“No, as in he just got out of prison,” Ryan answers for him as he wraps one arm around Drew’s waist.
“But are you just out of prison annnd out of the closet?” Jesus Christ, this guy does not know how to read a room.
“Carter, why don’t you go and get Roman a drink?” I ask him with my fuck-around-and-find-out voice in full effect. “Ryan, why don’t you and Drew take your brother into Gavin’s office and have a private conversation?'' I tell them in the same tone and thankfully they all nod and I watch as Roman maneuvers all that body through the crowd. I see concern creasing Gavin’s brow as he watches them retreat. Taking his hand I give it a squeeze. “They will be okay, his brother getting out is a good thing, right?” I ask, a little wobble of concern in my own voice now after seeing Gavin have such a reaction to the man. His eyes follow them all the way out of sight before he leans down and brushes a kiss against my temple and whispers, “He’s been gone a long time, I just hope he’s learned his lesson.”
CHAPTER 17
GAVIN
“Hey, Ryan.” I greet my friend as I see him passing by my office on his way to the break room. “Come in for a second.” He sighs but enters the room. It’s been a week since the art show, and Ryan was on leave till today. “Is everything okay?”
“Well, in general, yeah.” I say nothing, waiting for him to elaborate. “Sorry for the whole Roman thing. I had no idea he was going to show up like that.”
“It’s nothing to be sorry about. He’s your brother. But I gotta ask…” I exhale slowly not wanting to say something out of line. It’s not like every day you meet an ex-con and know how to handle it. How am I supposed to react in a situation like this? What is the etiquette here? “...is he going to cause trouble?”
“What? No, I mean I don’t think so. He’s been in prison for a long time. Even if he was innocent like he said… he was there for a long time. It’s gotta change a person, so I have no idea.” He pauses, looking down as he sighs. “I want to give him a chance. I would love to get to know my brother again, I want him to get to know all of you. You’re my family now, so if he wants to be a part of my life, he has to stay on the up and up.”
“I’ve been thinking, I can ask around if someone is looking to hire?” I’ve talked about it with Pete. We both know his story, but as Ryan said, a sentence that long, being locked up for all that time, changes a person.
“If you could, that would be really great, man. He needs a fresh start and people around here trust your judgment.” I watch as an invisible weight lifts off his shoulders and he relaxes further into the chair. Ryan is a great guy, he has a huge heart and even with so much time and history between him and his brother I can tell he just wants to help him and probably thinks that he is the only one who can.
“No problem, we’ve got your back. You know that right? All of us are here for you.” Just like he said, we’re all family here. “He’s welcome here anytime, and I’ll let you know if anybody gets back to me about a job.”
“Thanks, man. Now we just need to find him somewhere to stay,” Ryan rolls his eyes. “Our couch is too small and apparently our sex noises are too much for him.”
“Well what was he expecting? You’re newly engaged, it was kinda obvious there will be some celebrations.” I chuckle. I know I would not let Pete leave our bed for at least a week after he’d said yes. I pause my brain because… what the fuck. Proposing? Really?
“Right?” Ryan’s voice brings me back to reality. I clear my throat. “Let me know if you hear anything. I need to make some coffee before my next client.” He gets up and bounces off.
Proposing, huh?
As always I try to ignore Adam’s voice.
It’s about time you settle down, if you ask me.
I didn’t.
Listen, pal. When was the last time you thought about reaching into that drawer with your stash? When was the last time you had depressing thoughts?
I’m having one right the fuck now.
Well, boo-hoo. Get over yourself. You know damn well that this guy is perfect for you.
Is it that simple? Can I let go and let it happen just like that?
And why the hell not?
Oh, I know exactly why not. It’s sitting in that drawer. A reminder of all my failings.
Excuses. You’ve kept it out of your life for a decade. It doesn’t own your life anymore. He does.
I’ve never been more grateful for hearing that voice than I am right now. The realization of how true those words are hits me like a Mack truck on a highway.
Pete is the most important thing in my life. He is my life now. And I need to protect him, protect what we have at all costs. I won’t let anything change that.
PETE
Something changed. I can’t put my finger on it yet but Gavin’s acting… different, good different, but different. He’s not grumpy anymore. Well at least seventy percent of the time he’s not which is a huge improvement. I love seeing him like this. He’s interacting more with his clients, smiling, making small talk, getting to know their stories. If it continues I think I may need to think of another nickname for him because he’s no longer a grumpy bear. Ha, I wonder how he would react if I called him Care Bear.
