Page 37 of Doing Life

Lance titled his head. “Yeah. I appreciate it, Sloan.”

“No worries. What do you want to listen to? I have streaming radio.”

“Something like nineties alternative. I love that shit.”

“Okay, cool.” He turned on the grunge station. Whatever Lance needed to decompress worked for him.

Lance turned his face to the window. “Where are we headed?”

“The golf course? It’s deserted at this time of day, and I figure we can just drive around.”

“That sounds great.” Lance relaxed visibly as Matchbox Twenty came on, and Sloan let him, humming along but not pressuring him to talk.

Soon they were singing—a grasshopper and a bullfrog, both of them going at it, at the top of their lungs.

He had to admit, it was easier than talking, than sharing any real feelings, but he knew at some point Lance would tellhim shit. Sooner or later it would bust out, and Sloan was trying to be ready.

It was a hard thing to balance, because he was so not a patient type.

He pulled in at one of the parking areas and stopped, wondering if they should get out and walk Abby. The air was a little cooler since the sun was going down, and they could wander.

“Want to stretch Abby’s legs?”

“Are we allowed to let her piddle on their perfect grass?” Lance asked, lips twisting.

“What they don’t know…” Andhehappened to know a friend of Rory’s was the head of the board at the country club…

“Yeah, yeah. Sounds good, man. I like the idea of being able to wander without anyone staring at me.”

“I bet.” Lance had to feel the weight of people against him, even if he couldn’t see it. Maybe he even felt it more than most because he didn’t have anything else to focus on most of the time.

He could hear people breathing down his neck.

That had to be the weirdest fucking thing.

They headed out on the deserted course, Lance letting Abby go and trusting him enough to hold his arm. He felt each and every finger and it made him ache.

Abby ran around, sniffing, and he pretty much gave Lance the play-by-play. “Man, she’s peed like four times. This place must be a minefield for a dog’s nose.” He chuckled, because she looked like such a puppy, veering off here, tail up, sniffing there, tail wagging. “Her tail is like an antenna.”

“She loves to explore. She’s a really good girl.” Lance squeezed his arm. “Thank you for this, man. I needed it.”

“No problem. I was just rattling around the rental anyway.” He loved to do DIY shit at his house, but since hewas renting, he had to leave it like it was. So he read a lot, tried to beat the music boss onLuigi’sHauntedwhatever, and watched a lot of movies.

Oh, and he jacked off like ten times a day when he was off duty…

“I asked Dan if he was interested in you, you know.”

“You did what?”

“I asked Dan if he’d like to date you.”

“Like in an abstract do-you-think-he’s-good-looking way?” Because why the hell else would Lance ask that of anyone?

“Because I wanted you to have a chance with someone less broken than me. He told me no.”

“Oh, well, good for him.” Even Dan had to see how desperate Sloan was for Lance. “I would have turned him down.”

“That’s why he said. He said that you loved me and to stop being a drama queen.”

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