Page 52 of Tameron

But it could have been so much worse. I’d seen it be worse.

“I think you’ll have a good time. And it won’t be as intense as a Deaf event,” I told him.

He paled a bit. “We have an assignment—ah—to attend one near the end of the semester.”

Leaning in again, I put my hand on his arm. “I’ll find you a good one. Maybe an adult-only, queer Deaf cabaret show?”

The tips of his ears pinked. “They have those?”

“They have just about anything you can think of. Don’t panic. Now, if you’re not going to join, you’ll have to get out. I can already see from Barbara’s face that she’s getting ideas, and rumors are going to spread if we’re not careful.”

“Oh.” His gaze darted toward her, then back to me. “Well. That wouldn’t be the worst workplace rumor. Would it?” There was a hint of vulnerability in his voice that I couldn’t pretend not to hear.

But I let it slide.

“There have been worse ones. Like once when I sat in chocolate and didn’t realize it until after my class was over.”

He slapped a hand over his mouth to hide his laugh. “Oh my god.”

“That one followed me to the station,” I told him with a grimace. “Anyway, see you soon?”

“Text me tonight,” he said.

My heart did a little kick-flip as I nodded and then watched him walk out. I stood in a daze until someone cleared their throat, and I turned to see Barbara smiling at me.

“Not a word, Babs.”

She made a zipper motion over her lips. I didn’t trust her, but like Tameron said, a rumor about us wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Right?

Standing in front of my parents, I folded my arms over my chest, my expression stern. Dax was in his usual spot in the corner of the L-shaped couch, trying and failing to hide a smile. He wasn’t part of this though. He knew how to behave.

Mostly.

‘Calm down,’ my mom signed. ‘You’re not going to war.’

‘That,’ I signed almost frantically. ‘You can’t make that joke in front of him. He went to war. It’s not funny.’

Her face fell and she glanced at my dad before looking back at me. ‘You’re dating a veteran?’

‘We’re not dating?—’

‘Bullshit!’ my brother signed, vocalizing loudly to catch my attention.

‘We’re not dating,’ I repeated, giving him a hard stare. ‘We’re…exploring.’

My dad choked on a laugh, and my glare turned to him. ‘Sorry, sorry.’

‘See-see,’ Dax signed. ‘It’s only a matter of time.’

This was pointless. ‘Rules,’ I said, then held out my hand and tapped my first finger. ‘Number one, no bringing up the military. I don’t know how sensitive he is, and he was discharged after the incident that took his hearing.’

Everyone nodded.

‘Two’—I tapped my middle finger—‘no making jokes about dating. He’s not sure how he feels about?—’

‘You?’ Dax offered.

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