Page 72 of Something Unforgettable

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.” He looked over at Xavier, who was standing on the other side of the bed. “Do you remember Xavier, Pops? He’s my boyfriend now.” The words gave him a little thrill. He hadn’t had a chance to tell anyone that out loud yet.

“’Course I remember my Corey’s man. He’s too big to forget.”

Finn laughed. “But you can’t remember that I go by Finn now?” he couldn’t help pointing out.

Pops rolled his eyes. “Your great-grandfather went by Finn. It’s just too strange to call you that. I keep looking around formyfather.”

What? Finn gaped at him, incredulous. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

Pops looked chagrined. “Well, I was afraid you’d tell me to stop if I brought it up.”

God, that was soPops. Finn leaned down and kissed his forehead. “You can keep calling me Corey. I think it’d be weird if you stopped now. But can you please introduce me as Finn when we meet people? I’d rather not have to explain myself to anyone else.”

Pops patted him on the shoulder. “I can do that.”

Finn had to hug him again. Over Pops’s shoulder, he could see Xavier smiling at him and he grinned back, then swallowed hard.

“There’s something else I should tell you, before I chicken out.”

“Are you and your man moving to LA?”

Finn blinked at him. “What? Why would you think that?”

“Well, most of the last few months are pretty blurry, but I think every person who’s been in to visit talked about you and your man visiting LA and you being in the news. I guess it stuck.”

Finn gripped Pops’s bony hand, more frail than he could ever remember it being, but still strong when he squeezed back.

“It’s not about that. Xavier is talking about being here more, so I can stay with you.”

Pops shook his head. “Don’t be an idiot, Corey. You can’t put your life on hold for an old man.”

Finn shook his head. “But that’s what I need to tell you. I lied to you.”

Pops scowled. “What? When?”

Finn licked his lips, then looked at Xavi, who nodded. “After college. I was planning to go to vet school.”

Pops nodded. “I remember. You didn’t get in. Idiots, all of them. You would have been a brilliant vet.”

Finn shifted. “That’s the thing…”

Pops eyed him shrewdly. “You did get in, didn’t you.”

Finn nodded. “I came home during spring break to tell you and I just…I realized how much older you were getting and I could see that you needed me. The school was in Massachusetts and I couldn’t handle the idea of being gone for four more years when I didn’t know how many more we had. So I turned them down.”

“Corey,” Pops said, aghast. “I never would have asked you to do that.”

“I know, Pops, but I couldn’t see another way. I’m not ready to lose you.”

“You have to go back. Send them a letter and let them know you’re ready now.”

“That’s not—”

“Hush, Corey,” Pops snapped. “We can figure this out. You’ve wanted to be a vet since you were thirteen and saw Dr. Reid deliver a foal when we were out at the King Farm. I’m not letting you give up your dreams for me.”

“That’s the thing, Pops,” Finn said, finally getting a word in. “It’s not my dream anymore. I wanted to be a vet because it was a job I could have here. It meant I could stay with you and support you when you retired. But my world is a lot bigger now.” Xavier rounded the end of the bed and wrapped an arm around Finn’s shoulder. Finn reached up to grip his fingers, his eyes catching on the X drawn on the underside of his cast. “Xavi and I have been talking and he’s got some ideas.”

Xavier stepped in then. “I happened to find out that the farm next to the Averys’ ranch is about to go on the market. It’s smaller than theirs, but we aren’t interested in farming it. There’s a guest house that’s similar to the setup Nick, Ryan, and Micah have for Maggie. If you’re interested, I’d like to put in an offer.”

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