Page 62 of Caged
"I sure hope so. Nothing would make me happier than being able to tell Danny that Larry's been arrested." Marshall glanced over at Rani. "Enough about me, what's going on in your life?"
"Work." Rani laughed. "Do I do anything but?"
"Not often, but I keep hoping. You making any friends, meeting anyone that catches your interest?" Marshall hated how hard Rani worked, but he understood why he was doing it. It had to be hard being a respected doctor in one country, then moving to another just to be told you need to pretty much start over. In the time they'd been friends, he seldom heard Rani talk about other friends or going out with people. He knew Rani was bisexual but had never been with a man. In Oman where he came from, being with another man would be a possible death sentence. He'd hoped Rani would meet someone at work who he could at least spend some time with, but so far, Rani hadn't shown any interest in dating or even socializing much other than with the team.
"I went out for drinks with a few people from work the other night, but most of the time, I'm just too tired. My rotation at work just gets more stressful. Until I jump through all these hoops and get licensed here, I won't be having much of a social life. I'm counting down the days. If all goes well, I can be done in another two years."
"Still no regrets coming here?" Marshall asked.
"None. I miss some of my family, but I have a much better life here. I'm not looking over my shoulder all of the time, waiting to be attacked for my views. I like the freedom in America to be an individual. It doesn't matter who your family is or what they've done, you can still make a name for yourself."
"I'm glad you're here." Marshall slapped Rani's knee.
"Someday, we'll be able to hang out like normal friends do."
"Good things are worth waiting for." Marshall stood. "I better head home. I want to make sure Danny's doing okay."
"Bullshit. You just want to go find out what Jessica and Danny cooked."
"Maybe." Marshall grinned. "If there's enough, I'll bring some over for you tomorrow. Too bad Danny can't come here or we could have Jessica and him cook for everyone."
"I could handle coming home to a hot cooked meal all the time." Rani smiled. "Tell Danny hi and let me know if you two need anything."
"I will." Marshall gave a salute as he walked out the front door. The night was cooler than usual, but still not cold. It wouldn't be long before the leaves were changing and fall set in. He'd always loved Colorado weather. Even in the worst of the cold and snowstorms, he found the place beautiful. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
As he settled in his car, he realized he had a pretty good life considering everything. He loved his job, loved his friends, and if everything went as he hoped, he'd have a man to love as well. He just needed to take it slow and help Danny heal. Once that was started, then they could focus more on their future.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Danny lifted the cookie to Marshall's lips. "Tell me what you think."
Marshall took a bite and moaned. "This is amazing. What is it?"
"Cranberry and white chocolate chip." Danny smiled, pleased that he'd done so well with the new recipe. He'd spent the day making a huge turkey with Jessica, but after, they'd tried a couple of new recipes for desserts. If only he could spend every day doing stuff like this, he'd be happy.
"It's amazing. And the turkey was moist and tender. I don't think I've ever had one so good. You're going to end up cooking all of our Thanksgiving meals, ya know?"
Danny laughed. "I'm good with that." He wiped his hand on a napkin before looking up at Marshall. "Are we planning on spending a lot of Thanksgivings together?"
Marshall's expression grew serious. "I hope so. That's something I'd like to talk about."
"Thanksgiving?"
"Us."
Danny bit his lip and nodded. He wanted this conversation, but he was scared of it at the same time. "I guess we should talk about things." Danny turned and focused on putting things around the kitchen away. "Jess says talking will help us, but I'm scared it might mess everything up."
Marshall's arms came around him from behind, pulling Danny back against his chest. "Nothing is going to mess this up. If anything, getting things out in the open is only going to make our relationship stronger."
Danny turned in his arms. "Are we in a relationship?"
"I think that's one of the many things we need to talk about and decide." Marshall gestured to the kitchen. "Leave this. There's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. All the food's put away." He brushed a kiss over Danny's mouth. "Let's get this done before we put it off any longer."
Linking their hands together, Marshall led Danny to the living room and they both sat down on the couch facing each other. It was impossible to sit on the couch and not remember the things they'd done together there. As much as he hated admitting it, he craved more of Marshall's touch. The conversation they were about to have could change everything.
Danny cleared his throat. "Want me to go first?"
Marshall kept hold of his hand. "First, tell me if this is what you want. Do you want to try being in a relationship with me? Because if the answer is no, then most of this conversation is irrelevant."
