Galen couldn’t believe how desperately he wanted to see Lincoln again. How he wanted the chance to apologize to Noel.
“Can I wait until the new year?”
“You can do it whenever you want. There’s no deadline on this. I just want you to think about it. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Galen could only hope that Robert was right and that he wasn’t about to end up losing it all.
THE SMALL house was decorated to the hilt. An animatronic snowman stood out front, waving to passersby, while lights festooned the eaves and windows. The small tree in the yard, though without leaves, was covered in garland and even more lights. But the best part for Robert was seeing a smiling Charlie Brown standing beside a door that had been decorated as a snow-covered doghouse, with Snoopy lying atop it.
He wished Galen could see it. Instead, Galen was watching over the shelter, sleeping in Robert’s bed, and that was where Robert should have been too. He wanted to get this over quickly so he could get back home and snuggle beneath the covers, his arm draped over Galen’s stomach. But no, he was crunching through the snow on the way to a party he didn’t want to attend.
A quick rap on the door and it opened to a scene from hell. Who knew there were so many kitschy Christmas baubles? And Katie and Meg had apparently bought them all. There were lighted balls with trains running around on a track inside of them. Another had Santa riding in a gaudy pink-and-green spaceship. A flash of light caught his eye, and he turned to find a glass crocodile holding a coconut-shaped mug.
“It looks like Santa barfed all over the place, doesn’t it?” Noel stepped up beside him, shaking his head as he looked at the decorations.
“It’s awesome.”
“Yeah, well, Meg wanted their first Christmas together to be something special.”
And didn’t those words suck any joy out of Robert? He wanted the same thing, but Galen told him to go on without him.
“So where’s your guy?”
Robert pulled himself back into the conversation at hand. “What?”
Noel glanced around, then frowned. “I thought you’d bring him with you.”
That would have been nice. “No, he couldn’t make it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was hoping to get to meet him.”
“Well, if things go like I hope, you might still get your chance after the new year.”
“That would be nice. Why not bring him by the diner? I’m sure Lincoln would like to meet him too.”
Robert bit back a retort, wanting to know how they’d respond when Galen walked through the doors. They’d discussed it, and Galen still trembled when he thought he might be rejected. The more Robert thought about it, though, the less certain he was that Galen would be accepted. He wasn’t sure why. Noel was a sweet guy, and Lincoln, though gruff, seemed to have his heart in the right place, but there was a niggle in the back of his mind that it could blow up in their faces.
“Sure, sounds good.”
“Noel, can you come here for a sec?”
“That’s Katy.” Noel waved her over. When she got to where they stood, he gestured toward Robert. “This is Robert. He runs the shelter. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Don’t let him kid you. Noel’s resourceful. He would have figured something out.”
She shook Robert’s hand. “It’s very nice to finally meet you. Noel talks about you all the time.”
“The pleasure is mine.” He shot a glance at Noel. “You’ve got a lovely house. I can feel the holiday spirit in here.”
Katy snorted. “This is all Meg’s doing. As soon as we bought the house, she went online and made a few retailers very happy.” She sighed. “God, I love her.”
“What did you need from me?”
“We need a big, strong man to help us lug some boxes in here.” She grinned. “And Lincoln’s busy.”
Noel barked a laugh. “Screw you. You’re stronger than me.”
Katy shrugged. “This is true. Actually, we have a gift for you, and I wanted to give it to you away from everyone else.”
“But… I didn’t get you anything.”
“Is Lincoln happy? Wait. Let me answer that for you. He’s over the moon. That’s thanks to you. So you gave me the best gift you ever could have. Now shut up and let’s go.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him off into another room.
“Did you ever expect him to turn out like this?”
The deep voice left no doubt who was behind Robert. He turned and found Lincoln standing there with two glasses of eggnog in hand. He held one out to Robert, who took it gratefully.
“You mean, happy? Yes, I knew one day he would find his way again. He just needed to step out of his comfort zone.” Robert decided to test the waters a bit. “I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
Lincoln scoffed. “Please. He stopped being my father years ago. Fathers want you to be happy, and the only thing he ever cared about was himself. Did you know they called me to say he was in trouble and thought I’d come running back? No way in hell. I’m surprised Galen didn’t snap the job up. He’s wanted it for as long as I can remember.”
“Did you ask them?”
“Of course. They said he was ‘no longer employed with Primal.’ That shocked the shit out of me. I figured with the old man gone, they’d have to hold him back from jumping into the big chair.”
“Hm. Who knows?”
“Okay, so listen. I need to ask you a favor.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Lincoln twisted his head from side to side. “Katy’s keeping Noel busy because I wanted to talk to you. Tonight I’m going to ask Noel to marry me.”
“What? Congratulations!”
“Thanks. The thing is, no wedding party would be complete without Noel’s ‘father.’ And it’s old-fashioned and everything, but I wanted to know if you’d give us your blessing.”
Wow. Lincoln was asking Robert if he was okay with him marrying Noel? Seriously?
“Hell yes. Noel’s wanted to find his happily-ever-after, and I know you’re going to be the man who’ll give it to him.”
Lincoln gave a wide smile, showing off his pearly white teeth. “Thank you. And that brings you to my next question. Would you be part of the wedding?”
Wow. That was huge. Except… Lincoln should be asking Galen.
“But what about your brother?”
“He doesn’t want to be part of our lives. He made that perfectly clear.”
“But Noel said he came to warn you after your father tried to pay him to leave.”
A tilt of the head. “He did, but then when he left, he was angry as hell. Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore where he’s concerned. Regardless, he’s the one who’d have to make the overture. I’ve had my hand bitten once too often to hold it out again.”
Hope bloomed in Robert’s chest. Lincoln didn’t say no. He said Galen would have to come to them. He could only hope that Galen would follow through on his promise to try after the new year.
Because a man needed a whole family, without regrets. And that was the one thing Robert wanted most for Galen. To be happy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
GALEN KNELT in front of Cassie, who looked up at him with wide eyes as he presented her with a stuffed toy that he’d had made. When he’d gone into the Build-A-Bear Workshop and seen the golden mane with the bright gray eyes, he thought of Lincoln. God, he actually ached when he thought about Robert saying Lincoln and Noel were getting married. How could he possibly miss out on that?
“He’s for me? Really?”
“Yes, really. Your mom says it’s okay for you to take him.”
She threw her arms around Galen, squeezing him tight. “Thank you, Uncle Galen!”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
It sent warmth rushing through him when she clutched Lincoln the Lion to her chest and ran to show her mother. Galen had been hard at work, trying to find a job that would give them insura
nce, but thus far hadn’t had much luck. Still, he held out hope that he could help Cassie and her mother. Maybe it was the guilt of failure that made it so important to see her smile.
“Let’s hope this year brings a lot of changes for us all.”
Arms wrapped around his waist, and soft lips kissed right below his ear. A shudder coursed through him. He turned and pressed himself against Robert.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Great. I like the way you think. What’s on your mind?”
Galen drew in a breath. “I want to go see Lincoln and Noel tomorrow. I… I don’t want to miss him being married.”
“Good. I was hoping you might decide to do that.” Robert kissed Galen’s neck again. “I think he wants to see you too.”
“I hope so. I… I want to be part of his life, you know? I know he won’t forgive me right away and that I’ll have to prove myself to both of them, but you have no idea how much I want to do that.” Galen chuckled. “I miss going there and eating. I used to tease Lincoln about his food, but it was the best damned food I ever had. There’s nothing quite like a big, juicy cheeseburger and homemade fries.” His stomach rumbled. “But I miss him more than the food.”
“Then let’s do something about it.”
God, Robert made it sound so damned easy. What would Galen do if they rejected him? Well, at least he’d know where he stood and wouldn’t have it hanging over his head anymore. Yes, it would hurt, but Rachel told him he had a family who would stand by him, so if things went bad, he’d have to rely on their love.
“Okay. When do you think we should go?”
Robert glanced up at the clock behind the desk. It was nearly ten. “Now?”
Whoa. That was… a lot faster than Galen had expected. “Can we do it?” He clenched his fists, not wanting Robert to see how nervous he was.
“Brady? Think you can man the fort for a couple hours?”
He looked up from the computer monitor, his eyes bright. “Yes, sir!”
“Okay. You’ve got my cell if you need us.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the trust.”
Robert smiled. “You’ve been working damn hard, and I think you’ve more than earned it. We’ll be back soon.”
“Okay. See you later.”
As they walked out the door, Galen nudged Robert’s shoulder. “I think you found your office manager.”
“Who? Brady?”
“Yep. He’s perfect for the job. Eager, willing to listen, desperate to learn. He knows what it’s like on both sides of the street, and the people who come in already know him.”
“But he’s so young.”
They got to the car, and after Robert unlocked the doors, they got inside and buckled up. He started the car and leaned back as it warmed.
“And how old were you when you started on this?”
Robert shrugged. “A lot younger than he is.”
“Exactly. We’ve got money coming in now, so you can afford to pay him to do the job, and you’ll have a salary, too, so you don’t have to scrimp on things you want.”
“We. Whatever I get, you’re getting too. This is us, working together, like we always will be.”
Oh, how that made Galen feel. Warm, trusted, loved. “You’re right.”
“And don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to avoid the subject of seeing Lincoln.”
Galen gripped the seat belt. “No, that’s not it. Exactly.”
Once the car had warmed up, Robert put it into gear. “You’re talking about other things to distract yourself.”
Galen sighed. “Yeah, I am. What if he says to get out? I mean, I know your family—”
“Our family.”
Yeah, that sounded good. “Okay, our family. I know they’ll support us, but I really want Lincoln back in my life.” Galen had to get an admission out. “I bought two lions when I went into Build-A-Bear. One was for Cassie, and the other was for me. I know it’s stupid, but I talk to it every now and again, and think of Lincoln.”
“In what world is that stupid?” Robert reached over and squeezed Galen’s leg. “It shows you miss him. I don’t think it’s stupid in the least.”
“That makes me feel a bit better. At least I’m not insane or something.”
“Nope, not in the least. But always keep in mind, if you need to talk to someone, I’ve got an ear you’re welcome to borrow.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just….” Galen groaned. “I like hearing Lincoln’s voice, even if it’s only in my head.”
“There’s nothing wrong with missing your brother. I’ve been thinking a lot about Tom lately. He hasn’t called in a few weeks, and when I try to call him, there’s no answer.”
Well, damn. Galen felt like shit, thinking about his problems when Robert had plenty of his own. “I’m sorry. You know, I can do this myself. You don’t have to go with me.”
“Nope, you’re not doing this without me.” Robert drew in a breath. “I’m worried about Tom, but until he reaches out, there isn’t anything I can do for him. You, on the other hand? I can be beside you, like I promised. So get it out of your head that you’re in this alone, because that’s never going to happen.”
Before Galen could reply, they pulled up in front of the diner. There seemed to be only a couple people inside, and Galen worried that Lincoln might tell them he didn’t have time to talk to them.
“Maybe we should do this another time.”
“Yeah, no. We’re here, and we’re going to do this. Unless you’ve got a compelling reason, there’s not much to keep us from going in there now.”
Galen racked his brain to come up with any kind of excuse, but none came to mind. “I guess not.”
When Robert turned and took Galen’s hand, he calmed a bit.
“We don’t have to do this now. If you want to wait, we will.”
The fact that he was being given an out meant a lot to Galen, but they’d come this far, and Robert was right. Nothing would get solved if Galen didn’t take the necessary steps.
“No, you’re right. Let’s go.”
Galen unbuckled his seat belt, then opened his door. He was about to get out but stopped when Robert grabbed his arm.
“Remember, no matter what happens here, I’m going to be with you when we get home. If Lincoln and Noel can’t accept you, then they don’t deserve either of us.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” Galen leaned over and kissed Robert. “Let’s do this.”
They got out, and Robert slid an arm around Galen’s waist. They crossed the street and stopped in front of the door.
“Ready?”
Galen took a deep breath, then blew it out. “As I’m ever going to be, I guess.”
Robert gave him a squeeze and opened the door. The familiar scents of the grill, the fryer, and the food washed over Galen. His stomach rumbled again. God, he missed Lincoln’s cooking.
“Robert! Come here. I want you to meet two amazing guys.”
When Galen stepped from behind Robert, Noel’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak to Galen. He gestured to a handsome black man, who gave a big grin. “This is Terrell.” Then he indicated a young white guy, who reminded Galen of Captain America, with his blond hair and chiseled chin. “And this is Colby. They just got back from… I’m sorry, where was it?”
Terrell turned in his seat to face Robert and Galen. “We just got back from South Africa. We’re headed home and had a layover here. Saw the ad at the airport and got the munchies.”
“They’ve got a blog! I want to get upstairs so I can read all about the places they’ve been, the things they’ve seen, and the people they’ve met.”
Colby snickered. “If it helps, you’re a lot friendlier than some people. And knowing T, you’re definitely going to end up on the blog too.”
“Hell, yes.” Terrell winked at Noel. “You’ve made us feel very welcome. Thank you for that.”
“It’s not every day we get celebrities in here.”
“Hear th
at, T? He says we’re celebrities.”
“Cheese boy, he doesn’t know the half of it. If he only knew what we did when we were in Coffee Bay. It was so damned nice there.”
Colby rolled his eyes. “Nice. Way to be descriptive, T.” He turned his attention to Noel. “Picture it. Nguni cattle grazing on the rolling green hills, which end at the beautiful ocean. Me and T, laid out on the beach, soaking up the sun. It was, like, perfect, you know? The scent of the water, the clear blue sky, the warm breeze caressing our bodies. God, it was like heaven.”
“Really? You’re gonna get all poetic and shit? It was nice.”
“Poetic? Dude, that was what you wrote on the blog! I’m pretty much giving him word for word what you said.” Colby gazed affectionately at Terrell. “I’m so damned glad they renewed the grant. I can’t wait to see where we’re going after our break.”
“Me, too, but it’s nice to be home for a while. I want to see how Moira is doing and what’s up with Percy and Gina. And think about it. We can stop in and have dinner at Papiano’s to see who’s doing who now.”
Terrell snickered. “It’d be nice to see everyone. Sure, let’s do that!”
“Noel, order up.”
“Oh, that’s your dinner. Let me go grab the plates. I’ll be right back.”
Noel rushed to the counter, leaving Galen to wonder when the axe was going to fall. He said something to Lincoln, who looked up, his eyes glinting. Though it was cold outside, Galen swore the temperature in the diner dropped into the arctic range. Galen wondered, if he was so cold, then why was he sweating? What were they waiting for? If Lincoln was going to blow up, why not do it and get it over with?
Oh, of course. The customers in the diner. How funny was it that Galen felt he should thank two men he didn’t know for keeping Lincoln from tossing him out. Noel and Lincoln spoke, their eyes darting in Robert and Galen’s direction. When Robert reached out and took Galen’s hand, he felt he could breathe again.
Lincoln looked up, then nodded to Noel, who came back to the table and began putting down the food. As he’d done before, Noel ignored Galen’s presence.
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