Chapter 10

Note to self: Don't tell him everything.

Ryan blew out a breath and shook his head, not sure how Alex would take the beans he was about to spill. He should hold back. Alex didn't need to know everything. "God, this is going to sound petty."

Alex shrugged one shoulder. "Better sounding petty than mean."

"Ouch, I deserved that." Ryan sipped more of the wine, giving himself a moment to decide if he was going to tell the truth. Might as well. "I was angry because though I'm an adult and went to college for business, people who knew my dad and mom—you know, people who have been around for a long time—they treat me like a child. They act as if I can't run the store that I've been running for years. I mean, I'm under stress now, but that's more stress from people treating me like I'm stupid or a child, and the stress of doing all the extra stuff."

Ryan blew out a breath and shook his head. It was petty of him to be complaining about all of this.

"Losing people is hard."

Ryan's lips twisted up to one side. "I let my anger get to me, but the superintendent of schools had set up a meeting to question if I was capable of running the store and not screwing up everything when the school ordered next year's equipment and uniforms. It pissed me off, and I was dealing with some other stuff, and I let my anger fly."

"That was rude of him."

"Yeah. Then I came out, and my tire was flat. I was pissed, and I took it out on you. It was wrong, and I'm sorry. Then, right before I walked into the coffee shop, I had an email from the superintendent asking if I needed to hire someone to run the business. I guess I was still smarting and acted like an ass toward you."

Alex nodded but didn't say anything. Ryan worried that he might have messed everything up with his anger.

"I'm really not like that. I know you have no reason to believe me. I guess the pressure of my parents dying and taking over everything, in addition to dealing with Brett's anger and everything else, just made me act out."

Alex reached out, and his hand landed on Ryan's knee. Warmth spread as thoughts began to grow in his mind. Though he'd been interested, he'd never kissed a guy or held hands, or done anything really. But with Alex, he wanted it. He wanted to hold onto Alex and do things with him he'd only done with women.

"It's understandable. Grief makes you do weird things. I know it's not the same, but when people lose pets, they get angry and can lash out. With a parent, it's worse."

Ryan nodded as he leaned in. The rain on the roof had slowed, but the roll of thunder still sounded in the distance. The lighting was just right, and no one else was around. It was the perfect atmosphere for something to happen.

He swore Alex leaned in as well. They were closer and he was about to scoot closer when the moment was shattered by the shrill ring of a phone. Alex flinched, and Ryan jerked back.

"Sorry," Alex murmured. "That's the emergency line." Alex fumbled with his phone before he answered on speaker. "Hello."

"Dr. Engle, I have Mrs. Bannif on the line."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Yes, put her through." The line clicked, and Ryan could hear an older woman speaking. At first Alex was shaking his head, then his eyes went wide as the woman described that a neighbor's dog had been hit. "Mrs. Bannif, can you bring the dog into the clinic?"

"He's in the car with me now. I'm on my way."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Oh, thank you, Dr. Engle. I don't know what I would do without you."

Alex ended the call, apologies shining in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I need to go."

"I'll go with you."

"But the tent…"

Ryan waved him off. "I can clean it up in the morning." He sprang into action, packing up the remnants of their picnic and exiting the tent before Alex even had his shoes on.

"Thank you," Alex said as he patted his pockets, tapping his phone.

Ryan pulled his keys from his pockets. "I can drive."

"Are you sure?" Alex asked.

"Yes. I have the truck tonight. If we run across any standing water, the truck will handle it better."

"Sure."

Alex followed him outside and Ryan opened the truck door, shoving the basket into the back seat before hopping in and starting the engine. The windshield wipers cleaned the lingering droplets that blurred the world outside. It was like how he felt about telling Alex he was bi. The declaration had cleared a lot up for him, and he didn't want to go back to the hazy way he'd been living before.

Ryan gave the road his attention, getting them to the clinic quickly and safely. Mrs. Bannif's car was in the lot, and Alex jumped out, heading over to check on the dog.

"Hey, Alex, give me your keys, and I'll unlock the door."

"Sure." Alex handed him the keys, and he went in front of him, unlocking the entrance.

The alarm started beeping, and Alex moved close to Ryan, whispering the numbers to enter and turn off the alarm. Then Ryan helped Mrs. Bannif inside. He sat beside the older woman as they listened to Alex in the back.

"Maybe I should go back and check on him."

Mrs. Bannif patted his hand. "He's a good man."

Ryan nodded absently. He didn't know Alex well, but he wanted to know him better. He didn't want this to be the only time they got together. Could he actually ask Alex out on a real date?

"What do you think he's doing back there?" Mrs. Bannif clenched her hands together as she stood and walked over to the reception desk.

He followed and tried for a smile. "I'm not sure, but he's probably trying to stabilize the dog. How about I get you a cup of tea?"

"That would be nice, dear. Thank you."

Ryan helped her back to her seat before he turned to head to the back. Mrs. Bannif was worried, but she seemed okay enough for him to leave her alone for a few minutes. He made his way around the receptionist's desk and paused, looking back to see Mrs. Bannif dabbing her eyes with a tissue. She was older than his mother had been when she passed. Seeing this woman made him realize he would never watch his mother grow older and age to the point her skin looked paper thin, and the spots on her hands and arms stood out. He drew in a shaky breath and pushed the sadness away before stepping into the small area with a fax machine and some other office stuff.

Before he moved deeper into the building, he looked through the window, making sure the area was empty. Alex nor the injured dog were visible. He stepped in, looking for something that looked like an employee lounge or kitchen.

A noise sounded to his right, and he glanced over, spying Alex through a narrow window on the door. He stood over a table, his concentration on the dog in front of him. Ryan watched for a moment as Alex worked on the animal.

His heart rate increased as he watched, worry for the dog and Alex growing. Ryan tugged his attention away from Alex and kept going, finding a room with a refrigerator, a coffee maker, and an electric water kettle. He looked in a drawer and found some tea bags. He'd assumed there would be tea because why wouldn't there be? But he could have been wrong. He was glad this place had tea.

He put water in the kettle and turned it on, his mind going from the time he'd spent with Alex, to his parents, and then the dog Alex was currently trying to save. So much of his life had been lived in the confines of what his parents thought was acceptable. Even if he supported Brett, he had to admit he'd failed his brother. Brett had been hurt by their parents, and Ryan hadn't done enough to help him. Fear of being ostracized had played a part in his actions. He hadn't wanted to be disinherited from the family business, but he should have spoken up sooner. If he had, maybe he could have started living his truth earlier.

The water heated, and he poured it up. Steam curled from the cup as he carried it to the front. Alex was still bent over the dog, an intense look on his face as he worked.

Mrs. Bannif glanced up at him with a shaky smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm sure Alex will be out here in a bit and tell us how it's going."

He had no idea how Alex worked or how good he was at his job, but the look he'd seen when Alex found out the dog was injured made Ryan think he really cared about animals. Though he'd been engaged, he knew his ex hadn't really cared about him. It was one of the reason's they'd broken up, that and his heart hadn't been into it. His next relationship he wanted to be with someone he really cared deeply about. Was that even a possibility?