Sundae's Best (Briar County 2)

“You’re early,” Deacon said when he approached.

“We were slow at the store, so Roe let me go. He’s leaving too, said he and Holden might come down to try the Sticky Bourbon.” He gave a quick look toward Granny, who’d turned his way.

“Granny, this is my friend Grady I’ve been telling you about. Grady, this is my grandmother, Elsie Jean.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He held his hand out, and the two of them shook.

“The pleasure is mine, and please, call me Elsie.”

Grady nodded. “Ms. Elsie.”

“Here, let me get you a chair.” They were at a small, two-person table, so Deacon stood and reached for a chair, just as a crowd of about eight people came in. Disappointment landed straight in his chest. He wanted to stay with Grady, wanted to see the most important person in his life get to know his new friend, but he couldn’t. “Actually, you can take mine. I should go help.” He lingered a moment, feeling torn. He wanted to stay, and he also didn’t want Grady to feel uncomfortable being left alone with his granny.

As if he knew what Deacon was thinking, Grady gave a quick jerk of his head toward the counter. Go on, we’ll be fine, he seemed to be saying.

Christ, he was losing his damn mind, pretending he could read this man’s thoughts or something.

Deacon gave them both a quick grin, then set out for the ice cream counter.

Chapter 17

Grady

“You and Deacon have gotten close,” Elsie said the second they were alone. There was nothing negative in her voice, no anger or trepidation, just open honesty.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Elsie.”

“Ms. Elsie.”

She grinned. “You’re a stubborn thing, aren’t you?”

He chuckled. “I’ve maybe heard that a time or two.” But he also just wanted to treat Deacon’s grandmother with the respect she deserved. He knew how much she meant to Deke, and Deke meant a lot to him.

She cocked her head slightly, her thinning brows drawn together, almost covered by her hat. Deacon favored her in some ways, the mole and the smile. “You like him.”

His pulse beat rapidly, accelerating more quickly than it should. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing, didn’t want to risk screwing things up, but he had a feeling Elsie would know if he lied to her. “He’s become a good friend, yeah.”

“You a lawyer? You’re good at finding a way not to answer what I’m really asking,” she said playfully, and this time, they both chuckled. He glanced up and saw Deacon watching them before he turned his head and continued with a customer.

“Nah, just careful. Deke tells me he used to cook with you, that the two of you would go through your mother’s old recipes and that’s how he started making ice cream.”

Elsie glowed at that. It was clear how proud she was of Deacon and how much he meant to her. “He’s my pride and joy, that one. It’s hard to explain, living here my whole life, remembering the way it used to be.”

He felt a heaviness in his chest, knowing what she meant—being Black in the South and at her age, he couldn’t imagine the things she’d lived through.

“And now, my baby is known all over the county. People travel here to taste his ice cream. Makes me damn proud.”

“As it should.” This time, it was Grady who looked over. Deacon was busy talking to a customer, but Grady couldn’t stop himself from watching him. Seeing his easy smile, hearing his deep laugh, made warmth spread through him.

“He’s somethin’ else, ain’t he?” Elsie asked. “Somethin’ special.”

“He is,” Grady answered honestly, forcing himself to pull his attention away from the man he was starting to feel too much for. He cleared his throat. “As are you, if all the stories I’ve heard about you are true.”

“Well, obviously they are,” Elsie replied. Grady liked her already. “I used to worry about him. Kept to himself sometimes. He always had friends, was easy to talk to, happy, kind, helpful, but sometimes it felt like a facade. Like he was feeling more than he let on or more sadness than he understood. Patricia was good at making him happy, putting a real smile on his face. She gave him somethin’ no one else could. When she died, I wasn’t sure he’d ever get it back.”

Grady rubbed a hand over his chest, hating the knot he felt there, the one he had no business feeling. Patricia had been his wife, and Deacon had loved her, still did. He deserved to have that. Grady felt…almost jealous.

“He’s different with you too.”

His gaze snapped to Elsie’s. “I…what?”

“You heard me just fine. I’m not afraid he won’t anymore—get it back. Don’t care what it means—gay, straight, bisexual, and there are others I’ve heard about but don’t remember all the terms. I care about seeing a good man living the life he deserves. Don’t know why anyone cares who makes another person smile. All that matters is that they do. I can’t figure out if Deke knows what it all means yet. I’m not gonna pretend it won’t be strange for his daddy, for Eugene and Frances, and lots of other people in Everett who can’t imagine my Deke with anyone but Patricia. Anybody got a problem with it, you send them to me.”