Chance of the Heart (25 page)

Bradley looked around the room at all the smiling faces. This wasn’t his first family dinner with the Beckets since being accepted as one of the family, but even almost two years later, he still found himself in awe. He never thought he’d have anything like this.

It’d been awkward at times and trying for sure. The few months before he and Chance found themselves a little fixer upper across town from the ranch, his parents had made things strange. Especially with Chance’s mama still thinking it was appropriate to walk in the loft any time she pleased.

But they’d gotten through it. And their little fixer upper was almost a home. And the restaurant was a restaurant now. That’s what had brought them together tonight.

After tears and times when money had to be stretched tight to stay on budget, they’d managed to survive the first fiscal year at
Red River
. Chance’s family had been ecstatic that even if he wouldn’t go on to run the ranch in the end, he’d keep the Red River alive somehow. The ranch was being divided among grandchildren. Something Bradley did not want to even think about yet.

Chance’s brother hooted, drawing Bradley’s attention to the trays of food Chance and Heather were hauling out of the kitchen. Chance’s parents’ house was big, but with all the people who’d shown up tonight Bradley wondered at where they’d all sit. The weather had turned record cold so the dinner had been moved from outside, though they’d planned a bonfire for afterwards. No Texas get-together was complete without.

“Bradley honey, why don’t you help your friend Emma. She looks confused,” Chance’s mother said, trying to hide a grin behind a wine glass as she pointed to Emma, who had Keith’s toddlers crawling on her.

That’s pretty much how the entire night went. Chaos. But it was beautiful chaos with a family Bradley felt blessed to have. His dad hadn’t come around, but they’d lost very few people other than the Reverend and Caitlin—who Bradley wasn’t afraid to say didn’t hurt his feelings to have seen the back of, even if it had been a civil parting of the ways—when they were officially out as a couple. It wasn’t all roses but they were happy and they had good people around them.

“You’ve got that goofy look on your face,” Chance said, wrapping his arms around Bradley from behind. Okay, so it probably did sound way more perfect than it had been when Bradley thought about it in his head. But Chance, he made it all seem so good. When they weren’t butting heads. Like may attract like but like also felt similar to two magnets propelling each other some days.

“Glad I could wipe the smile off your face,” Chance said, chuckling.

“What can I say? You keep me insane.”

“Glad to hear it,” Chance said. Squeezing a little before he stepped back from Bradley. “That joke was lame the first time you used it. I thought you said you’d bury it forever.”

“As soon as you bury those ugly lime green boots you got.”

“Hey—” Chance started, but his dad cut him off, thankfully.

“Alright everyone,” Chance’s dad said, the attention of the room turning his way. “Before we head out for the bonfire, we wanted to congratulate Chance and Bradley on their first successful year of the business.

It wasn’t easy but these boys have proven they’re up to all kinds of challenges. So here’s to our boys.”

Everyone raised a beer. Bradley felt full to bursting. There with his man and his new, hard won family. And the business was doing good. Successful was a stretch, as they were just barely in the black. But for a first year, it hadn’t been a bad gamble so far.

“And know,” Heather said. “That any day y’all have a little announcement, we’ll be receptive.”

“Hint, hint!” David said over the corny “Ooohhh” of the others in the room. It made Chance’s dad and a couple other men obviously uncomfortable but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Chance stiffened beside Bradley and they looked at each other, their smiles knowing. They’d actually just decided to take a trip up to Iowa in a couple months.

“Shut up!” Heather said. “You asked him!” She was looking at Bradley.

All eyes turned their way expectantly. When Chance nodded yes, the room fell silent. Again, a few people seemed uncomfortable with the news.

“Bout time Chance made somebody honest,” Keith said, smugly.

“Fucker!” Chance said. The room erupted into chaos. Again. Seemed that’d been the way of it since Bradley met Chance and the way it’d always be.

That didn’t matter, though. He’d always come back.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

              Kade Boehme is a southern boy without the charm, but all the sass. Currently residing in New York City, he lives off of ramen noodles and too much booze.

              He is the epitomy of dorkdom, only watching TV when Rachel Maddow or one of his sports teams is on. (That’d be Orioles, Seahawks, Ravens, or Gators.) Most of his free time is spent dancing, arguing politics or with his nose in a book.

              It was after writing a short story about boys who loved each other for a less than reputable adult website that he found his true calling, and hopefully a bit more class.

              He hopes to write about all the romance that he personally finds himself allergic to but that others can fall in love with. He maintains that life is real and the stories should be, as well.

Kade loves to hear from readers. You can e-mail him at
[email protected]
or:

Website:
http://kadeboehme.com
Blog:
http://kaderade.blogspot.com
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/kade.adam
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http://twitter.com/kaderadenurface
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MORE TITLES BY KADE

Novellas
Wide Awake*

You Can Still See the Stars in Seattle
(Wide Awake #2)

A Little Complicated

Wood, Screws, & Nails
with Piper Vaughn

Novels
Don't Trust the Cut*

Gangster Country*
Trouble & the Wallflower*
Teaching Professor Grayson
with Allison Cassatta
*
We Found Love
with Allison Cassatta*

*available in paperback