Page 19 of Except You

Chet looks confused and pauses, but eventually wanders off, casting us backward glances as he goes.

As soon as he’s gone, my hand falls to my side and it feels odd just hanging there, so I stuff it in my pants pocket once more.

“Sorry about him. I honestly forgot his name until he kept saying it. I could have sworn it was Martin.”

“Jesus, that’s not even close.”

“I know!” Beau says with a mortified laugh as we walk down the row of caged animals. To be honest, this is damn depressing, and I’m starting to feel like shit.

Shit for not being able to adopt all these guys and bring them home with me. Shit that they had shit owners to begin with.

My family had a few dogs when I was growing up, but my dad never treated them well. They were always just possessions and a nuisance to him. Kind of like his kids, I guess.

“So, now that we can breathe and actually speak to one another, I was thinking…” He wraps his arm around mine and peers up at me. “I was thinking you should totally get a Labrador. I know that we talked about this earlier, but I really sat on it today, and I think it would be a perfect companion for you.”

“We didn’t talk about it,” I clarify. “You told me, and I listened.”

He pokes my chest, and I bite back a soft sigh at the touch. “I explained and you nodded your head. You agreed with me.”

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

He pokes at me again, and I grab on to his hand, holding it in mine. His fingers are cold, so I warm them in mine for a minute, the two of us walking up and down the aisles.

It’s only when he pulls away that I let him go.

“Oh, look at this cutie,” he says as he steps up to the cage. A black and white dog with his tongue lolling out is staring at us through the metal bars. He lets out a low bark, and Beau grins up at me.

“It’s a goldmation.”

“A what?”

He points to the sign. “A golden retriever and a Dalmatian mix. Oh my god, Max.” His hands press against my chest, and I feel the thump of my heart against his palm. “You need to get this one. Please.”

“Beau,” I say with a sigh. “I don’t know…”

Beau blinks those blue eyes and turns back to the cage, bending down and sticking his hand between the rungs. The dog licks at his fingers and Beau peers up at me once more.

God, how the hell am I supposed to say no to this guy?

“I don’t want you to feel pressured, but I think this is a great addition to your life.”

“But what am I supposed to do with him while I’m at work? I don’t work from home all the time like you do.”

“Oh, well, that’s easy. I can watch him when you have to go in.”

The solution is so simple. And yet utterly insane. But then, everything since meeting Beau has been a whirlwind. I never expected this when I walked into that gay bar. And yet, I already can’t imagine my life without this little detour.

And that’s all this is, a small swerve through the winding backroads. I’ll get back on the freeway later.

“That’s a big commitment. What if you realize you hate me tomorrow?”

Beau frowns as he stands up once more. “Why would I hate you, Max? Just don’t give me a reason to.”

His fingers fiddle with my tie, and I let him, the two of us just standing there as the dog pants and whines beside us.

“I just don’t know if this is a mistake.”

“Am I pressuring you into it?” Beau asks, looking slightly abashed.

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