Page 40 of Cross Checks

I sighed deeply, knowing how much Chase valued his privacy. I wanted to protect him like a massive shield against scrutiny and backlash. Unfortunately, I thought that was no longer possible.

“Whatever happens, I’m right here with you,” I insisted as I squeezed his hand.

“I know you are,” he whispered, holding me tighter. When he nuzzled against my neck, I reached up and wiped away a single tear.

The fire crackled, and the flames cast dancing shadows on the walls. Our words still hung heavy in the air. With one hand, I rubbed Chase’s back, trying to do anything to comfort him.

“Going public could get complicated,” I whispered. “I’d have to tell my firehouse buddies, too, but I’m confident we can weather this. Opinions from other people can’t tear us apart.”

I heard Chase’s breath catch in his throat. He squeezed my free hand hard. I wasn’t sure how to interpret that, but I treasured his touch.

“Thank you, Hank.” His voice sounded more determined and resilient. “Thank you for your honesty. I know facing harsh reactions worries you less than it does me. I think there is one shining diamond when it’s all over. We can share our love openly…wherever we go.”

I smiled softly at him. Coming out would be challenging for both of us, but it felt right. It would be an opportunity to embrace the truth and build a future together without keeping secrets from the rest of the world.

“Let’s do it,” I insisted as I leaned forward to share a quick kiss. “Let’s do this together.”

As we held on tight to each other, a wave of peace washed over me. The road ahead might be full of challenging unknowns, but I wasn't worried with Chase at my side.

“Thank you for having my back through all of this,” Chase whispered. “You could have found an easier guy than me.”

“But there’s none better,” I replied. “From the moment I picked you up into my arms, I knew I wanted you. It took me a while to process that, but there was only one choice once I did. I wanted us to be together.”

“So, I’ve got a plan.” Chase sounded confident and determined. “We’ll give it a few weeks until we get past the holidays. We can avoid Lou’s during that time, and in January, we’ll invite some of the guys over, Jensen, Waller, maybe the coaches, and we’ll see how that goes.”

I nodded. It wasn’t necessarily the path I would take, but I knew I needed to let Chase take the reins. He wanted to pull the Bandaid off slowly instead of tearing it off all at once.

“And if that all goes well, maybe you can stop by the firehouse for breakfast, and we can talk to the crew.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed, and we both exhaled.

Over the next several days, we didn’t change things much. The only difference was we avoided hanging out downtown. I went to fewer games, and when I showed up there, we didn’t make contact until we got home to either my place or Chase’s.

At first, I thought I could handle it all well, but the secretiveness started to catch up to me. It made my heart ache for the day that we could be open about our growing love.

I looked forward to walking hand-in-hand on the boardwalk downtown. We would be able to share a kiss without worrying who might see us.

Four days before Christmas, as we sat on the couch watching a movie, I thought about what it would be like to introduce Chase to my work buddies and then friends in town. I envisioned Lyle’s embrace, and the rest of the guys would follow suit when he put in a good word.

None of my friends would have a negative reaction. They all thought I deserved to find someone special.

I paused the movie and turned to look at Chase. “I know Christmas isn’t here yet, but I think it’s time for us to take that first step we discussed.”

He looked back at me with his soulful brown eyes wide, and he instantly knew what I was talking about. “You mean…telling people?”

“Yes, and I know the perfect way to start. Let’s invite Jensen and Beth over,” I suggested. “Are they planning to stay in town? I suspected they are because you’ve got a game just two days after Christmas.”

“Yeah, I think he’s staying here in town. He was all excited the other day when he told me about decorating his place for Christmas for the first time in years. He said Beth insisted.”

I smiled. “That is sweet. So, is it a yes? Are we ready to move forward?”

“Let’s do it,” Chase whispered.

We invited Jensen and Beth to join us at my place on Christmas Eve. Chase made his warm eggnog, and I turned on the Christmas music just before they arrived.

I squeezed his hand, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, this will be good. We’ve got this.”

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