Together in Cedarwood

by Megan Slayer

  “I’ll assume you’re busy.” Bobby stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I pushed, didn’t I? Too much, too soon?”

  He ground his teeth together. This wasn’t Bobby’s issue, even if he was part of it. “No, you’re fine.”

  “But you’re not.” Bobby bumped shoulders with Remy. “We can consider the other night a freak occurrence and not talk about it again. I understand.”

  “I doubt you do.” He closed his notebook. He needed the list of the specific winners and overall highest finishers.

  “No problem.” Bobby stood tall. “We’re good.”

  Remy left the stands and headed back to the doors. As the other events took place, he took notes and glanced over at Bobby. He’d been a dick. A hundred percent, qualified dick. Bobby had been a gentleman, really, and invited Remy to dinner. Why in the fuck had he walked away?

  Remy groaned. In the last few months, a ton of things had changed in his life. He was now single, he’d switched jobs, taken an apartment in a town that seemed to be full of strange people bent on running him out of Cedarwood and met a man who had the power to change his thinking. He hated being single. Hated it. He was the relationship type. Switching jobs was tolerable but not great. He’d rather be back in Cleveland, covering major news, but at least he had a job. As for the Coalition, they hadn’t bothered him all that much. Once he started his series of articles and opinion pieces, the problems would probably ratchet up, but he’d deal with the fallout once it occurred.

  As for the situation with Bobby… They hadn’t exactly said they were dating. One night of sex and conversation didn’t have to amount to the start of a relationship. He needed to keep an open mind and stop assuming things.

  The announcer read off the names of the swimmers in the current heat. “Darcy Gagnon, lane three.”

  Remy snapped to attention. Darcy was Bobby’s girl. He scooted over by the bleachers and focused on her. She wasn’t very tall and didn’t seem to have much to her. His heart leaped as the heat started. She sailed into the water and kept up with the girl on her left. He tucked his notebook into his bag and clapped. He wanted to see her win. He barely knew her, but so what?

  As she touched the wall at the end of the heat, he blew out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d held in. He didn’t tend to get emotionally involved in the sporting events, but since he knew someone swimming…the circumstances had changed. His heart sank a little. Darcy finished second, but set a team record.

  Holy shit. For being a tiny thing, she could really move.

  He raked his fingers through his hair and headed out to the foyer. He’d do his interview out there. Plus, the cooler air would give him a chance to clear his head. He stood in front of the bank of windows and stared at the clouds. He’d always believed he wasn’t a kid person. Always thought he wanted a dog or a cat, but no children. He liked Darcy and Chris. They busted his preconceived notions of how kids should behave. Not all kids were horrible, awful beings. If he could change his mind about Chris and Darcy, then why couldn’t he allow himself to consider dating a guy with kids?

  He noticed Bobby’s reflection in the glass. “Hi again. That was a crazy heat.”

  “She did great, didn’t she?” Bobby strode up to Remy. “Darce doesn’t look like it, but she’s a fish.” He grinned but didn’t make a move. “I swim, but nothing like that. I don’t know where she got it, but I’m glad she did.”

  “I’ll probably be writing about both of your kids before the end of the year.” He marveled at Bobby’s pride in his children. For a split second, he almost wished he had someone like Bobby or the kids in his life. But if he had Bobby around, then he’d be part of the family. The same old knot formed in his belly like it did whenever he thought about kids. He didn’t have patience, but he had a temper. He swore when he got angry. He’d been known to take out his frustrations on a punching bag from time to time. Children required someone who could stand up to them while giving them a chance to screw up. He wanted perfection the first time around. Jesus. He was a jerk.

  “This is just a summer team. She’s not old enough for the school swim team. They won’t take anyone until freshman year. We checked.” Bobby shrugged. “She can’t wait for ninth grade. I, on the other hand, don’t want it to come. Time goes fast enough as it is.”

  “I bet the school can’t wait for her to be old enough. They’re probably already scouting her.” Bobby wasn’t kidding about time going by at warp speed. It seemed like only yesterday he was in college and dating his first boyfriend. Now? God, things had changed so much.

  “The coach makes a point to talk to me at every meet,” Bobby said. “They’re supervised, but she’s been training with the swim team on the weekends and probably will during the school year.” He shook his head. “Hey, if she wants to swim, I’ll make it possible. Her grades are good and she’s happy. I can’t see a reason for her not to be in the pool.”

  “Nice.” The guy seemed to be a dedicated family man. But Remy kept considering pushing Bobby away. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Bobby turned his back on the windows and faced the people leaving the facility. “Hey, about the dinner invite. I didn’t mean to be so forward.” He bowed his head. “I forget sometimes that not everyone wants what happened the other night to be more than what it was.”

  Fucking hell. He gripped his notebook tighter and sighed. He’d screwed Bobby over so much, and all because he had his own fears. He feared he’d let his anger get the best of him in front of Bobby’s kids and make a horrible impression. Anxiety hit him hard. He’d make mistakes. God knew he excelled at screwing up, but how long would he have to jack things up before Bobby gave him the ax? Another pang of fear swirled in his belly. He expected so much from those around him but wanted a pass for himself. He wasn’t a good family man. He had too many worries and too much anxiety over things he couldn’t control. He’d freak himself out and get into a bad situation. That was just his luck.

  Were those worries justified? Not necessarily, but that didn’t keep him from overthinking. Bobby hadn’t welcomed him into the family and asked him to move in. They’d fucked and talked. Now he wanted Remy to go along with him to supper. How could he say no?

  “It’s cool. Just forget about it.” Bobby smiled but didn’t look Remy in the eye. “We’re good.”

  “I accept,” Remy blurted. His heart hammered and the knot was still in his stomach, but he didn’t regret what he’d said.

  “You what?”

  He met Bobby’s gaze. “I accept.” He stood tall and smoothed the wrinkles in Bobby’s shirt. “I’d love to go with you and the kids to dinner.” Just saying the words was scary, but it felt right. He wasn’t ready to give up, despite the potential roadblocks.

  Bobby stared at him. “If you don’t want to or you think I pushed, please, just say so.” He didn’t pull away or swat at Remy. “I’m not good at the dating thing, and I get it wrong more than I get it right.”

  He was nervous? Had problems dating? No way. Bobby was a handsome man. Anyone—gay or straight—would want to be with him. Remy glanced down the corridor at the remaining people leaving the facility, then focused on Bobby. He’d been given another chance with Bobby and refused to let it go. “Let me get this interview done, and I’ll meet you at the restaurant.” He inched closer to Bobby and dropped his voice to a whisper. “As for the other night, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

  “Sounds good. See you in a few.” Bobby grinned and strolled away.

  He’d thought Bobby would be a little more hesitant about being with Remy in public, but no—and that was kind of nice.

  Remy waited for the girl he’d been tasked with interviewing. He hoped she wouldn’t take forever. He finally had a reason to leave and didn’t want to blow it. The blonde girl strolled up the corridor.

  “Mr. Nicholas?” She waved. “I’m ready. You’re not taking my photo today, are you?”

  “No.” He hadn’t even thought about it. “I’ll grab the team pictur
e. We can focus on you.” He ran through the questions he had and verified her stats. Talking to the athletes wasn’t hard, but he still wasn’t used to being a sports reporter. When he’d finished with the interview, he thanked her.

  “That was so much easier than I thought.” She laughed and bobbed her head. “I thought you’d be that ginormous guy with the white hair. He’s like ancient or something.”

  “I’m probably old enough to be your father, so I’m not far off from ancient.” He smiled to hide his discomfort. Harvey, the ginormous guy she referred to, wasn’t scary or that bad. “Thank you, and look for the feature later this week.”

  She grinned and waved, then bounded off.

  Remy sighed and leaned against the wall. He had to get his notes sorted out and back into his bag before he lost them. When he looked up from his messenger bag, a woman with blonde streaks and a tight shirt stood next to him. She’d folded her arms, bunching her breasts in her blouse. She didn’t smile or speak. Instead, she stared at him.

  “May I help you?” he asked. He smoothed the front down on his bag. “Ma’am?”

  “You spoke to my daughter.”

  “I did. She’ll be the feature this week in The Tribune . Probably on Thursday, if you want to grab extra copies for friends and family.” He’d given this speech so many times. The families wanted a paper for pretty much everyone they knew, and why not? It wasn’t every day that a student made the news.

  “Is that all?” she snapped.

  “I believe so.” He wasn’t sure where she was going with her question.

  “I’ll be nice about this since there are still people around, but listen good.” She sneered. “Please don’t come back to the swim complex.”

  “It’s a public place, and I was here on behalf of the paper.” She was not going where he knew she wanted to go…

  “You’re giving the young minds the wrong idea,” she growled.

  “I’m sorry. How?” She’d gone there. “I’m confused.” Fury boiled within him. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to keep his composure. Young minds needed all of the facts and to know it wasn’t wrong to be themselves. They didn’t deserve to feel bad for being homosexual.

  “You’re gay.” She practically choked on the word ‘gay’. “This is a good town.”

  Oh Christ.

  “This is a family situation. Go be gay somewhere else.” She balled her fists. “Please.”

  “You’re serious?” He snorted and gripped the strap of his bag. She had to be joking.

  “We’re trying to keep this place decent, reporter. Have someone else cover anything related to children. You’re not welcome here, and I will call the law if I see you back at this complex.” She glared at him. “Now leave.”

  Remy rolled his eyes, but kept his head held high as he walked away. He wasn’t in the mood for her preaching or argument. She hadn’t won, because he wasn’t going to stop doing his job due to her objections. That was crap. He scanned the parking lot for Bobby or Bobby’s car. Nothing. He headed to his vehicle and collapsed behind the wheel. The gravity of what the woman had said settled on his shoulders. He wasn’t sure if she was part of the Coalition, but her rhetoric sure sounded like their chatter.

  He groaned. He’d done his own damage to the day, but he had a bright spot—Bobby. Sure, there wasn’t much of a chance they’d get together for more than a couple of platonic dates. He still wasn’t convinced he could be with a guy with kids.

  Why do the great guys always come along when I haven’t rectified my fucked-up self?

  Chapter Five

  Bobby sat against the wall and watched for Remy. He’d sensed the tension between them, despite Remy accepting the dinner date. He grabbed a piece of bread and dipped it into the olive oil. He sort of understood Remy’s hesitance. Remy had probably felt cornered at the metro park and wasn’t there to get hit on.

  He hadn’t really hit on Remy, though. He’d asked him to dinner so they could spend time together. Asking a guy out, especially with his kids involved, wasn’t his idea of fun. So much could go wrong. But he liked Remy and wanted to introduce him to both of his children. He wanted his friends to like Remy rather than giving him reasons not to give Remy a chance.

  He glanced over at the door one more time. Remy strode into the foyer, then made his way into the restaurant. Bobby’s spirits soared. Remy had looked great at the festival and handsome at the metro park, but with his hair windblown and his collar open, he was hot as hell.

  Bobby stood and pulled a chair out for Remy. “Hey. Glad you made it.”

  Remy hesitated, then crossed over to where Bobby stood.

  “What’s wrong?” Bobby’s stomach clenched. “Something happen?”

  “Nothing.” Remy draped his bag on the back of the chair. “I didn’t expect quite so many people.”

  “Oh.” Bobby waved his fingers. “Some of the swim parents get together after the meets. Let me introduce you.” He turned his attention to his dinner companions. “This is Shae and Bret. Their son is on the high school team. Archie and Lynn have the twin girls who swam with Darce. At the end of the table is Kell and Jayce. Their daughter, Jenna, swims and runs cross-country.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Remy reached across the table and shook hands with the various parents. “That was a crazy meet. So much competition.” He sank onto the chair beside Bobby. Although the others at the table spoke and held conversation, Remy didn’t say anything beyond ordering his dinner.

  Bobby wanted to pry, but he wasn’t sure how to ask what was wrong. He toyed with his bread. Normally, the post-meet dinners were fun. Not tonight. He didn’t understand what had gone wrong with Remy. He’d thought Remy would enjoy the new group of friends and the positive atmosphere. He bided his time, but was happy when Remy added here and there to the general conversation.

  Once the other couples had left and Christopher and Darcy were engrossed in the driving arcade game at the restaurant, Bobby made his move.

  “So,” Bobby said.

  “So.” Remy sat back in his chair and folded his hands on his lap. “You’ve got kids. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Yeah.” He glanced over at Chris and Darcy, then back to Remy. “I was married for a while.” If the idea of him having children threw Remy for a loop, this would knock the man completely down.

  “No shit?” Remy’s jaw tensed and the muscle twitched. “Man or woman?”

  “Helene. A woman. She wanted to get married.” He rarely spoke about her or how they’d ended up married. For whatever reason, he wanted to tell Remy.

  “Oh. A chick.” He nodded. “Explains why Darcy looks like you.”

  “Yeah, poor kid. Her mother was beautiful.” He chuckled. “That was a fucked-up situation. Helene thought she could fix me. She didn’t, and it was a disaster, but I got Darcy and Chris out of the deal. We adopted Chris after he’d been a foster kid in our home for two years. He was already older than Darcy, but I couldn’t give him up. I’m glad we went through with it. He’s a great kid.” Of all the things he wished he could change about his marriage, his children weren’t among the regrets. He’d grown up and learned a lot along the way, so maybe it wasn’t a total loss like he sometimes believed.

  “That’s cool. I never married anyone, and I haven’t been with a chick. Not even Julia.”

  Bobby draped his arm across the back of Remy’s chair and rubbed the tips of his fingers across Remy’s shoulder blades. “You’re not a kid person, are you?”

  “I don’t know how to relate to them.” Remy averted his gaze. “No clue.”

  “Like people?” Bobby suppressed a snort. Neil had been the same. He couldn’t relate to kids and didn’t try. Chris and Darcy were inconvenient baggage, as Neil used to say.

  “You’re funny.” Remy met Bobby’s gaze. He smiled.

  Was Remy nervous? Or was he coming around a bit? Bobby hoped he was warming up to the kids. “It’s true. Don’t talk down to them or try to be their buddy. Be real.” He nodd
ed to the other end of the restaurant. “The kids don’t know you, but I don’t have that sinking feeling in my belly. They encouraged me to get out into the dating scene, so consider yourself honored.”

  Remy’s smile widened. “I do.” The muscle in his jaw twitched again. “Fuck.”

  “What?” Bobby sat up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  Something was bothering Remy, and Bobby wanted to know what, damn it. “I’m done, and it looks like you are too. Why don’t I round up the kids and we go back to the house? They’ll want to swim or goof off in the pool. We can talk on the deck.”

  Remy met Bobby’s gaze again and nodded. “I’d like that.”

  “Follow me. I’ll get the kids.” He gathered up his bill and placed some money on the table for a tip. He headed over to the racing game. “Ready?”

  Chris slid off his chair first. Darcy swerved again, then joined her brother.

  “Is that your boyfriend, Dad?” Darcy asked. She removed the elastic from her hair and fixed her ponytail, then put the elastic back. “Can I meet him?”

  “Sure.” He stepped aside and motioned to Remy. “Darcy, this is my friend Remy. Remy, this is my daughter Darcy.”

  She grinned. “Hi. I’ve seen you at the pool before. You’re the sports guy. My friend Annabelle thinks you’re hot.” She shrugged. “She thinks everyone is hot.”

  Chris rolled his eyes. “Last week Annabelle said Dad was hot, for an old guy.”

  Remy smothered a grin behind his hand, then composed himself. “I’m glad I got to meet you.”

  “Okay, let’s go. If you want pool time when we get home, we have to get moving.” Bobby stopped at the cashier and paid the bill. He grabbed Remy’s bill and added that to his own.

  “You don’t have to,” Remy said.

  “I invited you.” Bobby collected his change, then made his way out to the parking lot. He stopped at his car. “I’m on Evergreen Road. Five-sixteen.”

  “I know whereabouts that is. I’ll follow you, though.” Remy mock saluted, then climbed behind the wheel of his car.