Page 40 of The True-Blue Romance

Lee’s cheeks turn ruddy and his eyes skirt away. “I’ve never been on a date.”

“Never?” There’s no way that’s true.

Lee shrugs. “Never had much time. And it felt wrong to even try, considering I could never love them as much as I love you.”

Oh. I pull Lee toward me until I can slide my mouth against his in another too-tender kiss. My heart has never felt so off-beat. But when his hands tangle in the back of my shirt, urging me closer until he tips back onto the couch with me over him, everything slots effortlessly into place. All these years it’s been Lee that I was waiting for without even realizing it. I’ve kissed a lot of people in my life, but no kiss even slightly compares to the press of Lee’s chapped lips against mine.

“Can I stay tonight?” I whisper against Lee’s addictive mouth.

“I’ve never told you no to that question before. Why would I start now?” Lee slides his hands up my back again, but this time under my shirt, and I can’t hold back my shiver from his touch. He sighs happily and tilts his head back, looking at me under hooded eyes. “I still feel like I’m dreaming.”

“I’ll be here when you wake up, then.”

“You’re kind of a romantic,” Lee says curiously, and I have to hold back from puffing out my chest. I’m going to romance the shit out of him, because if anyone deserves romance, it’s Andrew Bradley. My Andrew, my Drew, my Lee. My everything.

“Only for you,” I declare, then swoop down to kiss him some more. We burn the rest of the afternoon away with kisses that make me gasp and feel warm with desire, but we don’t come again. Just kiss and share words that never seemed possible. Lee’s happy smile is worth every moment.

The storm fades just before sunset. Dark purples and magentas fill the sky outside beyond the tree line of Lee’s backyard. Lee doesn’t have much food in his fridge, but that’ll change soon. I’ll keep him well fed now, if he’ll let me. I toss together a haphazard pasta with butter and onions, knowing Lee will gobble it up. I carry the bowls out onto the back veranda, and Lee follows me with two beers. The table and chairs are still wet with rain, so we sit our asses down on the slightly dryer steps that lead to the backyard, each of us cradling a bowl of pasta in our hands.

The goats bleat for attention, but Lee just keeps eating like he hasn’t eaten in years.

“What was Trevor talking to you about?” Lee asks, a hint of wonder to his voice.

Ah. I’ve come to realize that Trevor is actually a little maniacal.

“He told me he had a friend he wanted to set you up with,” I admit around a mouthful of pasta.

Lee looks over at me, aghast. “What?”

“I think he was full of shit.” I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand as I scrutinize Lee’s worried reaction. “He said he had an older friend who made good money and wanted to settle down with a good guy. A real wine-and-dine type of guy. Asked me if I’d have a problem with you having less time for me. Made me fucking insane, especially since he knew how I felt.”

Lee freezes with his beer to his lips. “What?” he asks again.

“Well, after that dinner where you basically said you didn’t want to see me anymore, I ended up at Trevor and Beau’s. I had a little… breakdown of sorts.”

“Breakdown,” Lee repeats.

“Yeah.” I knock my shoulder into his in hopes of getting him to eat again. I smile when Lee takes a big bite of the delicious buttery pasta. “Trevor was playing chess with us, I think. I wonder if Beau has known all this time.”

“He’s known.” Lee drops that casual bomb before setting down his empty bowl and then grabbing his beer. He leans back on his elbows and takes a large sip of his beer. “He’s known for a while.”

“Say what?”

“He’s known since high school, probably.”

“You told him?”

Lee shakes his head profusely. “No, but Beau knows what I feel before I can even think it sometimes.”

“You never felt anything for him?” I ask, because I’ve always been fucking curious. I mean, Beau is so… Beau. He’s kind and bigger than life and full of so much love that sometimes it feels like you’re being smothered even in his silence.

Lee looks over at me like I’ve lost my mind. “He’s basically my brother. We’ve known each other our entire lives. No, I’ve never felt anything for anyone except for you.” Lee takes a deep breath and tilts his head back like he so often does, as if he’s trying to absorb the final rays of sunshine from the day. “It’s always just been you, Joey. Always you.”

I wish I could tell him the same. I wish I had realized sooner, but I don’t think I ever would’ve realized had Savannah not come along. Watching Lee love my daughter like his own, him basically being a second father to Savannah for years, is what finally made me fall in love with him.

“Today’s Saturday… Can I plan a date soon? Then Savannah and I will come over midweek to have dinner here. Okay?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Lee asks with one eyebrow raised.