Page 35 of Heal
"He interests me. We have a date tomorrow night." Beau wouldn't lie to his team.
"The great doctor is actually going on a date?" Carter gripped his chest in shock.
"Shut up. I've dated before."
"You've had sex with people before. I don't recall you ever calling it a date." Carter smiled.
It was true. He couldn't deny it. "He's not like the others. He gets me. He's dealt with the media attention and all that before. He knows what he's getting into with me." Beau glanced over at Bryon. "That reminds me, I need to let you know about a fundraising event that Parson and I are going to start."
Bryon raised a brow.
Beau went on to tell them about the new CPS Center they hoped to fund.
"You sure this is where you want to put your time and effort?" Bryon asked.
"It's not like we can change the whole system. As flawed as it is, it's all there is. I want to know there aren't kids sleeping on the floors," Beau told them.
"Let us know how we can help." Bryon shook his head. "You're sure jumping into all this headfirst. You sure you know what you're doing?"
Beau nodded. "It feels right. I finally feel alive. Like I've got something to push me. I'm burned out working all the time. I need some distractions. This fundraiser will do that. It will also help get my dad off my back. He'll be excited that I'm doing something for the community and getting my face out there."
"We all know how much you love that." Carter laughed.
"Yeah, well, I guess for the right cause."
"Or the right man," Bryon quipped.
Beau grinned.
"Seriously, I hope this all works out for you. You'll be a great father to those kids. And, if you're serious about Parson, I hope that works out as well."
Beau nodded. "Too soon to tell yet, but I have hope."
"So do I. It's about time you found someone." Bryon reached for the papers he'd been working on. "I need to finish these up. Carter will get you all set up. I'll do what I can when we get back into town Sunday if you need anything else."
"We should be good. It's just a matter of creating a history and making it look real. Unless someone, like Parson, has researched and looked, they wouldn't know Beau wasn't a foster parent for years. I'll give him a good three-year history. It shouldn't be too hard. Take a few hours."
"I appreciate it." Beau glanced at his watch. "I'm going to go grab a few hours of sleep before I have to get to the hospital. I'll check in tomorrow." He stood. "If I don't see you, keep everyone safe in Arizona."
"We'll be back before you know it, safe and sound," Bryon promised.
"Better be." Beau gave the guys a final wave as he slipped out the door. It was a relief to know the guys had his back. It could have gone either way. Even though the team worked doing illegal things, taking down pedophiles was justified in their eyes. Hacking into a government agency's computers was something different, especially when it was for personal gain.
It was one less thing he needed to worry about. Now he just needed to deal with Parson and see how he took the news, then he'd go about finding a live-in nanny to stay with the kids while he worked.
Feeling hopeful about the way things were going, he headed home for a nap. He had a long night ahead, but he had thoughts of the date with Parson tomorrow to get him through it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Parson stared in the mirror, making sure for the hundredth time that he looked okay for his date with Beau. He was wearing a nice pair of black jeans and a solid blue button-up. It was casual, but nice enough it could pass for dressy if he needed it to.
His hair was the issue. Any other day it would do exactly what he wanted it to, but now, because he was going on a date, there was one part on the side that refused to settle into place. He stared at his reflection, making a face at the man looking back at him.
It shouldn't have been a big deal. Beau had seen him at nearly his worst. He never worried about appearance. He did just enough to look nice, but never spent hours in front of a mirror the way he was doing now.
"It's just Beau," he said out loud as he tossed the brush onto the counter and forced himself to leave the room.
He'd struggled to make it through the day, he'd been so distracted with thoughts about the date. It made no sense. He'd spent time with Beau before, but something about labeling it a date changed everything. Could a man as extraordinary as Beau Maddington really be interested in him?
