Chapter Ten
Jet
“Hey. Ready to roll?”
“Yeah. Thanks for picking me up.”
We were dancing around the reality that both of us wanted to be able to hug and kiss each other, like others were doing. I pretended to be casual until we got into the car, and after backing out of the parking spot, I took Harte’s hand in mine. Harte squeezed it tight as we drove.
“The Toyota dealership where I got this SUV closes at nine tonight. Wanna swing by?”
“Yeah. Then we have one more stop before we get to my place.”
“No problem.”
I wanted so badly to kiss him, but I didn’t feel safe to do so, even in my car.
Someone might see inside. My thoughts angered me.
I should be able to kiss whomever I wanted.
Wherever I wanted. Uneasiness over acceptance warred with my heart.
I’d have to choose soon, but there was no choice at all.
It was only a matter of time until I drummed up the courage.
Pete, the salesperson who’d sold me my car, had been thrilled when Harte not only ordered an SUV, but paid for it in full.
He assured Harte it would be ready the following day, fully gassed up with title, plates, and insurance.
After Harte spent some time signing autographs for the salespeople at the dealership and taking pictures, we left.
“That’s probably the easiest sale Pete will ever make,” I said to Harte. “You didn’t even try and bargain with him.”
“Eh.” Harte waved his hand. “Let him get the best commission he can. The extra few thousand I’d get off the price doesn’t mean as much to me as him bringing home more money for his family. I saw the pictures of his wife and daughter in his office.”
We drove in silence for a little while.
“That’s a nice thing you did for him. Pete’s little girl, Emily, is sick and has to go to the city every few weeks for treatment. I know they’re hurting from the medical bills. The town does fund raisers for her every few months. It’s been tough as hell for him and Leah, his wife.”
“Damn. I had no idea. Pete had a smile on his face from the moment we walked in and never tried to pressure me to buy a more expensive vehicle.”
“No, he wouldn’t. That’s the kind of guy he is.” I squeezed Harte’s hand.
“Would you mind if we made a stop before my house?”
“Not at all. Where did you want to go?”
He gave me an address on the opposite end of town, with the larger homes and plots of land. We pulled into a driveway, and I shut off the engine but didn’t move to get out of the car. “Whose house is this?”
“Dev and Brody’s,” Harte said calmly, as if announcing we were going to Marvin’s General Store and not the home of two future Hall of Fame NFL superstars I used to watch play every week.
The breath left my body, and I started to sweat. “What? I’m meeting them now?”
“Yeah.” Harte leaned over and kissed me, and the familiar shape and taste of his lips calmed my jumping nerves.
He tasted like home. My home. “I think it’s time.
Plus, you’ve told your mother and sister, and the only family I really have left are my friends from the Kings.
I’d like them to know, since they’ve been so encouraging to me from the start. ”
I swallowed hard. “Uh, yeah, sure. I guess. Okay. Do I look okay? God, that sounds stupid. I’m babbling, right? I know I am. I’ll shut up now.”
Harte leaned against the window, cackling. “You’re so cute. Trust me, they’re just like everyone else. The nicest, most down-to-earth guys you’ll ever meet.”
“Yeah, sure. Superstar football players with a few hundred million in the bank.”
The laughter vanished from Harte’s face. “Is that what you think about me as well? Because I have money, I’m not a regular person?”
I studied my hands clutching the wheel. “N-no. But don’t get mad at me for not getting used to it so easily.”
He unclipped his seat belt and got as close to me as the bucket seats allowed. “Hey. Look at me. Please.”
I dragged my gaze up to meet his blue eyes. “What?”
“I’d never put you in a position where you’d feel uncomfortable.
And once we say hello, if you want to leave, that’s what we’ll do.
But please give it a chance. Not just for me, but for us?
I’m happy to hang out with your deputy sheriff friends.
I just want you to feel the same about the people who make up my world. ”
“I’ll try,” I promised, then unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door. We both got out, and Harte took my hand, sweaty as it was, as we walked up the path to the house. “Man, they do love Christmas, huh?”
Harte snickered. “You’ll find out that Dev is basically a kid at heart.”
We didn’t have a chance to ring the bell because we set one foot on the porch and the door was flung open.
“About fucking time, my man. Harte, get that pretty ass in here and introduce me to this hottie.”
My cheeks were on fire, but I couldn’t help laughing. With his green eyes flashing and that trademark wicked grin that had earned him the nickname Devil, Dev Summers thrust a beer in my free hand, and I forgot about my worries.
“Hello to you too, Dev,” Harte answered mildly. “This is Jet.”
“I mean, we were watching you two from the front window, and Brody and I had a bet going if you’d come inside or start the car and leave.” He smirked. “I won.”
“Now, Dev, don’t you be tellin’ no lies. I just thought maybe Harte might need to give Jet a little pep talk before comin’ to meet us. Hi. I’m Brody. Nice to meet you.”
As if I needed an introduction to know who Brody Martin was. Harte released his hold on me, and the big tight end gave me a bone-crushing handshake. “H-hi. I’m thrilled to meet you both.”
“Not half as much are we are to meet the guy who got Harte to stay up here.”
No handshake from Dev—he pulled me into a big bear hug, and though I was almost as big and Dev hadn’t played in years, the man was still pure, rock-solid muscle.
“Hey, Dev, watch it. Don’t bruise the merchandise,” Harte joked, and Dev released me.
“Sorry,” he apologized with a guilty face. “I’m just so damn happy to meet you, but we’re gonna be seeing a lot more of each other, now that my man here got the job. Way to go, Scout.” He hugged Harte as well, and Brody caught my eye and winked.
“My husband is a hugger, so you might as well get used to it. You’ve lived here all your life?”
“Yeah. My mom and sister do too. I have a little nephew as well. It’s a great place, but I’m not sure how accepting it really is. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”
With his arm still around Harte’s shoulders, Dev tipped his head. “Let’s go sit, and we can get to know each other.”
We went inside, Harte sitting next to me on the big love seat and Brody and Dev on the sectional.
It still freaked me out a bit that I was here with them.
It had taken me a little while to get over being starstruck when Harte had first appeared, but my instant attraction to him had made it somewhat easier.
“Harte told us you played together in college?” Dev asked. “But you didn’t go for the pros?”
“No, I wasn’t good enough,” I admitted. “I came home and joined the deputy sheriff’s office. Plus, I help coach the peewee league, so that’s fun. Occasionally, there’s talk about setting up a football camp here, but it never gets off the ground.”
“Why not?” Dev frowned. “You’ve got tons of space for it. Are there enough kids?”
“For sure. When you take all the neighboring towns together, there’s plenty.”
Brody and Dev exchanged glances. “We can figure something out. Maybe Harte can use it as an early scouting opportunity for the Kings.”
“I like that idea,” Harte agreed. “You guys work with the Kings’ camp down South, don’t you? We could use one up here as well.”
“I’ll talk to Keller and Elijah. They’d be interested, I’m sure,” Dev said.
“Now that we’ve got the business part of the conversation out of the way, how do you think you’ll handle your relationship if you don’t come out?
” His bright eyes softened. “Trust us, we understand what it’s like to be closeted. We feel for you both.”
Harte nudged me. “Go ahead. I’ve already been interrogated.”
“Hey,” Brody protested. “We’re curious. Plus, you’re our friend, Harte. We might not have been close while we played, but that’s not the case now. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” he assured them. “And I feel the same.”
It was great to see that Dev and Brody were exactly the way Harte had described them—open, friendly, and real.
“Answering your question about acceptance, I’m not really sure how that’ll go.
I’ve told my partner, Emerson, that I’m bisexual, and he accepted it without hesitation.
I didn’t mention Harte, but Emerson asked if the two of us were together.
I didn’t tell him anything, but he won’t be surprised.
He sensed a vibe, I guess. But Emerson’s cool—maybe because he grew up in the city, I don’t know.
The other guys in my squad?” I lifted a shoulder.
“No idea. But that’s for them to deal with. ”
“Got that right,” Dev snapped, all traces of laughter gone. “These people need to realize that gay or bisexual men aren’t out there thinking about sex all the time. We don’t want to sleep with every man we see, like they don’t want to get it on with every woman. We’re just like everyone else.”
“Well, not you, babe. You’re a cut above the rest.” Brody kissed him. “But Dev’s right. If they’ve got a problem, it’s up to them to figure out why one day you’re their buddy and the next they can’t look you in the eye. And why they’re obsessed with your sex life.”
“How did your families handle it? My sister and her husband are totally accepting, but my mom…” My voice faltered, and Harte reached out and put an arm around me.
“It’s okay.” His reassurance was comforting, but I knew this could fracture my relationship with her, maybe irreparably. And I didn’t know how I would be able to handle that.