Page 39 of Nicks and Cuts

He gathered up what was left of the pizza, putting it in one box, and then in the fridge for tomorrow. While Shannon’s parents had been all smiles on the surface, talking up themselves and their children—except Shannon, there had been a tension between the three of them. If he hadn’t been sitting there, would they have asked Shannon for something already?

If it hadn’t been his house, how long would they have stayed with Shannon?

Shannon walked back into the kitchen and raked his fingers through his hair, messing it up in a way that made Dante want to do the same as he pulled him close and kissed him.

“Do you want me to take out the bin before I turn in?”

“If you could take out the pizza boxes while I lock up the workshop, that would be great.”

Shannon grabbed the boxes and the bin bag and followed Dante outside, but he didn’t go directly to the workshop. He went around the corner of the house to where the trash cans were and opened the lid for Shannon. Shannon dropped the rubbish in.

“Thank you for running interference.”

“They seem intense.”

Shannon smiled. “Yeah, like one thousand watt light globes right in the eyeballs.”

Dante leaned in and kissed him, one hand on Shannon’s waist and the other still holding the bin lid. “Since I won’t be doing that later.”

They pulled apart, and Shannon licked his lip before shaking his head. “It’s only one night. I’ll live.”

“I may not.”

Shannon stepped back. “I’ll make it up to you.”

He turned and walked back into the house.

Aside from when Shannon worked nights, they hadn’t slept apart for weeks. Watching him walk away was something Dante never wanted to do again. If he didn’t grow some balls, standing in the shadows was going to cost him everything.

CHAPTER

TWENTY

The soup mug didn’t hold enough coffee for him to get through breakfast with his parents. They were being too polite and too nice.

His parents were already up when Shannon padded into the kitchen, sitting out on the deck and drinking coffee. Fortunately, they knew him better than to start talking to him before he’d started drinking his coffee. He’d slept like shit, and he wanted to blame Dante for that because he was so used to having the solid heat of his body wrapped around him.

Shannon reheated a couple of slices of pizza to go with his coffee and then quit stalling. He took his plate and mug outside to join his parents on the deck.

“This would be lovely if there was a view of something,” his father said as a greeting.

“The view is the trees. And if you sit quietly, you can hear the birds.” When had he gotten used to enjoying breakfast listening to the birds and the rustling of leaves?

“Still not a morning person?” Mom asked.

“I like mornings…I just like to take my time and not be rushed.” Which is why he gave himself plenty of time before he had to go to work. He had his morning routine down so that he could stay in bed for as long as possible while still moving at what his mother had once referred to as snail pace when trying to get him out the door to school.

Dante stuck his head outside. “I’m going to make some blueberry pancakes if anyone wants some?”

Shannon glanced at his pizza. Fuck it, he’d eat pancakes too. “I’ll have some, thanks.”

His mother gave Dante a small smile. “I guess I could have one.”

“Not for me,” his father said. “I can’t do the sweet stuff.”

Dante didn’t close the glass door, only the flyscreen. If his parents were going to ask, they had to do it where someone might hear.

His father looked at the door, then back at him. “Your landlord makes you pancakes?”