“Get used to that, too.”
Adam allowed himself a squeeze to Rico’s shoulder, then turned and left, knowing he’d be more of a distraction than a help.
Entering the locker room whistling, Adam came face-to-face with a grinning Patrick, who also was leaving for home.
“So. Rico, huh?”
An uncontrollable smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah, so?” Adam opened his locker to start changing out of his uniform.
“I’m happy for you. You deserve it.”
That simple statement gave him the chills. Did he? Wordlessly, Adam slammed the locker door shut and began to change into his jeans and T-shirt.
“What’s wrong?”
Gazing into Patrick’s freckled, honest face, Adam couldn’t tell him about all the horrors of the past. “Nothing,” he said, giving Patrick a weak smile that didn’t fool him one bit, given the skeptical tilt of his brow.
“Well, when you decide to share, lemme know. And don’t forget to give PJ a call when you can.”
“Sure.” Before Patrick could interrogate him any further, Adam headed out the door. He called out his good-byes to the remaining firefighters and left, breathing in the late-morning clear air. Perhaps a walk would do him good, and he decided to take the subway at a station a stop away to give himself a chance to clear his mind.
“Adam, how’s it going?”
Unlike with Patrick, Adam couldn’t ignore Mr. D. “Going good, Mr. D. What’s up with you?” He forced a smile and leaned on the wrought-iron railing. “Beautiful day.”
“It sure is. I’m picking my vegetables.” A basket sat at his feet, filled with long green cucumbers and skinny wax beans. “Gonna make a nice cold salad to go with my chicken cutlets.”
Thinking of Rico working hard back at the firehouse, Adam smiled. “You like to cook?”
“Of course. My mother made sure we learned, and I like to give Maria a break in the kitchen.”
“I have my friends who run the Garden of Eat-In. You know their food is the real old-fashioned home-made stuff.”
“The only way to be. I don’t go for that fancy, two-bites-for-a-meal kind of food. Give me a nice cutlet, some fresh vegetables, and a loaf of bread, and we’re done.”
Thinking about how worn-down Rico would be after tonight, Adam wanted to do something for him.
“Would you be willing to help me? I have a friend I want to do something special for, but I don’t know how to cook.”
“Is this a special friend? Like a girlfriend?”
Might as well get it out there in the open. If Mr. D was the type of man he suspected, he’d be happy for Adam.
“More like a boyfriend. I’m gay, Mr. D.” Adam held his breath.
The elderly man said nothing for a moment, then shook his head. “You protect the city, me, my neighbors. Everybody. You don’t ask before you run into a burning building if the people in there are like you. I don’t care, if that’s what’s got you worried.”
Adam let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mr. D.”
“Now, come inside and tell me what you want.” He opened the gate, and Adam entered the front garden. “I got an idea for a nice romantic dinner like I make for Maria if I think she’s mad at me.”
Laughing, he followed Mr. D into the brownstone.
*
The buzzer fromdownstairs woke him from his nap on the sofa. Adam jumped up and hit the button, smiling when he heard Rico’s voice.
“It’s me.”
