Cherish & Blessed (6 page)

Matt stocked up on red, white, and beer just in case.

He also found out that they owned a very successful nursery in Danbury, which meant nothing. Their professions told him little about the type of people they would be, and he restrained himself from running a background check because Elena told him that was a violation of trust, which made him feel guilty enough not to do it.

Of course Matt ran Kent’s background via his connections, and assured Evan he had no priors.

“He just turned twenty-two. Maybe he just hasn’t decided what kind of trouble to get into,” Evan muttered, fiddling with his tie for the fifth time. The mirror reflected a cranky man with more worry lines than he’d had the previous month and gray fuzz creeping into his tight buzz cut. The dress shirt and tie were mandatory according to Miranda’s last text, so of course Matt walked behind him wearing a tight black sweater and jeans.

“Seriously?”

“What?” Matt paused in what looked suspiciously like a model pose.

“You look like you have a hot date.”

“You found me out—I have plans after this with the delivery boy from Hannover’s.” The aforementioned youth had sent both Elizabeth and Katie swooning when he dropped off their Thanksgiving dinner earlier, all muscles and dimples and charm.

Evan went back to his reflection and flipped the tie, manipulating the silver-and-blue striped material until it was a proper Winsor knot. “Classy.”

“You look like you’re going to audit these people’s books. Was that on purpose?” Matt came up behind him, pressing their bodies together as he wrapped his arms around Evan’s middle.

“It seemed more subtle than the shoulder holster.” Evan sighed as he leaned back in Matt’s comforting embrace. “Tell me everything is going to be fine, please.”

“Everything is going to be fine. They’re from Connecticut. They’ll be super polite, we’ll make insubstantial small talk and fall into a turkey coma by seven. In the morning it’s french toast, bacon, and see ya later. Many people have survived meeting the boyfriend’s parents, I swear.”

Evan smiled. “Let’s hope the boyfriend survives meeting the family.”

“Yeah, if we’re going to be honest, I’m legitimately frightened for this boy. He has no idea what he’s in for.” Matt kissed Evan’s cheek, tightening his grip on his body. “I love you. And I’ve got your back today, okay?”

A flare of warmth and love made Evan’s chest ache. He didn’t know how he was lucky enough to have this man as a part of his life. “The nicest part of that is it’s mostly not even meant in a dirty way.”

Matt rubbed against Evan’s ass in a way that
was
entirely dirty. “I said your back—your ass is totally mine.”

The knocking on the door set them both laughing as Elizabeth’s excited voice came through the wood.

“They’re here!”

M
ATT
TRIED
not to descend the stairs in a dead-man-walking fashion. Evan hurried down ahead of him, Elizabeth at his heels, everyone in a desperate rush to a) get this over with and b) satisfy their curiosity. Even Danny was interested—he had his headphones off, and he was leaning toward the door.

“Hurry up! We need to see the poor sap stuck with Miranda!” Katie whispered as she grabbed his arm and pulled him down the last few steps.

“Be nice.”

“Ugh, nice is boring. I already feel sorry for Ken.”

“Kent.”

“Whatever. By next week he’ll be some other guy, and Miranda will be calling him Ken too.”

Matt wished he had Katie’s optimism.

Evan gave him one last look of mortal terror, then opened the front door. On the step crowded four people—the ever-imperious Miranda, a slender blond boy with wire-rim glasses, and two smiling people weighed down with bags.

“Daddy,” Miranda said primly, stepping over the threshold.

Katie fake shivered next to him, and Matt gave her a glare even as he stifled a smirk.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Evan said, kissing her on the cheek. The smile he pasted on was one part hospitality and three parts “I fucking have a gun,” and when he turned it on Kent, it was Matt’s turn to shiver.

“Kent.” He extended his hand, and the boy shook it, his smile wavering.

“Sir.”

“Call me Mr. Cerelli.”

Katie full-on giggled. “Come in, please,” Evan said, already dismissing the boy and turning his attention to the couple behind him.

“Thank you so much for coming. Happy Thanksgiving,” he said. Blake and Cornelia, in their matching tan coats and big smiles, stepped into the foyer, and for a second everyone just froze in polite stasis. “I’m Evan Cerelli.” Evan launched them back into animation. “It’s good to meet you.”

“Blake Moran. My wife, Cornelia.” Blake’s voice boomed, filling the small space.

“My kids—Danny, Elizabeth, and Katie.” He gestured to each. They responded with a wave, and it got quiet again. “And that’s Matt.”

“Here, lemme get those,” Matt said finally, unable to stand still for another second. He walked a few steps forward, then reached for the myriad white-and-brown shopping bags and froze again.

Because the expressions on both Blake and Cornelia’s faces were those of confusion. A quick check to Kent’s face, and Matt saw the same.

And Miranda? Miranda looked a tiny bit worried. But smug.

Evan narrowed his eyes as he looked at his daughter. “Matt’s my partner. Or boyfriend, if that makes things a little clearer.”

Boom
. The entryway suddenly became ground zero. The resulting silence was so loud Matt’s ears were ringing.

Cornelia moved first. She handed Matt her bags, her smile less confused. “So nice to meet you. And thanks—these things are so darn heavy!”

Matt took an actual breath now that he wasn’t being strangled by assumption. “Anything have to go in the fridge?” he asked smoothly.

“Oh yes, a bunch of things—can I just follow you? Blake, give me those.” Cornelia moved in a series of quick gestures, grabbing the bags from her husband, then making a little “go on” motion to Matt with her shoulder.

“Let me take your coats” came Evan’s voice behind Matt’s back, and Matt smiled inwardly at the smooth, smug tones of his voice.

Point one Evan. No points Miranda.

A flurry of sound from the foyer filled their air as the kids descended on Miranda and Kent. Matt said a quick nondenominational prayer for the skinny kid with the glasses—if he wasn’t smart, quick, and witty, Katie was going to eat him for a snack—and proceeded into the kitchen with a chatty Cornelia on his heels.

“And the traffic wasn’t bad, but I am always so nervous about getting places on time. Blake! The overnight bags are in the trunk!”

Matt put everything on the counter.

“You’re so sweet to host us and allow us to spend the night. Houseguests can be so tiresome.”

He watched her remove her coat, revealing a rust-colored sweater dress on a better-than-average figure. Her stylish blonde bob and spangled bracelets reminded him of something one of the interior designers Bennett employed would wear, and said
money, class, and an eye for style
. But the babbling brook of words said
nervous
.

“We actually haven’t had houseguests before, so you’re going to have a fill out a card when you leave, let us know how we did,” he said, effortlessly charming as he started unpacking the bags.

Cornelia tittered. “I’m sure it’ll be divine. Our friends Roger and Adam, they own a B and B in Ithaca. We’re up there all the time. I’m sure you’ll rival their efforts.”

Matt was impressed with the way she worked “we like gay people” into the compliment. His opinion of her was firmly on solid ground. “Don’t know about that. Your hosts for this weekend are a cop, a security consultant, and three teenagers. May God have mercy on your soul.”

Halfway into a bag of wine and cheese she was laying out on the counter, Cornelia stopped to flash him a confused look. “Oh, so that’s what you do.” Her tone was strange.

“Uh, yeah.” Matt paused, hands resting on the counter. “Did Miranda tell you guys anything about us?”

Cornelia sagged a little. “No, not really. Kent is crazy about her, and he’s not really been serious about a girl before, so we were a little startled….”

“And you came to check out her and the family?” Matt smiled sympathetically.

“Yes. No offense, but he’s our only child, and we’re a bit protective.”

“Understood. Don’t worry about it.” He went back to unloading the bag, casting a quick glance at the labels. This was a pricey spread, little jars and bottles of fancy things he might find at a dinner with Bennett and Daisy. “We feel the same way.”

A clatter of sound made them both look up. Blake and Evan were passing through, each carrying a small suitcase. Kent—officially locked in a deer-in-headlights expression—followed behind with two bags.

Evan’s face was tight, so Matt did his best to shoot him a loving smile. It worked at least a little bit.

“Wine and cheese when you get back down?” he asked, dry and fancy at the same time.

Evan looked heavenward. “Sounds delightful.”

Matt laughed. “We have some other people coming,” Matt said, half in the fridge and half out, after the party went upstairs. “Friends of ours.”

“Oh, how nice. Another gay couple?”

It sounded so weird the way she said it—no judgment, just… eagerness.

“Uh, no. Evan’s partner and her boyfriend.” Did they know other gay couples? There was Griffin and James, but they were on the West Coast. And a few people from the LGBT “Goal” group at the NYPD, but no one they really socialized with on a regular basis.

“More policemen!” The strange tone was back. It suddenly occurred to Matt that maybe
cop
bothered her more than
gay
.

Well, that was going to make things interesting.

They settled down as a group in the living room, with plates of cheese, meats, and bread, and two bottles of wine. The kids perched closest to the food, clutching their sodas, though Katie cast a few longing glances at the wine.

The narrowing of Evan’s eyes stopped that pretty quickly.

“So how long have you two been together?” Cornelia asked just as Matt was attempting to eat a cracker heaped with salami. He tried not to choke.

“Uh… four and a half years,” Evan provided while Matt chewed.

“So the kids are….”

“Mine. My wife passed away almost six years ago.” Evan’s voice was cool as he regarded Cornelia over the rim of his glass. Matt chewed faster, and Katie got a grateful nod when she handed him his drink.

Cornelia blinked. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said carefully. It was clear she wanted to ask more but didn’t know how to say “Then how did you end up with a dude?” for which Matt was eternally grateful.

Kent and Miranda were sitting to Matt’s left, and he watched as Kent moved uncomfortably in his seat. Miranda had a tight hold on his arm, but the tension between them was obvious. Any pleasure at Miranda’s plans backfiring on her now became sympathy—this kid had no clue what he was walking into, and it was probably tough to know his girlfriend had done it on purpose.

“So a nursery—interesting. What sort of stuff do you sell?” Matt asked, loud and diverting. “Like flowers and bushes?”

Blake leaped into the discussion of his business with both feet and embraced the change of topic enthusiastically. In the next thirty minutes, Matt learned everything he ever wanted to about the business of selling flora and what sort of trees would thrive in their front yard.

“I would be glad to draw you up a detailed plan,” Blake said before gulping down half of his wine.

“That would be so nice, thank you.” Evan glanced at his watch. “Maybe we should start getting things ready for dinner. Helena and Shane should be here soon.” Matt started to get up, but Evan raised his hand. “Miranda, why don’t you come help me?”

No one in the room could mistake that request for an actual question. Miranda unclenched Kent’s arm and stood up reluctantly, scuffing her feet on the rug as she followed Evan’s ramrod-straight back out of the room.

Matt exchanged a look with Katie, then turned back to Blake and Cornelia. “So lilac bushes for the walkway….”