Page 61 of On the Edge

“Including me.” I smiled around another sip of my beer.

“I’m trying to wrap my head around the age difference.” Dad downed half his soda in a single sip. “He’ll be sixty when?—”

“Let’s not math.” I held up both hands. “I want to grow older with him. Will he get older faster? Maybe. No guarantees there, especially with my sport. And I like cozy mysteries, early dinners, and puzzles. I’m practically a senior citizen myself.”

“Okay. No math. No lectures.” Dad took a decisive bite of his burger. “I’m going to say good luck and mean it.”

“Thank you.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“That’s pretty much it.” I managed my first genuine grin during the whole conversation.

“Thank goodness.” Dad wiped his forehead, and we both chuckled. This was going to be okay. Now, if I could only say the same thing for Jonas and me.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jonas

Footsteps sounded on the basement steps, and I knew exactly who it was before I turned from my place on the couch, especially once I heard thesnickof the door lock.

“You’re back.” Despite whatever complicated emotions I’d been warring with the past few days, my chest lifted and my step lightened as I rushed over to greet Declan.

“I am.” Declan hesitated at the bottom of the basement stairs. He looked undecided about whether to kiss me, so I decided for us both and offered a hug with outstretched arms. Exhaling gratefully, he settled into my embrace. “Were you asleep? It’s later than I’d hoped.”

“I was pretending to read.” I kissed the top of his head. Reading simply wasn’t the same without him around. I’d helped Rowan fold towels, walked Oz, called the hospital to check on Marissa Darcy who was continuing to make good progress in ICU, and otherwise tried to keep busy while waiting. “I tried watching a movie earlier but kept losing track of the plot. Guess I don’t do downtime well.”

Declan raised an eyebrow. “Surprised you didn’t pick up a shift.”

“Me too. I could have. But I said no.” I wasn’t telling him to score points but rather to acknowledge that I had been working too much. One of the dating apps that I’d tried in the past liked to talk about love languages, and while I thought they pretty much all applied to me, Declan was definitely someone who valued time and undivided attention. I hadn’t done the best at offering that the past few weeks. “I wanted to see you more than I wanted to work. I would have volunteered to pick you up, but your dad jumped on that. Didn’t want to make it awkward.”

“Thanks.” Declan offered a crooked smile. “Dad and I…uh…had a good talk on the way back.” Something about Declan’s uncertainty put me on edge, but I let him continue. “That’s why I’m later than expected. We stopped for dinner.”

“I’m glad you had time with your dad.” I wasn’t about to get jealous over Declan being late because of family time.

“I told him. About us. And me being queer, all that.”

“You what?” Releasing Declan from my embrace, I fell into a coughing fit. “Should I expect pistols at dawn?”

“No one’s dueling.” Declan rubbed my back. “And he’s not mad. Skeptical maybe, but not mad, and not at you.”

“At you?” I asked warily.

“No, not at me either.” Declan steered me toward the couch, probably worried I was about to topple over from this news. And maybe I was. I sat before pulling Declan down next to me. “I think he was still reeling from me coming out when I sprung us on him too.”

“Did you plan to tell him?” I peered closely at Declan, trying to suss out his mental state.

“Yeah. Rehearsed the whole plane ride.” He gave a self-conscious chuckle.

“My overthinker.” I tugged him back into my arms.

“It’s funny. I’ve spent ten years building up coming out as this enormous deal. And in the end, it was pretty damn easy, at least with my dad. He loves me.”

“As do a lot of people.” Myself included, but this wasn’t the moment to reveal that.

“I’m…um…not sure when I’ll go public.” Declan looked down at his hands. “I told Dad he could tell Denver and my sister. I’m calling my mom tomorrow. And?—”

“Little steps. It’s okay.” I needed to be happy he’d done this much and set aside my own worries and desires for a moment. He’d come out to Sean, which was a huge deal and, frankly, unexpected. No way was he coming out to his team or the public any time soon. “When do you go back to Arizona?”

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