Page 104 of Crossing Lines

“Great. I’ll probably ace that class.” Holy fuck, he kissed me in public, right here in front of classmates. My heart danced in my chest. How long had I waited for this day?

“Sit, I have something to tell you.” He waved to the booth.

I slid onto the seat, dropping my backpack to the floor. “Must be good news if you’re drinking.” Shit, the beer looked really good right now.

“Here.” He poured beer into an empty glass and slid it over to me, then propped his elbows on the table and his chin in his palms, his eyes twinkling at me. “I got the job with the University of Toronto.”

“Holy shit, you did?” I grabbed his wrist, then held his hand in mine as he straightened. “That’s great news.”

“Yeah. I start in August.” With his gaze dropping to our entwined hands on the table surface, he said, “That gives me the whole summer to help Mom with her treatments.”

“For both of us to help her with her treatments.” Ticking my brows at him, I took a sip of my beer. I couldn’t wait to be there for him, to give back a little bit of what he’d given me.

As a smile crept over his lips, he said, “Yes, both of us. We talked about you living with us, and as I told you, she can’t wait to meet you and have you there.” He chuckled. “My mom has always loved having people around her, and she’s really happy for us.”

“Good.” I skimmed my thumb over the back of his hand. “Oh shoot, I totally forgot. I have news on your lease problem. Mason says he’ll take it off your hands.” I scratched my cheek. I wasn’t sure how something like that worked. “I guess you’ll sublet to him, or what?”

“Turns out I don’t have to. I spoke with the management company and they’re willing to allow me to find someone to take it over. So, this works out perfectly. Thanks.” He drank some beer. “It seems I have extenuating circumstances with Mom getting sick.” He shook his head. “It’s amazing how much her illness is helping our situation.”

“Yeah.” I pulled his hand toward me, then leaned over the table to kiss his cheek. “She’s going to be okay, right?” But if he lost her, then I’d be there for him.

“It’s very treatable, but there’s still around a fifteen percent chance that the treatment won’t work.” He pressed his lips into a grim line.

“It’ll work. If this one doesn’t, then we will find something that does.” I kissed his knuckles. “Ryan, no matter what happens, we have each other. I’m yours and you’re mine.”

As his gaze swung to mine, he curled the edge of his mouth. “Damn right.”

I relaxed into my chair and gazed around the restaurant. What else did we need to discuss? We had so many plans in motion. “So, next week, my family will be here for graduation. When do you want to pack up the U-Haul?” Because we were going to start this summer with a road trip.

“Let’s pack it up this weekend.” He gave me a sideways glance. “Can I stay with you for a few days?”

“Oh, hell yes.” A grin teased my lips. More like this would be the start of us living together, which couldn’t start soon enough for me. “You know, all the guys will be there to help. We’ll get it done in a day.”

“I expected nothing less.” With a wide smile, he lifted his chin.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

RYAN

Iwas about to meet Jonah’s family and my nerves were a little ragged. According to the rest of his friends, they were lovely people, but would they like me? I did have an affair with their son while I was coaching his team. I supposed that indiscretion would always haunt me just a little bit. I primped my hair in the washroom mirror at the hotel restaurant. Tempe was packed with people here for all the graduation ceremonies, so we’d decided to stay close. With a deep breath, I strode out of the bathroom and into the hotel lobby. Funny, not long ago, I was here with Laurent.

Jonah stood by a rough masonry wall painted in white, clasping his hands in front of him. A smile broke out over his face as his gaze caught on mine.

I perused the modern elegance of the lobby, all done up in retro furniture, reminiscent of the nineteen-fifties with sleek lines and rich wood. “So, have you heard from them?”

“Yep, be down in sec.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his side. “Are you nervous?” He wrapped an arm around my waist.

“Yes, how could I not be?” I edged into him, seeking his touch. In two days, we’d be leaving for our road trip with all mythings. Though I was looking forward to it, I was also wanting to go home and see Mom.

A group of people strode toward us, a tall, built man with thick black hair and a shorter woman with tinted blonde hair, the woman wearing a flowing flowered dress and the man in a polo and dressy shorts. Behind them was a young man who looked a lot like Jonah, except smaller and thinner. I leaned in. “Is that them?”

“It is.” He pushed me toward them. “Hey, Mom, Dad.” He left my side to give them both hugs, then wrapped up his brother, Jason, and lifted him off the floor. “Hey, little dude.”

“I’m not that little.” Jason huffed and pushed away from him. “I grew an inch this year.”

“Yeah, okay.” Jonah scruffed his hair, then held a hand out to me. “Everyone, meet my boyfriend, Ryan Gibson.”

I stepped toward them. “Pleased to meet you all.” I met each of their gazes.

---