Chapter 5
MAYBE LYLE was dumb, and lord knows he didn’t have it all figured out, but at least he knew some things he wanted in life.
He had a decent job with a company that could offer him a future.
Not many people could say that. He’d been promoted once, and his job responsibilities kept being expanded, so that was good.
He didn’t know what James had said that made him nervous, but something definitely had.
Of course, there were times that the price of corn on the open market made him nervous, and that had nothing to do with him.
“Are you okay? You seem really far away.”
“Sorry. It’s just my anxiety.” What he needed to do was take something, but he really didn’t want to. His meds could make him sleepy, and sometimes they did nothing and he just had to wait until he could work through it.
“Does it bother you that I don’t have everything worked out?” James asked.
Lyle shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I figured you were in law school so there was an area of the law that really got you excited.
I mean, that’s why most people go into that line of work, isn’t it?
Otherwise you wouldn’t need to spend that much money and you could work where I do.
Not that I’m saying you should or you had to.
I’m just trying to understand.” He blinked.
Maybe James was going to get one look at Lyle’s brand of crazy and run for the hills. It had happened before.
“Oh, I love the law… sort of, and I want to make it fairer for people.” He leaned forward.
“We examine all these cases in law school, ones that are important for precedent. But a lot of them are cases where the ‘bad guy’ won… if you know what I mean. We learn about people using loopholes to their advantage and the fact that the law isn’t fair.
Sometimes it’s all about having the best lawyer who can develop the most compelling argument rather than who should actually win the case.
I could give you examples, but they would just make you mad and I don’t want to do that. ”
“Okay,” Lyle said.
“Sometimes it’s just hard to know what it is you want to do.
There are firms that do nothing but Social Security disability.
They take cases of people who have had their claims denied.
Those firms are like factories. They take the cases they are likely to win, often hundreds of them at any one time, and see them through the system.
They get a percentage of each win… and then move on.
I don’t really want to do that, but I’m not sure if I want to be a litigator in court either. ”
Lyle took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“You have the right to take your time and decide what’s right for you, and you shouldn’t let my anxiety dictate anything about your life.
There are times when it’s just my own head that gets me into trouble.
Sometimes I can’t let things go, and that has nothing to do with you. It’s my problem.”
James drew closer. “Hey. You get to be the person you are too. I’ve known other people with issues like yours.
My roommate sophomore year was as obsessive as they came.
But we got along. Wes was up-front enough to explain his triggers, and we worked around them.
It wasn’t always that simple, but one of the things he was obsessive about was his studies, and I learned a lot from him about getting the work done early and making sure I had time to review things before turning them in.
He and I were roommates for two years… until he graduated.
Right now he’s in a master’s program at MIT. ”
Lyle nodded along and smiled. “How about some of that ice cream now?” he asked, figuring it was a good time for them to change the subject. He hadn’t meant for his anxiety issues to drive them into such weighty topics, but at least James hadn’t gone running for the hills.
“That would be great,” James said, and Lyle hurried to the kitchen with the dogs behind him. He made up two bowls and returned, handing one to James.
“I got chocolate. I hope it’s okay.”
“My favorite,” James said. “When it comes to things like this, I’m pretty simple. Though give me a mint chip and I swear I’m in heaven.”
Lyle bounced on the sofa. “Me too. I didn’t know if you’d like it, so I got the chocolate instead.
” He took a bite as the dogs all sat at their feet, looking up at them, trying to seem needy and pathetic so they’d take pity on them and give them some.
“Chocolate is not good for dogs,” Lyle told them.
“I was thinking. I’m off on Saturday and Sunday.
I know you sometimes work at the shelter on weekends.
Maybe I could volunteer there for a few hours. ”
“Sure. I need to call Mitchell to find out when he needs me this week, and I can let you know.” They finished their treat, and Lyle took the bowls to the sink.
When he returned, James had stretched out, and the dogs were all around him.
Lyle watched him for a few seconds, realizing that he could look at this man for hours.
He was gorgeous, with that blond hair that curled just above his ears and eyes as blue as the brightest summer sky. They were almost perfectly blue.
“Is something wrong?” James asked, pulling Lyle out of his daydream.
“No. Things are right.” At least for now.
He sat down and felt heat rush into his cheeks.
He had been staring and James had caught him at it.
He rolled his eyes and wondered if he could do anything to make himself seem more of an idiot.
He shook his head at himself and tried not to think too much about how he had made a fool of himself.
“I was going to ask… on Thursday… I know you have a meeting with the attorney for the estate. What time are you supposed to be there?”
“Three,” Lyle asked with a spike of worry.
“My last class ends at two. I could go with you if you wanted me to.”
“You don’t need to waste your time.”
James smiled at him. “It would be a good chance for me to see this sort of legal process, and I’d like to be there for you.” The dogs all sat around their feet. “And them.”
Lyle nodded. “Okay. I think I’d like that.” He hadn’t known what to expect, and having someone there who was on his side…. And he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he couldn’t keep the dogs. He patted his leg, and Daisy jumped right up, settling there and curling against his chest.
“Hey. Everything is going to be okay,” James said before leaning close.
Lyle turned toward him, and James lightly kissed him before pulling away.
Instantly Lyle felt warm and tingly. He smiled, and James kissed him once more, this time with more heat, slipping his hand around the side of his cheek.
His lips were firm and warm and the touch light, but scintillating.
When James pulled back, Lyle managed to keep his breath, but blinked to try to make sure this was real. It wasn’t like he was kissed every day.
“If you keep doing that, I could believe you.”
“Then how about I keep doing it?” James kissed him once more, and danged if all the worries of the day didn’t zoom out of his head.
All he could think of was how James tasted and what he did to him.
Every cell seemed to activate at the same time.
It was like he could hear, see, and feel everything all at once.
His heart raced as he returned the kiss, holding James.
The dog jumped down, and he drew closer, warmth pouring off James.
Then he pulled back, both of them breathing deeply, James’s eyes dark and wild.
Lyle wondered if he had done something wrong.
Maybe he was a bad kisser or something. But then James hugged him hard and held him tightly.
Lyle returned it, and they sat like that for a while, their warmth mingling together.
It was soothing, exciting, and reassuring all at the same time. Exactly what he needed.
THURSDAY AT three could not come fast enough.
He knew that he had no control over the outcome, no matter what.
Still, he arranged to get out of work early and hurried home.
The dogs all bounded around him, and he gave them plenty of pets and treats, wondering what he was going to do if he had to give them up.
He did his best not to think about it because the idea almost made his stomach turn over. At as little before three, he left the dogs with a treat each and walked downtown to the lawyer’s office just off the square. He went inside, where James waited in the lobby.
“May I help you?” a lady asked at the desk.
“I have an appointment with Mr. Vincente,” Lyle said softly.
She nodded and smiled. “Okay. Yes. He’s expecting you and is in the large conference room just upstairs. Just go on up.”
Lyle swallowed hard. “Is anyone else in with him?”
“Not at the moment,” she said, and Lyle thanked her and went up with James. He knocked on the doorframe and went inside.
“I’m Lyle Summers and this is my friend James. He came with me for support.”
“Carl Vincente,” he said, standing. “And nothing bad is going to happen.” He smiled and motioned them to chairs. “As you may be aware, I am Cordelia Harper’s attorney and the executor of her will.”
“So you work for her,” Lyle said, and James lightly touched his hand.
“In a way, yes, I do. As her executor, I receive a payment from the estate. I don’t work for any of the heirs.
” He pulled out a file on the table and opened it.
“I’m not going to read her entire will, but I will tell you that you are mentioned in it.
She had left you her all her dogs.” He sighed.
“They are not named individually, but she did specify that all dogs in her possession at the time of her death are to go to you.” He looked up from the document.
“I have to ask you if you are willing to take on this responsibility? There is a provision should you decide you are unable to do that.”