“Actually, that would be great.”
Clay’s broad shoulders slumped some, as if he’d been worried Cort would turn him down, and his own smile returned. He led the way around the patio to a set of French doors. Stepping inside, he caught sight of a large kitchen with a marble-topped island in the center and red-brick accents along the walls. A large table sat in what looked to be a breakfast area just in front of it.
The house was beautiful without feeling overly ostentatious. It was warm and cozy. The windows were open, carrying in a breeze filled with the scent of fresh-cut grass. There was a hint of coffee in the air and something sweet. Maybe cinnamon. This place definitely had the feel of being a home.
To his left, the floor plan opened up into a family room area with two large, comfortable couches in front of an entertainment center setup. Four sets of eyes watched him enter, but he only recognized Dane. When Clay had said family, this was not exactly what he’d expected. The four men all looked to be about Grey’s age, though not one of them actually resembled the man in any way. He’d mentioned his friends were his family, but did he not have anyone related to him by blood? It didn’t matter so long as they cared for him.
Dane was the first to jump to his feet, his smile wide but his eyes worried. “Hey Cort,” he greeted, his hand extended. “How’d it go?”
Cort shook his hand again, trying not to think too much about how relaxing it was to just be around the sweet man. “Good for a first day. We’ve still got a long way to go, but it was a good first day.”
“Should I go get Grey? Would it be best if he were here for this?” Dane offered, already taking a step toward the door he’d just come through.
“No, that’s okay. He was pretty tired after our session and was going to lie down for a nap.”
Clay stepped forward, motioning to the other three men who were now on their feet. A stocky redhead with an easy grin stuck his hand out, and Cort automatically took it.
“Baer Manning, and this is my mate, Wiley Stuart,” he introduced.
“Mate?” Cort asked before he could catch himself.
“Er…partner, I mean.”
The smaller man with blond hair smirked and reached his hand around Baer while wrapping his other arm around Baer’s waist. “Boyfriend. Cute, adorable boyfriend, he means. It’s good to meet you.”
“Yep, that’s exactly what I meant,” Baer said. He placed his arm around Wiley’s shoulders, pulling him in close.
So…two gay couples living in the big house. Very interesting and kind of just wonderful.
“Good to meet you,” Cort replied when he could pull his scattered thoughts together. He turned to the last man standing next to Dane. He was an incredibly tall Black man who somehow managed to be impeccably dressed in a pair of casual slacks and a polo shirt. His head was shaved bald and his smile was warm, but there was a wariness to his copper-brown eyes.
“Lucien Cummings,” he introduced in a low, cultured voice. Definitely not from around here, without the usual southern accent.
“Cort Newton, a pleasure.”
“Please sit,” Clay instructed, motioning to the one chair positioned between the two facing sofas. He then moved around to sit beside Dane, his hand resting on his husband’s back.
Cort sat and tried not to squirm as all those eyes focused on him. “Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.”
“No, thank you. We want to help Grey any way we can,” Wiley quickly chimed in.
“Being the supportive family that you are helps him more than he’s probably able to say right now. Especially when he’s feeling frustrated and lost. That’s a big plus in his column that a lot of people don’t have.” They nodded, but the tension and worry didn’t leave the room. “Do you mind if I ask a few questions? There isn’t a lot in his chart at the moment, and it could help me working with him if you fill in a few gaps.”
It was strange the way they all hesitated, looking at one another, before Clay finally nodded. “We can try.”
“I understand the loss of eyesight was sudden and complete, starting one week ago. Trauma-induced. He’s never had vision problems?”
Dane shook his head. “No, none.”
“Well, he did wear eyeglasses occasionally,” Baer threw out.
“But that was only for eye strain,” Wiley corrected.
“And Grey told me that this is temporary. Is that what the doctor is saying?” Cort asked hesitantly.
Another long silence. “The doctor isn’t sure. He hasn’t ruled it out completely,” Clay finally offered up.
Cort nodded. They didn’t want to give up hope, and Cort certainly didn’t want to take that from them, but it was also his job to make sure that Grey had the necessary skills to manage on a day-to-day basis.