Page 60 of Jake and Conner
"That's understandable. It was a big thing to tell him." After all, I hesitated telling Jake too, and we weren't teens.
But even though we weren't, our lives were still going to change after this revelation.
"How did he react?" I asked, hoping I wasn't making Mark uncomfortable with my questions.
Mark only laughed, though. "You know what, he actually didn't speak for a full five minutes or so. I mean, it was scary at the moment, but when I remember it now... the look on his face was kind of hilarious."
"I'm glad you can laugh about it now." I really was. The months and even years ahead for Mark and Bastian weren't going to be easy, but I got the feeling the two of them were going to be all right in the end. They had the support of all of us, and what was even more important, a deep appreciation for each other, from what I could tell.
But Jake and I had that too, didn't we?
For as long as I could think back, we'd always had that, even when we weren't on best terms with each other.
And the more I thought back about all the things we'd done together and all the experiences we'd lived through, the clearer it became to me just what I had to do.
When we were done shopping--Mark left the mall with four complete sets of new outfits--I took Mark back to Dean and Griff's house and got out of the car with him.
Griff opened the door for us and I greeted him with a smile as he took the bags of clothing from me. "Wow, that's a lot," he said. "It's too bad I didn't keep any of my paternity clothes. We gave them away a few years after Aiden was born. I love my boys, but we knew the two of them were enough to keep us busy."
"It's all right," I said. "We got this taken care of now."
"Thank you," Mark said again.
Griff ushered the boy inside. "Come in and sit down. I know the way your feet swell when you're that size."
Mark blushed a little bit, but did as he was told.
"Seriously," Griff said, looking at me again. "Thanks for going shopping with him. I should have done that. That's my grandkids he's carrying."
"It was no problem," I assured Griff. "Where's your husband?"
"Oh, Dean's in the living room with Aiden and Bastian."
"Is he busy today?"
"Not that I know. Why?"
I gave Griff a sheepish grin. "I might need his help with something."
27
Jake
When Conner asked me to come over to his place Christmas Eve, I expected we were just going to have a quiet evening, together, exchange gifts—I’d bought him some books he’d mentioned in a quite obvious fashion—and nothing more. I noticed the square blue box sitting on the kitchen table, but didn’t think much of it.
I didn't even ask what was inside.
I cared that Conner and I were alone together.
The only reason I was in the kitchen rather than his bedroom was because he said he wanted to do gifts first.
Conner sat down at the table and I took my cue from him to do the same.
"I didn't ask you to come over for Christmas because I wanted to have sex," he said. A faint blush colored his cheeks. "Well, notstrictlybecause I want that, anyway."
Had I come on too strong? I'd kissed him when I came in the door and yes, maybe, that kiss had been a little more pressing than the way Iusuallykissed him. Maybe my thoughts had been in the bedroom already.
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "You know you mean more to me than sex, right? I'm happy to be here with you even if we don't do anything." At least that was what I was trying to tell my flagging erection. If Conner didn't want to get down and dirty with me tonight, I wasn't going to press him.
