He studied me, but there was no judgement there, just that familiar, steady appraisal of his. “Are you good to them? Treat them both like women you care for and not as toys or playthings?”
My brows rose and then dropped down over my eyes when I contemplated his words. “Of course.”
“Good.” He replied evenly. “Because you’re not just building something with two incredible women, Tanner. You’re building something that will change how people see you. Good or bad.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I got that, but paused. Because he was right; the fact that I was dating Rhea and Goldie was odd, though not unheard of in Cedar Bluff. ButhowI dated two women would leave a defining impression in many people’s minds about me.
“I get that.” I finally replied, less cocky than I was going to the first time.
“Are you equal with them?” He asked again after a beat.
“Equal?” I questioned, and then scowled again. “Yeah.”
But he caught my hesitation. “That’s the part that will make you or break you, baby brother. A town this small, with two hearts on the line. You have to be honest and fair. Always.”
Sometimes the ease with which he said things felt a lot like riddles, though they were the simplest things to understand.
“I know.” I replied.
He nodded his head once and said, “Bring them up for Sunday family dinner this week.” Like it was the most natural thing in the world for me to bring my two girlfriends to our long-standing traditional family dinner. To be honest, I’d been avoiding the get-together since I started dating Goldie. In a way, I didn’t want to argue or explain the reasoning behind our relationship. “They’re always welcome at my table, Tanner. Same as you.”
Relief hit me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. In a way, I didn’t realize I was even looking for until I found it. “Yeah?” I asked. “Just like that? That easy?”
Lucas smiled faintly, and the skin around his eyes crinkled slightly. “You’re the calmest, most steady person I know, Tanner. If you’re choosing something complicated and unusual, it’s because you’re all in and it’s important to you. Which makes it important to me.”
I swallowed, fighting down the lump in my throat at his easy confidence in me.
He went on, “But that doesn’t mean everyone will be so easy on you.”
“How so?” I asked.
“You don’t get to be half in, on anything. Not with them. Not with the badge. Not anything. People are going to watch you harder and expect more out of you.” He started sanding again, “Like they are with this whole outsider business in town. People look to you for leadership, and they’re not going to give you any room on it.”
The fire at the rink flashed through my mind. The rumors about it being intentional. The chatter about Rhea being a hero.
“I can handle it.” I replied evenly.
Lucas tossed down his paper and walked over to me, laying a heavy hand on my shoulder the same way he had when I was sixteen and thought I had ruined my life when I dented the tailgate of my late dad’s favorite truck. “You don’t have to handle it alone, though,” he said. “That’s the point of falling in love with someone. To have a partner, or in your case,” he smirked. “Partners.”
“Hmm.” I hummed, taking over his usual response at the uncomfortable topic. “Mom really said something to you?”
He grinned and opened the fridge, pulling out a couple of beers and handing me one. “She said, and I quote, ‘My littleTanner is just glowing with pride and leadership, and I don’t care how many girls it takes to get him smiling like that.’”
I laughed, the sound echoing through the vast shop.
For the first time in days, the pit in my stomach that had been there since I realized I was head over heels falling for two incredible women and it was more than just exploring an idea with them, started to loosen.
I just had to refill my steady confidence to remind myself that it was worth the growing pains in a small town. Because Cedar Bluff was small, but it didn’t have to be small-minded about things.
“Doyou think she’ll get a statue made for her?” Jasper asked, and I rolled my eyes. “What?” He complained as I sidestepped him to roll out the dough in the other direction. “She’s a town hero.”
“I know that.” I huffed, blowing my bangs out of my face. “Believe me, I know that. But she hates it. So, drop it. Don’t lether hear you gossiping about it or I won’t protect you when she kicks your ass.”
He snickered, grabbing a tote of cinnamon. “Oh, stop it, she loves me. It’s in the rules.”
“The rules?”
“Yeah. Unofficial gay bylaws. I run my mouth, get myself into trouble, and a terrifyingly competent lesbian shows up to save me. Everyone knows lesbians are the emergency response team of adultier adults. It’s a system. We don’t make the rules, but we follow them.”
