Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
He had a good man by his side, and that made everything all the better.
Christ. Deacon loved him. He loved Grady. That made him the luckiest man alive.
He was sitting on the porch swing at the moment, needing some fresh air. Deke was inside, telling his family about Sundae’s Best, homemade ice cream, and Grady’s flavor.
The kids were still at Betsy’s, but they were supposed to come down soon. They hadn’t wanted the kids to see them fight, and Grady could understand that.
When he heard a noise behind him, he turned and saw the bushes beside the porch move. “Hello?” he said softly. There was a sigh, and then a boy walked out—his nephew Scout. He was thirteen years old now, the oldest of the kids. Cat was younger than Betsy, but she’d had Scout before Betsy had Brigid and then the twins.
Grady cocked a brow. “How long have you been down there?”
“Since you said you were coming outside, and it was the fastest place I could get to without risking being seen,” he replied, and Grady smiled.
“Were you eavesdropping?”
“Yes, sir,” Scout replied. “Dived off the porch when you came out.”
Grady chuckled, his eyes darting toward the door, which he’d closed on his way out. “I’m not really sure what I should say without your mama here.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Scout replied, then climbed over the railing and sat beside him on the swing. “I’m pissed at her anyway.”
“Cat know you talk like that?”
Scout wrung his hands together in his lap, looked down at them, and instead of answering asked, “You’re my uncle Grady?”
“Yeah.”
“And they sent you away because you’re gay?”
Shit. Grady shifted, unsure what to say.
“I know they did,” Scout said. “I heard you talking, remember?”
It was true. At least this way, Grady could talk to him about it. “They didn’t send me away. I left, but yes, because I was gay and they wanted me to…not be.” He wasn’t sure how else to put it.
The silence stretched between them, and Grady let it. Scout clearly had something on his mind he wanted to share. Grady would sit out here with him all day if he had to.
“I might be too…” Scout’s voice was so soft, so gentle, Grady almost couldn’t make out the words…but he had, and shit, he hadn’t seen that coming. Or at least hadn’t expected his nephew to tell him within five minutes of meeting him.
“It’s okay if you’re not sure, and it’s also okay if you are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. I think it makes us pretty damn special, if you ask me.”
Scout looked over at him and grinned, which told Grady he’d said the right thing. He didn’t want to overreact, but didn’t want to underreact either.
“Does anyone know?”
“Mama probably does. She hasn’t said, but I catch her watching me sometimes. And she always tells me I remind her of you…and once…once she caught me trying on one of her dresses. She asked me if there was anything I needed to tell her, but I said no. Did you ever do that?”
Oh, damn. Grady was at a loss for words. All he knew was he would do whatever he needed to protect Scout, to make sure Scout knew it was okay to be who he was. So he said, “First, is he/him/boy okay, or would you rather I use something else? It’s your choice. Whatever you want.” Not that trying on dresses meant anything, but Grady also wanted to be on the safe side. He didn’t want to mispronoun Scout.
“Yeah, I’m a boy. I read up on stuff like that, but I don’t feel like a girl or they. I just…like pretty things sometimes. Mama didn’t tell Daddy, and like I said, I didn’t tell her that I think I’m gay, but does that make me weird—liking pretty things? Have you ever done that?”
“It’s not something I’ve done myself, but there’s nothing wrong with it. Why can’t boys like pretty things? Why should a certain piece of fabric only belong to one kind of person? I’ve known plenty of boys in my life who wore dresses.”
Scout visibly relaxed, released a deep breath. “Do you think they’ll want me to change too?” he asked, making the ache in Grady’s chest grow.
“No. Not Cat. Your mama will protect you. I know that. And if something goes wrong, you’ll always have me, okay? Now that I know you and have you in my life, you’re going to be stuck with me. I will always be here for you, okay?”
Scout nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Grady…you can call me Grady,” he said, just as the door opened. Scout shot to his feet as if he’d been doing something wrong.
Cat came out, visibly started when she saw Scout there, then closed the door behind her, giving them a knowing smile.