“You should call him and make an appointment to have your new friend checked out,” I recommended. “In the meantime, Brook can make some good food suggestions for you. I’ve never had a dog so I wouldn’t be much help to you.” Not that he asked.
“I already called Kyle, and Buddy has an appointment tomorrow night.” He turned back to look at the display once more and I was glad to have his keen eyes off me so that I didn’t accidentally give away any of the emotions he made me feel.
“Buddy, huh?” I reached around him to pick up a simple navy blue collar that reminded me of Gabe’s comforter. I felt Gabe stiffen when my body brushed up against his. I tried not to get busted as I breathed the scent of him into my nose. He smelled exactly as I remembered from our one afternoon together – masculine and sexy. “Here,” I said, holding out the collar to Gabe. It looked sturdy and reliable – adjectives I was starting to associate with Buddy’s owner. Still, I wasn’t going to trust him with my heart and body.
He took the collar from my hand then picked out a leash and harness in the same color before he turned around and looked into my eyes. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” It was the friendliest exchange we’d ever had up to that point.I don’t know, having his dick in my ass was pretty friendly.I could tell that he wanted to say more, maybe push for more, but I wasn’t ready for that – might not ever be ready. So, I took a step back and briefly broke eye contact. “Well, I better get my stuff and get on the road. I have several stops to make before my company comes for dinner.”Why was I telling him so much?
“Company?” he asked, his brow furrowed as if he didn’t like the idea.
I didn’t owe him an explanation so I was surprised when I responded. “Mere and Chaz come over for Sunday dinner every week. Family Sunday dinners have always been a tradition, but my parents moved south after my dad retired. Mere and Chaz are my family and I cook dinner for them every week.”
“What are you serving?” Gabe asked. I didn’t know how I expected him to respond, but that wasn’t it.
“Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and baked banana pudding with meringue on top.” I watched as his eyes glazed over; I half expected to see a little drool form at the corners of his mouth. For a brief second, I almost entertained the idea of inviting him over for dinner, but I squelched that quickly. Sunday family dinners were sacred and he wasn’t my family. Mere and Chaz had brought boyfriends to Sunday dinners before and that was fine with me because it didn’t have the same significance to them as it did me. If I invited a guy to Sunday dinner, then it meant he was very important to me, as in maybe “the one.” It had never happened and I doubted that it would anytime soon, if ever.
“That’s a lovely tradition,” he said softly, almost distantly. It made me wonder where his mind had gone just then. Was he thinking about his family or the way things used to be for him and Kyle? Why did that last thought stab me right in the heart? He wasn’t mine; he would never be mine. Yeah, he wanted to fuck me, but that was nothing new. He would be like the others; he’d take what he wanted and then move on when someone better came along.
I shook off the melancholy and offered him a half smile and said, “I need to take off. I hope everything works out with Buddy.” I took a few steps backward and nearly knocked over a lady who was looking at dog sweaters. “Sorry,” I told her before I looked back at Gabe. “See you around, Detective.” I could feel an embarrassed flush creep up my neck and face.
“Thanks for your help,” he said, holding up the items in his hand.
I’d already said too much and made an ass of myself so I simply nodded and left the store. I was halfway to the grocery store when I realized I didn’t pick up the things I’d stopped at Brook’s to get, which meant I’d have to stop back by on my way home.So much for consistent, reliable routines.I knew damn well who was to blame – that dark-haired, dark-eyed demon in the guise of a sexy man.
“I can’t believe the police actually thought you could hurt Georgia,” Meredith said as she set the table. “Detective Wyatt might be sexy, but he can’t be that observant if he’s thinking of you as a murderer.”
“He’s hardly had an opportunity to observe me, Mere,” I said over the noise of my mixer as I mashed the potatoes.
“He watches you every chance he gets,” Chaz contributed. He placed the rolls on the counter and shut the oven door before he swatted me on the ass with the oven mitt he removed from his hand. “That man wants you sooooo bad.” The last part was said in a sing-song voice that made me smile.
“Whatever,” I replied, blowing it off. Neither of them knew about my afternoon in Gabe’s bed, which was strange because they kneweverythingabout me. I didn’t know why I refused to share with them what had happened between Gabe and me; I just knew that it felt wrong.
“That one is trouble,” Meredith said. She stood at the table with her hands on her hips. The vibrant pink sweater she wore complimented her dark skin. She looked as fierce as she did the day I met her.
Chaz and I have known each other since kindergarten, but Meredith didn’t come into our lives until high school. Chaz and I were the only “out” gay kids in our school, but we both knew that there were plenty of closeted kids who were either gay, bi, or really fucking curious about what our hands felt like wrapped around their cocks. Chaz and I felt like outcasts in the school, as a lot of gay kids probably do. Meredith was the only African American student in the school so we formed our own little band of rebel misfits.
I loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. Like with Chaz and me, Meredith had her heart broken when the boy she fell in love with refused to acknowledge their relationship for fear of what his parents would think. He was an idiot and not nearly good enough for my queen. Meredith realized that for herself later on, but at seventeen it was a very bitter pill to swallow. I think rejection colored her dating decisions as it had mine. Hence, the reason I kept Gabe at a safe distance – or tried to anyway.
“Yep, trouble,” I repeated. Meredith narrowed her intelligent eyes at me and I worried she could read my mind.
“There’s more here than what you’re telling us,” she shook her finger at me, “but I’ll let you keep your little secret. For now,” she clarified before she finished setting the table.
We gathered around the table and held hands while Mere said grace. Afterwards, we passed the serving dishes around and loaded up our plates with good food. As I preferred, there was no topic that was off limits for discussion over dinner. I wasn’t at all surprised when Chaz brought up Georgia’s murder again.
“I heard she was stabbed with a pair of sheers so that’s probably why they’re looking at you,” he said.
“It didn’t help that she screamed that she was going to destroy your business the day she was killed,” Meredith added. “I guess I can see why they’d at least question you.”
“They’re just doing their job,” I replied. “At first, I was pretty insulted, but I got over it. They didn’t haul me into the station for a formal interview. They just asked a few questions in Gabe’s… I mean, Detective Wyatt’s car.”
“Gabe, huh,” Meredith asked. “On a first-name basis now, are we?”
“He did save his life, Mere,” Chaz stated. “That warrants first-name basis in my book.” Chaz tipped his head to the side and tears filled his eyes. He had always been an emotional person, but feeling really sick the past week brought his emotions closer to the surface. “I’m so glad you didn’t die.”
“Thanks,” I said cheerfully, hoping to change the topic. “So am I.”
“Time for a toast,” Meredith said, raising her glass. Chaz and I did the same. “To not getting killed,” she said with a smirk.
