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“Look at you all sticking up for your man.” Sue squeezed Harley’s shoulder, a big sister move I knew well. Turning toward me, she added, “We’re always like this, honey. Trust me, we’re super fond of Harley too.”
“Speak for yourself,” Dale grunted, and the whole table erupted in laughter.
“Shut your trap, old man, or I’ll make you order chicken and salad,” Sue threatened, pointing at Dale’s menu. “You know you love your brother. Tell Ambrose our teasing comes from love.”
He nodded. “That and being ornery.”
I had to laugh again. “I find it fun.”
“See?” Sue gestured widely. “He likes us. Bring him around again.”
And that was that. I supposed I was an honorary Burton for the night as they plied me with the best brisket I’d ever had west of the Rockies, a sweet potato larger than Hercules, and Mississippi Mud Pie so tall and sweet that I was in a serious food coma by the time we finished.
“How much farther are you going to push tonight?” Dale asked Harley as we settled up and packed away the leftovers. The tweens finally looked up from their devices as everyone stood up. “You know you’re welcome to stay with us.”
“Or us.” Paula linked arms with Denny, who carried their stack of white to-go containers.
“Bit farther. A couple of hours,” Harley hedged. We’d purposefully not booked ahead yet, wanting to see how far we could get to cut down on the next day’s drive to the cabin. I wouldn’t turn down staying with Harley’s family if that was what he wanted, so I stayed quiet to see if his siblings managed to convince him to stay over.
But Dale snorted and Denny winked. “Our guest room isn’t soundproof. Bet y’all are looking for more privacy.”
“Uh-huh.” Dale ribbed Harley, who blushed deeper than I’d seen from him.
“Yep. Someone’s getting lucky,” Denny said in a singsong voice.
“Stop. Both of you,” Sue ordered. But the damage was done, and I had a feeling sex was now the last thing on Harley’s agenda. That feeling only intensified with how quiet Harley was in the car. It was my turn to drive, and I took my time getting back on the highway, taking the longer way through town to catch up with the highway.
“Are you all right?” I asked at a red light. Harley was petting Hercules with the sort of absent anxiety I thought was my calling card, not his. “I thought that didn’t go too badly.”
“It went fine.” He gave a clipped nod. “That’s the problem.”
“I don’t understand.” There was no traffic behind me, so I took an extra second to give his hand a squeeze.
“They didn’t care what gender you were. Was a complete non-issue for them. Dale and Denny were gonna rib me the same as always, no matter what.”
“Ah,” I said, beginning to see. Harley had evidently built-up a set of expectations around coming out, and now that he had and it had gone well, he was struggling with some strong feelings.
“Kind of anticlimactic?” I asked as I continued on toward the highway.
“That’s one way to put it.” He stretched his legs out in front of him, making Hercules give an annoyed woof before settling back down. “It was me who had the hang-ups all along, me who thought I couldn’t be anything other than straight. But I was, and I could have been open a long time before now. A lot of missed years.”
“Yes, but you’re here now, and the past is all part of your journey.” We were still the only car around, so I stopped for a moment to make eye contact and quickly rub his neck. “All your experiences went into making you uniquely you.”
His mouth twisted. “You sound like Bishop.”
“I did write the character.” I laughed because I understood that his grumpiness had little to do with me specifically.
“You did.” He put a hand over mine before I could put the car in drive again. “Thanks for being there today.”
“Always.” I maybe should have gone for the triter “anytime” reply, but I meant it. I’d be there for Harley as long as he let me.
And I’d be there even without sex. The long drive plus his siblings’ teasing seemed to have killed the mood, and when we finally reached our stopping point and found a passably clean major chain motel, I didn’t have much expectation beyond collapsing face-first in bed. Preferably with Harley next to me, but for the first time all trip, there were two beds, so we didn’t technically have to share.
But I wanted, so I was slow setting my stuff down and getting Hercules settled, trying to see what Harley was going to do. However, he didn’t seem in any hurry to choose a bed, instead setting his bag near the tiny desk.
“I’m willing to commit a felony for a shower.” He rolled his neck and stretched each arm individually. He didn’t invite me for said shower, so I wandered over to the large TV and picked up the remote.
