Bryce gave him a half-shrugand nodded, grateful for the reprieve. “I’m sorry. It got burned.”
Brent spoke up,frustration clear in his voice. “The damned salad wasn’t burned, it wascharred!”
Laughterrippled through the group, and the tensioneased as conversations resumed. Carter wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he hopedthe other man would talk about what happened when he was ready. Grant shifted,drawing Carter’s attention back to his lover. Grant looked ready to charge inand fix whatever was wrong.
Taking hisbulldozer’s hand, Carter leaned close. “I don’t think he wants to talk about itright now, babe.”
Grant tightenedhis grip on Carter’s hand and started absently caressing the back of Carter’shand with his fingers. “But…”
“I know you guysare a close family, but some things are private. Do you think he wants to talk,or do you think he needs some time?”
Grant sighed butnodded. “Time.” He said it begrudgingly, like he would have rather admittedanything else.
“Maybe it’s not asbad as everyone is imagining. It could be something small.” Carter tried tocome up with something, but it felt wrong. Bryce’s expression didn’t make him thinkthe other men would be coming later. Bryce seemed…resigned.
Bryce was soexcited when they’d had dinner last week. He hadn’t talked to him since, butwhat could have changed in a matter of days? They watched as Wyatt led Brycearound the yard, keeping him distracted.
Carter squeaked asGrant shifted and pulled him into his arms, Carter’s back pressed against thebigger man’s chest. When Grant’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him close,Carter’s heartbeat started to go back to normal.
Leaning backagainst Grant, Carter sighed. “He was so excited the other day.” He feltGrant’s body shift and looked up to see him nodding.
“Whateverhappened, it sucks to see him like this.” Grant didn’t seem to know what tosay.
Carter let hisfingers wander along Grant’s arms, caressing the muscles that enveloped him. Hehadn’t been involved with the family for long, but they were all worming theirway into his life and emotions. As eccentric as they were, they were becomingmore of a family to Carter than his own had ever been.
Wyatt and Garretthad a big part in welcoming him, but Carter knew if it weren’t for the big Domwith the even bigger heart, he’d still be standing on the sidelines watching. Maybehe needed to make sure Grant knew how much he was coming to mean to him. “I’msorry for what Bryce is going through, but I’m glad I have you.”
It wasn’t a hugedeclaration, and it wasn’t the three little words that were dancing around inhis head, but the way Grant’s arms tightened, Carter knew he understood.Grant’s whispered words were just for him, deep and filled with emotions thatechoed Carter’s, and they were pure Grant. “Of course you have me. You’re crazyif you think I’m letting you go.”
It wasn’t adeclaration of love, but the slightly stalkerish sentiment filled the lastempty places deep inside of him. Grant might come across as the overbearing one,but Carter knew he’d fight just as hard to keep their relationship alive. Newas it was, it felt stronger and better than anything he’d ever dreamed of.
Epilogue
As the barbecuestarted to wind down, Carter walked over to the long table to grab his plate. Hearinga car door slam, he glanced up. Brent had neighbors, but that’d sounded tooclose to be one of them. Brent must have thought so, too, because he lookedaround like a mother hen counting her chicks.
Carter hadn’t meteveryone that many times, but aside from Bryce’s guys who were MIA, everyoneelse seemed to have made it to the party. Bryce was still being cagey about whythey weren’t at the barbecue. The fact that he wasn’t saying anything gaveCarter some hope for his new friend.
If it’d been areal breakup or something equally as dramatic, Bryce wouldn’t have had anyreason to hide it. Since he was keeping it close, only giving vague commentsabout them being busy, then their relationship might not be a total loss. Itwas new, but the way Bryce had looked when he’d talked about them told Carterit was something special—and relationships like that didn’t end easily.
The only otherreal damper on the evening was that Bryce’s turmoil seemed to have put a dentin Wyatt and Garrett’s secret plans. They’d shared some pointed looks and haddisappeared into the house for a while. There hadn’t been a private moment tocorner Wyatt, but he knew he’d get the full story later. Grabbing the emptyplate that looked like it had been licked clean, Carter looked around forGrant.
He was hard tomiss.
He was frozen inplace, along with just about everyone else. Only a few people, like Wyatt, wereconfused and looking around. Everyone else was focused on the side of the houseas a short, dark-haired woman came around the corner dragging a suitcase thatlooked nearly as big as she was.
Booming voices allcalled out at once, startling everyone into reacting. “Mom!”
Wyatt slowlywalked up beside Carter as they watched the guys fight for her attention. “Isit bad I hoped she’d stay gone for a while longer? I’m not ready to meet heryet.”
Carter glancedover at his nervous friend. “Wasn’t she supposed to be gone for a couple moreweeks?” He could have sworn Grant had said something like that.
Wyatt nodded.“Yes.”
There was no doubtfrom the glances she was giving Wyatt, Carter, and Calen why she’d come homeearly. She wanted to see what her boys had been up to. The idea of meetingGrant’s mother made his stomach turn in circles, but the knowledge that Wyattwas a lot more serious with Garrett gave him hope.
He and Grant mightbe getting serious, but Wyatt and Garrett were way ahead of them. He had a feelingshe was going to love that. There was no way those two could keep their plans asecret for long. Wyatt was probably going to have a heart attack, but at leastCarter knew he wouldn’t be the center of her attention. He might not be willingto throw Wyatt under the bus, but he wasn’t going to get in its way either.
Friendship only wentso far.
