He was fully aware that he hadn’t let Gavin answer his first question, but that was Mason. Or it always had been. If something needed to be done, he made sure to do it. He put work first, and everything else second. It’s why he and Isaac had worked so well together. He only hoped Gavin would be able to deal with it as well.

***

Gavin kept his eyes on Mason all night. There was a tenseness in his shoulders that Gavin hadn’t seen there before. His smiled forced, and his gait heavy.

Which should be expected. His father had a stroke. That was enough to stress anyone out. But it didn’t stop there. Gavin wasn’t sure what else weighed so heavily on his lover, but he had no doubt there was something.

And he wanted to fix it.

Wanted it gone.

It was the first time he wanted something like that for another man, the first time he wanted to fix whatever was broken because Gavin felt the overwhelming need to take care of what was his. He’d never really let something be his before, other than his career. He felt that way about Mason.

Gavin waited until they closed the bar down. He hung out while Mason took care of orders and paperwork and whatever he could find to keep himself busy.

Finally, Gavin pushed his way into Mason’s office. The man sat behind his desk; his eyes jerked up when Gavin walked in.

“Hey. I’m just about done here. If you need to go—”

“You know I don’t need to go.” He squeezed between Mason and the desk. Pushed his paperwork and laptop out of the way, and sat on the desk. Mason grinned up at him and Gavin shook his head. He wasn’t going to let his lover do that. He wasn’t going to let him distract Gavin with sex the way he had the other night.

“So, what do we do from here, boss? What’s going on that I need to know about?”

Mason’s right brow quirked up. “How do you know there’s something you need to know about?”

Gavin shrugged. “Maybe I’ve spent so much time with my dick in your ass that I’m actually getting to know you? Either that or it’s the talking that’s doing it. Still not sure which. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

For the first time tonight, the smile on Mason’s face looked real. “Funny man, all of a sudden, aren’t you?”

Gavin ran his hand through Mason’s hair. Gripped it and gave it a slight tug. “Tell me, Mase.”

Mason sighed and then dropped his forehead onto Gavin’s knee. Gavin still had a hand in his hair, only now he used his thumb to rub the back of Mason’s head. One deep breath later, Mason sat up. “He could have died. He could have fucking died, and it would have happened with me being an asshole because, what? They raised me? Accepted me and gave me everything when they didn’t have to?”

“No. Fuck that.” Gavin wouldn’t let him blame himself. Not that he didn’t want Mason and his family to mend their relationship, but he wouldn’t deal with Mason being angry at himself, either. “Don’t trivialize your feelings. You were hurt. We all get that way. They raised you, but they lied to you as well. Loving someone doesn’t mean you’re perfect. They weren’t, and you weren’t, either. Don’t use that as an excuse.”

Mason studied Gavin for a long time before he nodded. “Fair enough. That doesn’t change the fact that he could have died. I left a lot on their plate when I came to Blackcreek. I never told them I didn’t want the business. Then one day I just said I needed a break and wanted to try and see what I could do with a bar. It wasn’t fair to them. They’re my family. The business is my responsibility, and Dad…he’s not going to be able to keep going at the same pace he was.”

Which meant Mason would have to step in. Gavin got that. It still felt like some of the security he’d built here came crashing down with Mason’s statement. “The bar?” Mason loved this place. It would kill him to let it go, whether it’s what he believed he needed to do or not.

Mason let out a slow, deep breath. His hands pulled into tight fists that he banged gently on the desk. “I can’t let it go. I should. Fuck, it’s just a bar, but it’s my bar. I don’t want to walk away from it.”

“Then don’t,” Gavin said simply. “I walked away from my job without a fight. Don’t do the same thing. You’ll regret it. You deserve to have your dream, too.”

Mason’s hands opened. He wrapped them around Gavin and pulled himself closer, so he fit between Gavin’s legs. “You’re damned smart, music man. That’s why I keep you around.”