No Good Deed - Marie Sexton Page 0,54
there? He’s crazy about you, and all I can think about is how much damage you’re likely to do.”
Jonas sat back in his seat. “What do you mean?”
Gray pointed an accusing finger at him. “You didn’t come back because you care about him. You came back because you wanted something from him.”
Jonas swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep his head up. “The two things aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“Yeah, right. But once you get what you came for, there’s nothing stopping you from packing up and going back to Seattle, and I’ll be the one left picking up the pieces.”
Jonas wanted to be angry, but the fact was, Gray had a point. From where he was sitting, it wasn’t an unreasonable suspicion.
“I promise you, Gray, I’m not going to do that. Charlie means more to me than anything in Seattle. If he breaks it off—”
“Fat chance of that.”
Even in the middle of such a tense discussion, the words made Jonas smile. “I’ve spent six years wishing I’d never left. I have no intention of leaving him again. Not as long as he feels the same way.”
Gray pursed his lips, debating, and Jonas decided to press his advantage while he had it.
“Please stop avoiding him. He’s struggling, and he needs you now more than ever.”
Gray sat up, suddenly more alert than before. “What do you mean? Warren said something along those lines too. What’s going on?”
Jonas debated telling him he should ask Charlie himself, but if he did that, Gray might put it off. He might not realize how serious it was. “Somebody reported him for giving out prescription drugs. He had to shut down his clinic. They’re talking about pressing charges. And he’s been suspended at Urgent Care. He could lose his nursing license.”
Gray swore under his breath, his fists clenching on the table between them. Whether he’d been angry at Charlie before or not, he still cared about him enough to be outraged on his behalf.
“He needs you,” Jonas said again. “Stop avoiding his calls. Please. After everything he’s done for you, you owe it to him to put aside your ego and your doubts about my intentions and be the friend he deserves.”
“You’re right,” Gray said. And Lord, how it must have pained him to say it. “You’re right, okay? I’ll do better.”
“Thank you.”
Jonas stood up to leave, figuring it was best to quit while he was ahead. He’d said what he’d wanted to say. He was happy to escape the conversation without either of them yelling. If only they’d been able to talk so calmly back then. It wouldn’t have kept them together, but they might have spared themselves a great deal of grief.
“Charlie’s home alone right now. I’ll give you a few hours. Hell, I’ll check into a hotel and give you all night, if I need to.”
“No,” Gray said. “I’ll do it right now. I promise.”
No matter what he thought of Gray, he knew this wasn’t a promise he was likely to break.
Chapter 17
Charlie was taking a sheet of cookies out of the oven when his doorbell rang. He was used to people stopping by his house at odd hours. He was used to finding somebody on either his front or back doorstep, needing either medical help or a shoulder to cry on. The problem was, he wasn’t sure he had the energy to be somebody’s counselor at the moment. Still, he went to the door.
He was stunned to find Gray waiting on the stoop.
“Since when do you ring the bell?” Charlie asked, holding the door open for him. “You’ve always barged in whenever it suited you.”
Gray had the good graces to look embarrassed. “Seemed like the right thing to do.”
He followed Charlie down the hallway and into the kitchen where he took a seat at the table. Charlie opened a beer for him, knowing he’d want one. Part of him was nervous. He wanted to make a cup of tea, maybe put in another batch of cookies, just to avoid whatever happened next, but he knew it was foolish. Instead, he opened a second beer for himself and took the seat across from Gray.
And then he waited. It was normal for Gray to take a minute before speaking. To assess exactly which approach he wanted to take. And Charlie knew him well enough to wait rather than pushing.
“Jonas told me what’s happening.” He met Charlie’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry it’s happening, and I’m sorry I was being an ass and not answering your calls.”
“You had