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“Thank you so much.” Mrs. Duncan beamed up at him, and I swear she blushed.
Oh no. This was not going to happen.
“You’re welcome!” Maverick called out, and then I heard his happy giggle. Guess they weren’t fighting after all. He popped his head out. “Remember, I’m the cook in this band. Not Killian, Blake, or my brother. This is all me.”
Killian rolled his eyes as he tried to hide his smile. “It’s just a sandwich, Mav, not a five-course meal.”
“I still made it.” Maverick scrunched up his nose. “You all would have gained fifty pounds on the road easily eating all that greasy truck stop food if I wasn’t there. Admit it.”
Killian shrugged. “Fine, but half the time I thought you were trying to poison me.”
“I wasn’t trying...” Maverick’s chin started to tremble as he stared up at our singer. “I was angry at myself for being so stupid and afraid of my sexuality. I would never have hurt you. Okay, well, we had a couple of fights that got pretty physical, and I’m sorry about that.”
“Shit, Mav, no, I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Killian yanked him into a hug. “Don’t cry, okay? You’re getting married tomorrow. I’m so excited for you and Jackson. You’re good together. You’re going to be just as happy as Matthias and me. You’ve found your own ride or die.”
Maverick sniffed. “Thanks.” He pulled back and patted Killian’s chest. “Come inside so you can tell me when you’re finally going to make an honest man out of Matty.”
“Blake, are you and Tommy back together?” Mrs. Duncan was picking at her own food, occasionally shooting glances at me. Yeah, she had to know that I still didn’t trust her. I might not ever.
Blake nodded. “We are.” He waved for me to come up onto the porch. When I did, he took my hand and brought it up to his mouth. He pressed a soft kiss against my palm as he leaned into me. “I’m going to move back here for him.”
“You’re leaving California?” Mrs. Duncan tilted her head. “You love it there. You told me all the time how happy it made you to be living out your dreams.”
Blake glanced at me. “Tommy’s part of that dream, Mom. I want to be with him. He’s not ready to leave Canfield yet, so I’m going to come to him so we can be together.”
“I want to be able to,” I said softly.
Mrs. Duncan tilted her head. “How are you, Tom?” Her eyes were kinder than I expected or deserved. “I mean, after everything that happened.”
“I’m...”
I couldn’t think of the words to describe how I was. I had been so lonely and alone until Blake showed up again. I wanted to make him happy. Move out of this town to be with him, but I wasn’t sure I would ever be strong enough. I was terrified I would hold him back.
Blake squeezed my hand. “You’re perfect,” he murmured into my ear, and warmth spread through my body.
“I’m better now.” I glanced at my boyfriend, who beamed happily at me, his green eyes sparkling. “Blake has helped me so much since he came back. I feel like I can take on the world.”
Mrs. Duncan nodded. “I’m glad to hear that, honey. You and Blake were always so good together. I appreciate everything you and your family have done for him. And for me.”
“Thank you.” My throat suddenly felt tight at her kind words. “I know—”
She waved a hand at me. “I should be thanking you, Tom. If it weren’t for you, your parents, or your brother, I know that I wouldn’t be here right now. You saved my life, and I’ve been able to watch my son blossom into the huge star I knew he would be. And you... I watched your career as well. Proud that you saved my life, loved my son enough to help me, and I’m so grateful for that.”
My mouth fell open, and I couldn’t get out any words. Blake’s mom was thanking me? I thought she hated me for pushing her to go to rehab so she would stop drinking. Tears stung my eyes, and I shamefully turned away so she couldn’t see me. I pressed my face into Blake’s neck as his arms came up to pull me against him.
“You’re a good man, Gretzky,” he assured me as he held me close. “I love you so much.”
A sob escaped my throat. Why didn’t I feel like I was a good man? If I had told Blake the truth, told him what I was doing instead of lying and sneaking around behind his back, we wouldn’t have been apart. I wouldn’t have tried to lose myself in all those faceless men who didn’t even scratch the itch that Blake could because he was the only one I wanted. I shook my head, trying to gather myself together.
“I’ll go inside and leave you two alone. Give you a little privacy,” I heard Mrs. Duncan say before I pulled back to look at Blake.
“I never should have lied to you. We could have been together all this time. I should have had Jax call your mother. I had her number. You were the only person I wanted. The only one who would have made me feel better. I’m such an idiot.”
Blake cupped my head between his hands. “You thought you were doing the right thing back then. Yes, I would have dropped everything to be with you. I would have walked off stage in the middle of a concert for you, but we can’t go back and change the past. We can only concentrate on our future. A future that I fully expect to spend with you and only you. No take backs.”
“I want that so badly, Bug. I can see us living happily ever after. In a cozy house, full of kids and maybe a dog.” I pushed the hair from his eyes.
He blushed slightly. “A dog, huh?”
