“I got mine, Mara; now he gets his. Take your shot, Beaumont.”
Before Mara could protest again, Ty reared back and hit his father with a wicked right hook that knocked Earl off his feet. Earl struck the floor hard enough to make the plate of cookies on the table rattle, and Ty immediately doubled over, holding his hand and cussing.
“Nice hook, Tyler!” Chester cried triumphantly. “Woo!”
“Jesus Christ, boy!” Earl shouted as he clutched at his nose and wallowed on the floor.
“What is your face made of, Dad, steel?” Ty cried as he held his hand. “Oh my God!”
He turned and stumbled into the kitchen.
“Should have seen that coming,” Deuce muttered.
Zane cursed and followed his partner, unwilling to stay away any longer. What he really wanted was his own shot at Earl.
Ty was rummaging through the freezer, a bag of frozen peas already on his hand as he pulled out another bag. He let the freezer door swing shut as he stepped away and looked at Zane, his hazel eyes wide with the remnants of stark terror. He was shaking from head to toe.
“Baby,” Zane said as he took a few steps toward Ty. All of his possessive and protective instincts were in overdrive, but he held himself back, reaching out to check Ty’s hand instead of wrapping him up in his arms and holding him until he stopped trembling. When Ty was upset, the last thing he wanted was to be restrained in any way.
“That wasn’t exactly how I saw that going,” Ty said. He reached out and pulled Zane closer, wrapping his arms around his neck and holding onto him.
Zane returned the fierce hug, his heart aching for Ty. Fear of what’d just happened had been the driving force behind many of Ty’s decisions and life choices. To have faced it in a moment not of his own choosing must’ve been terrifying. Zane held him, letting Ty hang onto him, cheek pressed to Ty’s while a long minute passed.
“Well,” Mara said from the doorway.
Ty pulled away and glanced sheepishly at her. She stood behind Zane, arms crossed over her chest.
“How’s Dad’s face?” Ty asked.
“Better than yours is going to be if I find out you been keeping any more secrets,” she threatened, putting her hands on her hips. She looked from him to Zane and back. “Is it serious, the two of you?”
It took Ty a moment to answer, but when he found his voice, he said, “Very.”
Mara narrowed her eyes.
“I love him,” Ty said, voice firm.
Mara just nodded, looking between them again. Her expression softened and she made a disgruntled noise, then she walked up to Zane and pulled him by his shoulders into a tight hug. Though he was surprised, he let her do what she wanted. She patted his back and kissed his cheek. “Welcome to the family, Zane,” she said, and the sincerity in her voice made his throat tighten. “I wish I’d known earlier, but if wishes was dollars, I’d be the Queen of Sheba.”
Zane straightened and glanced at Ty, who was staring at Mara, his hazel eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.
“Thank you,” Zane said. “And I’m sorry.”
“No need for that.” She nodded and turned to Ty, hugging him in the same manner. “You should’ve told us way back then,” she said, her voice harsh with upset. “You didn’t have to leave.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ty whispered as he hugged her.
She stepped back, taking his chin in her hand and turning his head to the side. “Is that hand broke?” she asked after she’d assured herself his face was okay.
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, serves you both right.” She took a bag of frozen broccoli from Ty and turned to leave. “Mule-headed, the both of you.”
Zane sighed and lifted the bag off Ty’s hand to examine his knuckles. “Doesn’t look too good,” he said, lowering the bag back into place over the injury. He touched Ty’s cheek, checking it for signs of redness, and tried to look at his eyes to make sure the fear was subsiding.
Ty was still shaken, but considering how terribly it could have gone, that wasn’t surprising. His parents were angrier about the fact that Ty had never told them why he’d chosen to leave home right after high school, rather than the fact that he was g*y. That was a promising step. A big one.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” Ty groaned, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. Then he met Zane’s eyes and appeared to calm. After another moment, he seemed almost back to normal. “They’re right, you know. I should have done that fifteen years ago.” He took Zane’s hand in his. “Thank you for . . . letting it play out.”
“Thank Deuce.” Zane glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea I go back in there with Earl right now. I don’t think you hit him hard enough.”
Ty turned his face into Zane’s and nodded. “Come on. We have to, sooner or later.” He didn’t let go of Zane’s hand as he pulled him toward the living room. Zane let the mild surprise buoy him.
Chester was still rocking merrily, either pleased with himself for the commotion or oblivious to the fact that he’d caused it. Deuce was sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. Earl was still on the floor as Mara perched on the loveseat and pressed the frozen broccoli to the side of his face.
“That is one hell of a hook, son,” Earl said to Ty as soon as they appeared.
“Thank you, sir.” Ty held up their linked hands as everyone in the room watched them. “Is this a problem for anyone?”
Deuce smiled, a hint of pride in his expression as he looked over at them. Mara shook her head, though her eyes seemed to be misting over. She was upset and probably would be for a while, but Zane was confident that it had nothing to do with their relationship and everything to do with the secrets Ty had been keeping and the years they’d lost because of it.
Earl took the broccoli from her and struggled to his feet, wavering. He waited a moment, and then walked over to them. He looked from Ty to Zane and shook his head. “Don’t matter who you love, son,” he said. “As long as you do it well.” Then he held his hand out to Zane.
Zane looked at it, wondering if he could just not take it. But when Ty’s hand loosened in his and let go, he reached out and shook Earl’s, meeting the older man’s eyes, letting his expression say what he couldn’t. Earl nodded in acknowledgment of the uneasy peace. Then he moved away again, pressing the peas to his face and mumbling more about Ty’s impressive right hook.