Love In Slow Motion (Love Beyond Measure #2) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,16

fine so far. He could call for a car if he needed to get somewhere, he could do the shopping on his own, he could make his appointments and get there. He was no longer afraid of the abstract space in front of him, but there was still a feeling of discontent lodged in his gut. He was away from his old life—he was free. But now there were several paths in the road, and he didn’t know which one to take. He didn’t want to be idle. For as much as Corinne mocked him for retiring at such a young age, that wasn’t what he wanted. He just wanted something that made him feel alive again.

Corporate law was an empty shell lining his pockets and filling his kids’ trust funds. His name and reputation were meaningless to him now. What was the point of a fresh start if he went back to everything that made him miserable?

He almost considered calling Agatha to cancel because his isolation had put him on edge, and the last thing he wanted to do was take his temper out on two people who had only gone out of their way to make him feel welcome. But he had to try—he had to do this. He had to prove to himself that the years he’d scraped by and worked on himself and on what might be, was now his reality and not just a reflection of one.

Fredric wasn’t by nature a fussy person, but tonight felt important. He took his time in the shower, then combed his hair with the fancy Italian product Ilan had gotten him for his birthday the year before, the scent reminding him of the younger man. He took his time in the closet, his fingers brushing over clothes, but nothing really felt like him. He missed some of his old comforts, like having someone at his disposal to tell him whether or not he looked like an old man clinging to youth. He felt more at home in suits, but he was trying to find comfort in the unfamiliar. In the end, he went with a soft shirt and a pair of jeans that hadn’t seen the light of day since he took them off the rack. They felt strange on him—so unlike his usual, but he supposed that was the point.

With a sigh, he turned to Sebastian, who was waiting patiently at the foot of the bed. “Well? Will I do?”

As usual, the dog said nothing, though he got a small lick to the tip of his fingers, so he decided to take it as a win. After a beat of letting himself feel his nerves, he moved to the living room, picked up his phone, and dialed Agatha.

“Please tell me you’re not calling to cancel,” she said, and he felt a sweep of guilt for even considering it.

“No. I was hoping you might come over and walk me? I haven’t been able to work with Bas on the path to your front door, and honestly, he could probably use the evening off.”

Agatha’s voice was bright in his ear. “Oh, for sure. And I promise I won’t report a stalker if you want to start leading him over during the day. I’ll be two minutes.”

The line went dead before he could get another word in, and he smiled to himself as he moved to the living room and went to the shelf for Bas’ treats. “Bed,” he command and waited for the sound of soft paws and the quiet huff as the dog got comfortable. Kneeling down made his knees ache, but he nuzzled against Bas’ neck before feeding him the treat.

“Promise to be good?” he asked, then laughed at himself. “You know, Julian would never let me live this down if he heard the way I was talking to you now.” Fredric allowed himself a moment to fiercely miss his son before he pushed himself up to stand.

He walked to the coat rack by the door and grabbed his cane, then perched on the edge of his love seat and tried not to count the seconds it took for Agatha to run over. Her enthusiasm made him feel even older than he was, and that created a small ache in his gut.

He’d tasted a sudden desire to start dating again, he was starting to wonder if it was a fool’s errand. After all, he wasn’t old, but he was older. He was used goods—and he wasn’t quite sure