Page 75 of Daily Grind
He took the salad from his dad and fought the urge to burst out into a laughing fit. Man, he’d have a story to tell Rob tonight. After putting salad into his bowl, he handed it off to Len.
“Knew that, too,” Len said. “I’ve been in your room as well.” After taking his share, he passed it to Zoe.
“Doesn’t matter what any of you are,” their father said, gravel in his voice. “You’re our kids and we love you. End of story.”
“Not completely,” his mom said. “Are you seeing anyone, Zoe?
She rolled her eyes. “Mom!”
Len laughed.
Unexpected tears pricked in Brian’s eyes. His family loved him. Accepted him. One another. Nothing, and everything, had changed.
His dad always said there wasn’t anything more important than family. He held out his plate and his mom placed a nice large slice of lasagna on it. “Eat up,” she said.
Zoe talked a little about her girlfriend. Len, as usual, had no one in his life. “Kinda hard when work takes you to different cities all the damn time.” He shrugged and smiled, a picture of contentment. He loved flying, so Brian wasn’t surprised. “Maybe someday.”
Over dinner and wine and brownies for dessert, he spilled his guts, answering the questions about how he’d met Rob, what he did, and how serious things were.
After the last question, Brian bit his lip. “I don’t know. Maybe pretty serious? He’s…”
“…Dreeeeaaaamy?” his sister said.
He threw a napkin at her. “He’s British.” He paused. “And a redhead.”
“Oh God,” his brother said. “No wonder you’re glowing.”
“I am not!”
Len clapped him on the shoulder. “Sorry to say, but you look happier than you have in years. Probably could read by you in a dark room.”
He couldn’t argue with that. At all.
By the end of the night, he was more than a little stuffed, had a whole container full of leftover lasagna and brownies, and really didn’t want to climb the hill back home on his bike in the dark. Thank God Len offered to drive him.
“Got a rack on the back of the SUV, and everything.”
Hugs all around. He pulled his sister close. “If you ever need to talk…”
She mock-punched him in the stomach. “Works both ways, you know.”
Yeah, he probably should call more often.
Detangling from their childhood home always took time, but eventually, he and Len got his bike on the SUV and were on their way. The silence between them was broken by Len.
“I’m really happy for you. Seriously.” A quick glance. “My brother. Dating a high-powered CEO.”
“I don’t know about high-powered…”
“Dude, I read the business news. I know who Robert Ancroft is.”
Weird, really, weird to hear Rob’s name from his brother’s lips. “Idon’tread the business news. I think he likes that about me.”
Len laughed. “Probably because you treat him like a normal guy.”
Rob, normal? Rob was the hot guy he wanted to pull into bed. The one he couldn’t get enough of. The one he’d had on his knees.
He kept that to himself—some things you didn’t share with your sibs. He shrugged. “I’m just grateful Mom and Dad and you guys are okay with it.”
