IslandAffair (8 page)

John touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Come on, let’s go inside.”

Before they reached the front steps the door opened and his
mother stepped out to greet them. She was dressed in her customary blouse and
slacks and the sun caught the flickers of silver in her ash-blonde hair. She
smiled curiously at the man at his side.

“Mom, this is John MacAllister, the friend I met on
vacation.”

“Oh! Of course. Robin talked about you a little. We weren’t
very comfortable with him going on a singles trip so I’m glad you kept him
company.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Grant.” They clasped hands briefly.
“It was my pleasure, honestly.”

Robin choked at John’s words and his mother frowned at him.
“Are you all right, dear?”

He resisted the urge to look at his lover. “I’m fine, Mom.”

She smiled again, reassured. “Come out back, both of you.
Your father is sitting on the deck. Are you hungry?”

She walked ahead of them into the house without waiting for
a reply. She would feed them whether they were hungry or not. Robin knew an
answer wasn’t required. They trailed behind her as she led the way through the
kitchen and to the back door. Robin’s father was sitting in the sun with the
newspaper. He folded it and set it aside as they approached. Pushing his
glasses up onto his thick salt-and-pepper hair, he stood to shake John’s hand.
Shrewd eyes measuring up his boyfriend with a glance.

Robin watched his father as he and John made small talk.
Studying the face that was so like his own, he wondered if he would soon see
disdain there. His hands shook and he folded them together to disguise it. His
mom emerged with a tray of lemonade and cookies and he took a sip of the icy
beverage to try to ease his dry throat. When they were all seated, he took a
deep breath to steel himself and interrupted.

“Mom, Dad. I have something I need to talk to you about.”
His voice shook and he felt John press his knee against his in a silent show of
support. His mom’s eyes became anxious again while his dad just watched him,
expressionless.

“I…” He closed his eyes, feeling the sun warm on his face and
his lover’s quiet strength beside him. Opening his eyes, he cleared his throat
and tried again. “I’m gay.”

His mother gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.
“Oh, Robin!” Tears sprung into her eyes and she stood, walking quickly into the
house. Robin watched her go, feeling tears prick his own eyes. Her departure
caused an almost physical ache. He turned to his father and looked into eyes
that matched his own, fearing what he would see. But they only looked calmly
back at him.

“Dad?”

His father sighed. “I can’t pretend I’m happy about this,
Robin. Town like this…” He gestured vaguely. “It’s not going to be easy.”

“And what about you?”

“You’re my son, Robin, that’s never going to change.”

Tears spilled free from Robin’s eyes as his father
continued. “When you were hurt they called the house to make arrangements to
get you home. The paperwork had the resort details on it. I found out then it
was a
gay
singles resort.” He shook his head. “I didn’t tell anyone. I
was so angry, how could
my
son be gay? Then you came home and I saw you
in that hospital bed, hooked up to all those machines and not even able to
breathe on your own. And I realized it didn’t matter. I just wanted you to open
your eyes. I wanted to hear you call me Dad again and laugh when you fell over
your own feet. Whether you were gay or not made no difference as long as you
were alive.” He stood and drew Robin into his arms, rocking him as Robin hugged
him tightly and wept against his chest. The strong embrace and the familiar
scent of his cologne transported him back to the times his father had held him
after childhood scrapes.

He drew away slowly. “What about Mom?”

His dad smiled sadly. “Give her time, Rob. She just needs to
get used to the idea.” He thumbed the tears from Robin’s face. “So, why don’t
you introduce me to John again? Properly this time.”

Robin stepped away and took John’s hand, pulling him to his
feet. He could hardly believe he was doing this. The whole afternoon took on a
slightly surreal feeling. “Dad, this is John, my partner.”

Chapter Seven

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Robin. They
didn’t stay long at his parents’ house. Every minute that passed when his mom
stayed away from him was painful. They bought sandwiches for lunch and he
directed John to the lake. It was a place he loved and one that also fell into
the “before I was injured” category, as so much else in his life did, since it
was too far to walk. They sat in the grass and talked about their childhoods,
laughing at the culture differences between Britain and small-town America. He
leaned back against his lover’s chest, feeling the vibrations of his Scottish
burr rolling through it as they spoke.

Robin still felt a little removed from everything, not yet
able to believe he had actually come out to his parents. He was still reeling
from emotions long suppressed. He tried not to think about his mother’s
reaction. All he could do was give her time as his father had asked and hope
she came around.

“Do you think my father’s right, John? That she’ll come
around?”

John stroked his arms with featherlight touches. “I don’t
know, love.” He sighed. “I was fifteen when I told my parents I was gay.” He
snorted. “Took me two weeks to work up the courage and when I did my mother
told me she already knew. Said the magazines the maid found under my bed gave
it away. My father looked at me over his newspaper and said, ‘Be careful, son.’
And that was it. I was so relieved I swore I’d never buy another nudie mag.”

Robin grinned. “How long did that last?”

“About as long as it took for me to convince them I needed a
lock for my door.”

“Figured as much.”

“Give her the time she needs, Rob, it’s all you can do.”

Melancholy threatened to overwhelm him again. What if she
never did? Would he change it if he could do it over? He felt the prickle of
beard stubble as John nuzzled his hair. No. No, he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to
lose his mother but he wouldn’t trade the love of this man or the freedom to
live as he was meant to in order to keep it. What about John? He had left behind
his career and his life in the city to come here.

“You’ve given up a lot to come here, John. Your job. Your
home.” He tilted his head up to study his partner’s face. “Do you regret it?”

John smiled at him softly. “It’s just a job. My father is
disappointed but he’ll get over it and my home is wherever you are. No, I don’t
regret it.”

“What will you do now?”

“I’m not sure, maybe set up a workshop. Try my hand at
carpentry again. I told you, I have enough money if that’s what’s worrying
you.”

Robin shook his head and relaxed back into his embrace. “I
just want you to be happy.”

“We will be,
leannan
, of that I have absolutely no
doubt.”

The afternoon grew cooler and with silent accord they packed
up the blanket and John drove them back to town. The peaceful interlude had
helped to settle Rob’s emotions enough that when John parked outside his
apartment he suggested that they eat out. He didn’t want to go back inside and
spend the night sitting staring at the TV and worrying.

The usual scattering of faces stared at them from the window
of the café, curiosity oozing from their pores. Defiantly, he met their eyes
and laced his fingers with John’s and if his palm was a little moist then only
his lover knew it. The other man followed his gaze and gave his hand a reassuring
squeeze.

Determined to keep the momentum going, they left their
fingers intertwined as they walked down Main Street to the Italian restaurant.
It had been impossible to ignore the whispers and stares they got, some more
open than others. By the time they were seated in a booth at the back of
Luigi’s, he felt as if his shoulders were up near his ears and his teeth were
clamped together against the words that wanted to escape.

Robin took his menu from the waitress who was still blushing
from the sight of their joined hands when they entered. She shifted from foot
to foot as she recited the specials, took their orders and quickly escaped.
Robin sighed and sank back against the leather seat.

“This is going to be worse than I thought, isn’t it?”

John looked around at the scattering of other diners, seeing
the whispers and stares. “I don’t know, Rob. Maybe some of it is just surprise.
After all, until yesterday you dated women, as far as they knew. It’s bound to
cause a reaction.”

Rob rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the incipient
headache. The waitress came back with their water, face composed again, and he
wished fleetingly that he’d ordered something stronger. John tried valiantly to
keep the conversation going but eventually even he gave in to the pressure of
the glances from the other tables and they ate quickly.

The sun was setting when they left, painting the sky with
glorious shades of orange and pink and lilac, a bright contrast to the dusky
autumn shadows of the street. Farther along, the streetlights began to blink
on. Robin watched as one followed the other in quick succession and he could
almost hear the plink, plink, plink as they lit up. He shook his head at the
odd thought and let John lead him across the road.

At first he thought the twin set of lights racing toward him
had somehow detached themselves from the decorative wrought iron stands and he
watched them dazedly. Then he became aware that John was tugging him, urging
him to move faster. John thrust him toward the pavement as the car whooshed by
with the stench of hot oil and diesel fumes. Robin stared after it stupidly,
not quite comprehending what had just happened.

“That bastard just missed us!” John snarled as he glared
after the disappearing taillights.

Robin fought against the cotton wool in his brain. He tasted
metal in his mouth and lights sparked around John’s head. Belatedly he
recognized the warning signs.

John.

John turned quickly as his lover wailed, reaching helplessly
as the other man collapsed, body rigid, back arched severely. He rushed to his
side, grateful for the jeans and long-sleeved shirt that would protect Rob’s
arms and legs from the unforgiving concrete. He took off his sweater and rolled
it up to put it under his head.

Around twenty seconds passed and he was beginning to grow
worried at the blue tinge of his partner’s face when he suddenly relaxed and
took a rasping breath. A few seconds passed before his muscles began to clench
and relax in rhythmic jerks accompanied by choking gasps. John waited
helplessly. A few people passed by on the other side of the road but they
either didn’t see them or didn’t want to be involved because they walked on
without pausing.

A few endless minutes later the seizing stopped and Robin’s
body became still and silent, his breathing taking on the more natural rhythm
of sleep. John wiped his face gently and turned him onto his side.

“Rob. Can you hear me,
leannan
?” He waited a moment
and gave Robin’s arm a gentle squeeze. “C’mon, Rob. Time to wake up.”

His own hands shook in reaction to the last few minutes.
Robin’s seizure had been more violent and distressing than he had thought. At
least he now knew where all the fresh bruises came from. Seeing a loved one go
through such a powerful event was hard and he tried to hold on to the knowledge
that Rob would be fine. Wouldn’t even remember it happening.

He pulled Robin’s head onto his lap and tucked his sweater
around him. Occasionally a car passed, driving slowly as the driver
rubbernecked. John thought with renewed anger about the one that had just
missed them. It came at them fast, but was it deliberate? Either way it needed
to be reported. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called the police.
Rob started to show signs of waking before they arrived. Something in John
relaxed as a little color returned to his face and he started to move
restlessly. He moaned and lifted a hand to his head.

“Rob?”

“Head hurts,” he mumbled.

“Open your eyes for me, babe.” Robin’s hazel eyes blinked
open obediently, face clouded with confusion. There was no recognition in his
eyes as Rob started to shake hard.

“Happened?”

“You had a seizure. Everything’s okay.” John stroked Robin’s
head. “Come on back to me,
leannan
.”

“John?” He lifted his head a bit and groaned. “Ah fuck.”

“Just lie still for a minute. How do you feel?”

“Sore. Christ.” He groaned softly. “Where are we? How long
was I out?”

“About ten minutes. We’re still in the street. Do you
remember the car?”

“No.” Robin frowned.

“It almost hit us. I called the police, they should be here
any minute.” As he spoke he saw the cruiser turn onto the road. This time when
Robin tried to sit up John didn’t stop him.

In typical small-town fashion the officers knew Robin and
hadn’t needed to ask many questions. Instead they offered him a warm place to
sit while they spoke to John. It only took a few minutes for them to take a
statement and assure him they would look out for the car. Unfortunately the
license plate number came back as stolen so there wasn’t much else they could
do. John thanked them for their time, and accepted their offer of a ride to
Robin’s apartment.

His partner was asleep again by the time they arrived but
this time he woke easily and stumbled upstairs to the apartment. John followed
him into the bedroom, getting his meds for him and putting him to bed. It was
nothing he could put his finger on but something made him uneasy about the
whole event. John shook it off. After the experiences of the last few months he
was bound to be a bit paranoid. He needed to let it go. The last thing Robin
deserved was to see him anxious. The man had enough to worry about. Things were
going to be difficult for the foreseeable future. Had he done the right thing
by encouraging Robin to live openly here?