Terrell lifted the bun on his burger. “Oh God. I’m glad you remembered not to put cheese on my stuff.”
“T has… issues with dairy.”
Terrell scowled. “Why don’t you tell all my secrets?”
“You mean, how you get when I touch you on your—”
“You say one more word and your ass is in trouble.”
Colby reached across and took Terrell’s hand. “Baby, as long as I’m in it with you, that’s perfectly okay with me.”
“Oh my God, you guys are too damned cute.”
Galen could practically see the hearts in Noel’s eyes when he looked at Colby and Terrell, but they flicked in his direction and what he saw there was unreadable. Noel stepped away from the table, a wide grin on his face.
“I’ll let you eat in peace. I hope that when you’re done, you’ll give me an autograph.”
“An…. You do know that we’re not famous, right?”
“I checked your blog on my phone after I placed the order. You’ve got a nice following. Even if you think you’re not famous, one day I want to be able to say I knew you when.”
Terrell shrugged. “Okay, guess we can do that.”
“Great! I hope you enjoy your food. If you need anything, let me know.”
Noel turned back to Robert, and his easy smile of a few moments ago vanished. “Lincoln said you should come into the kitchen.” He didn’t say anything else as he led them to where Lincoln was working. Lincoln didn’t even bother looking up as they entered.
“Why are you here, Galen? I think you were told you weren’t welcome.”
“I—”
“You know what? Just go now, okay?” Noel’s gaze narrowed. “Robert, why would you even bring him here?”
He sneered at Noel. “Because you asked me to.”
Noel’s jaw dropped. “What? I did no such….” And then Noel’s expression morphed into something angry and hard. “Oh fuck. Tell me this isn’t who you’re seeing.”
Lincoln tossed his spatula onto the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, looking curiously at Robert. “You’re seeing my brother?” He pinned Galen with a stare. “Since when are you gay?”
Galen shrugged. “Always have been.”
Robert jutted out his chin. “I am. Do you have a problem with that?”
“After what he did? How could you?”
Galen knew he had to speak his piece now, or he might never get another chance. “Maybe because I’m sorry? I mean, I don’t expect you’ll forgive me, but—”
Noel put up his hand. “No, you’re right. We’re not going to forgive you.”
“Noel.” Lincoln put a hand on his shoulder. “Let him speak, pup.”
Noel gave Galen the stink-eye, then turned back to Lincoln. “Yes, sir.”
Lincoln leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “You’ve got five minutes, Galen. Make them count.”
“I—”
Robert put a hand on Galen’s arm and glared at Lincoln. “No.”
Lincoln quirked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
Robert stepped forward. “I said no. This is bullshit. He came here to try and make amends, and you’re both acting like dicks.”
The way Robert spoke up for him sent a thrill through Galen. “It’s okay. I’ll—”
“No, it’s not okay. You know, I very much appreciate the help you’ve been at the shelter, both of you, but I won’t let you talk to Galen like he’s beneath contempt.” Robert glared at Noel. “I thought you, of all people, were better than this.”
“That’s not fair!”
“And what you’re doing is? You were upset because he hurt your feelings.” Robert scowled at Lincoln. “And you told me the other night that if Galen wanted to be part of your life, he had to make the overture. He’s here now, doing exactly what you asked of him. Honestly, you should both be ashamed of yourselves.”
Lincoln pulled Noel close. “Fine. You start off by apologizing to Noel, and I’m warning you, if it isn’t legit, you’re out the door and it will never open for you again.”
Oh, sure. No pressure. “Noel, I….” Galen ran a hand over his chest. “There’s nothing I can say to make up for how awful I was to you. I won’t try to excuse it, and I won’t say you’re overreacting, because you aren’t. I was a bastard that day, and I regret it more than I can tell you.”
Noel tilted his head back and peered up at Lincoln.
“Keep going. You haven’t done nearly enough groveling yet.”
At least he was willing to hear Galen out. “What I said that day was reprehensible. I’m trying to make amends for the person I was. After Father showed you those pictures of Lincoln, I questioned everything. He had no right to try to buy you and sure as hell shouldn’t have shown something personal of Lincoln’s.”
“Thank you.” The words were soft, but Noel had said them. “I thought you looked uncomfortable that day, but I couldn’t understand why. I figured you would have been enjoying it.”
Galen took a step forward. “No. There’s such a thing as basic decency, and Father crossed that line too many times. I always excused it, when I should have stood up and told him enough was enough.” He sighed. “He was right. Lincoln was always the better son.”
A scowl marred Lincoln’s face. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Galen hated the fact that he had to repeat it. Hated that he wasn’t as good as Lincoln. “Father wanted you to come back so he could fire me. He told me that you were always better at your job than me, and my schooling was for shit, because a degree from the University of Chicago was worth less than the paper it was printed on.”
“Pup, go check on your customers.”
“But—”
“Now, Noel.”
“Okay, fine.”
He rushed out the door and back to Colby and Terrell, who engaged him in some animated conversation. They handed Noel a slip of paper, which he stood and stared at for a moment before shaking their hands.
“Why did you send him away?”
“Because Father hurt Noel more than he lets on. He spent years trying to feel good about himself again, and Father did his best to rip that away from Noel. I’d like to keep as much ugly away from Noel as possible.”
Of course. That made perfect sense. And then Galen hadn’t helped either. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could take it all back.”
“Okay, now, say that one more time. Dad told you that I was better than you? Our father?”
Why the hell did Lincoln seem so surprised? He was the golden child.
“Yes, Lincoln. God, do you want to rub my face in it too? Do you have any idea what it’s like to run a gauntlet? Never knowing from one moment to the next who’s going to lash out and hit you? That’s what it was like living there.”
Lincoln scrubbed a hand over his head. “Are you sure that’s what he said?”
“Well, he said it often enough, so I’m pretty sure I got it down pat.”
Lincoln squeezed his hands into fists. “Un-fucking-believable.”
Galen wasn’t sure what Lincoln was talking about. When he pushed off the counter and strode to the sink to wash his hands, Galen stood perfectly still. The peace was tenuous, and Galen didn’t want to cross any invisible lines.
When Lincoln rested his head against the wall, Galen turned to Robert and shrugged.
“Okay…. Let me give you a history lesson on why I left the company. I fell in love with a guy named Everett. He died of AIDS. After he died, when I went to work and saw how plastic everyone and everything was, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I went in and told dear old Dad that I was quitting, and you know what he said to me?”
He turned around, and Galen could see the smirk on his face.
“He told me that it was fine, that I could go if I wanted. He said since I didn’t have your schooling, you were a much better choice to take over the company anyway. You don’t know how often I heard that through the years. Galen’s smarter. He’s better with people.�
� Lincoln growled. “I worked ten fucking times harder, just so I could be half as good as you in his eyes.”
Galen was reeling from this bit he’d never heard before. “So you’re saying….”
“He played us both against each other. I was jealous of you for so long. You just don’t know.”
“You…. When you were at Primal, you were a force to be reckoned with. I was in awe watching you. I wanted to be you.”
That earned him a snort. “After Ev died, I didn’t want to be you. I needed to get out, because that place—and our father—was killing my soul.”
“I know the feeling. The lawyers told me they called you first, and that I was an afterthought. The funny thing was, I believed it.”
Noel came back in and went straight to Lincoln, who wrapped him in his arms. “What did I miss?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Noel’s glance darted from Robert to Galen to Lincoln. “So that’s it? He’s forgiven?”
“No, I’m not forgiven. I can’t be, because I haven’t heard it from you.”
Noel’s gaze snapped in Galen’s direction. “Wait. You’re saying what I want counts in this?”
Lincoln reached down and smacked Noel lightly on the ass. “Of course it matters, pup. But there are things you should know. I didn’t want you to know, but our father—”
“No, please don’t tell him that.” When everyone looked at Galen, he sighed. “If I’m going to have his forgiveness, I need to earn it. I don’t want it because he feels sorry for me. Can we sit down? I promise not to keep you—I know you’ve got to open in the morning.”
“Not me. I worked for Tyler tonight, so he’s covering lunch tomorrow. But yeah, let’s sit. I want to hear this, because now I’m wondering what I’m upset about.”
They went into the dining room. Colby and Terrell had left after putting down a nice tip for Noel. He cleaned the table quickly, wiping it down so it sparkled. Then he did something curious. He went and poured coffee for them, including Galen. He set it down in front of each person, then took a chair.
“Okay, spill it.”
The words Galen wanted to say seemed inadequate. “I’m trying to earn redemption. I was cruel to people and said some awful things. I regret them all and will spend the rest of my life trying to make things right.”
“Wow. Okay, I admit, I didn’t expect this. I thought you were going to come in here and try to spin some bullshit story about why we shouldn’t be mad at you.”
“No. You’ve every right to be angry with me. I treated you like crap, and you didn’t deserve it. You were up at the crack of dawn, trying to help Lincoln, and I should have appreciated that. And when Father pulled out those photos, I should have stood up and said how disgusted I was. I didn’t because I was a coward.”
“Noel, you remember how you told me you liked the changes that were done to the shelter? Galen is responsible for them. He’s working his ass off, going out and seeking donations and sponsors. If it wasn’t for him, I would have lost the shelter.”
Noel’s eyes went wide. “Wait. What?”
“We were in the red. Like, deep. Even now, we’re barely holding it together, but Galen’s doing everything humanly possible to ensure we’re up to code and we have money to pay for things we desperately need.” Robert blew out a breath. “You once asked me what I wanted for myself. I told you I could never make that kind of choice, because the people in the shelter were first in my heart. I was wrong. Galen is everything… no, he’s more than everything I’ve ever hoped for in a relationship. He’s kind, loving, and he cares about the people at the shelter. There’s a girl there—the other day she told Galen she loves him. She calls him Uncle Galen. Today he gave her a stuffed lion named Lincoln.”
Noel’s eyebrows went up. “You named a lion Lincoln? Why?”
“Because I missed him. When Cassie asked me to tell her stories, I went with what I knew.”
“Tell him what you named the other characters.”
“But—”
“Tell him, Galen. He needs to know.”
Galen sighed. “Lincoln the Lion, Robert Rabbit, Andy the Aardvark, Prissy Peter, Marco the Mink and….” He didn’t want to do this. “Noel the Narwhal.”
Lincoln chuckled. “I’m sorry. What?”
“Noel the Narwhal. It was the only animal I could think of that started with N. I’m sorry.”
“I’m a narwhal? Awesome. The unicorn of the sea, baby!”
That set Robert to laughing, and Lincoln joined him.
“I’m really sorry, Noel. To both you and Lincoln. And to Katy, who I never tipped properly. I know that you’re going to need time to think about it, but I want you to know I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be at the shelter if you need me.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Galen turned to Robert. “What?”
“If we’re going to have a manager and staff, I was thinking maybe we—you and I—could get a place of our own. I mean, it would need to be near the shelter just in case, but it would be ours.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. When Lincoln asked Noel to marry him, I started thinking about our lives together, and I want time alone with you. I know you’ll have to talk to Andy. That’s if you’re even interested, but—”
“Andy wants Marco to move in with him, but he wasn’t saying anything because he didn’t have the heart to ask me to leave. I heard them talking one night, and I wanted to find a place to live so he could be with Marco. I was hoping I could move in with you at the shelter.”
“But we could have our own place and not just a tiny loft.”
“Why would we need a big place if we’re never going to be there?” He reached for Robert’s hand. “Your heart is in that place, and I would never ask you to walk away from it. And I kind of like the idea of being nearby so I can help the kids learn to tie their shoes and tell them stories. As long as we can get a date night on occasion, I’m fine with staying where we are.”
“Oh, holy shit.” Lincoln burst out laughing. “Standing over the grill all day, and I’ve finally cracked from the heat.”
They both turned to Lincoln. “What?”
“Galen’s gone domestic. I never thought I’d live to see the day.”
Neither did Galen, but he had no intention of changing things.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
THEY TALKED for several hours, and Robert could feel the tension thawing. He felt certain that Noel and Lincoln would eventually forgive Galen, but it would be some time in coming. At least the conversation hadn’t been harsh. In fact, it had been pretty pleasant.
“Thank you for coming with me. I don’t know that I could have done it alone.”
“We’re a package deal. Where you go, I’m there too.”
Galen pulled off his shirt. “I think it went well. At least he didn’t toss me out.”
“No, he didn’t.” Robert slid a finger over Galen’s chest. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure. Anything you want.”
He ran the finger over a nipple, which stood up proud. “Were you serious about us staying here?”
“Yeah, I was. I’ve… I’ve kinda fallen for the kids here. I never thought about how tough the lives of a homeless child could be, and now that I’m learning, I want to do what I can to make things better for them. Plus, I think Mouse will love being fawned over by Cassie and the other kids. Maybe we could help them learn to take care of others too.”
As he leaned forward, Robert licked Galen’s nipple. “You know, if we stay here, there will have to be some changes.”
Galen arched his back. “L-l-like what?” He moaned loudly when Robert took the bud in his teeth and gave it a tug.
“Like that. We have people downstairs. It wouldn’t be good for you to be screaming every time I fuck you.”
Before he could say anything else, Galen’s hands were on his head, holding Robert’s mouth tight to his chest.
“If
you weren’t so damn good at it, I wouldn’t have to scream.”
Robert pushed them back until Galen fell onto the bed. He reached up and started stripping off Galen’s pants, but then a tiny voice called out, “Uncle Galen?”
Galen shoved Robert away and scrabbled to get his shirt on. He went to the stairs and peered down. “What’s wrong, Cassie?”
“Mommy’s sick. She’s throwing up.”
Robert sighed. “Sure you still want to live here? This isn’t an isolated incident, you know. People always need something.”
Galen grinned at him. “Then it’s up to us to make sure they get it.” He looked down once more. “Cassie, you tell Mommy that me and Uncle Robert will be right there, okay?”
“’Kay.” Tiny feet beat a hasty retreat.
Galen returned to Robert. “Can I have a rain check on this?”
“Anytime you want.” He stood and slid a hand over Galen’s ass. “Come on, Unc. I think we’re going to have a busy night ahead of us.”
“Can’t wait.”
As they started down the stairs, Robert stopped. “Hey, can I meet you down there? I need to make a call.”
“Sure. Don’t be too long, though. Wouldn’t want you to miss all the barf.”
Galen got to the bottom of the stairs, and Cassie came running to him. She grabbed his hand and dragged him off toward the sleeping area.
Robert turned and went back upstairs. He tried once more to call Tom, but got no answer. He hung up, then thought to call their mother.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Have you heard anything from Tom?”
Which meant she hadn’t either. “No, I was hoping you did.”
“Not for over a month. I’m worried.”
There wasn’t a way Robert could tell her not to, since he was too. He was about to say something when his phone pinged. He glanced at the text from Tom.
Both doing okay. Sorry, not really talkative right now. Will try later. Love to Mom and Dad.
He put the phone to his ear. “That was him. He said he’s not talkative right now, and he’d try later.”
“Did he say anything about Brian?”
Galen's Redemption Page 27
