Page 135 of Bobby Green

“They’re at the zoo,” Isabelle said. “All the babies and daddies and uncles—John took them.” Bobby knew she was counting the minutes until the babies came back. He was glad she had them in her life—but just as glad he wasn’t the baby provider too. Right now, her attention on Reg, she looked around at the rest of the guys—and some of their boy- and girlfriends—and smiled. “But that’s okay. There’s plenty of folks here.”

The flophouse roommates were all sort of gathered in a group around Kelsey. Kelsey’s baby was with Ethan and Jonah at the zoo, which Bobby thought was pretty damned funny, but Kelsey was taking the moment to kick back in a soccer chair and enjoy the shade. Skylar and Rick were playing off each other as always and making her and the others laugh. Reg gravitated to them, and Lance looked up over his head at Bobby in question.

Bobby nodded. He didn’t want anybody to be mean to Reg, to make him feel unwelcome because of Bobby. This wasn’t that kind of fight. This wasn’t a take-sides thing. This wasn’t BobbyagainstReg.

This was Bobbyfighting to keepReg.

Lance nodded back and turned to Reg and smiled, and Bobby went back to grilling soy dogs. Which smelled nasty. He was going to eat one of the big whole-beef ones his mother had brought, with no apologies either.

He managed to lose himself in the grilling, compartmentalizing all his grief, all his hope for something better, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around and met a handsome man about John’s age, with dark hair, a trimmed goatee, and blue eyes. He had a few scars around his mouth, his cheek, but it did nothing to detract from his cool good looks, and the snappy linen suit in the California heat added to the appeal.

“Are you Bobby?” And a really sexy Southern accent, Bobby thought bemusedly.

“Yes, sir. You are….”

“Galen,” he said, extending his hand. “Galen Henderson.”

Bobby held up his hands, grease- and grill-stained, and grimaced. “I wish we could shake,” he apologized. “I’m sort of all crappy. But thank you. Seriously—John’s lawyer said you’re the reason I’m not rotting in jail still. You wouldn’t even let my mom pay you. I can’t thank you enough.”

Galen’s mouth twisted, and he kept his hand out. “I’ll shake your hand any day,” he said softly, and Bobby had no choice but to wipe his hand on the ass of his denim shorts and take it. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t do more. If I’d been here, maybe I could have kept you out entirely.”

Bobby smiled tightly. “I had shit to learn,” he said, his voice gruff. “Two weeks was plenty of time to learn it, but it needed to happen.”

Galen tilted his head. “What is it you learned, young Mr. Roberts?”

Bobby shrugged and looked around. His mom was still putting stuff out on the table, and everybody else was talking to Reg. He hadn’t talked about this to anybody, and it was suddenly pressing against his chest, begging for release.

“My whole life I was afraid of being my old man,” he said. “Beating the shit out of people because it’s the only way I could think of to deal. Having to pin Reg’s sister felt like the worst thing I’ve ever done, and she was trying to kill us. When I attacked that cop, all I could see was red. But two weeks in jail and I know I can walk away. I got muscles, and I got build, but I got common sense too. I know how to use it.”

Galen’s smile was unexpectedly pretty. “You, sir, are a force to be reckoned with. I’m proud to have helped in your defense.” He gave an almost courtly bow then, and Bobby remembered why Galen hadn’t been there for the arraignment.

“Weren’t you in Florida?” he asked.

Galen nodded. “I was. Like you said, some lessons you have to learn, even if they’re painful.”

“What lessons did you learn?” he asked, suddenly hungry to hear he was not the only one living life by touch.

Galen gestured to the cane Bobby hadn’t seen, leaning up against the table, next to two suitcases. He must have come here from the airport, Bobby realized in surprise.

“I learned the difference between accepting help and living with a crutch. And now I can do one and not the other,” he said, a slight smile on his lips.

Bobby grinned. “You are way too smart for me,” he decided. “But I sure am glad you’re here. I bet John will be too.”

“Your hot dogs are burning,” Galen said dryly, and suddenly Bobby had something else to do.

But he did have a moment, about half an hour later, to see Galen and John’s first kiss, after John got back from the zoo.

For a moment in time, Bobby didn’t exist. Nothing existed but these two souls, reconnecting, learning the feel and taste of each other all over again.

Bobby watched them, entranced, and swallowed.

He wanted that. He could have that. He could have that withReg.

He found out later that Galen had stayed in Florida to finish rehab, to learn to walk without the cane, to make himself worthy of a life with someone he thought was wonderful.

And then he’d come to claim the love he deserved.