Page 56 of Heal Me

I laugh. “Yes, at that point, I was wearing pants. Do sweats count as pants?”

Jocelin huffs. “Barely. They didn’t hide any of your assets.” He leans close to the phone. “And he wasn’t wearing a shirt, so all his gorgeous tats and muscles were out there for everyone to ogle.” He runs his hands over my arms appreciatively, and I consider hanging up and showing him how much I appreciate his appreciation. I’m jerked back to the conversation by Astrid’s shout.

“Oh, my god, Gunnar! Really?”

I shake my head at Jocelin and silently mouth ‘thanks’ at him. He laughs. “Let me say again that I was still half asleep.” I wink at Jocelin. “We were up kinda late.”

Astrid makes a retching sound. “I don’t want to know details. Lalalalala.”

I snort. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t planning on sharing details. Anyway, we went to dinner with his parents that evening, and I think I smoothed things over. Now that they’ve met their son’s boyfriend, they want to meet his bestie. And we suggested bringing Gary along as well. So, will you come to dinner with Jocelin’s parents tomorrow night?”

There’s a pause on the other end, and I hope it’s because she’s checking her calendar. “Okay, I’m a definite yes. I need to check with Gary to make sure he doesn’t have plans, but I’m pretty sure he’s a yes, too. Tell Jocelin I’ll text him after I talk to Gary.”

“Thanks, Bean. I appreciate it. You’re a good egg.”

She laughs. “I’m doing this for Jocelin.”

“I take it back. You suck.”

Jocelin rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning. “Are you two done?”

I nod. “Okay, gotta go. Jocelin and I are making stew for dinner. No, you’re not invited.” I can hear her pout through the phone.

“That’s just mean, Gunnar. I may have to bring a photo album with me to dinner tomorrow night. Jocelin’s parents might enjoy it.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Her laughter is wicked, and before I can say anything else, she says goodbye and hangs up.

I shake my head, wondering what I’ve just unleashed.

28

Gunnar

Goingtothegrocerystore with Jocelin is an adventure. He’s been inside one before, but only to grab the bare necessities, like milk or laundry soap. I spend half the time explaining what things are or why someone would even want whatever it is, and the other half telling him we don’t need whatever he’s picked up and to put it back where he found it. It’s like shopping with a five-year-old. I manage to control most of Jocelin’s impulse buys, but we do end up with several kinds of fruit and a few bottles of wine, which weren’t on the original list. By the time we get back to the car, I’m laughing but vowing never to grocery shop with him again.

We carry everything into the kitchen, and I wash the produce while Jocelin opens one of the bottles of red wine. “This I know how to do.” He pours us generous glasses, and I load the strawberries and grapes into the colander to dry.

“How about a little music while we cook?” I turn on the Bluetooth speaker and scroll to my favorite playlist.

Jocelin peers at my phone screen. “You called the list ‘Tunes’? That’s so very creative, Gunnar.”

“Hey. I wasn’t at my creative best. But it’s good music, so lay off.” I feed Jocelin a grape and kiss his cheek, before arranging all the stew ingredients on the countertop next to the cutting board and chef’s knife. “Okay, ready?”

Jocelin takes a huge gulp of wine and nods, instantly serious. “Ready.”

“So, the first thing we need to do is chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and put them aside. Let’s start with the carrots.”

Jocelin looks at them and then at the chef knife and wipes his damp hands on his pant legs. “Okay, sure.”

I try to hide my smile as he picks up the knife like he’s going to cut a steak. “Here, let me help you.” Reaching around him, I lean over his shoulder so I can see. Jocelin hums and rubs his face against my beard, and I kiss his cheek. “Behave. We have sharp implements, and you’re very distracting. Focus on the carrot.”

He snorts. “Is that a euphemism?”

“No. Not yet, anyway. Now pay attention.” I help him hold the knife properly and get a safe grip on the carrot. “You should always start with a very sharp knife so it does all the work. You’re just guiding where it cuts. But make sure you keep your fingers away from the blade.” We chop a few of the carrots together, and Jocelin gains confidence with each one. Eventually, I move my hands to his hips, letting him continue unassisted. I snag a strawberry from the colander and bite into it. “You’re doing beautifully.” Jocelin’s smile is sweet, and I can’t resist kissing him softly on the neck before feeding him a berry. With a happy hum and a mouth full of fruit, he turns his attention back to chopping.

We work through the potatoes before I carefully take the knife from his hand and set it on the counter. “Is that all we need to chop?” I don’t answer, pulling him into my arms and slowly dancing him around the kitchen. His grin is sappy and probably matches my own. “I thought we were cooking.”

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