by Zoe Piper
"You do. You make me very happy."
They were interrupted by the waitress coming to take their orders. They both chose the traditional Thanksgiving menu of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing and to Kyle's delight, his favourite, mac and cheese. They each ordered a beer, which was delivered very quickly.
As they waited for their food, Kyle took a drink of his beer and then began explaining to Jase the reason he didn't flaunt his wealth.
"I promised to tell you why I don't flash my money around." Jase nodded, not interrupting. "We've never been super wealthy, but growing up we were comfortable. My mother's family was fairly well off and when my dad took over her father's company, he grew the organisation into what it is today." He paused to take a drink. "When my grandfather passed away, the bulk of his estate went to my mother and her siblings, but he had made provisions for each grandchild to have a good-sized lump sum and shares in what is now Foster International. I was in my senior year of college and suddenly I had a lot more disposable income. I didn't go mad, but a lot of so-called friends suddenly found it convenient that I could pick up the tab when we went out."
"Fast forward a few years and I was working my way up in the company when I met Paul, and we got pretty serious pretty quick. Around the same time, my sister Chloe met Asher. They fell in love and got engaged. Mom and Dad were a bit concerned that she was getting married so young, she was only twenty-one, but she used the argument that Mama had only been a year older than herself when she met and married our father. So they gave their blessing and started planning the wedding of the year." Thinking back on that time now, Kyle still thought he should have picked up the signs, but he'd been so wrapped up in learning as much about the family business as he could. He looked at Jase who was quietly sitting, letting him tell his story, and received an encouraging nod. Taking a breath, Kyle continued. "Two days before the wedding, a friend of Chloe's told her that she'd overheard Asher on the phone saying he hadn't signed a pre-nup and that he, and whoever he was talking to on the phone, would be able to continue seeing each other. Once he had access to Chloe's money, they would be sitting pretty."
"Of course, Chloe didn't believe her friend at first, but she told me and I made her confront Asher. He confessed and told her that she should have expected it. That she was naive to think a guy would want her for anything but her money."
The waitress appeared then with their food. Kyle took a deep breath and inhaled the scent reminiscent of home. As they picked up their cutlery, Jase asked him, "My God, what a piece of work. I hope you flattened him?"
Kyle chuckled and shook his head. "No, I wanted to, but I couldn't hurt Chloe any more than she already was. Needless to say, the wedding was called off, he was given his marching orders, and we didn't hear from him again."
"What about Chloe? She must have been devastated."
"She was. It took a long time before she trusted anyone enough to date, and even then, it never went further than a couple of dates. She threw herself into finishing her degree and then joined me and dad at work." Kyle took a bite of succulent turkey. It was beautiful. Almost as good as his mother's.
"Didn't you say the other week that she’s now dating your best friend?"
Kyle grinned. "Yeah, and I couldn't be happier. Luke is perfect for her and his family is very wealthy, so I have no worries that he wants her for anything but herself."
Jase then asked the question that Kyle hoped he wouldn't ask. "What happened to Paul? You obviously broke up at some stage, because here you are with me."
Kyle gave him a half-smile at the last part of the comment. "And there's nowhere else I'd want to be." At Jase's raised eyebrow, he sighed and continued. "We broke up a couple of days after Chloe and Asher." He didn't want to go into details as to why he and Paul had broken up, so he gave the reason that had been used at the time. "We'd been having a few problems for a while and with everything going on with Chloe, we mutually decided that we weren't working, so we broke up." Deciding that he'd had enough of reliving the past, he smiled at Jase. "And now here I am with you."
Jase raised his beer in a silent toast and they tucked into their meal, chatting about various topics and enjoying each other's company.
✽✽✽
Jase trailed his fingers slowly up and down Kyle's bare shoulder and arm as the television cast flickers of light around the darkened room. They were stretched out in Kyle's bed, watching an episode of a new police crime show they’d recently discovered and gotten hooked on. Kyle leaned against him with his head resting half on his shoulder and half on his chest. Both were relaxed and full after their meal. They had shared a piece of pumpkin pie for dessert. Jase hadn’t tried it before but had fallen in love with the soft, silky texture of the filling and the flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg. Kyle had declared it was better than his mother's recipe and that was saying something.
They had returned to Kyle's place and settled in to watch television. Jase thought about what Kyle had told him tonight over dinner. The story had gone a long way to explain why Kyle lived as modestly as he did. Not that Jase had a problem with living modestly as he did the same, for very similar reasons. His stomach churned slightly at the thought of the secret he was keeping. It was time to come clean to his family and closest friends. He had plans in place and once he had seen his lawyers next week, he would be able to tell them and Kyle. He hoped they all understood his reasons for staying quiet for twelve years and wouldn't judge him too harshly. He knew people would look at, and probably treat, him differently, but he would just have to deal with it when it happened. He couldn't help but think there was more to Kyle's story than he was telling, but obviously Kyle wasn't ready to share any more and that was fine. For now.
The show credits started to run, leaving the lead cop in a cliffhanger moment. Kyle shifted back off his shoulder and he turned to look at him. "Why do they do that?" he asked. Kyle reached up and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
"Aww now, darlin', you know that they have to do things like that to get you to watch the next episode," came the drawled reply.
Jase pretended to pout. "Don't use logic with me." He pushed Kyle onto his back and rolled on top of him. Resting his weight on his elbows, he looked down into the dark blue eyes. He noticed Kyle wasn't looking as sad as he had been earlier in the evening. "I know tonight won't make up for not being with your family, but I hope you enjoyed it."
Kyle's hand came up and brushed back the hair flopping into his face. He traced his thumb across Jase's brow and down to his mouth, gently rubbing it across his lower lip. Jase flicked his tongue across the fleshy pad. Kyle dragged his thumb down, parting Jase's lips. Without conscious thought Jase leaned towards Kyle as he lifted his head up and their mouths met with a sigh. Jase's tongue stroked Kyle's and he began to deepen the kiss. He really couldn't get enough of the taste of this man. Kyle's hands rested on the small of his back, just above the waistband of his boxer briefs. Jase worked a thigh between Kyle's, who parted his legs and then bent one up to gain leverage as he pushed their hardening cocks together.
Kyle pulled his mouth away from Jase's. "Darlin'," he panted, "phone."
Jase frowned, not understanding what Kyle was saying. As his lust-filled brain cleared, he heard Brother by NeedtoBreathe coming from the bedside cabinet. That was Mike's ringtone and he knew his best friend wouldn't be calling so late unless there was something wrong. He rolled across the bed and grabbed his cell phone, quickly swiping to accept the call. "Mike, what's wrong?" Kyle sat up beside him, putting a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Jase, mate. Sorry to call so late, but Sarah said you'd be mad if we didn't." Mike's voice echoed down the line.
"It's okay. You know you can ring me anytime. Is Sarah okay?" He hurriedly asked, starting to worry. He could vaguely hear Sarah moaning quietly in the background.
"She's in labour. We're on our way to the hospital."
"Shit. Is she okay? She's early, isn't she? What do you need me to do? I can be there in
fifteen minutes." He stumbled off the bed, reaching for the jeans he had discarded earlier. He was vaguely aware of Kyle doing the same.
"Yes, she's okay and about three weeks early, but the midwife said this is fine and that she'd meet us at the hospital. You don't need to come up, but we wanted you know what was happening."
Jase paused, his jeans in his hand. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Oh. Okay. I'm glad you rang. Are you sure though, I don't mind coming up?"
Sarah's voice came onto the line. It was faint, the car’s hands-free system set up closer to the driver. "I'm okay, Jase. I only want Mike there, but I knew you’d get pissed off if I didn't let you know the Spawn was making its entrance. We've let our parents know, and as soon as we have news, I promise you will be rung."
Jase sighed into the phone. "Okay then, love. Mike, promise to call me if you need anything at all. I'm at Kyle's place so can be at the hospital within a few minutes."
"Will do. We've just arrived, so I call you again later, okay?" Mike replied.
"Love you both," Jase said and hung up the phone. His jeans fell out of his hand to the floor, and he put his phone on the bed next to him. He dropped his head into hands, taking a deep breath to try and steady himself. Thoughts were racing through his mind. Excitement for his friends, along with nerves and worry. He started when warm hands landed on his knees. He looked up to find Kyle crouched down in front of him, concern etched on his features.
"Hey, is Sarah okay? What's happening?"
"Yeah." He smiled at Kyle. "She's in labour. They're on their way to the hospital."
"That's great news. What's happening now? I take it from your comments you're not going."
Jase shook his head. "No, Sarah only wants Mike there. He's promised to ring when they have news."
Hands cradled his face, forcing him to look directly at Kyle. "She'll be fine. Come back to bed. We'll put a movie on and wait until they call back." A soft kiss was pressed to his forehead. He let Kyle pull him up and watched as he pulled back the covers. He climbed in to the bed, and this time he rested his head on Kyle's chest, letting the other man's touch sooth and calm him.
A few hours later after a fitful sleep, Jase made his way into the kitchen to make him and Kyle a coffee. Mike had yet to ring and he knew he wouldn't relax fully until he had heard from him. He headed back into the bedroom, placing a mug of strong, black coffee on the cabinet next to the sleeping Texan. He took a moment to enjoy the sight of the long, lean body stretched out with just a sheet covering his lower half. One hairy leg was poking out, and Jase ran his fingers up the muscled calf. Kyle's foot twitched. He let his fingers creep under the sheet, tracking further up the thigh. He smiled when Kyle rolled fully onto his back, widening his legs, obviously wanting Jase to let his fingers go further. Jase pulled his hand away.
Blue eyes met his gaze, face frowning as he took in a fully clothed Jase. "Morning. Don't stop on my account."
Jase took a mouthful of his coffee. He nodded to the cup he'd made for Kyle. "Drink your coffee. We have to get ready for work."
Kyle pushed himself upright and reached for the mug. "Thanks," he said before taking a sip. "Mike hasn’t called?" he asked.
Jase shook his head and sat down on the chair in the corner of the room. "Not yet. I'm sure everything’s fine."
"I'm sure too. What time do you have to be at the office today?" Kyle asked him as he got out of bed.
"Not for a couple of hours. I'll head home and get changed and then go in." Jase stood up, stepping close to Kyle and giving him a kiss. "Thank you for last night."
Kyle frowned at him. "What did I do? You took me out for a great meal. I should be thanking you."
"For being there when Mike rang. I'm not sure what I would have done if I‘d been at home on my own."
Kyle smiled at him. "I'll be there for you anytime you need me to be." A wave of warmth washed through him at the words. "You heading off now?"
"Yeah. I'll leave you to it. If I go now, I can get a run in before heading into the office." Pulling Kyle towards him, he gave him a lingering kiss. "I'll call you as soon as Mike rings me, okay?"
"I'll talk to you soon. Want to do lunch?" Kyle invited.
"Yeah. I'd like that. I'll see what's happening when I get to work and text you what time I can meet you." With a final kiss, Jase left Kyle to his morning and returned home.
✽✽✽
It was mid-morning when Kyle's cell phone buzzed. Seeing it was Jase calling, he quickly answered.
"Hi. Any news?"
"Yep!" Came the excited tones, "I'm an aunty!"
"You're a what?" Kyle asked, confused.
Jase's delighted laugh came down the line. "Mia Rose was born at 6.40am. She's on the small side at six pounds eight ounces, but perfectly formed. Both she and Sarah are doing well."
"So, if Sarah had a boy you would have been an uncle?" Kyle queried, still not quite in tune with his boyfriend's sense of humour.
"Yeah. It's a joke Sarah and I have had running all pregnancy."
"Now I understand.” Kyle smiled even though Jase couldn’t see him. “That’s wonderful news, darlin’. I’m glad everyone is okay. So, are we still meeting for lunch?"
"Would you mind if we went to visit Sarah? Visitors are allowed in after one o'clock. The grandparents are going to be there at twelve as immediate family, but we can go up after that."
"Sarah and Mike won't mind me coming along?" He queried.
"No, why should they?" Jase sounded confused at the question.
"Well, I've only known them a couple of months. You're their life-long best friend. I don't want to intrude."
"Don't be silly. You're their friend now as well as being my boyfriend. Of course, you won't be intruding," Jase reassured him.
"Alright then. What time will you be here?" Kyle relented.
"I'll pick you up at one. We'll only be there for half an hour or so. I don't want to tire them out."
"Okay, see you at one." Kyle hung up the phone and then quickly sent an email to the office to let them know that Sarah had safely delivered a girl.
Chapter 15
The quiet hush of the hospital ward was broken with the squall of a newborn baby. The usual antiseptic smell permeated the air, making Kyle wrinkle his nose. Next to him, Jase buzzed with ill-concealed excitement. Kyle hooked the little finger of his right hand with Jase's left. He was rewarded with a megawatt grin, dimples showing and eye's shining.
They arrived at the side room, which had the name Lawson, S written on the small whiteboard attached to the wall next to the door. Jase entered the room, Kyle following closely behind. He saw Sarah sitting up in bed, looking tired but radiant. Mike sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed, a small blanket-wrapped bundle in his arms. Bouquets of pink flowers were dotted around the room along with cards and a small helium balloon proclaiming 'It's a Girl!' floating gently in the current created by the air conditioning.
Jase let go of his hand and moved to the bedside to gently take his best friend in his arms, murmuring quiet words in the woman's ear. Kyle grinned over at Mike. "Congratulations." Mike grinned back at him.
"Thanks, it hasn't set in fully." Mike gazed down at his daughter. He looked back up at Kyle. "They say you have nine months to prepare, get used to the idea, but nothing prepares you for when you see her for the first time and realise that you made this little person." Mike was clearly overwhelmed with the whole experience. Kyle glanced at Sarah as he heard her say to Jase,
"Go on then. I know you're not here for me," as she gently pushed Jase towards where Mike sat. As Jase made his way around the bed, Kyle went and gave his former PA a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Congratulations, Mama." She blushed prettily and squeezed his hand.
Kyle watched as Mike gingerly handed his daughter over to Jase. His boyfriend gently cradled the baby and stared at her tiny features. Kyle felt a jolt of longing hit him. Seeing Jase hold the tiny bundle just seemed so right and right ther
e, right then, as he watched Jase fall completely in love with his goddaughter, he fell completely in love with Jase. He must have involuntarily squeezed the hand that Sarah was still holding, as she squeezed back. He looked at her distractedly, thoughts racing around his brain. Something must have shown on his face as a quiet "Oh" slipped from Sarah. Before he could say anything, she winked at him and gave him a gentle smile.
Turning to her best friend, she asked him, "So Uncle Jase, do you approve?"
Unaware of the emotions racing through Kyle, Jase tore his eyes away from Mia and grinned at the new mother. "Yes, I approve. You two have done an excellent job." The green gaze swung to Kyle. "Come here, Uncle Kyle. Come and meet my beautiful goddaughter."
Another jolt went through him as Jase called him Uncle. He looked to Sarah and Mike for their reactions. Sarah nodded encouragingly. She understood his silent question. They totally accepted the fact that he was in Jase's life and deserved the title of Uncle. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he moved round to where Jase stood. He peered at the tiny, squashed features of the little girl. She had a dusting of very fine, dark blonde hair, smooth pale skin, and tiny rosebud lips. He gently ran the back of his little finger down her soft cheek.
"Welcome to the world, Mia Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you." He glanced at Jase, whose attention was back on the baby. He realised he’d never thought much about children, but seeing the way Jase cradled the newborn, he could see that it was something he could consider, especially with the right person. To cover his racing emotions, he glanced at his watch. He placed a hand on Jase's shoulder. "Darlin', you need to hand Mia back to her parents. We need to go."
"Yeah. Give me back my daughter. I'm the one that lugged her round for nearly nine months, spent hours pushing her out of my body and I've held her for all of ten minutes," Sarah teased she held her arms out. Jase reluctantly handed the baby over, pressing a kiss to Sarah's forehead as he did. Kyle shook Mike's hand and Jase gave the new father a hug.
