“How are things going with you?” Braden put his feet on the railing of the back porch. Gavin just finished giving Jessie a piano lesson, and the two of them were watching her play outside.

“Busy. And you? How’s married life?”

“Fucking great. I could pretty much ask you the same thing. You and Mason seem pretty serious.”

Gavin shrugged because he really didn’t want to go into his relationship with Braden.

Braden laughed. “I can take a hint.” He nodded toward the little girl on the swing. “You’re doing a good job with Jess. You miss teaching, I can tell. Why not go back to it? Or give more private lessons?”

Gavin rubbed a hand over his face and groaned. Not because he didn’t agree with Braden. He’d thought about this a lot recently. Things would be different now. He wouldn’t go back to not being completely open about who he was. Except with your family…

Gavin shoved that truth away. “I’m not sure it’s the best time. I’m still trying to navigate how to work things out with my family. Mason’s got a lot going on with his dad’s stroke, going back and forth to Denver, and I’m helping with the bar a lot. I can’t see trying to…what? Start a business right now?”

Even to his own ears they all sounded like excuses.

“Sounds like a whole lotta reasons not to do it because of everyone else. What about doing it for yourself?” Braden grinned. “See how smart I am? Being married with a kid and now I’m all grown up.”

Gavin couldn’t help but laugh at his friend. He wasn’t sure Braden would ever grow up, but that was part of his charm.

And he also wasn’t going there with the man. “We’re not together anymore. You don’t have to try and figure shit out for me, remember?” He winked and stood up. “I better go. Mason texted a little while ago. He wants me to go down to the bar, so he can show me something.”

Braden opened his mouth but Gavin cut him off before he could speak. “Not that kind of something. Did you just say you’d grown up?” Honestly, for all Gavin knew it really was that kind of something, which he’d damn sure enjoy. He hadn’t fucked Mason in over a week.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Braden stood and patted Gavin’s arm. “Have a good one. I’ll talk to you later. And, I’m not trying to give you shit here, or trying to figure out your life for you, but you should really give some thought into the lessons. You love it. If Mason’s the kind of man who deserves you, he’ll understand that.”

Gavin nodded but didn’t go into any detail. Mason would understand. He had no doubt in his mind about that.

He made it out to his car when his phone rang. Gavin smiled, assuming it was Mason, until he saw Mom on the screen. His pulse kicked up a notch. It did that when she called now. Hell, maybe it always had, only now it was for a different reason. Mason’s dad’s stroke put things into perspective for him. You never really knew what could happen.

Gavin hit talk. “Hello.”

“Hi. I need a favor from you. We have our church banquet this afternoon. We do it every year and our pianist is sick. The music is a really important part of our celebration. It would mean a lot to me if you could fill in.”

Gavin dropped his head back against the seat. It made him an asshole that he didn’t want to do this, but spending the day around people he knew had prayed for his soul because of who he loved didn’t sound like a good time to him.

“Please. I don’t ask a lot of you. It’s for a good cause. We’re celebrating the Lord.”

Which was something Gavin didn’t have a problem with—he didn’t. He only had a problem with their representation of what that entailed.

Not only that, but he had Mason waiting for him. “I have plans with Mason today.” He wasn’t going to keep that from her. He already kept enough of himself hidden because of her belief of what it would do to his dad.

“Oh… I see. So it’s happening already? You’re choosing that man over your family? I hardly see you, Gavin. You stopped teaching to work in a bar. What happened to my son? This isn’t…we’ve loved you and would do anything for you, and you’re throwing your life away.”

Do anything except fully accept him.

“It’s one day, Gavin. Please. This is important to me. With your father in the home it’s… it’s all I have anymore.”

That’s what did him in. He knew how important this was. He knew how fervently she held her beliefs close to her. She dedicated her whole life to church, his dad, and Gavin. She’d been with his dad since she was seventeen years old, and now he was in a home. Gavin could do this for her. “You’re right. I’d be glad to help. What time do you need me?”