by Scotty Cade
Carter sniffed the air. “Something smells really good.”
“It’s my mom’s special cheesy potatoes,” Dane said proudly.
“Yum.”
“Red or white?” Dane asked holding up both bottles.
Carter hesitated and looked around. “Since I see you’re having red and there are steaks over there, I think I’ll go with red.”
“You’re smart. And observant.”
Carter smirked. “Smart? Maybe a little. Observant? Sometimes. Scatterbrained? Always.”
Dane laughed again. “You keep saying that, but I haven’t seen any signs. Yet!”
“Oh, you will.”
Carter patted his pants pockets. “See. I told you. I misplaced my damn phone between my house and yours. Shit!”
“Maybe you left it in the car?” Dane asked.
“Probably. But who cares. The clinic is closed, and I’m looking forward to a nice evening with you. Anything else can wait.”
Dane leaned in and kissed Carter on the cheek. “I like that answer.”
When Dane attempted to retreat, Carter grabbed him and cupped his face with both hands. Their lips met in a soft and sweet kiss that turned needy very quickly. Carter opened to him and Dane explored, tasting and savoring Carter’s mouth. The kiss eventually ended, and Dane stepped back, breathless. “I sure hope that’s not the last one of those I get tonight.”
“If you play your cards right, you’ll get a lot more than that,” Carter teased.
“A lot more?” Dane asked. “Be careful, or I’ll hold you to that.”
Carter smiled seductively. “Where’s that wine you promised me?”
“Oh hell. Where are my manners?”
“Probably down my throat with your tongue,” Carter teased.
Dane laughed but couldn’t help the blush crawling up his face.
“I love the way you blush so easily,” Carter said.
“Not one of my most impressive attributes, I’d imagine.”
“I think it’s adorable. But oddly enough you weren’t blushing last night when you warned me of the kiss coming my way.”
Dane handed Carter a glass of wine. “Nope. That was fear mixed with a lot of lust and pure determination.”
Carter didn’t respond but simply winked, and that hit Dane right smack in the heart.
Dane gestured to the terrace and led the way.
“Cheers,” Dane said. “It sure is a beautiful evening.”
They sat side by side and watched as the sun dipped below the mountain range in the distance until it was no longer visible. Carter turned to Dane.
“Good day?”
“Yeah. Pretty good. Most of the day I worked with the architect who is doing the build-out, but we can’t start any of the actual work until the lease agreement is signed.”
“When will that be?”
“The lawyers just got it yesterday,” Dane explained. “But usually no more than a couple of days. The negotiations have been finalized, so it’s just a matter of one last look, getting the signatures, and doing the money transfer.”
“Where is the building,” Carter asked.
“Four hundred block of North Main Street. We have the entire top floor.”
“Downtown. Great choice,” Carter said. “But what happens—oh, never mind. That’s really none of my business.”
“What’s none of your business?” Dane asked.
Carter chewed on his lips momentarily, and that was adorable. “What happens when your build-out is finished?” he finally asked.
Dane’s stomach fluttered. Could Carter actually like me enough to look ahead a little bit? “Well,” he said, “normally I’d move on to my next facility build-out.”
“Normally?” Carter asked with something akin to hope in his voice. “How is this one different?”
His tone made Dane curious. “Well, Greenville is our twentieth facility and the last build-out on the calendar until at least 2019.”
“So does that mean you’ll lose your job when this is over?” Carter asked.
Dane laughed. “Not at all. Bill, my boss, who also just happens to be my best friend, asked me to stay on once the build-out is finished and oversee the leasing and management of the facility. That’s kinda why I bought a place here instead of going the extended-stay route, which is what I normally do.”
“I see,” Carter said. “How is it working for your best friend?”
“Mostly good,” Dane said honestly. “I mean… sometimes we disagree, but we have enough respect for each other to work through it. I, on the other hand, have to occasionally remind myself that he owns the company.”
“He must value your opinion, or he wouldn’t keep you around,” Carter said.
“Oh, I know he does,” Dane agreed. “And most of the time he knows I’m right, and it just takes him a little time to see things my way. But he’s one of the good guys.”
Carter smiled warmly. “Sounds like you really admire him.”
“I do,” Dane said fondly. “He helped me out of a very serious situation a long time ago and gave me a chance when no one else would. I owe him a lot. But that’s a story for another time.”
Carter nodded. “It’s a relief knowing you’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Now Dane was really curious. “We seem to be dancing around something here,” he said. “Would you care to elaborate?”
Carter hesitated and chewed on his lip again. “Okay,” he finally said. “I know this is just our second date, so don’t think I’m a crazy stalker or anything like that. But I like you, and if we”—he gestured back and forth between the two of them—“decide to take this any further, I’ve gotta know you’re staying in Greenville.”
Dane smiled. “That’s the plan,” he said, knowing if he were being totally honest, he would have added for at least the next year and a half. But a year and a half was a long time, and if something did work out between them, a lot could happen in that time frame. He would let it slide for now and cross that bridge when he came to it.
“Glad to hear it,” Carter said. “And I know this sounds really stupid and extremely premature, but if we were to start dating and you were relocated, I’m just saying, I won’t do the long-distance thing again.”
“Again?” Dane asked.
“I’m a little gun-shy. My first and only relationship ended because of a promotion and a transfer,” he explained. “And although he asked me to go with him, I’d just started my practice and had a five-year lease on my office space and a lot of debt because of all the medical equipment and supplies affiliated with opening a clinic. I couldn’t simply walk away.”
“Could he have not found another job in Greenville?” Dane asked.
Carter hesitated before answering. “I suppose so, but he’d been with this company since he’d graduated college, and he liked working for them. It was also a very big promotion for him, almost doubling his salary. He said he couldn’t pass it up or they wouldn’t offer him another one and his career would be stalled.”
“I’m sorry,” Dane said. “I’m sure that must have been difficult.” After hearing more, Dane was suddenly starting to second-guess his decision to hold back a little of the truth. He couldn’t lead Carter on and instantly decided honesty was the best policy. He’d opened his mouth to speak when Carter interrupted him.
“Yeah, well, we tried the long-distance thing for a while, or should I say, I did. He was always so busy he couldn’t get away, so that left me doing all the traveling. Every weekend turned into every other weekend, and then he’d just call and say not to bother coming because he couldn’t get away from work. Before you knew it, it was once a month or less, and I’d had enough of the separation. I decided I’d find a way to move my practice to be with him. I’d take a hit on the lease, but I could relocate all the equipment and start over.”
“That was good, right?” Dane asked.
“So I thought,” Carter said, staring off into the distance.
“And?” Dane asked.
“I flew out to surprise him and tell him the news, and well—let’s say I surprised him… and his new boyfriend.”
“Oh, Carter.”
“And it was over, just like that,” Carter said, looking back and meeting Dane’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” Dane said.
Carter nodded and smiled weakly. “Water under the bridge, but I won’t go through that again. If I’m gonna even think about dating someone, that person needs to be grounded in Greenville. But hey! Like I said, it’s way too soon to be talking about this stuff. You asked, so I shared.”
“Hypothetically? If you did fall in love with someone, entered into a long-term relationship, and that person was offered a transfer, would you even consider relocating your business to another town?”
“Sure I would,” Carter said. “If the timing were right, we were secure in our relationship, and it was right for both of us.”
Dane sighed inwardly and decided he would leave it alone for now.
He stood and then stooped at the foot of Carter’s chair. He leaned in and kissed him gently. “Good to know. Now, I would like nothing better than to make a handsome doctor fall in love with me right this minute, but before I can do that, I need to get this grill heated so we can eat dinner.”
Carter smacked him on the back of the head lightly. “Very funny. But if your dinner is any good, you might be halfway there.”
CARTER WIPED his mouth and dropped his napkin on the table. “I do believe I’m in love.”
“That sure was easy,” Dane replied.
“With that rib eye,” Carter added.
“Oh man. So close, but I lost out to a piece of meat.”
“And I do believe it was one of the best pieces of meat I’ve ever had,” Carter said, offering a wide smile. “What’s your secret?”
“The beef,” Dane explained. “I have it shipped here fresh from my family’s cattle ranch.”
“No shit,” Carter said. “Your family has its own cattle ranch? Just like in the movies?”
“Pretty much,” Dane said. “All three hundred acres.”
“And you go on cattle drives and things like that?”
“Used to,” Dane said. “Until I got a real job.”
“That’s so cool. All I ever got to do was work at a ski resort.”
“I think that’s very cool,” Dane said.
“Not when your family owns it and they want you to take over the family business.”
“Your family owns a ski resort in Vermont? Which one?”
“Bromley Mountain. Just under fifty runs in a little town called Peru, Vermont.”
“So that’s what you meant about leaving Vermont because of too much family and too many pressures.”
Carter held up his glass. “Bingo.”
“I totally get it, man. But luckily I have a couple of older brothers who are more than happy to step into my old man’s boots when the time comes.”
“Something else we have in common.”
Dane stood and cleared the dishes.
“I insist on helping. I’m an expert.”
Dane tilted his head in question.
“In my household, if you didn’t cook, you cleaned,” Carter said. “And I already told you I suck at cooking, so guess who cleaned. A lot.”
Dane laughed again. “Why don’t we do it together?”
In minutes, the dishwasher was loaded and humming, and the kitchen was spotless.
Dane looked around. “You are an expert.”
“Told ya.”
“I have dessert for later. But for now I’m gonna have another glass of wine. Can I twist your arm?”
Carter snorted. “When it comes to wine, no twisting needed.”
Dane winked. “A man truly after my heart.”
“Hey. I’d love to get a full tour of your place. Last night when I picked you up, I was too smitten to notice anything but you, and the other day, I was focused on getting you settled.”
Dane felt flush again and smiled. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Aw shucks. It was nothing,” Carter said. “Just chalk it up to my Southern hospitality.”
Dane raised an eyebrow. “Okay. You realize no one makes house calls anymore.”
Carter shrugged. “Yeah. I know, but if I could I would.”
“Why can’t you?” Dane asked.
“One simple reason. Malpractice insurance. It’s the one biggest expense I have as a doctor.”
“Because of the liability?” Dane asked.
“Mostly. There is a long list of other reasons, but no more shoptalk. What about my tour?”
“Well, let’s just say that will take about three minutes. Are you up for that kind of a commitment?” Dane asked.
“Commitment has never been a problem of mine,” Carter replied as he glanced through the terrace and into the lights of downtown again. “With the right person that is,” he added. “And I don’t know what this place cost, but this view is worth every penny you had to pay.”
“Yeah. It is pretty sweet.”
Dane pointed to an open doorway. “Okay, the tour officially starts now. There’s the powder room.”
Carter chuckled.
Dane threw him a questioning glance.
“Sorry. It’s just funny hearing a big guy from Texas calling it a powder room.”
“I know. I always feel weird calling it that, but the Realtor called it that, so I just go with it.”
“Well, either way, I’m glad the tour started here because I’m about to pee on myself. Can I?”
Dane chuckled. “By all means help yourself.”
When Carter returned, Dane gestured to the living room. “You saw this space already.” He walked through an open door. “And you saw the bedroom when you dropped me off, but you didn’t see the master bath. It’s pretty sweet.” Dane led Carter through another door.
Carter whistled. “That’s some bathroom. Huge shower and a soaking tub?”
“Yep. Haven’t used the tub yet, though.”
Carter ran his hand along the side of the tub. “Man, I’d be in that thing every night.”
“That could quite possibly be arranged,” Dane teased as he led Carter back to the bedroom.
Carter crossed the bedroom to the windows. “Another great view from here.”
“Absolutely.”
Carter looked back with a questioning expression and caught Dane staring at his ass. “I see what you did there.”
“You are smart,” Dane joked. “But I wasn’t lying. The view is spectacular.”
Carter smiled, and he was so damned cute Dane couldn’t help himself. He put his wine on the bedside table and crossed the room. He wrapped his arms around Carter’s waist and kissed him gently. When the kiss ended, Dane pulled back. Carter’s eyes were dark and intense and probably the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. The way he gazed at Dane told Dane all he needed to know.
DANE SHOOK his head to clear the images that were about to flood his memory. Thinking about what had happened next had Dane as hard as a rock, and he couldn’t go there. He pushed away the urge to take himself in hand and exchanged the champagne for a bottle of Kentucky bourbon. He sat alone in the dark living room of his Alexandria extended-stay hotel suite with nothing but the glow of the television to see his fifth of Knob Creek go from full to three-quarters empty. He lifted the bottle to the plastic cup and poured himself another shot as he watched Ryan Seacrest on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and waited for the crystal ball to drop in Times Square. When Ryan started the countdown, Dane picked up his phone and dialed Carter’s number. “Ten. Nine. Eight,” Ryan counted as Dane waited for Carter to answer. “Seven. Six. Five. Four.” Carter’s phone went to voicemail. “Three. Two. One.”
“Happy New Year, baby! I hope 2017 brings you all the happiness you deserve. I love you.”
Dane disconnected the call. At least he’d gotten the words out before Carter stopped him, even if was just on voicemail. He’d want
ed to say those words for the longest time, but he’d never felt any urgency. At first, he hadn’t wanted to scare Carter away by professing his love, and then when he found out he was leaving, it wasn’t the right time. It seemed disingenuous to tell Carter he loved him when he was moving away. He turned off the television, kicked off his shoes, and stretched out on the couch.
Happy New Year!
Chapter Four
TWO DAYS before Christmas, Dane mused as he sat at his desk, staring out of the large office window and thinking about Carter. He’d done that a lot over the last year, always wondering what Carter might be doing, or worse, who he might be doing. They’d actually spoken a few times earlier in the year, but each conversation had left Dane feeling distraught and lonelier than ever, so eventually he quit calling. Apparently Carter felt the same way because he hadn’t reached out in months. Dane was afraid he’d finally moved on.
Dane couldn’t stand the thought of spending Christmas alone, and another New Year’s Eve like the last one would be the death of him. It had taken him quite a few days to sober up and another week to shake off the aftereffects of his horrible hangover.
On a personal front, 2017 had been a year filled with heartache and remorse. But professionally he’d accomplished all of his tasks. He’d negotiated a new lease in Alexandria, built out the floor, decorated the entire space, and moved all the tenants into the new offices with three weeks to spare. Then he’d gone to Seattle, relieved Bill, and was a couple of months away from finishing all three of the buildings, three months ahead of schedule. He’d put in eighteen-hour days but had truly been grateful for the distraction.
However, 2017 was nearly over, and Dane hoped 2018 was going to be better. If not, he didn’t think he could survive it. He’d been living for the end of this job so he could see where things stood between him and Carter and whether there was still hope for them.
Dane looked up when he heard a knock and saw Bill standing in the open doorway.
“Hey, Bill! When did you get into town?” Dane got to his feet and walked around his desk.
“Just now.” Bill gave him a hug and then gestured toward the chair. “Sit. I walked the space, and you’re doing an incredible job revitalizing this old building.”
