The O'Brien Way

by Carol Lynne

  “Thanks.” Moby tapped his finger on the counter. “I called his dad.”

  Jay stopped walking and turned to face Moby. “You did what?”

  Moby nodded. “I’m hoping it wasn’t the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, but I thought it was important to let Devlin know that Sean had people here who care about him. From what I understand, the O’Brien family never celebrated Sean’s birthday or Christmas. I want Sean to have both this year whether his dad comes or not.”

  “What did Devlin say?” Jay asked.

  “He said he’d see what he could do, but he didn’t come off as overly excited by the prospect of travelling to Wyoming.” Moby shrugged. “We’ll see. I’ve done all I can do. The ball’s in his court now.”

  Chapter Six

  Sunday evening, Moby made it home from work about an hour before Sean was due to arrive. After a quick shower and change of clothes, he ventured into the kitchen to check on his mom. “Smells good.”

  Virginia barely glanced up from the table. “I wish I had a set of china. Do you think your friend will mind eating off the everyday dishes?”

  Moby studied the table. Despite the well-used plates, his mom had done an incredible job. Actually, he tried to remember a time when she’d ever dressed a table for dinner. “I think it’s beautiful, Mom.”

  Finally looking up from the table, Virginia smiled. “Thank you. I’ve been watching too many of those decorating shows on cable, I guess.”

  Moby shook his head and put an arm around his mom’s thin shoulders, giving her a slight hug. He wondered what his childhood would’ve been like if he’d had the woman at his side for a mother and not the brow-beaten wife of Bill Haines. “From the looks of this table, I’d say your time watching TV hasn’t been wasted.”

  Jilly started to bark, signalling Sean’s arrival. He squeezed his mom’s shoulder once more before releasing her. “I’ll keep Sean in the living room until you’re ready if that’s okay. If you need any help just holler.”

  “Go and entertain your guest. Dinner should be ready within the next half hour.”

  Moby entered the living room and snapped his fingers at the barking dog. “Sit, Jilly.”

  With a whine of annoyance, Jilly plopped her hind end down on the carpeted floor. Moby grinned. “Good girl.”

  The doorbell rang just as Moby twisted the knob. With one pull, his night became even brighter. Sean grinned and Moby beckoned him inside. After shutting the door against the cold, Moby glanced over his shoulder and planted a brief but deep kiss on the man he couldn’t get out of his mind.

  “Mmm,” Sean moaned when the kiss broke. “That’s a nice greeting.”

  Moby smiled and grabbed the front of Sean’s coat, pulling him closer once more. “If we were alone, I would’ve opened the door naked,” he whispered against Sean’s lips before delving in for another kiss.

  Sean’s thigh seemed to automatically insinuate itself between Moby’s legs, giving Moby’s erection something to rub against. As the kiss continued, Moby unfastened Sean’s coat to reach the man’s chest buried beneath a thick layer of down. Damn, he wanted nothing more than to strip the man and lead him to the bedroom. He was so fucking turned on, he found himself riding Sean’s muscled thigh with enthusiasm.

  A noise from the kitchen eventually broke the spell of the moment and Moby untangled his tongue from Sean’s and pulled back. He shook his head and grinned. “We’d better be careful or my mom’ll dump me out into the street again.”

  Sean stilled in the process of shedding his coat. “I thought your dad was the one who did that.”

  Moby bit his bottom lip and held his hand out for Sean’s coat. “You’re right. I used to believe it was both my parents, but the more I get to know Mom, the more I realise she had very little say in anything that went on in this house.”

  With an understanding expression on his handsome face, Sean reached out and cupped Moby’s cheek. “It sounds like things are starting to change between you and your mom. That’s good. You should take advantage of the time you have left with her.”

  Moby leant in to the touch. He hoped Sean felt the same way about his own family. The previous day’s phone conversation with Devlin O’Brien had given Moby hope. Although he refused to commit himself fully to the idea of travelling to Wyoming, Devlin did tell Moby he was looking into flights.

  Moby hung Sean’s coat in the closet before gesturing to the sofa. He’d forgotten all about Jilly, who still sat patiently waiting to be acknowledged by their guest. Moby scratched the back of Jilly’s ear as he passed by her. “Okay, baby girl. You can say hello to Sean.”

  Jilly rose immediately and stuck her nose in Sean’s crotch. Sean’s eyes rounded as he tried to brush the dog’s attention from the erection pressing against his jeans. Moby sat on the couch and chuckled at Sean’s obvious discomfort. “She’s a girl who knows what she likes. I can’t really yell at her when I’d be doing the same thing if my mom wasn’t in the other room.”

  “Yeah, well, your nose is one thing, but I’ve never had a female anything so near my cock,” Sean said, finally breaking free of Jilly. “I should go in and say hi to Virginia.”

  Moby shook his head and reached for Sean’s hand. “She knows you’re here. She told me to entertain you while she finished dinner.”

  “But isn’t it kind of rude not to at least say hello?” Sean asked.

  “Sean says hello, Mom!” Moby shouted.

  “It’s good to have you here. Make yourself comfortable,” Virginia answered.

  “See?” With a wide smile, Moby pulled Sean onto the couch. He couldn’t resist sliding his hand across the front of Sean’s jeans.

  Sean’s eyebrows shot up and he moved Moby’s hand to his thigh. “Don’t get me in trouble.”

  Moby turned on the television before curling himself against Sean’s side. He pressed his lips to the side of Sean’s neck and peppered several kisses to the lightly freckled skin. “I wish we were alone.”

  “Yeah? What would you do?” Sean asked with a devilish glint in his eyes.

  “I’d pull that hard cock out of your pants, grease it up and straddle your lap. Then I’d slowly lower myself down its length, relishing the burn as it filled my ass.”

  Sean moaned and reached down to adjust his erection. “You’re killing me. Do you really want me to show up at your mom’s dinner table with cum-soaked jeans?”

  Moby’s lips travelled back up Sean’s neck to whisper in his ear. “You make me want you more than anyone I’ve ever known. Just a glance across the pub from you and I wanna strip down and present my ass for your enjoyment.” Since fucking before his shift several days earlier, Moby had thought of little else. What would it be like to have a man like Sean around all the time? Would he ever want to get out of bed? Moby doubted it. Even the smell of the man’s skin made Moby yearn for something he’d never had the nerve to hope for.

  Sean turned his head and caught Moby’s lower lip between his teeth. The bite was erotic as hell while still being playful. “Can you follow me back to my place after dinner, or will that cause problems for you?”

  Moby wasn’t sure how to answer. “I don’t know. I mean, I guess we can see how dinner goes, but I’m not sure I care how my mom feels about it anyway.”

  Sean shook his head. “I won’t be the one to come between the two of you. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.”

  “Yeah, well I’ve had a lot of men in my bed, but you’re the first I want to wake up with every morning. I take care of Mom because it’s the right thing to do, but you’re the one who makes me happy. I won’t give that up for her.”

  “Supper’s ready,” Virginia said from the doorway.

  Moby stilled, wondering if she’d heard what he’d said. Did it matter? Despite the harsh sound of it, he’d meant every word. “Thanks, Mom.” He unwound his arms from around Sean’s neck. “Hope you’re hungry. My mom makes the best fried chicken in the state.”

  Sean chuckled and stood. “I won’
t tell Jay you said that.”

  Moby shrugged and got to his feet. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve already told him.”

  * * * *

  Sean wiped his mouth and set his napkin on the table. “Mmm mmm mmm. Thank you for the fabulous dinner, Mrs. Haines. Moby was right. That’s the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten.”

  Virginia blushed. “You’re welcome. I may not be able to do much, but cooking’s always been something I’ve excelled at.”

  “Well, if you’re ever looking for a part-time job, O’Brien’s could use you in the kitchen. As it is, we don’t serve food on Sunday anymore and only easy munchies after seven on two other evenings during the week.”

  Sean didn’t miss the look that passed between Moby and Virginia. Although Virginia had been incredibly polite, maybe she still didn’t approve of her son’s gay lifestyle. If that was the case, there was probably no way the woman would feel comfortable working at a pub in CattleValley.”

  “That’s a generous offer,” Moby said.

  “Yes it is,” Virginia answered.

  Sean wasn’t able to read her expression because he didn’t know her well enough, but he could tell something bothered her about the offer. With the sudden uneasiness at the table, Sean looked for a way out. “Why don’t the two of you go on into the living room and let me clean up.”

  Moby shook his head and stood. “You’re our guest. I’ll do it.”

  Sean wanted to argue, but realised Moby had taken his cue from his mother. He cleared his throat and nodded. “That’s nice. Thank you.”

  Virginia started to push her chair back, but Sean reached her first and helped her to her feet. She looked up at him with a surprised expression. “Thank you.”

  Sean shrugged. “You’re welcome. Would you like to join me in the living room?”

  Virginia nodded and took the offered elbow, but glanced back at Moby. What the hell was going on? Sean couldn’t put his finger on it, but there seemed to be an entire conversation going on between the two of them that Sean couldn’t hear. Before leaving the room, Sean turned to look at Moby once more. Moby grinned and winked. Whether the action was meant to flirt or put him at ease, Sean wasn’t sure.

  Virginia grabbed the remote control from the coffee table and sat in a recliner. The chair was so big it seemed to swallow the petite woman in its cushions. “Do you like House Hunters?”

  “Excuse me?” Sean asked, taking a seat on the couch beside Jilly.

  Virginia changed the channel and gestured to the TV. “It’s one of my favourite shows. It follows people around as they look for a new house to buy.”

  Sean nodded. “I haven’t seen it before, but then I’m usually working.”

  Virginia’s attention drifted from the television screen to Sean. “Did you mean what you said about offering me a job?”

  “Sure. I wouldn’t have said anything if I didn’t mean it. Are you interested?”

  Virginia worried her chin with her frail-looking fingers. “I’ve never had a job before. I’m not sure I’d know what to do.”

  Sean knew about a little of Virginia’s life with her husband, but it wasn’t his place to say anything. “Oh, I have a feeling you’ve worked for years, you just haven’t been paid for it. I can’t offer as much money as some of the restaurants around, but at O’Brien’s, the cook also gets a cut of the tips, so you should come out all right.”

  Virginia was quiet for several moments. “I heard what William said to you earlier.”

  After an internal sigh, Sean braced himself for the tirade he knew was coming.

  “I can’t lose my son, not again. It nearly killed me the first time. I won’t survive it again. I don’t think I ever hated Bill more than the day William walked out of this house. If being with you makes my son happy, it makes me happy. I need you to tell him that.”

  “No need,” Moby said from the doorway. “I’m right here.”

  Virginia sat up straighter in the chair. “I didn’t see you there.”

  “Yeah, well, there seems to be a lot of that going around.” Moby came into the room and sat beside Sean.

  Sean put a hand on Moby’s thigh for support when he noticed the moisture in Moby’s eyes.

  “Did you really hate Dad?” Moby asked.

  “Yes,” Virginia admitted. “I may go to hell for saying this, but I was glad he died because I knew there was no other way out for me.”

  “That’s not true, Mom. You could’ve called me. I would’ve done anything to help you.” Moby slid off the couch and knelt beside Virginia’s chair.

  Sean realised mother and son needed to be alone. He rose and put a hand on Moby’s shoulder. “I’m going to let myself out so the two of you can talk.”

  Moby rose and whispered something in his mother’s ear. After her reassuring nod, he turned to Sean. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  Before heading to the door, Sean addressed Virginia. “Thank you again for dinner, and think about my offer.”

  “I will, and come back anytime,” Virginia answered.

  Moby stepped into a pair of boots beside the front door before opening the closet. He passed Sean his coat before shrugging into his own.

  “You don’t have to walk me out,” Sean said. “No sense in both of us freezing.”

  Moby shook his head and smiled. “I want to.”

  Bundled up, Sean led the way out of the house. Moby closed the front door and pulled Sean into his arms before he had a chance to reach the porch steps. “I have no idea what’s happened this evening, but I feel like I’m on the edge of something, and I need to figure out what it is.”

  Sean brushed his lips against Moby’s. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. Just promise that you’ll call me later if you need to talk.”

  Moby nodded and buried his face against Sean’s neck, giving the skin a kiss before pulling away. “Thank you.”

  “Thank me by working things out with your mom.” Sean couldn’t believe how strongly he felt regarding Moby’s relationship with Virginia. It only took a few hours to see how different the two were from Ryan and his mother.

  He offered one last wave to Moby as he pulled out of the driveway. It hit him about halfway home. He more than cared for the man. Dammit, he didn’t know how it happened, but Moby had worked his way under Sean’s skin straight to his heart. The prospect of being in love both frightened and thrilled him.

  The further he travelled towards home, the less it felt like a home. Instead of returning to a pub, he wished he’d have stayed at Moby’s house. Pulling as far off the road as he could, Sean gripped the steering wheel. He needed to get himself under control. There was simply no way he could love Moby after such a short time together. Maybe he was once again transferring his need for a real family to a lover. Had he offered Virginia a job to be closer to the woman? Was he also trying to replace the mother he never had a chance to know? Whatever the reasons, he had more to figure out before he’d confess his feelings to Moby.

  * * * *

  It was well after closing time when Moby arrived at the pub. He parked in the alley outside the stairs leading to Sean’s second-floor apartment. Wiping his eyes once again, he pulled out his phone and called the one person he needed most.

  Sean answered after several rings. “Moby?”

  “I’m in the alley. Can I come up?”

  “Of course.” The bedding rustled in the background as Sean obviously threw back the covers. “Let me throw on a pair of sweats.”

  Moby almost told Sean not to bother, but he was after comfort and understanding not sex. “I’ll meet you at the back door.”

  “Don’t hang up. Tell me what’s going on?” Sean asked.

  “I needed to get out of the house for a while and the only place I wanted to be was with you,” Moby admitted. “I hope you don’t mind?”

  The door opened and a bare-chested, sleep-tousled Sean stood before him with open arms. Moby didn’t waste a second. His emotions were raw and he no longer had the
strength to hide them. He immediately shed his coat and threw it to the floor as he stepped into the apartment. The moment the door shut behind him, Moby grabbed onto Sean as though the man were an anchor in a storm.

  Moby buried his face against Sean’s shoulder.

  “What happened?” Sean asked.

  It wasn’t until Moby heard the echo of Sean’s voice from the phone in his hand that he realised he hadn’t ended the call. He closed his phone and dropped it on top of his coat. Sean’s question hadn’t been forgotten, and Moby knew he’d unload everything on his lover’s shoulders before the night was over, but first he just needed Sean’s strength.

  Sean gently pulled away enough to lead Moby towards the bedroom. “You look exhausted.” He helped Moby undress and get under the covers before joining him.

  It wasn’t until Moby was safely in Sean’s arms that he spoke. “Bill Haines wasn’t my biological father.”

  “What?” Sean tilted Moby’s chin up.

  Moby stared into Sean’s green eyes. “I didn’t know until a few hours ago. Mom finally confessed to me why he had so much control over her.” Moby took a deep breath. The pain in his mother’s eyes as she’d broken down and told him the truth would haunt him for a long time. “She lived with that fucker all those years because he agreed to raise a child that wasn’t his.”

  “I’m sure she did what she felt was right,” Sean said.

  Moby shook his head. “Maybe so. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry with her. I think she felt she had little choice after my real dad ran off. I just feel guilty. It’s because of me she suffered for so many years.”

  “No.” Sean scooted down until he was eye level with Moby. “Don’t put that on yourself. She could’ve left when Bill threw you out. At that point, she chose to stay.”

  “Only because she didn’t know how to take care of herself by then,” Moby tried to argue.

  “I’m not going to deny that, but it was still her choice. I guess what I’m trying to say is you’re only responsible for your life and your mistakes, not Virginia’s. Those are hers to deal with.”