Page 8 of The Grumpy Vet (Vet Shop Boys Down Under #3)

Linus

I crouch down near the coop, clicking my tongue as my pride and joy struts over.

"He’s a beauty, isn’t he?"

I say proudly, giving Cluck Norris a scratch under his chin as he lets out a contented cluck.

Some blokes out here show off their utes, or their dogs, or their collections of beer cans—for me, it's my roosters. Everyone warned me I’d never be able to breed a winner, that the heat was too much, or that the foxes would get ’em. But looking at Cluck Norris—standing tall and proud, his feathers glossy and shimmering with hints of green and blue in the late afternoon sun, I take great satisfaction in having proved everyone wrong. He's won The Great Scuttlebutt Strut & Crow-Off the last three years in a row, thank you very much.

"He's a beauty,"

Dario says, and Ryde nods in agreement.

"Look at the size of him."

"You should hear his bloody crow, too. Good thing the next-door neighbour is a good distance away."

I stand up and point out the rest of my brood by name—Cracker, Sunny, Elvis, The Man, and James.

"You should be very proud of yourself,"

Ryde says, smiling warmly at me before turning his gaze to the setup I've got out here.

"It's not much,"

I say, getting self-conscious as he takes in the space. I wish I had the funds to give my brood the royal castle they deserve, but unfortunately I don't. The pen leans slightly to one side, its old wire patched up with whatever scraps of fencing were handy at the time. The tin sheets on the roof clatter when it gets windy, but it keeps the worst of the heat off the roosters.

"But it gets the job done."

"Don't be so modest."

Dario walks up next to me, flicking me across the chest.

"That's like saying you sucking both of our cocks at once got the job done."

There's a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"You did more than get the job done on that front, believe me."

"Believe us."

Ryde steps in closer as well.

"Best blowjob of my life."

I can't help the cocky grin that springs to life on my lips or the way my chest naturally puffs out a little.

"You serious?"

"Yeah. I'm serious. You've got skills."

I chuckle and swipe a hand through my hair.

"Thanks for saying that. It's, uh, been a while. Was worried I might be a bit rusty."

"You weren't,"

Ryde assures me, flicking his blue eyes up to me.

"You were fantastic."

"How long is a while?"

Dario asks, about to lean against the fence but, after taking a closer look at it, deciding against it. Smart move.

"Gee…"

I scratch my chin, thinking back to the last time I got laid.

"A few…years, I suppose."

"Years?!"

they bellow in unison.

"Well, yeah. Look around. Scuttlebutt isn't exactly teeming with eligible gay bachelors. My social circle consists of the guys at the clinic, and they're all taken."

"Have you ever done anything with any of them?"

Dario asks. He doesn't have a filter, this one. I admire that about him.

I shake my head.

"No way. The crew are more like brothers. Annoying brothers who don't ever shut up."

Dario persists.

"Is there anyone at the clinic you've had an eye on, for, oh, I don't know, say the last two years?"

There's absolutely nothing subtle about what he's implying. I peer over at Ryde who meets my gaze for a brief moment before quickly turning away, suddenly fascinated by Cracker snatching a bite from James even though there's plenty of grain to go around.

The truth of the matter isn't very complicated at all. Yes, I've had my eye on someone, and I'm pretty sure that certain someone has had his eye on me, too. But I've downplayed my attraction to my best mate's son for a number of reasons, starting with…oh, I don't know, how about the fact that he's my best mate's son.

Not to mention my employee.

Not to mention fourteen years younger than me.

So while the truth may be a simple one—yes, Ryde has caught my eye—the reality around it is complex.

Fraught with danger.

Impossible, really, if you think about it, which is why I've done my damnedest not to.

Would it be nice to share my life with someone? Of course it would. In all my forty-one years, I've never had anything more than a few dates when I was doing my vet training in Sydney and one long-distance thing that fizzled out a decade ago. The guy I used to hook up with at the rooster shows has been happily married for the past three years, and like I said, all the guys at the clinic are taken. Even more importantly, while they're great to have as mates, they're not really my type.

Unlike Ryde.

Something about him feels like he could be my type. His cute, shy smile. His toned, lithe body. His intelligence. His way with animals. He's got a selective quietness that belies an inner confidence, which I find incredibly alluring. He ticks off a mental checklist I never knew I had.

And then there's Dario.

He's different to Ryde in so many ways, but somehow, I could see him being my type, too. He's loud and effortlessly charismatic. Funny. Bold and seemingly unafraid of anything. And, if I'm being honest, he's the reason any of this is happening at all. If it were left to Ryde and me, we'd maybe work our way up to a slightly-too-long handshake in a year's time. Long-term pining at its finest—or worst, depending on which way you look at it.

Guess what's becoming increasingly apparent is that, even at my age, I still don't know what my type is.

"We should probably go,"

Ryde says, taking off without waiting for Dario.

Shit. I think he may have misread my silence after Dario's question as a bad thing.

"There is,"

I call out, and he immediately stops in his tracks. His shoulders rise and fall, but he doesn't turn around. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I'd lose my nerve if I had to look him in the eyes as I say, loud enough for him to hear, "There is someone I've had my eye on."

I pause.

"You, Ryde."

His shoulder swaying intensifies, and after a few more dips and lifts, he slowly spins on his heel. His eyes first find Dario who gives him a small, barely there nod, as if to encourage him. Then he turns my way. I feel the heat of his eyes as soon as they land on my skin.

I've been denying my attraction to him for so long, never daring to fully admit it, not even to myself. But now I've let the cat out of the bag, there's no taking it back. Even though I feel like I'm on the verge of being sick, I wouldn't take it back. I don't regret admitting how I feel.

He takes a tentative step towards me. "Really?"

"Really."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"There are…reasons."

A crease forms between his eyebrows.

"I'm well aware."

He sighs.

"Believe me."

"Is that why you didn't say anything?" I hedge.

A small huff escapes him.

"No. I'm just useless around men I'm attracted to. If it wasn't for this guy"—he swings his hand towards Dario—"I'd still be getting drunk and making an idiot out of myself."

"You never made an idiot out of yourself."

He scoffs.

"I did. I can admit it."

He looks over at Dario again, smiles, and waves him over.

"But not anymore."

Dario hesitates then claps his hands against the sides of his legs.

"I should probably get going. Don't want to intrude."

"You're not,"

Ryde tells him, increasing the intensity of his wave.

Dario waits a few more seconds, pensive, like he's weighing up his options, before eventually sauntering over to his bestie. My heart ratchets up a notch. What is it about just seeing these two in close proximity to one another that does something to me?

"You guys are having a moment,"

Dario tells Ryde quietly before smiling awkwardly at me, likely aware that they're talking about me like I'm not here.

But I'm not mad at them for it. They have years of friendship and that whole dynamic to navigate. None of this comes with a guidebook. Can you imagine the title if it did? How to Handle Fucking Your Best Mate's Son and His Best Friend (Boss Man edition).

"We are having a moment, yes,"

Ryde says softly to him.

"But we wouldn't be having this moment without you."

A polite smile forms on Dario's lips.

"It's time for me to leave."

"What if I don't want you to go?"

Ryde's eyes travel to me, and he winces.

"Shit, sorry, Linus. We're acting like you're not even here."

"It's all good,"

I say, then open my mouth to say something else, when out of nowhere, Cluck Norris lets rip with an ear-splitting crow, making all three of us jolt.

"And Cluck Norris clearly agrees."

I turn my gaze to Dario.

"You should stay. I want you here, too."

Dario looks at Ryde who smiles before turning to me. We all stare at each other, deadly quiet. And then…

The three of us burst out laughing at the same time.

Cluck Norris has unintentionally popped the tension that had been brewing like humidity before a summer storm, and it feels good to laugh.

We laugh so hard I double over and tears stream down Dario’s and Ryde's faces. At one point, I forget what set us off in the first place, which only makes me laugh even more.

"You guys wanna stay for dinner?"

I ask once we've recovered.

Ryde nods, leading Dario to answer with, "Sure. We'd love to."

Dario

I for sure felt like it was my cue to leave.

I've successfully fulfilled my wingman obligations and then some. Not only have I gotten Ryde and Linus to make out and suck each other's cocks, a possibly even more significant accomplishment was getting them to finally reveal their feelings for each other, get everything out in the open.

And they have. Linus likes Ryde. It's confirmed.

And they've also both acknowledged they face certain hurdles.

That's a good first step.

They're both smart guys. They'll talk some more. Figure out a plan of attack to tackle each obstacle that stands in their way. Then they'll execute the plan, successfully resolving each issue one by one. All will be well. They'll fall in love and live happily ever after. The end.

I'm not needed or involved in that scenario…well, except for possible best man duties at the wedding, and I could possibly vie for a godfather role should they decide to have kids. But that's it. I'm a supporting character in their lives.

Except…they didn't want me to leave.

Ryde, I kind of expected since he's still operating under the delusion he'll act weird and mess things up if left alone with Linus. I think he'll be totally fine solo, but since he doesn't agree and wants me to stay, I'm staying.

But Linus wanting me here threw me for a loop.

It's a tricky one because if this were a different situation, I could see myself being totally into him. Yes, he's older and kind of a closed-off grump, but honestly, the age thing doesn't bother me at all. And even though he's got grouchy edges, I think Ryde's overplayed that side of him. He's not the most expressive person I've met, but he's definitely become a lot looser and more chilled the longer we’ve been hanging out with him.

And there's definitely a physical attraction between him and me.

One I'm trying to downplay out of loyalty to Ryde.

I never want to overstep and do anything that might hurt him, but it's hard to ignore my feelings for Linus when he's blowing us—and doing an exceptional job of it—while I sit next to my best friend who I'm secretly in love with and who has major feelings for the guy treating us to a double BJ.

Like, I'm pretty sure if you looked it up in the dictionary, that's the very definition of a clusterfuck right there.

"So, you mentioned something about a bad breakup?"

Linus asks over the beef and veggie stir fry he whipped up for us.

"Sorry. I don't mean to pry. Forget it."

I smile as I let my fork dangle in the air.

"You're not prying."

"Exactly."

Ryde grins.

"It's called having a conversation."

"Ah, that's why I'm so shit at it,"

Linus jokes.

"It's what you do with people you like,"

Ryde adds, his grin growing into a smile.

"And people you blow,"

I say. The guys chuckle.

"But to answer your question, yeah, the last guy I dated, Quade, did me dirty."

A long pause follows.

Ryde winks at me and clears his throat.

"This is the part where you ask, 'How did he do you dirty?'"

Linus's eyes widen.

"Now that would be prying."

Ryde shakes his head.

"Nope. You've had our dicks in your mouth, we've had yours in ours, so it's allowed. I've checked in the rulebook."

Linus chuckles, his hazel eyes coming to life.

"Okay, then. How did he do you dirty?"

"I'm so glad you asked. Firstly, he cheated on me, which I only found out when I got syphilis."

Linus drops his fork with a loud clang.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately, I am. But it gets even worse."

"How?"

"When I broke up with him after he finally confessed his so-called straight football buddy wasn't so straight and was more than just a buddy, I told him we needed to split our stuff up. We had lived together for about eight months at this stage and bought a lot of furniture and household stuff. We also had a joint bank account. What I didn't realise is that by having the one joint account, he also had access to my other accounts. Including my savings account. The one I was using to save for a house deposit."

"Wait a minute."

Linus stares at me intently.

"I don't understand how he had access to your other accounts."

I blow out an exasperated breath.

"The fucker knew my password. He called my bank one day, pretended to be me, and authorised access for himself."

"That's highly illegal,"

Linus says with a frown deeply etched across his forehead.

"Tell me about it. It was only my threat of taking legal action that made him pay back what he'd already stolen."

Linus shakes his head.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It sounds horrible."

"Yeah, well. It is what it is. Glad I found out sooner rather than later, before he had a chance to completely wipe me out. He cleared out shortly after that, and I moved on. Mainly to comfort eating. Hence why I'm carrying a bit more weight around than usual."

Linus's eyes cut to mine.

"You look fine to me. Better than fine, actually. You're one of the two sexiest guys I've ever met in my life."

The compliment is so unexpected, and I feel so unworthy of it at this moment in my life, that I pull a Ryde and blush. Actually freaking blush.

"Thanks."

I shovel some broccoli into my mouth and pray that's the end of that conversation.

As if sensing my mood, Ryde changes the topic.

"How's your father doing?"

he asks Linus.

It's not the smoothest transition, nor the cheeriest one, but it gets the job done.

"He's doing as well as can be expected,"

Linus answers slowly.

"Are you guys close?"

I ask after a beat of silence.

"You know what, forget it. I don't know when to shut up, which is rich because I was done talking about my ex. I get the feeling you're uncomfortable, so we can?—"

"No, no. It's fine."

Linus lifts his fork in the air, a smile rising on his lips.

"This is what people who like each other and have tasted each other's dicks do. They talk. Even if it's not about the most pleasant things. Or am I getting it wrong?"

I smile, appreciating the effort he's making.

"You're a quick learner."

"Yeah, well, I have to be with you two. You guys keep me on my toes."

Ryde and I glance at each other. An unreadable emotion flickers in his eyes, lingering just long enough to mean something. What, I'm not exactly sure. But something about Linus's words, about us keeping him on his toes, registers deep inside with me, and possibly with my bestie, too.

"My father is a difficult man."

Linus's deep voice pulls our focus back to him.

"Imposing. Rigid. Not very liked around here, which is an impressive feat since most people tend to like the person looking after their sick or injured animal."

"Did you become a vet because your dad was?"

Ryde asks.

"In part, yes. He made it clear he expected me to follow in his footsteps, that he wanted me to take over the clinic from him. But I've also loved animals my whole life and couldn't imagine doing anything else."

Linus takes a break, and neither Ryde nor I try to fill the silence. Him opening up like this is major. If the man needs time, we're going to give him all the time in the world.

"I was happy to follow in his footsteps professionally, but I wanted to be nothing like him personally. I'm not sure how well I succeeded on that front."

"What are you talking about?"

Ryde interjects.

"Everyone in town thinks you're a great guy. The guys at the clinic love and respect you."

Linus dips his head, so I chime in with, "Yeah. You're nothing like the uptight, cranky bastard Ryde has made you out to be all these years."

"Hey! I never said that."

Linus looks up, his hazel eyes darting between us. A half smile forms on his lips. He angles his head towards Ryde.

"You've been talking about me for years?"

"Since day one of starting at the clinic,"

I answer on his behalf.

"If social media hadn't ruined my memory and recall abilities, I could tell you everything you've said and worn and every flavour of tea you've drunk these past two years."

Ryde lowers in his chair, his eyes becoming laser focused. A second later, the table jolts as his foot smacks into the leg instead of me. His lips press into a thin line, and I treat him to my smuggest smirk.

"Nice try, buddy."

He huffs.

"When did you become so annoying?"

The three of us chuckle and go back to eating our meal in silence. A nice silence. The type of silence that feels comforting. I start replaying various things in my mind about Linus—my first impression of him, everything that Ryde's told me, observations of the guy from watching him around the clinic—and an idea forms.

"Can I offer an unsolicited opinion?"

I ask Linus.

"Well, it's more a theory, really."

"Go ahead."

I clear my throat. I'm about to possibly throw a major spanner in the works. I could pull it off, or I might fail spectacularly. But fuck it, since when have I ever thought before speaking? "Is there a chance that perhaps when you're around us"—I gesture between Ryde and myself with my forefinger—"you're a little less grumpy and a little more open?"

We both fall silent, waiting to see how Linus responds. He doesn't take as long as I thought he might.

"You could be onto something. I've been thinking about that myself. And, yeah, for some reason, when I'm with both of you, I feel relaxed and more…myself. If that makes sense?"

Ryde nods.

"Yeah. That makes sense."

"I agree. It does."

They both turn to look at me.

"Apart from Ryde, you're the only person I've opened up to about my body issues, Linus. I'm not ready to share the nickname I've given my belly, but that's because I don't want you to judge me for naming my belly in the first place."

"I would never judge you for that."

Linus reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. His other hand finds Ryde's.

"Or for anything any of us feel or think or do together."

My chest expands, making me realise I must've been holding my breath for some time.

"Does that mean you want to keep doing what we're doing?"

Linus nods definitively.

"I'm in. If you guys are?"

"I'm in,"

Ryde says with a smile growing on his lips.

They both look at me expectantly.

"As long as I can keep my shirt on while we do stuff, I am definitely in, too."