Page 20 of Subtracting the Heart

“I’ll contact Nora in the front office tonight to make sure it’s a priority for the box to be made ready for your guests. Those boys are more than welcome to come, Jax. You just make them proud on the field.”

Pleased with the news, Jax said goodnight to his boss and went into the great room. He noticed the boys were starting to get sleepy, which wasn’t a surprise. They’d eaten pizza earlier, so he was sure it was the inevitable crash after the carbs.

“Okay, we don’t have beds for youyet, but I can set you up in premium reclining chairs in the media room where you cansleep. It sure as hell beats sleeping on the floor, okay? We’ll get you in better accommodations as soon as we can. For now, it’s the best we have to offer. Ash, stop by the linen closet on the second floor and grab blankets and stuff.”

Ashton stood from his chair and grinned at all of them. “It’s great. Come on, guys. It’s a media room with a big-ass screen, for crap sakes.” The kid sounded like a tour guide.

Jax laughed as the five hurried off behind the thirteen-year-old pied piper. There were restroom facilities up there so they’d be comfortable. The logistics of having those young men staying at their home would be worked out if it took every penny Jax had to spend.

Jackson went to the kitchen to find Cade furiously scrubbing dishes as tears streaked his handsome face, watching for a moment to ensure he understood what he was seeing. When he had a grasp on the situation, Jax walked over to Cade, taking the dish towel from his shoulder to dry the plates and glasses they’d dirtied during the meal.

“Tell me what’s wrong.” Jax began putting away plates. They had a top-of-the-line dishwasher, but his boyfriend had chosen not to use it. He didn’t dare question why.

“It’s my father. He did this, Jax, I just know it. He called in some favors and got the cops to come to the shelter to throw out those kids and put them on the street. He hates me and blames me for Ashton coming out at such a young age.” Cade sniffled.

Jax pulled him into his arms. “Aw, chère. How old were you when you realized you were gay?”

Cade sighed. “I guess I was about his age, but I didn’t act on it for several years. It took me some time to figure out how to process it, you know?”

Jax hugged him tighter and released a chuckle. “Sweet boy, he’s not acting on it, either. This whole clusterfuck isn’t because of anything you or Ash did. If this is your father’s fault, we can fight that together.”

“Not without fucking up your career.” Cade wrapped his arms around Jax’s neck and held on.

“Oh, now don’t worry about my career. This will be my last season. I’m going to skip free agency. I was going to wait to talk to you and Ford about it after the new year but now seems like a good time to go out on a high note.” He kissed Cade’s forehead.

He studied Cade as the young man took in the information. Finally, he nodded, and Jax exhaled. “We have a shot at the playoffs, and if we get there, I’ll leave it all on the field. We’ll talk to Branford when he gets home, but don’t you worry about anything affecting my career. I’ll be fine, chére.” Cade gave him a sweet smile and kissed his cheek.

After they were sure everyone was settled on the third floor, the two of them lay on the leather sectional in the great room, both staring at the tree.

“They tried to make it festive,” Cade pointed to the decorations that were less than perfect.

Jax hugged him. “It is, baby. It’s beautiful. Ford and I’ve never had a tree before, so I’m sure he’ll be surprised when he gets home. We need to talk about something important.”

Cade took Jax’s hand and placed it on his stomach over his shirt. “Okay, what?”

“Our life together. Have you considered the adoption thing? We mean no disrespect with the structure, but it makes the most sense, Kincade. Ford owns the club. He has investments, a trust, and we have this house. I have a lot of investments, and I’mlooking to build a business after football. We can pay lawyers an assload of money to try to make everything fair and equitable if something happens to one of us, but it would be money wasted. If Ford and I get married, and we adopt you, we’re a family and everything is protected.” Jax squeezed him gently, kissing the back of his head.

“What if it turns out to be a mistake? You two can get a divorce, but it wouldn’t be easy to get rid of me if I was your adopted son.”

Jax rolled the two of them with Cade ending up against his body so they were eye to eye. “That’s exactly as it should be. Hell, I’m Catholic. We don’t even believe in divorce.” Jax pulled Cade closer to kiss him.

Their tongues slid together, first in Jax’s mouth then in Kincade’s. It felt incredible to have that piece of his heart back. He couldn’t wait for Ford to get home.

Chapter Nine

Ford

Ford let himself into the house from the garage, seeing several lights on which he hadn’t expected. The one over the sink like usual, because Jax always left it on for him so he wouldn’t be blind dazzled coming in from the garage. There was something else illuminating the rest of the house from deeper inside.

After turning off the kitchen light, Ford followed the soft glow into the living room, seeing a large Christmas tree and decorations arranged around the room. It all looked amazing and totally unexpected.

He stepped forward to look at the brightly colored balls and lights on the tree, and it reminded him of a carnival, or maybe Times Square, with all the bright colors glowing around him. It was beautiful.

The scene was reminiscent of Christmases when Ford was a small child and the family went to the beach house in the Hamptons. It was what all the moneyed people in his parents’ circle of friends did, and the huge tree in the middle of the atrium was always exciting to see.

The servants decorated it with a different theme every year, and Ford was always filled with excited anticipation to see what the theme was for that year. He’d had no preconcieved notion of what they’d choose, so it was always a wonderful surprise.

As he stood in front of the tree and admired the simple beauty, it occurred to him maybe the theme was a new beginning. There was popcorn garland and tinsel that reflected the colored lights that made the whole thing glow.

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