Mark's Not Gay [Brac Pack 11] by Lynn Hagen Page A

their room. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.
    No leaving the house with Cecil, got it?” He cupped Caden’s face.
    “Thanks for being so understanding.” Kissing Caden softly on his lips, Mark led him over to the bed. “I’ll be back soon.”
    “Take your time. Just remember, he’s probably waited his whole life to meet you, and he has built up an image in his head of who you are. Go gentle with him.”
    “Yes, Mother.” Mark chuckled as he kissed Caden again.
    “I’ll give you mother.” Caden mock punched Mark in his arm.
    “Be back, baby.” Mark walked across the hall, blew out a breath then knocked. His son cracked the door, looking up at him hesitantly, then stepped back to allow Mark entrance. He looked around the room. They would have to take a trip to the mall to get things a fifteen-year-old would want in his room. Curtis would need more clothes, too, if he was staying the summer.
    Taking a seat in one of the cushioned chairs, Mark was at a loss of what to talk about.
    “Is he, uh, your boyfriend?”
    Great topic for an ice breaker, Mark thought. Might as well get it out of the way first. “Yes.”
    “Oh.” Curtis sat on his bed, looking down at his hands. “Is he mad that I showed up?”
    “Not in the least. He likes you.”
    Curtis looked at Mark from under his eyelashes. “And you? Do you like me?”
    “I really don’t know you, but I like what I’ve seen so far.”

    * * * *

    88
    Lynn Hagen
    Curtis chewed on this. He had waited his whole life to meet his father, was impressed with what he saw. The guy was huge, with tattoos everywhere. His dad was being understanding, didn’t turn him away. It was true, he didn’t know him. Curtis hoped he could change that. It shocked him that his dad was gay, having had a baby and all.
    Would Caden be jealous, be mean to him? He was so nervous he didn’t know what to say to the man.
    “What do you do for a living?” That was a good question. Not too personal.
    “I own my own auto shop. Ran my own tattoo shop, but I sold it and moved here to be with Caden.”
    Curtis nodded. “Can…can I call you Dad?” Curtis watched as his father grinned. His dad was handsome. “I’d be more than honored if you did. You know I didn’t purposely stay out of your life?”
    “I know. Mom explained it to me.”
    “How did you find me?”
    Curtis smiled, proud of how he did it. “We had this junior detective club at school, and it taught us how to people search on the web. I dug through records until I found that you owned a garage in the city, and some guy named Leo gave me this address.”
    “I’ll have to thank him. Leo worked for my grandfather until my granddad passed. Leo’s a nice guy.”
    “I wish I could have met your grandfather.”
    “Me, too. He would have liked you.”
    Awkward silence again.
    “I don’t care if you’re gay. I, uh…”
    “What is it, son?”
    Curtis closed his eyes. He had waited his whole life to hear that word from his real father. Terrance was an okay stepdad, and he was nice, but he wasn’t Curtis’s real father. “I think I do, too.”
    “I’m sorry, but I’m trying to understand what you’re saying. Can you be a little more specific?”

    Mark’s Not Gay
    89
    Curtis cleared his throat, his heart hammering behind his chest. He hadn’t even told his mom this. “I think I like, uh, you know, guys.” He had struggled with it for the past year. David, a guy in his junior detective’s club, had kissed him one night when they were up in his room studying. He felt ashamed for liking it. “David kissed me and…”
    “You liked it?”
    Curtis nodded. “Mom doesn’t even know.”
    “Not my place to tell her. Just kissing?”
    “Yes. Nothing happened, just a kiss.” Curtis’s stomach was in knots. Although his dad was gay, he felt like he would be judged.
    “You have a few years to figure it out, son. No need to rush things.”
    Curtis smiled. His dad was real cool, understanding. He liked him and