Page 4 of The Beautiful Mess

Keegan loved how the men rarely referred to themselves as stepbrothers, but it wasn’t the time to mention it, not with Kerry’s penetrating stare boring holes into his skull. “Seems like a harsh penalty for helping a friend. If you want to be mad at anyone, you should be mad at me.”

“I’m not angry. I just thought you were going to be at trivia night. Seeing you here caught me by surprise.”

“And I thought you were tending bar,” Keegan said. “I didn’t expect to run into you either.” They’d been manipulated by the master. Maybe he’d talked Kerry out of killing Sven so he could do it.

“I needed a break,” Kerry said.

“From me?” The question was out before Keegan could stop it.

Black brows drew together in a scowl. “A break from you? No. I’ve been working extra shifts at the rescue station to cover vacations and paternity leave. Why would you ask me that?”

Keegan shrugged like the conversation didn’t mean anything when it felt like he had so much riding on Kerry’s answers. “I’m constantly underfoot. One of my best friends is your brother, and the other is married to your cousin.” Keegan and Kerry had even been the best men at Rueben and Seth’s wedding two weeks ago.

Kerry, Seth, and Sven’s large, boisterous family had unofficially adopted Keegan into their clan and invited him to every family dinner and celebration. Kerry’s mom was technically no longer a Hart since she remarried over twenty years ago, but apparently, the family’s motto was “Once a Hart, always a Hart” because they held tight to their claim on her and welcomed Steven and Sven with open arms. And since Miriam had alienated their biological family with her extremist beliefs, Keegan found the Harts’ inclusion both beautiful and addictive.

Kerry’s thunderous expression returned. “What are you talking about?”

“First, I infiltrated your family, and now you won’t be able to avoid me at the Feisty Bull since my first shift is tomorrow night.” Working with their sommelier and hospitality crew would provide a lot of experience for the alehouse, so Keegan had jumped at the opportunity when Kerry’s aunt and uncle offered him a job. Had that been a mistake?

“So, you’re here to give me space and aren’t trying to hook up with a stranger because your therapist suggested it?”

“More than one thing can be true,” Keegan said.

“That isn’t an answer,” Kerry countered.

“Isn’t it? And you haven’t exactly answered my question either.”

Kerry snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’m not here because I’m trying to avoid you. I don’t think you’ve infiltrated my family.”

Keegan swallowed hard. “I don’t bother you?”

Kerry withdrew his hand from Keegan’s pocket and settled it at his waist. “Oh, you very much do, but not the way you think.” He cycled through a deep, slow breath before he spoke again. “I want to hear about your therapist’s instructions.”

Embarrassment heated Keegan’s cheeks and made him look away. It was hard enough discussing it with Sven, who had zero boundaries, but he squared his shoulders and met Kerry’s dark gaze. “When I started treatment, Brendan recommended I abstain from emotional and physical entanglements to focus on healing myself. I’ve made a lot of progress, and Brendan thinks I’m ready to get out there and—”

“Fuck?”

Keegan choked on his next breath. “Date. Meet guys. Embrace my queerness and freaking revel in it. I’ll never accept my desires are normal if I don’t immerse myself into healthy interactions.”

“So fucking?” Kerry’s one-track mind irritated him to no end.

“Isn’t that part of healthy interactions?” Keegan fired back. “Or do you think I should spend the rest of my life lonely?”

Kerry’s eyes narrowed, and his mouth thinned. “Of course not.”

“I’ve suppressed my instincts and hated myself for far too long. I want to live and love. I want liberation, damn it, and I want to—”

“Fuck.”

“Yes!” Keegan shouted. “I want to fuck!” Flames of humiliation licked up his neck and face, but Keegan was on a roll. “I want to wallow in a powerful orgasm and not weep in shame afterward. Do you have any idea how mortifying that is?”

Kerry stilled suddenly and lifted his hands to cup Keegan’s face. His expression softened as he searched Keegan’s eyes. The moment felt huge, like they stood at the precipice of something big, scary, and wonderful. Was Kerry going to kiss him? “Kee—”

Someone plowed into Kerry’s back, breaking the intimate bubble they’d created on the dance floor. Kerry dropped his hands and turned to face their interloper.

“Dude,” the stranger said, staggering a few steps backward. His half-lidded eyes widened in alarm when he got a load of Kerry’s dark expression. “Hey, are you Kerry Hart?”

“Yes.”

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