Andy leaned in conspiratorially. “Don’t tell him I said this, but Galen misses Lincoln. He regrets so many things he’s done, but hurting Lincoln and Noel is at the top of that long list. He won’t be able to forgive himself until he makes peace with them.”
Robert sighed. “I know. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but—”
The bedroom door opened and Galen stepped out. Robert thought he’d dress up for power meetings and the like, but he was mistaken. What he was wearing? A pair of jeans with a hole in the front pocket and a faded blue shirt with a washed-out logo on the chest. Somewhere he’d found a pair of tan work boots, laced up to the top. And that bit of stubble on his chin added to the whole package. God, just looking at him gave Robert some naughty ideas.
“How do I look?”
Andy fanned himself with his hand. “Oh, holy shit. Who knew you could look so… butch!”
That made Galen grin. “What do you think, Robert?”
“I…. Um….”
“I think he’s trying to put together a coherent sentence. Honestly, Gale…. You look amazing.”
“Yeah, what he said.” Robert set Mouse on the couch, then got up and marched over to Galen. When he reached him, Robert swept Galen into an embrace. “This is the perfect clothes for working at the shelter. Honestly, I thought you’d have on a suit or something.”
Galen smirked. “I’m going to take one with me, if that’s okay. When we meet with people who we hope will give us money, I want to dazzle them, but when we’re cleaning, I figure I should wear clothes that won’t matter if they get dirty.”
“You’re the office manager. You’re doing the computer work, paperwork, and things like that. You don’t have to do manual labor.”
“Oh, Robert.” Andy patted his arm. “You’ll learn.”
He looked between Andy and Galen. “Learn what? What are you talking about?”
“On that note, I’m going to meet Marco for coffee.” Andy stood, kissed Galen on the cheek, then walked to the door. He turned around and winked at Robert. “Enjoy your first lesson in Galen 101.” He stepped out and closed the door. Robert could hear the laughter as he went down the stairs, and he wondered if he should be worried.
“Come on. We have work to do.”
“What was he talking about?”
Galen opened the closet and pulled out a garment bag, which he slung over his shoulder. He shut the door and turned back to Robert. “You don’t need an office manager. Well, let me rephrase. You don’t need me as an office manager. You need a partner. Someone who will work side by side with you. I can balance books and squeeze a dollar from the most miserly of people. And that’s going to help, but it doesn’t fix the plumbing or paint the walls or get the layers of crud off the windows. While it’s better than sleeping outside, these people deserve the dignity of a clean, warm, safe environment.” He drew in a breath. “They need to not end up like Bree.”
“Are you sure about this? It’s hard work.”
Galen quirked an eyebrow. “I’m not afraid of hard work, Robert. You might think I’m the pampered son of a rich bastard, but nothing could be further from the truth. I worked my ass off to get where I was, including jobs to pay for my schooling. I begged any and everyone who had work to let me have it. I didn’t care if it was balancing books or walking dogs. I would do it.”
“You walked dogs?”
“I’ll have you know I was the best dog walker in Chicago.”
Robert chuckled. “Oh, really?”
“I was!” Galen feigned indignation. “Well, for half a shift. Then I gave a house a dog that wasn’t theirs, and that ended my budding career.”
“Galen….”
He gave a sigh and a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Fine. I screwed up. Yeah, Galen the Klutzy proved to them that even walking dogs was beyond him. Happy now?”
Robert ran a hand over Galen’s cheek. “Ecstatic. But not because of anything you’ve done before. It’s more that you want to be all in at the shelter with me. I… I have to admit, I never thought I would find a guy who wanted the same things I do.”
“I’ll be honest… I didn’t know until the other night.” He put an arm over Robert’s shoulder. “Let me tell you a story about a little girl and a danish.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
NOVEMBER CAME in with brisk winds and record low temperatures. Galen was glad he’d started working—volunteering—at the shelter. He got to know many of the residents, who he found he had a lot in common with.
Jeff’s company went bankrupt and closed overnight. When he showed up for work, he was escorted from the premises without even having a chance to get his personal belongings. He’d spent the last four months sleeping in his car. Alan loved to play chess but rarely got the chance. He was good too.
And then there was Cassandra, or Cassie, as she insisted on being called. She was the girl who had given him the danish that night, and he found her to be an absolute delight. She lived with her mother in a ramshackle tenement with no electricity, heat, or running water. Galen was appalled that someone could drag their daughter into something like that, but then he watched as Cassie climbed onto her mother’s lap and was cradled in her arms. When he asked Robert about it, the answer he got was even though the air-conditioning in the shelter was ancient at best, Cassie and her mom came when temperatures soared to over a hundred or, like now, it got too cold for them to be there. She did everything she could, but no matter what, sometimes Cassie and her mom needed help. It was obvious she loved her daughter, and Galen was shamed that he’d thought otherwise.
Every day he learned a new lesson from these people. The most telling was that circumstances were the difference between success and life on the streets. Cassie’s mother had been a waitress until she got pregnant. There were complications—Cassie’s brain didn’t get the oxygen it needed, and as a result, she was developmentally disabled—and they couldn’t afford the hospital bills. She sold their house and everything they owned, and that barely made a dent in what their bills were. She made the mistake of trying one of those firms that say they can help with the bills and collectors, and they ran off with the money she’d paid them.
Every person had a story, one which Galen had never opened his mind or heart to before, but now his eyes were open and he’d started to understand. He admitted to Robert that it would take him time, but he swore he would get there.
Robert had been meeting with the contractors who were working on the outside of the building, fixing the windows and cracks in the structure. They’d started working on the gaps that let air in first, wanting to stave off the chill until they could fix them permanently. They also worked on installing new thermal windows, and did tuck-pointing on the brick facade.
Galen, however, had another mission that called to him today.
“And Prissy Peter sat down to pour tea for him and Robert Rabbit.” He deepened his voice. “Do you want sugar?”
“No! No sugar!” the little girl in his lap shrieked.
He tweaked Cassie’s nose. “That’s what Robert Rabbit said! How did you know that?”
“Because Robert doesn’t like sugar, only milk.”
She snuggled deeper into his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her. “You’re a very smart girl, Cassie.”
She gazed up at him and smiled. “I love you, Uncle Galen.”
Her words choked him up and made him proud at the same time.
It had started out of desperation. Cassie’s mother hadn’t slept in days, instead allowing Cassie to curl up and rest. Galen offered to watch Cassie while she took a nap. At first she was hesitant, but then Robert told her Galen could be trusted, and she thanked him. He was pretty sure she was out before her head hit the pillow.
After her mom fell asleep, Galen asked Cassie what she wanted to do, and she begged him for a story. He went in search of a book but couldn’t find any, so he sat down with her and started telling her the story of Prissy Peter. As the days went on, he expanded the worl
d to include Prissy’s friends: Brady the Badger, Robert Rabbit, Marco the Mink, Andy the Aardvark, Noel the Narwhal, and Lincoln the Lion. She ate it up.
Then more kids wanted to hear the stories, so every night Galen spun new ones, each tale more fantastical than the next. Cassie and the other children couldn’t get enough and Galen found himself enraptured by his tiny audience. Each night, while their parents were getting their beds ready, Galen would take them to the common room and they’d all sit cross-legged on the floor as he tried to think of something new. It didn’t matter; they all enjoyed themselves anyway.
They’d always thanked him, but this was the first time any of them said they loved him.
“I love you too, Cassie-Cake.” He tweaked her nose again. “Very much.”
She spun around and got up on his legs so she was looking him in the eye. She leaned in and kissed him, like he’d seen her kiss her mother a hundred times. Tears stung his eyes at how perfect this moment was.
“Good night, sweetheart.”
“Good night, Uncle Galen.”
She turned and hurried off to where her mom was waiting.
“Nicely done, Uncle Galen.”
He turned and found Robert leaning against the doorframe, smiling at him. His tone was teasing, but there was a warmth there too.
“She said she loved me.”
“What’s not to love? Even if you thought you weren’t worthy of it before—which you were—you have to realize you’re not the same person you used to be, you know.”
“Andy tells me the same thing all the time. That kid makes me believe it, though.”
Robert stepped up and kneaded Galen’s shoulders. “She loves you.”
He tilted his head back until he was peering up at Robert. “Would you believe I love her?”
“No one would ever be able to tell, and I promise not to let anyone in on your secret.” He bent and kissed Galen’s nose. “I’ve got quotes on the repair work from five companies. Can I get you to check them?”
“Sure. How does it look?”
Robert sighed. “Some of them are pretty steep, but I know the work needs to get done. One of them says the foundation needs to be looked at too.”
“Ouch.” Galen had been afraid of that. “What kind of pricing are we looking at?”
Robert winced.
“Oh, that bad, huh?”
“Probably worse. I’m not up-to-date on things like this, so I can’t really say.”
Galen stood and grabbed Robert’s hand. He loved when they touched, because it reminded him that this was real. It wasn’t just a dream he’d been having and would have to wake from eventually. Then again, with the bills, maybe it would have been better if it was a dream.
“Let’s go see what we can do.”
As they headed for the office, Galen’s phone rang. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his pants and pulled it out. “It’s Olivia.”
“Oh, go ahead and take it. I’ll wait in the office for you.”
Galen answered the phone and held it to his ear. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“You’re not going to believe this!”
“Try me.”
“I’ve contacted as many women as I could find and told them what we were doing. A lot of them said they wouldn’t be part of it because they were afraid of your father retaliating, but I got twelve who were willing to put stories up on the site. Then they must have told some other people, because now we’ve got twenty-seven. They’ve already sent me the details of what they remember, and I’ve got them formatted and ready to go up.”
Galen expected it would take months, maybe years. Hell, he wasn’t even sure it would work. Now, though? His confidence was much higher.
“Go ahead and post them.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “Are you certain you want to do this?”
Was he? Did he want revenge for the wrongs done to him or justice for the things his father had done to those women? Did it have to be mutually exclusive? The thing of it was, he was happier working at the shelter than he had ever been at Primal. There were no cutthroat deals, no companies being bought that forced people out of a job, and there weren’t families being torn apart, some of them forced to live like Jeff, huddling in their car, hoping to survive another day. No. It wasn’t revenge. At least not anymore.
“Every one of those women had a right to work without fear of harassment or losing their job because they said they weren’t interested. Post them.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” She tapped some keys. “Okay, they’re up.”
“Thank you for everything. You don’t know how much of a help this has been.”
“What? You think I’m done? Oh no. I’m going to be spreading the word. It does no good to post them if no one reads them.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Galen… I know you’re trying to protect me, and I appreciate that, but I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”
Of course she was but…. “I’m not trying to protect you. I’m worried about my friend.”
There was a pause. “Thanks for that, really. Still, I started this because he’s been getting away with it for years. I don’t want him to be able to hurt anyone else. So, I’m going to do this, and you’re going to say ‘thank you, Olivia.’”
“Okay. Thank you, Olivia.”
“You’re welcome. Now, I’m going to go get to work. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. You do the same.”
“I will. Take care of yourself.”
They disconnected, and Galen headed to Robert’s office. He pushed open the door and found Robert staring blankly at the computer screen. He huffed out a frustrated breath.
“How the hell do you make heads or tails of this mess?”
“Because it’s what I do.” Galen went to the desk. “Let me take a look.”
Robert slid over. “Be my guest. I knew you were the right choice for the job. I always contacted businesses and got checks. I understand how to do the taxes and things and I know the basics of asking for money, but what you’re doing? It’s way beyond my pay grade.”
“It’s why we’re making such a good team. You’ve got way more people skills than I do, and you put everyone out there at ease.”
“Oh, that’s bullshit. You’ve got those kids wrapped around your finger.” Robert got up and went to the coffee maker, then poured a cup for each of them. “And the adults? They’re usually skittish around new people, but with you, they’re warming up fast. Face it. They love you.” He came back and put the cups down, then bent over and kissed Galen’s neck. “Just like I do.”
Galen frowned. “Why does it sound like you’re trying to butter me up?”
That got a laugh out of him. “Because I am. Thanksgiving is coming up, and my parents want us—that’s you, Andy, Marco, and me—to join them this year.”
“But that’s time for your family.”
“Which you’re part of. Mom told me she’s been prodding you to realize it.”
And she had. They didn’t talk often, but since the thing with Robert she’d called Galen several times to check on Mouse. Or that’s what she claimed. She always brought the conversation around to him visiting. Telling him that he didn’t need to come with Robert, that he was more than welcome to drop in by himself. Each conversation with her left Galen with a warmth in his chest that he couldn’t explain.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
“Good. You get to bring it up to Marco and Andy too.”
“What? Why me?”
Robert laughed. “Because you’ll tell Andy, and he’ll call me so I can be sure you talked to him, and he’ll be my backup if you try to get out of it.”
It wasn’t a bad plan, but it had one flaw. “I won’t. I… I want to see your family.”
“Our family.”
“Okay, our family.”
“Good. You can still talk with Andy, though. I’ll call Marco, so you can’t say I’m heaping work on you.”
Galen blew a raspberry. “Please. You’re going to call Marco after Andy talks to him.”
Robert kissed Galen again. “You know me too well.”
“Yes, I do. Now sit down, shut up, and let’s go over these reports. Some of them are reasonable. A few of them are too high, and I’m not sure if the company is trying to rip you off or not. I’ll have to do some cost estimates to see where their prices fit in.”
After that, he and Robert got lost in the world of numbers, facts, and figures. When Robert put his hand on Galen’s knee and squeezed, Galen grinned to himself. It was amazing how such a simple gesture made everything better in his world.
Everything.
NOEL STOOD there, hands on his hips, glaring at Robert. “What do you mean, you can’t come for Thanksgiving?”
“Just what I said. I have plans. After we serve dinner at the shelter, we—I—am heading out to see my family.”
Noel’s grin turned predatory. “You said we. What’s going on, Robert? First you tell me you’re going to be taking Sundays off, and now you’re saying we. Is there something you want to tell me?”
Oh, how he wished he could. He’d been dropping subtle—and a few not-so-subtle—hints to get Galen to reach out to Lincoln and Noel, but he could tell Galen was afraid. And Robert wasn’t sure he could blame him. He asked Lincoln once if he’d heard from Galen and got a growl as his reply. It was no wonder that Galen swore Brady to secrecy, and why he had to pick Galen up when Noel was working. This wasn’t the perfect solution, and sooner rather than later, his secret would come out, which meant he needed to own up to it.
“I want to, but I’m going to ask you to be patient for now.”
“Fine, but you’re coming for Christmas. Katy and Meg are having a party, and I want you there.”
“Okay, Christmas I’ll do. I won’t stay all night, but I’ll make an appearance. Is that good enough?”
Galen's Redemption Page 23
