Kenny squeezed his hands tighter. “I know that story. Please spare me the mushy details. And tell me it’s okay for me to move in.”
Evan felt himself getting weaker. “And you’re sure your dad is okay with this?”
“We’ve talked about it and he’s fine.”
“If I did agree, which I’m not sure I will yet, I still have to talk to your dad about it first.”
Kenny laughed. “You know Dad would do anything for you. All you have to do is ask.”
“Is it that obvious?” Evan asked. He’d never been able to depend on Jeffery emotionally. But he did know Jeffery would have done almost anything he asked. He’d always wondered if other people noticed the power they both had over each other.
“It’s that obvious.” Kenny frowned and shrugged his shoulders. “I know how Dad can be sometimes. I’m not stupid. But I also know he’d never say no to you.”
Evan stood up and they started toward the avenue where he would hail a cab. When they reached the corner, he asked, “If I agree to you moving in with me, when is this going to take place?”
“I can move in tonight,” Kenny said.
Evan had been thinking more along the lines of a month or two, just to give himself time to get used to being back in the real world again. “You’re pushing me now.”
“I know,” Kenny said.
Evan saw an empty cab approach and he lifted his arm. When the driver stopped, he opened the door and said, “I’ll talk to your dad tomorrow and we’ll set a date.” He knew this went against all his better judgment, but he couldn’t say no to his son. And as frightened as he was about having Kenny live with him full time, he knew deep down he wanted to spend this time with his son while he was still young enough to enjoy him. Kenny would be a grown man in a few years and Evan would never get this time back again.
When he said this, Kenny grabbed him and hugged him so hard he almost took his breath away, which was not something Kenny did often. “This is so cool. I love you, Dad.”
Evan climbed into the backseat and said, “I love you, too, kid. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
As the driver pulled away from the curb, Evan glanced back through the rear windshield and waved at his son. Kenny was standing on the sidewalk, with his long legs spread apart, waving with both arms in the air. But it was the smile on his son’s face that caused a sting in his eyes. Evan had missed a few events in his son’s life because of his drinking, and he knew he could never get them back again, but he could at least try to do the right thing now while he still had a chance.
Chapter Five
“I don’t see any harm in it,” Jeffery said. “I’m on my way to the West Coast and I can’t talk long. There’s a car waiting for me downstairs.”
“This is a big thing,” Evan said. “Our son wants to move in with me full time and I’m not sure it’s the best thing for him.” As Evan had promised his son, he’d phoned Jeffery to see how he felt about Kenny moving in with Evan full time.
“You’re his father, too,” Jeffery said. “And it’s not like he’s moving to a different country. He’s going to the same school. He’ll still be able to go back and forth between the townhouse and your apartment. I don’t see an issue. I think it would be good for you both.”
“And you can come and go as you please,” Evan said. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get nasty with Jeffery. But Evan tended to read between the lines for ulterior motives whenever Jeffery proposed something to him.
“I already come and go as I please,” Jeffery said.
“That’s true.” Evan sighed. He wanted things to be different; he wanted Jeffery to change so they could live together as a family again.
“Now you sound angry,” Jeffery said.
“I’m not angry,” Evan said. “I’m worried. I recently got out of rehab and I’m still getting myself together. This was the last thing I expected to be dealing with. I haven’t even started working yet.”
Jeffery hesitated for a moment. Evan heard his assistant, the werewolf, come into the office and ask him a question. Evan couldn’t hear exactly what the werewolf said, but it made him clench his fists to think Jeffery would ignore him when they were talking about something so important.
“Are you still there?” Evan asked, speaking louder.
“I’m here,” Jeffery said. “But I have to go. Look, I think this is a good thing for both of you. Kenny’s talked to me about it and I support it completely. He needs time with you and if you don’t let him live with you he might hold it against you for the rest of his life.”
Evan had considered this already. If he refused to take Kenny full time, Kenny might resent him forever, which could define their future relationship. And he didn’t want that to happen. Besides, he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with Jeffery today. This new business deal he’d been working on seemed to be consuming him. “I’ll call him and tell him he can move in next Friday night. I want to fix the apartment up a little before then.”
“Excellent,” Jeffery said. “Then it’s all settled. I’ll arrange to have a car pick him up to and from school. If you need anything, let me know. You know you don’t have to want for anything.”
“I know,” Evan said. The trouble was that the one thing he wanted didn’t cost anything: living like a real family, with his husband and son. And Jeffery couldn’t seem to provide this.
“So we’re good?” Jeffery asked.
“We’re good,” Evan said. “Call me and let me know when you get to the West Coast.” Jeffery always checked in with him when he traveled. It was the one thing Evan knew he could depend on.
Jeffery said, “I will. Love you.”
When Evan told Kenny he could move in full time the following Friday night, Kenny said he’d be there in time for dinner. He sounded so excited on the phone Evan couldn’t help smiling and feeling the same way. Then Evan went to work on the apartment. With his best friend Cadin’s help, he managed to paint every single room, including the small kitchen, a bright, clean shade of offwhite. He ordered a new full-sized mattress for Kenny’s room, plus new pillows, sheets, and covers. He even painted the insides of all the closets so everything would be fresh and new.
By Thursday evening he sat back on the sofa and glanced at the living room. They’d finished putting all the furniture back and Cadin had just left. Evan had offered to take him out to dinner that night as thanks for all his help. But Cadin asked for a rain check because he had a date that night with a new guy he’d met on the Internet. From what Cadin said, a cute guy with nice big hips. Evan didn’t pursue it. He was so tired all he wanted to do was fall into his bed and sleep for hours. He hadn’t done that much manual labor since the first year he’d moved into the apartment. He could have asked Jeffery to send painters over. Jeffery would have paid the bill and Evan wouldn’t have had to lift a finger. But this was where Evan tended to be stubborn. He knew if he did that, he would grow more co-dependent on Jeffery than he already was. And Evan didn’t want a co-dependent marriage. He wanted a real marriage, where both people were equals, and he wouldn’t settle for less.