Chapter 10
Marco
Instead of going to my townhouse near UBC, I headed straight for Dad’s condo.
I had a fob to his parking garage and, like always, his second spot was empty.
He’d talked about buying Troy a car, but my friend wanted none of that.
He’d only just gotten his license, and he insisted public transit in Vancouver was a perfectly acceptable way to travel.
In truth, I think driving in the city terrified him.
I couldn’t say I blamed him. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the elevator. I loved Yaletown with its vibrant shops, décor, restaurants, and the view my father had from his condo.
Soon, I knocked on his door.
Hearing nothing, I used my key to get in.
Although I’d thought to go back north after Christmas to get some final readings, I’d decided I had enough data. I’d pulled the sensors from the lake and closed up the fishing cabin as if no one would be there until spring.
Mr. Parsons had indicated he might go ice fishing this winter.
According to my readings, he’d need a solid couple of weeks of consistent subzero temperatures before the ice would be safe to spend time on.
And, of course, he needed to take a companion with him.
Friend? Girlfriend? Someone to keep an eye on him and who could help if he slipped through the ice.
Or on the ice. Admit it—you care more than you should.
Well, I did. Because as horrible as Parsons was with the environment, I hoped he’d reconcile with his only son before too much time elapsed.
I wheeled my suitcase to the cupboard with the stacked washer and dryer.
I managed to shove all my clothes into the washing machine.
As soon as that load was in the dryer, I planned to wash the sheets.
I’d have to find a way to return them to Mr. Parsons, even though he didn’t really need them back.
He could totally buy another set. Still—this would provide me with a window of time with him where I could try to figure out if he’d forgiven his son. Or had merely further alienated Kellen.
I certainly hoped for the former, and not the latter.
As I organized my suitcase to head back to my townhouse later tonight, voices from the main room reached me.
“I’m telling you—he’s going to be here. Just because we haven’t heard from him for more than a week—” Troy.
Shit. I yanked my phone out of my back pocket. To find it dead. I hustled into the main room where Troy and my dad stood at the kitchen island, pulling groceries out of cloth bags, and putting them where they belonged.
“Jesus, Marco.” My dad pressed a hand to his chest. “Give a guy some warning.”
I grinned. “And miss all the fun? Can’t you hear the washing machine?” I’d left the closet door open. I’d parked in the visitor parking with the borrowed truck, so he obviously didn’t register I might be here.
Troy cocked his head. “Yeah, okay. Fair enough. I was…focused.”
I moved to pull him into a hug. “A guy loves to hear he’s been missed—even if he’s sorry to have been the cause of the distress.”
My dad waved me off as he pulled me into a bear hug. “We’ll always miss you. We’ll always worry about you. We’re also well-aware you’re an adult.”
I grinned as I pulled back. “Well okay, then.” I held my phone up. “I need to charge it. I’d planned to do that in the truck, but then…” I trailed off.
Troy cocked his head the other way. “Who is she?”
I cleared my throat. “His name is Kellen.”
After a long, long, long silence, Dad reached into his back pocket. He produced a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to his husband. “Keep the change.”
Troy kissed the bill, which was all kinds of gross, then shoved it into his jeans pocket.
This time, I tilted my head in question.
Dad shrugged. “He bet me that you’d hook up with a man. I figured it’d be when you came back to civilization. Because, frankly, how were you going to meet someone in the middle of fucking nowhere?” The words carried precisely zero heat.
I grinned. “Son of the owner?”
Troy’s eyes widened. “Kellen Parsons?”
My jaw dropped.
He waved me off. “A friend of mine went to the same school as he did. He mentioned that the kid always seemed to be getting into trouble in one way or another. Didn’t he just crash his father’s Lamborghini?”
“Uh…yes. But he’s super remorseful.” I squinted. “Shit. I didn’t give him my number.”
“And he didn’t give you his?” Troy handed me a charger.
I plugged in my phone. “Well, no. We were just so happy to have the power back on—”
Dad held up his hand. “I think you have some explaining to do.”
So I did. Over dinner of spaghetti with meatballs in a bolognaise sauce—a favorite of mine—I took Dad and Troy through everything that happened.
Both remained silent as they digested my story. When I was finished, I dug into my food with renewed vigor.
Dad sighed. “You love him.”
“Yep, he does.” Troy had a shit-eating grin on his face. He held out his palm.
My father again retrieved his wallet. This time, he procured a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change.”
“Oh, I intend to.” Troy grinned—this time a bit mischievously. “I have plans for this cash.”
Dad rolled his eyes.
And I wondered, in that moment, if he hadn’t lost the bets on purpose. He was always trying to find ways to get Troy to take some of his money. Dad’s condo was paid for, he owned his pickup truck, and he made good money.
My phone buzzed.
I met Dad’s gaze.
He grinned. “Go see who it might be.”
I hated interrupting dinner, but I was damn curious. I leapt up from the table and headed to the kitchen. I picked up the phone and unlocked the screen.
—Where are you? —
—Sorry, this is Kellen. —
—From the last few days—
—Which you probably know. —
—And I’m clearly interrupting something. —
Before he could do anything else, I hit to connect the call.
He answered on the first ring.
“I’m not going to ask how you got my number.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, probably not. I meant for us to exchange numbers—”
“Me too. But the roads were clear, and we just started driving, and then…” I winced.
“We went our separate ways. I know.” He sighed. “And I’d understand if you never wanted to see—”
“How fast can you get here? Or do you want me to come to you?”
He chuckled. “I can be wherever you are whenever you’d like me to come.”
“All day, anyway, all the time.” I chuckled.
After a moment, he laughed as well. “That’s fair. I’ve barely taught you anything.”
My cock stiffened at his low tone.
I provided the address of my dad’s building. “There’s a parking garage across the street.”
“Be there in twenty.” He hung up.
“Do tell.” Troy’s voice carried to the kitchen.
My cheeks flamed red hot.
“Oh, ho.” Dad smirked as I came back into the room.
“I, uh…”
“I think now’s the time to tell him.” Troy offered a shy smile.
“Tell me?”
“I’m gifting my condo to you. Troy and I are buying a three-bedroom unit three floors up. So we’ll be close, but not too close.”
“Oh?” I couldn’t fathom this—except they needed more space.
“We’re going to apply to be foster parents.” Troy speared a meatball. “Older kids, you know? Queer kids who’ve been turfed by their parents.”
My jaw dropped. Then I grinned. “That’s such a great idea.” I patted my dad’s shoulder. I didn’t know whose idea this was—or if they’d just mutually come to an agreement.
Dad rose and pulled me into another bear hug.
“We wanted you to know. And we want you to have this condo. I bought it thinking I’d be alone for the rest of my life.
I can tell you that two people can coexist no problem—we’re only moving because the kids, whoever they might be, deserve their own rooms.”
I held on tight. “I don’t need the condo. I just need the two of you to be happy.”
Troy patted my arm. “We are. Truly.”
“Well okay, then. When do you move?”
The two exchanged a glance.
Troy grinned. “Well, we already have. We’re leaving this place furnished. We came here because you were due back tonight. If you hadn’t shown up, we would’ve contemplated calling the RCMP—and then left you a note and gone back to our new place.”
“A place I want to see.”
“But you’ve got a guest coming.” Dad squeezed my shoulder. “Let’s get cleaned up—I don’t want you to worry about him meeting the parents the first time he shows up here.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Tears threatened. My dad had just gifted me a condo. That was no small thing. I knew Mom had a life insurance policy—and that Dad had been okay financially. I needed to ask if he’d taken out a mortgage on his new place.
But that could wait.
Fifteen minutes later, Troy and Dad were gone.
Three minutes after that, I buzzed Kellen up.
Two minutes after that, my arms were full of the man I loved.
“I have so much to share.” He vibrated with excitement.
“Well, come into my new condo and share away.”
“Your…” His brow furrowed.
“You go first. I’ll go second.” I helped him remove his coat.
He toed off his boots, then followed me into the main room. “This is a nice place.”
“It’s cozy.”
“I like that.”
“Do you want to sit?”
“Could you? I need to pace.”
“Sure.” I plopped down onto the sofa that did not pull out into a bed. If it had, Dad and Troy wouldn’t have had to share a bed. They might not have ever gotten together. “Okay, what?”
“I told my dad to fuck off.”
My eyes widened. “I told my dad about you, and he wished me every happiness.”
“Yeah, that was not the reaction I got. Like at all. He’d known I was into guys, but he was expecting me to beg forgiveness. I apologized about the Lambo—because I really am sorry—but then I said I wanted to grow up and…go back to school.”
I cocked my head.
“I was doing an arts degree—with a psychology major. He ridiculed me when he found out. So I dropped out.”
“You never said.” Not that he’d said much at all—we’d only been together thirty-six hours.
“Are you going back to school?”
He nodded. “I’ll probably have to take some remedial courses or something, but I hoped to go back full-time in September.”
“That’s great.” And expensive. I couldn’t give him money on the salary I was pulling in.
“I have an inheritance. I get it when I turn twenty-five. Or when I marry. I think he was going to contest it—have me declared unfit. Now, though, I’ve got a purpose and a direction.”
I couldn’t hold my words in any longer. “And someone who loves you.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Yeah?”
“I mean, it’s too soon.”
He moved swiftly, kneeling at my feet and taking my hands in his. “Not for me, it’s not. I want you. Want to be with you. By your side. As you take on my father. I think—” He grinned mischievously. “I think we’ll make a formidable pair.”
“We shall.” I gazed around. “It’s cozy.”
“Are you asking me to move in?”
“Hell, yes.” I squeezed his hands. “Forever, if you will.”
“I will. I so will.”
We talked for a long time after that. Then I led him to my bed, and we celebrated the winter solstice.
And he stayed.
And I couldn’t have been happier.