Page 9 of At His Wife’s Behest

P ulse racing, Connor stood at the edge of the pool and inhaled, attempting to calm his shakiness. I can’t believe it’s him , of all people.

Kellan Rhodes.

The one parent he’d been willing to leap across the line for.

Early in his career, he’d dated a dad and it had turned out badly.

Caused him to quit a spot in a great school district and move to a new city.

So, he’d made the rule. He loved working at the Academy.

The private school paid better than public, which still wasn’t much, but he didn’t want to lose that or the benefits that came along with it, so following that rule had been easy.

Until Kellan Rhodes.

He dove into the warm water. While waiting, Connor took another lap to give him something to focus on besides the growing anticipation.

By the fourth lap, he grew worried. Glancing at the door, he feared the man wouldn’t show.

Doubts slowly crept in. After one more lap, he gave up.

The sun was setting, and the air outside the pool grew colder.

He waded toward the steps, but as he placed his foot on the first one, the door swung open.

Kellan emerged, a huge fluffy robe tucked tightly around him.

Connor grinned, meeting Kellan’s gaze. “I wasn’t sure you were coming out.”

“To be honest,” Kellan replied as he walked closer. “I wasn’t sure, either.” Inches from the pool’s edge, he discarded the robe and tossed it to a lounge chair and dove in—so fast, Connor couldn’t get a good look.

He emerged from the water and swam a lap, taking him farther away from Connor. Kellan’s head rose from the water, and he brushed his wet hair from his face. Watchful, as if he sensed he was prey, giving the predator a wide berth.

“I won’t bite,” Connor called over the surface. “You can come closer.”

What looked like a hint of fear shone in Kellan’s eyes before he swam closer. In Connor’s opinion, he was still too far away.

“I’m still not sure how I feel about… this,” Kellan murmured.

“I’m just here as a friend. So you don’t have to vacation alone.” Connor grinned. “I’ve always wanted to travel to Italy. I’m crossing something off my bucket list, thanks to you.”

Kellan offered a wry smile but said nothing.

“Are there any sights you wanted to see while you were here?” Connor had done a bit of digging and had a short list, just in case, but he was there to tagalong. His list came secondary, if at all.

“Not really,” Kellan said. “I have to meet the agent at some point. Emma’s going to connect us this week. Otherwise, I was just going to relax.”

“Stay all week in the house?” Connor glanced around. “I mean, the view here is spectacular, but you don’t want to go explore the towns along the lake?”

Kellan shrugged. “I suppose we could. Is there somewhere you wanted to go?”

“When I was researching the area, I saw an eight-hundred-year-old villa in Verenna that’s now a museum with gardens. I thought that might be interesting.”

Kellan nodded. “Might be.”

“There’s also the Orrido di Bellano, if you like hiking.”

“I think Emma and my in-laws went there the last time I was here. I missed out,” Kellan said, brushing water from his face as he drifted closer. “I would like to see it this time around.”

Connor nodded. “Why don’t you tell me what you like to do?”

Kellan sighed. “In all honesty, I don’t know. All I seem to do these days is work and take care of Abby.”

“Do you dance?”

Kellan’s gaze whipped to his. He was silent a moment. “Um… what kind of dancing?”

“As in a nightclub. A guy I met on the train gave me the name of one in Lombardy that would be welcoming.”

“Welcoming?” Kellan narrowed his eyes. “To whom?”

“Guys like us,” Connor murmured.

Panic settled on Kellan’s face. “I don’t think that would be safe.”

“Safe from what?” Connor asked. There had to be a reason why Kellan had married to hide his sexuality. What was it?

“My family. They’re… very conservative.”

“Do they live in Europe?”

“No,” Kellan answered. “Back in Texas.”

“Sounds like they’re a million miles away.”

“You don’t understand,” Kellan argued.

“Help me understand.”

Kellan drew in a deep breath. “My dad is Norman Rhodes.”

Inwardly gasping, Connor’s eyes widened. Senator Norman Rhodes had led the charge to end LGBT rights, along with a myriad of other sins in his time in Congress. The man was horrific. Living in a red state was hard enough when you were gay. Men like Norman Rhodes made it harder.

He could rage about the man, yet Connor could only chuckle. Homophobic Norman Rhodes’ son was gay? “Does he know? About you?”

Kellan scoffed. “I’ve never come out to him, but he knows. Most of the time, he pretends he doesn’t, but he does.” He glanced out at the scenery, appearing lost. “My father’s powerful and has a long reach. Italy might not be far enough for me to be free.”

“And why do you care what he thinks?”

Kellan didn’t answer.

“I get that he’s your dad and there’s likely a part of you that wants his approval but come on.”

“It’s not just that.” Kellan growled. “You try growing up in a house where gay people were called an abomination. Where your own father actively fought against your very existence. You learn to be smaller. To take up less space, hopeful you’ll be ignored. That’s how I’ve spent my entire life.”

“You’re no longer a kid.”

“Yeah, but even as an adult, it’s hard to get out from his shadow. I struggled to find a job after I left his office.”

“Wait a minute… you worked for him? You do realize he wants to make people like us illegal?”

“And he would’ve been ten times worse had I not been there, tempering him and the legislation he worked on,” Kellan shot back. “I quit three years ago. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“Which is why his rhetoric has gotten worse the last few years.”

Kellan swam a few yards away. “While I was there, I tried to temper him. Time and time again, I reeled him in. I didn’t always succeed, but…

Things could’ve been a lot worse had I not been there.

” He shrugged. “Now there’s no one to hold him back and I wonder every single day if I didn’t make a mistake leaving. ”

Connor sighed, seeing pain in Kellan’s eyes. “You’re not responsible for his crimes.”

Kellan laughed, though there was no humor in his eyes. “Tell that to the rest of the world.”

“People blame you for him?”

“After I left, I attempted to make my own way. Find something meaningful to do with my time. I’d only ever worked on his staff or his campaign.

That made me damaged goods in the eyes of the companies I wanted to work for.

Others wanted to use me to get to him, to have the ear of a Senator.

I had to compromise myself in order to gain employment… and that was because of him.”

“You might have had better luck changing minds if you came out. Let the world know you’re nothing like him.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell the world I’m gay just to be treated as an individual or get a job.”

“Your sexual identity is your private business, I get that,” Connor said, struggling to relate.

Telling the world wouldn’t have been a hardship to him, but then he’d always been out.

He’d told his parents he had a crush on a boy on his soccer team at eight and they’d simply rolled with it.

When he told them he was gay as a teen, they’d welcomed him into their arms and loved him no matter what.

Not that it had all been easy but having his parents in his corner had been everything to him.

He couldn’t judge Kellan’s journey when he hadn’t had the same experiences or support. “It must’ve been hard growing up with a parent like that.”

“I’ve spent twenty years hiding. Nearly forty having his morality shoved down my throat.” A shine formed in Kellan’s eyes. “A childhood—” He sighed, shaking his head. “You don’t need to hear that.” Kellan chuckled. “I doubt you were paid enough.”

Connor nearly opened his mouth to tell the man to continue.

To get it off his chest. Airing the bullshit could help, but he also knew that the dark places could swallow you whole if you weren’t careful.

As far as he knew, Kellan had come to Italy for an escape.

Not a week-long therapy session. “I’m here if you need someone to listen. Without judgement.”

Kellan met his gaze. “I appreciate it, but… no.” Kellan turned for another lap and that’s when Connor noticed multiple scars on the man’s back. He frowned. They looked like whip marks.

Who hurt you? He immediately sensed it had been the Senator.

Connor clenched his fists, suddenly wanting to punch Norman Rhodes square in the jaw.

More so than usual. He dragged his thoughts from the violence swirling in his head and looked up to the night sky.

Lights glittered all around the edges of the lake, sparkling over the surface of the water along with the stars above.

A speedboat passed, the motor revved high, pushing through the illumination, and sending it wafting outwards.

When Kellan finally came up for air, he eyed Connor.

“Sun’s down. Maybe we should get some dinner and call it a night?” Connor asked. “I don’t know about you, but the jet lag seems to be settling in.”

“Yeah,” Kellan murmured. He followed Connor out, quickly bundling up in his robe and covering his body.

“Ana Maria said she left food.”

Kellan smiled. “If memory serves, her cooking is incredible.”

Once in the house, Kellan passed Connor on the way to the kitchen. Connor found him digging in the fridge. Glancing down, he noticed a note on the island along with a key. He scanned the note before Kellan came out with a small pot in his hands.

“La zuppa, the sign says. Sounds good. You?”

“Sounds wonderful.” He lifted the key. “Seems the key was here.” He pointed to the note. “And this has all the alarm codes, too.”

“Perfect.” Kellan hefted the pot. “I’ll put this on low. We can wash up and change while it warms up.”

“I’ll meet you back here in ten,” Connor replied, smiling.