When Cael stood to help, Ash put a hand to his shoulder.
“Relax, I’ve got this.”
He gave Cael a wink and walked the dirty dishes to the kitchen with Dex yammering on behind him. The guy was like a fucking mosquito buzzing in your ear and trying to suck the life out of you. Ash placed the dishes in the dishwasher, giving grunts and one-word replies. He grabbed the dishes from Dex and put those in as well. He wished he could stick Dex in there. Finally someone up there decided to give him a break, and Dex left the kitchen, singing some stupid song about a lion sleeping tonight or something.
Ash frowned at Maddock. “Does he never shut up? How the hell did you live with him for so long?”
“It’s called patience,” Maddock replied. “Not exactly your forte.”
“Oh, I can be patient. That’s not what’s required when dealing with your oldest. I’d say ‘sedative’ is more the word you were looking for.”
Maddock laughed. “Just get in there, Keeler.”
Ash did as he was told, heading back into the dining room and resuming his seat beside Cael with a smile.
“Miss me?”
Cael chuckled and gave him a bashful push.
Dex patted his full belly. “I think we should chill in the living room for a while. Come back for dessert in a bit. What do you guys say?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Sloane got up and followed Dex into the living room. Dex didn’t miss a beat, going on about some movie he wanted to see before Christmas. Cael followed his brother with Ash close behind him. Was it him, or was Dex talking more than ever? Ash sneaked a glance at Cael, who appeared to be lost in thought. Maybe he was overreacting and everything was just fine.
A few hours later it was evident he’d spoken too soon. When Cael’s family was around, everything was great. There was never any time for things to get weird between him and Cael, what with Dex driving them all crazy as usual, Sloane running interference, and Maddock attempting not to throttle all of them. Then there were the few instances when he and Cael were alone. Like when Maddock went upstairs for a post-Thanksgiving-dinner nap, and Dex got all cuddly with Sloane. The two got to talking about something, and things got quiet between him and Cael. Ash used the opportunity to clear up the living room from the aftermath of Dex’s turkey sandwich. The guy might not be a Therian, but he put food away like one.
Baking wasn’t the only thing Ash turned to when he was feeling anxious. Cleaning helped. There had been several instances around the house, usually when Dex and Sloane were sucking face or being all cute together, that things got quiet between him and Cael. It was almost like Cael was relying on his brother to fill every second of silence, which was beyond Dex’s capabilities, despite his talent for never shutting the hell up. At some point, Sloane needed some quiet, and that’s usually when he’d kiss Dex. Worked like a charm every time.
Cael had gone off to the kitchen to prep dessert, seeing as how everyone would be waking up from their turkey-induced coma soon, and Ash decided to join him. His hands were shoved into his jean pockets, and he tried his best to appear casual.
“Hey. Need help?”
“Sure. I was about to remove the pies from the oven if you want to grab them for me. Just pop them on the counter.” He went back to sorting out leftovers into Tupperware containers and stacking them in the fridge. Ash removed the pies from the oven where they’d been keeping warm and placed them on the counter beside Cael.
“Anything else I can do?”
“Cabinet up top and to your right, there’s some serving dishes. Could you take half of each pie and place them on the dishes? The rest goes in the fridge.”
“Why not just leave out the whole pie?” Ash asked curiously.
“Because then Dex will eat the whole pie.”
Of course. “Where the hell does he store it all?”
Cael shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Then again, the way his mouth runs, he’s probably burning mass amounts of calories.”
Cael chuckled. “And this is news to you?”
They went back to their duties, and the room went quiet again. It was driving Ash nuts. Cael was being quiet, and Ash had no idea what to say to break the silence. What the hell should he talk about? What had they talked about before? It was like he was in uncharted territory, which was absurd. He’d known Cael for years, and they’d never had any trouble holding a conversation. Even when neither of them spoke, the silence had been comfortable.
Cael caught Ash’s arm, took the pie from him, and placed it on the counter. “This is ridiculous. We’ve never been uncomfortable around each other. I know things have changed between us, but has it changed that much? I miss my friend.”
He searched Ash’s eyes, pleading. All at once, Ash felt himself relax. He smiled down at Cael and put his hand to his cheek.
“I miss my friend too.”