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“Your brother? Your brother told you to break up with Leo? Why would he do that, kiddo? He and Leo were friends, too. You were all friends. Unless Ford was pretending.” Suddenly it was like a lightbulb went off in Maverick’s head. “You didn’t.” He gasped.
Andy looked confused. “Didn’t what?”
“I know that you’re only foster brothers, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t—”
“Ew, Dad, no!” Andy exclaimed as he shook his head. “Ford is my friend, my brother, and that’s it. I’ve never looked at him like that.”
Maverick glanced at me before his gaze moved back to Andy. “So, nothing happened between the two of you. Not even a kiss.”
“Dad, stop, that’s not... Oh my God.” All the color drained from Andy’s face. “Did... Do you think Ford told me to break up with you because he wanted me for himself?” He grabbed my hands. “Leo, baby, I swear nothing ever happened. I never even thought about Ford like that. Not even once.”
I squeezed his fingers. “I know, hon. I believe you.”
“This is fucking crazy.” Andy grimaced. “Sorry, sir.”
Harrison chuckled. “Swearing is fine, and you don’t have to call me sir. Harrison is perfectly okay. It was Ford who told you to break up with Leo?”
Andy nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
“And you never thought that maybe he was doing it for himself? Because he had feelings for you?” Harrison asked, going back to his notebook.
Andy glanced at me before he spoke. “Now that I think about it, he was always, uh, looking at me like maybe he wanted me. I don’t want to sound conceited or anything. He just... Sometimes I caught Ford staring at my mouth. He wasn’t touchy feely. He never made a move, but there were just a few moments when he would look at me, and I guess I didn’t realize why.”
“And now that you’re back with Leo?” Harrison tilted his head. “How does Ford feel about this?”
Andy shrugged. “Fine, I guess. I mean, I didn’t ask him or anything. He’s never been too forthcoming when it comes to talking about his feelings.”
He wasn’t wrong. Ford was locked down like Fort Knox unless Felix was involved. “You could try talking to him,” I suggested, then immediately wished I hadn’t.
“You think I should?” Andy searched my face. “I don’t want you think I return his feelings. I mean, sure I love him, but he’s my friend, my family. That’s as far as those feelings will ever go.”
I resisted the urge to climb into his lap. “Hon, what I think is that you should talk to your brother and make sure he’s cool with everything. You’re close, and I respect that. I’m not worried that you’re going to change your mind and decide you want Ford instead of me. Younger me might have been, but not anymore. I trust you.”
“You are so damn amazing, Ricky,” Andy whispered.
I dropped my chin and looked away. “I’m not but thank you. I just want you to be happy and comfortable. Fixing whatever is going on with Ford is just part of that.”
“I want to try. For you and to make you happy,” Andy murmured.
“But what about yourself?” Harrison asked. “Don’t you want to try to be happy for yourself?”
Andy’s face flushed. “I guess. I mean, sure, but I just want Leo to be proud of me.”
Oh, my heart. I leaned forward to press my mouth against his cheek and felt Andy relax at my touch. “I’ve always been proud of you, hon. Even when we weren’t together. You’ve gone out and done what millions of people only dream of. You reached your dreams.”
“No, no, I haven’t. Not without making you mine. Forever,” Andy told me.
This time, I didn’t stop myself from moving into his lap. “You have me. Forever. I promise.” And the smile that broke out over Andy’s face was all I needed to see for the rest of my life.
Chapter Forty-One
Andy
Just like Leo had promised, after my first session with Harrison, we escaped to our place and bunkered down for the rest of the day. Wrapped up in one another, I felt relaxed and content. Happier than I had been in years. I expected Dad to come looking for us when dinner rolled around, but instead, he sent a simple text telling us that he had left food outside for us if we were hungry. And sure enough, wrapped up in his Tupperware, we found meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a pie for dessert.
I had reluctantly climbed from our bed when my alarm went off at four in the morning. Leaving Leo wrapped in the blankets when I really wanted to stay with him. But I had promised Pop that I would spend some time with him. He had sent me a quick message last night that he was home, and if I wanted to go with him to Panthers practice this morning, I was more than welcome. Once I had showered and dressed, making sure to kiss Leo before I left, I found Pop waiting for me on the front porch. He held out a coffee as he stood up and gave me a bright smile.
Now I was sitting in the passenger side of his truck while Pop hummed along to the country station playing on the radio. His fingers tapped out the rhythm on the steering wheel. When he caught me watching, he grinned.
