Page 41 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Jesse’s reply took a few minutes, leaving Christopher hungbetween a rising hope and a miserable deflation.

Positive. I’ve spent the entireafternoon here looking for you out of the corner of my eye, hoping like crazywe’d run into each other and then I acted like an idiot when we finally did.Embarrassing. Let me have a second chance?

Christopher typed as quickly as his clumsy thumbs wouldallow.

You don’t have to be embarrassed. I’mhappy to meet your family if that’s what you really want, but it’s honestlyokay if you just want to move on with your day.

While he waited for a reply, he paid for the jam for Gran.

Come join us.

As Christopher approached the forge, he couldn’t ignore thetumbling sensation in his stomach. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’tgreat either. It reminded him of the one and only time he’d ridden theFirebender coaster over in Starlight City.

The whirling-rushing feeling only intensified when he steppedunder the eaves and Jesse broke into a wide smile at the sight of him andcalled out, “Christopher! Hey, come over here. It’s good to see you!”

As soon as Christopher was close enough, Jesse slapped hisshoulder in a friendly gesture.

“Good to see you too,” Christopher murmured, smiling withstrangely quavering lips. From the corner of his eye he could see Gareth hardat work by the forge’s flames, banging on red-hot iron as tourists watchedavidly.

He was embarrassed when Jesse reached to shake hands andChristopher saw that his own were trembling. What was his problem? He’d been alot cooler than this the other night when they’d hooked up. He needed to get ittogether. Jesse’s in-laws looked at him with polite smiles and vague interest.

Jesse turned to them. “Nova and Tim, this is my friendChristopher. He’s a singer here at Smoky Mountain Dreams. Chris, this is Novaand Tim, my in-laws.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Christopher!” Nova shookChristopher’s hand and looked him over in friendly appraisal. “You performhere? For how long now?”

“Been here three years now, ma’am.”

“Just Nova, please.” She smiled. “You do look familiar.Surely we’ve seen you—we see all the shows.”

“Season passes,” the man Jesse had called Tim volunteered,vigorously pumping Christopher’s hand in both of his and smiling warmly. “Jessegets them for us. We love the holiday programs especially. It’s just notChristmastime until we’ve come to the winter shows at Smoky Mountain Dreams.”

“We all saw him in a show together last Christmas,” Jessesaid. “He was singing the lead parts.”

“That’s right!” Nova’s eyes suddenly glinted with mischief. “Oh,Jesse was quite taken with your voice. Remember Tim? He kept looking up hisname on the program.”

There was a flash of embarrassment on Jesse’s face, but thenhe smiled widely. “See? I told you, Chris. I’m a big fan.” He turned to Novaand Tim and went on, “It wasn’t just me. You guys thought he was great too.”

“He’s certainly charismatic up there,” Nova said.

“Held his own for sure.”

“And he’s got a great voice.” Jesse smiled warmly at him.

Christopher felt heat prickle his neck and ears. “Jesseseems to be my number one fan. It’s flattering and makes me wish my Gran washere to hear him. It’d make her proud.”

“I bet she’s proud anyway,” Nova said, glancing betweenthem. Her lips curved slightly at the edges knowingly, and Christopher felt hispalms go a little sweaty. Were they that obvious? Did she know they’d had sex?A lot of sex? Shit.

“I hope so.”

“Brigid, Will,” Jesse said to get their attention. “This ismy friend, Mr. Ryder.” His eyes lit up with pride as he put his hands on hisdaughter’s shoulders and nodded at his son. “Chris, these are my kids, Will andBrigid.”

Will didn’t tear his eyes from Gareth’s movements by thefire, and he just lifted his hand and let it fall with a cheerful, “Hi, sir,nice to meet you!”

“Call me Christopher,” he said in his best cool-uncle voicehe’d used with his sister’s new step-kids. It’d seemed to work okay on themuntil Bob had made it clear Christopher was a terrible sinner and best to beavoided. Though Lee, the oldest of the three, fifteen and obviously rebelling,had seemed to think Christopher was evencoolerafter that. Christopher had reveled in it. But he sure hoped the kid didn’tturn out to be gay, because he’d probably be accused of recruiting him.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Christopher added with a widesmile.

Brigid turned with tight precision from where she’d alsobeen gazing intently at Gareth striking the metal, and stared right up atChristopher with a suspicious, tight expression. She said nothing at all.