Jeff was the one to answer. “Well, for starters, there’s a lot of ‘I mean’ and questions answering questions. I’ve been at this game a long time, and I can sense when someone’s holdin’ somethin’ back.”
A long exhale escaped Daniel as he stared at the floor and shuffled his feet. When he finally looked up, he met Mack’s eyes for the first time since he walked into the bar.
“I just thought you’d put up more of a fight, that’s all. I guess … well, I thought…”
Then it hit Mack what was really going on here. He frowned and was doubly grateful Jeff was nearby.
“A fight? You were lookin’ for … for what, Daniel?” he asked his son. “For me to refuse to sell my house? Or my bar? Or both?”
Daniel didn’t answer, but the sheepish look on his face answered for him.
“Youwantedme to turn you down,” Mack said roughly.
Daniel’s blue eyes blazed with anger. “Yes, fine! I did.” He exhaled on a huff. “I thought you had more backbone than this, Dad.”
Ah, so he was back to being Dad and not Father. Good to know.
“I saw how easy it was for you to … to stop being gay and… Fuck.”
Mack barked a laugh, reached up and touched Jeff’s hand when it rested on his shoulder. “Stop bein’ gay, huh? So you think that’s really a thing?”
“Isn’t it?” Daniel snapped, but his eyes dropped to Mack’s hand covering Jeff’s. “You lied to me,” he accused.
“No, I didn’t. I did as you requested. I broke things off with Jeff when you insisted I do so.” Mack’s anger deepened his voice. “I’ve spent the past four years aching for the only real love I’ve ever known. Because you demanded it, because you said I owed you.”
Daniel’s eyes widened, his expression one of horror.
And suddenly, it all made perfect fucking sense.
“Isthatwhen I failed you?” he asked. “You didn’t expect me to go through with it, did you?”
Daniel’s lips clamped together.
“That was the wrong response, wasn’t it?”
How the hell had he been so blind?
When Daniel didn’t respond, Mack continued. “So, what? You decided on a different tack? You were pushin’ me, tryin’ to get me to break.” Mack cursed under his breath. “All because you can’t find your way out of the goddamn closet.”
Chris inhaled sharply as he backed toward the door.
“You,” Jeff said, pointing at him. “Stay. You’ll wanna hear this.”
To Mack’s surprise, Daniel didn’t have a comeback. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, his eyes bouncing over Mack’s face.
“Why’d you do it?” Mack demanded.
“You didn’t defend yourself, Dad. I thought you would tell me to go to hell, that you loved him. But you didn’t. You walked away from him because I told you to.”
“I did.” Mack couldn’t deny it. He wouldn’t. “You’re my son. I’ve been riddled with guilt for most of your life, kid. I’d walk through fire to make up for my wrongs where you’re concerned.”
“You acted like it was no big deal, like it was easy to turn away from him.” Daniel glared at Mack. “And that pissed me off most because I lived with my mother telling me how only an abomination could love someone of the same sex. She did keep your secret, but only because I was too young to realize she was always talking about you. I thought she was just a bigot. And when I confronted her, she told me in explicit detail how you’re going to hell for your choices. What was I supposed to do? I had no choice but to agree with her. The things she says … it’s disgusting and not only because my father’s gay.”
“Because you are, too,” Mack said softly, swallowing the emotion.
Daniel laughed, a tormented sound. “Yeah. Imagine what she’ll say when she finds out I’m in love with Chris. You think she’s gonna welcome me with open arms? She’s gonna crucify me. And I thought you would stand up for yourself. I’d needed you to stand up for yourself, to give me some clue that it was okay. You didn’t. You caved. So I’ve spent the past four years pretending I’m in love with his sister because I can’t stand the thought of my mother saying any of those things about me.”
Mack’s chest ached at the realization. He had failed Daniel, but not the way he’d thought. Worse. The pain he saw in his son’s eyes made his heart hurt.
