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“No. You didn’t talk about terrible things at home. You saved that. Dad always cautioned people against it in the house. Not only could the feds easily gain access there, if they wanted to badly enough, but there were the women and kids to consider.”
Relieved, Dante leaned on the counter and stared out of the kitchen window. “I want to be a father, so badly, as does Blaine. I’d do it for him, even if I didn’t want children. The thing is, will I be a good father? The more I find out about how you grew up, Sel, the more I doubt myself.”
Sel moved in front of his eyes, blocking the window so he’d have Dante’s full attention. “You will be an amazing father, Dante. I know you have to stay in the business long enough to make sure this place gets off the ground and stays safe, but once it’s established, push the business to the side and be a dad. Like my dad did. He still had a couple fingers in it, sure, but his hand was holding his family, us, my mom. Teach me so I can take over your smaller part of it until Dad retires and I take it all.”
“With your siblings and cousins, perhaps. God, if Blaine thought our kids would want this life…”
Sel laughed and said, “The same thing my parents said when they knew I wanted it. Not happy about it, but resigned to it, probably the same as your mother was. I know Grandma wasn’t thrilled with both of her boys being in the business. She expected my dad, but you?”
“Yes, true. She was less than happy. She didn’t like that I was gay, the good Catholic she was, but she thought that for sure it meant I wouldn’t join in with Antonio. He was straight, he was the oldest, it was already set for him. Me? I suppose she thought I’d go to New York and be in Broadway plays or some such thing.”
“I can almost see that.”
“Fuck you, you little turd. Let’s get back to your other uncle. We have more meetings later.”
“Can I come with you to show Binx and his partners where the resort will be? He’s so excited.”
“Of course. You wanted a piece of this, you have to do it all.”
They headed back to the trailer where Blaine had sandwiches prepared for them when they came in the door. Blaine was bent over the tablet at the table instead of eating. “I just can’t decide some of this, and Roland needs to know before tomorrow.”
“Want my help, BB?”
Blaine glared at Dante. “No. Every time you help, I get more confused.”
Sel knew why. “Blaine wants to make this a place so comfortable, you won’t have to leave home as much.”
Blaine rose until his back was board straight. “How’d you know that?”
“Uncle Blaine, it’s all you’ve ever wanted. Dante around more. I can’t figure why. He’s kind of a pain in the behind.”
“This kid is getting a real smart mouth,” Dante teased as he pinched Sel’s cheek.
“He’s his uncle’s nephew, for sure,” Blaine said, throwing Sel a wink. “How are you at décor?”
“Don’t ask me. That’s where my gay stops.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Blaine said as he flipped the tablet over and pushed it toward Sel. “We finally got the woods. Now it’s the cabinets for the kitchen. We’re matching the hall floors to it, light woods, but there are the countertops, the handles for the cabinet doors, things like that.”
Sel looked it over and pointed quickly to the sleek solid line handles. “Those aren’t so niche they’re going to go out of style right away. And the countertops-keep them simple too. White granite with a light gray running through.”
Sel slid his fingers over the screen to place his picks on the pictures of the kitchen. When he pushed it back to Blaine, he saw his sweet uncle smile. “Well, hell. Here, I was trying to over complicate it.”
Dante laughed. “Gay.”
“Hush, Dante! You would have complicated it.”
Sel finished his food with a smile on his face.
The next meeting they went to was with Mark, Binx, Nathan, and the friends they’d brought, plus a surprise attendee, Ruben Salazar, whose house they’d had both meetings at.
Ruben greeted them at the door to his house, shaking Sel’s hand. “Hey! I’ve heard so much about you!”
“You have?”
Ruben leaned in and whispered, “You are getting a great reputation around here. It’s good to see.”
Sel felt so good, he shook the guy’s hand again. “Thanks!”
