Of Love and Corn Dogs (15 page)

Ricky tried to work up a smile at the compliment, but he couldn't manage it. He glanced over at Darwin, who sat there looking at him like Ricky was something precious. Thoughts of what he could say deserted him, though.

“You'd like him” Darwin continued. “He had a smile that lit up the room. He didn't take any crap from me. When I acted like a jerk, he called me on it. But when I said I should go? He worried enough that he wanted me to eat. And then, this guy did the most astounding thing. Instead of selling me a line about the food they served there? He told me about his favorite food. I'd never had a corn dog before. And as I sat there eating it, I realized there were so many things I'd never had.

“So I started wondering. What else could this man teach me about life? So far he's taught me the joy of dancing, even if I did it badly. The tickle in my throat from a delicious local ale. How amazing it is to sit across from someone and share a meal. How much I missed being hugged, kissed…hell, just being touched.”

Ricky could hear the emotion creeping into Darwin's voice. It broke as he spoke, and Ricky wanted to hug him close, but those niggling thoughts about the differences between them stilled his hand.

“He taught me the joy of small things, like buying something for his cat. He made me laugh at the image of said cat lounging on the air conditioner unit. He made me feel…normal, at least for a while.”

“Yes, but you could have done all those things without me. It's not like you don't have the money for them.”

“Oh, Ricky,” Darwin said softly. “The old adage is truer than you know. Money really can't buy happiness. All the stuff in the world that money can buy won't fill the hole inside of you.”

Ricky choked back a laugh. His emotions were all over the place. Needing to get the conversation back to somewhere neutral, he said, “And here I thought my big news would be the most exciting part of the day.”

“You have news? Tell!”

“Well, it's kind of insignificant next to yours. I got the job at Rossi's. I start Monday.”

Darwin reached over and cupped Ricky's chin. He tried to pull him closer, but the seatbelt held him in place.

“Damn it,” he snarled. “When we stop, remind me I owe you a hug and a kiss. Congratulations! I'm so happy for you.”

Darwin seemed genuinely thrilled for Ricky. And that went a long way to soothing his jangled nerves.

They drove on, heading back toward home and real life. As they neared Ricky's building, Darwin blew out a breath and said, “Maria, my cook, wants me to invite your family over for dinner tomorrow night. She'd like to meet you, if that's okay.”

“Dinner at your house? Tomorrow? With my family? You haven't met my mother,” Ricky stated with a laugh.

“No, but I'd like to,” Darwin replied, his tone showing his sincerity. “If she's anything like her son, I'm sure I'll…really like her.”

Ricky sucked in a breath. “Isn't that a little fast?”

“Yes. It's completely and totally crazy,” Darwin acknowledged. “But it feels right, at least to me. I can't explain it. If you're not ready, I very much understand, but I'd really like to meet your family and have you meet mine.”

Ricky groaned. His mother would probably take the opportunity to embarrass him. The fact that Darwin wanted to meet his family warmed his heart, though. Of course, his family would probably be a lot more low class than the people Darwin knew. Ricky fretted that it might not be such a good idea after all.

“You're sure about this?” Ricky's mom asked for the millionth time since they'd gone outside to wait for Darwin.

“He said he wanted to meet you. I tried to warn him, but he still insisted.”

She flicked his ear, which caused him to dance away, laughing.

“What time is he supposed to pick—”

“I told you, Mom, he'll be here in a few minutes. God, you're so damned impatient.”

She glared at him, but her smile showed him she wasn't annoyed at all.

“You start your new job tomorrow, right?”

“I do,” he replied.

“I'm going to get some of my friends and we're going to come down there and sit at one of your tables.”

Ricky shuddered. He knew she would. “Sorry, Mom.”

His mother cackled, which made Ricky and his sister laugh along with her.

When Ricky noticed the long, sleek limousine turn the corner, his mouth went dry. Darwin had said he'd pick them up, but he hadn't expected him to come in his limo. He glanced around, hoping no one saw the ostentatious display. Having his neighbors see this, and then start teasing him? Totally the last thing he needed.

The car stopped and a good-looking man stepped out of the driver's seat. Dark hair, with just a touch of premature gray peeking out from under the smart cap he wore. Slate gray eyes made him look cold and calculating, but Darwin had told him that although Henley looked tough, he was a true pussycat. Usually.

The man stepped around the car and pulled open the back door. Darwin sat there, looking every bit like the man holding court. Ricky swallowed.

“Good evening. I'd get out to introduce myself, but Maria said if I didn't have you back to the house promptly by seven, not to bother coming home at all.”

Ricky's mother and sister laughed, then slid into the car. Henley tipped his hat to them as they entered. Ricky got in last, taking the seat beside Darwin. Henley closed the door, then went back to the driver's side and got in.

The smell of leather enhanced Darwin's natural aroma and warmth, making it hard for Ricky to breathe without devilish thoughts popping into his head. He discreetly placed his hands across his lap. When he looked up, his sister waggled her brows at him, and Ricky stifled a groan. Leave it to Trish to notice his discomfort.

“Since my son is too rude to introduce us, this is my daughter Trish. I'm Megan Donnelly.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you both. Ricky's talked fondly about you.”

Ricky's mom snorted. “You don't have to try to cover his shortcomings. Not like I don't already know about them.”

“Mom,” Ricky whined.

She laughed and turned her attention back to Darwin. “I love your car.”

A slight pink creeped up Darwin's neck. “Thank you. We would have brought the regular one, but Henley thought we should make a show of it.”

“Plus the fact that I picked it out,” Henley called from the front seat.

“He did,” Darwin admitted. “I like the small and sporty one. He wanted ridiculously long so you'd see it. Personally, I think he's a size queen. We compromised and got both. I don't usually use this one, though. As for the man driving, that's Henley. My full time driver and sometimes best friend.”

“Ooh, your razor wit draws blood, Dare,” Henley responded, not taking his eyes off the road.

The rest of the trip to Darwin's house had Trish and Ricky's mom peppering him with questions. They ran the gamut from how did the two of them meet to what kind of work Kincade International did. Darwin answered them all with great aplomb.

When Henley informed them that they'd arrived, Ricky looked up, and the air whooshed from his lungs as if he'd been punched. Darwin kept saying house, but the place that lay before them wasn't a house. It was a freaking mansion. The trip up the circular drive took nearly five minutes, during which time Ricky noted the immaculately sculpted topiaries, the dark green grass trimmed uniformly, and the giant marble fountain that stood dead center amongst it all, with fish spraying water into a basin lit with all the colors of the rainbow.

Henley opened the door, held out a hand for the ladies, and stood back as Ricky stepped out. He'd never seen a place like this before, and his discomfort continued to rise as they walked toward the door.

From what little he could see of the outside, the place took up a lot of space. Ricky couldn't even see the full building. It stood three stories tall, with enormous windows that had to be a pain to clean. At first glance, the exterior seemed to be made of stone, but as Ricky stepped up onto the open-air porch, he could see the hewn wood with a cream-colored paint that had been done in such a way as to resemble sandstone blocks.

“The estate is called Kincade Manor. Built around 1820 by Augustus Kincade as a gift to his young wife Alicia, it was the preeminent destination for those who wanted to be seen. When Augustus died at eighty, his sons inherited it. One of the boys, Emil, had already built a successful life as a lawyer in Wisconsin and had no desire to come back to Illinois, so he gifted his part of the bequest to his brother, Thaddeus. Rumor had it that old Thad was gay and never had children. When he died, he left it to his nephew, Jeremiah. After that things get a bit hazy what with the Civil War. The house changed hands more than once, falling from the family due to misfortune of the times. About sixty years ago, my grandfather bought it back and had it restored to what it is today.”

Trish and Ricky's mom stood in awe as Darwin opened the front doors of the mansion. The sick, twisted feeling that had settled in Ricky's gut exploded throughout his body at the sight of crystal chandeliers refracting the light into luminous cascades of color that danced around the ornate entryway.

They were met by an older gentleman, maybe sixty. He asked for and took their coats, then hung them up in a closet that seemed enormous. While Ricky stared, the man cleared his throat, drawing Ricky's attention. They were led through the house as Darwin pointed out some of the features, like being the first house in the area with actual plumbing and electricity.

Ricky barely heard what Darwin said. He couldn't take his eyes off the place. His whole apartment would fit in the damned entryway. Snakes slithered through his gut as the enormity of the differences between him and Darwin hit home. With every word that Darwin spoke, the chasm between the two of them seemed to become more impossible to bridge.

When the man—butler?—finally opened the door to the dining room, everything Ricky thought of as being rich went out the window. The table appeared to be carved from an enormous single piece of wood, then highly polished. You could see the knots and grain clearly through whatever coated it. He did a quick count, and winced as he found space for eighteen people around the table. Who the hell even knew that many people?

Darwin thanked the man who'd guided them in. He gave a half-bow and exited through the door they'd used to come in.

“Okay, we're about to enter the inner sanctum. Maria is looking forward to meeting you, and we'll start with the first course in about fifteen minutes. She's got canapés in the kitchen if anyone is feeling a little hungry.”

When Darwin ushered them into the kitchen, the gleam of copper cookware hanging over the kitchen island caught Ricky's attention. Of everything he'd seen so far, the kitchen appeared to be the warmest and most inviting room. It seemed out of place in the palatial home, looking as though it would fit perfectly in a rustic bed and breakfast. The cabinets were rough-hewn wood with leaded glass windows. Marble countertops were filled with odds and ends, and a harried-looking woman stood on the other side of them, her hands a blur as she measured and chopped.

“This gem of a woman is Maria. She's been part of the family for a while now—in other words, she said if I told you how old she was, she'd refuse to feed me—and we love having her here.”

Darwin reached across the counter and picked up a piece of tomato, which earned him a thwack on the hand from the wooden spoon Maria snatched up.

“If you want food, go grab the trays and hand them out. Or get the so-called
waiters
in here. Those lazy asses haven't done anything all day to help their mama.”

Ricky's mom snickered, and that earned her a bright smile from Maria.

“How do you do? I'm Maria Gonzales.” She held out a hand, then drew it back. “My apologies. I forgot I'm not really presentable right now.”

Darwin leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “You're gorgeous, and I don't ever want to hear you say otherwise. And be nice to your boys. They're good kids. They take after their mother.”

Her skin darkened slightly, and she gazed up at Darwin, blatant affection in her eyes.

“Did you want to eat here or in the formal room? I need to have those useless boys set the table.”

Darwin pulled Ricky to the side. “It's up to you. Do you want the whole experience, or would you rather it be more intimate? We have two waiters standing by, so we can do either.”

Ricky couldn't believe what Darwin asked. The thought of eating in that massive room had his stomach doing flips. He'd never felt so out of place anywhere before. “In here, please,” he whispered.

“We'll eat in here, Maria.”

“Tomás! You and your brother get out here and get ready for our guests.”

Two young teens stepped into the kitchen. They were dressed in burgundy vests with crisp white shirts and black pants with razor sharp pleats, and except for their ages, they'd look at home in any high-class restaurant.

“Good evening, Mister Darwin. How many will be dining this evening?”

“Four of us, please Martín. We'll be eating in this room, so once the meal is served, we won't be needing your service.”

“Oh, no!” Maria shouted. “When they put down dinner, there are plenty of pots that need washing, and a floor that could use a good scrubbing.”

“Maria?” Darwin said, his brow furrowing.

She huffed. “Fine. They can do them tomorrow.”

Darwin smiled. “Thank you.”

The two servers picked up the trays and started passing finger food around. It all seemed so silly to Ricky. It wasn't as if they couldn't help themselves. When one of them, Tomás, Ricky thought, held out the silver platter to him, Ricky shook his head. The young waiter gave him a big smile before he moved on to the next person.