Disarming My Destiny: Sulfur Springs Book 5

by Taylor Rylan

  “Dr. Garrison,” I said politely, trying my best to remain professional. It seemed I’d done something wrong because Xander’s smile fell from his face.

  “We missed Oreo on Friday. Is she okay? You’re not going to withdraw her from daycare, are you?”

  “No. I was in the office for only part of the day, so I kept her with me. She’ll be back tomorrow morning,” I said as I opened the freezer and pulled out half a dozen frozen pizzas. I dropped them in the cart with my other purchases before I started to push away. “Have a good day,” I said and walked off. I needed milk, yogurt, and sour cream, and they were in the next aisle over.

  I didn’t expect Xander to follow, but he was right behind me when I stopped at the yogurt.

  “Bishop, can we talk?”

  I glanced at the older man and nodded. “Sure. What did you want to talk about? Oreo will be back tomorrow. I’ve already said that.”

  Xander looked around the dairy section before turning his gaze back to me. “Did you get things finished with the case?”

  “It’s still ongoing, and that’s all I can say, sorry.” I tossed several cartons of yogurt into my cart before I pushed it toward the sour cream. I should probably get some cheese while I was here as well. And eggs. They were always good to have on hand.

  “Bishop, wait,” Xander said, and I stopped again, waiting. It wasn’t like I’d gone far, but I was ready to be home. I glared at Xander and waited to see what it was he wanted. He simply stared at me, so I pushed my cart the last ten feet to the sour cream. Once that was in my cart, I moved on to the milk.

  “Are you mad?”

  “Nope. Why would I be? I simply want to get my groceries and go home. The after-church rush will be here soon, and I’d rather be long gone.”

  “I meant it. Can we talk?”

  “I thought we did. You asked about Oreo and the case, I told you about the one I could, and now I’m shopping. Do you need milk?” I asked as I held up two gallons. He reached for one, so I relinquished it, and since the date was far enough out, I grabbed another. Cereal was a great midnight snack, and it often worked well for dinner on nights that I worked late.

  “Have dinner with me?”

  I turned and looked at Xander with a raised eyebrow. “Umm, why? I barely know you, and it would be awkward.”

  “But don’t you get to know people by spending time with them?”

  “Do you always have dinner with your clients to get to know them, Doc?”

  Xander sighed as he shook his head. “No. But I mean, you took me on an assignment. Don’t you need to eat?”

  “Of course I do. But I also have a cart full of groceries now, and I had planned on grabbing drive-through on my way home. I’m good. But thanks anyway, Doc.” I pushed my cart on to the eggs, and after putting a dozen in the cart, I continued on to the front of the store. I was ready to be home where I could cuddle up with Oreo and mope.

  I didn’t see Xander again as I checked out and then loaded the bags in the back of my SUV. Once the cart was in the return corral, I was on my way to the nearest drive-through, which happened to be Wendy’s. A bacon cheeseburger it was. Once I had my lunch and most likely dinner, I was on my way home. It was only a ten-minute drive to the townhouse, but I ate my fries on the way, because cold fries were never good.

  I pulled up to my place and pushed the button on my visor to open the garage door, and then I was inside. I took my sandwich and drink inside and ate it before I carried the groceries in. They’d be okay in the garage for another ten minutes.

  I knew Oreo was feeling better when she started begging for my sandwich.

  “Nope. You’ve got your own food. And besides, you still have canned food. Go eat your treat,” I said to her, but it didn’t work. She still begged for my sandwich, and in the end, I broke off a piece for her and fed it to her. She was hard to say no to.

  Once the sandwich was gone, I carried in the groceries, and after they were all in their proper places, I realized I had way too long until bedtime. I looked at Oreo and thought about watching a movie, but that didn’t appeal.

  “Girl, what do you say we go play Fortnite? I haven’t been on in a while, and I’m bored out of my mind.” Oreo just turned her head to the side and gave me a confused look. Yep. I was talking to my dog. I knew Adrian was cozied up with Cody at their place, and really, the only other thing to do was watch TV—meh—or play video games. I groaned. I had no life. None. That was pathetic.

  My phone chiming on the counter caught my attention, and I hoped it was something that would distract me. I needed something to do, and at this point, I didn’t care what.

  Doc: I lied.

  That was odd. Why was Xander texting me? I’d just seen him at the store.

  Me: About what?

  I watched the dots bounce on my screen and waited. I decided to go into the living room and lie down on the couch. I had a feeling I knew what he was about to say, and I didn’t know if I could handle it or not.

  Doc: About the texts. You’re a client, and I don’t date clients. But I’m incredibly attracted to you. I meant the texts, but I’m struggling with the fact that you’re a client. I’ve never been attracted to one before.

  Wow. Well, there you had it. So I wasn’t losing my mind. I had seen him looking at my lips and checking out my ass. But it didn’t matter. He’d lied. He’d said…wait.

  Me: What about Chris? You mentioned Chris more than once.

  I waited and then a picture came through the text. An attractive blond appeared on my screen, and it wasn’t Xander. Xander was definitely better-looking in my opinion. But if that guy was a blond, and I was a blond, did that mean that Xander had a thing for blonds?

  Me: Do you have a thing for blonds? And is that Chris?

  Doc: No. I’ve dated guys with dark hair as well. That’s Chris. He’s the Bondi Vet.

  Me: So he’s a vet as well? So why aren’t you together? You’d have a lot in common.

  Doc: Google it. He’s on a show called the Bondi Vet.

  I closed my message app and opened the Google app, and sure enough, there he was. And his show was on Animal Planet and I could watch it. I picked up the remote just as Oreo jumped onto the couch with me. The hair around her mouth was wet and she smelled of dog food, so I knew where she’d been. I tried to not wince when she circled around on my stomach several times before finally lying down, but her nails were probably going to need trimming this week.

  I found the show and quickly became engrossed in it. I ignored the vibrating phone, and it wasn’t until several hours later that I realized it was getting dark. That meant it was close to dinnertime. Oreo was lying along my side now, and I was still processing how I felt about the confession from Xander. He’d lied. Did he do that often? Knowing I needed to know at least that, I reached for my phone on the back of the couch and called him.

  “Bishop? I’m so glad you called. I meant what I said in the texts.”

  I was confused, but then I remembered, my phone had kept buzzing, but I’d ignored it. “Oh, yeah, I haven’t read them. What did you say?”

  “That I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have lied, but dammit, I’ve never, and I mean never, been as attracted to a client as you. And my mother has always stressed to not mix business and pleasure.”

  “Your mom sounds wise. My only question is if it’s normal for you to lie? Is that an everyday thing, or am I just special?” I absently ran my hand down Oreo’s side, waiting for an answer.

  “I hate lying and I don’t do it as a rule. I just…I can’t really explain it. You kinda surprised me. I’ve had this impression of you for a long time, and once I finally started to get to know you a bit, everything I’ve thought about you has gone out the door.”

  “That’s interesting. Should I be worried or relieved?” I listened and finally I heard Xander breathing.

  “I owe you an apology. If nothing else, I owe you that and I do hope that you’ll accept my apology and forgive me.”

&nbs
p; “I’ll accept your apology. Thank you for that. I should probably go though. I need to figure out supper and Oreo is going to need to be fed.”

  “Have dinner with me? We can talk more?”

  I thought about it, and yeah, I just didn’t think so. “Maybe some other time? I’m not really in the mood to go out tonight, and I have an early start tomorrow,” I said. It was true though. We were starting early because we had several interviews to conduct as part of the investigation.

  “I guess I have to accept that. I really hope you’ll give me a chance at some point though.”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On what I’m giving you a chance on. I’ll talk to you later, Doc. Oreo needs to go out,” I told him, and just as soon as she heard the word out, she was up and off the couch and waiting at the patio door.

  “All right. Have a good evening.”

  “You too, Doc.” I ended the call and tossed my phone on the couch before I got up and went to the patio door to let Oreo out. I watched her from the door as she squatted and did her business, and then she was trotting back to me, so I opened the door to let her in. Now all I had to do was figure out what to do with the rest of the evening.

  Xander — 14

  I’d fucked up. Big-time. And now I was paying for it. I tried to see Bishop when he was either dropping off or picking Oreo up, but it seemed like I always missed him. Then the one time I was up front when she was picked up, it wasn’t Bishop but Cody.

  “You know, I don’t get it,” Ezra said one evening after we were closing up the clinic.

  “Don’t get what?”

  “You. You can’t deny that Deputy Hunk is hot. And I’ve seen you checking him out, and you ask about Oreo a lot. But yet you haven’t asked him out. I mean, you are gay, right?”

  I glared at Ezra but knew it wouldn’t do any good. I knew he didn’t care if he was out of line or not.

  “Yes, Ezra. I’m gay and you know it.” I walked across the reception area and locked the front door before I turned back to find my office manager staring at me.

  “You’re gay, he’s gay, and super-hot I might add, so what gives?” Ezra had his hands on his hips while he was tapping his foot at me.

  “What makes you think I haven’t asked him out? Maybe he turned me down?”

  Ezra seemed to consider that for a moment before he started shaking his head. “No way. He’s always staring toward the back when he picks up his girl.”

  “He is?” That was news to me and certainly could be hopeful.

  “Have you tried calling?”

  I nodded.

  “Texting?”

  I nodded again.

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “I was an asshole and most likely ruined my chances,” I told him as I leaned on the counter. “Can we be finished with this conversation? I’m really not in the mood to tell you how I struck out when it came to asking him out.”

  “Sure. But I know there’s more to it, so I’m just going to keep bugging you. You’ve been warned.” Ezra turned off the monitor on the computer and then got up from the chair. I watched as he walked off toward the back, and since he was finished, I followed. I was ready to go home; it had been a long day and even longer week.

  “What are your plans for tonight, Dr. G?”

  “I have none. I’m going to stop at Frankie’s and grab a pizza and then go home. What about you?” I asked while pulling on my coat.

  “Nothing much. I have a date, and then we’ll see.”

  “You ever going to tell us about this mystery man that you’ve been seeing?”

  “Not yet. We’re still getting to know each other, and I don’t want to jinx anything,” Ezra said as he pulled on his own coat.

  “Fair enough. It’s your weekend off, so enjoy it and I’ll see you on Monday,” I said as we walked to the back door. I set the alarm before Ezra and I went through the door. We stood in the entryway as I locked the door, and after a quick scan of the parking lot, we walked to our vehicles.

  I had a standing rule that nobody was to walk to their vehicle alone, unless it was me and I was the only one there. For the most part, the area was safe, but you just never knew with a vet clinic.

  Once Ezra was in his car and had it started, I climbed into my truck and did the same. He left the parking lot while I waited for my truck to warm up a bit. Once the idle had dropped a little and my seat had started to warm up, I put the truck in gear and headed toward Frankie’s.

  It was Friday night, and I didn’t think about that too much since the only life I had was the clinic. But maybe I should have because when I pulled into Frankie’s parking lot, it was packed. I groaned, thinking about the wait I’d have, but I really wasn’t in the mood to go elsewhere, so I found a spot and parked my truck and got out.

  I quickly dashed across the lot and into the restaurant, out of the cold, and made my way toward the hostess station. Just as I was about to place a to-go order, I heard my name called from inside the restaurant.

  “Doc!” I looked up and saw those blue eyes that had been on my mind a lot for the past month. I offered a small wave but turned my attention back to the hostess.

  “Your party is already here. You can go ahead and join them,” she told me just as Bishop walked up to us.

  “Hey, Doc. Come join us,” he said a little too excitedly. I tried to make excuses and go back to ordering my to-go pizza, but Bishop wasn’t having it. He grabbed my hand and tugged me into the restaurant. I was met by a smiling Adrian and Cody.

  “Dr. G. It’s good to see you outside the clinic,” Adrian said. I nodded, but that was the extent of it. It was awkward and I simply wanted to leave.

  “You joining us? Please say yes. At least then the waiter might stop hitting on Bishop,” Cody said, and I felt Bishop jerk. It was then that I realized he was still holding my hand. I looked at the younger man and raised an eyebrow at him.

  “That depends. Does Bishop want me to join you and does he want the waiter to stop hitting on him?” My hand got a tight squeeze before he dropped it completely.

  “You’re welcome to join us. I won’t say no to evening out the group. The waiter is just young and overly friendly,” Bishop told me as he slid back into the booth and sat down. I took off my coat and hung it on the peg with Bishop’s and joined him.

  “We’ve only ordered drinks so far, but we figured two pies would cover it,” Adrian told me. I nodded in agreement. That worked for me. Although, I figured with Cody being as young as he was, he could probably eat an entire pizza himself.

  When the waiter approached, he had too big of a smile as he glanced at us. I had to agree though: he was definitely flirting with Bishop, and Bishop was uncomfortable about the whole thing, so I thought, what the hell? I made a point to wrap my arm around his back and move closer every time he walked by, only moving away when the pizzas were brought out and we needed to be able to eat.

  “So, Dr. G. You seeing anyone?” Adrian asked as I had a slice of pizza halfway to my mouth. I glanced at Bishop before I turned back to his partner.

  “Umm, no. I have someone I’m interested in, but I was an ass. I’m hoping he’ll give me a chance though.” I cleared my throat and went back to eating pizza.

  “That was me. I kept telling Adrian no. I was worried about the age difference, but I’m glad he didn’t give up,” Cody said, and Bishop made a mumbling noise beside me.

  “Huh?” I asked as I looked at him.

  “Nothing. I didn’t say a word.”

  “How long have the two of you been together?” I asked Adrian and Cody. They both looked at each other before they looked upward. I tried not to laugh. Obviously, they’d been together for a while.

  “Since July,” Adrian said. Cody nodded in agreement, and I looked at Bishop for confirmation.

  “Right? You’d think longer, but Cody led Adrian on a chase, and yeah, they’ve only been together since July of last year. Adrian drove me crazy until t
hen though, so I’m just glad they finally figured things out.”

  I turned back to the couple and offered a smile. “Well, congratulations. I would have guessed that you’d been together longer.”

  “Thanks. He’s my whole world, and I’d do anything for him,” Adrian said before he kissed Cody’s temple. We were checked on a few more times by the waiter before he finally brought the check. I tossed enough cash to cover half of the bill and tip to Adrian, who smiled and added the other half before he set it on the edge of the table.

  “Hey, what do I need to add?”

  “Nothing. It’s covered,” Adrian said before he slid out of the booth. Cody quickly followed, but when Adrian slid back in, I knew Cody would be back shortly.

  “No, I need to cover my part,” Bishop said as he opened his wallet. I leaned in and placed a hand high on his thigh as I whispered in his ear.

  “I thought you said I had to buy you dinner first?” I said before I pulled away enough to look at Bishop’s face. His eyes briefly grew before they darkened. I wondered if that meant I’d actually get to talk to him since he’d avoided me all week.

  “You ready to go?” Cody asked from beside us. I turned to look at him as Adrian slid out of the booth. I sighed and got up before I grabbed my coat and slid it on.

  “Was everything okay tonight, gentlemen?” the waiter asked as Bishop was sliding out. He removed his coat from the hook and pulled it on and then stood beside me, his chest pressed into my arm.

  “Everything was great,” he told the waiter, who offered a smile before he picked up the check and cash.

  “I’ll be right back with your change.”

  “No need. Have a great weekend,” Adrian said before he tugged Cody toward the door.

  “They’re my ride, and if I don’t catch up, I promise, Adrian will leave me,” Bishop told me. I smiled and wrapped my arm around his shoulders, giving him a gentle squeeze.

  “I can take you home, you know. I promise to behave and just say hi to Oreo before I beg you for an actual date again.”

  Bishop smiled before he stepped away and took my hand. He led us out of the restaurant where we met up with Adrian, who saw our joined hands and smiled.