Love and Chaos: A Growing Pains Novel (2 page)

“Hot mess, all right.” Marcus crinkled his nose at her.

“Oh,
you!”
Peter waved his hand at Marcus and looked down at Cassie with soft eyes. “You just have to find a good guy with brains. I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, sweetie, but you go for attractive men without a thought in their head.”

“You and I have the same problem then, Peter.” Cassie tried to hide the smile.

The decorative pillow came sailing back amidst Cassie’s giggles.

Peter stared at Cassie for a moment, probably making sure that conversation was wrapped up
and Marcus didn’t plan to verbally assault her. Then he said, “Sweetie, we did have a teensy favor to ask you.”

Cassie shifted to get comfortable. The last
teensy
favor consisted of using her house for a huge party, since Marcus had been getting his place redecorated. Someone had called the cops because of the noise. It had taken an army of cleaners to get the place to rights, and she’d lost some good crystal.

“What is it?” she asked
with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I wondered...” Peter repositioned and clasped his hands in his lap. “I have a yearly family reunion that I can’t get out of…”

“You want me to watch your cat?” Cassie said, relieved.

Peter tilted his head to the side as though he were pondering one of life’s great mysteries. “No, not that. Thanks for the offer, of course, but…no… I wondered, if you wouldn’t mind, being my date…”

Cassie blinked for a couple seconds. “Your date to a family reunion?”

Marcus stared with a guarded expression. Peter did likewise, but his baleful, pleading eyes said something else.

“They don’t know you’re gay?” Cassie blurted.

Peter’s face went red. For the first time, Cassie saw anger smoldering in Marcus’ eyes.

Peter said, “My father is not really…open-minded. I have four brothers, and we’ve all been pushed into sports and girls and uber straight-boy activities. He wouldn’t really understand. Well, I mean, none of them would. They all have wives and babies and all that normal stuff. I’m the youngest, so it hasn’t been until lately that I’ve been getting all the pressure to reproduce…”

Cassie couldn’t help staring for another three beats. She’d had one small, three
-year window when she’d been a teenager during which she cared what her parents thought. When she’d sought to get their approval. It had ended in heartache and disappointment when her parents had wanted nothing to do with her—something Sean had rushed in to try and fix. Since then, their opinion had mattered not at all.

Then it dawned on her. She cared what Sean thought. He had the ability to make or break a relationship—and had, many times. Just like when he
’d first started dating Krista, Cassie had had that ability.

Cassie’s heart went out to Peter. He was so loving, and such a good person
—to think that his family didn’t know the real him, and possibly wouldn’t like the real him if they did know—it broke her heart.

“
Of course I’ll be your date,” she said. “Do I get to dress up?”

Peter’s face lit up. Marcus’ closed down.

“You haven’t heard the whole favor,” Marcus said in a flat voice.

Peter’s face turned red again. “You’d be going as my girlfriend.”

“Yes, I figured that,” Cassie rolled her eyes.

“And…it’s at their house in wine country,” Peter finished in a rush.

“Wait…” Cassie paused, working out the mental map.

“That’s right, doll. You’
ll get the wonderful opportunity to hang out for a week with a bunch of rednecks who would turn away their own son if they knew he doesn’t subscribe to the same life choices they do.” Marcus raised his glass to drink, only then realizing it was empty. He pushed off the couch to get another.

Peter scowled, but an apology lingered underneath. Marcus was a secret, and it wasn’t sitting too well with either of them.

Cassie inwardly grimaced, and then blurted the thing she’d meant to keep in her head. “Why me?”

“They aren’t rednecks,” Peter said
with a pointed look toward Marcus. “They’re actually a very influential family.
We
are, I guess I should say. Which is part of the problem. With me, I mean. And my…ah…” Peter made a weird shaking motion with his shoulders.

“
You
, Cassie, because you are the sweetest person we know,” Marcus clarified from the kitchen. “And you’re as loyal as Kate, so you won’t
out
him before-he-outs-himself…” The words hung in the air, accusatory and insistent. Peter fidgeted with his glass.

“And because you have a job that can be done away from the office for a week,” Marcus finished. “You can even put the trip into your column. Travel column, right?”

“Life and leisure,” Cassie muttered.

“Well, honey, I would
personally
love
a leisure trip to the wine country,” Marcus said.

Peter shrunk into himself just a bit further.

It had just gotten awkward.

“So. Wine country. Where in wine country? Napa?”

“Sonoma.” Peter perked up. “It’s a house in Sonoma—which is the sister county to Napa. The wine is just as good, if not better, and way more reasonable. Also, there’s a distinctive family feel to it. You’ll love it.”

Marcus stared at her across the expanse to the kitchen as he leaned over the center island. She really wanted to moan. How
had she gone from her own, not-that-serious problems to someone else’s kind-of-extreme problems? She didn’t know, but she was in it now.

“Okay. When do we leave? Also, I need another drink.” Cassie draped her arm over the armrest.

“Yay!” Peter practically launched himself at her. “One month. Don’t worry—I’ll act like Mr. Perfect, unlike
some
people.” Peter shot Marcus an accusatory glance.

“At least
my
disapproving father knows I’m gay,” Marcus shot back.

“Great, yes. Keep the awkwardness coming,” Cassie muttered.

A month later Cassie
stood outside of Marcus’ condo, puffy eyes filled with sleep, holding her suitcase.

“What is that?” Cassie stared at the tiny car in front of her.

“What do you mean?” Peter paused as he put the suitcase into the trunk.

“It’s a Prius.”

Marcus, standing in his doorway with his arms crossed, started laughing.

“Yeah, so?” Peter said, looking the car over. “It gets great gas mileage.”

“Why are we driving again? It’s an $80 ticket. Can’t we just fly?” Cassie held onto her bag.

“Trust me, we’
re going to want our freedom.” Peter dropped another large bag into the tiny trunk. It would take some finagling to get the trunk latched.

“Right.
I’m not spending seven hours in a car that’s smaller than my bathroom. We’ll take mine.”

“That gas gussler?” Peter demanded, leaving his stuff in the trunk.

“
Peter honey, I love you, but you are the reason everyone thinks Prius drivers are terrible.” Marcus laughed, leaning against the front door in the early morning light.

The idea was to get on the road before anyone else so they didn’t hit a bunch of traffic. Cassie was all for it, but
early mornings did not warrant discussions. That warranted doing what she said.

“It’s a
Beemer, not a semi. It doesn’t consume that much more gas, okay? Comfortable, goes fast, get in or get left behind.”

“Uh oh, she’s getting sassy! Now I’d
really
love to go.” Marcus was trying for a light and fun tone—he missed it somewhat, the hurt just below the surface peeking through.

Heaving a sigh, Cassie
lugged her bag back to her car, popped the trunk, and dumped it in. “And I am picking the radio station.”

“Gas fees will be doubled.
Tripled!
” Peter stayed where he was.

“Yeah. And our feet won’t fall asleep as we hit hour four. So…” Cassie quirked her eyebrow and cocked her hip.

“Cassie, honey, you can’t use straight girl warfare on a gay man and expect it to work.” Marcus’ smile lit up his striking face.

Peter sighed to get his point across,
but yanked his bags out of the trunk.

“
I stand corrected!” Marcus chortled. “You’re magical.”

“
It did not work. But she is doing me a huge favor, so the polite thing to do is give in.” Peter’s scowl said he knew the car was not even remotely
green
and he was holding it against her.

“God, you are
so
Californian.” Cassie shook her head.

Fifteen minutes later Cassie
gave Marcus a big hug. “Bye.”

“Take care of him,” Marcus
whispered. “He’s trying not to show it, but he’s really beat up about all this. He’s really close with his brothers, and he thinks he’s going to lose them if he comes out
.”

“How can they not know?” Cassie muttered, just as softly
, glancing at Peter standing by her car. He was staring down at a list, tapping each item with his finger and nodding. “There is nothing about him that says
straight macho man
like you said his brothers are.”

S
adness crept into Marcus’ deep brown eyes. “You’ll see. He’s a completely different person when he Skypes with them. And then he’s depressed for a few days after. He’s just…afraid. They’re really important to him, so he wants to keep in contact, but…you’ll see.”

“Marcus, you
’re sending a girl with him who knows nothing about any of this. I’ve never hidden who I am—probably should have, but that’s a different problem—so I can’t even remotely relate to his problem. What am I going to say when he needs support? Plus, I’m a terrible liar. What if he tries to kiss me or something—you know I’m going to hesitate. Oh god, what if I
out
him without meaning to!”

Marcus lounged against the door. “
You’ll be fine. Just be sweet little you. When you’re not punching people and playing horrible jokes, you’re apple pie.”

Cassie grimaced. “Apple pie
made with bitter apples, maybe.”

“Exactly.
Bitter apples make the best pie.”

Cassie
turned as Peter walked up.

Peter smiled at Marcus in a way that had Cassie moving away to the car. She took out her phone and
group texted Krista and K-Jaz, what the group called the Kate and Jasmine pair.

Cassie: Ready 2 go

Jaz: Good trip. Text when
u get there

Krista: Bring back wine! Sean says stay safe.

Cassie: Luv u guys.

Jaz: luvs

Kate: Ditto

Krista: Luv u back. Sean nodded.

Kate: Turn him str8. He’s hawt.

Cassie c
huckled as Marcus and Peter walked up. “Hot text?” Marcus asked as Peter opened the car door and peered in.

“No. Just Kate, Miss Lover
of Gay Males. She thinks Peter’s hot.”

Peter perked up. “Well, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Cassie sagged against the car. “Do you realize this is a classic romantic comedy situation? That I should be Peter’s date as friends, trying to help him out, and then we fall in love and live happily ever after? But noooooo. Instead, he’s gay, with a boyfriend, and has a bunch of brothers who are married.”

“One’s only engaged,” Peter
offered.

“And a redneck father,” Marcus added.

“He is not a redneck, Marcus!” Peter raised his eyebrows, daring Marcus to utter another word about it.

“No
t helping.” Cassie threw Marcus a wave. “The minutes are wasting. Time to get on the road.”

***

Peter’s head lulled before it snapped up. He glanced around with hazy eyes. “Where are we?”

“Nearly there.” Cassie overtook a slow-poke in the fast lane. “Why do people in this area of the world in
sist
on driving under the speed limit in the fast lane? It is driving me in-freaking-
sane!”

“Do you want me to drive?” Peter offered, wiping his eyes.

“Nope. I got it. Thanks.” There was no way Cassie planned to let the worst driver in the world have a crack at her BMW. She loved her car. She didn’t want it totaled.

“Sorry I slept through most the trip. I’ve been…a little stressed.” Peter glanced out the window, eyes unfocused.