Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

flummoxed man trapped against the truck, shuffled forward to butt up against Jordan's knees.
    But it was too little, too late. Jordan could see that Cal was well and truly past being nice. "So, I guess I should just invite the good doctor out on a date, huh?" he mocked, sarcasm dripping like it consisted of its own mass. Jordan winced, not quite able to deny the sting.
    Remarkably oblivious to his tone, Mrs. Miller's eyes lit with glee, and she shot a triumphant grin in Jordan's direction. "Yes!" she screeched.
    "No." He maneuvered gracelessly sideways to reach behind himself for the door, almost frantically trying to get away. Jordan pulled her closer to him to allow Cal room to fit the kennel he still carried into the truck and slide behind the wheel. He was starting the truck before it dawned on Mrs. Miller to stop him.
    "But—" The over-slicked lips gaped when she realized he was leaving. When those fierce brown eyes landed on Jordan, he gave Cal 'The Nod'— the one that said, "I feel your pain. Run, run while you still can."
    Cal shut the door and leaned over the open window. "It's been a pleasure," he drawled, shooting a glare at the panting bulldog. He was shaking his head as he drove away. Jordan sighed and led Mrs. Miller and her meddling dog to her mile-long 1975 butter yellow Cadillac. At least the yellow of her hair matched the car better than her rouge matched her still flushed cheeks.
    Jordan sighed. His scattered thoughts of randomness hadn't exactly served him well in the role of Knight in Shining Armor. He was never so glad to have reached the end of a workday as when he reentered his clinic and shot past his employees, who were eagerly awaiting wedding invitations, no doubt. He wasn't about to fuel that fire.
    He was running through the encounter for the twenty third time when he heard the unmistakable commotion of his son arriving on site. Those girls adored him to the point of the poor teen's embarrassment. He smiled when Thomas poked his head in the door a few moments later. Judging from the shit-eating grin on his face, he'd heard all about the girls' theory from the effusive Lizzy. Couldn't have come from Andrea. The poor girl could barely speak a coherent word when Thomas was within sight.
    "Hey, Dad." The dimple at the corner of his mouth was the same as Jordan's. So were the deep blue eyes and dark wavy hair, though his was obviously not yet sporting the gray Jordan's did.
    "Hey, son." Jordan never ceased to be amazed and humbled by the beautiful boy. Tall and athletic, smart and sassy, he was any single father's dream. Add to that his absolute ease with his dad being gay, and Jordan couldn't ask for anything more. "How was school?"
    "Eternal and mind-numbing," Thomas quipped, flopping into the chair with exaggerated exhaustion.
    "Ah. The usual, then."
    "Yeah." He shot a sideways grin at his dad. "Heard you're scoping out new boyfriend material."
    "As if there were old boyfriend material?"
    "True." Eyelashes fluttered devastatingly. "So, you gonna ask him out?"
    "No." Jordan's response was automatic. His reaction to it, an uncomfortable stab of disappointment, was a surprise. But as he recalled the downright visceral reaction he'd had to the man, he reconsidered. Refocusing his attention on Thomas, he had to grin at the look on his son's face.
    "So that would be a yes, then," Thomas smirked.
    ****
    "Hullo?" Jordan fumbled with his phone while he peeked through one eye at the clock next to his bed. Two o'clock. He tried not to groan out loud. It wasn't entirely out of the ordinary to be called to an animal emergency in the middle of the night. But no one answered his greeting. Then the phone chirped and vibrated in his hand. He squinted at the too-bright display and stabbed at it until the text appeared.
    Do you know why I'm still awake at... 2 a.m.?
    Jordan's body reacted immediately. He could only think of one person with reason to be sending such a message, but...
    Cal?
    Duh.
    He had to laugh.
    You have a crying dog . He'd suspected by the wicked gleam in Nina's eyes that she'd had plans for that little mutt.
    Yes! You bastard, you knew exactly what Gran had planned for that dog, didn't you ?
    Jordan couldn't help thinking it was decidedly safer for him at the moment that Cal couldn't hear him.
    I suspected .
    Well? What do I do? I put him in the kennel like they said, but he won't stop whining !
    Jordan's smile remained. He didn't need to ask who 'they' were, figuring Cal had most