I was trying my best to prevent Asher from a similar performance, only because I knew how hard he’d be on himself later.
“One more deep breath,” I told him.
Asher inhaled, and then the door swung open and my dad stood there, smiling at Asher and Blue. “Are you boys going to come inside or is this a porch party?”
Asher turned and looked at my dad, and he thrust the leash at him, nearly punching my dad in the chest while doing so.
“We got you a dog,” he blurted. “His name is Waldorf, and he’s a rescue.”
Dad took the leash, and he looked down at the fuzzy creature on the other end. “Oh.”
Dad’s voice was soft and laced with disbelief. And then he said it again, but this time his voice trembled and he slowly lowered himself down into a crouch. “Oh. Hello, Waldorf.”
Waldorf wriggled himself right into Dad’s arms and kissed his face. Dad lost his balance and was knocked onto his ass. After a chorus ofwho’s a good dog, you’re a good dog, Dad turned his attention back to us. “You know, boys, most people bring wine as a host gift when they’re invited for dinner.” Dad laughed as Waldorf made it his mission to lick every inch of his bare skin. “This is fine, though.”
Dad managed to get to his feet, still cradling Waldorf close to his chest. “This is mighty fine.”
Dad arranged Waldorf so that he could hold him, but also extend a hand to Asher. “I’m David, but you can call me Dad if you’d like. Growing up, all of Jax’s friends called me Dad.”
Asher shook my dad’s hand. Some of the color had returned to his face. “I’m Asher, this is Blue. It’s good to meet you, sir.”
“Oh, please don’t call me sir. You’re practically family so there’s no need for that. The only people who call me sir are people who want money from me.” Dad shook Blue’s hand next. “Come on in. Dinner will be ready soon. Can I get you kids anything to drink?”
Dad led us through the foyer and past the living room to the kitchen where he stopped dead in his tracks. “I guess I need to get Waldorf things like dog food.”
“Oh! We have all that in the car.” Asher was off like a shot before anyone could offer to go with him. When the front door shut, Dad sent me a look.
“What did you tell him about me? He’s acting like he’s coming tobedinner instead of coming toeatdinner.”
“He’s nervous. He wants you to like him.”
“He makes you happy. Therefore, I already like him.” Waldorf sneezed, then shook his body from head to tail, the metal from the leash rattling against the d-ring on the harness. Dad unclipped it and ruffled Waldorf’s furry, floppy ears. “How old is he?”
“Rex, the vet I work for, figures he’s between five and seven years old,” Blue said. “He’s still a bit thin, but he’s put on some weight since he was rescued. He’s up to date with his shots, but Rex would like you to bring him by the clinic in a month or two so he can have a look at him. The cost is already covered.”
Asher returned with the box of dog supplies. His cheeks were pink, maybe from embarrassment or maybe from lugging all the doggy supplies into the house in one trip.
“I left everything else in the living room,” Asher said as he joined us in the kitchen. “But I brought his dishes and his food for you.” He set them on the counter, and then let out a breath.
Dad stepped over to where Asher stood and he tugged him into his arms. Dad gave bone-crushing hugs when he wanted to, and he must have wanted to because Asher’s eyes bulged like they were going to pop out of his skull.
“Ease up on him, Hulk,” I said to Dad. “Don’t break my boyfriend.”
Dad backed off but kept his hands on Asher’s shoulders. “The two of you”—he cut his gaze to Blue, then back to Asher again—“will call me Dad. Not David, or sir, or any of that Mister Jackson nonsense.”
Asher looked at me and blinked. “I didn’t know you had a different name from your dad. Good thing, though, or you might’ve been Jax Jackson.”
I let out an inelegant snort. “Mom didn’t want to take his last name, and she put her maiden name on the birth certificate. To compromise, she named me Jackson, which I shortened to Jax.”
While I explained this, Dad went to the fridge and dug out beer for everyone. He passed one to Asher. “You look like you could use this.”
“I’m not twenty-one yet.”
Dad didn’t bat an eye at Asher’s age, something else Asher had been worried about. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know you don’t have the same last name as your dad.” Asher frowned and I took the beer from his hand, cracked it open, and gave it back to him.
“We’ve only been together for a little while.” Blue soothed Asher with a kiss to the cheek and an arm around the waist. “We have plenty of time to learn all the random trivia about each other.”
