Something About Fireworks Read online

  ***

  The drive to Ollie’s parents’ place is expected to take just under two hours. We could easily make it to Cheyenne and back in less than a day, but Ollie really wants to spend as much of the weekend with his mom and dad as possible. It is his dad’s sixtieth birthday after all.

  I top off the gas tank of Russ’ truck—I borrowed it to tow the flatbed trailer Ollie rented in order to take the Chevy up to his dad—and double check the car and the cover secured over it before hopping back in the driver’s seat. Camden sits in the back, headphones on and eyes glued to his tablet. Ollie’s in the passenger seat, laptop open, already typing away on his latest novel he’s been writing when not working. Apparently, it’s a shifter romance about a fox and a dragon.

  I plan to read it when he’s done.

  Ollie leans toward me and I press my lips to his, unable to stop the smile from forming on my lips.

  We arrive around ten a.m., turning down a long dirt driveway, approaching the little gray and white farmhouse. The homes here are spread out quite a bit, each one on at least an acre or two of land I would guess, but without much in the way of trees, it’s easy to see just how far, or close the neighbors are, depending on how you choose to see it.

  I park the truck and trailer in front of the house in the dirt just off the concrete pad. Ollie zips his laptop into its case and sets it on the bench seat between us, looking at me.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  “I am. Are you?”

  Ollie nods, and I hop out of the truck, circling around to his side. I open both his and Camden’s doors.

  Camden hops out and takes off running toward the house. “Nana! Papa!”

  Ollie’s gaze follows Camden and seconds later, I see a hint of worry in his eyes. He sucks both lips into his mouth as his eyes dart up to me. “I’m not sure how they’re going to, um, handle…”

  “It’ll be fine, Ollie.” I clasp his hand. “I promise. Now, come on.”

  Tugging his hand, I step back and allow him space to climb out. We approach the house and his parents together, side by side, close but not touching. I give Ollie a sideways glance, sensing the nervousness behind his small smile.

  “Did you make cookies, Nana?” Camden asks.

  “I did,” Ollie’s mom says. She almost seems to be ignoring my presence, focusing on her grandson. Ollie’s dad, however, continues to scrutinize me, his brows drawn together and eyes narrowed. I can’t quite get a read on him.

  “Can I have some, Dad?”

  “Only two for now.”

  “Okay.” Camden heads inside, tablet and headphones barely secure in his arm, headphone cord dangling.

  “So, Mom, Dad, this is Grayson Wolfe, my partner. Gray, my mom Lucy and my dad Leo.”

  “Please, call me Gray. It’s nice to meet you both.” I feel Ollie’s eyes on me as I shake Leo’s hand, then Lucy’s. They both seem more curious than anything, which I take to be a good thing, but his dad is still assessing.

  “It’s nice to meet you also, Gray. Ollie’s told us a little about you,” Lucy says. “Why don’t we all go inside?”

  Lucy leads and Leo brings up the rear as I follow Ollie and his mom inside. There’s an awkwardness that surrounds all of us, and it reminds me of when I first brought Jason home to meet my parents. Now, I find myself on the other side.

  “Can I get you something to drink, Gray?” Lucy asks. “Coffee? Tea?”

  “Coffee would be great. Thanks.”

  “I’ll help you, Mom.”

  “Thanks, hon.”

  Ollie goes with his mom to the kitchen. I follow Leo to the living room.

  “Have a seat, Gray,” Leo says, taking one of the arm chairs flanking the sofa.

  I intentionally settle in the middle of the sofa, leaving Ollie no choice but to sit beside me, and thus eliminating any additional awkwardness when he comes to find a seat.

  “So, what do you do?” Leo asks.

  “I guess you might say I’m a mechanic. I own my own shop. Wolfe Motors.”

  “Ah. Spent some time working on trucks and farm equipment myself back in my twenties. Of course, that was back when you could actually do the work yourself. Now a days, you need a computer and a technician to work on anything anymore.”

  “Yeah, that’s no fun. I prefer to stick with pre-1980.”

  “Really?” Leo perks up. “Got any favorites?”

  “Well, I’m working on my dad’s old ’65 Mustang Fastback in between jobs, but I think my favorite is still my first car—’72 Roadrunner. It was a junker, but my dad helped me fix her up. I learned a lot from him. That’s where my love of old cars started. Always hoped one day, I’d have a son or daughter with the same passion that I could pass it on to.”

  I can’t help but smile. I love my job, and I love talking about cars, but I really love the idea that I might have a family to share it with one day. The possibility actually exists once again.

  Leo tilts his head to one side and is about to say something when Camden steps between us. In each hand, he holds a napkin with two chocolate chip cookies. “Here, Papa.”

  “Thank you, Camden.”

  “You’re welcome.” Camden spins in my direction. “I brought you some too, Gray.”

  “Thanks, bud.” I smile and ruffle his hair. “You know how much I love chocolate chip.”

  The grin on his face widens. “Yep. Nana makes them every time we come to visit.”

  Camden disappears for a few seconds then reappears right next to me, tablet and headphones in hand. He sinks into the corner of the couch and begins the process of ignoring us as he so often does.

  Ollie and Lucy finally join us. Ollie hands me a mug of coffee and sits beside me with a cup of hot tea. Lucy gives her husband his coffee and sits in the other armchair, sipping a hot drink of her own, but I can’t tell what it is.

  “So, do you both work together?” Lucy asks, her voice sweet and innocent. She looks at her son. “You said Gray’s your partner.”

  “Oh, uh.” Ollie bites his lip.

  “Partner is what some men call their significant other,” I answer for him.

  “Oh, like a boyfriend.” A rosy blush tints her cheeks.

  “Yeah.” I glance at Ollie for confirmation this is okay. “Like a boyfriend.”

  Ollie gives me a grateful smile.

  I casually reach for his hand resting on his thigh and clasp his fingers, trusting he won’t pull away, and he doesn’t.

  “So, what’s on the trailer?” Leo asks, snapping my and Ollie’s attention from each other.

  “Oh, just a little something I picked up,” Ollie says, trying not to smile too much. “Found an old car I thought you might like.”

  I glance over at Lucy. She has the same look as Ollie. Something tells me she already knows what it is.

  “Just a little something, huh?” Leo arches a brow and looks at me. “Did he pick me out a good one?”

  I toss my head from side to side, as if considering. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Can we take a look at it now?”

  I look at Ollie, my eyebrows raised.

  “Yeah, sure,” Ollie answers.

  The four of us head out to the driveway, leaving Camden to play on his tablet. Ollie and I climb up on the flatbed, me taking position by the front bumper and Ollie at the rear. Lucy hooks her arm around Leo’s elbow, doing her best to stay patient.

  “Ok, Dad. I hope you like it.” Ollie nods to me, and together, we pull the cover up and off to the other side.

  Leo stands frozen, his jaw dropped. Stunned silence follows for a few seconds. “It looks just like my grandfather’s.”

  Ollie and I prep the trailer and after a few minutes, the car is on the ground. Leo walks around the vehicle, admiring it much the same way Ollie had the other day when I first showed it to him fully restored.

  Leo looks back at his wife. “Did you know about this?”

  “I may have.” Her lips purse and twist into a knowing smile.

&n
bsp; “So, what do you think, Dad?”

  I open the driver’s side door and gesture toward Leo. “Why don’t you have a seat and check out the inside?”

  Leo slides into the driver seat, carefully knocking the dirt from his shoes before putting his feet inside. I close the door as Ollie climbs in the other side. Leo rolls the window down and I lean on the edge. Leo examines every little detail, lost in the wonder and excitement the Chevy brings him, and he’s yet to learn the best part.

  “A 1950 Chevy Club Coupe. Wow. It’s even the same color as my grandfather’s.” Leo goes on, rubbing his hands over the steering wheel. “I remember as a kid riding in his, going into town. Sometimes grandma would go with us, and she’d get her hair done while grandpa took me for ice cream. I can’t get over how similar this one is.”

  Ollie catches my eye, and I give him a nod. “That’s because this is his car, Dad.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is great-great grandpa’s car. The one he owned. The very same one you rode in as a kid. I tracked it down and found it before I left California. It had been sitting in some guy’s garage in Nevada for years, broken down and rusting. I bought it from the guy and Gray did the entire restoration himself.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Completely.”

  Leo goes quiet. His eyes shimmer a little.

  “So, what do you think, Leo?”

  “I think I’m still in shock.” Leo chuckles. “How’s she run?”

  “Beautifully.”

  “Well, hop in. Let’s take her for a drive.” Leo climbs out. “I’ll be right back. Just gonna grab my wallet. Lucy, want to come?”

  “No, you three go ahead. Besides, Camden’s still inside.”

  I head for the passenger side as Leo runs back in the house. He emerges a few moments later, makes a beeline for his wife, and pecks her lips. “Back soon. Love you,” I hear him say.

  The drive is full of sights I haven’t seen before. Leo takes us into downtown Cheyenne, pointing out particular locations. Each point of interest comes with a fond memory that Leo proudly shares. The smile touching his eyes is enough for me to understand just how much this gift really means to him, and I can’t help but be grateful that I get to be a part of this.

  When we arrive back at the house, Lucy has sandwiches ready. We sit on the back patio, enjoying the perfect weather and fresh air. Leo grills me about the car, and I give him all the details. By the time lunch is over, I’m pretty certain that if Leo had any initial reservations about Ollie and me dating, they’re gone now.

  The evening ends with an amazing meal of jerk chicken and cheesy potato casserole followed by triple chocolate cake and vanilla bean ice cream. Genuine smiles and laughter and stories about Ollie as a kid spill far into the night.

  I glance at Ollie, pressing my lips into a smile. Ollie’s eyes twinkle, his return smile tired but loving. As Leo helps Lucy clear the table, Ollie and I find Camden crashed on the sofa. I scoop him up easily and follow Ollie to Camden’s very own guest room.

  We say goodnight to his parents as we pass in the hallway, and a little awkwardness returns as Ollie and I duck into his bedroom. Knowing your son is gay is one thing, but seeing him with someone shed’s an entirely new light on what it really means. But it’s okay, because I get the sense that when all’s said and done, Ollie’s parents just want him to be happy. And making him happy is something I intend to do for a very long time.

  ***

  The morning sun lights up the room, waking me. I blink and roll sideways, finding the bed beside me empty. I throw on my jeans and a soft T-shirt. After a quick stop in the bathroom, I head out to the kitchen. Ollie is there, wearing only his pajama pants, steeping his tea.

  I pad up behind him, the tile cool under my bare feet, and wrap my arms around him, burying my face in the crook of his neck and breathing him in. His sleep-mussed hair tickles my ear as I plant a tender kiss to his skin. Ollie leans back into me, and I close my eyes, enjoying this blissful moment of quiet, just the two of us.

  I hear the faintest of footsteps behind me but pretend that I don’t. I’m relaxed and still a little sleepy, not to mention how utterly wonderful I always feel when I hold him. The world around us just falls away, and I want nothing more than to keep this man in my arms forever.

  “I love you,” I whisper against Ollie’s ear.

  “I love you too.” He keeps his voice to a soft whisper like mine.

  Chapter 12

  Ollie

  “Your father’s quite taken with Gray.”

  My thumb rubbing the ceramic handle, I glance up from my cup of tea and look at my mom as we sit at the kitchen table alone. Gray insisted I enjoy my last bit of time with my parents and went to pack the truck. My dad ended up joining him. It’s nice to see them already developing a bond—something I didn’t realize was missing from his life until now.

  My dad and I have always been so different. We never had a deep father-son connection. My interests aligned to those of my mom’s. He never had much of a bond with Audrey either. They’d gotten along wonderfully, but not to the extent I already see between my father and Gray.

  “I’ve never seen him like this before, Ollie,” she adds, her eyes studying me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but your father always felt like he’d failed you. That he’d lost you somewhere along the way.”

  I start. “What? Why?”

  “You had nothing in common, and he never could figure out how to connect with you. Not the way you and I did.”

  “I don’t understand. Dad’s always been there for me.”

  “Of course he was, honey. He always will be, because he loves you, and he wants you to be happy.”

  “He never said anything.”

  “And he never will. He’ll never admit to feeling as though he missed out on something with you.”

  I look toward the living room window, the curtains pulled open, and catch a glimpse of Gray and my dad in the driveway checking out the engine of the coupe. There truly is a bond forming between them.

  “I’ve never seen you like this before either,” Mom says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re in love.” My mom shakes her head, regret shadowing the small smile playing on her lips. “I should have known Audrey was never right for you. I see it now and, honey, I’m so sorry if I pushed you. But if that man out there is the one responsible for the look on your face, then I’d say he’s earned a place in this family.”

  My eyes water a little, and I blink. I honestly didn’t think my mom or dad would so openly or quickly accept Gray as my significant other. With time, yes, because I knew my parents, but within a weekend is far from expected.

  “Have you told him about Audrey?”

  I nod. “Purely by accident, before he’d even asked me on date.”

  The front door opens, and my dad and Gray walk in, chatting and laughing together. I watch them, my eyes mostly fixed on Gray, as they come into the kitchen. Gray beelines it straight to me, catching my gaze, and the grin on his face morphs into one more adoring.

  It’s crazy how just his smile makes me feel.

  Gray puts a hand on the back of my chair and bends, pressing a brief, tender kiss to my lips. “Ready to head home soon?”

  “Yeah. It’s getting late. You seen Camden?”

  “I have not. I’ll check his room.”

  Gray disappears down the hallway.

  “You gotta a great guy there, Ollie,” my dad says.

  “Yeah, I do.” My grin is ear to ear. I really do.

  ***

  I hold my cell phone up to the camera on the laptop, showing off the picture I snapped the other day of Gray building Legos with Camden. It’s been over a month since Audrey and I last talked, and she only had a few minutes last time, so I gave all the phone time to Camden. I’ve sent her emails, letting her know I was dating someone that I really liked, but that’s about it. I wanted to wait to tell her about Gray when we coul
d talk. Really talk.

  “Oh, Ollie, he’s so handsome,” Audrey says. “That’s a sweet picture.”

  “Camden loves him.”

  “So do you.”

  “Everyone keeps saying that. Is it that obvious?”

  “Sweetie, I’ve known you almost our entire lives. I can hear it in your voice.”

  “I still love you, you know.”

  “Of course you do.” Her lips twist into a smirk. “So, tell me more about him. How’d you meet? Where was your first kiss? What’s he like in bed?”

  “Uh.” My face heats, why I don’t know. My best friend knows practically every intimate detail of my life. Except my fantasies. Only one person knows those and I plan on it staying that way.

  “Oh my God, I didn’t even think about it. He’s your first. Have you actually had sex with him yet? God, with a body like his, I bet he’s amazing.”

  “Audrey!” I snap in a hushed voice. It’s after midnight, and both Gray and Camden are asleep as I sit here in Gray’s living room talking with Audrey. At least, I hope they’re both still asleep. “Someone could hear.”

  “Just tell me, is he good?” She leans in closer to the mic on her laptop, he face filling the screen, and whispers. “Does he fuck your brains out or make love?”

  I scrub my hand over my face and look around the room, worried more that Camden might overhear than Gray.

  “Well?”

  “Both,” I rasp. “Now, moving on.”

  “Oh no. My best friend’s finally in love and I need details. How’d you guys meet?”

  “He’s my boss’s brother. I told you he restored the car for Dad. Well, my boss, aka his sister, referred me to him and didn’t tell me anything else other than he would do an amazing job on the car.”

  “First date?”

  “Fourth of July party at his sister’s.”

  “I’m sensing a trend here.”

  “Zoe, my boss, invited me and Camden over, and he was there. That’s when I found out they were related.”

  “Wait, so you weren’t on a date with him when you arrived?”

  I shake my head. “Apparently she always invites her friends from work and their families over.”