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TJ

After breakfast, I called and checked in on Gram, then joined Jimmy in the shower. He was still sore from the night before, but that didn’t keep us from exchanging lazy hand jobs, stroking each other slowly while the water rained down over us until we were gasping and spilling our releases down the drain. Now that he’d given the green light on the physical side of our relationship, I couldn’t get enough of him. It was like I needed to make up for the last five years.

We dressed, then I helped him start the process of packing his apartment in preparation for his move the following weekend. He’d told me yesterday that the little blue house was perfect, and once he’d seen it, he’d felt like something slid into place.

It was small—a two-bedroom ranch with an unfinished basement—but it had an abundance of windows on the backside facing the woods and there was a walking path that led to the creek. Not having the money set aside to purchase a house just yet, he and Gram worked out a deal where he would rent for now with the intention of buying when he had enough saved for the down payment. She’d given him a good deal on the rent, which he’d balked at, not wanting to take advantage, but she’d stubbornly refused to accept anything more, and he’d eventually agreed. Gram was a force when she had her mind set on something.

Around mid-afternoon, we made the drive to Astaire, and I found myself faced with the uncomfortable feeling of being nervous. Meeting the people who’d stepped up for Jimmy after his mom abandoned him was nerve-wracking, for sure. But the idea of meeting Sammy had my leg bouncing, and I repositioned myself in my seat every couple of minutes.

When I recrossed my legs for what felt like the thousandth time, Jimmy’s hand shot out to rest on my knee. “They’re going to love you. Everyone loves you.” He squeezed my knee. “You performed at the Tony’s, live on TV. Surely you can handle meeting my family.”

“You watched that, did you?”

He shrugged, but I didn’t miss the color that flooded his cheeks. “Of course I did.”

That little admission pleased me greatly, but I returned to the topic at hand. “The difference is that this matters .”

“Performing at the Tony’s didn’t?” He gaped at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was honored and thrilled. It’s definitely one of the highlights of my career. But this is… They’re your people. The most important people in your life. What they think matters .”

“They are important to me. But so are you.” He took the turn off the highway and drove through the center of town. We stopped at a stop sign, and he pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it. “They’re going to love you. But even if they don’t, it won’t change the way I feel about you.”

My stomach swooped. Jimmy didn’t share his feelings easily, at least not the deep ones. The ones that felt a little too much like declarations and promises I knew he wasn’t ready to make. But damn, this felt close.

I didn’t know what to say. My own declaration was on the tip of my tongue, the words desperate to escape my lips, but he squeezed my fingers and proceeded through the stop sign as if he hadn’t just turned me inside out.

We pulled up behind an orange Dodge Charger parked in front of a raised ranch on a quiet street. I wasn’t a car guy, but it looked like a classic that someone had obviously taken care to restore. There was a black SUV in the driveway parked next to a flashy nineties-era Mustang. We passed them both as we made our way up the steps and rang the bell. A man with long, dirty-blond hair pulled into a short, stubby ponytail at the nape of his neck opened the door, then stood there, giving me a long look.

“Sammy, don’t be a dick. Let us in. It’s drizzling out here.”

Wordlessly, he stepped back to allow us entry. I could feel the weight of his gaze trailing me as we passed. We kicked off our shoes, and I followed Jimmy back to the kitchen, which was overflowing with people. Conversation came to a screeching halt as we entered, all eyes on us. Jimmy let out a frustrated breath. “This is my boyfriend, TJ. Quit making it weird.”

I waved awkwardly to the room at large, and then a man with short dark hair and neatly trimmed scruff stepped forward, offering his hand. “Hey, man. I’m Will. It’s good to meet you.”

Ice broken, everyone sprang into motion, making introductions. I’d met Rafi at the bonfire, but every other face in the room was new. Thankfully, I was pretty good with names.

By the time the introductions concluded, Stephanie announced dinner was ready, and we took our seats. The chatter continued as plates were passed and loaded with food. Coming from a close-knit family who wasn’t afraid to speak over each other, it all felt very homey and comfortable.

I jumped right in, asking questions about the cars out front, learning that the Mustang belonged to Rafi’s brother, Freddy, who was in college. The SUV belonged to Rafi, much to his dismay. He’d traded in a Camaro just before he became a father last spring. He acted like driving the SUV was an affront to him personally, but as he took his sleeping daughter from Elise so she could eat, I suspected it was mostly an act.

The Charger apparently belonged to Sammy, who hadn’t seemed inclined to say much about it, but his fiancé Will had been more forthcoming, explaining it had been a pet project of Sammy’s when he’d first gone to work for Julio.

As the conversation turned to other topics, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Sammy’s eyes on me. Will had nudged him a couple of times and given him a look that I took to be couple-speak for chill out , but it didn’t appear to be working. Jimmy could feel it too. He’d been tense throughout the entire meal, glaring at his brother sitting across from us. At the conclusion of the meal, everyone stood to take their dishes to the kitchen, rinsing and putting them in the dishwasher before moving into the living room to watch football.

Jimmy asked if I wanted something to drink, then went to retrieve the pop I’d requested from the fridge in the garage. He asked Sammy to come with him, giving him a meaningful look that no one missed. It was clear the two brothers were about to have a talk .

I watched them go, worry and helplessness settling in my gut. I didn’t want to be the source of conflict between them, but I also wasn’t sure why Sammy was being so hostile toward me.

“He’ll be fine.” Will settled in the seat next to me and popped the top on his beer. “Sammy’s being an overprotective dick. Jimmy’ll set him straight.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his assessment of the situation. “Do you always talk about your fiancé that way?”

“Not usually. He’s mellowed quite a bit over the years. But he can’t help himself when it comes to his brother. He can’t seem to break the habit.”

“I get that. I know Sammy basically raised him.”

“He did.” Will took another swig of his beer. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

“Yup. Have been for as long as I’ve known him.”

“And you’re really here to stay?”

This was the test, I realized. Sammy might run hot-tempered, but Will was the voice of reason, and his feelings held weight. I was also aware that other ears in the room were listening in on our conversation. I could attribute it to nosiness, but I knew better. These people cared about Jimmy. And they wanted him to be happy.

“Yeah. I’m here for the long haul.”

He nodded approvingly. “Good. Does he know you’re in love with him?”

I chuckled. “My guess is he suspects, yeah.”

“But you haven’t told him?”

“He’s not ready to hear it.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to.”

Raised voices cut off my response, and Will and I made our way out to the garage, where we found Jimmy and Sammy glaring at each other. Jimmy’s arms were crossed, while Sammy’s hands were on his hips, but both wore an almost identical look of stubborn animosity.

“Everything okay?” I asked, stepping behind Jimmy and putting my hand on his shoulder. He relaxed slightly, though I could still feel the tension thrumming through him.

“Dandy,” Jimmy said in a tone that implied it was anything but. “Maybe we should head out. I’m not in the mood to deal with his shit. At least not until he pulls his head out of his ass.”

“Real nice, Jimmy.”

Jimmy turned to go, but manners compelled me to give a weak smile and say, “It was nice to meet you both.”

Sammy snorted. “Yeah, sure. How long are you staying this time, anyway?”

“Sammy…” Will cautioned.

“No, I think it’s a fair question. I’m just wondering how long he’s going to be around before he breaks my brother’s heart and I have to pick up the pieces.”

Jimmy spun around, eyes spitting mad. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him so furious. Not even when he’d confronted Steven last night. “You didn’t pick up the pieces last time. I did it myself. And you have a lot of nerve talking about breaking someone’s heart. Remind me—who was it that dumped his boyfriend just days before he left for college?”

All the air left the room. Will visibly paled while Sammy’s face went bright red.

“That was ten years ago. And it’s none of your goddammed business.”

“And what happened between TJ and me is none of yours,” Jimmy raged. “Jesus, Sammy. I finally bring home someone I’m proud of. Who’s good and kind and treats me like a king, and you’re an absolute dick to him. I won’t have it. You can be a dick to me, but I won’t allow you to be a dick to him.” He turned away, huffing in frustration, then turned back. “No, that’s not true. I won’t allow you to be a dick to me either. I’m not putting up with that shit from anyone anymore, least of all my brother, who’s supposed to love me.”

He turned his attention to Will, softening his tone. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. It was a shitty thing to say.” Will nodded, and Jimmy turned his attention back to Sammy. “I’m not sorry for the rest of it. It needed to be said. I love you.” His voice broke. “I love you so much, Sammy. But you have to start seeing me as someone who can handle his shit. I don’t need you to be my protector. I just need you to be my brother. Let me know when you’ve figured out how to do that.”

He stormed out the door, leaving me to follow. I thought to say something to somehow smooth over the situation, but it wasn’t really for me to say. This was between Jimmy and Sammy, and I suspected it’d been on the verge of boiling over for quite some time.

In the end, I nodded and followed Jimmy out.