Page 88 of Home in the Country
“How are you adjusting? Is that the right word?” He tilts his head back and forth as he mulls it over.
“There’s a lot of misplaced emotion right now. I know it’s not my fault, but there’s guilt and uncertainty and some confusion.” He lowers his voice. “I’m not ashamed of being gay, but a part of me is ashamed for keeping Fallon in a marriage that wasn’t what she deserved. She had to make a lot of sacrifices, but she stayed with me until my contract was up and we could get out here.”
“Are you talking to someone about”—I circle my hand in his direction—“all that misplaced emotion?”
He shrugs and I make a mental note to revisit that at a later date. “Were you really going to hit me when you got here?”
I smirk and finish my water. “I hadn’t planned that far ahead, but it was definitely a possibility.”
“I told Fallon when you walked out of the restaurant that if she didn’t tell you, I wasn’t going to get hit because she was all in her head.”
“I appreciate you being honest with me.”
“Yeah,”—he rubs the back of his neck—“and thanks for…” He gestures haphazardly with his hand but I get it.
“Yeah,” I say with a nod and then because I can’t help myself I add, “If she keeps me can we get shirts?”
“What is it with you and shirts?” He laughs like he can’t quite follow my brand of crazy.
“Tell me the one for Briggs wasn’t awesome. Go on, I’ll wait,” I challenge and then punch him in the arm with a grin. “Dude, we brought a life-sized cutout of you with us.”
He laughs and shakes his head but is clearly resigned to his fate.
“That was pretty legit.” Tanner sighs. “Briggs couldn’t stop talking about you showing up with your entire family for him.”
“We take care of family.”
Closing his eyes, Tanner looks up toward the sky. He’s quiet for a moment before he says, “All right, what do you want to get?”
I let out awhoopand he snorts.
“Like you see in those videos where they have dad and bonus dad shirts.”
“You want to be a bonus dad?” He’s teasing me, but I nod. “And you want to get matching shirts?” I nod again and he shakes his head but can’t keep the smile from his face. “Yeah, Otto. If Fallon keeps you around, we can get matching shirts.”
I fist pump to really lay it on thick, and he just shakes his head.
“I hope she realizes that you’re like having a second kid. You’ve been here for like twenty minutes and I’m already exhausted.”
“I’ll have you know that I am a delight to be around.”
He snorts. “Yep. I gathered that.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out.
FALLON: Where are you?
“Hey, let’s take a selfie.” I don’t wait for his response before leaning toward him with my phone out. “Act like you tolerate me; it’s for Fallon.”
He snorts and then we both smile, and I take the picture and send it without any additional text.
Her response is immediate.
FALLON: Oh shit
FALLON: How much trouble am I in?
OTTO: Dunno Princess…you tell me.
