Wait and Hope: Chapter Seven
First Test
Jack came charging out of the bedroom turned office he slept in most nights when Harry wasn’t feeling well.
In his dog’s world, Jack’s Alpha had returned last night and he had danced excitedly around his pack’s leader. The service dog was eager for attention until Jack had sensed the tension between Alpha and Alpha's mate. The Alpha's mate had been entrusted into Jack's safekeeping by the Alpha many months ago. The canine had returned to his bed to let his two legged pack members work things out among themselves like they always did.
Only when Jack had heard his charge’s panicked cries did the dog leave the room to go to him and jump up on the bed to offer the human comfort as the loyal canine had often done since coming to this place. Jack stopped in the doorway of the office as Alpha rushed by; when the dog crept to lie quietly in the bedroom’s entry, he watched and listened, ears twitching, his nose sniffing the air. Alpha was there taking over the canine’s duty, calming the dog’s frightened ward. As the scent of the human’s mating reached his keen nose Jack went back to his own bed curling up, then falling asleep, contented all would be well within the pack.
There in his bed Jack had stayed for hours, waiting patiently, not wanting to disturb his human pack mates. The dog was well mannered, staying where he was until called, but training was all but forgotten when Jack heard his friend at the door. Jack was desperate to go out.
Alpha used to run with him; Jack’s instinct was to not challenge pack rules, so the dog pleaded with wide brown eyes for the leader’s permission. When the leash was snapped to his collar and handed to the young human, Jack thanked the tall man with a lap of his tongue over his Alpha’s hand. With a happy yip directed at glasses man, the other member of pack, Jack tugged the leash pulling his young companion out the door.
Rafe glanced over at Harry stifling a laugh behind his hand when all they heard was, “I’ll have him back in two hours!” echoing up the stairwell before the brownstones entry door slammed shut.
Harry looked back grinning himself, that is until guilt about forgetting his four legged companion made him frown. “I’ve never done that, let Jack’s needs slip my mind. I better finish getting dressed,” he mumbled turning to limp back into the bedroom.
Furnham was sitting on his bed pulling on an old blue athletic tee, the school’s name in faded lettering barely visible across its front, when Rafe politely knocked at the door.
“I know you wanted to talk and so do I. Is it alright if I come by later this evening before I go to work, or better yet tomorrow, the diner is closed Sundays? It’s getting late and I need to go calm the waters with Sherry, the woman you met last night.” Rafe shifted nervously from one foot to the other in obvious discomfort even mentioning her name.
“Oh yes, of course, your girlfriend." Harold nodded then gave his full attention to his worn Adidas to hide the uncontrolled flash of jealousy. "She was rather upset with me I think. Give her my sincere apologies for ruining your date.”
Rafe walked over and sat down on the bed next to his new found friend. “There is nothing serious in my relationship with Sherry, believe me. I have no idea why she acted like she did. Obviously there are some things that need to be sorted out between her and me.” Rafe laid his hand casually on Furnham’s knee, “But there is something significant happening between you and me. We can’t ignore it, right?” Rafe moved his hand up somewhat and squeezed Harry’s thigh, “Right?”
“No. I mean yes, we can’t ignore it,” Harry admitted cautiously. He continued looking down at the hands he kept folded in his lap even after the other man had sat down next to him. Discounting their supposed new found attraction was the last thing he wanted, but Furnham had to be sure; there was no going back after this. Tentatively placing a palm over Rafe’s hand now subtly caressing his leg, Harry searched the bearded man’s blue eyes for any lingering doubts, “If you are sure this is what you want?”
“Of course it is what I want!” Rafe patted the hand that was covering his own on Harry’s thigh with his left. Turning his right palm up, he clasped the smaller, slightly trembling hand between both his larger, stronger ones. Rafe squeezed it firmly, reassuring Harry that was indeed what he wanted, before he smoothly let go and stood up.
“So, Sunday around noon I am coming over and we are going on a picnic.” Rafe gathered his stuff, putting on his jacket and checking his appearance in the mirror by the door. “We need to talk, Jack needs some exercise with both of us and you need to eat.” He turned a bright smile Harry’s way. “So? It’s a date?”
Any apprehension Furnham had been feeling that he was an interloper in his new friend’s social life or guilt that he was ruining the possible meaningful relationship Rafe had with this Sherry by his getting involved with the handsome younger man evaporated instantly.
Rafe’s determination to show Harry that a continued involvement between the two men was definitely what Rafe wanted, the effervescence radiating from bearded man’s eyes and his outright eagerness to spend time with Harry, so pleased the older man that he nodded enthusiastically and smiled himself.
Rafe grinned from ear to ear, “Great!” With one fluid stride he moved closer to where Harry still sat, bent over and cupped one cheek while quickly kissing the other, then turned to stride out the door leaving the older man blushing and touching his cheek like a schoolgirl.
Harry smiled shyly to himself then frowned slightly, A date? I haven’t been on a date in years.
Rafe was whistling and skipping down the stairs when he sensed a foreboding presence at the bottom. He slowed down and silently wished he still carried a gun. Once he made it to the landing, the only person he saw there was a middle aged woman, standing in her doorway, arms folded.
This must be Martha. She had iron gray hair, was a little older than her upstairs’ neighbor, stood ramrod straight, and Rafe thought the woman could make lesser individuals cower in her presence.
“Hello young man. May I have a word with you?” the matronly woman asked politely. The diffidence in her voice was belied by the steely look she gave Rafe, a stare which asserted that refusal of the request was not an option.
It briefly flitted through Rafe’s mind that he could graciously refuse, claiming he was running late as an excuse. He took a deep breath to steady himself, admitting mentally he was only putting off the inevitable. Rafe nodded an affirmative and followed Martha’s inviting wave to enter the open door of her apartment.
Martha showed her guest to her living room offering Rafe a seat on her sofa, “Would you like some coffee?” the woman asked pleasantly, “I just made a fresh pot.” The woman gave Rafe another once over, “You look like someone who needs a strong cup of coffee to get them going in the morning and I know Harry only drinks tea.” She hustled off into her kitchen to get Rafe’s, “Yes please, black.”
So, Rafe thought, no point in pretending he had just stopped by to see how Furnham was faring after last night’s car troubles. The woman obviously knew Rafe had spent the night and morning with her neighbor, that it was not concern about Harry’s welfare after the prior evening’s mishap that brought him here.
When Martha returned she placed a steaming cup of hot black coffee on the table in front of him before taking a seat on the sofa’s matching recliner. Rafe wasn’t surprised when the woman dropped any more attempts at pleasantry, her eyes bored into him as she got directly to the point.
“Harry is one of the sweetest, kindest men I have ever met and in the few months I have known him he has become almost a part of my family. I have come to care for him dearly.” The woman paused for a moment, allowing Rafe to take a sip of his coffee, before she laid into him with the fierce protectiveness of any mother defending her cub.
“Harry’s life hasn’t been easy the past few years, especially after his accident. I’ve tried to do my best to help him believe things will get better, but he is still so close to the edge of just giving up.” Martha paused long enough to collect herself, “When Harry came home last night, when he just shut me out instead of talking to me about what happened like we always do, I could tell something had pushed him over that cliff. If you had anything to do with that, if you are just toying with him, please, go, now, and never come back!”
Rafe sat his cup back on the table, responding to her accusing words of warning as candidly as he could, “I am truly thankful Harrington has such a fierce friend such as yourself, but I assure you I have no intention of toying with him as you put it or hurting him in any way.” Rafe returned the woman’s glare, resolute when he added, “I might be leaving for now but I will be coming back, for as long as he wants me to.”
Harry’s self-anointed guardian scrunched up her eyes, sizing the younger man up once again as Rafe sat unwavering under her scrutinizing gaze. The breath he had unconsciously held while the woman mentally dissected him whooshed out in relief when she sat back in her chair and smiled. “That is all I needed to hear.”
“Oh heavens, where are my manners?” Gone was the interrogator, a kindly little old lady taking her place as the gray haired woman laughed warmly. “My name is Martha Carlson. I didn’t get yours Mr. uh…”
***
Rafe had spent a pleasant half hour talking with Harry’s downstairs neighbor after having passed muster with the woman. Martha obviously cared a great deal about Harrington Furnham, III. By the time he had left the two of them had mutually agreed that making Harry’s life less miserable and lonely was of utmost importance.
He stopped by the café briefly, calling Sherry from there, before swinging by his cracker box apartment to shower and change. Now Rafe was outside Sherry’s condo, only feeling uncomfortable because he had never been inside; they had never gotten to that level of intimacy. He’d just faced down Harry’s fierce guardian angel, telling Sherry he was no longer wanting to continue their arrangement shouldn’t be nearly as difficult, should it?
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Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five
Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Epilogue