“Why’d someone send you that?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet.”
I flipped through the papers. It was pretty much like a real estate listing but with all the details of the house you’d never think to put in one, including age of windows, number of outlets, the contents in each room, and on and on.
“This is weird.” I handed it to him. “Do they want me to buy it?”
I didn’t have any money. All of my savings had gone into buying my home after living in apartments for years, but I’d try to figure it out. That place was special and worth any sacrifice, including getting a shitty apartment with roommates if need be.
“No, but I don’t think this is a listing. See if there’s anything else.”
Sure enough, there was a letter from a law office letting me know I needed to set up a meeting with them to finalize the details.
“Did you know he was leaving you the cabin?”
“No, and no one else did either because if they did, trust me, they would have bitched about it.” Or maybe that was why I was just getting the info now.
“What are you gonna do?”
I checked the time. “Looks like I’m waiting till tomorrow and calling this number, I guess.”
He took the paper from me, shoved both it and the packet into the envelope, walked them over, and dropped them in the basket.
“How about we not think about that tonight?” He pretended it was a question but, knowing Brock, it was more of a command. I teased him that he’d be a good daddy because he was so bossy multiple times since we met, and each and every one of them ended with him sticking out his tongue to me.
“You just want me to ignore it?” Was that possible?
“Pretty much because it’s either that, or you let yourself spiral. Besides, we have chicken.”
“I do like chicken and, Brock, thanks. I’m glad you were here.” Having someone else to focus on had been huge, despite him not having “done anything.”
“You’re lucky to have a friend like me.” He grabbed my hand. “It’s chicken time.
We ate chicken, lots and lots of chicken with no sides because, to Brock, it was just about the chicken. He was funny when it came to his fried chicken.
Bellies full, we laid blankets and pillows on the floor and turned on one of our favorite movies. We watched every single one in the franchise until we both fell asleep on the floor. It was the escape I needed because tomorrow, I was going to have to deal with lawyers, lots and lots of paperwork, and probably some pissed-off relatives.
Chapter Two
Will
As an osteopath, it had taken me longer to get to this point than the average MD. I actually did have my MD, having taken the exam and qualified for both, but my heart lay with the more holistic side of my training.
Still, it was best to be armed with all when treating patients.
That said, as the only osteopath in our neighborhood, my days were full. I tried to arrange my schedule in a reasonable way so that I could go home in time for dinner, but in truth, it rarely happened. And by the time I did finish up and got to the car, I was too tired to even stop by my club and burn off the stress of the day. But I kept trying…and failing.
A huge loss because that left a big part of my soul wanting.
My nurse stuck her head into my office. “Just two more patients.”
I glanced at the clock and grimaced. Seven p.m. “Thanks, Gennie.” Technically, I could go to Chained; nothing really got going until nine or so in most of the club, but the part I liked tended to get started earlier. It was also one of the most energetic areas, filled with littles and their caregivers, lots of fun activities, games, and snacks. As a daddy, the little room at Chained was more home than the house I lived in, where sometimes the silence grew loud. In a lonely moment, I’d considered adopting a dog, but how cruel would it be to leave them alone all day? Instead, I made a donation to a local shelter, paying adoption fees for several others who could do a better job of taking care of their pup or cat.
My patient came in and sat in front of my desk, and I brought up their chart on my tablet and prepared to discuss their care. An osteopath was a lot more hands-on than the averageMD, and a lot of factors went into their treatment plan. This patient had been seeing me for several years, so our meeting didn’t take long, the treatment already mostly laid out. But the second was a new person, and I would never rush anyone. They deserved my full attention and every bit of my skill to help with their ailments.
I walked the first patient out and greeted the second in the waiting room. I had a short vacation coming up and had almost canceled it today because I had no plans.
Two hours later, I was on my way home, a bag of fast food I’d tell my patients never to eat, on the seat beside me. I liked to think I was in good health, but since I hadn’t been to the gym in months and rarely cooked myself a meal, eventually, it was going to wear me down.
