His eyes grew wide, and he blinked, a tear tumbling down his cheek. “You, you do?”
“Yes, I do. I love you so much it hurts sometimes. I hate to hear that you’ve denied yourself. You deserve it all.” Was he going to say it back? My pulse skyrocketed. If he didn’t, it was okay.
“Tex, I…” He took another hard swallow and swiped the wetness from his cheek. “I love you too. I have for a while now, but I chose not to tell you until we could behave like a couple in public. I figured it would fall flat?—”
“Hell no.” As my heart soared, I pushed him onto the couch and lay over him, claiming him in a kiss full of all the love swirling inside me. This might be the best Thanksgiving I’d ever had. As the kiss broke, I looked deeply into his eyes. For the first time, I saw him fully, and it made me love him even more. “Jesus Christ, Colton, I love you so much.” I pressed another heartfelt kiss on his mouth, losing myself in his warm, soft lips, yielding to mine.
“And the Cowboys have scored!” The television announcer’s voice cut through the air.
Wait, what? I pulled away from him and focused on the television while the replay started. “Um, sorry.” The running backhad run for forty fucking yards for a touchdown. “Oh my God, did you see that?” I pointed at the game.
“Yes, I see it.” Colton’s snicker vibrated against my chest. “I’m glad that didn’t happen a few minutes ago.”
I tore my gaze from the TV and returned to him. As I brushed my fingers along his cheek, I said, “I don’t think even a Cowboys touchdown would have stopped me from telling you how much I love you. In fact, I’m sure of it.”
A timer dinged on the stove.
“Oh, the turkey is ready.” Colton pressed a hurried kiss on my lips and shoved me off him. “I’m starved and if I drink any more of this wine without eating, I might pass out on you.” He hopped off the couch and strode into the kitchen.
“We can’t have that.” I followed him and opened the oven door, taking a peek at the meat thermometer. “Yep, it’s ready. Now we have to let it rest.” Why? I didn’t know, but the recipe called for it, and I didn’t want to ruin this perfect holiday. Grabbing the hot pads from a drawer, I pulled the turkey breasts from the oven and set the roasting pan on the stovetop.
“Hey, Tex.” Colton pulled on my elbow.
“Yeah?” I faced him as I ran over the other food I had to prepare in my head.
“Don’t think I’m all better. A lot of work remains. But be aware I’m experimenting with alternative approaches, and I still might get anxious sometimes or fall back on bad habits, but I’m working on it. Okay?” He winced.
“Oh, babe, of course.” I hugged him. Oh my God, I’d called himbabe. But we loved each other. It was about time. “I started falling in love with you even before you got help. I understand it’s a process, okay?”
With his voice cracking, he said, “You’re the best, Tex.”
“Thank you.” I squeezed him, kissed his cheek, and then released him. “Let’s get the rest of this food prepared.”
“Yes.” With a sniffle, he swiped his eyes and planted his hands on his hips. “Okay, what can I do?”
We’d had a fantastic meal.I really could cook with the right recipes. While we washed dishes, I thought through the evening. I had to call my parents tonight. It was customary since I couldn’t be with them. Could I introduce Colton to them? We’d confessed our love for each other, so in my mind, we were boyfriends. “Hey.”
“Yeah?” He handed me a rinsed pot.
“I’d like to call my parents when we’re done here. How would you feel about meeting them?” My pulse kicked. Would he agree to it? It would also be the first step in bringing him home for Christmas.
He set the dish he’d been rinsing in the sink and faced me, his brows wrinkling. “Um…you said they always supported you, right?”
After holding my breath for a beat, I said, “Yes. They’ve known I was gay since high school and?—”
“And they loved Dante like a son.” He dipped his head and fisted his hand at his side.
Cupping his chin, I raised his face, and our gazes met. “They’ll love you too. I’m sure of it.” I chuckled. “Maybe even more since you’re making sure I pass my business analytics class. My mom’s insistent that I get a degree before I enter the NFL.” Maybe I shouldn’t have told him the tidbit about Dante. I didn’t want him comparing himself to him. There was no comparison.
With his gaze shifting between my eyes, he pursed his lips and then said, “Yes. Yes, I want to meet them.”
Emotion bloomed in my heart. This might be too much, but I’d already floated the idea with him. “Good. And can I tell them I’m bringing you home for Christmas? At least for a few days of the break?”
His brows rose. “Um…I think I can swing that. I don’t know the timing yet. I have to call my dad.” He puffed an exhale through his nose. “I suppose I should call him tonight, but he’s probably having a poker night with his single friends.”
“A poker night?” I hooked a brow. Didn’t the man have any other family to spend the holiday with?
“Yes, he has golf buddies, and that’s what they do on Thanksgiving eve if they don’t have family to spend it with. Or, they visit their families and leave after the meal to play poker. Since I didn’t go home this year, he’ll be doing that.” His lips swept to the side. “I should call him after I meet your family.”