Heart of Glass by Ari McKay

Author:Ari McKay [McKay, Ari]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-63533-583-5
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2018-03-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“I’M THIRTY-FIVE years old, and this is the first time I’ve ever been invited to meet anyone’s parents,” Asher said as Zach pulled up in front of his parents’ house.

Asher tried to keep his voice light to cover how nervous he was about meeting Zach’s family. What if they didn’t like him? He was worried if Zach’s family disliked him or disapproved of him, it might mean the end of their relationship—and Asher surprised himself by how much he didn’t want that to happen.

Zach reached over to take one of Asher’s hands in his and give it a squeeze. “You’ll be fine. They’re going to adore you,” he said. He released Asher’s hand and unfastened his seat belt. “Come on. The sooner you meet them, the sooner you can relax.”

The house was a big Victorian sided in yellow, with neat white shutters and a wide front porch. It was set well back from the road, and his parents owned several acres of land around it. Zach led him down a pretty brick pathway, and Asher could see carefully laid out flower beds, covered now with snow.

A large welcome mat—red with “Ho Ho Home” written on it—sat in front of the door, which was all but obscured by a huge evergreen wreath bedecked with ribbons and pinecones. Zach opened the door, smiled supportively at Asher again, and then ushered him inside.

As he followed Zach into the house, Asher looked around with interest. This house was far different from what he was accustomed to. It was clean and well-kept, but it didn’t have the staged, showroom look that most of Asher’s friends’ houses had. Or hell, that his own home had. His decor had been chosen by Mrs. Ted Caldwell Number Two, and Asher hadn’t bothered to redecorate since his father retired. His grandparents had bought the place and left it to his parents, and now it was his, but it still didn’t feel much like a home.

This house looked lived-in. The hardwood floors were swept clean, but they showed the wear of family feet, and the furniture looked welcoming and comfortable. Asher could even smell something baking. Cookies, maybe. He expected to see drawings on the fridge and pencil marks on a doorframe somewhere in the house to mark the kids’ growth. For the first time, Asher understood what a home was supposed to feel like.

“Zach! You’re here!”

A small meteor came sprinting from the back of the house and slammed into Zach. Laughing, Zach stooped and picked up a little boy and gave him a hug.

“Hey, bro!” Zach said, turning to face Asher. “I’m here, and I brought someone with me. Asher, this is Michael Anthony Richardson, my bratty little brother. Mikey, this is my friend Asher. He’s a lawyer, too, and a really, really good one.”

Mikey had the same brown hair and soft brown eyes Zach did. “Hello, Mr. Asher,” he said, holding out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Asher didn’t have much experience—well, any experience, really—with kids, but he followed Mikey’s lead and shook hands like he would with any other new acquaintance.

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