Page 31 of Conveniently Theirs

“That’s never going to happen, darlin’.”

Devin faces us but remains at the window. “No,sweets, it won’t. Remember, nothing will ever come between us.”

A beautiful pink fills her cheeks. “Except me.”

His chuckle is rough but the resulting smile is relaxed and calm. I don’t know how he manages to keep his inner turmoil so well hidden. He moves to sit on one of the chairs. “Except you. We’ll be okay, Keni. No matter what, the three of us are together.”

Lifting three fingers, he presses them over his heart. After the first night the three of us spent together, Keni shyly added the third finger to the signal Devin and I had used for silent communication of our love. Now the bond includes the three of us. Keni and I make the same motion, affirming that love.

“Ah, here you are. Sorry to keep you waiting. I was surprised when you actually arrived on time.” Harold’s deep laughter fills the room. He’s always had an amazing presence, commanding a room even when he’s not in charge.

He’s been my father. My mentor. I love the man deeply and never want to disappoint him. However, Devin and Kendall are my life’s priorities now.

Harold draws a chair closer and sits. “Congratulations on your marriage, Joshua, Kendall. I pray you’ll be happy together.”

“We are, we will be, Uncle.” I glance at Keni then include Devin in my gaze. “We are.”

Harold leans back with his elbows on the arm rests and steeples his fingers. “Your marriage will please the old fuddy-duddies on the board and hopefully shut them up.”

Devin grimaces. “This marriage bullshit was just about pleasing the board? Appointing a new batch of directors would make more sense. Why mess with your nephew’s life just to appease them?”

Harold looks like he’s fighting a grin. Curious. He jerks to his feet, moves to his bookshelf and pours whisky into four glasses. Whisky neat? He’s about to say something seriously important. He sets a wooden box on the tray with the glasses and returns to his seat.

We join him in a silent toast. Devin takes a long sip. Keni pretends to drink and wrinkles her nose. I hold my glass between my cupped palms. “Uncle Harold?”

“I need to tell you a story.”

We wait in silence for him to continue. He drains his glass before speaking into the empty container. “Long ago, in the late sixties, I fell in love. The old proverbial head over heels. Times were differentthen. Society was changing but certain relationships weren’t openly spoken of.”

A frown tightens my forehead. This almost sounds like Harold?—.

“Yes, Josh. I was in love with a man.”

“Harold?” Devin begins.

My uncle waves one hand dismissing whatever Devin was about to say. “Like Josh, I realized I was gay at a young age. Or perhaps I should properly call myself bisexual. I think I caught on to that aspect of myself earlier than you did, Josh. My lover never claimed to be attracted to women. Except to a girl we met at an anti-war rally. He always called her his one exception.

“The three of us had almost two wonderful years together before his number came up in the draft. He was sent to Vietnam. Less than six weeks later his body came home in a box. Our woman said being with me made her miss him too much. She disappeared. Couple years later I received a postcard. She’d joined some commune in Idaho.”

He gets up and takes Keni’s glass. “Sorry, dearheart. I forgot you don’t care for whisky.” He refills his glass, then mixes orange juice and vodka for Keni. After a few sips, he sets his drink aside and moves the wooden box to the arm of his chair.

After a deep breath, he opens the lid and pulls out a tattered postcard, carefully laying it on the coffee table. Then he removes a folded envelope and places it next to the postcard. “I never knew, but she married. This letter came to me about six years ago. From her husband. Telling me she’d passed. Cancer.”

“Oh, Harold, I’m so sorry,” Keni says softly.

He shrugs. “I was surprised she’d told her husband about me and that he cared enough to let me know. I’m… glad she had a happy life.

“A couple years ago, I received this.” He holds up a set of dog tags on a ball chain. “From his mother. She’d hated me from the start. Probably blamed me for turning her son gay. There was no letter. No explanation.”

We’re silent as he returns his treasures to the box. “So you see, Josh, I understand you better than you thought.” He flashes a twinkling smile at Devin. “Either of you. Now, I’ve never had another serious relationship with either a man or a woman. This empty lack wasn’t something I wanted you to experience, and I was delighted when you brought Devin home.

“But I sensed there was something missing. I started paying attention and noticed your reactionswhenever Kendall came to visit. I had high hopes for you once you understood your bisexuality.”

“But I never said anything.”

“Didn’t need to. I simply knew. The way you watched her told me everything.”

I’m not sure I appreciate where this is going. “So you manipulated us into this marriage?”

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