Page 95 of Tameron

“I was not moping.” Forest sounded indignant. “I do not nor have I ever moped.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jarek said, as always the peacemaker. He extended his hand, but Forest was already hugging him. Bemused, Jarek returned the hug of that little ball of sunshine.

When it was my turn, I just went directly for the embrace. Forest gently patted my back. “Happy to see you again, Tameron.”

“You too.”

Forest let go and turned his eyes to Dayton. “Oh, hello.”

Dayton grinned at the unmistakable flirtiness in that tone. “I’m Dayton, Tameron’s boyfriend.”

Forest’s eyes widened. “You’re not straight?” he asked me.

“Apparently not.”

“And you couldn’t have discovered that the last time I visited?”

I snorted. He was such a riot, that one. No filter at all and unapologetically gay. “You can file your complaint with Heath. If he’d pickedThe Mummysooner as the video to watch, I might’ve.”

Forest let out a dramatic sigh. “Amateurs. Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Dayton. I hope you know you picked one of the good ones.”

What? Hadn’t he meant to say I’d picked a good one because Dayton was hot as fuck?

But Dayton wrapped his arm around me and pressed a kiss to my hair. “I sure do. He’s a treasure, this one.”

A treasure? Me? In what universe? But Forest and Dayton shared a look that made me keep quiet, as if they knew something I didn’t.

“Hey, guys, sorry for being late,” Nash said as he walked in. “My shift was…” He came to a full stop. “Forest. I wasn’t expecting… I thought you were… It’s good to see you.”

And then he extended his hand to Forest, as if the kid were a stranger he’d never met. Granted, they’d only met once, but Forest had spent a few days with us, so it wasn’t like they hadn’t interacted.

What the hell was up with him? I’d never seen him that flustered. Maybe he’d had a bad call? He’d been on shift, so who knew what had happened.

Luckily, Forest plain ignored the hand, the same way he’d done with Jarek, and hugged him. It was a bit of a comical sight because he was so much shorter than Nash, barely reaching his shoulder, and I smiled. If Nash was in a mood because of a bad day, Forest would be able to pull him out of it.

“Dinner is served,” Bean announced, and we all found our spots along their spacious dinner table that seated eight.

“Gorgeous table,” Heath commented, running his hand along the wood. I had to agree with him. It was made out of solid wood and had clean lines and heavy, sturdy legs. No frills, but somehow still elegant.

And now I was waxing poetic about a dinner table? Somebody slap me. Gently though.

“Jordan made it,” Bean said. “My coworker. He does it as a hobby.”

“We had a hard time finding a table that was big enough, let alone one we liked. Most tables seat four or six.” Jarek shot a loving look at Bean. “But we wanted to ensure you all had a spot when you came over for dinner.”

Aw, that was sweet of him. He was such a good guy.

“On the menu tonight is a new recipe,” Bean announced. “Grilled fish with a cauliflower-and-potato gratin.”

Bean’s cooking improved each week, and I loved seeing him flourish. He loved his job, and last week, Eddie’s Bar had gotten a super favorable review in a local magazine, which had drawn in a lot of new customers who’d come specifically for Bean’s cooking. I’d been so proud of him.

Also, cauliflower? How strangely fitting. “I love cauliflower,” I said, and Nash sent me a wink. The man knew exactly what I meant.

“How are the wedding plans coming along?” Dayton asked.

“Good. It’s gonna be a super small event,” Bean said. “Twenty people in total. I don’t do well in crowds, and we don’t have extended family we need to invite, so it’s gonna be small.”

“Intimate,” Jarek said, reaching for Bean’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “Just with the people we love. And my best friend has procured a special license so she can marry us.”

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