Julian didn’t quite know how to feel about it. “Do you know what time it starts?”
His mother gave him a once over. “Taking up exercise? You don’t want to over-do it when you first start, Julian. The last thing we need is…”
“Jacqueline.” His father’s sharp voice stilled her tongue, and he appeared a second later holding tight to Bastian’s harness. “Is there anyone else you’d like to dress down this morning, or have you gotten your fix?”
She rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to look over at her husband. “I was trying to look out for his wellbeing.”
“And practicing kindness,” he offered sarcastically.
Julian ran a hand through his hair. “It’s fine.”
“It isn’t, but we can have words later. Lord knows your mother can’t stomach another spectacle,” he said, and Julian didn’t know what he was talking about, but his mother visibly paled. “I would appreciate a ride to the shops, son. Bastian borrowed one of my wedding shoes last night.”
It was nothing short of a miracle that his mother had nothing to say about the dog since she’d never held back before. She gave Julian a sharp look, then brushed past him without another word, leaving nothing more than traces of her perfume.
“I don’t have my car,” Julian admitted, but Fredric reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to his mother’s Jag.
“We can take hers. Is she gone?”
“Yes. Do you want to tell me what happened?” Julian stood close to his dad and bumped his arm with his elbow to let him know they could head out, and he waited for Fredric to give the dog the command. “You two have been on edge since we got here.”
Fredric sighed as they made their way to the street and down toward their larger cottage two doors down from Julian’s. “It’s nothing more than usual. I’m just tired.”
Julian knew that wasn’t it. Or, at the very least, that wasn’t all of it. His father was usually more forward with him. He’d always been the more honest parent, and that had only grown as Julian got older. He didn’t want to press, but the worry lines around his father’s mouth were growing deeper.
“It’s…are you sick?”
Fredric’s hand froze as he was reaching for the handle on the car, and he turned his face toward Julian. “Is that what she told you?”
“Corinne’s been implying,” Julian answered as he opened his own door and got in. He sank into the leather seat, then adjusted it back and took the keys from his father’s hand as Bastian settled between his feet. “I didn’t want to ask. I knew she’d make a bigger deal out of it than it was, but I was worried you’d downplay.”
Fredric sighed and rubbed at his temples. “No. My health is as fine as it ever is. I’m getting older, but nothing to worry about.”
Julian started the car and was grateful the rumble of the engine was nothing more than a low purr. He still leaned a little closer to his dad as they hit the open road, and his knuckles started to ache as they gripped the wheel.
“I talked with that boyfriend of yours last night,” Fredric said, and Julian bristled at the change of conversation. “I really like him.”
“I…yeah.” Julian swallowed. “Me too.”
“I hope you’re not self-sabotaging. I know you struggle, but…”
“It’s new,” Julian told him. “I’m trying not to look too far into the future right now. We have very different lives.”
None of that was a lie, but he hated not being able to tell him the whole truth. If his dad had liked Will less, if he’d been hesitant or even slightly suspicious, he might have cracked. But his dad went a little soft around the edges every time he brought the man up, and it killed Julian to ruin that for him.
“I just want you to be happy.”
Julian licked his lips, turning his attention fully to the road. “I’m not sure that really exists. I want to believe I can at least be content, but…” He breathed out slowly and shrugged as he turned into the shopping center parking lot. “I’m not sure it’s worth the cost.”
Fredric said nothing until the car rolled to a stop. His fingers were buried in the thick fur on Bastian’s neck, and he looked tense—like he was on the edge of saying something big and important. “This is my fault.” The words came out with a soft breath after Julian turned the car off, and even though he