“I’ll need one framed, Abe.” I fist-bumped Grant. “You’ll totally rock it.”
“Thanks.” The blush on his cheeks was endearing.
“You got everything you need?” Delaney asked as he handed him his bag.
“He’ll be fine,” Donna said. “Don’t worry too much.”
He offered a tight smile. “Let me know how the shoot went.”
“I’ll text you,” Grant said as he followed his grandmother to the door. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”
I tried not to stiffen and lifted the paintbrush. “You’ll have more fun than me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make Marc take a break so I can kick his butt in Mortal Kombat for the both of us.”
“You wish!” I replied with a laugh that Grant shared. His grandmother looked a bit uncomfortable as she turned away to walk down the steps.
Delaney stayed planted at the door as they pulled out, then waved one last time.
As soon as they were gone, I was pinning Delaney against the wall, stealing his breath with a kiss I’d waited for forever. At least it felt that way. He moaned against my lips, his hands in my hair as we made out for who knew how long. When Ruby whined at the back door, we broke apart, our lips swollen.
“I’ll let her out,” I said, heading toward the kitchen as he stood there in a daze. “Then I’ll get back to work.”
“No fair,” he said with a chuckle, finally snapping out of it and following me.
Once Ruby was back inside, Delaney fed her, then helped me screw in the hardware, which was tedious work.
“Anything new on the Grant and Jeremy front?” I asked, reaching for another knob.
“Just the usual.” He knelt down to start on the bottom cupboards. “Texting or gaming after school. But now I can’t help seeing it in a whole new light.”
“So you think my observation about them was spot on?”
“Yeah, and I feel like I need to do something, like hug him and tell him it’ll be okay so I can be a soft place for him to land.” He sighed. “I don’t know if he’s afraid his grandparents would have a hard time with it. Or even me. And I feel guilty about that.”
“He probably knows you’d be cool while also worried for him as a parent,” I said, having gotten to know their interactions well by now, as well as Delaney’s train of thought. “What parent wouldn’t worry about homophobia?”
He winced. “Obviously.”
“But coming out is hard for anybody regardless, as we both know. Give him time.”
“Maybe if I told him about me…” he said hesitantly. “It might help him feel more comfortable.”
“Yeah?” I grew still, making sure I’d heard him right. “Are you considering coming out to him?”
“I am,” he replied in a resolute voice. “Just…telling him about when I was younger…for starters.”
I squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll support you all the way.”
“Thanks.”
He wasn’t saying he was going to tell Grant about us, no doubt still worried about rocking the boat, but it was a start to bridge the gap between father and son.
Once we finished up and loaded my supplies in my truck, we ordered Hunan, with the brown sauce, of course. After it was delivered, we ate it on his new stools in the kitchen.
“Thanks for this opportunity to work on your kitchen. You know how much I envy your house.”
“Thank you. Maybe someday, once Grant is an adult and settled in college…” He trailed off, his unspoken words hanging in the air between us.
“I’ll own a house just like it?” I teased to move past the awkwardness, not really sure where he was going with his thoughts, which was probably for the best. “Or maybe you’ll have another project for me?”
He pushed his plate away as he made a frustrated sound. “I’m sorry I can’t promise…at least not yet.”
“Shh, don’t. It’s not necessary. One step at a time.” I stacked our plates. “Now let’s watch something so I can snuggle with you on the couch.”
His cheeks remained flushed as we cleaned up.
Afterward, we retreated to the living room. He fiddled with the remote before getting settled, this time with his arms around me as we faced the television to watch a British murder mystery.
“I have something to ask you,” Delaney said against my temple. “And I guess I’m sort of nervous.”
I glanced back at him, my stomach dropping. “What is it?”
“I don’t get this opportunity often—to have an empty house,” he said, his voice tentative. “Will you stay over?”
Fucking hell, this guy. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“No, but I know I want it—I want you.” He kissed my head. “I wanna enjoy your company for longer. All night if I can.”
I shivered and turned in his arms to look at him. “I’d like that.”
When I sealed my mouth to his, our tongues brushing and winding, the butterflies in my stomach were somersaulting in a flurry of activity. I pressed his shoulders flat on the couch, then sank down on top, my stiff length grinding against his.