by Lynn Hagen
There hadn’t been a shortage of horrific stories. Keller also knew what a person did to get by when they lived on the streets, even in small towns, and prayed that wasn’t Horace’s case.
“They’re the greatest guys anyone could ask to be friends with.” Layne stopped walking and turned to face Keller. “And the O’Brien men are fantastic.” He narrowed his eyes. “So I better never again hear how you treated Horace so badly. Got that?”
Keller shoved his hands into his front pockets as shame washed over him. He wasn’t that type of guy, and knew he had to make things up with the human. Even if that meant spending time around Horace, the biggest temptation he’d ever come across.
Even thinking of Horace now made Keller’s stomach do flips. He felt like scum for the way he’d talked to Horace. The guy was too kind, too sweat, and Keller had ripped into him like some jackass. He couldn’t get that fallen look from his mind and it ate at him.
“Loud and clear.”
“Good.” Layne smiled. “Let’s go get some ice cream and I’ll tell you where Horace lives and works so you can make it up to him with a dinner date or a walk of your own.”
Now Keller saw why Nash loved Layne so much. The guy was a pistol, and Keller just bet he kept Nash on his toes.
* * * *
Horace groaned when he walked into work and found that lady was back, and she had her kids with her. How much laundry did she have that she had to be there two days in a row? Too bad Stanton had to work today and couldn’t come to his rescue again.
“They’ve been beasts,” Millburn said when Horace relieved him of his shift. “They’ve knocked over two trashcans, scared some of the customers away, and their mother just sits there with her nose in her phone.”
“How long have they been here?” Horace watched as the kids raced up and down the aisles of machines.
“About half an hour.”
Crud. That meant they would be there while Horace worked. He’d been hoping the mother was nearly done with her laundry. No such luck.
“I swear, some people shouldn’t have kids.” Millburn sniffed.
Horace was determined to make it through his shift without losing his mind or getting a headache. He was still smarting from Keller’s comment about Buttercup. He couldn’t believe how uppity Keller had acted. If that was how he would be, Horace wanted no part of him. The guy might be drop-dead gorgeous, but he could shove his attitude where the sun didn’t shine.
Then again, Horace had dealt with plenty of men like Keller O’Brien. Men who thought they were better than others. Horace had witnessed plenty of that living on the streets, people who stuck their nose up at him.
Horace grimaced. No way did he want to deal with Keller if that was how he truly was. That saddened him because he really thought the doctor was a good guy. That went to show that looks could be deceiving. Even if Keller hadn’t turned out to be a jerk, Horace hadn’t stood a chance with the guy, so maybe this was for the best.
“Earth to Horace.” Millburn waved a hand in front of Horace’s face. “You zoned out. Where’d you go?”
“Memory lane,” Horace admitted.
“Good memories?”
“Let’s just say that road is under construction.” Horace grabbed his cleaning cloth and spray bottle. “Right now I have to put on my happy face so I don’t go postal up in here.”
Millburn chuckled. “Okay, so the kids are unruly. But they’re just kids. You can handle it.”
Horace got an idea. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a few dollar bills, plus some change. He walked over to the three children who were standing in front of a dryer and watching it spin. “If your mother says it’s okay, I’ll buy you guys some snacks if you promise to sit down and watch the television. I’ll even put on some cartoons for you.”
He wasn’t above bribing them, and wished he’d thought about the cartoon thing yesterday.
The one who looked the oldest watched Horace warily as the youngest ran to their mother. He saw her shrug. What a charming freaking woman.
The little girl ran back. “She doesn’t care, mister. You can buy us snacks.”
For a brief moment Horace felt like he was trying to lure the kids with candy. What a horrible thought. He let them pick what they wanted and also bought them some bottled waters.
As promised, the kids sat, and Horace used the remote behind the counter to turn the cartoons on. The other, older, customers didn’t look too happy, but Horace was relieved the children were settled.
For how long was a damn good question.
“See, you’re great with kids.” Millburn smiled. “I knew you could do it.” He went back into the room for employees only and grabbed his backpack. “I’ll see you later.”
After Millburn left, Horace got to cleaning. That occupied most of his time but not enough of it. Today Horace had brought a book with him. If he couldn’t have romance in his life, then he would read about it.
He was halfway through wiping the glass on the dryer doors when he heard someone clear his throat. Horace turned and nearly jumped when he saw Keller behind him.
“What’re you doing here?” Horace looked toward the kids and was glad to see they were still munching on their snacks as the television droned on. One of the dryers buzzed, and someone slammed the bathroom door closed.
“I came by to apologize for acting like an ass.” Keller leaned against one of the large washers, the ones that could hold ten loads. The guy was tall, muscular, with a beard and mustache that made him look even sexier, ruggedly so. He had a body that screamed to be touched, and Horace wanted to touch.
“So why did you act that way?” Horace saw a piece of lint on Keller’s shirt and couldn’t stop himself from pulling it off. In his world, everything had to be neat and orderly. It was the only way Horace felt in control.
That stemmed from his father. His dad would come home after work and rant and rave about the messy house. Horace’s mom hadn’t been the best housekeeper, so Horace had taken on that role to try and keep the peace and hadn’t stopped since.
James Harrington would become a tyrant if he spotted a speck of dust anywhere. If Horace was honest, keeping everything spotless was tiring, and some days he wished he wasn’t so anal about it. But he couldn’t stop himself, no matter how hard he tried.
It was one of the many neurotic qualities his dad had bestowed upon him. The freaking jerk.
What had hardened Horace’s heart further was the fact that, while homeless, he’d seen his dad plenty of times, and James had acted as though Horace didn’t exist.
If it hadn’t been for Layne’s parents, Horace wasn’t sure where he would’ve ended up. The one thing he could proudly say was that he’d never had to sell his body while homeless. Horace had found odd jobs, and the Buchannans had fed him. Horace would forever be grateful to Layne’s parents.
“I have no idea why I acted that way.” Keller folded his arms, making his biceps bulge even further. Did the doctor know how much of a warrior he looked like? Was he even aware of how much Horace wanted him? Probably not. That was the way Horace’s luck ran. But damn if Keller didn’t make a fabulous sight.
Horace was seconds away from drooling until more customers came in. Most didn’t know how the system worked. They had to get a plastic card from him and then use the machine on the wall to load money on it to use on the washers and dryers.
“I have to get back to work.” Horace wasn’t satisfied with Keller’s answer. He had to do better than “I don’t know.”
“Let me make it up to you.” Keller touched Horace’s arm and damn if Horace’s body didn’t instantly react. “Dinner?”
“Make him take you to the movies, too.”
Horace turned his head and saw the eldest child standing beside them, his chip bag in his hand.
“I’m out of snacks.” He showed Horace how empty the bag was. “Can I get some more?”
“Friend of yours?” Keller smiled.
“He’s my sweet little
blackmailer,” Horace said. “And I’m all out of change.”
“Let me take care of that.” Keller went to the candy machine, and the other two kids raced over, begging for more treats. Horace was impressed with the way Keller interacted with them. He was patient, even when the kids became rowdy. He talked in his deep, gentle voice, and they settled down, becoming malleable as Keller pushed buttons and snacks fell free.
The youngest even smiled up at Keller, her own personal giant. Horace swooned at the gentle way Keller treated them. Commanding with an air of authority, yet kind and fair.
Should he go on a dinner date with Keller? What if he acted that way again? After watching the way Keller laughed and joked with the oldest child, and catered to the other two, Horace was willing to give the guy a chance. He just hoped he didn’t regret his decision.
Chapter Three
Keller had no idea why he’d invited Horace to dinner. That hadn’t been his plan. All he’d wanted to do was make peace between them, not take the human out on a date.
But the offer had been accepted and Keller felt a bit of excitement zip through him. Horace was this undeniable creature that fascinated the hell out of Keller, and even though he knew he was playing with fire, getting a little singed wouldn’t do any harm.
He decided to keep it casual, nothing fancy. He didn’t want to give Horace the wrong idea. Even Keller didn’t know what idea he was trying not to give as he smoothed his hand down his shirt and stared at himself in his full-length mirror.
“You look nice.” Layne was in his bedroom doorway, leaning against the frame. “Where’re you going?”
“To your parents’ restaurant.” That was casual enough, and if Keller remembered correctly from back then, the food had been fantastic. He doubted that had changed.
“Just make sure you’re nice.”
“I’m always nice,” Keller said. “Okay, so I had a slip-up. It happens. Not everyone has bright and cheery days all the time.”
Marcus had texted him twice last night, asking when Keller was coming back. Keller wasn’t sure what he would do about him. He still missed Marcus, still craved the guy, but it was time to move on. Marcus wasn’t good for him, and Keller deserved better.
That was what he kept telling himself, even if that asshole still held a part of his heart.
“Have fun.” Layne walked away.
“It’s just a meal to make up for being an ass,” he grumbled to himself. He walked to his balcony doors, swinging them open to enjoy the fresh air and the setting sun. But instead of enjoying the view, he spotted Hayward by a cypress tree that was covered in moss. His brother was pacing, his phone stuck to his ear, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t too happy.
Then Keller noticed a shadow farther across the yard, just by the tree line. Hayward had his back turned and didn’t notice the person. Unsure what was going on, Keller hurried downstairs and out the backdoor. He looked around, but the stranger was gone.
He hadn’t even gotten a look at the person’s face. He was sure it was a guy from his build, but he’d been standing in the shadows, and Keller hadn’t been able to make out his features.
Hayward turned and looked him over, his brows pinched together. “What?”
Keller told his brother what he’d seen. Hayward spun around and scanned the area, but there was no one there.
“Are you sure?” he asked Keller.
“I’m positive. Tall, slim, and hiding in the shadows.” They walked over to where he had seen the guy and scented the air.
Keller gagged. “It smells like overturned wet earth and worms.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t smell that while I was on the phone.” Hayward looked downright pissed.
“The wind is blowing in the other direction.” Keller looked back toward the house. He needed to get going but didn’t want to leave Hayward if trouble was brewing.
Right there under the moss-covered tree, Hayward stripped naked and shifted into his panther. He padded a few feet away, scenting the air. Keller kept looking around as if the stranger would jump from behind a tree at any second.
He followed as Hayward walked toward the woods. They had mates and an infant to protect, and Keller wouldn’t fail them if someone were up to no good.
They were about ten feet past the tree line when Hayward shifted back into his human form. His eyes were narrowed, and his lips were pinched. A lot of people were frightened of “Nomad” because of the ominous looks he always gave. But Keller knew his brother was only trying to keep everyone at arm’s length. He’d been that way since as far back as Keller could recall, brooding, silent, observing more than talking.
But since reconnecting after a ten year separation from each other, Hayward seemed even more reserved, as if he had bad things in his past he was trying hard to hide.
“What is it?” Keller asked.
“Nothing.”
“Are you seriously gonna lie to me?” Keller argued. “I have a right to know what’s going on.”
Hayward turned his glare on Keller. It was so frosty that Keller should’ve been shivering. “What right do you have, part-timer? You’re just gonna run back to California. Why are you even here?”
Wow. That hadn’t been the response Keller expected. He saw the anger and pain in Hayward’s blue eyes. “So what if I worked in California? We haven’t seen each other in ten years before Aunt Beatrice died. What’s with the attitude?”
Hayward walked back to where he’d left his clothes and got dressed. Keller wanted answers. He had no idea his brother had harbored such ill feelings toward him, and he wanted to know why.
“Do you really want to know?” Hayward looked Keller dead in his eyes. The expression in them was nothing short of frosty. “Do you really want the honest truth?”
“Yes!” Keller was getting pissed. He hadn’t done anything to Hayward, yet his brother looked as though he wanted to take Keller’s head off.
“You couldn’t wait to bail as soon as you turned eighteen. You didn’t care that you were leaving us behind. You didn’t stop long enough to notice that Aunt Beatrice was ill. All you cared about was yourself. And now, when we’re finally back together, you keep taking off as if this family means nothing to you.”
The harshness in Hayward’s tone was like a snakebite. It stung and made Keller feel sick to his stomach. “You knew she wasn’t feeling well and you didn’t say anything?”
“Don’t you dare put this on me.” Hayward’s glare made the temperature around them drop ten degrees. “I tried reaching out to you, tried calling numerous times, but you were always too busy to either answer or stay on the phone long enough.”
“I was in medical school!” Keller shouted. “I barely slept most nights, cramming for tests. I’m sorry I made something of myself, and it wasn’t easy. I worked two jobs just to get by and studied in between.”
Keller hadn’t had a life back then. Sleep was just as elusive, and a few times he’d considered dropping out. The pressure had been immense, but he’d made it. And then his internship had started, and it was back to eating ramen noodles and getting little sleep.
Dr. Asbury, his boss at the time, had encouraged Keller to choose a field he wanted to specialize in, but Keller loved the rhythm of the ER. He liked having something new to challenge him, loved the people he interacted with, and the staff had been amazing.
When he’d started dating Marcus, even his lover had harped about Keller going into a specialty field. That had been the basis of their many arguments, and he knew Marcus looked down his nose at Keller for not pushing himself to go further.
“Just because I didn’t become a doctor doesn’t mean I didn’t do something with my life,” Hayward argued. “Do you even know me? Have you ever taken the time to find out who I really am?”
Sadly, no. Keller didn’t really know any of his brothers. Not the way he should. He knew Nash suffered from nightmares, and although they were fewer and further in between, he still had them.
&nbs
p; And Quinn? Keller hadn’t the first clue what the guy had been up to in the past ten years or what he was even doing with his life now. But they hadn’t gotten to know him, either. No one knew the heartache Keller was suffering through now, the lonely nights he’d spent wondering what his brothers were doing, missing home so badly that he’d found any excuse to come back since his aunt’s funeral.
Even though Hayward was chewing him out, Keller had missed the guy like crazy. He hadn’t just bailed when he’d turned eighteen. Keller had won a scholarship to college and had taken advantage of it. What was wrong with that?
Hayward huffed and scrubbed a hand through his beard. “Look, I didn’t mean to lay all that on you.”
“Yes, you did. And I’m glad you got that off your chest.” Although the timing couldn’t have been worse. Keller was now late for his date with Horace, but it seemed Hayward needed his time. He didn’t want to walk away after his brother had opened up to him.
Now that he knew how Hayward felt, Keller was determined to settle in Kendall and get to know his brothers. It was about time they did some deep bonding and became the strong family they’d once been.
“So who was the stranger?” Keller asked. “Did you catch his scent?”
Hayward looked toward the woods. “You’re not going to believe me. I can hardly believe it myself.”
There was a strange look in Hayward’s eyes. Keller got a queasy feeling in his stomach that he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“You remember those stories Aunt Beatrice used to tell us about the cythraul?”
Keller chuckled. “I think she told us those stories to keep us in line, to stop us from acting up.”
And it had worked. Keller had been frightened of a demon in the shape of a wolf coming after him if he’d decided to skip school or become a juvenile delinquent.
“I came across one a few years back,” Hayward said. “They’re not just a myth. They’re rare, but real, Keller.”