Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Oh. I hadn’t seen that topic coming from him.
“I just told them one day. I think I was fourteen, maybe fifteen.” I grabbed two of the pie tins and spread the apple mixture over the bottoms. “I wasn’t very nervous, to be honest. My folks are a lot of things, but narrow-minded isn’t one.”
Blake hummed and rested his forehead against my neck.
I had to ask now. He’d brought it up. “I take it yours wouldn’t be as accepting.”
Soph had never seemed eager to share, though bits and pieces had come out over the years. Enough to give me an idea.
“It’s my mama,” he replied quietly. “She’d be devastated.”
Goddammit. I reached over and washed my hands quickly, then leaned the opposite direction to turn off the heat on the raspberry filling. With that done, I could turn around and give him all my attention.
He made a face and brushed his hands over the fabric of his boardshorts—or the ones he’d borrowed from me—and it looked like he was searching for pockets. When he didn’t find any, he cleared his throat and folded his arms over his chest instead. His discomfort practically radiated off him, and he wouldn’t make eye contact.
“Can I take back the last ten seconds?”
“Afraid not.” I pulled him closer to me and lifted his chin. “I know we’re supposed to have…just fun, but that doesn’t mean I don’t give a shit, Blake. It’s been what, a week and a half? And I’ve already seen what a good man you are. I see you almost every day with Teddy—and how protective you are of your sister. Of course I don’t want a guy like that to suppress such a big part of who he is. I wouldn’t even want that for my enemy. If I had one.”
The corners of his mouth twisted up ruefully. “You strike me as a guy who loves everyone—and everyone loves you in return.”
Not even remotely true. “You don’t know my dating history. It leaves a lot to be desired. There’s a reason I prefer to hang out with animals and kids.”
“But you’re always helping everyone.”
“Animals and kids,” I repeated. “For some reason, I’ve ended up with dozens of acquaintances—who I still call buddies—but there’s only one I’d turn to in a crisis.”
He nodded. “Soph.”
I nodded too. “I keep people at arm’s length. I have myself to blame for moments where I feel lonely.” I dipped my chin a little to look him in the eye, and I wanted him to hear every word I said. “But you’re keeping yourself at arm’s length, sweetheart. You can have a hundred friends and worship the ground your mother walks on. If you’re not true to yourself, what does it matter? They don’t know the real you. They don’t get to know who you are around me or Sophia. Or is that an act too?”
He furrowed his brow. “Of course not. I’ve basically cursed myself since I got here—for not visiting sooner. I can relax here.”
“You can be yourself here,” I corrected. “That’s that feeling, Blake. It’s you not pretending to be someone you’re not.”
He swallowed and looked down again. “I know. But everythin’ comes at a cost.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
He exhaled a laugh all of a sudden and shook his head. “Christ. I’ll be forty next year. Do you know what it’s like to keep a secret like that for twenty-five years?”
“No.” I couldn’t even imagine. It had to be isolating.
Blake didn’t say anything else, and judging by how weary he looked, I didn’t wanna push. He’d heard this before. He must have. He was a smart man; thoughts on being true to himself had probably wreaked havoc in his mind for almost as long as he’d known he was gay. He’d undoubtedly heard it from Sophia and David too.
“Do you mind if I take Mischa and Echo out?” he asked. “I need to clear my head for a bit.”
“No, of course—have at it. There’ll be pie and ice cream when you get back.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his hands following, framing my face. “I haven’t told you this outside the bedroom, but I’m so damn grateful I met you, you unbelievably sexy and good-hearted man.”
Well, hell. I didn’t know how to react to that. Blake’s smirk told me everything I needed to know. I probably looked like a fool.
“I’ll be back soon,” he promised.
Eight
A few days later, we welcomed Soph and Dylan’s daughter to the world. She’d evidently been impatient to join us. They named her Isabella, which was Teddy’s favorite girl’s name in the “whole wide world.”
Holding the baby girl in my arms for the first time was surreal. She didn’t weigh anything.
“Look at this wrinkly little pepper,” I murmured. “She’s precious.”
“Wrinkly little pepper…” Dylan laughed tiredly and sat down on the edge of Soph’s bed. “I hope that name doesn’t stick.”