“No, I’d fucking kick anyone’s ass who said so,” Connor spat back.
“Then why aren’t ye letting yerself have as much of that right to happiness as they do? Why won’t ye fight for yerself as much as ye’d fight for yer brothers?”
Connor sat, silent and stunned. He’d die for any of his siblings, but he was especially close to Kane and Quinn. Hell, his knuckles still bore scars from being bashed into bullies’ teeth for taunting Quinn during school. His awkward, brilliant young brother deserved to smile every day. He’d just never really thought he deserved that same pleasure.
The revelation—such a small tidbit of truth—took Connor’s breath away.
“Is he gay?” Donal patted his son’s back and reached for the abandoned whiskey bottle. After taking a swig, he handed it to Connor. “Does he know you feel this way?”
“Yeah, he’s gay.” Connor took the bottle from his father when it was offered and took a mouthful, knowing he’d fit on the couch or one of the spare beds if he needed it. “And no, I haven’t told him.”
“Then I’ll tell ye what I told ye the first time ye’d come to me to tell me ye wanted to ask Amy Patterson out to a dance.” His father nodded and patted Connor’s thigh. “Be respectful, be honest, ask sweetly, and hold yer head up if he says no. But yer my son, and knowing the man ye are, Forest would be a right idiot to say no to ye, and if he’s that stupid, then he doesn’t deserve ye. So go forth and ask for him to be in yer life, Con.”
“And the family? What do I tell—”
“Ye’ll do nothing. Ye’ll say nothing or everything if ye want to. Ye don’t owe anyone—including yer kin—any explanation for where yer heart lies,” Donal informed him. “If I’d had done that, ye wouldn’t be here, boyo, because let me tell ye—if ye think yer mother’s a pain in the ass now, ye should have seen her back when I first met her. Follow yer heart, because no matter where it takes ye, the journey is worth it—especially if it’s love.”
MORE THAN an hour passed, and Jules made a show of looking at her wrist. Forest caught her at it for the third or fourth time before tapping her hand and whispering, “You don’t have a fucking watch, remember?”
“He’s late,” she sniped back. “I want to see him before I head back to my mom’s for dinner, but then I’m heading home. She’s doing the whole church thing with the priest coming over. Randy’s doing penance for being an ass to you. She got a load of avocado in, and he’s chopping it up for the fire pit. I promised I’d be home so I could rub all over his sweaty, manly body.”
“And while gay, I am still grossed out.” Forest pulled a face, then yelped when Jules kicked him in the shin. “I’ve been dripping sweat after a gig. It does not feel sexy.”
“I’ve seen you, and yeah, it’s not attractive. You look like a drowned rat—a dumbo rat named Bon Bon or something, with your ears sticking out of your hair.” She laughed at him. “Randy’s different. He glistens, and there’s sawdust on him. It’s kind of sweet. I like showering with him when he’s like that.”
“And the mental image just crumbled upon the introduction of the vagina.” This time, Forest dodged the blow, jerking his leg out of the way. “Besides, you can’t wash with that cast, right? It’s got to be all wrapped up.”
“Yeah, it sucks. Like wearing a sarcophagus on my arm.” Jules waved it about. “It’s not dead! Just resting! Seriously, he’s kind of late for ‘be over soon.’ Maybe he blew you off?”
“Nah, I think he lives up the hill or something. You know it’s a bitch to get past Ghirardelli. He wouldn’t do me like that. He’s a nice guy,” he said. “I got the feeling his family doesn’t raise shitty kids. Maybe you get one fuck-up, and then they set you out on the iceberg because you’ve shamed the clan. They’ve got enough of them. I don’t think anyone’d notice if one goes missing.”
“Anyone gay? Maybe he can hook you up? Or, you know, he could take a walk on the wild side with you.”
“Yeah, went over that. Apparently no.” Forest laughed. “Very straight, and the gay ones are either taken or broken.”
“Straight, huh?” Jules asked, picking up a fingertip of foam from her new coffee. “So then tell me, why is he standing out there looking like he’s about to ask you to the homecoming dance?”