Page 36 of Galen's Redemption
Chapter Ten
AS HEwalked down Wells Street, Robert had been waiting for inspiration to strike him. All he could see was an ever-growing morass, waiting to swallow all his work into it. Then he glanced into Real Chili and saw Galen sitting there with another man, smiling. As insane as it sounded, a flash of jealousy hit Robert hard. He crossed the street, opting for the restaurant insteadof This Is It! When he opened the door, Galen turned and looked at him. Surprise and, Robert hoped, pleasure was displayed in that look, and Robert’s heart beat double-time.
Then Galen introduced Andy as his friend, and Robert felt foolish for being jealous in the first place. But… he wanted to know Galen better. Maybe nothing would come of it, but what if it could? So Robert did what his motherhad asked and invited Galen along. Imagine his surprise when Galen said yes.
“You’ll come?”
“Sure, why not? I mean, this isn’t one of those ‘we’d love to have you for dinner,’ and then it turns out they mean it literally, right?”
Robert chuckled. “No. When I told them about you, Mom said I should ask you to come along.”
“You told them about me?”
Shit. He hadn’t meant to say that. “Yeah, Itold her we went out to dinner.”
Galen jerked his hand away. “And let me guess… you said I was a prickly bitch and both had a good laugh at my expense. And you want me to come with you so she can see the funny man and get a good laugh too?”
God, Galen had a hair-trigger temper. “No, that’s not it at all, and I think you know I’d never laugh at you.”
“Why not? You’ve done it before.” Galen’sspine was rigid, his cheeks flushed. So much anger in him, but Robert got the impression it wasn’t him Galen was angry with.
Robert crossed his hands in front of him and pinned Galen with a stare. “Okay, tell me when I’ve laughed at you. And make sure it wasatand notwith.”
Galen was silent for a long moment before his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “I took back the check.”
Robert knewa change of subject when he heard one. “Yes, you did. Because your father told you to. Let me ask you something, and please, be honest with me. If your father hadn’t told you to come and see me, would you have done it on your own?”
With pursed lips, Galen dropped his chin to his chest. “No. I didn’t want to do it when he told me to. The way Noel handled it was clever. Father was pissed becauseNoel got one over on him. He still says he intends to sue, but I’m pretty sure his lawyers will tell him he got the money back, so he has to let it go.” He lifted his head. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, I promise. If you don’t want to come with me, that’s fine. It was just an invitation, and I don’t want to put any pressure on you. Maybe if you come with me, you’ll see a differentside to families.”
Robert knew the moment he said it that Galen’s hackles would start to rise. He had been slavishly devoted to his father, and it was hard when everything you believed turned out to be a lie. He was no different than a lot of the people who’d come through the shelter—broken, defeated, and suddenly being forced to question the reality in which they now lived.
Robert wonderedif Galen realized how much like Noel he was right now.
“I’d really like it if you came with me, but that’s up to you. I won’t be angry or hurt if you don’t come, but I will be disappointed if I can’t spend some time with you.”
There was hope in Galen’s eyes when he looked up. “Really?”
“Yes. I told you before, I enjoyed having chili with you then, and I very much like it now. You’re an intriguingman, Mr. Merriweather, and I would like to get to know you better.”
What would Lincoln and Noel say if they knew Robert was asking Galen out? Robert was sure there were misconceptions on both sides. If Lincoln knew that Galen hadn’t wanted to take back the check, would that matter to him? Or was the animosity between the two so deep that they wouldn’t be able to get over it?
“So what do yousay? Will you come with me?” Then he had an idea. “To make it less stressful, you could ask Andy to come with you if you want. He can be your buffer if you’re uncomfortable. And to sweeten the deal, Mom is a great cook. She always makes this chocolate-strawberry cake for dessert and serves it with vanilla ice cream. I promise you won’t find anything like it no matter where you go.”
Galen’s eyesgot a bit wider. “Well, I do like chocolate.”
“Then come with me. Bring Andy. We’ll make a party of it. And if you get uncomfortable for any reason, you say the word and I’ll take you home.”
The hope shining in Galen’s eyes called to Robert on every level. He liked to solve people’s problems, to help them reach their full potential. Galen might not have been appreciated by his father, but thatdidn’t mean there wasn’t something there for Robert to help him find.
“Please.”
When he bit his lip, Galen was adorable. Robert wondered how long it had been since he’d been shown anything other than disdain. Had anyone ever given him praise? God, it was weird how much Robert wanted to find out. He very much enjoyed the facets of Galen’s personality—the shy, the prickly, the uncertain. Had heever had a visceral reaction to anyone else?
“Okay. I’ll ask Andy if he’d like to come with me.” Galen drew in a slow breath. “This is okay, yeah?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
