Discovering Dalton (Manchester Menage Collection #2) (14 page)

Chapter
15

D
alton looked down at the frail hand clutching his on the hospital bed and then lifted his gaze back to the pale, withdrawn face of his elderly dad, trying to think of a good way to respond to the question he was just asked. “Kelly’s fine. She’s at work. I just dropped everything and drove here.” Breaking several speed limits on the way, but getting the call your dad just had a major heart attack was enough reason for him to do it. “I haven’t even told her yet. I just wanted to make sure I got here for you.”

His dad nodded, looking even more tired than normal. He wasn’t a well man anyway. He’d been slimming down recently and catching everything under the sun due to his low immune system. A nasty chest infection followed by pneumonia left him on oxygen during the recent months, and despite Dalton wanting things to improve, he knew it wouldn’t. It was only a matter of time. He guessed they’d have more though.

“Tell her I'm okay and not to worry. You know how she gets.”

They both smiled softly at the other.

“Dad…” Dalton stopped, clearing his throat and the emotion which was backed up there.

“I know, I know. Never enough time to say everything you want. Don’t worry, I know, lad. I know. I'm not much for speaking, and you know I'm no good with the hugging and all that pansy shit, but I love you. I'm proud of you. I always have been.” He gave a brighter smile, his tired dark eyes meeting Dalton’s. “Your mum was too. I've missed her, you know. Never been right ever since she passed away. The house just seems empty. I'm not afraid of going to see her again.”

Dalton wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded.

“I was a bit worried about you. About you and Kelly. Things looked bad from where I was sitting last time you were both round at the same time.”

“We’re okay. Just the ten year itch.”

His dad half chuckled, but broke off, coughing, sucking in a deep breath through his nose, the wire constantly attached there giving him much needed oxygen. “Ain’t it supposed to be the seven year itch?”

Dalton nodded. It had been seven years into their marriage according to Kelly when things got bad, so maybe his dad was right. “We’re still friends. Still talking. Working through life the best we can. Doing what’s right for both of us.”

His dad took a sip of water from his bottle and closed his eyes. “We’ve never been much for words, so the ones we say to each other matter more and I don’t like hearing lies come from your mouth.”

“They’re not lies, Dad.”

“You happy?”

Dalton sighed heavily. “Right now? No.”

“You know, before I met your mum, I was married to another woman. Dawn.” His dad took another sip.

Dalton leaned back in surprise. “What?”

“I was forty when I met your mum. You think I’d no life before?”

“Well, no, but… I guessed you'd say something about that.”

“Why? Was all over and done with. Nothing to hide, nothing to speak about either.”

“You got divorced?”

He nodded, looking back at Dalton. “Didn’t work out. Got married at twenty one, thought she would be the one forever, but life changes, people change. I was thirty nine when I got my divorce papers. I thought I was too old to start over. Then I met your mum about a year later. Everything changed when I met her.” He smiled softly, his eyes blurring slightly as he looked off into the distance. “Younger woman, never married, so different from anyone I’d ever known. I thought I was making a big fool out of myself asking her out for that first date. Turns out to be the best thing I ever did.” He looked back to Dalton, holding his hand tighter. “Got me you too.”

“Yeah…” Dalton rubbed his eyes and then looked at his dad. “So…”

“If it’s not working, then do something to make it work, or let it go. I'm not saying you two shouldn’t try to work things out, but from here, I think you’ve both been trying to do that for a while now. You're still young, lad. There's still time.”

“It’s my fault.” Dalton looked at his trainers. He’d been running through his time with Liam two days ago and been reviewing his whole life up until that happened, trying to see what he’d been missing, trying to see if he had some hidden secret which he’d been so afraid of he couldn’t even think about it.

“It’s no one’s fault, Dalton. Whatever’s happening right now is a build-up of all the years passed and all the years to come. A person gets to a precipice and looks back because it’s too hard to look forward. The future is unsure and unknown, the past is comfortable and easy, but we can't live there, son. No point trying to. What’s happened has happened and that’s that. Take what you’ve got now and go there.” He pointed forwards. “I want you happy. I don’t care how, I just want to die knowing you're going to try.”

“I’ll try, Dad. I promise.”

“So, where’s Kelly?”

Dalton cleared his throat. “She moved into her parents’ house a couple of weeks ago. She’s found someone else. Someone she’s in love with.”

His dad laid still, just watching Dalton sit beside him for a long moment. “She mess around on you?”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is she fell in love with someone else and she’s gone. Now I'm in the house and starting again.”

“It’s hard, I know how hard, lad, but it gets better. I promise it does. Don’t think this is it. There's someone out there for you.”

“Dad…” Dalton paused. They didn’t really talk about personal stuff like this, but it seemed at the end, his dad didn’t care about his reserved nature, but perhaps asking if that new person should be another man would be too much. “I love you.”

He got a smile back in response. “Aye, I know and I won't ever forget it either.”

~ ~ ~

It was three hours later when Dalton got back to his empty house that he slumped onto the sofa and just stared into space. From what the doctors told him, his dad didn’t have long left. All they could do was keep him comfortable and pain free. Dalton lost his mum three years ago, now it was his dad. He had no brothers or sisters. There could be kids from his first marriage, but his dad didn’t seem to be the kind of person to just up and leave his children no matter what happened with the wife.

Dalton had a few cousins and aunts on his mother’s side, but they weren’t what you'd call close. The last time he’d seen any of them were at his mum’s funeral, and before that years must have passed since they last met up.

Dalton had never felt so alone. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for himself. And why shouldn’t he? His dad was dying and all he could do was sit and wait for it to happen. He felt like he should be still at the hospital, but they made him go at seven when visiting times were up. They said his dad was being moved into a private room in the morning and Dalton could sit with him for longer, but he still wanted to jump in the car and be with him. He felt like every second was being wasted, but then he’d left his dad asleep, worn out from their chats.

Despite everything, his dad wanted to see Kelly before things got too bad and Dalton called her up, not knowing if he could keep calm and actually say the words. “Hi.” He cleared his voice.

Kelly must have heard the pain in his voice because she was on edge immediately. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” A lie if there ever was one. “It’s my dad, he's… he had a heart attack. It’s still touch and go, they don’t know how long he has left.”

“Dalton, I'm so sorry, love. What can I do?”

“He just… He wanted to say goodbye to you I think. I told him about us, well, he guessed, but he still wants to see you. I don’t know if you'd want to…”

“Of course I do. I love your dad. You know I do. How are you? Are you alone?”

“I'm okay.”

“You’re not. How long have we known each other and you still try to lie to me?” She huffed. “I'm getting in the car now. Give me twenty minutes.”

“You don’t have to.”

“You're right, I don’t, but I want to, okay.”

Dalton smiled through his sadness. “Okay.”

“See you soon.”

God, how pathetically sad the only person he felt close enough to grieve with was the woman who he’d fucked everything up with. Despite everything, she was a good person. Things just didn’t work out, and those reasons were still running through his head at a million miles an hour.

He’d just changed into some joggers and a t-shirt when Kelly knocked at the front door. He opened it, looking at the door key in her hand. “It’s still your house. Use the key if you need to. I've got nothing to hide.”

Nothing to hide? Why’d I say that?

Kelly enveloped him in a big hug, rocking him while she asked a thousand questions about his dad and his condition. By the time they’d gotten comfortable in sitting room, he’d gone through everything and was cradling a cup of tea as they talked about his dad’s first marriage. She was just as shocked as him, and said he should look into other kids. Dalton didn’t know how he felt about meeting half siblings, but then he’d have to go through life not knowing them if they did exist and that seemed the worst option.

Kelly sat beside him, holding his hand and trying to comfort him. Nothing seemed to work, and by then Dalton felt on edge and unsettled. It wasn’t that he wanted to be alone, he just didn’t want to be with her and he didn’t know why. He felt like he was holding back and it was killing him to keep quiet. He wanted to ask her questions but those question related to what she thought about his sexuality and that would lead to why he was questioning it.

The pressure Dalton felt about confronting how he’d kissed Liam, more than kissed, it built up and up until he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Someone knocking on the front door startled him from his thoughts, but Kelly placed a hand on his shoulder and stood.

“I’ll get it. Just drink that sweet tea.”

Chapter
16

L
iam clock-watched as the seconds ticked by. It was Monday. He’d actually checked three times to make sure, but it was
still
Monday. It was nine when Aspire closed, and half past had come and gone as Liam read some paperwork then sat lost in his thoughts about Troy for half an hour. It was nine thirty and no Dee.

Liam spent Sunday afternoon at home, and Troy went to Living Ink and hidden there. Between them, nothing passed between them apart from grunts. Liam wanted everything Derrick said to them both to just go away, but it seemed it wasn’t going to happen overnight.

Spending all day at work took his mind off his personal problems, but then five o’clock rolled around and when Kathy asked him what he was up to after work, he remembered his plans with Dalton. Thursday, when they’d last talked, Monday seemed like ages away, but the day had come and Liam wasn’t prepared for it. Despite not being ready, he wanted to see Dalton. He may have his own problems, but he was sure as shit Dalton had bigger ones.

He remembered how it was as a teenager when he first experienced anything remotely sexual with someone. He’d been with a boy his own age in some park all the kids in the area ended up in. They’d been flirting around each other for months but not brave enough to do anything about it, and then one evening, it just happened. They kissed and it quickly led on to other things. Each time they’d meet up on, they’d go a little further. It was slow and they were both experiencing everything for the first time.

Dalton was thirty and only just experiencing it. Liam didn’t want to push, more than anything, he wanted to help. Be a friend, someone who he could trust.

He’d referred to Dalton as special and that wasn’t a lie. He was special in the way Liam didn’t see him as a one night stand or a quick fuck, he was someone who he wanted to get to know, experience everything with and enjoy it. He had selfish reasons, he wouldn’t lie to himself and say being the first man to be with Dalton didn’t excite him and spur him on to try harder, but he would never let those feelings take over.

He looked at his watch again and then did something stupid, he took out Dalton’s personal information from their files and read through them, quickly finding his mobile number and home address. It was close by. The guy was probably hiding and worrying himself to death by not coming round. Liam had seen how badly he’d reacted before and that was caused by just seeing him in the shower, so he could only guess how bad it would be this time. He didn’t want Dalton staying away from Aspire or him just because of some silly embarrassment about their little sexual exploration the other night.

Liam’s gut feeling was Dalton wouldn’t reply to a text or call from him, so he grabbed his jacket and bike keys and locked up for the night, heading to his bike and making his way to Dalton’s housing estate. It was a nice little place, one where the houses all kind of looked the same. Three bed semi-detached things with neat gardens and two cars parked on the drive. Liam smirked. It looked boring, but he guessed it suited his young police officer and his ex-wife.

He pulled up outside number forty six and looked at the house for a moment. The lights were on but he couldn’t see anyone through the window. He stood off the bike, discarding his jacket on the seat and looked down himself. He hadn't changed from the gym’s uniform, but he looked clean and he’d showered. He walked to the front door and knocked, waiting as he leaned against the wall. When it opened, he just stood there in silence, as did the petite blonde woman inside.

She looked him up and down, then shrugged. “Well, what’s up? You knocked, aren’t you supposed to talk first?”

“I'm sorry, isn’t this Dalton’s place?”

“Yeah, and?”

Liam looked over her. Nice shape, long legs, went in and out in all the right places, if you like those type of places. The ex? “Is he in?”

“Who’s asking?” She crossed her arms over her ample chest and glared up at him.

He smiled a little. “I'm his personal trainer. I own the gym he goes to. He didn’t turn up… again.”

She dropped her arms and clung onto the door with one hand, really looking at him, appraising him like she’d just seen him or something. “You're Liam? Course you are. Look at you.” She smiled more openly. “Dalton’s talked about you non-stop for like three months. So, you're the man who’s turned him into the stud he is now, huh?”

Talked about him for three months, huh?
Liam liked that. “Not really. He did all the hard work, that’s down to him. I just shouted a lot.” Liam looked into her blue eyes. So, this was the ex, or was she? Had Dalton lied to him about them breaking up? “So, is he in?”

“Now’s not so good.”

“Right.” Liam tightened his jaw. “Just tell him I called round, and ask him to check in with me.”

She stepped outside and closed the door, walking down the steps to him and holding his elbow. “Liam… his dad… he's not so good. Dalton’s not shirking his gym time on a whim. He’s not like that. He got a call this afternoon and he’s not feeling so bright.”

“Oh.” Liam kicked himself for being so arsey. “I'm sorry, I didn’t know his dad was ill.”

“He’s old, nearly eighty. It’s been coming for a while. I'm Kelly.” She held out her hand and Liam shook it. “It’s nice to meet you at last. Dalton really appreciates all the effort you put into helping him get back into shape. He’s never been healthier or fitter.”

“Yeah, he’s a good person to work with. Tries hard, follows instruction well.” Liam trailed off, not really wanting the conversation to continue. He had a strong feeling he’d cheated with her husband and he didn’t like it.

“I think he’s needed this time to think about himself.”

Liam paused, half turning from her before looking back. “He didn’t do this for himself.” He watched her blue eyes meet his. “It was for you. All this.” Liam smiled coldly. “He didn’t give a shit about himself when he came to me. All he cared about was you. He wanted to make you happy.” Liam remembered those first few conversations clear as day. People who make a life change for other people tend to fail, but Dalton didn’t. He’d wanted it so badly he’d worked his arse off in there five nights a week. “You happy now?”

“Look…” She stepped closer, looking up into Liam’s eyes. “I don’t know what he's told you about me, about us, but I'm not the bad guy here. There's no bad guy.”

So, they’d separated then? “He’s not much for sharing and I'm not one for gossip. He just said you'd split up recently, that’s all I know.”

She nodded and Liam felt his chest loosen a bit. “Everything’s kind of going tits up right now.”

“Yeah.” Liam sympathised with the guy. Divorce, ill dad, getting turned on by another guy… big changes coming his way. “He, erm… he wasn’t so good the last time we were together. Does he suffer from panic attacks, anxiety, that sort of thing?”

Kelly’s eyes widened and she nodded. “But you can't say anything to anyone. He would hate that you know that. How did you find out? Did he have a panic attack with you? That never happens. He holds it together most of the time, it’s just at home he lets it out.”

“He got overheated, but there was more. My brother used to have them, and I saw the signs. I'm not gonna say anything. I just wanted to see if he was okay.”
And to see why he didn’t turn up to meet me.

“Kelly?”

They both turned to see Dalton standing at the front door, looking hot in a pair of loose joggers and a tight t-shirt. Liam glanced up and down him before he could stop himself, luckily both of them were too busy glaring at each other to notice.

“What’s going on?” Dalton looked right at Liam, sending shockwaves of anxiety his way.

“Sorry, Dee, I was just passing by and thought I'd see how you were doing after Thursday. Kelly was just telling me about your dad. I'm sorry. I was just leaving.”

“No-no.” Kelly took hold of his elbow and started leading him to the house. “Honestly. I was getting ready to go, so this works out great.” She practically pushed him up the stairs and right into Dalton who was acting as a barrier to the house. “Dalton, go sit down. I’ll make you both some tea then get off.”

“There's really no need.” Dalton looked into Liam’s eyes as he entered the hallway, both of them brushing up against the other, and Liam felt a wave of lust rip through him. “Liam,” Dalton whispered as Liam pushed him backwards. “Just…”

Kelly swanned past them and Liam watched her walk down the hall and into the kitchen. “Milk and sugar, Liam?”

“Erm, neither thanks. Black no sugar. Just a splash of cold water to cool it down a bit. But put a couple in Dalton’s, he needs it.”

“On it.”

Liam never left Dalton’s hesitant blue eyes the whole time he’d been in the house.

“You have to leave.”

“I will do if you want me to.” Liam brushed his fingertip underneath Dalton’s swollen eyelids.

“Don’t.” Dalton stepped back, leaning against the wall, both of them now hidden from view by the staircase. “Look… I'm tired.”

“You look it.” Liam pulled Dalton into his arms, just holding him. Liam felt him stiffen, but then he blew out a big breath and sagged into Liam's strong hold. He was like Troy in that respect, he held off from comfort, fighting it until Liam just stood no shit and took charge. “I'm sorry I barged in like this. I just thought you may be hiding again.”

“I'm not, I'm just… I was going to come tonight. I should’ve called, but time got away from me and—”

“It’s okay.” Liam tightened his hold. “It’s alright. I'm here if you want to talk, but if not, I'm okay getting out of here as soon as she leaves.”

Dalton’s arms slowly crept around him, holding him tightly as Liam swayed him in his arms. It was his ex’s heels tapping on the wooden floor that made them part, Liam quickly separating himself from Dalton’s hold and taking his hand, leading him into the sitting room and placing him on the sofa.

Kelly passed him a cup and Liam kneeled in front of Dalton, pressing it to his lips. “Drink, okay.”

Dalton’s fingers were shaking too much to hold the cup and Liam thought it would be a mixture between his dad, being held by another man while his wife made tea, and the fact they were both turned on and trying to hide it. “Thanks.” Dalton looked at him, then over his shoulder at his ex who was putting her coat on.

“I'm getting off. I’ll be round tomorrow at five, okay. We’ll go see your dad together for the evening visiting hours. Take care, love.” She leaned over and kissed Dalton lightly on the forehead before looking at Liam, who was now standing and seemed to tower over her tiny frame. She was like five foot nothing, and compared to Liam’s six foot three, she looked even smaller. “It was nice to meet you, Liam. I’ve left my mobile number by the kettle if you need me. I don’t live far away.”

“I'm going to be fine, Kelly. God.” Dalton rubbed his face gruffly as she walked with Liam to the door.

“He nearly had a panic attack earlier. Watch him, okay.”

“I will.” Liam stood by the door and watched her walk outside where she turned and looked back to him. “He’ll be okay, Kelly. I won't leave him if I think he won't be.”

She smiled softly, looking back at the house and then to Liam. “Then I guess he’s all yours.”

The way she said it made Liam stiffen a little, but he didn’t disagree. He actually liked the idea of Dalton being his. He’d never really had anyone referred to in that way before and it made him puff up his chest a bit and feel slightly more responsible for Dalton than he did a minute ago. “I guess so.”

“He's…”

“Confused.” Liam finished off for her and she nodded, a bigger smile on her face when he showed he understood. “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about it. He's in good hands.” He waved his big mitts at her and she chuckled.

“I hope for his sake not everything is supersized on you, Liam.”

Liam snorted as she opened her car door. If only she knew. “Drive safe.”

“Will do.” She waved before she closed her car door and Liam stepped back inside and sighed.

Well, that was strange but sort of nice. She was nice. Shit
! Liam locked the door and pulled his big boy pants up. Time for his softer side to make an appearance.