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“Jai will need someone to protect him from Rashmi while Mama fawns over him.” Arnav rolled his eyes. “Jai always was her favorite.”

“I’m not sure—” Jai started to speak.

“You have no idea how often Mama would say,why can’t you be like that good boy, Jai?”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

He wagged his finger. “And don’t go thinking this was because I was gay. I was just…a hellraiser. Came from having six older sisters.”

“You were spoiled.” Foster handed me a plate and gestured to the food.

Green salad, corn, mashed potatoes, barbecue chicken, as well as steak.

“I don’t even know where to start.” I eyed the food.

Jai smiled. “From the beginning. Let me tell you about the first time I met Arnav.”

Foster perked up.

Arnav rolled his eyes.

I straightened. Sure, I was curious about Arnav’s childhood. I was more curious about Jai, though. How he’d grown up. And I was quite certain he wouldn’t be able to spill the beans about his friend without revealing more about himself. So I was all ears.

Chapter Seven

Jai

“Ican’t believe I left these in the car.” I retrieved the bag of dog treats from my front seat. Fortunately the weather wasn’t too hot, so I didn’t have to worry about the treats overheating.

Arnav grinned as he held leashes for the two dogs. Demetrius had offered to clean the kitchen—one of my least favorite tasks.

Foster had tried to say something about guests, but I’d suggested Arnav and I could walk the dogs.

Demetrius said that sounded fair and perhaps Foster could sit on a stool at their kitchen island and tell him how to do things properly?

I figured the guy was pretty swift and could clean up a kitchen without direction—but this gave him a bit more alone time with Foster. Even I, who could sometimes be a little dense, noted how quickly the men appeared to have…bonded. I didn’t figure just their shared skin color was the reason. No, Demetrius made Foster laugh. I hadn’t thought it all that unusual until Arnav, during our walk, explained that Foster was normally reserved and shy.

“Well, less so since I burst into his life.” Arnav was clearly pleased with himself.

“How did you meet?” Mission City was small enough for two gay guys to encounter each other. But although Arnav had always been out and proud—well, since he was twelve—Foster, by his own admission, hadn’t come out until Arnav had kissed him on the cheek in Fifties.

Arnav had winced and said he hadn’t meant to out Foster.

Foster assured him that he didn’t mind.You presented me with the chance to be myself. For the first time in my life.He’d said the words with a grin on his face.

That resonated with me.What would it be like if I could be my true self? With someone who accepted me?

“Okay…so I asked Foster if he minded me telling you our secret.” Arnav snagged the bag of dog treats. “Oh God, these are Queenie’s favorites. And Taffy will eat anything Queenie eats. So I’ll let you give them one. Just one. I don’t want Taryn and Stephanie to come home to find their dog has gained a lot of weight.”

“I think it’s great you have a lesbian couple living next door.”

“Well, you should meet Stephanie’s brother, Cooper. Holy Lord. You think I’m loud and proud? Cooper has me outdone by a mile.”

“Oh?” I snagged Taffy’s leash.

“Right? And then there’s Taryn’s brother Lachlan. Pretty much the complete opposite of Cooper. He’s an entertainment lawyer from Toronto. Great guy. Oh, I have to show you—” He handed me the bag of treats as well as Queenie’s leash.

Both dogs gazed at me expectantly.