Free Wilder, Winona - Choosing Love [Coming Out 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) by Winona Wilder Page B

even sexier, but he doesn’t believe me.”
    “We’ll show him tonight.” Evan winked and brushed his hair from his face before tending to last minute details in the kitchen.
    The doorbell rang.
    Waylon’s heart was in his throat as he answered the door. His two brothers rudely bustled in first before their parents, clapping him on the back. It felt like old times, back on the ranch. He roughhoused with his brothers daily, which he felt aided him as a football player in high school and college. They brought the freshness of the outdoors with them and allowed the rich, savoring scents from the table to leak out into the evening.
    “Wow! Nice place, bro,” said James.
    “Look, he has a big screen,” announced Brent.
    His parents filed in next. While he hugged his mother, his dad slipped her jacket off from behind. It was good to see them again. Though he wasn’t the innocent farm boy that had left for college— he was a man, on his own, and in charge of his own future.
    Dinner was uneventful. The food tasted great, and his parents enjoyed conversing with Evan. He was an endless well of information, and his knowledge of history entertained his father. It was good chumming with his brothers again. Everyone said they all looked alike, the same build, blond hair and strong jaw typical of all Matthews men.
    His mother asked Evan for the recipe of his roast beef. It fell apart on the fork and tasted heavenly. Cal and Evan worked so hard for the dinner to be a success, and it had been. Just knowing how much they cared about him, filled him with the confidence he needed.
    The time had come. He took a gulp of air, straightened his spine, and looked to Evan and Cal for encouragement. They each gave a slight nod.
    “Mom, Dad. I have something to tell you.”
    “Okay.” His father shifted in his seat, making him more nervous. All he could replay in his head were the things his dad drilled into him during his life at home.
    “ Cal ’s not just my roommate. He’s also my boyfriend.” There. He’d done it. Short, simple and to the point. He exhaled, the sound audible as the table turned silent.
    His father used the cloth napkin to dab at the corner of his mouth, then stood and walked to the door without a single word. Although his mother looked stricken, clearly embarrassed by his father’s dismissal, she followed behind him as he expected. Deep within, he knew his dad wouldn’t accept his news, but he hoped his mother would have at least said something comforting. She was his mother. When his father would give him a whooping for something trivial growing up, she was always right there with sweet words and promises of better days. But he was a grown man now and had to find his own strength within. No more kissing the wounds. He didn’t have to be a victim. His dad didn’t walk away from him, Waylon did.
    All these years, he tried to be someone he wasn't so his dad would love him. Where did that get him? Neither the lies nor the truth would be enough. If his father couldn't love him for who he was, then he was through trying. Waylon was a grown man and had to make decisions for his own happiness, no matter how difficult. Revealing the truth that ended any chance of his father's approval was definitely difficult.
    “You’re gay? That can’t be true. You’re not gay,” said Brent.
    “I am. I wouldn’t break Mom’s heart if it wasn’t the truth.”
    “What does that mean? Are you attracted to us now?”
    Waylon stood and shook his head. “No, I’m not attracted to you, you idiot. You’re my fucking brothers.” At least they hadn’t turned hostile, or worse, kept silent like his father. The banter came so naturally between him and his younger brothers. He answered their unspoken question, “And, no, just because I’m gay doesn’t mean either of you are.”
    “Whew, that’s a relief.” They both started laughing.
    “So you’re not disowning me?”
    James shrugged. “We know how Dad is. Don’t worry