Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
When the after-dinner conversation morphed into Gary and Nina sharing their memories of Cory, Dan was glad.
Nina’s brother had been Gary’s best friend since childhood, and it had been his murder that had eventually brought Gary and Dan together: Gary had confessed that needing to find Cory’s killer had been the catalyst. He’d pushed aside his previous negativity toward psychics and demanded that Dan be brought into the investigation.
How does the saying go? “The rest is history.”
Their history had a long way to go before it caught up with Gary and Cory’s. And speaking of Cory…. Nina and Gary had been talking for maybe forty-five minutes before Dan decided he needed a little air.
He pushed his chair back from the table, murmured his thanks for the meal, stood, and headed for the hallway.
He’d spied french doors that opened onto a small balcony.
He stepped out onto the wooden surface surrounded by a dark brown railing.
The sun had set maybe an hour ago, and the air was starting to cool.
It was still too light to see stars. Below, he caught the hum of traffic from Main Street a few blocks away.
Dan drew in a deep breath, his nostrils filling with the scent of jasmine from the hedge that separated Nina and David’s building from the property next door.
“You too, huh?”
Dan jumped as David joined him on the balcony. He clutched the railing, his heart hammering. “Warn a guy, okay?”
“Oh God, I’m sorry.” David peered at the concrete path below. “Yeah, that could’ve been ugly.” He straightened, then inclined his head toward the doors. “I don’t think we’re needed in there.”
Dan had had pretty much the same feeling.
“I’m sure Gary doesn’t mean to be rude,” David added quickly. “They’re both still raw from Cory’s death. I mean, it’s only been, what, eight weeks?”
“About that. I’m sure they must be. At least I know how Gary is feeling.” When silence fell, Dan turned his head to find David staring at him. He attempted a smile. “Do I have something on my face?”
David studied him for a moment. “How on earth do you cope?”
Dan frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“No, it’s me who should be apologizing. I’ve only met you twice: first at the funeral, and tonight. That doesn’t give me carte blanche to fire such blunt questions at you. And it’s none of my business.”
Dan liked Nina’s fiancé. David had an engineering background, and he reminded Dan a lot of his own brother. The invitation to dinner had been a pleasant surprise, and Dan had been happy when Gary said yes.
“I didn’t understand the question,” Dan confessed.
“I don’t know how this… gift of yours works. Can you tell what he’s thinking?”
Ah. Dan was suddenly on familiar ground. “No. But I pick up on his emotions.” He gestured to the french doors. “This is our first social event as a couple.”
“I had no idea.” David smiled. “Then I’m glad you came.”
Dan chuckled. “I’m still amazed to find myself in this situation.”
“What do you mean?”
Dan went with honesty. Nina and David were part of Gary’s life, and he wanted to lay a solid foundation for his friendship with them.
“I avoided relationships. The thought of being close to someone and not being able to shut off the visions, of maybe seeing something that made me look at the guy in a different light, horrified me.”
David’s breathing caught. “Sounds as though it was a lonely existence.”
“It was hard to bear at times.” Except that was a gross understatement.
“But now you have Gary.”
Dan smiled. “Yes. He’s the man I was meant to be with.”
“Oh wow.”
He peered at David. “Wow?”
“The way you sounded just now… the warmth in your voice, the conviction.” It was David’s turn to smile. “That’s how people should sound when they’re in love.”
Dan wasn’t about to reveal the uniqueness of his and Gary’s relationship. David knowing about Dan’s gift was one thing—learning he’d had the same vision of Gary making love to him for the last thirteen years might prove a little too hard for David to swallow.
David peered through the glass toward the dining room where Gary and Nina sat. “Then it doesn’t matter if he and Nina talk all night about Cory. When the night is over, you go home together.”
Dan followed his gaze. “In a way I’m grateful to Cory. He opened Gary up to the idea of being with a guy. Cory paved the way for me.”
David nodded, his eyes sparkling. “And you walked straight into his heart.”
Dan switched off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness. A heartbeat later Gary curled around him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Dan stilled, then covered Gary’s hand with his own. “For what?”
“I ignored you this evening. Once Nina started talking about Cory, I got sucked into the rabbit hole. And when I pulled myself up out of it, you weren’t there.”
Dan rolled over to face him, seeking his face in the inky blackness. “Now you listen to me. You have nothing to apologize for, okay?”
“But—”
“But nothing. Cory was important to you, and Nina helps you connect with memories of him.”
“Now you’re just being kind. We accepted an invitation to dinner, not a night of me getting so lost in a conversation that I forgot all about you.”
Dan snuggled up to him. “Okay, if I’m being honest? Then yes, at first I did feel like a fifth wheel, but then David and I talked, and he made me realize something.”
“What?”
Dan smiled in the darkness, his hand on Gary’s neck. “My life is so much happier because I have you now.” Then he rolled onto his back, bringing Gary with him to lie on top of him, Dan’s legs wrapped around Gary’s waist. “But right now? I need you.”
“You’ve got me,” Gary replied in a hoarse whisper.
Their lips met in a gentle kiss, but Dan knew from both experience and the heat building inside him, that their kisses wouldn’t stay gentle for long.
Dan sat upright in bed, shivering.
Tell me that was just a dream.
The apartment was quiet until a startled noise slipped out of the darkness. There was movement, and suddenly warm light flooded the room. Gary peered at him, his eyes heavy with sleep.
“You okay? What’s wrong?”
Dan tried to breathe evenly. “A bad dream.” Then he realized the details were still sharp, and that usually meant…. “Or maybe not.”
“Can you tell me what it was about?”
Dan shuddered out a breath. “My mom. I-I dreamed she was in pain.”
Gary stroked his back. “It probably wasn’t a vision.”
Dan grabbed his phone from the nightstand and stared at the screen as if willing it to burst into life.
“It’s late, sweetheart.”
Dan glanced at him. Despite his pounding heart and the perspiration that covered his chest and forehead, he managed a smile. “Have I ever told you how much I love it when you call me that? And yeah, I know it’s late, but—”
“But you want to be sure.” Gary leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Call them. I’ll go make us some chamomile tea.”
“Thank you.” He waited until Gary had left the room and closed the door after him before hitting Speed Dial.
His dad answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
Dan’s heart plummeted. I knew it. Something was wrong.
“Dad? This might sound funny, but… is Mom okay?”
There was silence for a moment, and that was all it took for Dan’s imagination to go into overdrive.
“How did you…? Stupid question. Still gives me chills when you do stuff like this.”
“Never mind your chills. What about Mom?”
Dad sighed. “She’s okay… now. She woke up thinking she heard a noise downstairs. So instead of waking me, she went to investigate.”
“What happened?”
“She tripped over the damn dog’s toy rabbit, that’s what. I keep telling her she needs to make sure all that stuff is in Casey’s box before we go up to bed.”
“Is she hurt?”
“Her ankle’s swollen, and I think she’s going to have a whopper of a bruise. I’ve given her Tylenol and wrapped it up. Got an ice pack on it too. Could’ve been a lot worse, though, given where Casey had left the damn bunny.”
“And where was that?”
“Top of the stairs.”
“Mom fell down the stairs?”
“I told you she’s okay, didn’t I? And it was only the top flight. Three or four steps. She grabbed hold of the handrail. She’s more shook up than anything.” He paused. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Dan assured him.
“You still living in Boston with that detective you told us about?”
“Still here. No plans to go anywhere.” It had taken him all these years to find the—literal—man of his dreams. Dan wanted just as many years to enjoy having Gary in his life.
“I-I meant to tell you—” Dad cleared his throat. “—I saw you in the papers last month. I read about that case you helped solve.”
“Oh.” Dan was too shocked to speak. Since when do either of them talk about my gift? Maybe Mom’s accident was more serious than Dad is making it out to be. Maybe it has upset the balance of his mind. Maybe—
Maybe I should just stop blowing this up out of all proportion and listen.
“Dan? Are you still there?”
“Still here, Dad.”
“Look, I know this is something we don’t discuss, but… I was proud of you.”
Oh my God.
“I even cut out the article and kept it.”
Dan found his voice. “Just don’t start keeping a scrapbook of all my press cuttings, okay? Especially the photos they use. I always look dreadful in them.”
Dad laughed. “So what is it you’re doing over there? Your last email didn’t go into too much detail.”
Heat bloomed in his cheeks, and his chest tightened. When was the last time I saw them? “You’re going to love this. I have a job with the Boston Police Department.”
“Seriously?”
“Uh-huh. I’m helping them solve cases that seemed to come to a dead end. They’re hoping I can find another route to the truth of what happened.”
“Like, cold cases? The kind you see on TV?”
“Yes, Dad, just like that.” He waited for more reaction.
“That’s great.”
Dan blinked. “Really?”
“No, I mean it.” He couldn’t miss the earnestness in his dad’s voice. “I think what you’re doing is really important.”
Dan’s throat seized.
“I know there are plenty of people out there who’d give you a good argument for sticking with live cases—you know, present-day crimes—but cold cases are just as important. You’re giving everyone involved what they really need.”
“And what’s that?”
“Closure. It doesn’t matter whether the crime happened ten years ago, twenty, thirty…. That kind of pain doesn’t go away, Dan.”
The corners of Dan’s eyes pricked.
“Does he make you happy?” his dad asked.
“God, yes.” The words were out before he could stop them.
“Then I’m happy for you. I know this… thing you do hasn’t made your life easy—quite the opposite. And when that guy knifed you…”
Dan did his best to forget that part.
“…I thought we’d lost you. But… you helped the police prevent more murders. And now you have someone who’ll have your back too. He does, doesn’t he?”
Dan smiled. “Dad, you really don’t have to worry about me. Gary’s a wonderful man, and I love him. He cares for me, supports me, and he also saved my life.”
“What?”
Dan winced. Me and my big mouth. “That was the part that didn’t make it into the papers.”
“You mean this job of yours can get dangerous?”
“No, I don’t think so. We’re looking at cases that happened years ago. This summer was different.” His heartbeat quickened. “I mean it, Dad. You mustn’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
Dad’s sigh filled his ears. “It’s late. You need to sleep. I’d put your mom on the phone to say hi, but those painkillers have knocked her out. You know what she’s like when she takes them.”
“Give her my love when she wakes up?”
“I will.”
Gary came into the room carrying two steaming cups, and Dan’s heartbeat slipped into a higher gear. “And Dad? How would it be if I came to stay with you one weekend, and I bring Gary so you can meet him?” He watched as Gary’s eyes widened and his smile blossomed.
That was definitely a yes.
“That sounds great. Let me know when you’re thinking of coming.” Another pause. “Take care, son.” Dad hung up.
Gary put the cups on the nightstand. “Looks as if I walked in at the right moment.”
“I know I should’ve mentioned it before I told Dad, but—”
Gary held his hand up. “Stop right there. I’d love to meet your parents.” He gave Dan an inquiring glance. “Well? Was it a vision?”
“Yup. Mom fell down the stairs, but she’s only sprained her ankle.”
“And is everything okay?”
Dan let out a happy sigh. “Actually? It couldn’t be better.”