Dad chuckles, looking from my son to me. “That so?”
Poor Ash looks like he’s silently praying to the gods to let the ground swallow him whole, but this is the whole reason we came here this morning. To tell them, to finally have everything out in the open. So, even though my stomach is in knots and my heart is clear in in my throat, I don’t let it show.
“Actually, yeah,” I murmur, holding my dad’s gaze before letting it drop to my son, who’s still holding onto Ash’s leg. “Ash and I wanted to tell y’all somethin’.”
“What’re you tellin’ us?” Hollis asks, as he appears out of nowhere with Tripp and August in tow. I bite the inside of my cheek and glance toward Ash. I can practically feel the nerves rushing off him in waves.
“Daddy’s ’bout to tell us heloooovesAsh,” Tucker cuts in. My heart pounds as all eyes drift toward him. “But you already told me that, ’member?”
“You did?” Ash gawks beside me.
“Yeah.” Tuck nods. “At the grocery store, I told Daddy that I loved you, and he said he did too.”
I scan the yard, taking in all the eyes focused on me and Ash. My stomach flips, and my palms are sweaty, but I can’t help but notice how none of them are watching us with disapproval, or even shock.
“He’s right,” I say, thankful my voice doesn’t crack. Taking Ash’s hand in mine, I glance up at my dad, holding his stare for a moment before I look down at my son. “Ash and I are together. He’s my boyfriend.”
Tucker’s smile takes over his whole face as he looks from me to Ash.
I meet my dad’s gaze again and add, “We’ve been seein’ each other for a while now, but we wanted y’all to know now that it’s, you know…official.”
Mirth twinkles in my dad’s eyes, and when I look toward my brother, I find the same expression. Tripp looks like the cat that got the canary, standing next to Hollis.
“Well, if that’s all, we oughta get inside before breakfast gets cold,” my dad drawls from the porch. A deep chuckle rumbles from his burly chest. “What? You think we didn’t already know about you two before Violet made a scene here last night?”
My gaze finds Ash’s, who looks equally as confused as I do.
“Tucker, go set the table for us,” Dad barks. As soon as my son’s out of earshot, he fixes his gaze on me and Ash. “Day of the fire was a dead giveaway,” he mutters with a barely-there smirk curling one side of his mouth. “The way y’all hugged each other when you realized you were both okay.”
As I meet Ash’s gaze, he’s chewing on the inside of his cheek, trying not to smile. At least he doesn’t look so freaked out finally.
“That day aside,” my dad goes on. “You act like I don’t know you like the back of my hand, Son. I saw the way you looked at him.” He tips his head toward Ash, imploring gaze never leaving mine. “Whatever your reason for keepin’ this to yourselves, I’m glad you told us now. I’m happy for you both.”
The sincerity in his tone nearly knocks me off my feet. Ash’s hand tightens around mine, and when I turn my head and meet his gaze once more, I’m not at all surprised to find his mismatched eyes misty and his cheeks a radiant shade of pink. I admire how Ash shows his feelings. He’s not afraid to cry or be vulnerable. As a man who’s grown up in Texas, working a very “masculine” job, for lack of a better word, showing emotions can oftentimes be frowned upon or looked at as a weakness. I’d like to think being around him the past few months has helped me tap into my emotional side too.
“Me too,” Hollis adds, strolling over to me and throwing an arm around my shoulders. “It’s ’bout damn time you let yourself be happy, brother.”
“I was happy,” I scoff.
“You know what I mean.” My brother winks before slapping Ash on the back. “And between you and me—and no offense—you’re a much better person for our Finny boy than your sister.” Hollis winces dramatically, causing Ash to chuckle. I don’t miss the sadness in his eyes, though, at the mention of Violet.
“She’s not all bad,” he says. “You’ve all just happened to see a not-so-great side of her. I’m hoping she’ll come around, eventually.”
Squeezing his hand, I murmur, “She will.”
I can tell he’s not sure if he can believe that, but he nods and smiles anyway.
“Alright, boys,” Dad calls out, clapping his hands together. “Get your asses inside and let’s eat.”
Tucker insists on sitting between me and Ash, and he’s wearing a huge shit-eating grin the whole time we eat. There was no doubt in my mind that Tucker would be okay with this, given how open he is about his love for Ash, but there was a small part of me that was slightly nervous. There’s been nobody serious since his mom, who he doesn’t even remember. Introducing your kid to your partner is a big deal. I’ve never wanted Tucker to meet everybody who kept my bed warm, never wanted him to get attached to someone who wouldn’t stick around in the end. With Ash, though, I know he’s here for the long haul. With Ash, it’s different; I feel confident about that.
After we eat and I help my dad clean up the kitchen, Ash takes Tucker back to the house while I run a few errands. I purposely kept said errands vague, mostly because I wasn’t sure how Ash would react, but also because I don’t want him to get his hopes up in case this goes badly. My stomach is in knots as I park in front of Violet’s house and walk up to the front door. There’s a real possibility she’ll either slam the door in my face or not open up at all. But for Ash, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Bringing my fist up, I knock, my heart beating chaotically inside my chest while I wait. Thankfully, after a moment she opens, and I’m choosing to think it’s a good sign that she doesn’t immediately slam it shut.
Her eyes narrow. “What are you doing here?”
“Can we talk?”
