Galen had been heartbroken, but not because he was in love with Quinn—he enjoyed their closeness. After sex, Quinn was even sweet on occasion, holding Galen against his football-player body.
Ah, memories of youth.
“He would never have let me top him, you know.”
“I know. But at least you learned it wasn’t something you were interested in. Neither am I. So a relationship between us would probably be doomed. I mean, I love you and all, but like a friend. And I’m the friend who wants to help you out of this spot. So, what can I do?”
Unfortunately, there wasn’t an answer to that question forthcoming. Galen was screwed, and he knew it.
Chapter Eight
“PUT THOSE boxes on the shelves in the storage room, and make sure they’re out of the way of the leak.”
When Noel had called and said Lincoln was sending a delivery over, Robert had no clue that it would include cans of tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, peas, boxes of mashed potatoes, bags of flour, shelf-stable milk, and he’d even gone so far as to include soy milk for those kids who were lactose intolerant.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Scrolling through the contacts, he found Noel’s number and dialed.
“Did the stuff get there?”
“Oh my God, Noel. I can’t say thank you enough. This is…. Wow. I can’t even think of the words for how generous this was. Please thank Lincoln for me.”
“Do it yourself. Why not come by the diner for coffee one day? I think I could probably sweet talk Lincoln into springing for a meal.”
God, Noel was so damned amazing. “Lincoln is a lucky man.”
“Nah, I’m the lucky one. I have great friends, a man I love, and if I look at my life, it all comes back to you. I can’t repay you for your kindness. You literally kept me off the streets.”
“No, you kept yourself off the streets. You had no money, and I couldn’t afford to pay you. Going out and trying to earn money however you could would have been an option.”
“Never. I can’t even imagine doing that kind of stuff. I’m glad I didn’t have to.”
Robert winced when Brady cried out, “Watch it!” Then he heard the creaking of metal—a sound Robert had heard before. It was followed by a crash in the storage room that had Robert rushing to get there. He found one of his shelves had collapsed, and the cans that had been stocked were now scattered across the floor. Fortunately Brady didn’t appear to be hurt, and none of the cans had been damaged. He added yet another expense to his ever-growing list.
“Just stack them in the corner, would you? I’ll find something to prop them up later.” He brought the phone back to his ear. “I’m sorry, Noel. I have to go see if I can salvage this mess.”
“Do you need me to come down and help? I’ve got some money saved up, so I could get you some new shelving units.”
It was on the tip of Robert’s tongue to say yes, but he looked at all the things Lincoln and Noel had just given them. “No, it’ll be okay.”
“You’re a terrible liar. We’re done with brunch, so I’ll be down soon. And I’ll bring Lincoln with me, okay?”
Robert closed his eyes. He couldn’t afford to be too proud, especially now. “Okay. And thank you.”
Noel clucked his tongue. “That’s what friends are for. I’ll see you soon.”
As soon as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, Robert turned toward Brady, who was cleaning up the mess. God, he appreciated Brady—all the volunteers, really—so much. They took some pressure off him, and when things got rough, they stepped up to help out.
“Noel’s going to come down and bring some new shelves. I don’t want to make this harder on you than it already is, but could you help me move the stuff out of the room, and I’ll stock it after they’re put up?”
“I can stay and help, if you want.” Brady smiled, showing off the perfect teeth Robert had helped get him braces to fix. “Or, you know, maybe I could start dinner service.”
A quick glance toward the kitchen had Robert ready to whine. It was already one in the afternoon, and he should be working on the evening meal. “Brady, you would be a total lifesaver if you could start dinner. I have the menu posted on the refrigerator. I’ll get this cleaned up and come in as soon as I can.”
“No problem. You know I’m happy to help.”
He trotted off toward the kitchen, and Robert started lugging the boxes and cans back out of the storeroom. By the time he finished, his back was aching, but he’d gotten the room clear and the old shelves taken down. When the door opened and Noel stepped in, Robert rushed over to thank him once again for his kindness. He was brought up short by the man who stood behind him, a protective hand on Noel’s shoulder.
“Robert Kotke, this is Lincoln Merriweather. Lincoln, this is the man who saved my life.”
Lincoln graced him with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. Thank you for all these supplies. I can’t tell you how much they mean to me and the people who come here for help.”
“It’s my pleasure, honestly.” He kissed Noel on the top of the head. “Going to go get that stuff in, pup.”
Noel frowned. “I can help.”
“And you will. Stay here and help Robert, okay? He looks like he needs a hand.”
Robert sighed. “I’m behind on dinner. Brady is in the kitchen getting things started, but I had to clear out the storage area so you’d have a place to put the new shelves.”
“No problem. I’ll go give him a hand.”
Noel started for the kitchen, but Robert reached out and caught his wrist. “I need a favor. I know I don’t have any right to ask, especially after you took care of dinner last week and you gave us all this stuff.”
“Yeah, you can shut up now. What do you need?”
“My folks invited me to dinner on Sunday the twenty-seventh. I’d like to go, but I would need to ask if you could come in, direct the volunteers, and help out.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“It won’t be a problem for you? I know you need time with Lincoln too.”
“If I tell him you need a break, he’ll insist I help out. Trust me. I know my guy.”
Robert blew out a breath. “Thank you.” He grinned. “I seem to be saying that to you a lot lately.”
“It’s a pleasure, honestly. Now, let me go work on dinner.”
“Do you want me to come with you, or should I stay here and help Lincoln?”
“I think if you show him where you need the shelves, he’ll be okay. They’re like the ones at the diner, so he knows how to set them up.”
“Okay. I’ll be in as soon as I can.”
Noel trotted off to the kitchen, while Robert went to help Lincoln. When he got back to the storage area, Lincoln was already unpacking the boxes.
“Can I give you a hand?”
“Nah, I got it. I’ll have them set up in about an hour or so.”
“Okay. Thank you so much.”
Lincoln stopped what he was doing, turned, and stood. “You never have to thank me. You had something that you kept safe for me, and nothing I can do will ever repay you for that. Noel is…. God, he’s everything to me.”
“I can see when he looks at you that he feels the same way.” Robert swallowed. “Did he tell you what I said when he first started working at the diner?”
“No, what?”
“I told him he needed to be careful. When he said he worked off the clock that day, and that you gave him money, I was afraid….”
“You were afraid I was going to take advantage of him. You know what? I’m not mad at all. You didn’t know me, and you were right. Noel needed to question my intentions, which he did. I realize I pushed all this stuff at him fast, what with the asking him to move in and all. So, yeah, you were right.”
“No, Noel’s an adult, and I needed to trust his judgment. I didn’t. And I have to admit, I was a little hurt that he was moving on. After he went to bed that night, I questioned m
y own motives and figured out that I wanted him to stay here because he was like my own kid.”
Lincoln chuckled. “I can see that. Noel’s got all our regular customers in love with him. He brings light to any room he walks into.”
“So you’re not angry with me?” It was important to Robert that he and Lincoln not be at odds. For Noel’s sake, if nothing else.
“Not in the least.” Lincoln held out a hand. “I’d like to consider us family. Your kid and me.” He winked. “It’s like fate, you know.”
Robert looked at the hand, then did something out of the ordinary for him. He threw himself into Lincoln’s arms and hugged him tight. When he realized what he was doing, he tried to pull away, but Lincoln wrapped those big arms around him and squeezed.
“We all need a hug now and again.”
This man—no, this amazing man—would take care of Noel, Robert was certain. And that filled him with peace.
GALEN BLEW out a heavy breath. He and Andy had hauled more than a few boxes today, and it was tiring. “Where can I put this stuff?”
Andy lugged the last two things Galen had kept into his apartment. He hated that he needed to accept Andy’s offer, but until all the accounts shook out, he didn’t have the money to put a down payment on a place of his own.
“Your room is the one on the left. Go ahead and put them in there if you want.”
He took the things from Andy and stepped into the closet that Andy had laughingly referred to as a bedroom. Galen had seen bigger postage stamps. Still, it was either that or he’d be sleeping in the streets. And wouldn’t that just give Robert Kotke a laugh to see how the mighty had fallen?
A twinge of regret zipped through Galen at the thought of Robert. Galen had been a dick to a man who’d devoted his life to helping people. Maybe this was Galen’s penance. If there was a God, maybe He was tugging some universal strings to make Galen dance for His amusement. Galen could only hope that, when the time came, Father would be suffering the same fate.
Andy’s head came into view around the corner. “Are you hungry?”
“I could probably eat something.”
“Okay, going to make that macaroni and cheese we never had.”
“Sounds good.”
It didn’t really. Since the phone call from his father’s lawyer, a lead ball had filled Galen’s stomach. He’d lost everything, and not because he was gay, but because his father hated him for what he considered Galen’s weakness. He had wanted Lincoln back so he could get rid of Galen. That kind of sting didn’t go away easily.
Slender arms wrapped around him. “It’s going to be okay, Gale. You’ll see.”
“I wish I had your confidence. I gave him so much and never asked for anything in return. He dangled running Primal in front of me like a carrot, just so I’d do what he wanted.”
“So, your dad is an asshole. My brother cheated with my boyfriend. No family is perfect.”
Galen turned in Andy’s arms and put his head on Andy’s shoulder. He’d never felt so lost and helpless. He’d believed in his father and what he was doing, even if he didn’t always agree with it, and he thought Father trusted him, but that was a laugh. Now that he thought about it with a clearer head, he recalled many snarky comments about how Galen could have done this or should have done that. The judgmental remarks where Father would say that Lincoln would have handled something differently, which would have netted better results.
“God, I just realized. I was one of those pathetic kids who would have done anything to get their father’s approval.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Who doesn’t want their father’s love?” Andy leaned back and grinned. “Why do you think Daddy stories are so popular in gay romance?”
A laugh rolled out of Galen, then quickly turned into a sob.
“What’s wrong, Gale?”
“I just realized how pathetic I am.”
“Dude, I’m not going to say snap out of it, because we both know that’s going to come in its own time. What I will say is that you’ve been strong forever. Regardless of what your father says, you shouldered most of the burdens of Primal on your own. How many deals did you broker? How many times did you go to bat for people who ended up losing their jobs because your father wouldn’t listen to you? You keep thinking this is the first time you stood up to him, but it isn’t. Sure, the others were smaller but no less important. At least to the people who were affected.”
“How do you know this?”
Andy smiled at him. It wasn’t his usual full-wattage one. It was soft, tender, and betrayed a host of emotions. “I listen to you when you drunk-talk. I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: you’re a good man, Gale. You just need to find the person who can bring it out in you.”
“I don’t need anyone else.”
“Yeah, you do. When you were at work, you took the lead on everything. You pushed, you pulled, you prodded. But when you got home, you needed someone to take you in their arms and remind you of your worth.”
His worth. According to dear old Dad, that was nil. He wanted to say something, but apparently Andy wasn’t finished.
“I know you were drunk that night at the bar, and I didn’t have the heart to tell you what happened after you had sex with those men.”
Galen did his best to think back, but after the sex, he didn’t remember much.
Andy took his hands. “You ran outside and sat in the alley, crying your heart out. You told me you wanted someone to see you, not for sex, but to see you. I sat down beside you and stroked your hair while you kept talking about how no one knew the real you. I tried to assure you I did, but you were too far out of it. I put you in the cab and sent you home.”
A dull pain flared in his chest. It wasn’t the first time he’d wished he didn’t have to hide who he was. He wasn’t ashamed of being gay. At least, not exactly. He believed he was trading that sliver of his life for something much greater. He wanted to take Primal Imports to a higher standing than Father ever could. He wanted the accolades and praise he’d never gotten after he showed the world what he could do. He needed to prove to himself that he was as good as Lincoln.
And now? That was a pipe dream.
“Gale, are you listening to me?”
Galen sighed. “No, sorry. I was having a pity party all by myself.”
“You’re entitled, believe me, but at some point, you have to decide what you’re going to do. Will you let him keep smacking you down? If you want someone to see you, then make them. Stand up and show the world that Galen Merriweather makes his own rules.”
He loved how optimistic Andy was. He usually tried to see the good in people, even though he never really had a lot of love for Galen’s father. Galen had defended the man, telling Andy he was under a lot of stress, but the words always rang hollow to him anyway.
“What do you say we get out of here? We can go to dinner or something.”
Galen did his best to grin. “You mean a bar.”
“No, I mean dinner. I’m not sure alcohol is a good thing for you right now.”
Actually, alcohol sounded great. Galen could get totally wasted and forget the mess he was mired in. He knew that wouldn’t solve anything. He’d done enough stupid things when he was drunk, and he’d just been told he sat in an alley and sobbed on Andy’s shoulder. No, definitely no alcohol tonight.
“Dinner sounds good.” He would have to watch what little money he had, though. He had a few thousand in cash, but not much beyond that. Unless a miracle happened, Galen wouldn’t be seeing any relief from the courts. Father would ensure that he squeezed every dime from Galen.
“Where do you want to eat?”
A mostly pleasant memory filtered into Galen’s mind. “Ever had Real Chili?”
Chapter Nine
EVEN WITH Lincoln and Noel helping, the day had totally sucked. Brady had done his best to get the food done, but he’d come to Robert, practically in tears, telling him he was so far behind and people were alrea
dy starting to line up. Lincoln stepped up and took charge, told Brady what he needed to be doing, and pitched in to help him. Meanwhile, Noel had gotten the storeroom in working order, with a promise to find someone to patch the hole in the ceiling. Robert watched as his grip on the shelter got more and more tenuous.
He stood there, looking at Noel’s handiwork. He had always been organized, and the place looked great. Unfortunately, as he continued to look, the enormity of what had happened started to sink in.
“No matter what I do, it’s all falling apart.”
“Why would you think that?”
He spun and found Noel standing behind him. “I thought you’d left.”
“Lincoln and I washed the dishes. Now answer the question.”
Robert took a deep breath. “There’s not enough money for everything. We have more and more people coming in every month. With the economy the way it is, too many are losing what little they have. Most nights we’re over capacity, and when I call the other places, they all tell me they’re full. The other night I gave up my room so someone else would have a place to sleep.” He shuddered. “I know you’re going to say I should have kept the check, right?”
“No.” Noel stepped over and wrapped his arms around Robert’s waist. “I told Lincoln what you said, and he agreed. In fact, he said pretty much the same thing. I thought I was helping, and I’m very sorry.”
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