Owen nods, looking slightly worried, as if maybe he shouldn’t have agreed. “I’ll see you soon,” he finally says. “And here are your books.”
*
He regrets inviting Owen to dinner from the moment he leaves the library till the moment he returns to pick him up. With how much of a shitshow Will’s life is these days, adding anything more to the mix is downright crazy. He tells himself it’s only dinner, but he can’t ignore the fact that Owen is related to Sheryl, not to mention gay. Hanging out with another gay man isn’t something he does.
I’m being selfish and careless. Even if they are about to have dinner out of town, someone from Van Buren might see them.
Will decides to bail on Owen and drive home instead. He’ll tell him later that something involving Julie came up. But before he can start the car, Owen exits the library.
Damn it.
He locks the doors, then walks over to the truck. His steps are light, but there’s still tension in his shoulders. He slides inside and fastens the seatbelt. “Did she likethe books we’ve picked?”
Will starts the car. The engine is old but reliable; its familiar rumbling always brings comfort. “Yes. She’s excited to dive in.”
“Good. I’m starving. What kind of food do they have?”
“Mostly burgers, but good ones. They also have a few salads if you prefer.”
“Nah, a burger sounds good. I used to be a vegetarian, but I think it was mostly to piss off my dad.”
Will smiles as he drives away from the town center. Since this dinnerishappening, he should at least try to enjoy it instead of overthinking things. “What made you stop?”
“It felt a bit pointless when he ended up also turning vegetarian.”
“Maybe he did that to make you stop.”
“That makes sense actually.” He clears his throat. “You didn’t come to Rodie’s on Saturday and Sunday. Were you out of town?”
Will tightens his grip on the steering wheel. He was either at Nate’s, high and hurting, or he was waiting for the pain to pass alone in his house. “I had some things to take care of. It’s hard to find the time during the week now that spring’s here.”
“Do you also work during winter?”
“Yeah, but it’s harder, especially waking up at dawn when it’s freezing outside.”
“I feel cold just thinking about it.” Owen leans his seat back to give his long legs more room. “How long have you had your own business?”
“Almost three years. My old boss sold it to me for a good price. He was looking to retire, and he didn’t want his hard work and connections to go to waste.”
“That’s good. Your employees really like you.”
“Well, they’re also my friends, so they better like me.” But he still enjoys hearing that. “You’re settling in nicely, I see.”
“It feels like I’ve been here for months. I don’t know why that is.”
“Maybe because there isn’t much to get used to. When things are simple, you get the hang of them quickly.”
Owen nods. “Didn’t think of it like that. I’m fine with simple. Simple’s safe.”
Will wouldn’t call Van Buren safe. He hasn’t felt safe here in a long time, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. But he’s glad that Owen found his safety here, since he clearly needed that, though Will can’t imagine why.
It’s getting dark, and Will drives slower on these dark, winding country roads. “We should be there in a few minutes. It’s right by the river. They put out lights that reflect in the water.”
“Sounds romantic.”
Will’s stomach tightens, because yes—it sounds romantic. He likes going there to get away from familiarfaces, but he’s never been there with anyone, so romance wasn’t on his mind.
“I’m just kidding,” Owen says once Will doesn’t respond.
