“You mean he cooks,period.” Calen managed to catch his breath long enough to respond beforelaughing again.
Fixing his shitwith Brent had improved Calen’s mood, but it hadn’t improved his sense of humor.Grant frowned at him. “We’re not that bad.”
“Yes, you are.”Calen snickered.
Ignoring thehyena, Grant turned to Garrett. “How often?”
Garrett lookedlike he’d rather not answer, but he knew when he was cornered. “Most of thetime. We’re actually talking about moving in together and getting rid of myplace. I’m never over there anymore, and he’s already started bringing over mypictures and stuff. He wants it to be my home, too.”
“Before he evenmeets Mom?” Grant knew the look on his face was wicked, but he couldn’t helpit. “And before some kind of collaring ceremony?”
“Don’t tell her.She keeps talking about coming home early. If you start telling her shit like that,she’ll be here tomorrow. You really want her butting in on your relationshipwith Carter?” Garrett frowned, clearly conflicted about the idea of havingtheir mother home. “Besides, they’ve talked on the phone, so it’s not like shedoesn’t know him at all.”
Calen snorted. “Thatwon’t count at all with her.”
Garrett frowned athim. “It counts.”
“Not if you movein together—and if you do that without something more permanent she’s going tokill you.” Grant could almost see the explosion. She’d go crazy. “You’d get thelecture big-time.”
Garrett shuddered.“I’m not going to piss her off.”
They’d all gottendifferent versions of the same lecture growing up, once they’d come out andadmitted their sexuality and D/s preferences. Basically, it was a lecture onbeing a responsible Dom or making sure they picked a trustworthy Dom. Betweenthat and the sex talk, it was like baptism by fire. They’d all gotten over anynatural shyness quickly, because she wasn’t one to back down on something she feltwas important.
Grant loved hismother, but something about her innate need to dominate and her motheringinstincts made her…overwhelming. Helicopter mothers had nothing on his mom. Shehad a hovercraft complete with spy glasses and guns. Having her home would begreat, but there was no way she would keep her distance from their privatelives.
Calen stoppedlaughing long enough to nod and turn the conversation around to Grant andCarter. It was hard to tell if he was honestly curious or if he wanted to giveGarrett a reprieve. “Speaking of you and Carter, how is that going?”
Garrett leanedback against the couch. If Grant had to guess, he was glad to be out of thespotlight. “Wyatt’s excited, but he’s worried for Carter.”
Grant wasn’t surewhat to say, but telling them to mind their own business didn’t even occur tohim. “I think it’s going good. I’m not going to try moving in with him tomorrowor anything.” He gave Garrett a teasing grin. “He just needs to accept that Idon’t mind who he is. He attracted more douches than Brent did.”
He’d been doinghis best to make sure Carter knew he was serious about them and that he likedwhat Carter wore, but he knew it would be an uphill battle. Carter knew who hewas and what he wanted, but he’d had so many guys shoot him down that Grant thoughthis confidence was battered all to hell. Grant knew he just had to keep showingCarter honestly how sexy he was and letting him be himself when they went out.
Some people wouldalways have a problem with them, but other than a few looks when they’d goneout, it hadn’t been as bad as it could have been. Overall, the communities closerto the city were more welcoming than they had been when they were younger, andhe hoped it would keep moving in that direction.
Thinking of the localarea brought something else to mind he’d been meaning to ask the other men. “Youguys have a strange lady come in to get insurance quotes last week?” Hisclients were all over the map and he did a lot of business policies whichattracted a different sort, but she was more interesting than usual.
Garrett and Calenlooked at each other and nodded. “Little Southern lady? Bossy and asked a tonof questions?”
Grant nodded.“None of which had anything to do with the business.”
They both noddedagain, and Calen spoke up. “Lots of crazy ones about your family. It was morelike an interview than an insurance quote. She even insisted Garrett and I bothsit in on it. She wasn’t going to budge on that, either. It was like trying tomove a very polite brick wall.”
Grant smiled.“Definitely an interrogation. You guys get the feeling she knew more about usthan she should have if it were just about insurance?”
Garrett nodded.“I’m not sure I’ve ever been asked about who I was seeing. I wasn’t sure howshe was going to take hearing I was seriously involved with a man, but she wassurprisingly…”
He trailed off,clearly not sure how to explain it. Calen spoke up, not conflicted at all.“Gleeful. She got a kick out of it. It was weird.”
Garrett lookedlike he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Grant had to chuckle. “Yup, soundsabout right. She asked who I was dating and had all kinds of questions. Shenever even asked about the policies or costs.”
Calen glancedbetween the other men, then settled on Grant. “Did she buy anything from you?”
He shook his head.“Nope. Just said she enjoyed meeting me and she thought I was a good fit.”
Calen grinned. “Wegot something like that, too.”
“Some people areweird.” Grant was serious, but Calen found the comment hilarious. As he waslaughing so hard he couldn’t catch his breath, Grant and Garrett both just watchedhim, wearing matching confused expressions.
