off her plate. “I’ll tell all my friends to go see you at the Mad Creek farmer’s market.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that,” Tim said sincerely.
“But you really shouldn’t be doing all this on your own!” she said with a motherly tsk . “It’s way too much work. And you shouldn’t spend so much time by yourself out here. It’s not healthy for a boy your age. People might get the wrong idea. Particularly stupid people.”
“I’m not alone. I have Chance.” Tim felt a sudden wave of affection and wished the dog was there right now.
“Chance?” Lily asked with wide-eyed curiosity.
“He’s my dog. At least, I hope he is.”
“Well, where is he?” Lily looked around.
“He, um, well, I’m not sure where he goes during the day, but he’s only around at night. I think maybe he has another home. Hey, maybe you know him? He’s some type of collie, I think, really thick black hair, brilliant blue eyes. He has a white spot here—” Tim placed a hand over his heart. “And a tiny spot here—” he touched his ear, smiling at the thought of it. “Honestly, he’s the most beautiful dog you ever saw.”
“Doesn’t sound at all familiar,” Lily said dryly.
“Well, Dr. McGurver said Chance didn’t belong to anyone in the area, and he would know, right? Maybe Chance just likes to wander during the day. Whatever, he’s awesome company. We’re fine , just the two of us .”
Lily hummed. “Sounds like he’s an older dog. Probably boring. Set in his ways.”
“He’s not boring, but he is stubborn,” Tim grinned. “Sometimes I think he gets me to do what he wants.”
“I know the feeling.” She looked at him with those overly bright eyes. “He’s sedentary, though, I’ll bet. Of course, you work hard all day so you don’t need an active dog. Maybe a couch potato lump is what you need.”
T i m laughed. “You don’t know Chance. Last night we took a long hike through the woods and he showed me a new trail. Of course, he does like to watch movies with me too. But we take dance breaks.” He smiled at the memory of the two of them jumping around while watching Austin Powers last night.
Lily choked on her coffee. “D-dance breaks?”
Tim felt stupid now. Why had he said that? “Just, you know, being silly. It’s easier to be yourself with an animal.”
Lily huffed.
“I never had a dog before but… yeah. Chance is brilliant. Maybe I need a break from people right now.” His chest grew hot and tight, and he fell silent, sipping his coffee.
You’re a fucking loser, and you’ll always be a fucking loser.
Maybe he needed a break from people for a long time, actually.
Lily patted his hand. “Nonsense. What you need is a nice girl. One with two legs.”
Tim snorted at the odd remark and hesitated. But he wasn’t going to be afraid, not about this. And Lily had already dragged everything else out of him. If she decided she didn’t want to tell her friends about his produce stand, so be it.
“I’m gay,” he said firmly. “So no, no girls, two-legged or otherwise.”
Lily tilted her head and regarded him thoughtfully but didn’t seem particularly offended. All she said was, “Well.”
They drank the rest of their coffee in silence.
~ 8 ~
Seeds of Despair
ROMAN DIDN’T like the looks of that black truck. He’d seen it twice before on his patrols. The first time he’d seen it cruising through town with its tinted windows in the back and its shiny, low-riding chassis barely inches off the road. Through the front windows, he could see two men—driver and passenger, both dark-haired and swarthy, both wearing sunglasses.
He hadn’t thought too much of it the first time he’d seen them. The second time they’d driven past him, slow, while he was patrolling the hilly northern neighborhood along Broad Eagle Drive. He’d looked at the driver as the truck passed, but the driver and passenger did not look back.
Humans look back when someone stares at them.
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that,” Tim said sincerely.
“But you really shouldn’t be doing all this on your own!” she said with a motherly tsk . “It’s way too much work. And you shouldn’t spend so much time by yourself out here. It’s not healthy for a boy your age. People might get the wrong idea. Particularly stupid people.”
“I’m not alone. I have Chance.” Tim felt a sudden wave of affection and wished the dog was there right now.
“Chance?” Lily asked with wide-eyed curiosity.
“He’s my dog. At least, I hope he is.”
“Well, where is he?” Lily looked around.
“He, um, well, I’m not sure where he goes during the day, but he’s only around at night. I think maybe he has another home. Hey, maybe you know him? He’s some type of collie, I think, really thick black hair, brilliant blue eyes. He has a white spot here—” Tim placed a hand over his heart. “And a tiny spot here—” he touched his ear, smiling at the thought of it. “Honestly, he’s the most beautiful dog you ever saw.”
“Doesn’t sound at all familiar,” Lily said dryly.
“Well, Dr. McGurver said Chance didn’t belong to anyone in the area, and he would know, right? Maybe Chance just likes to wander during the day. Whatever, he’s awesome company. We’re fine , just the two of us .”
Lily hummed. “Sounds like he’s an older dog. Probably boring. Set in his ways.”
“He’s not boring, but he is stubborn,” Tim grinned. “Sometimes I think he gets me to do what he wants.”
“I know the feeling.” She looked at him with those overly bright eyes. “He’s sedentary, though, I’ll bet. Of course, you work hard all day so you don’t need an active dog. Maybe a couch potato lump is what you need.”
T i m laughed. “You don’t know Chance. Last night we took a long hike through the woods and he showed me a new trail. Of course, he does like to watch movies with me too. But we take dance breaks.” He smiled at the memory of the two of them jumping around while watching Austin Powers last night.
Lily choked on her coffee. “D-dance breaks?”
Tim felt stupid now. Why had he said that? “Just, you know, being silly. It’s easier to be yourself with an animal.”
Lily huffed.
“I never had a dog before but… yeah. Chance is brilliant. Maybe I need a break from people right now.” His chest grew hot and tight, and he fell silent, sipping his coffee.
You’re a fucking loser, and you’ll always be a fucking loser.
Maybe he needed a break from people for a long time, actually.
Lily patted his hand. “Nonsense. What you need is a nice girl. One with two legs.”
Tim snorted at the odd remark and hesitated. But he wasn’t going to be afraid, not about this. And Lily had already dragged everything else out of him. If she decided she didn’t want to tell her friends about his produce stand, so be it.
“I’m gay,” he said firmly. “So no, no girls, two-legged or otherwise.”
Lily tilted her head and regarded him thoughtfully but didn’t seem particularly offended. All she said was, “Well.”
They drank the rest of their coffee in silence.
~ 8 ~
Seeds of Despair
ROMAN DIDN’T like the looks of that black truck. He’d seen it twice before on his patrols. The first time he’d seen it cruising through town with its tinted windows in the back and its shiny, low-riding chassis barely inches off the road. Through the front windows, he could see two men—driver and passenger, both dark-haired and swarthy, both wearing sunglasses.
He hadn’t thought too much of it the first time he’d seen them. The second time they’d driven past him, slow, while he was patrolling the hilly northern neighborhood along Broad Eagle Drive. He’d looked at the driver as the truck passed, but the driver and passenger did not look back.
Humans look back when someone stares at them.
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