“HE’S SUPPOSED to be here.” Dan banged on Marty’s door for the third time, but as he hadn’t answered the first or second time, Dan didn’t hold out much hope.
Gideon peered into the window of Marty’s living room. “There are no lights on in the house. I don’t think anyone is at home, darlin’.”
Dan rubbed a hand over his head. If he had hair, he’d be clutching it by then. “Oh hell no. You’re not telling me I’ve lost the groom. We haven’t gotten to the church, and the groom is already missing.”
“He might still be asleep.”
Dan shook his head. “Marty sleeps worse than anyone I know. He wouldn’t have slept through me banging on the door. Is his Jeep outside?” Dan pointed to the side of the house, and Gideon went to investigate.
He vanished for a moment and then reappeared. “It’s still here, and the hood is cold. There isn’t any sign he used the car this morning.”
Worry gnawing at his gut, Dan pulled out his phone and scrolled down to Marty’s number. It rang and rang and eventually went to voicemail. After Marty’s brief message, Dan left one of his own.
“I’m not sure how many words that didn’t start with the letter F were in that sentence,” Gideon commented. From the smirk on his face, he was obviously a lot less worried about Marty than Dan was.
Dan scowled. “Perhaps he should be here when he’s meant to be here if he wants polite language.”
He was at a loss. Marty was impulsive but very predictable. If he said he was going to be somewhere, he would be there. Dan was worried. Marty could be lying in the house injured… or worse. What if he’d fallen down the stairs? Dan raced through a list of possible scenarios, all of them dire.
“Do you have a key?” Gideon asked.
“Would I be standing out here if I did?”
Gideon frowned at Dan’s snappy tone, but he felt along the porch roof and looked under the mat and in the flowerpots. “I can’t find a spare.”
“I don’t want to worry Lena just yet,” Dan said. “I’ll call his brother. He might know where the spare key is.” He had Todd’s phone number in his contact list from years past, and he was scrolling through his contacts when Gideon spoke.
“Is Todd a taller, thinner version of Marty?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because he’s dragging Marty up the street.”
Dan looked up to see the two men shuffling toward them, both with sloppy grins on their faces.
“Hey look, Todd, they’re already here. I told you we needed to get up earlier.” Marty tripped over his feet, and it was only Todd’s loose grip that kept him from taking a tumble on the asphalt.
Dan rushed forward to prevent any more accidents. Lena was going to kill him if her groom turned up with a black eye and a broken nose. “Where the hell have you been?” Then he inhaled and nearly gagged. “You reek. Are you drunk?”
“Not drunk. Definitely not drunk.” Marty would have sounded more convincing if he hadn’t slurred every word.
“He’s not drunk. Drinking last night. More hangover.” Todd sounded very pleased with himself.
Dan took Marty before he could do himself more damage. Gideon was by his side and took Marty’s weight.
A short round man stomped up the path, scowling at Marty and stabbing a thick finger at him. “You owe me for the ride.”
“Oh yeah.” Marty hung on to Dan’s jacket. “We ran out of money. Could you pay the cab driver?”
“How much?”
Dan blanched as the driver named a fare which was his grocery bill for the next month, but Gideon stepped forward. “I’ll handle it. You get him inside.”
Dan smiled at him gratefully. Then the smile slipped off his face as he turned to Marty. “Where are your keys?”
Marty pulled out a bunch of keys. He squinted at the keys, taking a long time to focus before he picked one and nearly inserted it up Dan’s nose as he thrust it in Dan’s direction. Dan got the door open and dragged Marty to the sofa. He left Todd behind, not caring what happened to him.
“Thought you were going to have an early night last night?” Dan said. He looked up at Gideon, who’d come in pushing Todd ahead of him and shut the front door. “Can you make coffee? Strong. Really strong.”
Gideon nodded and headed into the kitchen. Todd slumped on the opposite sofa in a sprawl of loose limbs.
“Todd said I didn’t have a bachelor party, so he would take me on a boys’ night out.” Marty rolled his head to look at his brother for confirmation. “I would have invited you, but you were working.”
“But why on earth did you get drunk? You know Lena’s parents hate alcohol. You said you were going to stay sober. She’s gonna kill you after she’s done killing me.”
“I didn’t,” Marty protested indignantly. “I drank club soda all evening.”
Dan made a disbelieving snort and turned to Todd. “What did he really drink?”
Todd opened one eye. “He drank soda… and vodka.” He grinned as though he’d done something good.
Dan rested back on his haunches. “Christ, Todd, you know he can’t handle liquor. What the hell did you think you were doing?”
“He needed a bachelor party, man,” Todd protested. “You weren’t going to do it, so it was up to me. That’s why I’m the best best man.”
“Didn’t want a bachelor party because I didn’t want to be drunk for Lena.” Marty grinned at them both, and then the color drained out of his face and he clutched on to Dan.
“Shit. Grab that trashcan.” Dan barked at Todd. He knew what was coming next.
Todd, for once, did as he was told. Dan dumped out the contents and shoved it in front of Marty just as Marty gave up the contents of his stomach.
“Gross, dude.” Todd also turned green, and Dan pointed at the downstairs bathroom.
“If you’re gonna hurl, do it in there. I’m not cleaning up after you.”
Todd rushed away, and Dan heard retching that seemed to go on forever. It was turning out to be a fine morning.
“Just peachy,” he muttered and looked at his first patient who groaned and clutched the trashcan as though it were a lifesaver.
“Lena is going to kill me,” Marty slurred.
“You’ll be lucky if she still marries you,” Dan snarled. “Gideon, could we have water as well as the coffee.”
Gideon walked in bearing two large glasses of water as though he’d anticipated Dan’s request. “Coffee is almost finished.”
Dan helped Marty sip the water, but he was unsurprised when it made a reappearance a couple of minutes later.
“I’m dying,” Marty moaned. He rested back against the sofa and closed his eyes.
“You’re not dying, dude. You must have realized you were drinking alcohol after the first couple of drinks. Why didn’t you stop?”
“Todd insisted it was club soda with a kick.”
“What the hell did you think the kick was?”
“Lime?” Marty squinted at Dan as though he wanted validation that that was the right answer.
“You’re an idiot.” Dan got to his feet and stretched. It was too early in the morning for this.
“Here.” Gideon laid his hands on Dan’s shoulders and massaged them, digging his thumbs into the muscle to roll out the sore knots. Dan groaned in pleasure, and dropped his head to give Gideon more access.
But then Todd stumbled out of the bathroom, and the moment was lost. Gideon stepped away and handed Todd the water. He muttered his thanks, took a sip, and headed straight back into the bathroom.
“It’s going to be a long morning,” Gideon observed.
Dan nodded in agreement. “Thank God we’ve got plenty of time to sober up these idiots.”
“What time is the photographer arriving?”
Dan nudged Marty, who groaned loudly. “What time is the photographer getting here?”
“She’ll be here around one.”
“We’ve got four hours to get you sober and into your tux.”
Gideon looked down at Marty. “How much sleep have you had?”
“Sleep?” Marty stared at him as though it were a trick question.
Dan sighed and tugged on Marty’s arm. “Go to bed until eleven. We’ll make sure you’re ready for the photos.”
Marty stayed where he was.
Gideon snorted and hoisted Marty to his feet. “Come on, man. Where’s your bedroom?”
“Don’t need sleep,” Marty said petulantly.
“Sure you don’t.” Gideon half carried him to the stairs.
Dan stayed where he was and wished he were the one in Gideon’s arms being taken into the bedroom. A loud, raucous snore broke into his thoughts. Todd had passed out in the bathroom, and Dan left him where he was. He was obviously breathing.
In Marty’s small, neat kitchen, Dan cleaned out the trashcan and tried not to breathe as he kept hold of his own stomach with difficulty. He heard Gideon coming down the stairs and poured coffee into two mugs that were already waiting on the countertop. No point letting good coffee go to waste. “I guess he’s asleep?”
“Like a baby.” Gideon wrinkled his nose. “A very smelly baby. I left another trashcan by his head. God knows if he’ll aim straight.”
“This is not how I planned my morning. I should never have left him alone last night.”
Gideon squeezed Dan’s shoulder and then let go to lean against the kitchen counter. “It’s my fault. I should have given you the night off.”
Dan resisted the temptation to lean against him. “You couldn’t know Marty was gonna go out and get trashed.”
“I don’t think he planned to get hammered. He had help.”
“This is all his own fault. Marty knows what Todd is like. He should never have trusted him.”
“Maybe Marty wanted to get drunk. A last rebellious fling?”
“It’s not like he’s gonna be teetotal forever. It was one damn day.”
Gideon’s lips curved into a wry smile. “Marty was just being an idiot?”
“That’s more like it.”
Dan was caught by an unexpected yawn, and Gideon put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close. “Do you need a nap?”
“You like mothering people, don’t you?” Dan yawned again and rested his head against Gideon’s shoulder.
Gideon chuckled and held him closer. He was a snuggler. Who knew? “I prefer to call it parenting, but yes, Ariel says I’m always fussing.”
“She’d hate it if you stopped.”
Ariel complained about her father’s strong-arm parenting, but the minute Gideon stopped, she wanted his attention. Last week proved that point.
“And what about you?”
“What about me?” Dan tilted his head to look up at Gideon and noticed how his gold-tipped lashes caught the light.
“Do you want me to stop fussing?” Gideon’s voice dropped to a low rumble.
“No.” Dan held his breath and only relaxed when Gideon smiled.
It would be so easy to reach up and kiss him on that wide, curved mouth. Dan would only have to turn a couple of inches. The temptation was there, and from the way Gideon was staring at Dan’s mouth, he was having the same thought.
Then Dan’s phone rang.
Saved by the bell or the worst timing ever? Dan wasn’t sure. It was a number he didn’t know.
“Hey?”
“Dan? It’s Lena. Is Marty all right?”
The worried tone of Marty’s fiancée penetrated Dan’s cuddle haze. He stepped back and mouthed “Lena” to Gideon.
“Hi, Lena. Marty’s fine.”
“Yes, but how is he really? My friend saw him out last night and said he was wasted.”
So much for keeping quiet.
“Todd took him on a boys’ night out. In all fairness Marty thought he was drinking club soda. Todd spiked his drinks.”
“I’m gonna kill him,” Lena growled, and Dan held the phone away from his ear as she cursed loudly and with a vocabulary he was more used to hearing at Cowboys and Angels. Eventually she settled down, and he listened cautiously. “Where is Marty now?”
“He’s in bed and asleep.” Dan was glad Lena had calmed down because he didn’t want to be responsible for a bride losing her shit on her wedding day. “I’m gonna wake him up in time for the photographer.”
“Just make sure he’s sober by the time you reach the church. And plenty of breath mints. I’m not joking when I say my parents don’t like alcohol.”
“I’m sorry I let you down,” Dan said. “I should never have let him out with Todd. I know what the man’s like.”
“You didn’t let me down,” Lena assured him. “You had to work. Marty’s a grown man and should have realized he was getting drunk.”
“I’ll look after him,” Dan promised.
“Is Gideon there?”
“Yeah. How did you know?” Dan asked suspiciously.
Lena ignored the question. “Good. At least you don’t have to handle two drunk asses. Was Gideon already at your place?”
“He picked me up, and shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Dan didn’t need Lena to run off with wild fantasies about him and Gideon.
Lena crowed loudly in his ear. “I am ready. Hair done, makeup done, and ready to hassle you.”
“Thanks. Remember I have your groom.”
“I knew he was into you from the first time I met you. I told Marty, but he wouldn’t believe me. That man couldn’t keep his eyes off you at the café.”
Dan glanced over and caught Gideon watching him. “It’s just a date for the wedding.” To his surprise, he saw Gideon narrow his eyes as he turned away from Dan. “Anyway, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later, and don’t be late.”
“I’m not the one dealing with the hungover groom,” she pointed out. “Any problems, call me. If I have to, I’ll come over and get him myself.”
“You focus on making yourself even more beautiful than you already are. I’ll do the hard work.”
He disconnected the call and looked at Gideon, who was staring into space. “I think Todd’s ass is toast after today.”
“How did she know about Marty?” Gideon asked.
“A friend saw them drinking last night. She’s not very happy with her husband-to-be right now. My orders are to deliver him to the church—on time, sober, and with plenty of breath mints.”
“We’ll do our best.”
Gideon sounded strange, almost disinterested, and Dan wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. He’d been fine through most of the call until Dan mentioned their date.
Dan laid a hand on Gideon’s forearm and felt the strength of his muscles play beneath his fingers. “Did I say something wrong?”
Gideon sighed, turned away, and took his cup to the sink to rinse it out. He turned back to look at Dan. “Everything’s fine.”
Everything clearly wasn’t fine, but Dan didn’t have a clue how to fix it. He looked at the clock above the fridge. It was just after eight thirty, so they still had a few hours before the photographer arrived. Dan had planned to take Marty out to breakfast and then go for a walk around their old haunts. Clearly that plan was void, and Dan didn’t know what to do with Gideon, who was scowling at his feet.
Dan took a chance. “Would you like to come for a walk?”
Gideon looked startled. “Now?”
Dan shrugged. “We’ve got nothing else to do for a couple of hours. Marty and Todd aren’t going anywhere. I was planning on showing Marty the old haunts, but I could show you instead. Unless you’re not interested.”
Gideon shook his head. “I’d like that. I didn’t realize you were a local.”
“I grew up around here. Marty and I met at the local grade school. He was new, and I was pretty much ignored by everyone else. We became friends and stayed friends ever since.”
Gideon picked up his jacket and shrugged it on. “You’re lucky to still be friends with someone from school. I’ve lost contact with all my old school friends.”
“Marty was special. He didn’t care that I was different from all the others.”
“By different you mean gay?”
Dan nodded. “I knew from an early age I was into men and not women. Marty didn’t care, and he ignored all the teasing from the other kids.”
Bullying would have been more accurate, but Gideon didn’t need to know the details of his miserable school years. Gideon cast him a shrewd look as though he were well aware what Dan was leaving out. He was a parent and probably knew kids a lot better than Dan did.
Dan checked on Marty, who was sound asleep and snoring loudly, while Gideon did the same for Todd. Dan felt slightly guilty that Todd was still in the downstairs bathroom, but Gideon had covered him with a throw and placed a cushion under his head, and that was more than Dan would have done. He grabbed Marty’s keys, and they left the house. It was still cold, and Dan was glad for his thick jacket as they walked down the street.
“I know I should know this, but I can’t remember. Did you start college?” Gideon asked.
Dan shook his head. “No. No money, and Mom needed me working. I wasn’t college material anyway.”
“Not then. But you are now.”
“I barely graduated school. Marty was the clever one, not me. I mean look at us now. Marty’s got his own business, and I’m still a barman.”
“You’re the manager of the bar,” Gideon pointed out.
“It’s more than I ever thought I’d be.” Dan pushed his hands into his pockets. “I’m not bitter about my lack of smarts. Some men are destined for greatness, and others like me pull beer. My time will come.”
Gideon made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat. “You’ve got more intelligence then you give yourself credit for, darlin’. You put yourself through college because you have plans.”
“Yeah, I did.” Dan remembered the early days as he struggled with his assignments. Then he’d wondered what the hell he was doing it for. It had been a long, hard slog and many times he’d nearly given up. He grinned at Gideon. “Keep reminding me of that.”
Gideon gave a brief nod. “I will. You’re a smart man, Dan Collins.”
His intense gaze warmed Dan, who smiled as they walked on.