Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Dean

O ne minute Santa is ready to leave with me—no, I am not freaking like a teen girl on her first date. I’m too mature for that. Wait, back to Santa. He’s prone on the ground, groaning as he clutches his left leg, a small hairy dog leaping around him, barking furiously as if it’s done something amazing.

“Oh, my goodness,” Hebe says.

We kneel either side of Echo, and I try and shield him from the dog.

“Mavis, keep Billy under control.”

The dog looks ready to use Echo as a trampoline.

“He was the one who trod on my Billy. My poor baby,” the woman coos, cuddling the dog.

I’m about to snap at her when she disappears down the hall, crooning to her dog about the nasty Santa.

“Echo, honey, are you all right?” Hebe says.

He clearly isn’t all right. His face is almost as pale as the fake white beard.

“Lean against me,” I say, and he sags into my arms. I try not to freak about that. Adult, mature, remember?

“Can you stand?” Hebe asks. “We could drive you to hospital.”

“I don’t think so. I think my leg is broken. I heard something snap.”

I look at his left leg. It’s not twisted, and it doesn’t look broken, but I’m not going to take any chances with my man…I mean, Echo.

“Hebe, can you call the EMTs.”

“Of course I can.” She scrambles to her feet and dashes into the office.

I notice Echo’s grimace.

“They’re very good,” I assure him.

“I’m sure they are, but I can do without the medical bill. I’m already paying off the appendicitis trip to the ER last year.”

I rub his back soothingly. “I’m sorry.”

Echo sighs and pulls off the hat and beard. “It’ll teach me to do my boss a favor.”

“The Santa gig?”

“Yeah. Gloria?—”

“Say no more. She tried that one on me.”

“How did you get out of it?” he asks, somewhat indignantly.

“I’ve had years of practice of saying no to Gloria.” I give him a smug smile.

“And you hate Christmas.”

The smile fades. “That too.”

There’s no point denying it. Everyone knows I hate Christmas. Most people don’t know why.

“It’s a real shame,” Echo murmurs and reaches up to touch my face.

Instinctively I flinch, jogging him, and he winces.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, mortified that I’ve hurt him.

“It’s okay.”

It clearly isn’t, but I’m grateful for his kindness considering how much pain he must be in.

Hebe emerges from the office. “The EMT’s are on their way.”

“Ooh, more hunky men to rescue me,” Echo says drily.

“Aren’t you a lucky boy,” she giggles, although I can see the worry in her eyes.

“Aunt Hebe?” I ask, seeking a way to distract them both.

“He’s my nephew,” she says. “My sister’s boy.” Her mouth purses as she mentions his mom. I know from previous conversations that she’s estranged from her family. But clearly not all of them. As I look between the two, I can see a family resemblance. Maybe it’s the full curve of their mouths or the sweetest blue eyes.

“Is that why you came to Collier’s Creek?” I ask Echo.

He nods, then winces again. “I must stop doing that. Yeah, I needed a chance of scene and Aunt Hebe suggested I visit Collier’s Creek for a while. I liked it so much I stayed.”

I became aware of the new guy a few months ago. I didn’t spend much time in Randy’s Rodeo Grill and Bar, but Sheriff Morgan had invited me to dinner with him and his husband. I expected a night of quiet elegance at Odette’s. Instead, I was subjected to line dancing. They were both obsessed with it. I liked the beer and wings, and the eye candy.

While they danced, I became entranced with the gorgeous new bartender. Dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. He has longest lashes I’ve ever seen. I spent the night drooling, only looking away when he glanced my way.

Now he’s in my arms, resting against my chest, and long lashes fan his cheeks as his eyes are closed. I can see a long, thin scar down his left cheek. I frown, wondering how he’d gotten that. I look up to see Hebe watching me, and flush at the knowing look in her eyes. I’d run from that knowing look if I could, but I don’t want to disturb Echo, who sucks in a breath every time he moves. My legs go numb, but I don’t dare shift, just in case it hurts him.

It doesn’t take long before the EMTs arrive. I know them both. I was in high school with one of them. James’s eyes narrow when he spots me holding Echo. I give him a long stare, daring him to say anything. He made my life hell as a teen, but my brother assures me he’s a different guy now, easy-going, more tolerant. They’re golfing buddies. Of course they are.

“Did Santa fall down the wrong chimney?” he booms out.

“Santa got taken out by a small dog,” Echo says with a sigh as he opens his eyes. “How embarrassing is that? Hi, James. Tony, how’s your daughter?”

“She’s fine,” the older man says. “Leona says thanks by the way, for getting her home safely. She won’t do that again.”

“Everyone has a night like that,” Echo says, and now I can hear the pain in his voice. It quells the sudden jealousy I feel at him taking a girl home. I’m being ridiculous, I know that.

So can James and Tony from the way they hustle over to us.

“I should move,” I say, ready to get up.

Echo moans and clutches me. “Stay.”

“Stay where you are,” James says, pushing me down before I can move. “We can take care of Santa at our end. It’s your left leg?”

“Yeah. That mutt sure packs a punch.”

We all chuckle at Echo’s lame attempt at a joke. I broke my leg once and it was all I could do not to scream when anyone came near me. My brother told me I was a drama queen. As he’d been the one to launch me off our swing set, I ignored him and carried on screaming. I was only six, I was allowed.

James hooks Echo up to a machine while Tony runs through a series of questions. Displaced from Echo’s side, Hebe herds the interested residents back into the lounge.

“I’m going to have to cut the costume, I’m afraid,” Tony says.

“Randy’s gonna kill me,” Echo mutters.

“You should give the thing a swift burial,” I suggest. “I swear it was attacked by moths last year.”

Echo tilted his head to look at me. “That explains the holes in the butt.”

Then he waggles his eyebrows. Bastard! Hole in his butt? He knows exactly where my mind wanders.

Tony snorts, missing the byplay as he focuses on retrieving the scissors from his pack. “He didn’t even replace the costume? That’s so like Randy.”

Echo sighs. “You’re telling me.”

Tony grins at me over the top of Echo’s head. I return the smirk before I even think about it. I’m not used to people smiling at me. No one relaxes around me. I’m the mayor’s brother. They worry I’m going to snitch to Danny. Like I would. Folks ought to know that, but still they worry.

I could murder a coffee right now.

“I need a coffee,” Echo murmurs.

I jolt, making him cry out.

“Hey, you need to keep our patient still,” James said.

I flush at the scolding.

“I’m sorry,” I say to Echo. “I literally just thought about a coffee.”

“From CCs,” he says dreamily.

“You don’t want a shot?” Tony asks.

Echo shakes his head. “I don’t drink. Night after night of dealing with drunk people put me off for life. Coffee now, that’s a different matter. I could drink coffee all day.”

I grin at him. “Me too. Will and Cameron say I keep CCs alive single-handed.”

“Will says that to me too. That’s what he tells us all.”

“I can’t touch caffeine,” James admits. “I get bad migraines.”

“You poor thing,” Echo says, his tone sympathetic, and you can tell he means it.

I nod in agreement. I don’t know how I’d get through the day without regular caffeine.

“No coffee for you, mister. Nothing until the docs look at that leg. You might need surgery.”

Echo groans and rubs his face. “Randy is really going to kill me if I need to take time off. I can hardly serve beer on crutches.”

“Don’t worry about that just yet,” Tony says. “I’m going to splint your leg. Then we’ll get you to the hospital.”

He looks outside the double doors. I follow his gaze. Fresh snow is falling.

“I hope they’ve cleared the roads,” James says.

We all grunt in agreement. Driving through thick snow is never fun. But we’re used to it in Collier’s Creek.

James and Tony work efficiently, and soon Echo is on the gurney and ready to go. I stagger as I get to my feet, biting back a groan as blood rushes to my legs.

Echo gives me a knowing look. “Pins and needles?”

“My toes are on fire,” I confess, waggling one foot, and we share a laugh.

I turn to see Hebe, Tony, and James staring at us as if we’re the entertainment for the afternoon. I raise an eyebrow. Hebe just shoots me a wicked grin.

They’re about to get moving when Echo squawks, “Wait, my cat. I need to feed my cat.”

“Have you got a neighbor you could call?” Tony asks.

I guess it’s not the first time he’s come across that particular issue.

Echo shakes his head, looking upset. “She’s away at the moment.”

“I can’t feed her,” Hebe murmurs. “I’m allergic to cats.”

“I know you are,” Echo says, trying to soothe her.

Tony and James look at me.

“Uh…uh…I guess I can do it,” I stutter. “I don’t know much about cats.”

“Dump some smelly crap in the bowl,” James says impatiently. “How complicated can it be?”

Echo stares at him. “Man, my cat is fed like a princess. She doesn’t eat smelly crap.”

James throws up his hands. “Whatever. But we need to get this show on the road. Echo, give him your keys and instructions.”

Echo hands over his keys. I note the alligator on the keyring.

I tuck them in my pocket and pull out my phone. “Okay, tell me what to feed the beast.” By the end of his instructions, I’m sweating. Seriously, would the cat notice if I just fed her something out of a tin?

“And everything is in the pantry,” Echo finishes, “or Ariel steals the food.”

“Geez, the beastie eats better than I do,” Tony says. “My wife should come to you for instructions.”

James snorts. “I’ll tell her you said that.”

“Please don’t,” his partner begs.

“What’s it worth?”

They bicker like long-time partners, then focus on Echo.

“Time to go, man,” Tony says.

Echo grabs my hand. “Her name is Ariel.”

I squint at him.

“My cat. You know. The Little Mermaid .”

“Oh. Ariel. Okay.” I smile at him and squeeze his hand.

“You have lovely eyes,” he murmurs, staring into them.

I give a brief laugh. “That’s the pain meds talking.”

James squints at us, but he doesn’t say anything. “Okay, Echo, no more stalling. It’s time you take a ride to the hospital.”

Echo grabs my hand as James and Tony make sure they’ve got everything. “Dean, can you call Gloria? She’s expecting me to call her.”

“I will,” I promise, although despite my bravado earlier, the girl terrifies me.

It’s only as Echo is wheeled away that I realize he hasn’t been given any pain meds. And he likes my eyes.

Hebe stares at me over coffee. It’s two hours after Echo’s fall because bingo was late, and I stayed to help because I didn’t want to disappoint the old ladies. Mind you, they were more excited about Santa being taken to hospital than the usual prize fare of chocolates and soap, and it was hard to get them to focus. But finally it’s over and I escape to the safety of Hebe’s office.

Oh, how wrong I am. I squirm under her knowing expression. “Spit it out.”

“So you and my nephew.”

“I’m feeding his cat, not proposing to him.” I stare at her over the rim of my cup, daring her to say more.

She scowls at me. “Don’t get snippy with me, young man. Echo is a wonderful man. He deserves to be treated right.”

I sigh as I put down the cup. “Hebe, you know I love you dearly, but whatever you’ve got going on in that head of yours, stop.”

“Nothing’s going on,” she says.

Like I don’t know that innocent tone is totally false. We’ve been friends for years, since she arrived in Collier’s Creek. A few decades separate us but we both recognize a soul in pain when we see one. She just hides it better than me.

“I just can’t, okay?”

I didn’t even need to say what I was talking about. Her expression softens.

“Honey, when are you gonna let someone back into your heart?”

“Never. That way lies madness.”

Once was enough. There is a reason my closet door is padlocked shut. I know the other gay guys in Collier’s Creek don’t understand. How could they? I never told them. But I told Hebe because she’s been through the same pain.

“Echo likes you too,” Hebe repeats, then rolls her eyes at my scowl. “Oh, don’t give me that look. You know he likes you.”

“I need to go.”

“Don’t forget the cat.”

Like I could forget.

“I don’t even know where Echo lives,” I confess.

“He’s renting Deputy Ben’s house. He’s not supposed to have a pet, but she decided Echo was her human, and Ben fell in love with her when he met her the first time.”

I nod, adding that to my notes, although I know where Ben used to live until he moved in with Sheriff Morgan. “Okay, I’ll swing by and feed Ariel now.”

“You’re a good boy,” she says fondly. “Heather will make you her mac ‘n cheese when she gets home.”

“You could make it,” I point out.

“It wouldn’t be as good as hers.”

I smile at her wistful expression. “You’re missing her, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea. Never marry a wanderer, Dean. They’re never at home.”

“Heather is on a business trip, Hebe. She’ll be home on Monday.”

Her sad sigh tells me it isn’t soon enough.

“Maybe you should talk to her. Suggest she finds a job where she isn’t away so much.”

“Like I’m going to do that,” she scoffs. “Get out of here. It’ll be dinner soon and Brenda will suggest you have a tête-à-tête together.”

Hebe giggles as I shudder at the thought. I have my limits. I get to my feet and roll my shoulders, working out the tension. I’ll need a workout at the gym after my visit to Echo’s.

I leave her to face the ravening hordes and drive carefully through the snowy landscape. It’s the tree-lighting ceremony tomorrow. The temperature isn’t expected to rise much, and it will look pretty with all the snow. I’ll have to make my usual appearance because Danny is doing his thing, but then I can escape home and watch something like the Alien franchise. I always wished I was as brave as Ripley.

I drive over to the sweet one-story that used to belong to Ben’s grandmother. Someone is still maintaining the flowerpots outside, only now the plants are covered in snow and decorated with solar fairy lights, beautiful in the dark of the late afternoon. I feel a bit awkward letting myself into Echo’s home without him being there, but I remind myself I’m doing him a favor. I fumble for the lights, and a calico cat rushes down the hall toward me, loudly protesting, presumably telling me how hungry she is.

I bow to her. “Ariel, I presume.”

She meows at me.

“I’m Dean. Your mister is at the ER so I’m here to feed you. Is that acceptable?”

Her loud mewing tells me it will have to do because she’s starving.

I nod at her. “Let’s find the pantry then and work through your gourmet dinner. Lead on, Princess Ariel.”

I head into the kitchen, noting how tidy it is, no empty dishes on the counter. I open the door that has to be the pantry and swallow at the sight of all the cat paraphernalia and food. I’ve never had a cat or dog. My parents didn’t like pets. I thought when you have a pet, you opened a can and dumped slop into the bowl. Not Echo. The guy must have bought out the pet store in Collier’s Creek.

I take one of the small bowls stacked to one side as Ariel wreathes around my feet, purring loudly. “Don’t knock me over, little lady, or you won’t get any food,” I advise her. She ignores me and carries on mewing. I check the list on my phone, checking it twice to make sure I’ve got it right.

“Half a tin of cat food.” I peer in the refrigerator and find a can already open. “Aha! Dean is right.” I dump it in the bowl.

Not caring about my triumph, Ariel meows impatiently.

“Okay, okay. Next. One sardine. Seriously? You really do like smelly food.”

I open the sardine can, hunt for a fork, then place that neatly next to the cat food.

“A sprinkle of seaweed. Ugh? Really?” It takes me a minute, but I find the seaweed.

“A little water.”

I do that.

“A small bowl of kibble.”

The kibble served, I place it and the bowl of wet food on the tray I’ve been told to use.

“And finally, refresh her cup of water on my nightstand.”

“Cup? You have a cup?”

Ariel mews. Apparently, she does.

I put down the tray, and she falls on the food like a ravening beastie. “You’re welcome.”

Then I go in search of Echo’s bedroom. It is as tidy as the kitchen, the bed neatly made with a navy comforter and no clothes on the floor. I’m lucky if my bed is made once a month, and I always miss the hamper.

I refill the cup on the nightstand, grinning at the photo of Echo snuggled with Ariel, clearly a selfie. That man is going to melt my frozen heart if I’m not careful.

I retrace my steps back to the pantry where Ariel is still happily munching. “Okay, I’m going. I may see you in the morning if your daddy is still in hospital.”

She ignores me. I’ve done my job now.

“Ungrateful cat,” I mutter.

I’m unsure whether to leave a light on, but I don’t like the thought of her being left in the dark. Then I remember Echo’s instruction not to leave the pantry door open.

I take the tray despite her protests and place it in the kitchen and shut the pantry door. “Don’t moan at me. This is your daddy’s order. Take it up with him.”

She grumbles but goes back to eating her food.

I give her a last scratch behind the ears and leave her to get on with it while I go in search of my own dinner. I’m starving. I think of Echo in hospital and wonder if he ended up having surgery. I can’t call him; I didn’t take his number. Would it be weird of me to call the hospital and ask?