“That’s me. And you must be Simon.”
“Wow. I gotta say, I wasn’t prepared for you to look so much like me.” Simon laughed. “I mean, I know you said I might be your dad, but... I am your dad, aren’t I? I don’t think there’s any question.”
“I think you are, yeah. Walker certainly believed you were. And as far as I know, my mom didn’t have any other, um, relationships.”
“Wow. I mean in the early days, I suspected it was possible, when I heard your mom was having a baby. But when nobody contacted me and I never heard about them splitting up, I figured you must be his kid. I never tried to ask her. Your mom was pretty adamant that I not contact her again when she broke things off.”
“Were you in love with her?” Chet couldn’t help asking.
It was none of his business, but he wanted to know that, shitty though her marriage had been, she had known love at some point before she died.
“Oh, Lord yes, I sure was,” Simon said a little breathlessly. “It tore me up when she broke things off. Walker was such a bastard. I wanted to take her away from all of that, but what did I have to offer? And she felt so much guilt for being with me in the first place.” He took his glasses off and wiped his eyes. “I found my Joanna eventually, and I wouldn’t trade her for anything, but I tell you, sometimes I still miss your mom, Chet. We weren’t together long, but she was one of those people that just makes an impression, you know?
“What the hell she ever saw in Walker Barnaby I never understood and never will. I know he was never a good husband. She never would have ended up with me if he was, for one thing, but I knew the man too. I saw them together and how he treated her. It was awful.” Simon sighed. “I suppose it didn’t get any better when he found out about us.”
“Certainly wasn’t any great shakes as a father, either,” Chet said.
Simon looked pained. “Oh, god. I didn’t even think… he must have been awful to you, once he found out you weren’t his. Oh, Chet. I am so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I wish I’d gotten in touch with her, despite what she said. Asked if you were mine.”
“I’m not certain that she even knew. The paternity test was addressed to my father and sent to the farm’s business PO box. He’d have enjoyed leaving her wondering why his behavior got worse.”
“Poor Connie. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be between us, but she deserved so much better than him. And so did you.” Simon stared off into the distance for a moment. “Chet, I’ll be honest, I have no idea how to navigate this situation. Joanna doesn’t know I’ve come here today and I’m not sure how I’m going to tell her, but son, if you’ll let me, I’d very much like to get to know you.”
Chet smiled, tears pricking his eyes. “I’d like that too, Simon. I really would.”
They moved onto telling each other facets of their lives that didn’t involve Walker or Connie Barnaby. They stuck to the highlights for the time being, but even so, time went quickly. Before Chet was ready, Simon was saying he had to head back before the office started to miss him.
“I’m going to talk to Jo tonight and then I’ll call you soon and we’ll get together again, the three of us. You’ve got a sister, but I don’t think we should rush that introduction yet.” Simon pulled out his phone. “I’m not great at texting, but if you’ll put your number in here, I can call you to arrange dinner and we can text in the meantime.”
Once Chet had put his number in the phone, they shared an awkward hug goodbye and then Simon was on his way.
Even though Reuben was waiting at the farmhouse for answers, Chet’s first instinct was to text Nick. He felt lighter than he had in years. He sent Nick a quick text, telling him he couldn’t wait to tell him all about it that night at dinner. Then he sent another to Reuben, letting him know he was on the way home.
For the first time in a long time, Chet felt happy.
37
Nick wasn’t quite sure how it happened. One minute he and Chet were staring at each other after he picked Chet up for dinner, and the next, their lips were crashing together so hard his teeth threatened to cut through. It was like magnets connecting. He felt as if he couldn’t get Chet close enough to him and it seemed Chet felt the same because they were both pulling at each other and moving as close as they could with a console between them.
“Let’s go back inside,” Chet pulled back long enough to say.
His blue-green eyes looked dazed and his lips were already flushed and a bit swollen. He looked gorgeous and Nick couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment before stealing another quick peck.
“Lead the way,” Nick said.
They got out of the car and into the farmhouse at a record pace, but once there, their nerves had had time to set in.
“Maybe… coffee?” Chet asked.
Nick nodded. “Coffee’s good.”
They went to the kitchen and Chet started gathering what he needed. But the huge table made the kitchen close quarters and he eventually brushed against Nick. Nick reached for him instinctively, and soon his fingers were clutched in the tangles of Chet's hair and Chet was sucking his lower lip. Chet's hand was on the back of his neck and his mouth was on Nick's throat biting and licking and making Nick growl and gasp by turns.
"Screw coffee. Take your clothes off," Chet ordered in a rough voice.
Nick complied, watching as Chet did the same. Soon they both stood there, erections prominently on display, but it didn't last long before Chet was on him again, shoving him down onto the large pine table and climbing on top of him. Almost immediately, Nick was pushing him away.
“This table is even more uncomfortable than it is ugly,” he said. “Bedroom?”
“Bedroom,” Chet agreed, climbing down.
Even though Reuben had taken himself to dinner and a movie, neither of them wanted to make out in the main part of the house. They managed to keep their hands off each other while they raced across the house and up the stairs, but as soon as they reached the bedroom, Nick couldn’t get Chet in his arms quick enough. He’d wanted this for weeks, and now it was finally happening. He didn’t want to wait another second.
Chet chose that moment to stop and go still.
“Fuck,” he said.
“What’s wrong?” Nick asked.
“I don’t have any condoms. I meant to grab some on the way home.”
Nick smiled, relieved. “Is that all? I brought some with me.”
In the end, it didn’t matter because Nick got so into exploring Chet’s body and making him give up all those gorgeous breathy moans, that he wound up getting Chet off with his mouth. Chet greedily returned the favor, then they lay in each other’s arms for a long while, enjoying the afterglow. Chet suddenly frowned, looking at the ceiling.
“What?” Nick asked, concerned.
“I really hate this fucking house.”
Nick laughed. “So renovate it like you keep talking about. I think my dad has an RV you can borrow while they’re working on it.”
“Yeah,” Chet said, his mood brightening considerably. “You’re right. I’m gonna do it. I’m not gonna wait. And I’m not going to stay here once Reuben goes home. I’m going back to the motel, until I can work out something else. Your dad’s rv or renting a place or something.”
Chet leaned over and kissed him, and for a moment, Nick forgot what they’d been talking about.
“Now, where are you taking me for dinner? I’m ravenous.”
Nick laughed again. “I like this lighter side of you that comes out whenever there’s food on the offing.” He kissed Chet’s forehead and got out of bed, pulling Chet by the hand. “Come on. Dinner is a surprise.”
When they got to the clearing, Chet said, “Oh. You set all this up?”
Nick had set up a generator and some bright work lights. In addition there was a space heater, since nights in March got chilly. There were also a couple of large, thick blankets on the ground, and a few more folded ones in case the heater wasn’t enough. Next to the blanket were two larg
e coolers, one with hot food and the other with cold. A couple of folding cloth chairs were set up near the rock outcropping, if they wanted them.
“This is amazing, Nick. Thank you.” Chet’s smile was bright and unfettered, in a way Nick had rarely seen it.
As they ate, Chet recounted the conversation with Simon. Nick listened with half an ear, too intent on watching the emotions play across Chet’s face. The man was so fascinating and he didn’t even know. When the meal was done, Nick suggested they move to the rock outcropping and Chet agreed.
“It’s too bad we won’t be able to see the stars,” Chet lamented.
Nick responded by turning off the generator and plunging them into darkness.
“Nick!” Chet asked, thankfully sounding much more annoyed than frightened.
Nick flicked on the flashlight he’d brought with him. “Sorry. I’d intended to turn this on first, but impulse control is not my strong suit.”
“Idiot,” Chet said, but he said it with fondness in his voice.
Nick took the folded blankets and put them on the rock, rather than use the chairs for the moment. They sat in silence for a while, as their eyes adjusted to the dark. Chet found Nick’s hand in the dark and gave it a squeeze before letting go. Nick scooted closer and put an arm around him.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted since I found out Walker’s not my real father,” Chet said after a while. “Like, realistically, I understand that he still did all the same things to me. That hasn’t changed, but… I don’t know. Knowing he wasn’t really my father, that I wasn’t rejected that way by an actual parent, that actually helps, you know? I don’t know if that’s logical or not, but it’s true.”
“No, I think I get it,” Nick said. “It doesn’t justify his behavior, but it’s not the same when the man who was married to your mom doesn’t love you, rather than your real father not loving you. Right?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly it.” He absently tossed a pebble over the ledge. “I spent a lot of my childhood wondering why my own father didn’t love me. Now that I know he wasn’t my father, and more than that I was the reminder that my mom cheated on him, it makes a lot more sense.”
“He’s still a prick for treating you that way, though,” Nick said, tossing a pebble himself.
“Oh, one hundred percent a prick.”
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, staring out over the valley. The tree frogs and crickets were just starting to come out and the natural symphony was soothing. His eyes were adjusting and the stars were twinkling above them. Nick reached over and took Chet’s hand and Chet smiled at him.
“I’m glad you were here with me for this,” Chet said.
“I’m glad you’re letting me be.”
Chet shifted around to face Nick directly. Their features were in shadow, but they could see each other’s eyes. He took both Nick’s hands in his.
“Nick, I know I’ve done nothing but push you away, so I hope this isn’t emotional whiplash, but I don’t want to go slow.”
“Yeah, I kind of picked up on that when you tried to have your way with me on the kitchen table five minutes into the date,” Nick teased.
Chet huffed a laugh. “That isn’t what I mean. You don’t really know this about me, but going fast physically isn’t a problem for me, normally. That’s the part I’m good at. It’s normally the only part there is because this—” He gestured between them. “—doesn’t happen. I don’t let it happen or it doesn’t work or whatever. I don’t go on dates. I have hookups and I have friends, and that’s it.”
“What makes me different?” Nick asked softly.
“You’re you, Nick. I don’t know how else to explain it. Even when I thought I hated you, you put me at ease in a way I’m not used to.”
Nick captured Chet’s lips in a kiss before he could say more.
“So let’s not go slow, Chet. Let’s just go together, and see where we wind up.”
Chet smiled at him, then shivered. “I think I’d like to wind up back at your place.”
“Insatiable,” Nick teased.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Chet said, pulling him into a kiss more passionate than any they’d shared on the hill so far. When he pulled back, he said, “You should know that I’m falling for you, Nick. I know that goes beyond just not taking it slow, but I want my cards on the table.”
Nick swiped a thumb across Chet’s cheek in a caress. “You’re still kind of slow.” He smiled. “I’ve fallen all the way for you.”
He stood up, helping Chet stand with him. “Come on. Let’s go someplace warmer.”
When he woke up the next morning with Chet asleep in his arms, Nick couldn’t remember ever being happier. He would always hate Walker Barnaby, but the man had brought Chet back to him, and for that he’d always be more than a little bit grateful. Nick could only hope Chet was home to stay.
EPILOGUE
Chet had hired movers the Monday following his first date with Nick. He’d put everything out of the house into storage—except the monstrous pine dining set, which he gave to Edna and Jerry when they moved into their new house together—and he’d started the process of finding a contractor to renovate the whole thing.
It had taken six months, but the house had become a place Chet could live without being haunted by old ghosts. It still wasn’t truly a home for him, but the kitchen was now a warm and welcoming place that both he and Nick enjoyed having breakfast in. Reuben had taken to visiting one weekend a month, which suited Chet just fine, and he loved the kitchen too.
In the meantime, Nick had broken ground on his own house on the hill and the construction crew expected it to be completed by the following summer. Chet had finally been able to convince him that Nick didn’t need to go to the property and check on it every day, but it hadn’t been an easy task.
Now February had come again, and along with it the need for Chet to make a major life decision. He’d been weighing his options for a while. He still went to check on the business in Nashville every couple of months, but it was running fine with distance supervision.
His relationship with Nick, on the other hand, was unlikely to thrive if Chet went back to Tennessee. Reuben had been Chet’s biggest initial concern about staying in Rubyville, once he’d started to feel like he could make a home here, but on his visit last week, Reu had told Chet in no uncertain terms that if Chet moved back to Nashville, he was fired as Reuben’s best friend.
“Plus I will move to Rubyville and steal your man,” he’d added for good measure.
The fact that Chet was developing a real relationship with his biological father made the decision even easier. The only thing left to do, then, was tell Nick.
It had become their custom to have dinner every Wednesday night, and tonight Chet had picked the best restaurant in town. Nick got caught at work and said he’d meet him there, so Chet went ahead and grabbed them a table. He was glad for this when Nick walked in wearing Chet’s favorite suit and looking as handsome as he ever had. He looked nervous, but Chet was sure he did too.
Chet stood and they shared a peck when Nick reached the table, then took their seats. They stared at each other a bit awkwardly for a few seconds before they both laughed.
“Sorry,” Nick said. “I’m nervous for some reason.”
“Well, me too, but I know the reason,” Chet admitted. “I ordered for us, I hope that’s okay. Figured the fewer interruptions the better.” Then he smiled. “Plus, I’m starving.”
Nick relaxed a bit, as Chet had hoped he would, and they talked about mundane things until the waiter brought their drinks and promised their appetizers would be right out. Deciding there was no time like the present, Chet took a deep breath and started talking.
“I know you’re waiting to hear what my decision is. My year is up next week and the farm will be mine free and clear.” Chet blew out a breath, more nervous than he’d anticipated. “Before I tell you that, though, I have some other things I need to say.”
“Nick, this last year has been incredible. So much has happened that I never expected. Not least of which was getting to know you and learning what an amazing man you’ve turned into. You’ve been there for me during one of the strangest years I’ve ever lived through, even when I did everything in my power to push you away.”
Nick dropped his gaze, shrugging off the compliments. “I knew you were worth the struggle.”
“I don’t want to live on the farm forever, Nick. Even with the renovations, there are too many memories for me to ever be completely happy there.”
“Chet—”
“Let me finish.” Chet took another deep breath and reached into his pocket, staring at the table. “It might help, though, if I didn’t have to stay there alone. So I was thinking, instead of moving back to Nashville, maybe I could get you to move into the farmhouse with me.”
Chet looked up at Nick as he pushed the key across the table. His blue eyes were pink and glassy, which somehow only made him more attractive. He covered his nose and mouth with steepled hands.
“Oh my God,” Nick said in a muffled voice before dropping his hands and taking the key. “I had a whole speech ready to get you to stay here,” he said with a laugh. “Yes. Hell yes, Chet, I will move into the farmhouse with you, at least until the house on the hill is done. Then you’ll have to move in there with me.”
Chet grinned. “Deal.”
As he made love to Nick that night in the remodeled master bedroom, Chet decided maybe the farmhouse wasn’t so bad after all.
Home to Stay (Southern Boys Book 2) Page 15
