not saying you need to settle down tomorrow. We just don’t want you to wake up one day and realize you have nothing to show for your hard work other than completed projects.”
That hit harder than he wanted it to. He wasn’t single because of a lack of interest. He simply had too many other priorities to focus on right now. He kept telling himself there would be time for love later, but he’d started to wonder if that elusivelaterwould ever come.
He thought of his apartment, with its perfect automation and that single, maddening crack in the wall. Of the empty pillow beside him each morning. Of the way his voice echoed in the space, with no one to answer back.
He swallowed, forcing a smirk. If his mom spotted a crack in his armor, she’d be even more unbearable. “Well, it’s a good thing I have all of you to keep me company.”
Paige dramatically gagged. “Please. We are not enough.”
Keaton sighed. “Noted. And what about you? When are you going to find a boyfriend? After all, you’re the one with the ticking biological clock.”
Paige glared at him. Yeah, she didn’t like being the one in the crosshairs either. And it had the intended effect when their mom turned her attention to Paige’s love life. He’d have to talk to his dad about helping her find a hobby. They were obviously struggling with too much free time in their retirement.
The rest of dinner went off without any more guilt trips or drama. He and his dad talked about the plans for the apartment building while Paige and their mom discussed the mural project. Paige had liked Keaton’s suggestion to mount custom-built wooden canvases rather than paint directly on the buildings. This would allow them to be relocated if something happened down the line, and it would be easier to maintain them and extend the lifespan of the paintings.
After everyone finished eating, Keaton started clearing the table while everyone else wandered outside. His dad had built a patio with a built-in fire pit last year, and it was a great place to hang out. He wished they’d had something like it when he was inhigh school because it would have beentheplace to be on chilly weekend nights. Much better than a dank basement.
“So, Keaton, tell me about your plans for the murals,” his dad said as soon as he joined them. “Paige mentioned you weren’t sure about having the artists paint the brick?”
