Page 1 of Orlando (Council Assassins #20)
ORLANDO WASN’T RUNNING.
He was just walking very fast, but that was because he was eager to leave his empty apartment and to meet Seymour for coffee.
It had nothing to do with the fact that he’d never lived on his own before, or that the apartment felt too empty and silent.
He’d never thought that silence could be heavy, but it was.
It was the first time he lived on his own, and he hadn’t expected any of this.
It kind of made him want to go back into the assassins’ program, even though he’d decided he wasn’t cut out for that life.
Maybe it had been a mistake.
He glanced back at his apartment building and wondered if all of this had been a mistake.
Well, not meeting Seymour for coffee, but everything that had come before then—deciding to work for the council, being recommended for the assassins’ program, training for way too long, only to drop everything and end up on his own.
It was too late for him to change his mind, unfortunately.
He wasn’t even sure he wanted to change his mind.
He knew it was the fear of the unknown talking, and he needed to smack that fear down and kill it.
Hopefully, spending time with his friend would help.
Orlando wasn’t used to feeling so unsure of himself.
It wasn’t only in one part of his life, either.
He wasn’t sure if he should live on his own.
He wasn’t sure what he’d do for a living now that he wouldn’t work for the council.
He definitely wasn’t sure about how he’d come up with rent once the council stopped paying him in a few months.
Maybe spending money on coffee wasn’t a good idea, after all.
Orlando pushed open the coffee shop door anyway. It was so close to his apartment that he could probably get coffee there every morning. Still, he should be an adult and not waste money.
It was harder than it should be.
Thankfully, Seymour was already sitting at a table by the window, so Orlando wouldn’t have time to mope. Seymour waved, and Orlando waved back before moving toward the counter. He’d get coffee this one time and start saving money tomorrow.
“You’re late,”
Seymour said when Orlando reached him.
“I don’t know how that’s possible since you basically live in the back alley.”
“My building isn’t in the back alley.”
“It might as well be. I didn’t know you were one of those people who arrive late to things.”
“I’m not.”
Seymour snorted.
“Clearly the only reason you were never late when we worked for the council was that you couldn’t afford to be.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Orlando had wanted to succeed.
He hadn’t known whether or not he was ready to become an assassin, but he’d trained as one, and he didn’t regret it.
When the time had come for him to start killing people, though, he’d known that he needed to take a step back.
That life wasn’t for him, and that was okay. He’d still completed the program, and he was proud of that. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something he could put on a resume.
He flopped back into his chair and took a sip of coffee. It was slightly bitter, but he didn’t want to get back on his feet to get more sugar.
Seymour’s expression softened.
“How are you, really?”
“I’m fine. Do I look like I’m not?”
“Honestly, a bit. Not that you were ever the smiliest person in our group, but you look a little down.”
Orlando grimaced. He didn’t mean to worry his friends. They all had better things to focus on, including Seymour. He had his twin brother and his mate. Really, Orlando was lucky that Seymour had even found time to get coffee with him.
Seymour bumped his foot into Orlando’s.
“Come on. Tell me.”
Orlando sighed. He was here to spend time with a friend, and friends were supposed to listen to you. If Seymour was asking, it probably meant that he wanted to know.
“It’s just hard.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific than that. What’s hard? Knowing you’ll never have Kennedy?”
Orlando groaned and kicked Seymour under the table.
“I don’t want Kennedy.”
“Are you sure?”
“I just thought he was hot, okay? I didn’t know he was your brother’s mate.”
Seymour raised his hands.
“Okay, but you can’t deny it’s fun to tease you about it.”
“Is it? Because I don’t find it fun.”
Seymour pressed his lips together, clearly trying not to laugh. Orlando rolled his eyes. He didn’t really care that Seymour was teasing him—in fact, he enjoyed it. It had made Seymour forget that he was waiting for a serious answer.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.
“Seriously, what’s up with you? I thought you’d be happy to finally be out of the facility,”
Seymour said.
Orlando took a sip of coffee just to waste a few more seconds. He didn’t want Seymour to worry about him, but Seymour would anyway, no matter if he was honest or not. They were friends.
“It’s just odd.”
Seymour stared for a moment before waving his hand.
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“I just had an objective for so long, you know? I was training, and I knew what would happen when I finished the program, but then I changed my mind, and now, I don’t know where to start. I don’t want to work for the council, but I don’t know what else I could do. I had to move out of the place that I called home for so long, and all my friends have their own lives. I don’t have anything.”
“You have your apartment, which is one thing you don’t have to worry about. We might all be busy with our personal lives, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have us, too.”
“I know. I’m just feeling whiny.”
Because even though Orlando’s friends were busy with their mates and their jobs, they were still there for him. Seymour was currently sitting in front of him, sipping coffee and staring at him as if trying to read his mind. Life hadn’t ended when the council assassins’ project did. Orlando just had to give himself time to find a new direction.
He had no idea where to start.
“Okay, so you have your apartment. What else?”
Seymour asked.
“What else, what?”
“Why are you so worried?”
“Well, I have to find a job.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be as hard as you think. I mean, it definitely depends on what kind of job you have in mind, but you could start with something generic since you don’t know what you want. Have you tried applying here at the coffee shop?”
“I haven’t applied anywhere.”
Seymour nodded.
“That’s fine. The council will pay you for a few more months, so you don’t have to rush into it.”
Orlando had lucked out. The council had projected that not all the trainees would pass the final tests and that not all of those who passed would want to make it their lives, so in the contract, they’d agreed to continue paying anyone who stepped away from the program for a few more months to give them time to regroup and come up with something. That didn’t mean Orlando could slack, though. That money wouldn’t come in indefinitely.
He groaned.
“I have no idea what I want to do.”
“Then you need to find out. Why don’t you start doing something new? You’ve been so focused on the program and training that you haven’t had the time to do anything personal. I know it’s weird to have so much free time, but it’s something to think about. You still have the security of the council paying you for a few more months. You can explore different things and decide what would make a good job for you.”
What Seymour was saying made sense, but it still gave Orlando pause. It was hard to let go of the control he’d had to have over himself while he trained and wrapped his mind around the fact that he had a different life now—a life where he was free to do what he wanted.
“I can see you panicking,”
Seymour said gently.
“Okay, I’ll tell you what I know about you. You like horrible TV shows.”
“They’re not horrible, just unrealistic.”
Seymour rolled his eyes but ignored Orlando’s words.
“You love plants. You like to paint, even though you barely do it. Maybe you could take some art lessons? Just do something you enjoy.”
Orlando nodded. He tried thinking about what he would enjoy, but he wasn’t sure. How sad was that?
LIAM TUCKED HIS PHONE between his shoulder and his ear.
“No, I’m fine. You don’t have to go feed Parsley.”
“Are you sure?”
Liam’s mother asked.
“Because I know how busy you are between your job and the community garden. I can help.”
Liam didn’t remember how many times he’d told his mother he didn’t need her to help. It was sweet that she worried about him and her furry grandson—as she called Parsley—but even though Liam’s life was busy, he still had enough time to feed himself and his cat.
“Parsley gets enough food. I’m afraid that if you feed him, he’ll get so big that I’ll have to roll him around.”
“I would never do that to him. I’m just afraid he’ll get lonely. You’re never home.”
“Which is why I got a cat and not something that needed more attention. Parsley and I spend plenty of time together when I get home in the evening. Don’t worry.”
That wasn’t exactly true. Usually, when Liam came home in the evening, he barely had time to eat, shower, and fall into bed. Sometimes, he thought his life was too busy, but what was he supposed to give up? He needed his job to pay rent and feed himself, and he loved the community garden too much to want to stop going. The few hours he spent there every day were what put a smile on his face and made the rest of the week easier to deal with.
“I still think you could make gardening a full-time job.”
Liam sighed as he continued rolling the hose. He and his mother had talked about this many times. While he would’ve loved to make gardening his full-time job, he didn’t see how he could make money from it. His parents had offered to have him move back in with them until he got a business off the ground, but he didn’t want to do that. He loved them, but he needed his own space, and he had it.
His job in construction was reliable. Opening his own gardening business wouldn’t be, especially not in the beginning. Unfortunately, that meant that he was stuck with construction, but it could be worse. At least he had a job.
His mother sighed.
“I’m just afraid that you’re overworking yourself. You work almost every day, Liam. That’s not good for you.”
“Gardening isn’t work.”
“Maybe not, but you spend so much time doing it that it might as well be. You need some rest and relaxation. When was the last time you went on a date?”
Liam put down the hose and straightened his back. His spine cracked, making him grimace.
“So that’s what you were going for,”
he told his mother.
“I wasn’t going for anything.”
“I don’t need to date to have a nice life.”
“No one said you had to date, but don’t you want to find love?”
Right now, Liam wasn’t sure where he’d fit love into his life, even if it found him. He didn’t have enough time in the day to meet someone, date them, and give both of them the time to fall in love. It would be great if he could end up being someone’s mate because that would take some of the unknown out of the equation, but he wasn’t holding his breath. What would be the odds?
Besides, where would Liam meet his mate? He knew everyone who came around the community center. He worked in different places, but the only people he had regular contact with were the people he worked with, not whoever they worked for. He might bump into his mate at the grocery store, he supposed, but again, what were the odds?
He’d made his peace with being alone, and that was fine, even though some days, he yearned for more. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date, but he was sure it had been years since he’d last kissed someone. It had been just as long since he’d had sex with anyone, but that didn’t bother him as much. He missed the intimacy and feeling loved more than he missed sex.
He wasn’t planning on telling his mother any of that. She’d start cooing over him and trying to find him dates, and that was the last thing he wanted. If he changed his mind about dating, he’d take things into his own hands. In the meantime, he might not be completely happy, but he was content, which was more than a lot of people could say.
“Maybe I should start dating Martha,”
he teased.
“Well, you could do worse.”
Liam barked out a laugh. Martha was one of the other gardeners who frequented the community garden. She was in her eighties and often needed help, which Liam was happy to provide, even though she hated to ask.
“I suppose I could. Look, I have to go.”
“You just don’t want to listen to me worry about you.”
“Well, I can’t say it’s nice, even though I know you do it because you care.”
She sighed.
“Exactly. Your father and I both do and want you to be happy. I know you keep telling yourself that you are, but I’m your mother. I know you, and I know this isn’t happiness.”
“I guess I’ll have to try harder, then.”
His mother tsked but didn’t say anything. Liam was relieved.
No one was supposed to be happy all the time. Hell, he wasn’t sure anyone was ever truly happy. Maybe millionaires. They didn’t have to worry about money, so they could focus on what made them happy, but something told Liam that having so much money also brought problems.
It wasn’t a problem he would ever know. He had a stable job, but it was getting harder to pay rent and everything else with his paycheck. Maybe his mother’s idea about opening his own gardening business wasn’t a bad one, but he should do it along with continuing to work in construction. It would be even more work, but what else did he have to do? As his mother had pointed out, he didn’t have anything else. He certainly didn’t have a boyfriend. He had his job, his plants, and his cat. That was all he needed.
Or at least, that was what he told himself as he and his mother hung up. He pushed his phone into his jeans pocket and glanced around the community garden. As always on Saturdays, it was crowded, but it was one of the reasons Liam loved it. He didn’t have a lot of people in his life, but he never felt alone here.
Actually, now that he thought about it, he only had his family, which was a little sad. All of his friends had drifted away in the past few years, mostly because he didn’t have time for them. That was probably one of the reasons his mother was so worried. Maybe he should make an effort to find more friends.
He just wasn’t sure how he was supposed to do that.
He shook his head and pushed away a strand of hair that had fallen on his forehead. The temperatures were getting cooler, which unfortunately meant he didn’t have a lot of time left. He still gardened in the winter, but it wasn’t the same. It also didn’t occupy as much time as it did in the summer, so maybe he should find a winter hobby. His mother would probably cry from happiness if he told her he’d joined a book club or something.
The thought made him shudder in horror. He could think of nothing worse except the community garden closing or losing his job.
He shook himself and decided to stop thinking about it. It wouldn’t change anything, and it wasn’t like he had time to waste. He didn’t only take care of his plot at the community garden. He helped other people, too, including Martha, who was struggling to pull out some weeds.
Liam reached her side before she could topple over, although it was a close thing.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
he asked as he hooked a hand around her elbow and kept her on her feet.
She turned to glare at him. She always looked put together, even when she was gardening. She made pearl necklaces look good, even with dirt on her gloved hands.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m gardening.”
“I already told you to call me if you needed help.”
“Ever considered that maybe I didn’t call you because I don’t need your help?”
Liam grinned. He wasn’t offended by Martha’s snarkiness. He knew that deep inside, she loved him.
Very deep inside.
“YOU SHOULD COME TO dinner,”
Seymour said as he and Orlando left the coffee shop.
“You spent the entire afternoon with me. Why would you want to have dinner together, too?”
Seymour frowned.
“Because you’re my friend. I like spending time with you.”
Orlando had been teasing, but that was nice to hear.
“I like spending time with you, too, but I’m sure that Jimmy wouldn’t be too happy to find me sitting on his couch when he comes home from work.”
“He’s not at work today. He’s with Wallace.”
Orlando bumped his shoulder against Seymour’s.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do know what you mean, but seriously. I get it if you don’t want to have dinner with us, but you should consider it.”
It actually didn’t sound bad. What else did Orlando have to do? Go back to his empty apartment and stare at the wall? Turn on the TV and watch some reality show? He could think of nothing worse, but at the same time, he didn’t want to bother Seymour and Jimmy. They had their own lives, and they didn’t need to coddle Orlando.
Orlando’s gaze caught on a few flyers stuck on the wall by the coffee shop door. One was for a babysitter offering their services, another for a dog sitter doing the same, but the last one was more interesting.
“There’s a community garden in town?”
“Really?”
Seymour asked.
They both paused to read the flyer. It advertised a community garden not far from the coffee shop. Apparently, everyone was welcome, even if only to take a walk and look around.
“You like plants,”
Seymour said.
“I like houseplants. I doubt they have any of those in a community garden. They’re more for vegetables, aren’t they?”
“I have no idea, and since you don’t know, either, you should go and take a look. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Orlando could think of several things, but that was the trained assassin in him. Nothing would happen. It was a community garden. The people there were normal, unlike Orlando and Seymour. There would be no weird attacks, and no one would be trying to kill anyone.
“You should think about it,”
Seymour said.
“Even if you only go once, take a look around, and decide it’s not your thing.”
He was right. Orlando had been so busy worrying about what he wanted to do with his life and what his next step would be that he hadn’t given himself time to settle into his new life. He hadn’t allowed himself to do anything fun, either, because it felt wrong. He was supposed to focus on finding a job.
But he didn’t have to find a job he’d do for the rest of his life. He could do something less permanent, or hell, maybe something that felt less permanent but that would become permanent. Like Seymour had said, he could start at the coffee shop or even stocking the shelves at the grocery store. He just needed to start somewhere.
“You know, I think I’ll go to check it out now,”
he told Seymour.
Seymour blinked at him. “Really?”
“Really. Like you said, it’s not like I have anything better to do.”
“That’s not what I said.“
“It pretty much is. Besides, you’re not wrong. I don’t have anything better to do, and I have to start somewhere, right? I might not find a job there, but being around people who like plants should be fun.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be fun for me, but hopefully, it will be for you. You’re not coming to dinner, then?”
Orlando wanted to say yes, but he shook his head.
“I’ll go home after I check out the garden. Don’t worry about me.”
“Fine, but you will come for dinner tomorrow night.”
“How can I say no to that?”
“You can’t. It’s an order.”
Orlando laughed. No one was giving him orders anymore. That part of his life was done and gone, and it felt good. He didn’t mind taking orders from his friend, though.
“I’ll be there.”
“You better be, because if you’re not, I’ll send Jimmy to get you.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster if you came?”
Seymour didn’t look impressed.
“You want me to shimmer into your bedroom?”
“Please don’t.”
Orlando hesitated, then reached forward to hug Seymour.
“Thanks for all this. I needed it.”
Seymour’s expression was soft when he leaned away.
“I know. Look, I have no idea what you’re going through, but I can guess that it’s not easy. If you need anything, you know where to find me, and I’m not kidding when I say anything. You’re one of my best friends. I won’t leave you behind.”
Orlando didn’t want to cry, damn it. He forced himself to nod and step away.
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
“What will mean a lot is you coming to dinner tomorrow evening. I’ll cook your favorite.”
“Mac & cheese?”
“Only if you eat your broccoli, too.”
Orlando groaned, but he didn’t mind broccoli.
“Fine, Dad. I’ll eat my vegetables.”
He quickly hugged Seymour again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Orlando told himself to walk away before he actually started crying. He’d been feeling lost, but talking to Seymour had helped. He still had no idea what to do with his life, but he didn’t have to know. He just needed to start somewhere, get a job, and see what happened. It wasn’t like every decision he made was permanent. The decision to become a council assassin definitely hadn’t been.
Orlando was a bit nervous when he reached the garden. The flyer hadn’t said much beyond that it was a welcoming place for everyone, so Orlando didn’t know where to go. There was a fence around it, though, with a small gate that he decided to open and walk through.
He was impressed by how neat everything was as he followed the path between the various plots. It seemed like everyone was growing different things, and while they weren’t houseplants, Orlando liked it. He felt good here. It wasn’t cold yet, and being Saturday, there were a lot of people around. It made him a bit self-conscious, as if someone would notice he didn’t belong and tell him to leave, but the few people who glanced up at him just nodded and went back to work.
He eventually reached the center of the garden. Several benches had been arranged in a circle, with a cut tree trunk at the center. Someone had abandoned a pair of gloves on the trunk, and two of the benches were occupied. An older woman was sitting in one of them, looking grumpy as she glared at a man working in the distance.
Orlando squinted to take a good look at the guy. He wasn’t sure why the woman seemed so angry with him, but he certainly wasn’t. The guy was massive, with broad shoulders and thick biceps. His blond hair kept falling in front of his eyes, and he kept pushing it back, leaving dirt on his forehead. His skin was tanned and slightly pink, and the sight of it made Orlando want to rush over and slather some sunscreen on him.
He tightened his hands into fists. Yes, the guy was attractive, but sunscreen? Orlando should want to fuck this guy’s brain out, not make sure he didn’t get skin cancer. What the fuck was wrong with him?
“He’s single,”
the woman suddenly said.
Orlando blinked at her.
“I’m sorry?”
“Liam, the guy you’re staring at like he’s a tall glass of water in the height of summer. He’s single and gay.”
Orlando wanted to die. He wasn’t surprised that he’d been obvious, but still.
“That’s good to know, I guess.”
The woman arched a brow.
“Are you going to do anything about it?”
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do about it.”
She shook her head.
“Men knew what to do about that kind of thing when I was younger. Do you need me to help you ask him out?”
Who was this woman? Why did she want Orlando to ask out Liam? She wasn’t Liam’s mother or grandmother, was she? Orlando wasn’t sure what he’d do if Liam’s mother had caught him drooling at her son.
“I don’t think I caught your name,” he said.
“That’s because I didn’t tell you my name.”
She cocked her head.
“But I think you’d be good for Liam, which means you’re going to be around. I’m Martha.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Martha.”
Orlando wasn’t sure that was true, but he didn’t say it.
“And you’re Liam’s grandmother?”
She barked out a laugh.
“Good Lord, no. We’re not related.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“But that doesn’t mean I would take it well if someone were to hurt him.”
Why was this woman already giving Orlando the shovel talk when he hadn’t even spoken to Liam yet?
LIAM HAD EYES. THERE was no way he wouldn’t have noticed the man talking with Martha. It wasn’t only that he didn’t know him and didn’t want anyone to bother his friend. It was also that the guy was exactly Liam’s type.
He looked a bit uncomfortable, but since he was talking to Martha, it was normal. She made pretty much everyone uncomfortable.
The man was shorter than Liam, but then, most people were shorter than Liam. The man’s dark hair was a bit shaggy, and he was slim. Liam couldn’t see the color of the man’s eyes, but looking at him made Liam want to walk over and introduce himself.
He didn’t. He stayed where he was and continued pulling Martha’s weeds. It was the only way he’d been able to convince her to stop doing it herself. She’d complained that someone had to do it, and of course, he’d offered. Better him than her, considering her age and that it was still fairly warm. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Martha.
As he worked and tried not to stare, he thought again about what his mother had said. She wanted him to meet people and find a boyfriend. He hadn’t thought it possible to meet someone at the community garden, but maybe he’d been wrong. This guy was new because Liam had never seen him around, and he spent a lot of time in the garden. He’d know if this guy had been coming regularly.
Maybe the man had just moved to town. Liam would have to ask Martha. She was the kind of person who could get answers from anyone while acting completely innocent. In the next ten minutes, she’d no doubt find out the guy’s name, his age, whether or not he was single, what he did for a living, and probably what shoe size he wore, too. He wouldn’t know what hit him.
Liam was aware of the fact that he was being watched, but he didn’t modify his behavior. He continued working, even when he heard more voices. He glanced up, not surprised to see that Miriam had joined Martha and her new friend. Maybe he should be worried because those two women together were terrors, but if the guy was going to come around the garden regularly, he needed to get to know people and learn how to deal with them. Hopefully, he wasn’t afraid of Martha. She’d smell it on him if he was, and she’d delight in making him even more afraid.
As much as Liam wanted to save the man, he shouldn’t. He didn’t have a place in his life for a boyfriend, or rather, he didn’t have a place in his life for dating and getting to know each other. If he could go straight to the part where he and his boyfriend were in love and lived together and built a life as a couple, he would. Some people might think he was crazy for that, but he just wanted certainty and not to have to put himself out there again and again. He’d already done too much of that.
He hadn’t told his mother, but like pretty much everyone, he’d tried dating apps. He’d texted and had gone on dates in coffee shops and restaurants, but things never seemed to work out. Even the guys who wanted to give it a try eventually changed their minds when they realized they weren’t the center of Liam’s universe. He had so many more things to focus on, and a lot of people didn’t like that.
By the time he was done pulling all the weeds and looked up again, Martha was sitting on her bench alone. There were no signs of the guy she’d been talking to, and Liam wondered if she’d run him off. He wouldn’t be surprised.
“What happened to your new friend?”
he asked when he got near her. He reached for the bottle of water he’d left by the bench.
“He’s not my new friend,”
Martha said.
“No? Who is he, then? Someone bothering you?”
Martha snorted.
“He could try bothering me, but you know how that would go.”
“So what happened? Why was he here?”
“He’s your new boyfriend.”
Of course Martha had waited to say that until Liam was drinking from his bottle of water. He spluttered and spat out half of his mouthful, dripping it down his chin. He was lucky he didn’t drown himself.
“What are you talking about?”
“What, you don’t find him cute?”
“I find him very cute. It doesn’t mean I want to date him.”
Martha shrugged.
“You should think about it.”
“I don’t even know his name.”
“Orlando. He worked for that big facility on the edge of town, but he decided he needed a change. He has an apartment in town, and he’s looking for a job. He’s some kind of shifter, something feline, I think.”
“Jesus, Martha. Did you also ask him what kind of underwear he wears?”
There was a twinkle in Martha’s eyes when she answered.
“Was that something you wanted to know?”
Liam shook his head.
“Seriously, though. Did he run away because you were interrogating him? Is that why he’s not here anymore?”
“That would be because of Miriam. She started asking him if he wanted a plot in the garden and things like that. He looked spooked and made up an excuse and left.”
Liam found that hard to believe. If Orlando had been here, it had to mean that he was interested in the community garden. Why had he left when someone asked him if he wanted a plot there, then.
“Do you think he’ll come back?”
“He seemed interested in what I had to say about you, so I’m going to guess that he will, and if he doesn’t, that’s his loss.”
“I don’t know if I’d described it that way.”
“I would. You’re a catch, and Orlando would be an idiot not to be the person to catch you.”
Liam appreciated the faith in him, and it also made him a bit uncomfortable. He could only imagine what else Martha had told Orlando. She’d probably scarred him for life.
“You need a ride home?”
he asked as he offered Martha his hand so she could get to her feet.
She shook her head.
“Alfred is coming to pick me up.”
“Is he taking you to dinner?”
Liam teased. Everyone at the garden knew that there was a blooming romance between Martha and Alfred, but every time anyone mentioned it, Martha turned grumpy. It was fun to tease her, and it felt like a bit of revenge for the teasing she did.
“He better,”
she said.
“He said that he had something fun planned, but nothing is fun if there’s no food involved.”
Liam laughed and leaned over to hug Martha.
“Well, eat for me, too. I’m headed home.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You will.”
Liam tried to spend at least a full day in the garden every weekend. He had to work that in between the chores, but the garden was his happy place, and he needed to relax before going back to work on Monday. Besides, he was never happier than when he was here.
He made his way to the exit. He wasn’t worried about leaving Martha behind, especially when he crossed paths with Alfred, who was coming in from the parking lot. Liam waved at him but didn’t stop walking. He wanted a shower and to cuddle with Parsley.
It wasn’t what most people his age would want from a Saturday evening, but it was perfect for Liam. He’d never been one for bars and clubs, and even though his life with Parsley was lonely, he was satisfied with it.
He understood why his mother and Martha worried about him, but he wasn’t unhappy. He certainly wasn’t so unhappy that he needed to get back into the dating pool and find someone. He wasn’t sure he believed in fate, even though there was no denying that mates existed, but if there was someone for him out there, he was sure they’d find him somehow. It wasn’t like they’d have to look far.