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I made it over to city hall not once, but twice this week. It’s a victory, for sure, but a private one. I could tell the guys; they’d be over the moon. There’s no good reason for me not to share it, but I’m ashamed it’s taken me this long to deal with something so minor.
The city council received some anonymous report that animals had been mistreated at Hale House. They haven’t gone to any of the other certifying bodies, but they made it damn clear that if they receive another complaint, they’ll have no choice but to revoke my license.
I have severe doubts about “no choice” as the person investigating the so-called anonymous report has a significant conflict of interest (in the form of his daughter’s brand-new dog boarding facility). But I stayed calm and reiterated that my reputation in town is rooted in my personal character, and that I take both of those things very seriously. He seemed to be appeased.
After that meeting, I’d stopped by West’s office on the pretext of bringing him coffee. I’ll never be able to look at his desk again without remembering that day, and how much Raleigh enjoyed hearing about it later that night. Maybe that should bother me that Raleigh is crashing on West’s couch, but it doesn’t—as much time as we’re spending together, having two different bedrooms to choose from is turning out to be useful.
The memory makes me shiver, which earns me a concerned look from Lucy.
“How are your classes going?” I ask, ignoring the look. She’s just finished bringing in our current load of pups back in from playtime and is manning the desk for me so I can file some of the endless paperwork that goes with owning and operating your own business.
Some of this was supposed to be Finn’s job when we first started out, but these days he works more with Sully than he does with me.
Which is fine. Hale House was always more my baby than his. Sully tells me Finn’s been helping him out a lot on job sites, filling in for guys who get sick, picking up extra hours where he can. When I ask if they’re going into business together, Sully just laughs and says Finn’s about as committed to work as he is committed to any of his girlfriends. That sounds about right to me, so my brother’s recent absence is easily explained away.
Still, I know something’s not right between us. It’s probably that Finn is still upset that I haven’t scheduled that therapy appointment, like I told him I would back at the beach. A part of me can’t help but fear he suspects something between me and West. Which is irrational, but so are most of my fears.
“Good, fine,” says Lucy. She waves a hand dismissively. “Distance learning helps, you know? I can get through the material faster at home than I would going to campus all the time.”
I suspect most students don’t feel that way, but Lucy’s probably the most driven person I know. I just nod.
“That reminds me,” she says. “We got our schedule for finals next month. It’s in your inbox.”
“Thanks,” I say. “If you need any extra time—”
She waves her hand again. “I know, I’ll let you know ASAP,” she says.
The holidays are one of our busiest times. Covering all of those extra shifts is going to be a stretch. Which means I need to talk to Finn again.
Something I’ve been avoiding because I want to tell him. I want to tell him the truth about West and me, and about West, Raleigh, and me. Finn and Sully are the only family I have left, and I don’t want to hide the men I love from them anymore.
It’s easy and warm and satisfying to imagine Finn and Sully welcoming West and Raleigh as family, as our own. All acceptance, no questions or anger. Or worse. It’s so easy to imagine, I don’t let myself hold that thought for more than a minute, because that kind of idyll isn’t possible. It’s just not.
But the longer this goes on, the louder the thought gets. They’re worth it. They’re worth trying for.
Raleigh’s been brave enough to go after what he wants, including falling headfirst into a relationship with another man when he’s never been with any man before. West was brave enough to come back into the bosom of his not-so-loving family, because he believed it was the right thing to do. They’ve both put themselves on the line for us to be together.
Maybe I can too.
“I’ve got to make a phone call,” I tell Lucy. She nods, not looking up from her textbook. I hole up back in my office and close the door, dulling the animal sounds. Heart pounding, I pull up the website I’d bookmarked weeks ago and tap the phone number.
“Thank you for calling New Haven Hope Clinic, how may I direct your call?”
“I’d like to speak with Dr. Attenboro, please.”
“Are you a new or existing patient?”
“New patient.” I swallow hard, trying to steady my voice.
“Oh, well, welcome! Let me walk you through the protocols and I’ll put you in touch.”
Ten minutes later, I’m grabbing my purse, head full of all the ways Raleigh and West might use the whipped cream and chocolate syrup I’m supposed to bring with me. We’re celebrating tonight, and boy, have I got some ideas on how.
“Where’s the fire?” asks Finn, shutting the kitchen door behind him.
“No fire,” I say, forcing myself to slow down. I’m too keyed up to drive safely, and that’s not going to help anybody. “Just got off the phone with my new, uh, therapist.”
Not like it’s a hard word to say, Callie. Jeez.
