person. Neither was Laura, if it came to that. And it was a miracle he’d gotten Nate out of bed so early. Joel had definitely not passed his early bird gene on to his kids.
Nate bit back a smile. “You got enough eggs? Because I can’t see Mom making breakfast before they left.”
Joel laughed. “Forget that. I’ll take us all out for breakfast. And I know the perfect place.” He inclined his head toward the futon. “But you might want to unmake your bed before they get here.”
“Good thinking.” Nate lowered his gaze to his cup. “Can I at least finish my coffee first? I’m not even awake yet.” He grinned. “I’m really in bed. What you see is a hologram.”
“How do you cope when you have early classes?”
That grin didn’t fade. “Get notes from my friends.”
Joel shook his head. “You drink, I’ll clean up.” They’d gone to bed without clearing away the dishes. He got on with the task, while Nate sat at the table and drank. There wasn’t that much to do, but Joel wanted the place to be spotless before Carrie and Laura walked in.
“Dad? Can I ask you something?”
Joel smiled. “You mean you still have questions?” They’d talked until late, but he’d gone to his bed feeling as though they’d cleared the air.
“Something I forgot to ask last night. Do my grandparents know? That you’re gay, I mean.” Nate bit his lip. “Still sounds weird to say it.”
Joel came to a dead stop and gazed at him. “I haven’t changed,” he said quietly. “I’m still Dad.”
Nate sighed. “I know. Just takes a little getting used to, that’s all.” His eyes met Joel’s. “But it’s okay, really. I can deal with having a gay dad.”
Joel’s heart was lighter than it had been the previous night.
“To answer your question, I haven’t told them. They don’t need to know. When I told them your mom and I were getting a divorce, they weren’t happy. They told me I hadn’t tried hard enough to make it work, that I was giving up too easily… Imagine how they’d react if they knew the truth.”
Nate nodded. “Then I won’t say a word when we visit next time.”
Joel couldn’t help himself. He walked over to Nate’s chair and kissed the top of his head. “Love you.”
Nate gazed up at him. “I still have questions, but I’ll wait till Mom and Laura get here. That way, you don’t have to say everything twice.” When Joel gave him an inquiring glance, Nate smiled. “Nothing heavy. I figure Laura will have the same questions.” His eyes glittered. “Who am I kidding? Laura will have tons more questions.” They both chuckled at that.
By the time Carrie pulled onto the driveway behind Nate’s car, the house was spotless. Laura was the first through the door, and Bramble was dancing around her before Carrie had closed the screen. Then Laura launched herself into Joel’s arms.
“Hey, Dad. Do you have any idea what time Mom dragged me out of bed this morning so we could get here this early?”
He laughed as he hugged her. “Hey, munchkin.” Carrie leaned in and he kissed her cheek. “Help yourself to coffee. You could probably use some. I made fresh.”
“You are a lifesaver. I’ve been running on fumes.” Carrie made a beeline for the coffeepot, but came to a halt when she saw Nate. She folded her arms, the coffee apparently forgotten. “And as for you, young man…”
Nate held up his hands. “Mom, I’m sorry, okay? I had to talk to Dad on my own.”
Carrie’s gaze went from Nate to Joel.
“We’re good,” Joel told her.
She expelled a breath. “Okay.” She narrowed her gaze. “You’re still in trouble for lying to me.”
“He’s a little too old to be grounded,” Joel observed. “And we did a lot of talking.”
Laura walked into the kitchen. “Why isn’t Finn here?”
Joel frowned. “Why should he be?”
She blinked. “Isn’t he your boyfriend?”
Three pairs of eyes bulged. Joel’s mouth fell open and he gaped at Carrie. “Did you—?”
“Not a word,” she replied vehemently.
Laura rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Dad. I might be fifteen, but I’m not stupid.”
“But… how did you know?” Joel demanded.
She shrugged. “I pretty much figured it out on my own.”
“And he is your boyfriend, right?” Nate commented. “Well, based on what I saw.”
Joel supposed he’d have come to the same conclusion if he’d caught his dad making out with a guy.
Nate frowned at his sister. “But how did you work it all out?”
Another impressive eye-roll. “Nate, you’ve been