Chapter 19
After rescuing a book that Lenny found delicious for some reason, Rob looked over the shelves to get an idea of what could go. He ended up over by the window where Mitch and Rico were just finishing up.
"Julian told me you stuck your nose in my business. Thanks. Don't make a habit of it," Rob told Rico, not that he expected him to listen.
"I took a break from home improvement to do some Jules improvement," Rico said, accepting the thanks and totally ignoring the warning.
"Julian doesn't need improving," Rob informed him with too much feeling and realized too late that he should have kept his mouth shut.
Rico nodded smugly. "I see your deer in headlights look. You know you said too much."
"You're just hearing things," Rob told him.
"It's sweet. You might just win my approval to be Julian's boyfriend," Rico said.
"Did you just...? Never mind." There was too much wrong with what Rico was saying. Rob decided to just leave it alone.
Mitch approved. "It is best not to follow Enrico down the rabbit hole."
"Hey," Rico objected, but Mitch fixed that easily with just a peck on the cheek and a few words.
"You know I love you."
"Aha," Rico said. He tried to pout but Mitch had disarmed him completely. No one else might be able to get through to him, but Rico ended up gazing at Mitch like the man owned him body and soul.
When Mitch, Rico and Sammy had all gone home for the day, and it was time to walk Lenny again, Rob hoped Julian could come with them. He got snagged by some issue with a client, so it was just Rob and Danny and the dog.
The light was already taking on the deeper colors of the evening and the air was cold. They took the hill path down and spotted Wyatt and the boys with their two dogs.
The kids were all excited to see each other and the dogs were barking and sniffing each other. Letting the noise die down, Rob and Wyatt stood back.
"We're going toward town. Sam will be leaving work soon and we're meeting him," Wyatt said as they all moved on together along the road into town.
Out in front, the dogs and the kids walked in a big cluster, and Rob and Wyatt followed behind them. Both of them were smiling at the sight of three boys walking three dogs.
Rob told Wyatt about his job situation. "Rico butted in, and I ended up with a job as the manny."
"Don't blame Rico. You wouldn't have taken the job if you didn't want it," Wyatt said with a chuckle. "I'm glad you'll be sticking around."
"Maybe Rico did a good thing this once," Rob told him. "But I still want to put him in a headlock half the time."
Wyatt raised an eyebrow at him. "Only half the time? You must like him."
"Nah. The other half of the time, I want to do much worse."
"He isn't so bad. He just likes to get a rise out of people. And you're just jealous," Wyatt accused him.
"What are you saying? Do I have reason to be?" Rob asked, getting a little heated.
His fierce attitude only made Wyatt laugh at him again. "Ease off. Not that kind of jealous. But don't you wish you could be free and easy with Julian like Rico is, instead of being formal?"
"We're hardly formal," Rob said, but there was some truth in that.
"You do keep each other at arm's length, don't you? Aren't you worried you'll get stuck being just boss and employee?" Wyatt asked him.
"Julian might not want anything more, especially right now when Danny still needs him so much," Rob said.
"Isn't that just an excuse?" Wyatt asked just as an old truck rattled past them and Danny froze and hunched forward.
