Chapter 56

Brody frowns. “Marian? What…”

Then it hits him, and he shakes his head. “Wait, are we still doing that?”

“She wants to meet you,” Gavin says, “and she called me an hour ago and asked if tonight would work. I didn’t see why not, so…”

“So why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Brody asks. Suddenly he feels self-conscious in his black shorts and torn T-shirt, as if Marian is waiting at the curb and might judge him on what he was wearing around the house.

Gavin ducks his head, sheepish. “I thought maybe you’d say no. I figured if I told you when I picked you up, you’d be more likely to go along with it, but I wanted to give you a chance to put on something a little more—I don’t know…”

“Presentable?” Brody asks. As much as he doeswant to say no, he doesn’t want to lose the chance to spend Friday night with his lover. A Friday without Evie, which only happens every other week. Though Evie better be at dinner, too,he thinks, opening the door wider for Gavin to come inside. I’m going to need all the backup I can get tonight.

With Gavin’s help, Brody settles on a better outfit to make his first impression on Evie’s mother. Nice jeans, and a button-down shirt over a newer, cleaner T-shirt. At first Brody wants to go with a long-sleeved T-shirt, but Gavin says no. “It’s the end of June,” he reasons. “If you show up dressed for winter, she’s going to think you’re hiding something.”

“I amhiding something.” Brody tugs his shirt sleeves down past his wrists, covering his tattoos. As much as Gavin says Marian won’t freak out about them, Brody doesn’t want to take any chances.

“I mean something bad,” Gavin elaborates.

Brody’s seen the way some people look at him when he bares his arms. He doesn’t want to see the same look on Marian’s face if he can help it. Though it shouldn’t matter, it does—he wants her to like him, if only so she’ll continue to let him see Evie. The little girl is a big part of Gavin’s life, and so is Brody. Keeping them apart would tear Gavin’s heart in two.

Hand in hand, they retrace Gavin’s steps back to the college parking lot, where they retrieve Gavin’s car. Brody taps one foot nervously as Gavin drives through the rush-hour traffic to Marian’s house. His palms feel sweaty, and the back of his neck itches. His heart flutters with an arrhythmic beat. I can do this,he thinks.

Yeah, maybe he can, but does he want to?

No.

Marian lives in a part of the city known as Northside. It’s technically the county, but her mailing address is still Richmond. There are kids playing on the sidewalks as Gavin turns onto her street, and he keeps one foot on the brake. Brody thinks it’s the first house on the street, Gavin’s driving so slowly, but they pass that one, then the next, and the next. Every house on the street has a driveway leading to a garage, and unlike the crowded street where Brody lives, hardly any cars are parked at the curb.

Finally Gavin pulls into a little cul-de-sac, and into the second driveway on the right. When he turns off the car, he covers Brody’s hand with his and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Ready?”

Taking a deep breath, Brody says, “Let’s do this.”

As soon as he steps out of the car, the front door of the house opens and Evie launches out, taking the porch steps in a rush to reach them. “Daddy!” she squeals, arms out as she races towards them. Halfway across the lawn, she switches course and plows into Brody’s knees instead. She hugs his legs with all her might. “Brody! Mommy said you were coming!”

“Where is Mommy?” Gavin asks, circling the car to swoop her up into his arms.

She giggles. “Inside cooking fish sticks.”

Brody raises an eyebrow at Gavin. “We’re having fish sticks?”

“I’mhaving them,” Evie explains, then makes a face and sticks out her tongue. “You’re having grown-up food.”

“And what’s that, exactly?” Brody wants to know.

Gavin gives him a reassuring smile. “Fish but not in sticks. Miso-glazed salmon with snow peas and an Asian pear salad. Marian’s a great cook. Just wait until you try the ginger risotto.”

He heads for the open front door, carrying Evie in his arms, and Brody falls in behind them. He suspects the menu is courtesy of Gavin, who knows Brody loves Asian foods. Miso, snow peas, ginger, rice…all of his favorite things to eat in one dish. Well, they do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, he thinks as he climbs the steps up to the porch.