Page 76 of Loving You

“Not officially. Just when we came in.”

“We just had a small chat. He’s starting a job at 9-1-1 dispatch next week as a supervisor. I guess he used to do it before he joined the fire department.”

Bronx glanced across at them and frowned. “I wonder why he left.”

Monty hummed, grabbing Bronx’s hand to play with his fingers. “He didn’t say exactly, but I think he has some sort of illness. He just said he had to leave his job as a firefighter because he couldn’t perform the tasks any longer.”

Bronx wasn’t sure what he’d do or how he’d feel if something took him out of his field. He’d cope, of course. He’d figure it out. But he never did have a plan B. He’d been working as a vet tech through school, and although he’d taken several years off to be a stay-at-home dad, it had always been on his mind. The moment Lucas was old enough for Bronx to go back and finish his education, he’d gone right back to what he knew and loved.

“What would you have done if you weren’t a lawyer?” Bronx asked.

Monty smiled and leaned back into his arms. “Tricky question. I didn’t spend a lot of time exploring my passions.”

“Mm. I can help you with that,” Bronx murmured.

“Hello, police, I’d like to file a report against my father. He’s being disgusting, and it’s traumatizing me.”

Bronx dropped his head back to find that Lucas had come up the side stairs and was standing behind them. He was using the lightsaber as a cane, and he tapped it on the love seat. “We’re just talking, bud.”

“Talking.Sure. Do I need to separate you two? There are children present. Young, innocent ones.”

Bronx snorted and reached back, touching Lucas’s arm. “Come around. There’s a chair on my right with a cushion.”

Lucas made his way using the lightsaber to walk himself around the circular table, and he took a seat, putting one foot up on the edge. “Are you two ever not super gross?”

“Only when you’re not around. We save it up just for you. The schmoop, the kissing, the canoodling,” Bronx said, laying a loud smack to Monty’s cheek.

“It’s your own fault,” Monty told him. “You showed up at my office to play matchmaker.”

“File that in the long list of mistakes I’ve made,” Lucas told them, but he was smiling. He set the lightsaber off to the side, then leaned forward and started rocking back and forth. “So, Gabe just invited me to theater camp over spring break. It’s in Georgia.”

Bronx stiffened. He’d sent Lucas to camp plenty of times, but it was camp for blind and low-vision kids. There was trained staff and accommodations. “Uh…well…”

“I need you to say no,” Lucas said very quietly. “I need you to be mean, overprotective dad.”

“Okay,” Bronx said, trying not to celebrate. “Why?”

“Because Marc is going to be doing a trial run of the food truck, and he wants me to be his sous chef. Gage thinks I should do something fun instead of work, but he doesn’t really get it. He got into some fancy-ass theater school two hours from here, and he thinks that’s, like, the best thing ever.”

“If he’s being pushy,” Bronx started.

“No. Well, yes, but I can handle it.” Lucas bit his lip and bowed his head, rocking a little harder, which toldBronx he was struggling. “His boyfriend is going to be there.”

All the air rushed from his lungs. “Ah.”

“I can’t sit there and listen to them being all schmoopy and kissing and canoodling,” he said, mimicking Bronx almost perfectly. “I’ll get over it, but I just…I’d rather work.”

“I think you should work,” Bronx told him. “This is amazing for you, especially if you end up not going to culinary school. You don’t get on-the-job training like this anywhere else.”

Lucas’s face lifted, and he looked happier. Brighter. “You’re the best. But when he comes over to whine at you, remember to be a giant dickhead.”

“Language,” Bronx said, but he was losing that battle.

Lucas jumped up and unfolded the lightsaber. “I’m gonna go teach the kids how to fight. I’m getting pretty freaking good at tactile ASL with Rex, and I promised him I’d show him how to take his dad out at the knees.”

“Wonderful,” Bronx said dryly.

“Isn’t it?” Monty said, his voice quiet.

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