Chapter 8

Reece

 

 

Reece cracked open an eye, then both, rolled onto his back from his side, then winced. He was once again pleasantly sore and the reason why filled his line of sight. Reece shivered, recalling the night and early morning he’d spent with the man lying beside him in bed.

After their initial hasty fuck, they’d taken a shower together, washing quickly then fooling around slowly. When the water had run cold in the middle of Reece rimming Tate, they’d been forced to move to the bed, where Reece had played with Tate’s ass while deep-throating his cock, and finally, fucked him.

Reece had woken before dawn to Tate’s fully erect cock grazing his ass. Tate had topped Reece again, this time slowly fucking him face-to-face as the sun greeted the day.

Tate had touched and kissed every inch of his body, had left no bit of skin unexplored, before he breached Reece that last time, their lips and bodies locked together. He’d brought Reece to the edge of release only to back off and build him up again several times, so that when he’d finally been allowed to come, he was a shaking, sobbing mess.

He’d been slightly embarrassed to have come undone in Tate’s arms like that, but the man had held him close, kissing the tears from his eyes, making soothing shushing noises as he’d stroked Reece’s back and lulled him to sleep.

Boom, boom, boom.

What the fuck? Reece tensed at the sound of banging at his front door, burrowing back down in the covers, hoping whoever it was would go away. He was loath to leave the bed and end what had been a perfect night.

Boom, boom, boom.

Whoever attacked his door had other plans. Tate groaned beside him, flopping onto his stomach from his side and pulling the pillow he’d been lying on over his head.

Who the hell could be pounding on his door at… He lifted up enough to see the clock. Oh no. It couldn’t be. He blinked and looked again—11:17 a.m. He was running late. LJ’s game started in a little over an hour. His mama had agreed to drop her off around 10 a.m. He glanced over at his phone on the nightstand and noticed that the switch on the side was pushed down indicating that it was still on silent. He grabbed the phone and unlocked his screen. Shit. He had seven missed calls and a series of text messages from Darlene. 

“Fuck,” he swore under his breath as he hopped out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt hanging over his hamper as he made his way to the living room. His extended date was over. Reece pulled the bedroom door closed, hoping he wouldn’t wake Tate because he really did not want to introduce Tate to Darlene yet.

“Well, it took you long enough,” his mama scolded when he finally let her in mid pound. She marched into the apartment in a pique, LJ behind her.

“Daddy, I’m gonna be late,” his little girl yelled as she ran back to her bedroom, dropping her overnight bag in the living room.

Darlene walked past Reece into the living room, and he shut the door then followed behind her. “You didn’t answer any of my text messages last night or any of my phone calls this morning. I thought this guy had chopped you up into little pieces and tossed your remains into the Sacramento River.” She spun and faced him. “He could be a damn serial killer for all I know and you’ve got your phone turned off?” Darlene gesticulated wildly.

Reece rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish, his cheeks flushed. Thump! Bang! Reece jerked and looked around his mother down the hall toward where LJ rummaged around in her room, presumably gathering all of her football equipment.

“Actually, a hairdresser not a serial killer.” Tate’s voice floated from behind Darlene and Reece cringed. Fuck. “But definitely considered committing homicide when all the commotion out here woke me up. We were up kind of late last night—or should I say early this morning, babe?”

Tate sidled up to Reece, brushing past Darlene, who stood with her back to the hall, and kissing Reece on the cheek. Tate wore a pair of Reece’s basketball shorts and a hoodie that was only zipped halfway up his chest. He looked delicious in Reece’s clothes, all sleep-rumpled. Well, this was happening whether Reece liked it or not.

Reece wrapped an arm around Tate’s shoulders. “Mama, this is Tate Robinson.” Reece gestured toward his mother. “Tate, my mother, Darlene Evans.”

Tate stuck out his hand and graced Darlene with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Darlene. Love that color in your hair by the way. What is that? Brown and Beautiful’s Apple Butter, right? I bet you’d look good in the Summer Honey too.”

Darlene’s brows furrowed as she shook Tate’s hand, and Reece worried she was ramping up to launch into a full-scale rant, but then she grabbed the ends of her hair, looking at them. “You think so? I always thought that was too light for my complexion?”

Huh?

Tate shook his head emphatically, crossing his arms. “Oh no, you could totally get away with that. I think it would be perfect for the spring and summer. Lighten things up. Then you could go darker for the fall and winter months, do something a little more dramatic.”

Darlene opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a little ball of energy flying across the living room and into Tate’s arms. The man bent down and caught LJ.

“Mr. Tate! You’re here. Why are you wearing my dad’s clothes? Did you guys have a sleepover last night? Without me?” LJ looked seriously affronted as she glanced over at Reece.

Heat flamed over Reece as he stammered, struggling to address the little girl’s rapid-fire questions when his mother intervened.

“Daddy and Mr. Tate had a grown-up sleepover, sweetie, like how you and your friends have kid-only sleepovers? Same thing. Why don’t you make sure you have all your stuff for your game, okay?” Darlene pushed LJ back toward her bedroom. “Go ahead.”

“Okay, Nana,” LJ said before darting back to her room, already dressed out in her football pants and the shirt she wore under her pads.

“Thanks, Mama. Good save.” Reece breathed in relief.

“Mmm, hmm. I should have let you struggle.” Darlene waved him off. “Payback,” she said as she winked over at Tate who gave a little laugh.

“I’d better get going,” Tate said to Reece, giving him a little grin. “I gave all my morning appointments to the other girls because I figured I wouldn’t be in till this afternoon, but my first client of the day is at one, so I should get back downstairs.”

Reece wanted to object to Tate leaving, but they both had lives and responsibilities. Besides, today was game day which also meant that they’d meet up later so Tate could wash and braid LJ’s hair.

Reece nodded and only hesitated for a moment before pulling the man into his embrace. “Yeah, okay. We on for tonight? LJ’s hair?”

Tate pulled back, biting his lip. “Yeah, of course,” he answered before gesturing down at the clothes he was wearing.

“Don’t even worry about it,” Reece said. “You can bring them back later.”

“Mr. Tate,” LJ interjected before Tate walked out the door. “Are you sure you can’t come to my game today? Maybe the other ladies at the shop can take the rest of your appointments and you can have a day off? You’re the boss, right?”

“Yeah, you’re the boss, aren’t you?” Darlene jumped in, surprising Reece. “You should definitely join us if you can.”

“Well, thanks for the invitation, Ms. Darlene.” Tate chuckled and ran his palm over LJ’s head. “But unfortunately being the boss means I have to set a good example and show up when I say I will.”

LJ looked skeptical.

“If I want the people who work for me to show up to work and be on time for their appointments, I have to do the same, ladybug. Does that make sense?” Tate asked.

The little girl scrunched her face but nodded slowly. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Tate dropped down in front of her. “I promise I’ll come to one of your games before the season is over, okay?”

LJ wrapped her skinny arms around Tate’s neck. “Okay.”

After Tate left, it took about ten minutes for Reece to brush his teeth, splash water on his face, dress, and get LJ and his mother loaded into his car.

“You really don’t have to come, Mama,” Reece insisted for the third time in the past minute.

Darlene just sucked her teeth and clicked her seatbelt into place. “If you’re going to have my beautiful, delicate grandbaby out there running around in mud with rough little boys, then I should at least be on hand in case anything goes down.”

Reece had no idea why Darlene decided it was suddenly of the utmost importance that she understand how peewee football operated, but he didn’t have the time to argue.

“I’m not delicate, Nana Darlene,” LJ grumbled from the backseat. “Coach says I’m a bulldozer on the field. Like one of those big machines you drive that knocks stuff down.”

Reece caught LJ’s image in the rearview mirror, preening at the description. He grinned then looked over at Darlene. Her face resembled a prune.

“Lord have mercy.” She shook her head. Reece smiled, putting the car in reverse. He was proud of his little bulldozer. Then, as he looked over his shoulder to back out, urgent knocks on his driver’s side window forced him to brake.

Tate stood outside his door in fitted black jeans, a black long-sleeved Henley with a long, loose, pocketed forest green cardigan over it.

Reece rolled down his window, voice low. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but what’s up? I got about ten minutes to get to the park before warm-ups start or my little bulldozer here loses her starting position?”

Tate frowned. “Bulldozer?”

Reece started to explain, but Tate waved him off.

“You can tell me later. But I ran down to ask if the invitation was still open to attend LJ’s game?”

Reece beamed but tried to act chill. “Of course, hop in.”

Tate winked at him then climbed into the backseat with LJ who was ecstatic Mr. Tate was able to come to the game after all.

On their way to the park, Tate told them that when he’d called the shop to check in on how things were going, the receptionist had told him his one p.m. appointment had canceled, that his two p.m. appointment was running late and wasn’t sure she’d make it, and that his three o’clock had called to reschedule. One of the other women in the shop had agreed to fit in the two p.m. appointment whenever she arrived so Tate was free for several more hours.

Reece tried his best not to let his delight show, especially because his mother was giving him major side eye, but it was difficult with Tate’s playful winks and slow promising smiles in the rearview mirror.

Reece was quickly, and thankfully, distracted from focusing on how excited he was to have Tate with them when they finally arrived at the park only minutes into warm-ups. Luckily, they weren’t the only family to arrive late, so the coach didn’t give LJ too much crap when she scrambled out onto the field to join her teammates.

***

After grabbing some snacks and drinks since neither Tate nor Reece had eaten breakfast, the three of them—Reece, Tate, and Darlene—made their way into the stands. Reece didn’t know the other parents, and he mainly kept to himself because most of them were noticeably older than he was. Even so, many of their faces were familiar, so he nodded and said hello to those he recognized. Tate had led them into the stands, and instead of heading up to the top and sitting in the corner like Reece normally did, Tate sat them in the middle, surrounded by other parents.

Reece glanced around, expecting a few strange looks from the other parents most of whom were part of a couple…straight couples. But whenever he made eye contact, he received a nod or smile directed his way. Hmmm.

His attention was drawn back to Tate and his mama as the man leaned across Reece, resting a hand on his leg as he spoke with Darlene, then laughed uproariously. Reece had only been slightly worried about how his mama and Tate would mesh during the football game, despite hitting it off back at the apartment. But after the game started, the two were gabbing so much between downs that Reece eventually moved from between them to the other side of Tate so that they could talk more easily.

That was not to say that the two weren’t paying attention to the game—they were the loudest spectators in the stands when LJ took down a ball carrier. And they certainly had no issue letting the ref know what they thought about his calls against LJ.

The two kept it kid-friendly and refrained from cursing, but the ref pointedly glanced up into the stands the third time they jeered at him. Then, when LJ intercepted the ball to score her very first touchdown of the season, Reece thought his eardrums might burst from his mama’s shouts of “That’s my grandbaby!” and the chants of “LJ! LJ! LJ!” that Tate got the crowd to shout.

When halftime started, Tate and Darlene had become a hit with the other parents, learning their names and cheering when their kid made a good play too. Reece was a little in awe of how quickly the two had made a place for themselves. He’d been attending games all season, and this was the most he’d interacted with the other families.

“You make friends easily,” Reece teased Tate as they waited in line to get more nachos and hot dogs for the second half.

Tate shrugged. “I don’t really, but it’s easy to find common ground at a kid’s sporting event. We all want our kids’ team to win.” Tate winked at him.

Reece nodded. Tate’s “our kids” reference warmed his belly. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. I just, I don’t know, always feel self-conscious around the other parents. They’re like real parents.”

Tate’s incredulous look left Reece fishing for the right words.

“I mean, some of them probably have kids not that much younger than me…” Reece trailed off, starting to feel silly.

“I get it, Reece,” Tate said as they moved forward in line. “You doubt yourself and your place in the world. That’s human but”—Tate turned to Reece, putting a hand on his arm—“you’re as real a parent as any of those middle-aged folks sitting up there in the stands. Being a young parent doesn’t automatically make you a bad parent. And vice versa.” The line moved again and Tate turned from Reece before he continued. “And as far as socializing with the rest of parents up there… Give them a chance. They might surprise you, and you might surprise yourself. Don’t live up to the low expectations others have of you, babe.”

After ordering their second round of junk food for the day, they joined Darlene back in the stands. The woman chattered to Tate endlessly, but Reece was grateful Tate didn’t seem to mind indulging her.

“I still can’t get over the fact that you’re a business owner, and not even thirty yet.” Darlene shook her head. “Honey, you’ve got it all figured out, and here I am pushing fifty, still on someone else’s payroll—” The woman jumped up abruptly, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Come on, baby! Take him down.” Darlene shouted like a maniac as LJ bear-hugged a little boy on the other team and wrestled him to the ground. The kids went down pretty hard, but Darlene didn’t look too worried about her granddaughter’s safety. Reece smirked. Clearly Darlene’s pride in LJ’s athletic prowess trumped her worries about the sport not being ladylike or being too dangerous.

Tate and several other parents joined Darlene and stood. “Woohoo, LJ! Good tackle,” Tate shouted before high-fiving the parents around him, a couple of whom patted Reece on the back. Once they’d finished celebrating and the other team punted after being unable to pick up another first down, Tate addressed Darlene’s comment. 

“Look,” said Tate before sipping the iced tea and lemonade mix he’d gotten at the snack bar and setting it back down on the concrete bleacher. “Being a business owner isn’t a bed of roses. There are times I really miss just showing up to someone else’s shop and focusing on hair. Instead, I have to do hair, manage moody employees and their drama, keep the lights on, get everyone paid, and pay the taxes,” he said on a sigh before jumping to his feet again, his face marred with a frown. “Oh come on, ref. Pass interference all day! You blind out there?”

The call was so obviously wrong even Reece jumped to his feet and shouted at the ref. It was probably bad sportsmanship. It was just a kid’s game after all, but he’d be damned if his kid got cheated out of a win.

Once the ref finally revised the call after talking to the other refs on the team, they all sat back down, nodding and clapping.

“Damn, that does sound like a lot of work,” mumbled Reece in response to Tate’s previous comment. Reece hadn’t really put a lot of thought into everything that came with running your own business, and as much as he hated being beholden to someone else, he didn’t envy Tate’s workload.

Darlene snorted, a smirk on her face. “Yes, well, we all know that’s way beyond your responsibility threshold, sweetie.”

Reece’s face grew warm. He kept his gaze forward but saw Tate look at him from the corner of his eye. He prayed Darlene would shut up and not bash him in front of the guy he’d just started dating, but his internal pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Frankly, I’m shocked you’ve managed to stay on your job for this long.” The woman turned to Tate. “Ever since he was a kid, he would always start things and never finish them. Sports, books, hell, high school. Just like his daddy.”

The nachos Reece had been eating a moment ago were like sludge in his stomach. He was aware of a few different parents looking over their shoulders at his mother’s loudly spoken words. So much for being a real parent.

“Actually, I totally disagree with you, Darlene,” Tate said, dangling his drink from his hand, his arm casually resting over his crossed legs. “I don’t know what Reece was like as a kid, but he seems to have outgrown it. He finished his GED, he’s been on this job now for three years, which is longer than your typical millennial stays on a job these days, and he’s almost done with his associate’s degree.”

To anyone else, Tate’s demeanor seemed relaxed, but Reece could tell that Darlene had hit a nerve and ticked Tate off from the way his jaw ticced. Reece’s stomach fluttered at Tate’s defense. The man clearly had balls of steel to challenge Darlene.

Tate shrugged. “I mean, that seems pretty committed. I don’t know, maybe he never finished anything when he was a kid because no one expected him to. But hey, what do I know.”

Reece waited for Darlene to snap back at the dig Tate had made and tell him that he didn’t know much about Reece or parenting but nothing but silence followed. When Reece finally looked over at Darlene, the woman was studying her hands, seemingly abashed. Darlene was never anything less than absolutely confident. And even though she had embarrassed Reece in front of the guy he was dating, seeing her this way threw him off. Her lips thinned as she gazed back out at the field.

“Well, we’ll see if he finishes this associate’s degree.” Darlene sniffed, running her hands through her hair. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe I still see Reece as the knuckleheaded kid I raised. You see him as the man he is today.”

Whoa. He’d never expected Darlene to make a concession like that. Certainly not about him, and definitely not to someone she’d just met. But just like he did with his clients, Tate seemed to have made Darlene comfortable enough with him that she felt okay admitting that maybe she didn’t know her son as well as she thought.

Tate smiled at Reece, reached over, and squeezed his hand before changing the subject and asking Darlene what church she attended. A few minutes later, it was as if their tense exchange had never happened, and as the game ended, Darlene and Tate were cracking jokes and walking over to the field with their arms linked.

Reece shook his head as LJ ran over to the sidelines and hugged Tate, asking him what he thought of every play she’d made. And Tate, god bless him, had to have been paying damn close attention, because all of his answers included specifics about what his baby girl had done on the field during that down.

“You just gotta make sure you wrap up when you tackle, ladybug. Follow through, okay?” Tate said about a slippery little running back from the other team who had gotten out of LJ’s grip.

The little girl nodded, then pursed her lips. “What do you mean follow through, Mr. Tate?”

“It means to do whatever you’re doing completely, not just halfway. Does that make sense?”

She nodded slowly as they made their way to the car but then her eyes darted to the right and widened before looking the other direction quickly.

“Hey, LJ,” a little boy yelled, running over. He recognized the kid as the quarterback of the team by the number on his jersey. “Uh—um—good game today,” the kid stammered, kicking the pavement with his cleats and studying the ground.

Aww, hell. The kid had a crush on LJ.

“That was a good pick,” he continued, his pale freckled face turning pink. He looked up. “I was excited when you scored.”

“Th-th-thanks, Stefan. That was a really good pass to Lucas too. I wish I could throw like that.” Apparently, the crush was reciprocated because LJ stumbled over her words, unconsciously patting down her helmet hair, eyes big and blinking.

The boy perked up. “I could show you. My mom said I can have some of the team come over to watch movies and celebrate with pizza later today. Do you wanna come?”

LJ turned her face up to Reece in silent question. He’d never seen his daughter look so nervous but also desperate for him to be cool and say yes. He noticed both Darlene and Tate watching him, their eyebrows raised and looks of amusement on their faces.

“Umm, well, I’d have to meet your mom first, Steven,” Reece answered.

“Stefan, Dad,” LJ mumbled under her breath, looking like she’d tackle him if she could, then LJ turned to Stefan, giving the little boy an apologetic smile.

“Oh, right, Stefan. Sorry, Stefan.” Sheesh. This crap was starting earlier than he’d anticipated. He figured he wouldn’t have to deal with crushes for at least another three or four years. A tall redheaded woman in khakis and a pink button-front shirt came over from where she’d been talking to a few other parents and stuck out her hand.

“Eliza Cummings, Stefan’s mom.”

Reece shook her hand, observing that her smile looked genuine and open. Definitely not what he’d expected.

“Nice to meet you finally. I’d noticed you at games before but was never able to catch up with you afterward.”

Yeah, because he’d always booked it right after LJ ran off the field.

“Anyway, it’s nice to finally be able to introduce myself. If you’re comfortable, we’d love to have LJ over later this evening, around six or so. You’re welcome to stay too. I know as a parent you can never be too cautious. Some of the other parents hang out when we have play dates for the kids after games from time to time.” She stepped a little closer and leaned in. “And to be honest, Stefan has been pretty bummed that LJ hasn’t been able to come over. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but they seem to be quite—” She tilted her head from side to side as though searching for the right words.

“Into each other,” Reece filled in on a sigh, arms crossed.

Eliza snapped her fingers. “Exactly. Anyway, you’re welcome to come.”

She smiled, waiting for his answer and both kids looked up at him with hopeful expressions. The insecure, self-conscious part of him wanted to say thanks for the invite but no thanks, but he thought about Tate’s earlier words. He looked over at the man who inclined his head in encouragement, giving Reece the push he needed.

“Thanks for the invite. I’d love to bring LJ over, get to meet some of the other parents and your husband.” Reece had noticed the huge rock on her finger.

Eliza met his eyes, a question in them as she said, “My wife, Natalia, actually.”

Reece’s eyes widened in surprise, but the tension in his shoulders loosened and his smile became less forced at the news that Eliza had a wife.

“Can’t wait to meet her,” he answered, actually meaning what he said. LJ grabbed his hand. “Is there anything I should bring?”

“Maybe something sweet if you don’t mind? No one has volunteered to bring dessert yet.”

Perfect. He had just picked up ingredients to make some sweet potato cupcakes with marshmallow cinnamon frosting and smoky maple bacon bits. He’d perfected the recipe last fall around Thanksgiving and had started to crave them once the weather turned.

“Not a problem,” he answered before exchanging numbers with Eliza and waving goodbye. And then he noticed that other families and kids were also waving goodbye to him, Tate, Darlene, and LJ.

This was what it must have felt like to have been in those families he’d always envied growing up. Those supportive, normal families where parents and siblings might bicker, but at the end of the day, they believed in each other and had each other’s backs.

And despite the fact that it was pretty obvious he and Tate were an item by the way they’d sat super close on the bleachers, brushing shoulders and occasionally grabbing hands, none of the other parents had distanced themselves. Some of them even called out that they hoped to see Tate and Darlene at more games. Reece got behind the wheel of the car, thinking he liked this feeling. Liked feeling a part of something. A community of other parents…a family. Looking at the smiling man beside him, his daughter and his mother in the backseat beaming, he thought he could definitely get used to this.