Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

two weeks. Lora was supposed to introduce him around, but she was immediately pulled away from the buffet table, and he hadn't known a soul in the room. So, he'd done what he did best. He'd flirted with the cutest gay man around, making some sarcastic remark about the name Larabee. Cory couldn't even remember what it was, now. But he remembered the man throwing back his head to laugh. Then he'd introduced himself as Ben Larabee. Cory had wanted to crawl under the buffet table. But, he'd hit it off with Ben and his partner Pierre Broussard, and Ben had ended up being the one to introduce him around that night. That was the first of many nights of laughter together. Cory couldn't even count the number of times he'd been to their house. He still couldn't believe they were gone. It was so unfair.
    "Thanks for coming with me. I know this won't be easy for you." Lora smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Cory realized the car was already parked and the engine turned off. As usual, she had anticipated his needs, knowing he could use some time with his thoughts.
    Cory leaned across the console and kissed her cheek. "Thanks," he smiled. "Let's do this."
    They headed up the front walk toward the large, brick mansion. Though this was once the Larabee family estate, it had long since been converted into a historic home open to the public. It was one of the many places funded by The Larabee Foundation around Iowa City. Ben hadn't lived in this house for years. He had lived with his partner, Pierre, in a house in Wildwood with a spectacular view of the Iowa River. Cory looked up at the front of Larabee House as they walked toward it. Though it was impressive, it didn't have the warmth and energy of Ben and Pierre's home. Not by a long shot.
    They strolled through the front entry. The heat inside felt great. Nights in Iowa were still chilly even though it was April. Cory briefly rubbed at his arms to warm them, thinking he should have worn a jacket. He took Lora's coat and carried it to the nearby closet to hang it for her. She wound her arm through his as they made their way toward the sound of milling people already gathered in the great room.
    "Uh oh," Lora said quietly.
    Cory followed her gaze. There stood Dr. Discourteous, in a suit, with a glass of wine poised at his lips. The man smiled down at Dr. Sullivan saying something to her with amused affection. "Holy beeswax." Maybe Cory should be calling him Dr. Delicious.
    As if the doctor had heard him, he looked directly at Cory and froze halfway through his sentence, tripping over his words. He pushed his glasses up his nose and pulled his gaze back to the conversation, rubbing his free hand on his slacks.
    Lora chuckled. "Told you. Nervous."
    Cory's heart was racing. Good to know his gaydar wasn't on the fritz. He smiled down at Lora. "Want a glass of wine?"
    "Absolutely. Red, please."
    Cory forced himself to cross to the bar without gawking at the gorgeous Dr. Dylan, though the man filled his peripheral vision as if he were the only person standing in the crowded room. It felt like the doctor's eyes were on him again. Maybe Lora was right. Maybe he should try to see things from the doctor's point of view. He glanced over, but Dr. Dylan was focused on Dr. Sullivan.
    That tall, lean, athletic body looked good in a charcoal suit and deep purple tie. Cory drank him in. His dark hair was cropped close in the back and longer on top. It fell in tousled, thick waves to one side. He pushed his glasses up again. Cory forced himself to look away before he walked into someone. It wasn't easy. Those wire-rim glasses were hot as hell. They only served to enhance large, earthen-brown eyes with long, thick lashes. It had been the eyes that had immediately drawn Cory in.
    He decided he could work around rudeness if it meant getting a mouth full of whatever was under that suit. An image flashed through his mind of Dr. Dylan with his crisp, white shirt unbuttoned, his tie askew, and his suit pants around his ankles. Cory shook his head to clear it and subtly shifted his stance as he stepped up to the bar. This was going to be a long night. Cory fidgeted with the cuffs on his royal blue silk shirt. He was glad he'd opted out of the constrictions of a suit and tie tonight. His linen slacks and silk top were much more comfortable, and he was going to need all the comfort he could find.
    He was handing Lora her wine when Kat Holden stepped up to a small podium at one end of the room. Everyone