Page 9 of Taking Chances in Cedarwood

Maddie trotted up to the barn. “Hey.” She held one of the orange cats. “I called the vet. She’ll be out Monday to vaccinate the kittens and assess if they’re ready to be fixed.”

“Good.” He seemed to wind up with extra cats every year. People figured the farm was a good place to drop unwanted kittens. He made sure to have every feline vaccinated and fixed as soon as he could, but sometimes there were accidents.

“I’m going to take this guy to the house. He’s not a barn cat.” She rubbed the kitten’s head. “I’m calling him Roger. He seems to like sleeping on your dog, and Gabby likes him, so it works out.”

“Is he litter trained?” Andrew rubbed his eyes. “Whatever, yeah, bring him in.”

“Are you okay?” She followed beside him. Gabby ran across the lawn and jumped on Andrew. He knelt to pet the dog, but his sister didn’t let up. “Andy, are you okay? You seem less like yourself. You’re down.”

“I’m fine.”

“Liar.” She stood between him and the house. “You were gone a long time. Did the ladies of the theater group demand your help?”

“No—well, they did, but it wasn’t a big deal.” He finished scratching Gabby behind the ears. “I went to see a friend.”

“Blowjob friend or actual one?” she asked.

The fact she’d called anyone he knew ablowjob friendbugged him. “The guy from the market.”

“Ah.” She walked with Andrew into the house. “Hey, there are lots of guys in the world and there is one out there for you. This one isn’t worth it if he’s making you this goofy and you’re not even dating.”

“Maddie.” He drew a glass of water from the tap. “I got the wrong message from him. I should’ve expected that it wasn’t something deeper than it was and I messed up. That’s all.”

She plunked the cat on the floor, then wrapped her arms around Andrew. “I’m sorry.”

He sighed. She’d been right there through the bad and the good, through his parents’ split and the split between his father and her mother. She understood the strangeness of his life. “I thought when I dated Carl that I’d found the one. Then he turned out to be a dud.”

“He wasn’t meant to live on a farm.” She dug her chin into his biceps. “But you weren’t as into him as you think. I could tell he wasn’t making you happy.”

“I know.” He sighed again. The weight of the world seemed to be on his shoulders. “You really believe there’s someone out there for us?”

“I do.”

Her relationship with Ross seemed to be on the rocks, and yet she still had faith. “I hope you’re right.” Andrew didn’t understand men or Cain, but what was new? Most of the guys he’d dated hadn’t amounted to much and the relationships hadn’t lasted long. Why would this one be different?

Because I like Cain and I just might have a chance to make this work.

Chapter Five

Cain waited in the parking lot as Andrew drove away. A piece of his heart went with Andrew. Was he in love with Andrew? No, but he’d let the man down. He’d asked him over, and Andrew had done what Cain wanted, but then Liam had shown up.

Damn it.

“So…” Liam waited on the stoop. “Andrew?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?” Cain gestured to the apartment. “Let’s go inside. It’s more private.”

Liam said nothing until Cain closed the door. He raked his fingers through his hair, then moved the blankets off the chair. “Okay, so look… Andrew is a loner.”

“You know him?” Cain sat across from Liam. “I’m listening.”

“There’s nothing bad to tell about him.” Liam shrugged. “He’s a nice guy. Lives at a farm, works there, has a stepsister who can’t seem to keep a boyfriend, his family is out of state. I think they’re hippies. I heard something about they were off doing environmental work.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans’ legs. “I’m told they were swingers, too. Who knows, and it doesn’t matter. He’s just the product of a complicated home life.”

Cain snorted. He knew about having a complicated home life, and Andrew’s wasn’t that bad. He massaged his forehead. “Why do you know so much about him? Are you friends?”

“The gay community around here talks and we’re all pretty much friends,” Liam said. “The guys who run the support group have been trying to get him to attend, if only so he can make some friends.”

“Ah.” Cain shook his head. “Maybe he’s shy?”

---