Page 38 of Taking Chances in Cedarwood

“They cleaned a coastline.” She leaned against the tractor tire. “They saw your pictures.”

“Did they?” Then that was why his father had contacted her. “Who isthey?”

“Not your mother or mine. Her name is…” Maddie scrunched her nose. “Zoe? I think it’s Zoe. Anyway, our mothers are happily living in a commune, and Dad is with Zoe. Dad and company wanted to know if they could visit. They’re proud you have a popular boyfriend.”

“He couldn’t send a letter and tell me that himself?” Andrew carried the kitten to the wagon and sat on the hitch. Ollie wriggled, then settled against his chest.

“He’ll sleep there if you let him,” Maddie said. “And you’ll love it. He’s so soft and cuddly.”

“I know.” He wanted more action going on in the house. “So Dad wants to see me?”

“Now he does.”

“He could handle my having five wives or six girlfriends, but my being gay was against the law,” Andrew said. “He only gave me the farm because he didn’t want to sell it. He hated my choices. Why would he want to see me?”

“He was harsh,” she said. “He used to tell my mother he thought he failed because you ended up being gay.”

“Failed?” That was a new one. His being gay had nothing to do with his father.

“He thought you weren’t enough of a man, but he was wrong.” She nodded once. “He made a lot of mistakes, and you don’t have to forgive him or let him visit. I wouldn’t.”

Andrew groaned. “But?”

“There’s no but. He doesn’t like gay people. You just happened to be the target for his frustration.” She sighed. “Our mothers didn’t give a shit, and I don’t either. He hated that he couldn’t change you, and I always loved that you were authentic.”

“Authentic.”Nice way of explaining me.

“You can’t force someone to change—not in the way he wanted to change you.” She crossed her ankles. “You don’t have to see him.”

“Good.” He wasn’t planning on a big family reunion.

“But you might want to get cleaned up,” she said. “It’s important.”

“Why?”

“Well…” She grinned and put the kitten back in the pen. “Cain’s coming over tonight.”

“He is?” He almost dropped Ollie. “How? Really?”

“Really.” She left the pen and wiped her hands on her jeans’ legs. “You have to do a bit of playing along for a little while because Liam wants to scope out the farm for a few scenes. He’s bringing Cain with him so they can discuss camera angles.”

“Here?” Who would want to film a movie at the farm?

She lowered her voice. “Liam’s meeting with Cain tonight and they’re coming here, not for locations, but so you can be together. None of us want you apart and it’s the only way at the moment to make it work. If all goes well, then you’ll have the weekend with him.”

“Yeah!” He wanted Cain to be able to visit without restriction. His fears surfaced, and his stomach lurched. “What if he realizes he’s not really in love with me or he changes his mind? What if we’re permitted to be together and the love fades? Or it was just because we were forbidden from seeing each other?” God. He didn’t want to think through all the possibilities.

“What if? What if it’s the beginning of the rest of your life with him?”

He snuggled Ollie again. “Cain wants to see me?”

“Yes.”

“Dad wants to visit me because of Cain.”

“He does.”

His annoyance grew. “I’m gay and it’s okay as long as Dad gets to meet someone famous. Any other time, it’d be terrible, and he’d tell me so.”

---