9. Chester
Chester
W ithout even trying, I’d made a new friend.
Okay, so the friend wasn’t human and couldn’t talk to me, but so what? Dogs were called man’s best friend for a reason.
And Buddy was quickly becoming mine.
That was what I’d settled on calling him. Without a collar, I didn’t know his actual name, but Buddy worked. It fit him perfectly because that was what he was to me.
My buddy.
It was a shame he couldn’t be mine permanently.
Every morning when he came to visit, I half expected to hear a knock on the door.
To be confronted by an angry owner who was upset that I’d been feeding their pet endless amounts of bacon.
And sausage.Black pudding. We’d even had some fried bread yesterday.
My new morning routine was making me happier than I’d been in, well, years. Reid was right, if I was this excited to spend time feeding and talking to an animal, I probably should get out more.
That was even before we got into Finn’s workout routine, which, yes, I still avidly watched from the window. He was there every day like clockwork, the rising sun highlighting every groove of him.
Every. Naked. Groove.
I shouldn’t have been watching him. I knew that. I was fairly certain this was behaviour that could get me arrested. I could hear my defence now.
Well, I was just looking out of the window and Finn was there. And I happened to look out the same window the following day at the exact same time.
And the next.
And several more after that.
Somehow, I didn’t think that reasoning would hold up in court. And it shouldn’t.
Besides, if Finn didn’t want people seeing him naked then he should have been wearing swim shorts. Yeah, it was flimsy. But it was my reasoning and I was sticking to it.
Part of me wondered if Buddy was Finn’s dog. He was the only person I saw around that time of day. But Buddy only ever appeared when Finn was done with his swim. Whenever I left for work, Buddy trotting off in the direction of the woods, Finn was long gone.
I should ask him really, but then I’d have to admit that I lived here. He might put two and two together and realise what a creep I’d been.
Worse, he might take Buddy away from me.
It had been two weeks since Buddy had first let himself into my home. He turned up each day like clockwork, but I was terrified of the day his owner would come looking. What if he wouldn’t let me see him anymore?
Reid’s right. You do need to get more of a life.
No, I didn’t. What I had right now was perfect. I had my business. I had company in Buddy .
And I had enough spank bank material from Finn to last me a lifetime.
“Hopefully your owner won’t take you away,” I whispered, ruffling Buddy’s fur. “You’ll keep coming to see me, right?”
Buddy huffed, nudging my hand in a way I took to mean yes.
Chuckling, I dropped a kiss between his ears. “Good boy. Okay, it’s time for me to get ready.”
Just like every other morning, Buddy trotted up the stairs after me and plonked himself outside my bedroom door. I’d told him he could come inside, but he’d just stared at me and refused to move from his spot in the hallway.
I was halfway through my shower before I realised something.
I was singing.
Not just any old song either, but one of my gran’s favourites—“Calon Lan.” Born and raised in Wales, she used to beg me to sing it for her. My voice wasn’t bad either. Not worthy of a recording contract or anything like that, but I could carry a tune with ease.
I used to sing a lot. Until Matt, that was. He didn’t like my singing.
Not a surprise, really. I wasn’t sure there was anything he’d truly liked about me, other than the fact that he could manipulate me.
The song faded away to a hum, but I forced myself to keep going. To hold on to this recovered piece of me with both hands. It was mine. Mine .
Matt had taken so much from me.
It was time for me to take some of it back.
I was doing some bookkeeping when the door chimed in the front of the shop. My heart leapt, just as it had every other time the bell had gone over the past couple of weeks.
And it crashed down again just as fast, as a voice called out. A voice that sadly wasn’t Finn’s. “Hello?”
Cursing quietly, I capped my pen and pasted on my professional smile. “Be right with you!”
Reid’s head snapped up from where he was elbow deep in feeding solution. “Want me to go?”
“No it’s okay,” I said. “You’re doing a cracking job with that, keep going.”
“Okay but if he’s hot I call dibs.”
I rolled my eyes, thankful he’d kept his voice too low for the customer to hear. “Don’t you have enough visitors in your bed to keep you busy?”
“Exactly, they’re visitors.” Reid waggled his rear and smirked. “They’re just passing through while I wait for Mr. Right.”
I chuckled under my breath, unable to argue with that. I wasn’t judging him. Lord knew I’d been as active as him once upon a time.
I stepped out into the shop to find a young man waiting for me. I’d say he was around my age, with light brown hair falling over his smouldering blue eyes. Tattoos covered both his arms and he had chains hanging from his jeans.
Not my type, but definitely Reid’s. If he came out here before I got rid of the guy, I wouldn’t be able to stop the explosion of testosterone that’d follow. “Hi there. Welcome to Thistle Do Nicely. How can I help?”
The man grinned, shoving a hand towards me over the counter. “Are you Chester?”
I narrowed my eyes as I shook his hand. How did he know who I was? “Yes, I am. I’m the owner here.”
“Great.” Theman’s pearly whites were still showing. “I’ve heard amazing things about your work from Finn.”
I accidentally inhaled my saliva, choking slightly. The stranger stared at me in concern as I hammered on my chest to clear it.
“Sorry about that,” I wheezed. “You know Finn?”
His head bobbed rapidly. “Yep, he’s basically family to me. Anyway, I’m after a bouquet and you came highly recommended.My name’s Evan, by the way. Evan McCarthy.”
There was a loud crash from the back. I turned with a frown. “What the?—?”
Before I could go and find out what was wrong, Reid barrelled around the corner.
The expression on his face had me freezing on the spot.
I’d thought I’d seen all sides of my employee.
His quick humour. His sarcasm. Chattiness.
Even occasional grumpiness if he was still hungover from the night before.
But I’d never seen him this…furious. His face was pale, except for two spots of colour high on his cheekbones. Water and feed solution dripped from his trembling hands, but Reid didn’t seem to notice.
He only had eyes for Evan.
“You,” he hissed, shoving his tiny body between me and the counter. “How fucking dare you come in here?”
“Reid,” I said, trying to edge around him. He stood firm though, refusing to budge. “Evan is a customer. What are you doing?”
Reid didn’t react. It was though I hadn’t spoken. “Leave, now. I don’t know what you’re doing here, but get out.”
Evan offered my furious assistant a lazy grin. “So you’re fine with Finn, but ye draw the line at me.”
“I don’t have a history with Finn,” Reid shot back.
Evan stiffened, his face showing the same confusion I was feeling. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve met before. I would’ve remembered.”
“Clearly your memory is faulty then.” Reid’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of the counter, like he was physically restraining himself from lamping Evan. “Let me remind you.”
Alarm made the hair on the back of my neck prickle. I didn’t know what had happened, but if it upset Reid this much, I didn’t want this man anywhere near him. “Actually, Evan, I think you should leave. Now.”
Reid finally acknowledged me, throwing up a hand. “Nope. He had his chance. Now he’s going to be reminded exactly what kind of scum he is.”
Evan held up both hands placatingly. “I’m telling you, man, I don’t know you.”
“Not this version of me, sure,” Reid said through gritted teeth. “But imagine me as a scrawny ten-year-old. Tattered shirt. A bruise around my wrist and a black eye that I told you I got from falling out of a tree. Ringing any bells now, hotshot?”
He frowned. “That was you?”
Reid glared. “So now you remember me. Do you remember what I asked you?”
Evan paled so fast I thought he was about to faint. “I thought you were joking. Wait, ye really wanted to leave?”
My head was swivelling between the two in confusion. “Can someone fill me in?”
Neither of them answered me. Reid continued like I hadn’t spoken. “You know what I am, where I grew up. You’re telling me you saw a child who was covered in bruises and clearly underfed, and thought me asking you to take me away was a joke ?”
There was so much to unpack in that statement. Fuck, being abused as an adult was one thing, but as a child?
That was a whole new level of fucked up.
It made me realise Evan must be older than I’d thought. I’d pegged him for being around my age, but if Reid had asked him for help as a child…
“I had no idea,” Evan said through bloodless lips. “I’m so fucking sorry. I can’t believe this. I swear, Reid, if I’d known?—”
“It’s too late,” Reid bit out. “What’s done is done. But if you don’t get out of my sight in the next thirty seconds, I won’t be responsible for my actions. I don’t give a shit who or what you are, I have enough rage to make it an equal fight.”
That was fair. Evan was twice the size of Reid, but just look at me and Matt. Size didn’t mean anything if the intent was there.
Evan’s lips thinned. “I’m so sorry, Reid.”
I could sense Reid’s armour cracking as his whole body started to tremble. Putting an arm around his shoulders, I jerked my chin at Evan. “Get out. Now.”
He retreated to the door, watching Reid the whole time. Just before he crossed the threshold, he mouthed another apology.
Then he was gone.
“Fuck,” Reid said, crumpling with a whimper. I caught him, lowering him slowly to the ground. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. I should’ve known he’d come sniffing around now Finn knows I’m here.”
“You knew Finn before he came in here?”
Reid shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. “No. Well, I knew of him, but we’d never met. Evan’s the only one I’ve ever met from…”
His voice trailed off as a tear rolled down his cheek. I crouched down beside him, wrapping my arm around his shoulders again. “I’m so sorry, Reid.”
“Don’t you apologise.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know, but I’m sorry all the same. I’m sorry for whatever you went through as a child. And I’m sorry that seeing Evan has brought it all back up for you.”
His chin touched his chest in a move that was achingly familiar. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I reacted that way in your shop. If you wanna fire me, I understand.”
“Oh fuck that. I don’t give a shit. If I’d known who Evan was to you, I would’ve given him the boot before he’d opened his mouth.”
I still wasn’t sure exactly what had happened, but it was enough to know that Reid had been a scared child who’d asked for help.
And Evan hadn’t taken it seriously. Who knew what Reid had gone through after that?
That was enough to have me on Reid’s side.
He gave me a watery smile. “You would’ve done that for me?”
“Of course. I might be your boss, Reid, but I’ll always have your back. If that means banning Finn and anyone who knows him from the shop, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Not Finn.” Reid’s eyes widened. “Finn’s great. Don’t let this colour your opinion of him. You should give him a chance. Ask him out on a date.”
Just like that, normal business was resumed. “Reid, I haven’t even seen him since he picked up his order.”
Not technically true, but I wasn’t telling my employee about my morning peep shows.
“You will though.” Reid sighed. “After what just happened, I suspect it’ll be sooner than you’d think.”