The Christmas Deal

Logan blinked. He couldn’t remember the last time Pop had talked about something from the past. After the stroke, just getting him to talk about The Price is Right had been a massive win. He tried to think of something to say, a swell of emotion sticking in his throat.

Pop turned back to the TV and farted. Smiling to himself, Logan settled back on the couch. Maybe he wasn’t good or great, but he hadn’t felt so okay in a long time. He still didn’t have a job, and his stepson still hated him, but at least thanks to this deal with Seth, he wasn’t homeless.

He watched the Showcase Showdown with his Pop, yelling at the contestants for their stupid bets, and let Noah suck on his finger until the kid started screaming for the real thing.

Chapter Six

“Left!” Bill Derwood barked, leaning on his cane.

Straining, Seth, Logan, and Jun shifted, trying to line up the quartz counter just right on the island. When Bill gave them the okay, they lowered it, and Seth exhaled and rolled his wrists when he could let go.

From where he was playing with a toy dump truck in the would-be sitting room, Ian clapped. Strapped in his car seat, Noah kicked and gurgled. Jun raised his palms, and Seth and Logan high fived him.

Jenna’s husband was on the shorter side, wore round glasses, and had a build Seth’s mother would have called “husky,” with the implication that “fat” might not be far behind if he wasn’t careful.

Why he still cataloged people’s appearance through the prism of his mother’s judgment, Seth wished he knew. Maybe because when he looked in the mirror, deep down he was still imagining how she might judge him.

She’d always favored short, trimmed hair, clean-shaven faces, shirts tucked in, and slacks creased down the middle. Brandon used to tease Seth about how he ironed his pajamas.

Seth squirmed with embarrassment now as he looked at how he was dressed—polo shirt tucked into his khakis and Oxfords since Bill had insisted everyone wear sturdy shoes while the work was being done. Bill, Logan, and Jun were all in jeans and old tees, Bill with a ratty cardigan over top, and work boots.

Seth tried not to stare as Logan bent over, denim stretching tight over his firm butt as he examined something near the base of the island.

Now if I could find a rear end like that on Grindr, maybe I’d swipe right. Or left, or whatever you’re supposed to do.

Scoffing to himself, Seth turned away and ran his palm over the new counter around the rectangular apron sink. The hard, cold truth was that he was too terrified to try any of the gay hookup apps. Partly because of his hang-ups about casual sex, and partly because he hadn’t been with anyone but Brandon and it was…daunting. The whole reason he was lusting after Logan was because it would never happen in a million years.

“Hi!” Jenna’s voice rang out. “Wow, you guys have been busy!” Leaning in the front door beyond the little sitting room, she kicked snow off her boots on the edge of the top step. “Hi, baby!” she exclaimed as Ian hurtled toward her, grabbing her around the legs as if it had been days since he’d seen her instead of a few hours.

She shuffled inside with difficulty, and Connor appeared behind her at the top of the makeshift ramp they’d constructed to wheel the cabinets and quartz inside.

“Connor!” Seth smiled, saying a little prayer that there wouldn’t be any screaming arguments. “So glad to see you.”

Shoulders practically up to his ears, Connor regarded Seth dubiously. Jenna had apparently taken him for a haircut, since it was clipped neatly. “Hey.” His gaze skittered over to Logan. “She said you needed my help.”

Logan glanced at Jenna, seemingly at a loss for words, so Seth jumped in. “We do! All hands on deck. We’ll be putting Noah to work any minute.” Fortunately, Jun laughed at the lame joke as he plucked Noah out of the car seat.

Jenna gave Connor’s shoulders a big squeeze, Ian still attached to her legs. “We always need you around.”

Connor rolled his eyes, but Seth noticed he couldn’t hide a tiny smile, and he wasn’t trying to get out of her grasp. He mumbled, “Sure,” glancing at Logan.

Unfortunately, Logan said, “Are you sure you shouldn’t be studying for your exams?”

Now Connor did squirm away from Jenna. “I’ve studied more in the past couple days than you probably have in your whole life.” He reminded Seth of a stray dog who wanted so desperately to be loved but would bark and bite out of fear.

“Good,” Logan bit back, his jaw clenching.

Jun had Noah in his arms, and he beckoned Ian over with the lure of cookies. Bill had plonked down into a folding chair Seth had brought out from the garage and seemed to be staring off into nothing.