by Sue Brown
Ariel’s eyes went comically wide. “You’re getting married?”
Marty pressed his hand against his ear to counter the piercing squeal. “Do you want to let the whole block know? Yes, I’m getting married.”
“Again?” Gideon asked. He never forgot anything. Dan had learned that to his cost and was very careful what information he disclosed.
Marty scowled, but he nodded and pulled out his phone again to show them the photo of his fiancée. “I’m marrying Lena in four weeks, and I’ve asked Dan to be my best man.”
Ariel’s squeal was loud enough to burst the eardrums of every customer in the store. “That’s so exciting. She’s so beautiful.”
“You’re a lucky man,” Gideon said.
Dan caught the hint of sadness in his voice and knew Gideon must be thinking about his late wife. He wondered how Gideon felt every time he saw a happy couple, but practicalities interrupted his thoughts. He turned to Gideon. “I’m gonna need that Saturday off. It’s the beginning of March?” He looked at Marty for confirmation, and Marty nodded.
“The first weekend.”
Dan didn’t anticipate it being a problem as he would willingly swap a shift with someone and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken any vacation time.
“We’ll look at the rosters tonight,” Gideon rumbled.
“Who are you gonna take as your date to the wedding?” Ariel asked.
“No one. I’m going stag.”
She didn’t look impressed. “You can’t do that. You have to take a plus-one.”
“Got no one to take, baby girl. And I don’t want to upset the parents of the happy couple.” Dan had been to many weddings—gay and straight—by himself. In fact he struggled to think of a single wedding that he’d been to with a plus-one. At least if he went stag, he could escape when he wanted to.
“I told you, my parents know you’re gay, and they wouldn’t have a problem with you bringing a man,” Marty said. “And as for Lena’s parents, they just have to put up with it. Lena doesn’t care. She knows you’re gay.”
“You told your bride-to-be that your best friend is gay?”
Marty looked puzzled. “Yeah. Of course I did. You’re my best friend. Why wouldn’t I tell her?”
Dan couldn’t think of a good answer.
“Times are changing,” Gideon said. “In my day no one would have taken a man as their partner or at least they wouldn’t have been open about it. They would have been cousins or roommates or something. But now it’s different, and it’s a good thing. You need to catch up, Dan. Find a date and take him to the wedding.”
Dan shook his head, annoyed at the pile-on. “I’m happy going by myself. Besides, I’m gonna have to look after the groom and make sure he gets to the church on time. I won’t have time to take care of anyone else.”
“You could invite them to the wedding reception,” Ariel said.
Dan looked at them sourly. “Enough with the date I haven’t got.”
“What about that date you had… when was it?” Gideon said.
“He spent the whole time telling me about all the men he’d fu—got into his bed. I don’t need to be another notch on his bedpost or a discussion point over dinner with his next date. And before you ask, I can’t remember the last time I went out with someone else before him.”
Ariel shook her head, and Dan caught her mischievous expression. He didn’t want to think what was coming next. “That’s really sad. You need more time off, Dan. You should ask your boss for a proper vacation.”
Gideon fidgeted beside Dan. “He’s old enough to arrange his own vacation times. You keep your nose out of it, missy.”
Ariel pouted. “I’m only trying to help.”
“I know you are,” Dan soothed, “and your dad is just grumpy at the thought of giving me any time off.”
Gideon smirked at him. “Well, yeah, you’re the best employee I have.”
It was all banter and joking, but Gideon’s words left a flutter in Dan’s heart.
“When are we going to meet Lena?” Ariel said.
“Right now,” Marty pointed to the door. “She just walked in.”
Dan looked over to the door to see a slim black woman in a red coat standing hesitantly in the doorway. Marty got up and waved to attract her attention. She saw him and smiled, and any reservations Dan had about their relationship went out the window when he saw the love and joy on her face. He had never been a believer in love at first sight. Lust, yes. He thought about his first sight of Gideon at their initial interview. Love was overrated, but maybe it did exist for other people. Then Gideon sighed and pushed closer to him. Sometimes lust turned to love, even if nothing else happened.
Lena pushed her way through the crowd and joined them at the table.
Marty kissed her on the cheek and put his arms around her. “This is my wonderful fiancée, Lena. Lena, this is my best friend, Dan. This is his boss, Gideon and Gideon’s daughter, Ariel.”
“I thought I was going to meet your best friend, but we have a crowd?”
Ariel smiled at her. “Dad and I just crashed Dan’s morning coffee. I’m really nosy, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Marty.”
“That might be my fault,” Lena said. “I’ve been hogging Marty’s time recently.”
Still waiting to formally greet Lena, Dan had the chance to watch her interact with Ariel. Marty hadn’t stopped grinning like a loon since Lena walked in the door. It was obvious that Lena hung the moon and stars in Marty’s world. She leaned against Marty, her fingers entwined with his as she carried on an animated conversation with Ariel.
Gideon nudged Dan’s leg again, disturbing his thoughts. “I’m sorry if your work time interferes with your love life.”
Dan snorted. “Don’t give me that. You have a bar to run, and you know I’m gonna be there most days. If I wanted a love life, I’d get a different job.”
“Ariel has a point, though. It ain’t good for a man to be alone. You need company sometimes.”
“I could say the same for you,” Dan said pointedly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a date.”
There was that sad look Gideon always got when he was thinking about his wife and son. “I wasn’t ready before, and now I don’t seem to find the time to go dating. Between business and my daughter, I’m always busy.”
Dan looked at Marty. “Do I get a proper introduction now?”
Marty stuck his tongue out at Dan’s teasing. “If you can stop gabbing about how sad your love lives are. Lena, this is my best friend and my best man and possibly the saddest dude in the universe when it comes to music. Dan, meet the love of my life.”
Dan stood and held out his hand to Lena, but she bypassed it and hugged him.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she said as she stepped back. “Marty talks about you all the time.”
“I’m really sorry about that.”
She laughed. “Oh no, I want to hear more. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of stories from when you were kids.”
Dan grinned at her. “You bet I have.”
“Not until after the wedding,” Marty protested. “I don’t want to put her off.”
Gideon also got to his feet and held out his hand to Lena. “I think I’m the only one who hasn’t said hello. Pleased to meet you, Lena, I’m Gideon Tyler.”
As Lena shook his hand, she frowned and held on to his hand for a minute. “I know you.”
“I doubt it,” Gideon said. “I don’t think we move in the same circles.”
Lena was still frowning, and then she snapped her fingers. “I know! You helped at the children’s hospital’s Christmas party the year before last. You were Santa Claus. I was there too. My niece was in the hospital at the time.”
Dan blinked at the thought of Gideon playing Santa, and from the stunned expression on Ariel’s face, it was news to her too.
A smile spread across Gideon’s face. “You’re right, and you’re very perceptive if you rea
lized that was me under the padding. How is your niece now?”
Lena smiled at him. “It’s your drawl. I don’t get to hear many Texans in New York. Rosie is doing fine now. She has cerebral palsy and has to spend time in the hospital occasionally.”
“Daddy? Is there something you need to tell us?” Ariel had a wicked grin on her face. “I’ve never heard anything about this.”
Gideon groaned and said, “There’s a good reason you haven’t heard anything. Because I know you’d never let me forget it. It was a one-time thing because a friend couldn’t play Santa. You remember Bill Thomas? He had a heart attack just before the party, and I was asked to step in. He was well enough to be Santa at the last party.” He caught Dan’s amused expression and stabbed a finger at him. “If you tell anybody else in the bar, you’re fired.”
“You run a bar?” Lena asked.
“I own a bar,” Gideon corrected.
“I run the bar.” Dan thought he’d get a rise out of Gideon, but his boss ignored the comment and continued talking to Lena.
“I doubt you’ll have heard of it. It’s called Cowboys and Angels.”
“I’ve not only heard of it, I’ve been there.” Lena caught the skeptical expressions on Gideon’s and Dan’s faces. It certainly wasn’t a bar frequented by attorneys and the social circle Lena must have moved in. “It was a long time ago. A friend from Harvard was in town and took me there, and I don’t think he knew what type of bar it was. Marc was more interested in the beer. He owns a microbrewery now. We left after a fight broke out.”
“Good move,” Marty said. “That’s usually when I leave too.”
Gideon smiled at her, and Dan realized she’d impressed his boss. “You’re both welcome anytime. I’ll make sure Ariel is somewhere else—less likely for fights to break out.”
Dan was sure that fights broke out if someone breathed funny, but he wasn’t going to contradict Gideon. Ariel felt no such compunction and started bickering with her father. When Marty ignored them both and offered to buy everyone a drink, Dan looked at his watch. He needed to eat before he started work.
“I’m going to take Dan away for a late lunch,” Gideon said suddenly. “I’ve made him start work early today, and he needs to eat.”
Gideon just read his mind.
Ariel nodded. “I’m going to meet friends. I’ll see you later, Daddy.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“Make sure you call me if you’re coming home,” Gideon ordered. Officially Ariel lived close to NYU, but she came back to the bar so often that Gideon still waited up for her.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ariel muttered, but she didn’t protest again, and Dan was pleased. She was a good girl at heart. Then he rolled his eyes at himself for thinking like a proud parent.
Marty looked at Lena. “It’s just you and me, then, sweetheart.”
She smiled at him sweetly. “A quick coffee and then the department store.”
They all laughed at Marty’s loud groan. “Do I have to?”
Dan patted his back. “Never mind, man. Just get it over with.”
“It’s not like we need anything new,” Marty protested. “We’ve got two apartments full of stuff.”
Lena kissed Marty on the cheek. “But this is a time to get new things. Times are changing.”
They walked away to the counter, and Gideon raised an eyebrow at Dan. “Is that what I think it means?”
Dan nodded, but Ariel looked confused. “Is anyone going to clue me in?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Dan said. “Much later. When you’re over thirty.”
He ducked as Ariel threw a sugar packet at him, but she got him square on the nose. Then she punched the air in triumph, and Gideon shook his head.
“You should know better than to take on my daughter.”
Dan shrugged. “It’s fun to try.”
“And you’ll always fail,” Ariel assured him.
He looked over to Gideon for support and found him studying him with an expression Dan couldn’t place. “Are you okay, boss?”
Gideon started, as though he’d been lost in thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but a well-aimed sugar packet to the nose stopped him in his tracks. Ariel crowed, Gideon growled, and Dan picked up his hat and waited for father and daughter to finish.
Chapter 5
AS SOON as they hit the sidewalk, the icy wind made Dan shiver, and he wished he’d worn a thicker jacket. He pulled his hat out and shoved it on his head.
“I’ve got gloves if you can deal with the colors. Ariel knitted them at school.” Gideon pulled a bright yellow and purple stripy woolen pair out of his pocket, but Dan shook his head.
“I’ve got gloves.” He pulled out his own sedate navy pair and put them on. “I think Ariel gave me the scarf to match your gloves.”
“She knitted presents for everyone that year.” Gideon didn’t seem to feel cold, and he stuffed his gloves back in his pocket.
As he walked along the sidewalk next to Gideon, Dan was acutely conscious of the height difference between them. Gideon was at least seven inches taller than him and much broader, and he seemed to take up the space around him as they walked. Dan’s previous hookups—he never bothered with the term boyfriend—had all been around his height or smaller, and Gideon was huge in both body and personality. Dan had worked with him for five years and still felt overwhelmed.
“Dan?”
Gideon had been talking to him, but Dan didn’t have a clue what Gideon had said. He flushed and said, “Sorry, what was that?”
Gideon gave him an odd look. “I asked where you wanted to eat?”
“Let’s go to the diner on Washington Avenue,” Dan said. “They do the best burgers, and I’m really in the mood for some meat.” When he realized what he’d said, he sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gideon’s lips twitch, and he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“That’s fine,” Gideon said. “I like it there.”
By the time they reached the diner, Dan was hunting for something to say, but Gideon didn’t seem to mind the lack of conversation. He led the way into the warm room and greeted the waitress by name. She pointed to a booth, and the two men settled themselves. Their legs brushed for a moment, and then Gideon found his own space.
“I guess you come here a lot,” Dan said.
“More than I should,” Gideon admitted. “I used to bring Ariel and Simon here when their mom wanted a break from cooking.”
“You didn’t offer to take over?”
“Sarah would never let me near the kitchen. Her parents were chefs, and Sarah learned from them.”
“I like cooking. I just don’t get the time,” Dan admitted. “My mom taught me too, and she’s a very good cook. Is that why you’ve never offered food at the bar?”
Gideon shook his head. “Ariel would like me to offer food, but it would change the style of the bar, and I like it as it is. Too many places have become restaurants rather than places to drink and socialize. Cowboys and Angels is for guys to come in after work and relax. If they want to eat, they can go home or to a burger bar. I want somewhere they can drink and let off some steam.”
“They let off steam a bit too often,” Dan said dryly. “Don’t you get fed up with replacing the furniture?”
It was a conversation they’d had too many times, and as usual, Gideon shrugged it off. “It’s cheap, and I’ve got the money. They do a lot less damage than they used to.”
Dan touched the bruise on his face and huffed. Gideon only came in after the worst was done, but Dan still came home damaged every time there was a fight. Gideon followed Dan’s fingers and narrowed his eyes.
“You’re still hurt?”
“No more than usual.”
“Did Ariel start the fight again?”
“She doesn’t help the situation.” Dan said it as diplomatically as he could. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t had this discussion before either.
Gideon grinned. “This is why you’ve lasted so long
at my bar.”
“Oh yeah? Go on, then. Tell me why I’ve lasted so long,”
“You tell me I waste my money and my little girl causes trouble, but you’re not obnoxious about it.”
Dan gave a wry smile. “I like my job, Gideon. Cowboys and Angels is your place. If it were my bar, I’d do things differently.”
Gideon leaned back in his seat and picked up his coffee. “Okay. You tell me what you’d do if Cowboys and Angels were yours.”
“Is this a trick question?” Dan could usually read Gideon’s expression, but not now.
Gideon shook his head. “I really want to know.”
Dan had had a lot of time to think about what he’d do with the bar. He licked his lips. Okay. Gideon had dangled the bait. Maybe it was time to hook the fish. “First I’d put a muzzle on Ariel.” Gideon let out a bark of laughter, obviously not angry at Dan’s forthright comment. “You’re spending money night after night cleaning up her mess. You could spend that money elsewhere. She’s not a little girl anymore. I know she’s your little girl, but she’s an adult. She’s almost finished college, and she needs to grow up.” He saw the laughter changing to a frown and held up his hand. “That’s all I’m gonna say. I want to see the bar change, but I don’t want to change the patrons. I like that we’ve got a place for working men to go to. I don’t want to be a fancy wine bar, and I don’t want to be a sports bar. I like it as it is. But I’m tired of the customers smashing the furniture over each other’s heads, and the décor needs updating. We’re not in Texas. We’re in New York, and if it were my bar, we’d reflect that.
“I’d also put in a small amount of food. Burgers, fries, chicken wings. Give the guys something to soak up all that beer. It doesn’t have to be a large menu, but something basic. You should look at what other bars do. They’re offering food, and they don’t get the trouble. We’re gonna lose customers. Just because you can pay for the damage doesn’t mean you should. And last, I’d make sure I was visible as the owner or manager. You hide upstairs too much. People only see you when there’s a fight.” Dan ran out of breath and decided to end it there. He hadn’t intended to say so much, but once he started, he couldn’t stop.