alieicanlivewith by Eden Winters Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Eden Winters
finger, Otis dragged his attention away from his snow-covered lover and back to Barry. "Well, if you're sure." Otis knew Barry's, "I'm sure," to be a bold-faced lie, having told that particular falsehood himself far too often. But he also knew Barry would want him to be happy.
Fist squeezing his heart at the loneliness in Barry's voice, he hung up and locked up the house, trudging out to climb into Garret's BMW. The next star I see I'll wish for Barry a man, he vowed, 'cause it looks like it sure worked for me. Even so, his stomach tangled up in knots at what the next few hours might hold. What would the Mims say? What would they think?
A Lie I Can Live With - 48
"Um… What do your parents think of you being gay?" he asked, somewhat too late since they were only a few hours away.
Garret snickered. "They have absolutely no problem with it, I assure you. Oh, and I think I should warn you that you'll be meeting both sets of parents this trip."
Otis gasped and his heart attempted to claw its way out of his chest. "Both sets? Your parents divorced?"
Otis' mom and dad would soon celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary, and while he knew people divorced, he found it odd that they'd all get together for the holidays.
Garret took one hand off the steering wheel to pat Otis' knee. "Trust me, they're all gonna love you, and you're gonna love them. And…" he added with a grin,
"they're gonna love the pies you're bringing."
"I sure hope so." He clutched Garret's hand, unable to let go of his fears. His own parents, as loving and understanding as they'd been, had gone through a brief cold period when Otis came out. With Garret having two full sets of parents, at least one of them was bound to have some objections, right?
He'd worked himself to near-hyperventilation by the time he arrived at the Mims' household. "This is Mother's house. My father lives one block over, close enough that I sorta grew up at both houses."
They strolled up a neatly kept drive, the display of pumpkins and scarecrows reminding Otis of his grandparents' house. Only, his grandparents lived in a brick townhouse, while the Mims' residence was a rambling wooden structure on the edge of a small town.
Hand held tight in Garret's, he was soon
overwhelmed with dozens of uncles, aunts, and cousins.
In no time various family members were amounting to A Lie I Can Live With - 49
so many he quit counting.... Finally, they found Garret's parents, sitting together in the living room.
"Hey, everybody, I want you to meet Otis." Four beaming smiles matched Garret's.
Otis looked from one smiling face to the next, trying to figure out who was who. Oddly, the two men sat together on the couch, the two women on the loveseat.
Wow! The couples really had remained friendly after their divorce! Garret stepped in to help sort everyone out. "Otis, I'd like you to meet Mother." An elegant lady in a pinstriped pantsuit held out a well-manicure hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Otis. I've heard so much about you."
"Y…yo… you have?" Otis stammered.
"Oh yes!" She winked at him, her blue eyes identical to Garret's.
"I'm Garret's father," a deep voice sounded behind him.
Whirling around and automatically extending a hand, Otis came face to face with a perfect representation of what Garret would probably look like in thirty years, and it wasn't a bad prospect. A strong grip squeezed Otis' hand.
Wow! They seemed genuinely thrilled, not at all what Otis had expected.
The other couple stood and crowded in. Otis shot a questioning gaze at Garret, who answered, "That's Mom," he nodded at a short brunette, hair lightly dusted with gray. Rather plain looking, she didn't come close to the beauty of Garret's mother. Then Garret stepped back, giving Otis a better look at the man who'd been sitting next to his father. "And this is Dad." A big bear of a man approached, dwarfing the "I've got a great bod at sixty"
Mr. Mims.
A Lie I Can Live With - 50
He shook hands with them each
Fist squeezing his heart at the loneliness in Barry's voice, he hung up and locked up the house, trudging out to climb into Garret's BMW. The next star I see I'll wish for Barry a man, he vowed, 'cause it looks like it sure worked for me. Even so, his stomach tangled up in knots at what the next few hours might hold. What would the Mims say? What would they think?
A Lie I Can Live With - 48
"Um… What do your parents think of you being gay?" he asked, somewhat too late since they were only a few hours away.
Garret snickered. "They have absolutely no problem with it, I assure you. Oh, and I think I should warn you that you'll be meeting both sets of parents this trip."
Otis gasped and his heart attempted to claw its way out of his chest. "Both sets? Your parents divorced?"
Otis' mom and dad would soon celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary, and while he knew people divorced, he found it odd that they'd all get together for the holidays.
Garret took one hand off the steering wheel to pat Otis' knee. "Trust me, they're all gonna love you, and you're gonna love them. And…" he added with a grin,
"they're gonna love the pies you're bringing."
"I sure hope so." He clutched Garret's hand, unable to let go of his fears. His own parents, as loving and understanding as they'd been, had gone through a brief cold period when Otis came out. With Garret having two full sets of parents, at least one of them was bound to have some objections, right?
He'd worked himself to near-hyperventilation by the time he arrived at the Mims' household. "This is Mother's house. My father lives one block over, close enough that I sorta grew up at both houses."
They strolled up a neatly kept drive, the display of pumpkins and scarecrows reminding Otis of his grandparents' house. Only, his grandparents lived in a brick townhouse, while the Mims' residence was a rambling wooden structure on the edge of a small town.
Hand held tight in Garret's, he was soon
overwhelmed with dozens of uncles, aunts, and cousins.
In no time various family members were amounting to A Lie I Can Live With - 49
so many he quit counting.... Finally, they found Garret's parents, sitting together in the living room.
"Hey, everybody, I want you to meet Otis." Four beaming smiles matched Garret's.
Otis looked from one smiling face to the next, trying to figure out who was who. Oddly, the two men sat together on the couch, the two women on the loveseat.
Wow! The couples really had remained friendly after their divorce! Garret stepped in to help sort everyone out. "Otis, I'd like you to meet Mother." An elegant lady in a pinstriped pantsuit held out a well-manicure hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Otis. I've heard so much about you."
"Y…yo… you have?" Otis stammered.
"Oh yes!" She winked at him, her blue eyes identical to Garret's.
"I'm Garret's father," a deep voice sounded behind him.
Whirling around and automatically extending a hand, Otis came face to face with a perfect representation of what Garret would probably look like in thirty years, and it wasn't a bad prospect. A strong grip squeezed Otis' hand.
Wow! They seemed genuinely thrilled, not at all what Otis had expected.
The other couple stood and crowded in. Otis shot a questioning gaze at Garret, who answered, "That's Mom," he nodded at a short brunette, hair lightly dusted with gray. Rather plain looking, she didn't come close to the beauty of Garret's mother. Then Garret stepped back, giving Otis a better look at the man who'd been sitting next to his father. "And this is Dad." A big bear of a man approached, dwarfing the "I've got a great bod at sixty"
Mr. Mims.
A Lie I Can Live With - 50
He shook hands with them each
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