“She probably searched your name.”
“But…shit. The clinic. I’m listed on the clinic’s site. She knows my name because I was married to her son.”
Ryder made sure the door shut then went back to making the garlic bread. It was only under the broiler for a few minutes when it started to smell so good his stomach rumbled.
“You ready to eat?” Ryder asked.
“Yeah, I’m starving. Thank you for helping out.”
“Sure,” Ryder said as he pulled the bread from the oven.
Nolan grabbed two plates and set out the utensils. He noticed Ryder had wine, too, and smiled.
“What?” Ryder asked.
“Nothing. Just that you’re drinking wine.”
“Amy taught me to like wine. It’s weird that we both lost someone special and now we’re in this podunk Texas town and we live next door to each other.”
Nolan nodded. “Yeah, it’s weird.”
This wasn't how he'd expected Ryder to act. When he'd first met the man, he'd thought they would end up hating each other. But this was the second time they'd gotten together to eat, and it felt more right than it had the time before. Maybe Ryder wasn't a jerk and didn't care that he'd been married to a man. Maybe theycould be friends. His gaze strayed to Ryder's broad shoulders and scruffy jaw. He forced the lust down because he sure as hell wasn't going to look for more with the guy next door.
Chapter 14
Ryder lay in bed,his mind on Nolan. The man was gay, no question. That explained the clothes he wore and some of the other things, but Ryder was still a little surprised that Nolan wasn't straight.
Amy would have liked Nolan. They would have been friends, no question. If Nolan and his husband had lived down the street, they would have at least been close enough to invite them over for barbecues and some game nights.
He rolled to his side, tucking his hand under his pillow as he wondered what Nolan was doing at that exact moment. He’d helped Nolan devise a way to keep his slider closed with the help of an old broom stick he cut down to size. They placed bells on the doors, hoping that would wake Nolan if someone tried to break in.
Ryder had thought about offering to stay, but that would be too much. He wondered where he would have slept if he’d stayed over there. The thought of lying in the same bed as Nolan made him hard. He flipped over and groaned as he tried to push the desire away.
What the heck was up with him? He kept getting hard but refused to think too much about why. He wasn’t gay. He’d been married to a woman.
He finally drifted off and woke again to a hard cock. This time, he made it to the bathroom before he came. He had to be at work early, but he saw Nolan outside on his patio and went over to talk to him.
“Hey, do you want me to pick up locks today?”
Nolan shook his head. “No, I’m going to go out and pick something up. I’ll get a new door installed soon. Not sure how long that will take, but I’m going to call around and see what can be done.”
“I should be home by four today.”
Nolan bit his lip and then glanced up. "Thank you for everything."
Ryder had an idea the man wasn't just talking about checking his house to make sure a stranger wasn't inside, and he wasn't talking about dinner either. There wasn't any way he would tell anyone that Nolan was gay. Mainly because he wasn't sure what that would make him. Confusion filled him, and he pushed it down, not wanting to think too deeply about the implications.
He didn't need any hate thrown his way. It was bad enough that he'd moved away to the big city, but if people found out he was spending time with a gay man, they might just not like him at all.
Work wasn't too bad, and he headed home a little before four. When he pulled into his driveway, he groaned. His dad's truck was in the driveway. No way would this conversation go well. He was still mad about his parents setting him up with that woman, and he hadn't talked much to them. He also hadn't gone over to their house. When he'd gone to church, he'd arrived late and sat in the back. Then he'd left before the last song finished.He wasn't planning on attending in the morning, which might make him a heathen in his parents’ eyes, but he needed a break.
He parked so his dad could leave without him having to move his truck. When he stepped out, his dad came around from the back of his house.
“You should give us a key to your house,” his father said.
Ryder didn't reply. There wasn't any way he would ever give his parents a key to his house. He didn't want them over here when he wasn't at the place. He also didn't want them coming and going when they felt like it. If he ever dated again, he sure as hell wouldn't want them coming over in the morning and finding him in bed with some woman. An image of Nolan flashed in his mind, and he pushed it away.
His dad hated gays. There was no doubt in his mind that if his father knew Nolan was gay, he would make trouble for him.
