Page 37 of Dean

This thing I feel for Avery is just fondness because he’s a sweet person.

That’s all it is.

“I think I need to find a date,” I tell Cash when I get to work. He glances up at me from the ground and shrugs.

“Yeah, probably should. It’s been a while. Your balls are gonna shrivel up.”

I wet my lips and turn to see Avery up in the office, working on his computer. He’s wearing another cute little shirt that shows off his stomach.

“You could just ask him out, you know?” Cash murmurs and the words coming from his mouth are so surprising I drop the wrench in my hand and stare down at him.

“What the fuck? I’m not into guys. You know that.”

“Yeah. Sometimes things change, though.”

I ponder that for a second and then grumble a denial. I’m too old for that kind of change. Plus, I’ve been through marriage and the death of a spouse, and I’ve raised a child. Avery…hasn’t been through any of that. He has the entire world in front of him. I have too much baggage. No twenty-something wants to be saddled with that.

“Just a thought,” Cash adds and then disappears under the car.

I stare at his feet and then someone clears their throat behind me.

I glance over my shoulder and see a tall young man waiting by theentrance, his hair parted on the side, his hands shoved in his pockets, looking slightly apprehensive.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

“Um, I was looking for Avery.”

My mouth turns into a frown. Is this…who the fuck is this? Something ugly moves inside of me, and I try to tamp it down, but it kind of just…lingers.

Jealousy.

I’m fucking jealous.

What the fuck is that about?

“Yeah, let me grab him,” I reply, walking up the stairs leading to the office. When I enter, I hear Avery talking slowly into the phone.

“Bob, your car won’t be ready for another month. You need to stop calling and asking.”

He glances up at me and smiles softly, making my heart flutter.

Fuck. I’m just lonely.

“Yes, I know. Your wife is driving you nuts. I’m here to listen, but today I’m very busy. Can you call back later? No, I don’t need to know how she tried to poison you.”

He sighs.

“No, Bob. I don’t think she’s trying to murder you. We went over this…”

I bite back a smile at how annoyed he looks. He’s rolling his eyes, his braided hair falling across one of his shoulders. Something a lot like adoration moves through me, and that mixed with the jealousy makes for an odd conundrum.

“All right. Yes. Call me back tomorrow. If you’re still alive.”

A second later, he hangs the phone up and presses two fingers to his temple.

“That man, I swear. He needs a friend.”

“Seems you’re his friend.”

---