Page 40 of Heal
Parson gripped Beau's arm before he could shut off the car. "No. Thanks for the offer, but it's safer if you stay here." He was sure he was blushing, but he would probably beg Beau to come in if they didn't part ways now.
"Then I'll talk to you when you call."
Parson bent over and kissed Beau's cheek. "Talk to you in the morning." He quickly got out of the car and rushed to the house, not looking back until he was inside and the door was closed. From the window he watched Beau drive off, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into, and wondering if he ever wanted to get out of it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Beau stumbled to the coffee pot, praying that the caffeine would help to get him motivated. He had the worst night's sleep he could remember. Between his arousal and his worry, he'd tossed and turned all night.
Subconsciously, it was as if he had been waiting for the police to show up and arrest him for hacking into state files. He really doubted that Parson would do that to him, but it was the worst-case scenario and what he feared the most.
When he'd gotten home, he'd been so aroused and turned on that he'd taken a shower and tried to take the edge off, but just as he'd start stroking his cock, thinking about how hot the kisses with Parson had been, his mind would drift to the other issues and it was like an instant cock-block.
He'd gone back and forth all night from being hard and aroused to tossing and turning, worried what Parson would do about the kids. It was a tug-a-war of emotions that left him exhausted and tense.
He didn't blame Parson for needing time. He'd all but asked Parson to ignore a criminal act and silently become an accessory to a crime by not turning him in. It was a lot to ask of a guy he'd just recently met.
All he could do was wait and hope that Parson saw things the way he did. This was the only chance they had to keep Jeff and Lisa together. It was the best option. There wasn't another way to make everything work.
The ringing of his cell phone caused Beau's chest to tighten. He slowly reached for his phone, his hand shaking slightly as he prepared himself for Parson's answer. Only it wasn't Parson, it was possibly worse.
"Hey, Dad," Beau answered.
"Who's the man you're embarrassing yourself with around town now?" His father's voice was filled with disgust.
"I wasn't embarrassed, and neither was he." Beau took a deep breath. He'd expected his dad's call sooner or later, but it didn't make it any easier. "He's someone I met through the hospital. We're working on a fundraiser together. I was planning on coming to see you later this week to tell you about it."
"You make out with all your business partners?"
"Dad, you know I won't put up with this. Who I date is my business. You're the only person who has an issue with it. Parson is a great guy. I think you'll like him when you meet him."
"Don't bother. A relationship like that won't last," his father grumbled.
"Did you call for any other reason than to belittle me?" Beau set the phone on the counter, turning on the speaker, and reached for his coffee.
"I called to find out why you're embarrassing the family."
"As I said, no one other than you is embarrassed. This is your issue, not mine. If I have my way, I'll be seeing a lot more of Parson and that means you'll probably be seeing a lot more in the media about us. Now, did you need something else or shall we end this call?"
"Son, I'm only trying to look out for your reputation."
"I'd worry more about your own, Dad. Homophobia isn't popular in this day and age." Beau was stressed enough without having to deal with this shit. "Listen, I've got a busy day ahead. You have a good weekend, Dad. Tell Mom I love her and I'll call her soon."
"Beau..."
"Bye, Dad." Beau reached over and ended the call.
Used to his father's disappointment in him, he forced thoughts of the call out of his mind. Dating was just another area he'd let his father down with. Nothing he did was good enough for the man. Beau quit trying years ago to make him happy. It wasn't going to happen. Short of quitting being a doctor and taking over the family business, he would always be a failure in his father's eyes.
Leaving the phone on the kitchen counter, Beau headed into the bedroom to get dressed. He needed to get to the hospital and visit with Jeff and Lisa like he'd promised them, then he wanted to get busy working on the fundraiser. He'd already started planning, but he needed to research some options and start looking for property. Raising money would do no good if they didn't have a place to open the new Center.
There were times when he thought about just funding the place himself, but as easy as that would be to do, he really wanted to bring attention in the community to the foster care system. Not only would that hopefully bring more families in, willing to open their homes, but it also put more attention on the program itself, thus forcing the agency to clean up its public persona and do the best job they could do while under the scrutiny of the public.
The sound of his phone ringing again had him sprinting back into the kitchen. He reached for his phone, smiling at Faith's name flashing on the screen.
"Hey, beautiful. What are you calling so early for?" He turned to refill his coffee cup.
"Come get me. I'm bored," Faith begged.
