Sins of the Father
Chapter 19
"Could you guys walk with Bree back to the B&B?" Brian asked John and Bobby.
"Sure, but…"
"He's not always as strong as he looks,"
Brian said gently. "No one gets to Justin like his father does. He's going
to have a meltdown any minute."
"No problem, Brian," John said
sympathetically. He couldn't imagine having Craig Taylor for a father, although
he'd never had the pleasure or torture of knowing his own father. John took
Bobby's arm and they walked away with the children.
"Justin, come with me," Brian
said gently.
"Why?" Justin asked fighting
back tears. "Why does he do that?"
"Come on," Brian said taking
Justin's elbow and steering him in the direction of the van.
As they walked Brian slung one arm over
Justin's shoulders and pulled his husband against his body. He wanted to get
Justin out of the public eye. They didn't need an audience for what Brian knew
was about to come.
When they reached the van, Brian opened
the passenger door and gently shoved Justin in. He went around to the driver's
side, climbed in and buckled both their seatbelts. He pulled out of their
parking space knowing where he wanted to take Justin.
"Hang on, Justin," Brian
whispered squeezing Justin's thigh as the younger man stared off into space,
lost in thought and hurt and dismay.
Shortly Brian pulled onto the beach and
drove along until he found an empty area where no other cars were parked and
people were quite far away down the beach in either direction. He backed the
van into a spot so that they could face the peaceful scene of the rolling
waves. He unbuckled his seatbelt and then Justin's. Carefully he pulled Justin
against his chest. Brian heard Justin let out a shuddering breath and then the
tears started to flow.
"It's okay,
Sunshine. Let it all out," Brian whispered against Justin's hair.
"He's an asshole. I know he hurt you, but he's gone now. I'm here and I'll
look after you."
Justin's tears fell silently for a while
and then he sucked in a deep breath and wiped at his eyes. "I don't
understand why he makes me feel so bad. I know he's out of my life. I know he
hates me. I actually thought I handled that pretty well today, and now I'm a
fucking mess. Why does that happen?" Justin sat up and looked into Brian's
eyes.
"It happens because you still care
about him. You try not to care, but that's not who you are. Hell, you cared
about me when nobody else gave a shit. You saw the good things in me. That's
the way you are. You hoped for a little bit of that goodness to shine through
from your father. And I think you always will."
"Fuck!" Justin said wiping at
his eyes. "I feel like such a wimp, a fucking baby."
"You're not a baby. You're a man, and
you handled yourself like a calm, grown up man back
there."
"Did I?" Justin asked feeling a
little better.
"You did," Brian averred.
"I was proud of you."
"Even if my father isn't,"
Justin stated with an edge to his voice.
"There's no accounting for assholes,
especially that one. He's a bitter old man."
Justin looked at Brian. "Yeah, he
is," Justin agreed. "Did you hear him say that you stole me?"
Brian chuckled. "Yeah, that was a
good one. If he only knew how many times I tried to get rid of you."
Justin elbowed his husband in the ribs. "Ow, but
that was then and this is now. I couldn't live without you, Sunshine."
"Thanks, that was just the right
thing to say," Justin whispered as he leaned over and initiated a long,
slow kiss. When the kiss ended, Justin let out a sigh.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah, a little. I hope we didn't scare Bree
too much," Justin said staring out to sea. "Where is she?" There
was momentary panic in Justin's voice.
"She went with John and Bobby. We'll
call them once you're up to it."
"Did you notice that Craig never even
noticed Bree, even when I said he was her grandpa?
How can he be so cruel?"
"He's a fucking idiot! Anyone who
wouldn't acknowledge Bree as their granddaughter is
beyond stupid."
"You always know how to cheer me
up," Justin chuckled but not with a lot of humor.
"That's one of the jobs of a good
husband, isn't it?" Brian smirked.
"You are the best husband,"
Justin declared stroking his palm along the side of Brian's face.
"I like to think I'm getting
there," Brian said proudly.
"You're already there in my
books."
"And your books are all that matter,
Sunshine."
Brian tugged Justin by the wrist and they
climbed into the back of the van where Brian proceeded to give Justin the best
blowjob he had ever received. When they were done, Justin clung to Brian's neck
panting.
"God, I love you," he gasped.
"I love you right back."
"How did I ever get lucky enough to
find you?" Justin smiled.
"A combination of fate and
persistence," Brian smirked.
"I guess I know what I'm doing
sometimes," Justin chuckled.
"I think you always know what you're
doing, even when I don't agree with you."
"I do love you," Justin said
giving Brian a big kiss. "Let's go back to the B&B and pack. "I'm ready to go home. It's time to leave
Brian chuckled as he started the van. He
had enjoyed this vacation, but he was ready to go home too.
*****
Back at the B&B, it was all very calm
and peaceful. Brian was his usual anal self. He had everything organized and
pretty much packed within an hour. They had a
"Well, gentlemen," Seamus
started as he raised his glass of lemonade, "it's been an honor and a
pleasure knowing you. I know you signed the registry but it would please me to
no end if each one of you signed my special guest book. And if it's not too
much trouble and you have no objection, I'd like a group photo of you all after
breakfast. It'll go in my book. I've enjoyed your stay here. I hope you'll
consider coming back." Seamus raised his glass higher, as did they all,
and they drank.
*****
"Bri, why
"It's straight," Brian quipped.
"What?" All three men asked at
the same time as they looked around at each other.
"It's. Straight." Brian
emphasized both words as if his warped logic made sense to the rest of the
world.
"Brian," Justin began with just
a touch of snark, "what does the sexual
orientation of
Brian huffed dramatically. "The road
to
"Awwww!"
John and Bobby exclaimed. They made it to
*****
"What's this?" Claire held up
the two inch pin made with colorful beads and crystals.
"It's called a 'Wild Woman,'
mother," John said with a slight blush to his face.
"And you think that I'm a wild
woman?" Claire asked her son whose blush deepened.
"I think you are," Steve walked
past to pour some more coffee. He winked at his wife and then at John. Claire
blushed.
"Steve!" Claire and John
shouted. The family laughed wholeheartedly.
"Mom, we need to get the children
home.
"Sure, honey, we'd love too."
The
Anderson/Morrison-Kinney/Taylor families piled into John's car to go home.
*****
The next day started out lazily.
Justin was decked out in his "Homolicious" t-shirt, and Emmett immediately changed
into his brand new "Flaming" t-shirt when Justin handed it to him. Briana wore her "I Love My Daddies" shirt. Even
Brian had contemplated wearing the "God Made Me Gay" shirt but in
deference to Joan who was coming up with his sister, he decided against it. He
and Joan were getting along so well lately that Brian thought discretion was
the better part of valor; he wore the "Eats Meat" shirt instead.
Brian gave out his 'Wild Woman' pins to
all the wild women in his life. And he handed Debbie a colorful little gift bag
brimming over with decorative thimbles.
"What's all this, kiddo?" Debbie
began to pick through the thimbles in the bag. "They're beautiful! You
remember, Brian, don't you?" Brian slightly nodded, looking a little sad.
"Those days are over, sweetheart. He
can't hurt you and YOU will never turn out like him. I'm so proud of you."
Debbie got up from her chair to give Brian one of her bone crushing hugs.
Brian, who was having a little trouble breathing, could not have cared less.
"LESBIANS?!" Emmett and Ted cried out together.
"Brian Kinney
making friends with lesbians?
I don't believe it!" Emmett went on.
"Justin, I don't mean to doubt your
word, but I need proof. Brian hates lesbians," Teddy said and then quickly
added, "Um, present company not included," when Lindsay and Melanie
glared at him.
"I have proof!" Justin smiled
brightly then pulled out a huge envelope of photos.
"Justin, you didn't!" Brian said
in horror. He didn't know that his fun with lesbians had been recorded for
posterity. Justin let out a slightly maniacal laugh as the family gathered
around and were given an eyeful of Brian in the Vendor's room being kissed by
lesbians, Brian at the bar surrounded by lesbians and drag queens, being plied
with drink, and Brian at the lesbian pool being fawned over. The family made a
collective gasp.
"Brian! You're finally in touch with
your feminine side!" Lindsay quipped as she gave the man she loved so
dearly, a warm hug and a deep kiss. Brian leaned back to gaze on Lindsay's
beautifully placid face. Images of what could have been, perhaps of another
life, flashed across both their faces. Brian took her hand in his and brought
it to his lips. They both smiled. The family held their breath as Melanie
bumped Lindsay out of her way with her hip so she could face her nemesis.
"Bitch," Melanie growled at
Brian. Brian took out a 'Wild Woman' and pinned it to Melanie's blouse.
"You're jealous that I make a better
dyke than you do," Brian said nonchalantly. "Lesbians love me."
Brian narrowed his gaze at Mel then winked. The whole cottage roared with
laughter including Melanie and Brian.
*****
"Mother, will you join me for a
walk?" Brian offered his arm to his mother as he picked up a gift bag.
They made their way out the porch door and through the gardens. It was late Spring; Brian's gardens were blooming. They walked to a set
of tables and chairs and sat.
"What is it, Brian?" Joan asked
almost too sternly. Joan saw the wince that flitted across her son's face for a
brief second. "I'm..." Joan gently patted Brian's cheek with her
hand.
"Bree does
that when she's apologizing for something," Brian said softly. Joan
nodded.
They sat quietly for a few moments then
Brian lifted the gift bag to place in Joan's lap. "I got you a few
souvenirs of our trip. They're not, um, I mean, nothing fancy but. I, oh shit, here!" He shoved the bag into his mother's
hands.
"What are they?"
"Thimbles, mostly. I remember you sewing with them. Stupid,
huh?"
"No, Brian, not at all. They're
lovely. What's in here?" Joan picked up a small box from the bag. Brian
took the box and opened it. He took out the crystal rosebud pin. "It's
beautiful, Brian." Brian pinned the delicate brooch to her lapel.
"How does it look?"
"Beautiful." Joan gave her son a
hug.
*****
"Dad? It's Molly, daddy. When are you coming home?"
"In a few more
days, why?"
"We wanted to surprise you."
"We?"
"Owen and me. Owen's asked me to marry
him and I said yes."
"That's wonderful, sweetheart. He's a
good man, from a good family. I think you couldn't have done better."
"Thanks. Um,
Dad?"
"Yes, honey. I intend to invite
Justin and Brian to the wedding."
"WHAT??!!"
TBC
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