Sometimes, I wasn’t sure I got it either. I just knew that it wasn’t about the baking. It was about the dogs and their owners. That special bond they had. The joy of watching one treasure the other.
I couldn’t begin to explain that in a way that didn’t sound silly and childish. I just wanted to make dogs happy. That was the simple truth of it.
I shrugged. “It’s just not what I want to do.”
“Well, you should always pursue your happiness,” Dad said with an air of finality. The subject was closed,thankfully. “Everyone sit down and eat. Your mom worked hard on this meal.”
Gwen returned with her daughter and Ashley’s son in tow, directing them to open seats. Their older siblings were at a sporting event with Ashley’s husband tonight. When everyone was in attendance, we had to drag in chairs from other rooms to accommodate us all.
My family was full to bursting with loving partners and children. And then there was me.
Single. Alone.
Confusing all of them with my inability to settle down with a nice boy and open a nice bakery and live the nice life they could see so clearly for me.
They loved me unconditionally. Barely blinked when I came out as gay.
But I couldn’t help but feel, sitting at the crowded family table, that I would always be the odd man out.
My disastrous date with Hank only hammered it home. I was alone, and I might always be.
CHAPTER 9
Hank
My brother cameup behind me while I loaded plates into the dishwasher. “Dude, can I borrow your car?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Sorry, but I’m going out in a few minutes.”
His eyebrows drew together. “On a Sunday afternoon? Bro, if you’ve been reduced to awkward coffee dates, we need to get you some professional help.”
I picked up the wet sponge by the sink and threw it at him.
He caught it with a laugh. “Seriously, where are you going?”
“I’ve got a Dogtober planning session.”
He snorted. “Of course you do. You’ve sunk even lower than coffee dates. You’ve got so much free time you’re organizing dorky festivals for this dorky-ass town.”
Ouch. “I only moved here for you, you brat.”
He grimaced. “But you like Granville, right?”
Actually, I did. It was quaint, with cute little businesses.Everyone was nosy and gossipy, but in a nice way. It was comforting to see so many familiar faces, too. Which begged the question, how the hell had I missed Jamie before the date fiasco?
“I like it,” I confirmed. “And I had a date Saturday, so you can stop worrying about me.”
It had been a date to nowhere, but Corey didn’t need to know that. I’d chosen not to share the details with my butthead of a brother. He’d have keeled over laughing—or maybe just suggested I’d have better luck dating men.
“Nice!” Corey tossed the sponge into the sink. “You going to see her again?”
Her. Because my brother reasonably assumed my date was with a woman.
“Uh, no, probably not.”
“What was wrong with her?”
“Nothing was wrong with—” I stopped abruptly and slammed the dishwasher door shut. “We just weren’t a good match, that’s all. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.”
