Page 20 of Grounding the Baker
“I’m just trying to be his friend. He needs one right now. His friends are all in London, and he doesn’t have anyone here who’s just for him. It’s all his mum’s friends. He needs his own person.”
“And that’s all it is? I saw how you were looking at him, Austin? When he hugged Maisie, you wanted to drag him back to your cave and have another dozen kids with him.”
Austin snorted. To be fair, he wasn’t wrong, but itwasn’t how he would have worded it. And what did it matter? He wouldn’t act on his feelings. He was self-aware enough to know it wasn’t a good time for Liam.
“Why does it matter to you whether I befriend someone? He’s Sylvie’s son, for fuck’s sake. Don’t you think he deserves to have a friend?”
“Austin. This isn’t about Liam, it’s about you and Maisie. I’ve known you for thirty-five years, remember? You’ve got a big heart, and you go all in. That’s always been who you are. I just don’t want you to get hurt. We don’t even know if he’s going to stick around.”
“He’s quit his job in the city because he wants to run this place. That was always his plan. It’s not some guilt thing about his mum. This was always his dream. It’s why he took a high-paying job, which he clearly hates, so he’d have the security to do this.”
“You two have spoken a lot, then?”
“We talked the night of Sylvie’s funeral. He was here, on his own, sitting on the floor.”
“Did anything happen between you?”
“Jesus, Gerard. Is that what you think of me? You said you’ve known me for thirty-five years. Would Ievertake advantage of someone in any situation?”
“No, I’m sorry. Of course you wouldn’t. Look, I don’t know why I did that in there. I just saw you looking at him, and it was the same way you used to look at Ellie. Like there was no one else in the room. I was just trying to look out for you, and made a fucking mess of it as usual.”
“Look, I know your heart was in the right place, it always is, but I want to be his friend. Yes, of course I want more, but I would never push it. Come on, Gerard. You know me better than that.”
Gerard nodded, looking a bit upset, so Austin gave hima hug. Gerard squeezed him tight and almost made him groan. The guy was the definition of a bear hug.
“Am I going to expect any more shit from the rest of you on this?”
“No,” said Gerard, as they pulled apart. “I doubt Tony even knows what’s going on, and he’d probably just say something crass about breeding. And Nathan and Michael don’t interfere in things like this. That’s my job.”
“Well, it was Nathan who suggested I might want to visit the coffee shop.”
“Really? Nathan?”
“Yep.”
“You really are fucked, then. That guy picks up on things we all miss.”
“And Michael suggested I invite him to the Festival of Love.”
Gerard chuckled. “I think that might be a bit on the nose.”
“He’s working it anyway, and Maisie wants to be my date.”
“Aww. How cute!”
“Get fucked!”
They both laughed.
“Look, I’m sorry. I just don’t want to see someone I love go through what I did.”
Gerard choked up, so Austin hugged him again.
“None of that, please. You two found your way back to each other. And it’s been ten years now. You can stop imagining chaos and destruction now.”
“I know, I know. It’s just sometimes it comes back to me.”
“Well, why don’t you go back to the pub and drag him from the kitchen and take him upstairs?”
