“Because you’re a same-sex two-parent household,” Marcus said. Disgust was written all over his face. “It’s bullshit, but we live in Georgia. There is no guarantee a judge will rule in your favor. There is no legal protection for you to sue on the grounds that there was discrimination because of it. You get the wrong judge and yeah, you could lose. A carefully worded argument about looking out for the sanctity of the family and …” He gestured. “That’s that.”
“If it came down to that, we could appeal it to a higher court though, right?” Stephen said. “Because you damn well better be sure we would.”
“Yeah, you could,” Marcus said. “You could drag it all the way up to the US Supreme Court if you had the funds to keep going or could get an organization to help back you. But it would get ugly. You’d be opening yourself up to the press, to public scrutiny, to threats against your family …”
“That’s such bullshit.” Russ let out an aggravated noise of frustration. Stephen patted his thigh to calm him.
Marcus nodded. “I agree, but …”
“No, I hear you,” Stephen said with a sigh. “And I’d sincerely like to avoid that if we can.”
“I hope you don’t have to go that route,” Dan said. “Either way, I strongly suggest you consider finding a new lawyer. I am sure yours was fine for what you’ve done up until now, but I can recommend a good lawyer who specializes in family court and custody issues. I can give you her number.”
“That would be great,” Russ said.
“Hopefully, all you wind up needing them for is dealing with the adoption hearings and paperwork, but you’ll have them ready if more is required.”
“Yeah that sounds good,” Russ said. He glanced over at Stephen, who nodded.
“Please.”
“We want to do this in whatever way would be best for Austin,” Russ said firmly. “So if you both suggest we go the route of talking to Austin’s father first, that’s what we’ll do.”
Marcus rubbed his chin. “If there’s a chance of a court case, I probably shouldn’t be seen socializing with you guys in the future.”
Stephen frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, technically this is a conflict of interest,” he admitted. “Since I am the social worker overseeing his case. It could get ugly in court.”
“They’d try to imply you didn’t have Austin’s best interests at heart?” Russ guessed.
He nodded. “Yes. That my friendship with you compromised my ability to make a fair assessment of your fitness as parents.”
“Should we avoid this in the future then?” Russ asked.
Marcus shrugged. “That’s up to you. My take on it is that if concerns were raised, they could always assign Austin a new social worker to verify my reports, but I want to be upfront about any potential pitfalls.”
“We’ll think about it and discuss it,” Stephen said.
Russ nodded.
“In the meantime, do you want me to reach out to Mr. Carr about signing over his rights?”
“If you think that’s the best approach.”
“I do. I wasn’t the social worker when Austin was taken into foster care so Mr. Carr doesn’t know me at all. But, that also means there’s no bad history there either. I can introduce myself as a fairly neutral third party and reassure him I’m entirely on Austin’s side in this situation.”
“Yeah, that seems good to me,” Russ said and Stephen nodded.
Dan cleared his throat. “I’m going to get a drink. Anyone want anything?”
“Just a water,” Russ said. “Stephen?”
“I could do another bourbon if you’re driving, Russ.”
“Sure.”
“Coming up.” Dan slid out of the booth. “Marcus?”
“Yeah, I’ll come with you.”
“Well, this is going to get interesting, I guess,” Stephen said with a sigh after their friends left to get drinks.
“The custody issue?”
“Yeah.”
Russ rubbed his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I know. I just hate the thought of it getting complicated because it’s going to be hard on Austin.”
“All we can do is our best,” Russ reassured him.
“I know.” He turned in his seat to thank Russ for helping him keep the situation in perspective, but his gaze drifted over the bar. He saw Marcus lean in close, like he was speaking privately to Dan, but his hand was also on Dan’s back and their body language was very, very intimate.
“Hey.” He nudged Russ. “Do you see that?”
He glanced over for a moment before he looked back at Stephen. “Interesting. Do you think they’re …”
Stephen shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. Dan has always sounded pretty broken up over his husband’s death. I don’t know if he’s ready to move on yet.”
“Sure, but he could just be lonely and looking for an outlet.”
“I don’t know that Dan strikes me as a casual hookup sort of guy,” Stephen said doubtfully. “And I don’t know Marcus well enough to tell. Hell, I don’t even know if he’s gay.”
Russ raised an eyebrow. “You’re telling me you think those two aren’t attracted to each other?”
Stephen glanced at them again. “Based on that body language, yes, but …” He shrugged. “Marcus could always be bisexual. Or in a committed relationship and attracted but not acting on it. He doesn’t wear a ring, but I know absolutely nothing about his personal life.”
“True. I’d be hard pressed to believe nothing’s going on between them though.”
“Oh, I would too, but I can see why they’d avoid it even if the attraction was there.”
Russ turned to look at them again. Dan had turned sideways so they were face to face, nearly touching as they spoke about something. Marcus rested his hand on Dan’s hip as he leaned in and spoke in his ear again. Dan’s hand rose like he was going to rest it on Marcus’s bicep, then fell.
“Damn though.” Russ shook his head. “That’s intense.”
Stephen grinned. “It sure is.” Even from a distance, Stephen could feel the sexual tension radiating from both of them.
“It makes me want to go home and …” Russ ran his hand along Stephen’s thigh.
“We can. Just don’t forget we have a kid at home.”
“Right.” Russ gave him a crooked smile. “We’ll have to be quiet.”
“We could park somewhere, I suppose.”
“Sex in the car? Would we even fit? Your Mercedes is roomy, but I’m not sure it’s that roomy.”
Stephen considered the interior space. “Probably not.”
“You know what I’ve always wanted to do?”
“What’s that?”
Russ licked his lips. “Sneak into the office and have you bend me over your desk.”
Stephen blinked at him. “Russell Bishop, I’m shocked.”
He grinned. “I know. I’m a terrible influence. Or at least I’m trying to be.”
“You really are.” Stephen looked him over. “I’m thinking about it though.”
Russ gave him a surprised look. “Really? I figured you’d never go for it.”
“Well, you’ve made me feel a lot younger and a lot more adventurous.” He leaned in and snuck in a quick kiss.
“Mmm, good to know.”
Russ had just excused himself to use the restroom when Dan and Marcus returned. Dan slid into the booth but Marcus paused and held up a finger. “Just a sec.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned down at it. “Damn it, I have to take this outside. I’ll be back in a bit.”
After Marcus was gone, Stephen gave him curious look. “Forgive the question if it’s too intrusive, but are you and Marcus …”
Dan dragged a hand over his face. “He seems to think so.”
“And that’s not something you want?”
“It’s something I’m wary of. There’s no denying Marcus is a great guy, but I’m not ready to let go of Benj
amin—” Dan cleared his throat. “And frankly, Marcus and I work together. It’s a terrible idea to get involved. I never want people to question what’s going on at Open Doors or for there ever to be any doubt about the impartiality. We both get dragged into court cases at times and … it’s too complicated. Even if I was ready to move on, Marcus is the last person I should get involved in.”
“That seems like some pretty powerful chemistry there,” Stephen said.
Dan sighed heavily and sat back. “Chemistry isn’t enough. I’ve got four kids at home and hundreds more who come in and out of Open Doors. They’re my first priority and they always will be. Marcus Parnell’s charms or not.” He drained his drink and rose before Stephen could comment. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Stephen stared down at the table thoughtfully. They were both great guys and there was no denying they had something, but he could see Dan’s point.
“Was it something you said?” Russ joked as he slid into the booth a few minutes later.
Stephen gave him a rueful smile. “Apparently.”
“Seriously, where did everyone go?”
“Marcus had an important call he needed to take. Dan said he was going to the bathroom, but I think it was actually something I said.”
“Oh. What did you say? Was it about Austin?”
“No. Not at all. I asked him about him and Marcus.”
“Ahh. Did he fill you in on the story there?”
Stephen repeated what he and Dan had discussed.
“That makes sense. Shame though.” Russ looked contemplative. “They seem like they’d be great together. And the chemistry is kinda off the charts. But I suppose they’re both exceptionally attractive, so it makes sense.”
“Like us.”
Russ grinned. “Yes, like us. And when did you get so cocky, Mr. Parker?”
“Oh, about the first time you looked up at me from the floor and called me Mr. Parker,” Stephen said with a laugh. “It’s amazing what your presence in my life has done for my ego.”
“Good,” Russ said firmly. “But what do we do about Marcus and Dan?”
Stephen chuckled. “We don’t do anything. It’s up to them to figure out if it’ll work for them or not. And based on the conflict of interest there … I don’t know. It seems like it may not be worth it.”
“Damn, that’s a shame.”
“You just want everyone to pair off and be as happy as we are.” Stephen smiled at him.
“Yeah, I guess I do.” He gave Stephen a little shrug and a smiled back.
“I love that about you.”
They drank and talked for another twenty minutes but eventually Russ glanced at his watch. “Should we be concerned that our friends abandoned us?”
“I think it’s more likely they got caught up in that, uh, chemistry we witnessed.”
“Good point.” Russ grinned. “Well, good for them.”
“Want to head out?”
“Sure.” Russ leaned close. “You want to take me to the office?”
Stephen chuckled and rested his hand on Russ’s back as he escorted him out the door. “Not tonight, but yes, let’s do that some time.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Have you ever been sailing?” Stephen asked Austin one night after dinner.
“Sailing? No.” Austin’s tone was incredulous. “When would I have gone sailing?”
“Don’t feel bad,” Russ said as he cleared the table. “I hadn’t gone until I met Stephen either. It’s nice though. You get to spend all day out on the water in the sunshine and the fresh air. And if the wind’s right, you can go pretty fast.”
“Yeah, that sounds okay,” Austin said with a shrug. “I guess we could go.”
“Excellent.” Stephen rubbed his hands together. “We’ll pack a lunch and make a day of it on Sunday. Oh, we’ll need to get you a life jacket before then though.”
“Ugh, do I have to wear one?”
“Yes,” Russ said firmly. “You do. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Are you going to wear them?” Austin asked.
Generally, they had them within reach on the sailboat but didn’t wear them. Russ exchanged a glance with Stephen, who gave him a little shrug, and Russ nodded. “Yes, we will. We wouldn’t set a very good example to you if we told you to wear one then didn’t do it ourselves, right?”
“Okay,” Austin said. “That seems fair.”
And Russ smiled because it occurred to him that Austin was a lot like him. He’d follow the rules as long as they made sense. Good, that gave him a starting point. He could definitely work with that.
“I know I just gave you a ton of information,” Stephen said on Sunday morning as they stood on the dock at the marina. He had just gone through a basic lesson about sailing. He was thorough but Russ privately thought Austin looked a little overwhelmed. “And it’s okay if you forget some of it. We’ll go through it again. But there’s one rule you absolutely have to remember above all else, okay?”
“Okay,” Austin said apprehensively.
“If I tell you to do something, you do it immediately. Because it’s for your safety. Sailing can be dangerous. If you are in the way when I’m tacking, you could get smacked in the head with the boom, get a concussion, and drown before we can save you. So, if I tell you to move, you do it without argument. I’m not doing it because I enjoy telling you what to do, it’s to keep you safe and alive.”
“Yeah, okay.” Austin’s eyes were wide and alarmed, and Russ wondered if Stephen had gone a little overboard. He knew he wanted to impress importance of following the rules to Austin, but he looked a little terrified.
Russ cleared his throat. “Uh, Stephen …”
He glanced at Austin and seemed to realize what Russ was hinting at. He crouched down enough to look Austin in the eye. “Hey, I’m not trying to scare you, I promise,” he said more softly. “I just want you to be safe, okay?”
“Okay,” Austin agreed.
“It’ll be fun,” Russ said, patting Austin’s shoulder. He softened a little and looked up at Russ with a nod. “Come on. Let’s go sail.”
Peace settled over Stephen as the boat darted across the water, the spray cooling his heated face. It was a perfect day, hot and sunny, with a nice breeze that ballooned the sails and sent the boat skimming over the water’s surface. Austin had seemed wary at first but slowly relaxed as the morning passed. They’d spent a few hours out on the water before stopping for lunch. They’d anchored in a sheltered cove and had a picnic on the boat. Austin had torn into the lunch they’d packed, then begged to swim. Stephen had sunned himself on the deck while Russ and Austin swam. At one point, Austin had even playfully splashed Russ, who’d retaliated immediately, and Stephen had been caught in the spray from their water fight, so he’d jumped in too, which he was pretty sure was their goal from the beginning.
Now, he looked over at them, laughing together about something he couldn’t hear, and he was struck by a thought. He wondered what his parents would think of the family he’d made for himself. I have a husband and son, Mom, he thought. You’d be a grandmother. Grief hit him out of nowhere and his eyes watered. He turned away so Russ and Austin couldn’t see. Not because his sadness was anything to hide but because it was a day for joy. Tonight, in bed, he’d talk to Russ about it. Work through the feelings and let go of the hurt that sprang up every time he thought about what his parents had missed out on.
Of course, his mother had been dead for years. Whether she’d approve of her son’s family or not, she wouldn’t have lived to see him raise Austin. And his father’s Alzheimer’s meant even if he’d lived, he wouldn’t have known who Stephen was, much less recognized the auburn-haired boy ten minutes after they were introduced. And yet, it still hurt. Maybe it would never stop hurting. Maybe that was what life was, accepting those hurts with grace and building a happy life despite them. Maybe it was not allowing those hurts to spoil the joy.
So Stephen took a deep breath as he loosened a
line, allowing the air to billow the sails so they could fly into the wind. He let his hurt fly into the wind too. And a few minutes later when he glanced back at Austin and saw him throw his head back and laugh, his red hair gleaming and wild in the summer sunshine as Russ beamed at him, Stephen gathered the love he felt for both of them and tucked them close to his heart. This was what mattered. Right here. These moments.
His past was his past, but this man and this boy were his future.
“Can I do something?” Austin yelled a little while later. “I mean, can you teach me how to actually sail this thing?”
“I’d love to teach you how to sail,” Stephen said, his heart full of joy and pride. “Come here.”
When Austin carefully came forward to the front of the hull, Stephen tucked him under his arm. He didn’t touch Austin a lot, not wanting to encroach where it wasn’t welcome but on the opportunities Austin allowed, he reveled in it. He liked that Austin was letting him in slowly but surely. Piece by tiny piece. Stephen leaned in so he didn’t have to yell as he showed Austin how to hold the line. After Austin carefully gripped the rope, Stephen kept his hands loosely on it, in case he needed to grab it if it got away from him but he let him get a feel for the tension and how hard he’d need to grip to control it.
Austin’s hands were small and unused to it, so he’d probably grow tired quickly but that was okay. Stephen would take over when he was ready to quit.
“This is really fun.” Austin grinned up at him a few minutes later.
His cheeks were a little red and Stephen hoped it was from wind, not that he’d gotten a sunburn. Austin leaned against Stephen a little and Stephen felt his chest warm. He might just have been bracing himself, but Stephen let himself hope it was a gesture of affection.
“I’m really glad you think so,” Stephen said. He took a chance and pressed a kiss to the top of Austin’s head. He shot Stephen another glance from under his eyelashes, all wary and half-hopeful and sad at once and Stephen felt his heart might actually burst when Austin leaned into him more as if telling him it was okay.
Full Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 3) Page 26
