Chapter 25
Hank
I checked the oven a third time. My chicken pot pie was browning nicely.
“Stop obsessing,” Corey said from his spot at the breakfast bar, where he was texting on his phone. “It’s just dinner.”
I turned toward him with a frown. “Jamie’s coming over and I want it to be perfect.”
“Jamie comes over all the time.”
“Yeah, but…” I trailed off, hit with the realization I had to come out to my brother. I’d never be able to hide what Jamie was to me once he arrived. Not that I’d even want to.
I swiped suddenly slick palms on my jeans. “I need to tell you something.”
“Okay…”
“Dinner isn’t just dinner.”
He raised his eyebrows. “It’s not?”
“What I mean is, dinner with Jamie isn’t just dinner. You know?”
He shook his head. “Not really? Are you not going to eat food?”
I blew out an annoyed breath. I had to stop beating around the brush.
“I invited him here…as a…date.”
My brother still didn’t seem to get it. He just stared at me.
I threw up my hands. “What do you want me to say? I’m dating a guy. Jamie is my boyfriend. I guess I’m bi or something, okay?”
“And this is news how?”
I gaped at him, too stunned to reply, as the doorbell rang.
“Are you going to get that?” Corey asked. “It’s your date, not mine.”
The dogs came racing into the living room, barking happily. Lady and Tramp obviously knew that Daddy was on the other side of the door.
With a huff, I strode past Corey to open the door. Jamie stood on the porch, dark curls windblown from driving his convertible, cheeks pink from the wind, and lips spread in a beautiful smile.
His Labs rushed outside, jumping against his legs, and he laughed, giving them pats and ear tugs. “Hey, guys. Sorry I’m late.”
“It’s perfect timing,” I said, taking his hand and pulling him from the doggy group hug into the living room. Lady and Tramp followed him back inside, and I closed the door. “I was just about to pull dinner out of the oven.”
Jamie inhaled deeply. “It smells delicious.”
I tugged him into my arms, unable to resist, suddenly grateful I’d made the time to tell Corey about us—even if his reaction still made no damn sense to me. I buried my nose in Jamie’s curls and inhaled. “You smell delicious.”
Jamie’s body melted against mine, and he sighed. “Mm. Well, we had someone quit, so I was rushing around doing the work of two caterers today.”
“Well, let me do all the work tonight,” I said, pulling back. “Want a glass of wine with dinner?”
He smiled, and I could see just how tired he was. “That would be great. Thank you.”
Corey cleared his throat, and Jamie’s gaze darted to him.
“Corey! I didn’t see you. Hi.” He glanced nervously at me. “It was a tough day. Your brother is really sweet to make dinner for me. Such a good frie—”
“He knows,” I said. “I told him just before you arrived.”
“Oh. Wow. It must be a shock, huh?” Jamie gave a nervous laugh. “Your brother and me, a couple?”
“Not really,” Corey said.
Jamie shot me a puzzled look.
I shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m just as confused as you are.”
Corey rolled his eyes. “Seriously, guys? Jamie has been over here for dinner at least twice a week for the past month.”
We exchanged looks.
“Well, yeah, but that was just as friends,” I said.
“And you guys watch a movie and cuddle on the couch.” I opened my mouth to explain, and Corey pointed a finger, saying, “And don’t say it was just as friends! You’ve never snuggled up with your friends before. You’ve never put your arms around them or pet their hair when they dozed off.”
Jamie turned wide eyes on me. “You pet my hair?”
My cheeks flushed. “Well, I mean, it’s soft.”
“And you,” Corey said, turning to Jamie, “look at Hank like he hung the fucking moon in the sky. Honestly, it made me a little jealous.”
“Jealous?” I exclaimed, taking a step closer and wrapping an arm around Jamie’s waist.
“Not of Jamie,” he said, with an unspoken you idiot in his tone. “Of the fact you have someone who looks at you like that.” He shrugged. “Not very many people find that.”
“What do you mean?” I said. “You’ve got Rachel.”
He smiled wryly. “Yeah, but she doesn’t look at me that way. She never has.”
“Then maybe you should find someone who will,” I said gently.
He shook his head, dismissing me. He loved Rachel, and I suspected even if he knew she didn’t love him the way he wanted, he was willing to take her scraps. I’d been there before. It wasn’t exactly the same, since I didn’t love my ex, but I’d tried so damn hard and it had never been enough for her.
The oven timer went off. “I’ll be right back.”
I went to the kitchen, and all the dogs trailed after me, knowing food lay that way.
I nudged them away from the oven and pulled open the door. The mouth-watering scent of chicken and bread wafted out.
“No, Tramp,” I said sternly as he got too close. “Stay back.”
He gave a whine like he was being unfairly tortured, but he kept his distance. I grabbed a pair of hot pads from the drawer next to the stove and pulled out the pie, just as eager to slice into it as the dogs were.
It would need to cool a few minutes first, so I set it on top of the stove and broke the crust in a few places, letting more steam escape.
I closed the oven door. “How about we go outside, guys?” Lady’s ears perks up. I raised the pitch of my voice as I headed for the backdoor. “Outside?”
The dogs rushed for the open door and out into the backyard. I closed it behind them. Maybe we could eat in peace now.
I opened a bottle of the white wine I’d gotten to pair with the pot pie. Usually I stuck with beer, but somehow, wine made it feel more like a date.
When I returned to the living room, Corey was deep in conversation with Jamie.
“…love working with food, but it’s such a race there.”
Jamie was nodding along. “Well, how are your knife skills?”
Corey deflated. “Probably not great. But I’m a fast learner, I swear. I’ve picked up so much at The Diner already.”
“What are we talking about?” I asked as I extended a glass of wine to Jamie.
He took it from me with a smile and sipped. “Corey’s interested in a catering job.”
“You are?” I said, surprised. “But you haven’t been at The Diner that long.”
“I know,” he said with a shrug. “But The Diner is never going to lead anywhere.”
“And catering will?”
“I could learn how to be a real chef,” he said earnestly. “I could eventually run my business, you know?”
I scoffed. “You’ve worked at a diner a few weeks, Corey. That’s not exactly a passion for cooking.”
“Fuck you, man. You always tell me I need to care about my future, and when I do, you mock me.”
“I’m not mocking you,” I said.
“Whatever.” Corey shook his head. “I’m going to take my dinner in my room tonight. Enjoy your date.”
He stormed into the kitchen.
Jamie winced as a cupboard slammed shut. “Do you want to go sort that out? I can wait.”
“I don’t know,” I said hesitantly. Corey’s reaction had caught me off-guard. “My brother has a good heart, but he’s not the most reliable guy. If he takes that catering job, he might ditch out just like your last guy.”
Jamie nodded. “Maybe. But he seemed genuinely hurt by what you said.”
I sighed and tugged at my beard. Jamie wasn’t wrong. Maybe I had been a little harsh. My brother could be flighty, and I was worried about him talking Jamie into a job only to let him down.
But he had seemed genuinely interested in catering.
“Okay, I’ll go talk to him. I won’t be long.”
“No problem. I’ll just enjoy my wine while I wait.”
Corey was halfway down the hall, plate heaped with chicken pot pie, when I caught up with him. “Cor, wait.”
He cast a glare over his shoulder. “Go spend time with Jamie. You can tell him how flaky I am, so I never get a job at Darling Dish.”
“Would it be a lie, Corey?” I asked. “You don’t have the best track record, so forgive me if I don’t want my boyfriend sticking his neck out to get you a job that you might walk out on.”
“Nice.” He turned, eyes sparking. “Have you even noticed that I’ve been reliable as hell at The Diner?”
“And yet you want to quit after a month?”
“Because it’s a dead-end job! I throw eggs and bacon and pancake batter on a grill, and I like making food, but I don’t like that it’s always a race.
We had a slow period the other day, and you know what I discovered?
I could actually make fantastic French toast out of pumpkin bread infused with molasses, but I can’t do that when we’re in the breakfast rush. ”
I blinked in surprise at my brother’s rant. I’d never seen him express passion for anything like this, except maybe Rachel. He’d fought to follow her to Granville when our parents didn’t want him to. But he’d never cared about school or jobs that way.
He had taken to making dinner a few nights a week, though. I’d assumed he was just finally taking my lectures about not living on take-out to heart, but could it be that he actually enjoyed it?
“Corey—”
“Never mind,” he said. “You don’t get it.”
“No, I do. I’m just surprised.”
“Because I’m such a loser.”
“No, because I’ve never seen this side of you before,” I said. “If you really care that much, if you really want this catering thing…”
“I do.”
“Then you should pursue it,” I said. “But I need you to promise me one thing, okay?”
He looked wary. “What?”
“If Jamie puts in a good word for you, if he recommends you for this job, you can’t let him down.”
“I won’t,” he said quickly.
“I mean it,” I said. “Jamie’s going to be sticking around. He’s my boyfriend. I love him, so—”
Corey’s eyes widened. “You love him?”
“Yeah, man. Of course I do. Weren’t you there for the conversation a few minutes ago?”
“Well, yeah, but I thought you were just dating. I didn’t know it was so serious already.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “We’ve only been dating for a few days. It’s been serious for weeks though, you know? I was falling for him the whole time.”
“Yeah,” Corey said. “I can see that.”
“Anyway, my point is, he’s not going anywhere, and if this job doesn’t work out…”
“I get it,” he said. “I won’t take it. I don’t want to mess up your relationship.”
“No, I want you to take it if that’s what you want. Just don’t fuck it up, Corey. Don’t blow off work if Rachel calls, wanting something. Don’t walk out because you’re bored in two weeks. If you want this job, you need to take it seriously.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Okay, then. I’ll talk to Jamie. No promises he can even get you a position.”
“I don’t need promises,” Corey said. “I just need your support.” He chewed his bottom lip. “I know I haven’t always made it easy to believe in me.”
“I believe you can get your shit together, man.” I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “You just haven’t been ready.”
“Well, I’m ready now,” he said. “But you’ve got to give me a chance to do it.”
“Okay, fair.”
“I know I’ve relied on you too much,” Corey said. “Like asking you to come here, to live with me, because I couldn’t swing the rent on my own. But I want to do better.”
“You have been doing better.”
He hadn’t missed a day of work at The Diner since starting, and he hadn’t bailed on the last two family meals for Rachel either. Maybe my baby brother was starting to finally grow up.
“So we’re cool?” Corey asked.
“Yeah, man. We’re always cool.”
“Good. Get out there before Jamie dumps your ass for ignoring him.”
I laughed. “Good point. He’s way out of my league.”
Corey grinned. “Nah. I think you two are perfect for each other.”