Page 77 of Heal
Parson closed his eyes. "I want this to be easy."
"Nothing in our lives is easy, but it will be worth it. I know it will. I've thought about almost nothing but you the last few weeks apart. So many times I wanted to call you, tell you about my day, share something the kids said or did. I missed your touch, your smile, your smell." As if proving a point, Beau ran his nose along the side of Parson's neck.
"You really think we can make this work?"
"I know we can."
Parson turned to face Beau, staring into his eyes. "I've missed you too. I want to give this a go, but we take it slowly. I'll try not to ask too many questions about things, but I can't promise I won't ever ask. If you can't answer, tell me that."
"I promise." Beau reached up and cupped Parson's face in his hands. "Can I kiss you now?"
Parson smiled and nodded.
"Thank God. It's been a long few weeks without you." He pressed his lips against his.
Parson gave himself fully to the kiss, forgetting about his doubts. What he felt when he was with Beau was what mattered. This couldn't be wrong. They had things to work through, things to figure out, but as he melded his body to Beau's, he was sure they'd find a way. It was too right not to.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Beau watched as his mother helped Lisa frost the cake they'd made. He loved how welcoming his mom and sister had been. As nervous as he was to bring the kids to his parents, things had gone well. His father was nice, but not overly welcoming, but then he was that way with Beau as well. His sister had spent the entire dinner talking to Jeff and Lisa about their dreams and what they enjoyed doing.
Then after dinner, his mother had taken Lisa into the kitchen and started to bake. He'd always found it funny that they had two chefs who cooked all their meals, but his mother always did the baking. The moment she found out that Lisa liked to cook and was learning all she could, she pulled her into the kitchen and started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards. Now the house smelled like cake, and he was wondering if he'd ever be able to steal his kids back from his sister and mother.
Jeff was with his sister, Beth, in the den watching some movie. Every now and then he'd hear them laughing. It was one of the most beautiful sounds he'd ever heard. He'd worried the kids would have problems with new people, but it seemed his family wasn't going to be an issue for them. Even seeing Lisa with his mom was refreshing as she was the first female, other than Faith, he'd seen Lisa willing to spend time with. His parents had stayed silent about her obvious pregnancy, which he was glad. Lisa wasn't talking much about it, and he'd worried his parents would push for information she wasn't ready to discuss.
"I was worried about you when you said you were adopting two children, especially older ones, but I have to admit, they are not what I expected. They are polite and well-mannered. Have you thought about sending them off to a good school?"
Beau shook his head. He'd hoped his father was being complimentary, but the comment about sending them off proved him wrong. Still, he shouldn't have been surprised. His father seldom spent time with Beth and him when they were little, and he was sure if it wasn't for his mom refusing to send him off, his father would have shipped him to some school just so he wouldn't have to deal with him. "I'm not adopting them just to send them off again. I want them here with me. They'll do fine in the public schools here. I like coming home from work and having them there. They've changed my life in the best way possible."
"You need a woman to help you take care of them." His father reached for his brandy.
"I have help. Warren is a wonderful nanny, and I'm still seeing Parson, and he's always there if I need him. The kids are quite fond of him."
"I'd hoped you'd moved on from him."
"Actually, I'm hoping to keep him around for a very long time. I know you'll never approve, but I quit worrying about your approval when I was around eight. I knew I'd never get it." Beau's temper rose. If it wasn't for the kids having fun, he would have left the house.
"You were always so independent, thinking you didn't need my guidance."
"I've seemed to get by without it." Beau pulled his phone out, wishing the hospital would call with an emergency so he had no choice but to leave.
"You've done well for yourself. Not as well as you would have done working with me."
It was the closest thing to a compliment he'd ever had from his father, but he was sure it was meant to be more of a negative comment than positive.
"I have to admit, I went over the information you sent me the other day about your fundraiser, and I am impressed. You've put together quite the event. A night of star-studded entertainment. Do you think you'll succeed in raising what you need?"
Beau set his phone on the table as he glanced over at his father. "Tickets went on sale the first of this week, and so far, they are doing well. I also have promises of donations from many of the entertainers who will be joining us that night. Hopefully, we'll be able to raise the goal, plus some. I would love to be able to add in a few extras if we are able."
"Let me know what you need. I can make a sizable donation, but I'd rather wait and see if I'm better to help you with funds or property investments."
Beau didn't doubt for a minute that his father already had his eyes on property and he would try and make a hefty profit on the land somehow, or someone he hated was interested in the property and his father hoped to buy it out from under them. His father didn't do much without it being profitable for him. Even the contributions he did make annually were for tax write-offs. "Thanks, Dad, I really appreciate it. This means a lot to me."
"I'm sure it does. You've always had a soft heart."
To anyone else, that might have sounded like a compliment, but to Beau, it was a subtle homophobic comment.
"I'm going to check on the bakers." Beau grabbed his phone off the table and stood. He headed into the kitchen, the air suddenly lighter and the stress easing as he put distance between him and his father. "Something smells amazing." He walked over to where Lisa was frosting a cake and dipped his finger into the frosting bowl.
