Chapter 2 #2
The half of his face that Malcolm could see did something complicated as his humongous hands squeezed the steering wheel. “Uh. Kind of.”
When he didn’t clarify or give any more detail, Malcolm nibbled on his bottom lip, trying to come up with something else to talk about to occupy the time. “Do you like working with your mom?”
“Most of the time.” The two boulders otherwise known as Bull’s shoulders jostled up and down. “She doesn’t have… great boundaries.”
The pause was just enough to give him away, and Malcolm grinned as he turned a little more to face him. “Oh, really? In what way?” Bull shot him a stern look, but Malcolm wasn’t buying it and just started laughing. “You had to know I was going to ask!”
Coughing lightly, Bull shifted in his seat. “Like with personal stuff. Relationships and… whatnot.”
Relaxing even more, Malcolm was glad to have teasing Bull to focus on instead of the shitshow with his brother. He reached over and lightly punched Bull’s bicep, then jokingly shook out his hand like he’d hurt himself. “Does she set you up on blind dates with her friends’ daughters?”
Every muscle in Bull’s body seemed to tense, and the humor drained out of Malcolm. Oh shit. What had just happened?
“Sons.”
The gruff word was said just softly enough that Malcolm almost didn’t catch it, and then his eyebrows shot up.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were gay.
Dahlia told me Sally was totally open to everyone when I started working there and that quite a few LGBTQ folks were employed at Bo’s but never went into specifics. ”
Bull nodded slowly but didn’t say anything.
Feeling like he’d ruined the mood in the truck, he tried to segue back to how Sally lacked boundaries. “So your mom gets all up in your business about guys you date?”
One big shoulder shrugged again. “I don’t date very often, and neither does my brother. She says her and Ma are worried they’ll never get grandkids.”
The idea of a man Bull’s size taking care of a tiny baby was nearly ludicrous.
But as he studied him for a moment, watching how he handled the big truck and thinking about all the times he’d stacked glasses or other breakables at Bo’s without issue, he realized Bull was more than gentle enough to handle a teeny newborn.
Malcolm had always wanted a big family. Growing up with a brother who terrorized him probably should have soured the idea for him, but it was the opposite.
He wanted to have a wife and kids so bad he came off as too eager.
But it was like… He wanted a do-over. A chance to make the family he’d always wanted and never had.
Voice softening, Malcolm asked, “Do you and your brother actually want kids?”
Bull’s lips tipped up. “I don’t think Marv does. He’s… very particular about things. I think a kid would be too messy and unpredictable.”
“And you?” He didn’t know why, but he really wanted to know the answer.
“I wouldn’t mind kids,” Bull said slowly, eyes glued to the empty road ahead of them. The fields on either side were full of lush green vegetation—mostly cornstalks but some soybeans as well. “With the right partner.”
“Yeah,” Malcolm said, unable to hold back his wistful sigh as he slumped back against his seat. “Finding that right person sure is the tricky part though, isn’t it?”
“Sometimes.”
“So what did we learn from this experience?” Dahlia asked him as she grabbed a tater tot from his plate before handing it to him.
Rolling his eyes, he dutifully said, “To listen to you when you say to cancel plans with my brother. Oh! And that Bull is great in a pinch to provide a rescue.”
Dahlia’s girlfriend, Becca, chuckled as she curled up on one end of their big comfy couch, already halfway through her burger.
She was so tiny you expected her to eat daintily, but Malcolm had seen her outeat men twice her size without any problem.
Tucking her long black hair behind her ear, she shook her head at Dahlia.
“I can’t believe you made Bull pick him up and bring him home. ”
“I couldn’t believe it either,” Malcolm said, balancing his plate on his lap and picking up his own burger. “I hadn’t seen the text about it and was very surprised to see him standing there glaring at Evan.”
“Ugh, Evan. He’s such a d-bag,” Dahlia said as she came back into the living room with her own plate of food and sat cross-legged on the couch right next to Becca. “I can’t believe some poor woman is marrying him.”
“She seems so nice and normal too,” Malcolm said, grimacing. “I don’t know what she sees in him at all.”
“Maybe he has hidden depths,” Becca said around a mouthful of food before wiping at her chin with her rolled-up sweatshirt sleeve.
She’d once told him that getting to work from home in sweats was the pinnacle of all of her successes, even though her parents—who had immigrated from Japan and had worked incredibly hard for Becca and her siblings to have every opportunity—didn’t really understand the whole remote work thing.
Dahlia stared at her like she’d hung the moon for a second before shaking it off and snorting.
“Hardly. The last time Malcolm tried to go to his parents’ for family dinner, Evan showed up and insisted on taking everyone out.
Then, at the end of the meal—where he’d ordered not one but two bottles of wine?—”
“For the table,” Malcolm said sarcastically.
“Evan looked at the bill and told Malcolm what his half was.”
“What?” Becca gasped, her light olive skin flushing with anger on his behalf. “After he offered and then ran up the bill?”
Malcolm grimaced and nodded. “It’s true.
He’s the literal worst. When I refused to pay for more than my own meal, he made a big deal about how he’d thought it’d be such a nice gift for us to treat our parents for a change.
They fawned all over him and gave me the silent treatment the rest of the evening. ”
“Gross. I’m so glad Bull rescued you today before things could get worse.”
“Me too.”
“You’re welcome,” Dahlia said, smiling affectionately at him.
Becca picked up the remote and navigated to the show the three of them had been watching recently.
Malcolm tried to come over for dinner and a few episodes at least once a week—sometimes it was the only time he got a decent meal that wasn’t from Bo’s.
Though Sally only charged them half price for food, he still sometimes couldn’t afford it with his super-tight budget.
Becca got the next episode teed up but didn’t start it, turning to him and Dahlia and asking, “Are you two still going antiquing this weekend?”
“Oh my god, babe.” Dahlia slapped a hand over her face as Malcolm nearly choked on a tot as he started to laugh.
“What?” Becca demanded.
“We aren’t going antiquing!” Malcolm exclaimed as soon as he could breathe properly. “Do you know how expensive antiques are?”
Becca rolled her eyes. “Excuse me. Are you going to the estate sale where you’ll bring home more old people stuff?”
Dahlia laughed as she nodded and took a huge bite of her burger. “Yeah. Malcolm still hasn’t found a decent kitchen table and chairs.”
“Mhm.” Becca eyed Dahlia as she spoke to him. “Try to restrain this one from buying any more fireplace screens, okay?”
“But—”
“Sweetie, we don’t even have a fireplace!”
Malcolm cackled and pulled his favorite blue-and-gray blanket over himself, beyond grateful to have been befriended by his crazy Lesbian Best Friend.