Dreams and Expectations Page 9

  Nick, however, beamed. “I know.” He turned his attention to his dad and grew serious and concerned. “Dad, I—”

  “No, Nick, stop.” Braden gathered his son in his arms and hugged him tight. “I was wrong. You were right. I’m sorry if I made you feel pressured.” Nick felt Braden stiffen against him. Then he added in a discomfited tone, “No, I know I made you feel pressured by my expectations. Sorry.”

  Nick smiled against his dad’s shoulder. Leona had clearly glared at Braden the way only a woman and wife could. “It’s okay, Dad. You need to know that… I’m gonna be okay.” He had faith in himself and hoped his parents would too.

  Braden embraced him tighter. “I know, Son. I do, I promise.”

  A knock came from the door, and Leona hurried to answer.

  Pulling out of the hug, Braden locked gazes with Nick. “I haven’t said this before, but your comic? It’s absolutely stunning. The stories of our people, of gay people, universal themes—I loved it. Thank you for making it.” Then he smiled behind Nick at Tom. “And thank you for showing me how awesomely talented my son is.”

  “Glad to be of help.” Tom inched closer and took Nick’s hand in his, his touch warm and dry and perfect. Nick smiled so wide he worried his face would split apart.

  But then Tom glanced past Nick, and his face fell, as did his hand. “Dad….”

  Shocked and nervous, Nick whirled around. Charles McAllister walked in by Leona’s side, his expression inscrutable. What did he want? Nick’s imagination conjured the terrible likelihood of Tom being dragged away from him screaming, and he shuddered.

  Charles nodded at Nick’s dad. “Braden.”

  Despite his obvious apprehension, Braden shook hands with him. “Charles.” Judging by his tone, he was as confused to see the man as Nick was. “How are you?”

  Nick grimaced. Small talk? Oh God no.

  Charles replied with a signature smile—which was nothing more than a tiny lift of a single corner of his lips. Tom had told Nick about it, though he’d never seen it personally. So was that a good sign?

  “Fine, fine.” Charles regarded his son, who’d gone rigid. “Since our families may be combined someday, I figured we all best sit down and have a talk about where things are going from here.”

  Nick and Tom exchanged confused glances. Huh?

  Leona gestured to the dining room table, which was already set for dinner. They’d planned on discussing Nick’s artwork and the boys’ college plans over supper. “Of course. The more the merrier. We’re about to eat. You are welcome to join us, Mr. McAllister.”

  “Please, call me Charles.” The blond man actually smiled then, both corners of his mouth lifting, and he magnanimously waved for Leona to go first. Tom seemed about ready to keel over or hyperventilate or something.

  Grandma Corwin set another plate, glass, and utensils on the table and beckoned everyone to take their seats. Nick and Tom sat side by side. Tom radiated nervousness, and Nick, freaked out himself, wondered how the situation would unfold. Disaster could lay ahead.

  “I hope you like smoked salmon and salal berries,” Grandma contributed with a kind tone.

  Charles bowed his head slightly. “I do, thank you.”

  Wide-eyed, Tom cast a perplexed look at Nick, who’d also never heard Tom’s dad being so congenial and polite. Tom mouthed, “What the fuck is going on?” and Nick had a hard time holding in his frantic laughter, but he managed to stifle it and hide behind a cough.

  As they ate their meals, Nick and Tom observed with silent bafflement as Leona, Braden, and Charles talked about their children as if they weren’t there. Leona showed Charles Nick’s art, a secret smile of pride on her lips, while Braden sat straighter, an admiring gaze flicking between the notebook and his son. Nick blushed and slid farther down in his seat.

  “I can’t believe you managed to sneak in a metaphor about the Coyote with the Wren, the Goose, and the Willow—and without all that needless slaying.” Braden’s voice cracked with awe, and Nick could have sworn he saw his dad swipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

  “I’ve got plans for the Kingfisher and the Snake Monster next,” Nick admitted shyly.

  “This is impressive,” Charles said as well, nodding as he perused the images. He raised his gaze at Leona. “It’s great that you’re encouraging this gift.” Then he cast a surprisingly warm look at his son. “I was hoping, and I may not have a right to ask, that you’d consider mentoring my son as he goes off to college. He’s going to be a scientist, you see.”

  Leona and Braden burst into congratulations, eager questions, and sound advice. Nick had to suppress a smile at Tom’s pinked cheeks and slightly panicked gaze as he too slid down in his chair. It seemed they both would have preferred to vanish and not to be the centers of attention.

  Nick listened intently as Tom answered their queries. “Eastern religions mostly. … Maybe philosophy and ethics too. … Contrasting Buddhism and Christianity? Huh, maybe. … Sure, Native American religions too, I guess. … History? I don’t know. Is that, like, linked? … Zoroastrianism? Never heard of that one. Is that even a word?”

  By then Nick had to physically muffle his giggles with a hand over his mouth.

  Finally Nick’s and Tom’s parents let the boys off the hook. In enthusiastic tones, they did continue to chat about their kids. They didn’t stop even after most of the food had been eaten, the drinks consumed, and the table all but cleared by Grandma Corwin.

  Leaning in slightly, Tom whispered to Nick out of the corner of his mouth, “You think they’ll notice if we bail out?”

  Nick chuckled behind his hand. “They’re really engrossed, so probably not. Should we just go for it?”

  Nick started when Grandma’s warm palm landed on his to catch his attention. “Go on, you two. I’ll cover for you.” She winked at them conspiratorially.

  “Thanks, Grandma.” Nick kissed Grandma’s cheek quickly as he squirmed out of his seat. With a cautious retreat into the shadows of the room, Nick and Tom made their hurried escape. Not until they got upstairs did they stop. There they leaned against the wall, laughing their asses off. “God, I feel like a master sneak now.”

  Tom crowded Nick’s personal space and pinned him against the wall. “I feel like a master boyfriend, baby.”

  Nick rolled his eyes but rested his hands on Tom’s hips, pulling him flush against his body. “I’m gonna have to insist you prove that… sweetie.”

  They cracked up simultaneously, chortling into each other’s necks.

  “No more endearments, okay?” Nick urged, wiping tears of joy from his eyes.

  Tom played dumb. “I don’t know. They’re starting to grow on me.”

  They kissed leisurely, savoring the intimate touch and each other.

  As usual, Tom soon had strands of Nick’s long dark hair wrapped around his fingers, the familiar tug warming Nick’s heart. They were best friends, but now they were also lovers and partners. He couldn’t quite believe this monumental change had taken place in the span of a mere two days. It had to be true that time waited for no man.

  “Let’s go to bed,” Tom whispered as he hovered over Nick’s lips.

  Nick gasped at the audacious suggestion and giggled. “It’s barely past six, you doofus, and our parents are right downstairs. You want another coitus interruptus?” Surprisingly, he’d learned the term from a gay porn flick, not an online dictionary.

  Tom seemed to consider this, his eyes narrowing. Then he grinned evilly. “I’ve got an idea.”

  Nick was all ears.

  That same evening, right after sunset at six thirty, Nick and Tom jumped into the freezing waters of Lake Pend Oreille as naked as the day they were born—and spent the next week in bed with colds. But at least they were together.

  More from Susan Laine

  A Before… and After Story

  Romance novels always end with a happy ever after. Right?

  Evan and Adam are best friends, but they don’t know everything a
bout each other. For one thing, Adam doesn’t know Evan writes and publishes gay romance novels until he discovers one while snooping on Evan’s laptop.

  This revelation changes their relationship in ways neither could’ve imagined. Adam’s reaction to reading Evan’s stories is not what he expected, nor is the new way he’s looking at his lifelong pal. After all, Adam is straight, or so he’s always thought, and that is what Evan believes about Adam as well.

  When Evan admits he might be bisexual, Adam suggests he try dating girls to find out for sure, but when Evan follows his advice, Adam is caught off guard by his feelings of jealousy. And when the date proves Evan isn’t bisexual, but gay, Evan’s request that Adam find him a guy might be the last straw.

  How can Adam admit he wants that guy to be him? His epiphany will either end their relationship—or change it into something wonderful in their very own friends-to-lovers romance.

  A Before… and After Story

  A kiss is just a kiss. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Does it?

  At seventeen, Merry’s never been kissed. Since he doesn’t want to disappoint his prom date, he asks his more experienced best friend, Boone, for some pointers. Surprisingly, Boone agrees to give him a hands-on lesson.

  But they have no idea what they’re getting into.

  They explore hundreds of ways to make out, but somehow it isn’t enough. A week later, they’re back together for another session. This time things go further than either of them planned, and their relationship becomes awkward and uncomfortable.

  Have they learned enough to salvage their friendship and help it evolve? Their lessons have come to an end. They can either part ways forever… or share a true love’s kiss.

  A Before… and After Story

  It was only a game. Wasn’t it?

  At a party one night, Charlie Dean’s childhood friend Will Tucker accepts a dare and dresses up as a girl: clothes, hair, makeup. Seeing Will that way incites a riot of confused emotions in Charlie—and he responds by lashing out. He never meant to hurt Will, and now he must do some serious damage control.

  During a school trip by train, Charlie and Will share a sleeper cabin. Charlie intends to mend fences, while Will figures it’s as good a time as any to broach the subjects of attraction and sexuality. They want to get their relationship back on track. But after the secrets they both reveal, their friendship can never be the same.

  To prove to his annoying older brother that he’s a man, well-to-do sculptor Rupert Pemberton tries to repair his broken toilet. But he has no knack for practical tools and no know-how. After a flood of biblical proportions, he has no choice but to call for help.

  A gorgeous hunk of a plumber named Paul Cooper shows up at Rupert’s doorstep with a ready toolbox and a sexy smile. With Paul at his side, Rupert realizes he wants more than a quick fix. After a couple of cozy dates and a few bouts of steamy sex, Rupert wonders how he can keep Paul around for good.

  Sam, a geeky college freshman, has bigger problems than lusting after Marcus, sexy jock, college junior, and his big brother’s best friend. Chasing after a beanie caught in the winter wind turns into a tumble down the rabbit hole for them both—science fiction style.

  Sam and Marcus find themselves trapped on a tropical island in the middle of a strange ocean on an alien moon. The sole structure is a ruined temple devoted to the art of love. Flustered, confused, and unable to return home, they need to figure out a means of escape from a hostile jungle teeming with dangerous life-forms.

  In this tale where opposites attract and secret crushes are revealed, two very dissimilar young men discover they actually have a lot in common after all, but it will take their differences as much as their points of connection to survive on an island in the stars.

  SUSAN LAINE, an award-winning, multipublished author of LGBTQ erotic romance and a Finnish native, was raised by the best mother in the world, who told her daughter that she could be whatever she wanted to be. The spark for serious writing and publishing kindled when Susan discovered the gay erotic romance genre. Her book Monsters Under the Bed, won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Paranormal Romance.

  Though she was trained as an anthropologist, Susan’s long-term plan is to become a full-time writer. Susan enjoys hanging out with her sister, two nieces, mother, and friends in movie theaters, bookstores, and parks. Her favorite pastimes include pop music, action flicks, and doing the dishes while pondering the meaning of life; a few of her dislikes are sweating hot summer days, tobacco smoke, and purposeful prejudice.

  Website: www.susan-laine-author.fi

  Email: susan.laine@hotmail.com

  Newsletter: http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/home/?u=e35b161ef419

  de2a024b5de9c&id=c5cc358074

  By Susan Laine

  Falling for Rain

  Flushed

  Haunted Heart

  An Island in the Stars

  Sage Advice

  Sauna Lover

  The Sensualist & the Untouched

  The Witching Hour

  BEFORE… AND AFTER

  After the Romance Novel

  Kissing Lessons

  Train to Somewhere

  Dreams and Expectations

  HEROES AT HEART

  Yellowbelly Hero

  Yellow Streak

  Code Yellow

  Good as Gold

  ISLESHIRE CHRONICLES

  Lofty Dreams of Earthbound Men

  Wishing Wings

  LIFTING THE VEIL

  The Wolfing Way

  Genie’s Wish

  Hunter’s Moon

  Monsters Under the Bed

  Love of the Wild

  Stealing Dragon’s Heart

  SECOND CHANCES

  Accidental Chemistry

  Twice by Chance

  SENSES AND SENSATIONS

  Love in Plain Sight

  A Luminous Touch

  Sensible Commitments

  Sounds of Love

  The Sweetest Scent

  THE WHEEL MYSTERIES

  Sparks & Drops

  Devil’s Own

  Fireworks & Wild Cards

  The Disciple

  The Wheel Mysteries: Books 1 & 2 (Print Anthology)

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dreams and Expectations

  © 2017 Susan Laine.

  Cover Art

  © 2017 AngstyG.

  http://www.angstyg.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63533-994-9

  Published December 2017

  v. 1.0

  Printed in the United States of America

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