“I didn’t think I deserved to be here,” Daniel continued. “Not after all the shit I’ve pulled.”
Frowning, Mack moved out from behind the bar. “Daniel—”
“No, wait.” Daniel stared at his hands clasping the red can. “I owe you an apology and I know that won’t be enough. What I’ve done … it’s unforgivable.”
“Nothing’s unforgivable,” Mack told him, putting his hand on his shoulder.
Daniel shook his head. “I fucked up. Royally. And I was so close to ruining your life completely.” He sucked in a ragged breath. “Chris left me. On Monday. He had no idea what I was doing, or why. When he found out … I guess I deserve it. After what I did.”
Unable to help himself, Mack stepped closer, pulled Daniel in for a hug.
His son’s shoulders shook, so Mack held him until he settled. While he didn’t condone Daniel’s actions, he wouldn’t hold them against him.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I don’t expect you to forgive me.”
“I do,” he whispered.
When Daniel pulled back, Mack released him, stepping away and giving him a moment to collect himself. Daniel was like him in that way, rarely showing emotion and not wanting it to become a spectacle.
“I haven’t told Mom,” he finally said. “Not sure I will.”
Mack understood that, too. Even before he’d ended things with Jeff, they hadn’t been out of the closet by choice. They’d kept their relationship secret for many reasons, but mostly because they’d been scared.
Now … well, now, Mack wasn’t willing to hide from anyone. He wanted to live out the rest of the days with Jeff, and he would proudly stand behind that choice. As far as he was concerned, if people didn’t like it, it wasn’t their business in the first fucking place.
“When you do decide to tell her, I’ll be glad to go with you,” Mack offered.
Daniel’s eyes slammed into his. “You would do that? After…”
“I told you, boy, I’d walk through fire for you. Will I uproot my life at this point? No. You were right, I should’ve stood up for what I wanted. In my defense, you’ve always been my weakness. When you disappeared from my life, I was lost for a long time. I’d looked forward to every weekend I got to spend with you when you were little. I still look forward to those, though they’re rare. So, if you want me to stand behind you, to have your back, you can bet your ass I’ll be there for you.”
There were tears in Daniel’s eyes. “Not sure it’s even necessary now. Chris’s gone.”
“If your love’s real, he won’t be gone completely. Perhaps you’ll have to do some groveling, but that’s part of it.” Mack held Daniel’s stare. “But take my advice. Don’t wait too long. Not everyone finds the love that can stand the test of time. If you have, you better grab on and never let go.”
Epilogue
Monday, February 3, 2020
They’d done it.
Jeff stood in the kitchen, staring down at his left hand and the band circling his finger. He couldn’t stop smiling, remembering how he and Mack had stood before the justice of the peace, Kennedy at his side, Daniel at Mack’s, their kids there to bear witness to the nuptials.
The ceremony had taken only a few minutes, but they were the minutes Jeff would remember for the rest of his days.
“So, Sheriff, I was wonderin’ somethin’.”
Jeff turned as Mack’s voice drew closer. “What’s that?”
“We never talked about who’d take whose name.”
“No, we didn’t,” Jeff admitted. “I didn’t think you’d want to change your name.”
Mack grinned. “So you assumed you’d be the one to change yours, huh? I think Mack Endsley sounds pretty damn good. Then again, Jeff Schwartz has a nice ring to it.”
Jeff smiled. “It does, sure. We could always hyphenate.”
Mack suddenly shook his head, stepping in close and taking Jeff’s hand. As he’d done on their way out of the courthouse, Mack’s thumb brushed over the wedding band on Jeff’s finger.
