Chapter 10
Nicholas
The normally fifteen-minute bike ride took the Uber driver thirty minutes in traffic.
The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, so Nicholas opted to walk the remaining few blocks to the Kindness Refuge.
He spotted Gabriel after turning the last corner, but Gabriel was too busy staring up at the storefront sign to notice.
Nicholas had forgotten to tell him to dress casually, though the green suit did look good on him, and at least he’d ditched the tie.
“You’re blocking the way, kid.”
“Oh, sorry.” Nicholas stepped aside as Gabriel’s head whipped around, his eyes narrowing on the grumpy old man. He tracked him into a rundown coffee shop.
“Are people normally that rude to you?” he asked when Nicholas approached.
“Hazards of living in a big city. Everyone’s in a rush. It’s not personal.”
Gabriel grunted, turning his attention to Nicholas, looking him up and down. “You look lovely.”
Nicholas’s hair wouldn’t cooperate, so he’d had to shove the coarse strands into a bun, and he’d missed laundry day, so he was down to his threadbare jeans. But Gabriel’s gaze suggested it didn’t matter.
“Thanks. You look nice too.”
“Really?” Gabriel smoothed a hand down the hunter-green blazer. “I’ve never spent so much time trying to pick the right suit.”
Nicholas chuckled. “I’m sure every suit is the right suit on you.” But he couldn’t deny that this particular one held his interest. Gabriel noticed his preoccupation with it.
“Oh, here. I brought your jacket back.”
Gabriel peered inside the bag, nostrils flaring. Had Nicholas just imagined the flash of heat in his eyes? Was Gabriel somehow aware of what he’d done while wearing the jacket? Could he smell the committed sin?
“Um, maybe I should get it dry cleaned fir—”
“That isn’t necessary. I like that it smells like you.”
Feeling shy, Nicholas shifted his focus to the Rolls-Royce partially parked on the curb. He ran a thumb over the scrape near the back door. It hadn’t been there last night.
“Er, where’s Marcus?”
“I gave him the morning off. I drove myself.”
Gabriel pressed down on the key fob repeatedly, pointing it toward the rear of the car. He frowned when the trunk wouldn’t open.
“I take it you don’t do that often.” Nicholas pushed the trunk icon in the center of the fob.
“No. It’s… not something I’m very good at.”
He sounded baffled by it, but it made Nicholas feel lighter. It’d sucked believing that of the two of them, he was the only flawed one.
“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?” Gabriel locked the bag inside, aiming one of those barely there smiles at Nicholas.
Nicholas hadn’t so much as grinned, but he was more at ease now, and well, he did find it cute that a man as capable as Gabriel was a terrible driver. It must have shown on his face.
“Don’t tell me you’re not used to being teased.”
“Marcus occasionally takes up the pastime.”
Gabriel looked at the puppies playing behind the glass display. “This is where you come to get away? To hide?”
“More like where I come to be found.”
Gabriel nodded. “Show me.”
The nerves in Nicholas’s stomach grew wings.
He’d be sharing a side of himself that no one else got to see.
Granted, there weren’t many sides of him that anyone got to explore, but this was different.
There were no walls surrounding him when at the Kindness Refuge.
He opened himself up completely to the animals inside.
Many of them had been abused, some abandoned at birth like himself, but all in need of a home, in need of kindness.
And none in need of something he couldn’t give.
The shopkeeper’s bell chimed when they stepped inside, alerting Sandy to their presence.
“Sir Nicholas!” she exclaimed, waddling from the back. “I was starting to think I wouldn’t see you this week. I wasn’t looking forward to breaking the news to your brood. Who’s your friend?”
“This is Gabriel. Gabriel, meet Sandy. She and her husband, Mike, own this place.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Sandy.”
“The pleasure’s all mine. Nicholas never brings anyone here. You must be special.” She gathered her long braids over one shoulder, shooting Nicholas an insinuating look. He felt the warmth start at his neck.
“I, um, thought maybe the boys could use some extra attention today.”
“Yeah, well, they can never have too much of that. Go on out back. I’ll have Mike bring them to you. And nice to meet you, Gabriel!”
The spacious backyard was lined with turf, and the retractable canopy kept it dry from the rain. Gabriel looked around at the dog beds and squishy toys adorning the makeshift lawn.
“Where do we sit?”
“Right here.” Nicholas sank cross-legged to the ground.
He’d expected it to take some convincing to get Gabriel down there, especially in his lavish suit.
But to his surprise, Gabriel unbuttoned his blazer and settled across from him.
He seemed just as at ease on the ground as he did standing next to his extravagant car.
The suits, the house, the expensive hotel suites…
They didn’t make the man, Nicholas realized.
“Tell me about this place, about what you do here.” Gabriel seemed genuinely intrigued.
A small fissure cracked open in Nicholas’s heart. He tried to ignore it and keep his guard up, but found he couldn’t, so he left it alone, letting his complicated feelings for Gabriel slip in.
“Sandy and Mike take in rescued animals, then try to find good homes for them. In the meantime, they open their doors to anyone who wants to open their hearts to them. There are a lot of animal lovers out there, but having a pet isn’t always feasible.
It helps to know you can spend time with them, no strings attached.
It’s a form of therapy—and I suppose the animals enjoy it too,” he added, trying to lighten the moment with humor.
“I once found a litter of kittens huddled in the passageway between the church and the rectory. We called animal services and were told they’d be euthanized if they couldn’t find a home for them. I did everything I could to make sure that didn’t happen.”
Nicholas leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially. “Mrs. Tilbury, one of our parishioners, has a soft spot for me. I may or may not have convinced her that adopting a couple of them was the godly thing to do.”
Gabriel’s eyes danced with amusement. “I believe you manipulated her.”
Nicholas shrugged, feeling proud of that particular deceit. “Hey, I was doing the Lord’s work.” It was one of the last times he’d felt that way.
“A few months ago, in that same passageway, I nearly tripped over a litter of Dobermans. It was damp and cold out, and a few of them were covered in gashes and blood. Their mother lay a few feet away.” Nicholas’s expression was grave.
“She didn’t make it. She’d taken the brunt of the attack, maybe defending them from another dog.
I don’t know. Father Murphy, our parish priest, found this place for me. I come in every chance I get.”
A low whimper sounded, and they looked up to find Mike heading their way, cradling three red-coat Doberman pups.
“What up, Nick?” Mike greeted him and nodded to Gabriel as he knelt, motioning for Nicholas to take Zeke, the quietest of the bunch. He was also the one in most need of affection.
Zeke clung to the crook of Mike’s arm as he sniffed Nicholas’s fingers.
“It’s the same process every time,” Nicholas whispered. “He’s got trust issues.” He felt a closer connection to Zeke because of it.
Deeming him safe, Zeke climbed into Nicholas’s outstretched hands. Mike set down the other two squirming brothers and left.
“What happened to his back leg?” Gabriel asked.
Nicholas held Zeke against his chest with one hand and settled the other protectively over the scarred appendage.
“It happened during the attack. He still has a limp, but he couldn’t walk on it at all when I found him. His name’s Ezekiel, but we call him Zeke.”
He gestured toward the friendliest of the crew, now sniffing at the turf near Gabriel’s thigh.
“That’s Malachi, but we sometimes call him Kai. As sweet as an angel. He’ll be all over you once he completes the sniff test.”
Nicholas turned his attention to the runt of the litter, the one growling up at Gabriel.
“That’s Maxim, also known as Mad Max,” he said wryly.
“Maxim,” Gabriel mused, taking in the missing chunk of Maxim’s left ear. “It means the greatest.”
“Yep. He’s the smallest, but the mightiest of the three. He won’t make becoming friends easy for you.”
“I’m up for the challenge. Did you name them?”
“Yeah, before we even got here.”
Gabriel skirted a finger over the pale scar tissue on Malachi’s side, and Maxim snapped his little jaws close to the digit.
“Maxim’s protective. Their sisters were adopted immediately. They didn’t have any physical defects. I would’ve taken them all if I had the time to devote to them. And if I were stable,” he muttered to himself.
“Do you think their appearing near the church was a coincidence?”
Nicholas frowned. “What else would it be?”
“Maybe they were drawn there. Drawn to you.”
Nicholas scratched below Zeke’s neck, and the injured pup lifted his rust-colored muzzle to give him better access.
“What was his name?” Nicholas asked softly. “The guy you were involved with.”
Gabriel situated Maxim on his lap, ignoring his snarls. He quieted down once Gabriel rubbed behind his good ear, but he still seemed to scowl. Nicholas couldn’t help but think Gabriel was stalling, and when he answered, he did so cautiously.
“Zayn. His name was Zayn.”
“You said he loved animals. Were they drawn to him?”
“They would come to him broken and leave whole.” Gabriel stroked along Malachi’s flank with his free hand. He sprawled out like a satiated king, his body lined up against Gabriel’s hip.
“I wish I had that gift.” Nicholas aided Zeke as he limped over to Gabriel.
Gabriel rested the disabled puppy along his free thigh, now focusing his affection on him and Malachi. Maxim nudged Gabriel’s chest in objection.
“I only have two hands, great one. Your turn will come again.”
“They like you.” Nicholas wrapped his arms around his bent legs, enjoying the view the four of them made.
“I’m a new, exotic thing. They’ll tire of me soon and go running back to you.”
Nicholas snorted. “Kai hasn’t looked my way yet, and Maxim’s only got big, hostile eyes for you. They feel safe with you.”
I feel safe with you.
Gabriel’s smile sent Nicholas rocking backward. It radiated pleasure and joy, and it wasn’t a smile Nicholas had seen on him before.
This outing was supposed to be about Gabriel getting to know Nicholas, getting to experience him outside of life’s complications. But Nicholas was the one getting a deeper glimpse of Gabriel, and he liked it.
They spent the next hour showering the puppies with love, even giving a warm welcome to a few new furry members of the refuge. Nicholas went inside for their doggy bowls after Gabriel noted that Kai’s sudden fussiness was due to hunger. He’d been right and was pretty proud of it.
Several other people had come into the yard and were playing with animals from the shelter. Kittens, rabbits, and even a turtle with a chipped shell. And while Gabriel sat oblivious to the attention he was receiving, Nicholas was more than aware.
In the corner, a guy around Nicholas’s age kept peeking over, staring at Gabriel’s arms and chest. He’d removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He might as well have been naked.
“Looks like you have an admirer.” There was no mistaking the annoyance in his tone. “Don’t people know it’s rude to stare?”
Gabriel turned to the guy with unerring accuracy, as if he hadn’t been oblivious after all. He wasn’t subtle about it either, staring the blue-eyed man down until he ducked his head.
Nicholas fought the immature urge to stick his tongue out at the guy. He’d never felt so petty before.
“He’s not my type,” said Gabriel, petting the three sleeping pups surrounding him.
That piqued Nicholas’s curiosity. “What is your type?”
“You. You’re my type.”
He’d said it so bluntly and without reservation. Nicholas didn’t think he’d ever get used to that quality, to his confidence.
“Is it really his lack of manners that offends you?”
“Yeah, what else would it be?”
“I was hoping you were jealous. That you hated seeing him stare at me with interest, the way I hate seeing anyone stare at you. The way I hate to think about anyone touching you.”
Nicholas wondered if his breathing sounded as loud as it did in his head.
“Can you maybe warn me before saying things like that?”
“Like what?” Gabriel’s perfect brows lowered.
“Things that make me forget how to speak, or that make me feel…”
“Oh, I see. I shall endeavor to give ample warning next time.”
Nicholas scowled. “Are you the one making fun of me now?”
“Never.” The corner of his mouth curved upward.
“Yes, it’s his bad manners—mostly.”
“Mostly means not all.”
“I’m aware.” Nicholas rolled his eyes at Gabriel’s smug expression. “I was a little bit jealous, though—just a little. But mostly manners. Mostly.”
“I’m okay with mostly,” Gabriel said, and then they both repeated, “Because mostly means not all.”
“You know, you’re becoming predictable.”
The most delicious rumble of laughter bubbled out of Gabriel, waking up their litter. Nicholas joined in, scooping a startled Zeke into his arms.
Sandy checked on them a short while later. Kai backed into Gabriel’s body as if afraid it was time to go back inside. They were definitely due for a walk, and a couple kids watched on eagerly, as if they wanted their turn with them.
“How’s everyone doing?” she asked. “Can I get you anything?”
Nicholas reached for Malachi as well, giving him one last hug. Maxim stood near Gabriel like a guard dog, ready to tear anyone apart who tried to separate them.
Gabriel eyed Nicholas with tenderness in his gaze before turning to Sandy.
“Yes,” he said. “You can get us the paperwork on these three. They’re coming home with us.”