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Grant hums his approval. “A vacation with you? I’m a sure thing. You could say you’re taking me to San Jose and I’d say yes.”

I pull a face. “Please. Give me more credit than that. I have the hottest BF evah. I am not taking him to San Jose for a getaway.”

Grant wiggles an eyebrow. “Oh, so I’m Hawaii-worthy, am I?”

“Five-star-resort-in-Kauai-worthy,” I say, grabbing my phone to google one of the hotels I found. “I looked this up when I got on the plane yesterday. Before I got the news of what happened to you. We can go for a week,” I say, showing him the resort with ocean views and private villas and our own pool if we want.

“Damn, you travel in style,” he says with an approving whistle.

Honestly, I’m a little giddy that he’s so keen to go. “I’ve been wanting to travel with you for some time,” I tell him, feeling like I’m letting him in on a secret.

“That so?”

“I want to get away with you. Chill with you on the beach in the sun, go for a swim, get room service, screw in the morning, screw when the sun sets, screw at night.”

“Sign me up to be your travel companion. You just named my three favorite things.”

I laugh, then head down this road a little further. “Maybe over Christmas we can go to Tokyo, with Mom and Tyler. Meet my stepbrother and his wife and daughter. You and I can check out the sights, eat sushi.”

“I’ve never been there,” Grant says.

“Let me take you.” Travel feels like something special I can do just for him. Something no one else can—show him the world with me.

Grant smacks a kiss on my cheek. “You can take me anywhere. I’m easy like that. I just want to be with you,” he says. “Tell me when the flight is, and I’ll be ready for my mixed nuts on the plane.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I grab my laptop and turn on a film.

We don’t watch the movie for long. We take a nap in our bed in the sun, and that feels just right too.

I’m much less pleased to wake up to my phone ringing.

And it’s not one of my favorite people calling.

21

Declan

I haven’t heard from my father in a few weeks and I’ve only seen him once since I returned to San Francisco two months ago. We grabbed a bite at his favorite diner and talked about the towing business for the entirety of a strangely drama-free meal. Grant was out of town, so he hasn’t met my father yet.

I leave the bedroom, shutting the door quietly as I go so Grant can keep sleeping.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Declan! How the hell are you? But more importantly, how the hell is your boyfriend?”

“He’s doing fine,” I say, padding down the steps to the first floor.

“That was a helluva beaning,” my dad says.

“It sure was.”

“I saw the replays on the news. Messaged you this morning,” he says. “Hadn’t heard back, though, so I was worried.”

“I was busy taking care of Grant, so I couldn’t reply right away.” I am not taking the bait of his veiled guilt trip.

“That’s nice. Always good to have someone to look out for you. Just don’t forget your old man,” he says, a little joking, a lot not.

“What can I do for you?” I ask, walking into the kitchen to pour a glass of iced tea—a reminder of how different I am than the man who raised me.

“That was it. Just wanted to check in on your boyfriend. But I also wanted to let you know I took what you said to heart last time we talked.”

My brow knits as I lift the glass. “When I saw you for breakfast in June?”

“No. I meant when you said you weren’t going to loan me money,” he says.

I remember the call perfectly, including my words to him.

If you’re going to ask me for money to pay off a loan, a gambling debt, or to save your business, the answer is no. If you’re going to ask me to pay for you to go to rehab, the answer is yes.

“Sure,” I say tentatively, taking a drink.

“And the good news is that’s why you haven’t seen me much.”

Could he speak any more in code? “Because you’re in rehab?” I ask, with so much hope it’s embarrassing.

Dad chuckles. “No. I’m in AA. Like I told you. And dating Tricia. She’s helping me get my act together.” Tricia is a newcomer to the sobriety program. My dad’s been seeing her despite the fact that dating someone else in the program is a no-no. “And I’ve been working my ass off to repay my own loans. So there!”

He says it a little like a dig but also like he’s proud of himself. I choose to focus on the latter. “Good to hear.”


Tags: Lauren Blakely Men of Summer M-M Romance