“Nope. They were a total surprise for me too. And not a pleasant one.”
Joshua swallowed hard, then cradled Colin’s face between his palms. “I know hearing me repeat those details today was upsetting for you.” He drew Colin’s lips to his and kissed him. “I’m sorry.”
Colin wrapped an arm around Joshua’s neck and pulled him tight against his body. “I’ve heard upsetting testimony before,” he said, his voice dry. “But, yeah. Today was a whole new level of hurt.” He nuzzled against Joshua’s cheek, a smile breaking across his face. “But, Jesus, Josh! Lenny’s news about the new evidence gave the day a much happier ending.”
Joshua nodded, then kissed Colin’s cheek. “Do you have to go back to the office?”
“No. Do you realize what time it is? Day’s almost over.”
“Then can we maybe go out to dinner and talk about anythingotherthan what’s happened in the past few weeks of our life?” He coughed out a sigh. “I’m just so fuckingsickof the sound of my own voice.”
Colin laughed and stood, Joshua’s hand clasped in his. “C’mon, bud. Dinner and pleasant conversation await.”
“And then home to create our own dessert?” Joshua asked, allowing Colin to draw him to his feet.
“This day keeps getting better and better.”
Joshua barked out an ironic laugh. “This day had nowhere togobut up.”
Chapter 26
Glencoe
Afew days later, Joshua was perched on the kitchen counter, watching his husband dry the dishes. “Listen,” he said, grabbing one end of the dishtowel in Colin’s hand. “I need to ask you something.”
Colin huffed out a soft laugh and tugged on his end of the towel, yanking it from Joshua’s hand. “You don’t have to take my towel to tell me something.”
“I do!” Joshua insisted, then hopped off the counter. He snatched the dishtowel and tossed it to into the sink, then linked his arm with Colin’s and drew him toward the living room. “I need your full attention.”
“Fine, bud. You’ve got it. What the hell’s going on?”
Colin sat down on the couch and tried to draw Joshua down beside him, but Joshua pulled away and sank to the floor at Colin’s feet.
“Is there any way you could get a long weekend?” he asked, then bowed his head, looking so dejected that Colin leaned toward him, frowning.
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s really wrong, it’s just that Mom...” He looked at Colin and quirked his mouth in a frustrated frown. “She’s being a Jewish mother. She wants me to come home. I hate asking you this. I know you took a bunch of time off already on account of me.” He dropped his eyes. “But she’s worried. She’s been suggesting that if you can’t get away from work, I should fly out there alone, and that you could follow me later.”
His eyes lifted to meet Colin’s, then leaned up on his knees and rested both hands on his husband’s chest. “But I don’twantto do that! I don’t want us to be apart! Right now, that’s just not something I could…” His face fell and he lowered his eyes. “Shit, Colin, I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you talk to me about this before now?”
“Like I said, you already took a bunch of time off on account of me and—"
“Jooooosh…” Colin growled out through clenched teeth, the name forming one long, drawn-out accusation.
“What?” Joshua blurted. He fell back, eyes fixed on Colin’s legs, refusing to meet his eyes.
Colin reached to tip Joshua’s chin until their eyes met. “I don’t want us to be apart either,” he said. “And no, you’renotgoing to Glencoe without me. I already told your mom that I planned to bring you there after you’d recovered a bit more. I’ll talk to Esther tomorrow about getting the time off.” He quirked his mouth in annoyance and gave his head a taut snap. “Jeez! You’d think I was some kind of monster the way you’re afraid to ask me stuff.”
“I wasn’t afraid,” Joshua snapped. “I just didn’t want to be a —”
Colin leaned toward him, brows drawn together over narrowed eyes. “Yessss?” he drawled out. “You didn’t want to be a...what?”
“I’m not saying another word.”
Colin scoffed. “We have an agreement about that kind of talk, do we not?”
