Chapter 90

Tom wanted to swear. When Rush had first come to them, he’d been recovering from a stomach ulcer. All this time, he had been symptom-free, and now, in his brother’s presence for less than an hour, and they had returned with a vengeance.

“Easy, baby,” Thaddeus murmured. “Easy.”

“If they said they were going to come, I knew they would do something to ruin it, and it’s supposed to be the most perfect day of my life, and—” Rush’s voice hitched, and tears slid down his cheeks. “And I don’t care! I don’t want them here!” He tucked his head against his fiancé’s neck, and his shoulders shook.

“Oh, baby.” Thaddeus tightened his hold and stroked a comforting hand up and down Rush’s back.

Tom knelt beside the boys and wrapped his arms around them both. “It’s all right, Rush. They won’t be missed, I promise you.”

“There’s more,” Thaddeus said grimly. “Go ahead, Rush. Tell him.”

Rush sat up, brushed the tears from his cheeks, and met Tom’s supportive gaze. “I…I said, ‘Aren’t you going to congratulate me?’ Emmett said, ‘For what? Proving our parents were right about you? I always thought there was something faggy about you. This will break Mother’s heart when I tell her.’ It won’t,” Rush mused sadly, his eyes welling with more tears he struggled not to shed. “I’m not…” His voice cracked. “…not Emmett. But it will be all she needs to have Father disown me.”

Tom wanted to kick the Daltons to the curb for not realizing what a wonderful son they were tossing away with such careless disregard.

“I keep telling you, you’ve got us now.” Thaddeus’s eyes had become over-bright. “We’re your family. Please don’t cry. They aren’t worth a single tear. Tell him, Daddy Tom!”

Tom was touched by Thaddeus referring to him as “Daddy Tom,” but he hurried to reassure Rush. “Yes, we are, and no, they aren’t.” Although he knew only too well having family cut you out of their lives hurt no matter how old you were. He thought of his sister, who treated him as if he were nothing more than an acquaintance. “Oh, Rushboy.”

Rush sniffed and wiped his palms over his cheeks. At that moment, his stomach rumbled. “We missed our lunch,” he mourned.

“We were gonna go Greek.” Thaddeus looked innocent until Rush gave a startled huff of laughter. Then he looked very pleased with himself.

“You can go Greek another time,” Tom said. “My mom stopped by earlier. Let’s go see what she left in the fridge.” 34

Jack was alone in the work trailer, and he was in the mood for a little loving. Well, no need to let Sweet Jack think he was being ignored. He took out his cell phone and called his lover. Tom’s phone rang five times, and Jack thought it was going to go to voicemail, but then Tom picked up

“Hey, buddy.”

“Oh, hi, Jack.”

“I’m gonna tell the men you’re having problems with the fax machine.” That was their code for “I want you, I’m on my way home, get out the lube and get naked,” but before he could say anything about it, Tom interrupted.

“I’m in a hurry.”

“A hurry?” Jack echoed.

“Yeah. I have to go out. Can this wait?”

“Uh…”

“Thanks, Jack. Don’t hold dinner. I’ll see you when I see you. Bye.”

Jack stared at his cell phone, and his hands began to shake. Tom had hung up on him. Tom neverhung up on him, just like he never said no to him.

What was going on? Over the last couple of weeks, Tom had seemed to become more and more…not distant, but…distracted?

Jesus, Tommy wasn’t getting tired of him, was he? They’d been together for more than seven years now. Was Tom being affected by the seven year itch? Jack would have sworn Tom loved their life together. He knew for a fact Tom loved his kids and often referred to them as the children of his heart.

Jack worried a thumbnail. Could it be that Tad and Rush having decided to get married made Tom unhappy that Jack had never asked him?

Although Jack had wanted to. He’d even obliquely broached the subject after Tad had proudly announced he’d asked and Rush had said yes. Tom had looked surprised, then hugged him and told him that as far as he was concerned, they were as married as they needed to be.

But Tom had lived a pretty wild life back in the day and had bounced from one lover to another. Was he growing bored? Was having one man in his life not enough?

There was a tap on the trailer door, and Ragg Mopp poked his head in. “Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Jack, but the radio’s saying that storm system isn’t looking good. Power’s gonna be knocked out for sure.”

Jack shook himself out of it. This had been a bad storm season, and a lot of damage had already been done. Even though the season had officially ended in November, it didn’t pay to relax and get careless. He’d sent out a couple of crews to the job sites with sandbags to protect the foundations from being flooded.