"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Gregory," Seg said, greeting Lydia with the same smile he'd greeted Daniel with. "And I'm a little more than a friend."
Roan nearly choked, shocked to the roots of his hair that Seg was so upfront during their introduction.
"This is Colton. He goes by Seg," Daniel informed Lydia, his tone dry.
Seg grinned, then glanced over at Liam. "Look who it is, Liam."
"Hi, sweet boy," Lydia greeted, stepping closer but not quite close enough to touch Liam. "You're getting so big."
That tended to happen after four months of not seeing a baby, but Roan didn't say as much. He'd promised himself he'd be on his best behavior. At this point, he was going to take a page from Seg's book because the guy had managed to break the ice within the first thirty seconds of being in the house.
"Have a seat," Daniel stated gruffly, waving toward the couch.
"Thank you," Seg responded.
Roan fought the urge to grin. The man was on his absolute best behavior. It was kind of hot.
"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Gregory."
Lydia's eyes swept from Daniel to Roan, then over to Seg. "You can call me Lydia. Please."
Seg nodded, then gave the air a little sniff. He grinned sheepishly. "Would you possibly have somewhere I could change Liam?"
Lydia's eyes widened while Daniel nearly choked on a laugh.
"Yes. Uh … you can use the guest room."
"Perfect. If you'll lead the way … " Seg got to his feet, still holding Liam. He shot Roan a quick grin before snatching the diaper bag and following Lydia down the hall toward the back bedrooms.
"You're serious about this one?" Daniel asked, his deep voice little more than a whisper.
"What gave it away? The fact that I introduced him to you?" Since Roan had yet to introduce his father to anyone he was interested in, he got it. He also got the fact that his father noticed.
Daniel didn't respond to Roan's retort, just slid his bored gaze over Roan's face. "He the reason reporters were camped out in front of my house and yours?"
"He is."
"You're okay with that stunt he pulled? Can he be trusted?"
Roan was surprised that his father knew what had happened, but he hid his initial reaction. "I am, and yes, he can."
Daniel nodded as though processing that information. He met Roan's gaze. "How's Liam doing?"
"Great. Strong, healthy, growing like a weed."
"And this guy likes Liam?"
Roan narrowed his eyes. This guy was changing Liam's diaper. He figured it was safe to assume Seg was more than a late-night visitor to Roan's bed.
"He loves him."
"And he's still got a job? After that fiasco with the woman?"
Roan sighed. "It wasn't the fiasco with the woman. The heat is coming from the fact that he's gay. But yes, he does still have a job. And that's behind us. He hadn't come out to anyone, Dad. He's a professional athlete. It was bound to make news. But it's out there now and he's dealt with it."
Seg returned to the living room, carrying Liam, with Lydia right at their side. She was laughing at something Seg said. Seg must've felt the tension because his eyes traveled between Roan and his father, then back. He quirked a brow in a silent question. Roan nodded slightly, forcing a smile.
"Lydia said dinner's about ready. You hungry?" Seg asked, his question directed at Roan.
Thankfully Roan's father got to his feet and followed his wife into the kitchen.
Roan peered around Seg to ensure no one could hear him. "You seriously did not make her laugh within five minutes of being here."
"I told you. I've got charm." Seg winked.
"There's no way this is over. That's too anticlimactic."
Seg grinned, then leaned in and kissed Roan lightly. "Always looking for the drama, eh?"
Roan huffed out a laugh, a real smile forming this time.
Seg was obviously proud of himself, because he winked. "It's not over, trust me. But the night's young. Give it a chance."
Roan didn't like the sound of that. In order to give it a chance, he was going to have to listen to a lecture from his stepmother.
And if that wasn't enough to kill his appetite, the dirty diaper Seg passed over certainly was.
FROM THE INSTANT SEG WALKED in the door, he understood the dynamic of Roan's parents. His father was clearly the strong, silent type. He didn't seem to care about much of anything except his television and dinner. Lydia, on the other hand, wanted to be the center of attention. More so than Liam, even. Which was odd, but whatever.
Dinner had been a relatively tense ordeal. Thankfully, they had Liam to help calm the waters. Everyone spent most of their time watching him chow down on applesauce and make a complete mess of himself despite the fact he never touched the spoon.