Chapter 83

It wasn’t true, as she was well aware, and it hurt, but Rush was determined not to give it a moment’s thought today.

Shortly after the bride and groom finished feeding each other miniscule bites of cake, the waiters once again circulated, making sure everyone had a piece of cake.

Beyond cutting into his cake with the side of his fork and moving it around his plate, Rush barely touched it. JT watched him with concern in his eyes, but Rush pretended not to see.

However, JT wasn’t the only one to notice.

Tad leaned across Becca and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

“I—” Rush was ready to lie and say he was too full, but a reprieve came from an unexpected source.

“I need to talk to you.” His oldest brother stood with a hand on Rush’s shoulder.

“What is it?” He worried his lower lip.

“Father isn’t happy.”

All evening he’d been expecting to hear those words. “Has he ever been happy where I’m concerned?”

“Of course he has.”

“I won’t put you on the spot and ask you to name one—I know you’ll want to rejoin your bride sometime in the near future. What have I done now?”

“Father feels you made an exhibition of yourself on the dance floor.”

“And that is something Daltons don’t do.” He sighed. He’d had such fun doing the silly dance, but deep down he’d known there would be a price to pay for that enjoyment.

Tad rose from his seat and stepped into Gratton’s space, taking advantage of his greater height by looming. “He wasn’t making an exhibition of himself. He was dancing.”

Rush felt his chest swell with pride that Tad would defend him.

“I’m not going to quarrel with you. You’re my brother’s guest.” Gratton moistened his lips. Rush knew him well enough to recognize that as a sign of how uncomfortable Gratton was with the entire situation, and it gave him a measure of hope that perhaps his brother still had some fondness for him. “I’m just warning you, Rush. Father thinks that kind of dancing is—”

“Is what?” Tad demanded. He took off his sunglasses, and the flush on his cheeks made his blue eyes stand out in startling contrast to the brown he had dyed his hair. Rush felt a quiver of excitement flash through him. For a long time after they broke up—because no matter what anyone might think, he was a realist and knew that one day Tad would want to find someone more exciting than ordinary Rush Dalton—he would keep the memories of Tad making love to him as both a blond and a brunet.

Gratton shook his head, not answering Tad, but leaned close to whisper something in Rush’s ear.

Rush’s jaw dropped. “Gay? Father thinks the way I was dancing was gay?” Well, of course it was. He’d been taught by gay boys. How would his father react if he knew his youngest son actually wasgay? “What about you, Gratton?”

“What I think has nothing to do with it. Father is the head of the family, and he doesn’t want Suellen’s family to get the wrong impression of us.”

“Of course not.” Rush pressed the heel of his hand into his stomach.

“Why, I ought to—” Tad’s hands were clenched into fists.

“Tad, no!” He gripped his boyfriend’s wrist. If they caused a scene…

JT slowly got to his feet, and although he was actually an inch or so shorter than Rush, suddenly he seemed massive. “You sanctimonious little prig.”

“I beg your pardon?” Gratton appeared stunned by the unexpected attack.

“You should be begging your brother’s pardon. Rush is one of the best people I know, and I’ll be damned if I let you or anyone else treat him like this.”

Mr. Jack rose as well, and Becca and Mopp, and Rush’s throat tightened. He had to blink furiously in order to prevent himself from making a fool of himself by crying. Jan looked from one person to the other, and then she stood up, too.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble with your…your friends.” Gratton looked even more uncomfortable. “This is Suellen’s day, Rush, and I want her to have pleasant memories of it. I—”

“I think it might be best if my friends and I left now.”

Gratton looked relieved he hadn’t had to ask. “I’m sure Mother and Father would have no objections.”

“Of course they wouldn’t.” Rush turned to the others. “Do you mind?”

“Let’s go.” JT glared across the room at Rush’s parents, then turned on his heel and started to stalk out.

“Uh…Tommy?” Mr. Jack held up JT’s shoes. JT had mentioned earlier that they were killing him and that he had slipped them off.