for Ryan, or any other flimsy excuse he might come up with. He didn’t want to let the chance slip away. He didn’t want to miss out on seeing what might happen. It was a quite liberating realisation.
“You don’t have his phone number?” Lark asked, sharp blue eyes boring into him now.
“No.”
“Mmm…tricky,” Lark murmured, pulling out his mobile phone. “And we can’t just give it to you. Staff confidentiality and all that.” But even as he spoke, Lark’s thumb was flying over the keypad. Within seconds he lay his phone down on the table beside Raven’s hand, the screen lit and showing a number ready to be dialled. “Hey, how about we take the boys out for a walk along the esplanade before dinner, Brod?”
Brody chuckled and shook his head at Lark’s antics. “You’re such a pushy bastard sometimes.”
“But you love me.”
“Yeah,” Brody said, letting out a long suffering sigh.
“Good boy,” Lark said, moving to snuggle into Brody’s side.
Brody smiled down at Lark, and Raven’s heart contracted with longing. He wanted that sort of look directed at him one day. And he had a sneaky suspicion he knew just who his heart was craving it from.
“So is that okay with you, Raven? If we take Ryan for a walk with us?” Brody asked, breaking into his deep thoughts.
“Um…s-sure.” He stared back down at the glowing LCD screen by his hand warily, hoping he could go through with it. And not just because he didn’t want to disappoint them.
“Excellent!” Lark crowed, already heading for the door. “Wolf! Ryan! Who wants to go for a walk?”
Enthusiastic squeals greeted the question followed by the pounding of feet on floorboards.
Ryan flew through the door, barely missing Lark and skidding to a stop in front of Raven, a huge smile on his face. He was the most relaxed and lively Raven could remember seeing him in…well, ever. Which was both sad and wonderful at the same time. Wolf, Lark, Brody and Zak were good for both of them, apparently.
“Can I? Please,” Ryan begged.
“Sure. But no r-running in the house.” Raven brushed back a wayward lock of Ryan’s black hair.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Raven gave his son a reassuring smile and it warmed him right through when Ryan returned it easily. Maybe he could do this parenting thing after all. “Off you go. Make sure you m-mind what Lark and Brody say.”
“I will.” With that Ryan threw his arms around Raven’s neck for a quick, brutal hug and disappeared out the door again, following Lark and Wolf in the hunt for shoes.
As he passed, Brody squeezed Raven’s shoulder. “Do it. Really. You deserve to be happy too.”
Yeah. Maybe I do , he realised.
Still it took him half a dozen attempts to finally let the call go through.
* * * *
Mark put the finishing touches to the vegetarian lasagne he was experimenting with, sprinkling crumbled feta cheese evenly over the pre-roasted vegetables before popping the pan into the oven. He knew most people would think he was crazy working on refining recipes and creating new menu items on his day off. But quite honestly he enjoyed the thrill of creating or improving something to be just that little bit better than it had been before. Plus it took his mind off waiting for Raven.
It had been three days since their talk in the park. Three days of watching and waiting. Sure, he’d seen Raven a couple of times, and the lingering looks suggested Raven was thinking hard about what he’d said, which was a huge relief. Raven had even managed a shy smile at him yesterday. Mark thought he’d end up going into cardiac arrest his heart had started pounding so hard.
Unfortunately, waiting wasn’t really something he was naturally good at. He liked to jump in and get on with things. Only his promise to be patient kept him in check. He prided himself on never breaking a promise. And he suspected Raven’s past included quite enough broken promises already.
Still, he should have given Raven his number. Or got
“You don’t have his phone number?” Lark asked, sharp blue eyes boring into him now.
“No.”
“Mmm…tricky,” Lark murmured, pulling out his mobile phone. “And we can’t just give it to you. Staff confidentiality and all that.” But even as he spoke, Lark’s thumb was flying over the keypad. Within seconds he lay his phone down on the table beside Raven’s hand, the screen lit and showing a number ready to be dialled. “Hey, how about we take the boys out for a walk along the esplanade before dinner, Brod?”
Brody chuckled and shook his head at Lark’s antics. “You’re such a pushy bastard sometimes.”
“But you love me.”
“Yeah,” Brody said, letting out a long suffering sigh.
“Good boy,” Lark said, moving to snuggle into Brody’s side.
Brody smiled down at Lark, and Raven’s heart contracted with longing. He wanted that sort of look directed at him one day. And he had a sneaky suspicion he knew just who his heart was craving it from.
“So is that okay with you, Raven? If we take Ryan for a walk with us?” Brody asked, breaking into his deep thoughts.
“Um…s-sure.” He stared back down at the glowing LCD screen by his hand warily, hoping he could go through with it. And not just because he didn’t want to disappoint them.
“Excellent!” Lark crowed, already heading for the door. “Wolf! Ryan! Who wants to go for a walk?”
Enthusiastic squeals greeted the question followed by the pounding of feet on floorboards.
Ryan flew through the door, barely missing Lark and skidding to a stop in front of Raven, a huge smile on his face. He was the most relaxed and lively Raven could remember seeing him in…well, ever. Which was both sad and wonderful at the same time. Wolf, Lark, Brody and Zak were good for both of them, apparently.
“Can I? Please,” Ryan begged.
“Sure. But no r-running in the house.” Raven brushed back a wayward lock of Ryan’s black hair.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Raven gave his son a reassuring smile and it warmed him right through when Ryan returned it easily. Maybe he could do this parenting thing after all. “Off you go. Make sure you m-mind what Lark and Brody say.”
“I will.” With that Ryan threw his arms around Raven’s neck for a quick, brutal hug and disappeared out the door again, following Lark and Wolf in the hunt for shoes.
As he passed, Brody squeezed Raven’s shoulder. “Do it. Really. You deserve to be happy too.”
Yeah. Maybe I do , he realised.
Still it took him half a dozen attempts to finally let the call go through.
* * * *
Mark put the finishing touches to the vegetarian lasagne he was experimenting with, sprinkling crumbled feta cheese evenly over the pre-roasted vegetables before popping the pan into the oven. He knew most people would think he was crazy working on refining recipes and creating new menu items on his day off. But quite honestly he enjoyed the thrill of creating or improving something to be just that little bit better than it had been before. Plus it took his mind off waiting for Raven.
It had been three days since their talk in the park. Three days of watching and waiting. Sure, he’d seen Raven a couple of times, and the lingering looks suggested Raven was thinking hard about what he’d said, which was a huge relief. Raven had even managed a shy smile at him yesterday. Mark thought he’d end up going into cardiac arrest his heart had started pounding so hard.
Unfortunately, waiting wasn’t really something he was naturally good at. He liked to jump in and get on with things. Only his promise to be patient kept him in check. He prided himself on never breaking a promise. And he suspected Raven’s past included quite enough broken promises already.
Still, he should have given Raven his number. Or got
Similar Books
