Findley Black and the Ghosts of Printer's Devil by Amy Spector

Author:Amy Spector [Spector, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2021-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Outside it was still raining, but it had slowed down enough that, huddled under the umbrella together, they had a fighting chance of not getting much wetter than they already were.

“I lied.”

Owen glanced over at Findley’s words. “Lied? About what?”

“Okay, it wasn’t exactly a lie.” Findley looked at him, and Owen was sure he was weighing his words. “When I said I guessed who you were because Micah said you were closing?”

“Yeah?”

“I mean, that’s true. But I’d also seen your picture. I wasn’t sure I’d recognize you, but I did.”

“Alex showed you a photo of me?” Owen felt mortified.

“Yeah.” Findley laughed at his expression. “You were…maybe twenty-eight, twenty-nine. I don’t know. It was a few years old, and it was a little while back.”

Owen had no idea Alexander had owned any pictures of him at all. “Why would he do that?”

“He was proud of you.” Findley shrugged. “And I think he thought we’d hit it off.”

“Huh.” His father was trying to help him make friends? “Oh, wait. Hit it off, hit it off?”

“Yes.” Findley looked at him like he thought he might have been the slowest man on the planet. “You like men, right?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t sure if you did.”

“So the whole truth is, I’d seen your picture and was hoping I’d run into you.”

“To ask to stay in the Printer’s Devil tonight?”

“Not just that.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence, and if Owen had been aware of Findley so close before, his nearness now was acute. He could feel his every movement and hear his every breath. Breath that smelled pleasantly of the beer they had shared.

“This is me.” Owen nodded at the narrow, wood-sided house up ahead. “Alexander’s old place. You been here?”

“No. I knew where it was, but I’ve never been inside.”

“It’s small, but then, it’s just me and Bella.”

They climbed the steps and Owen let Findley shake out the umbrella as he let them in. The plastic cauldron he’d left on the porch full of chocolate before he’d left for the shop was empty and overturned from the wind. Another empty bowl, another bad omen. But at the moment, Owen had high hopes his luck was about to change.

He’d left the house tidy. Something easy to do with just himself to pick up after, and with the lights on, and his own furniture, it looked smart and cheerful.

And with Findley, he realized it looked less lonely too.

Shit. Maybe Kayla was right after all.

Bella came in, meowing for food, and Owen scooped her up. “Sorry, hon. I’ll have you fed in a jiffy. Feel free to have a seat, or look around.”

Instead, Findley followed him into the kitchen and watched as he pulled out a teal saucer from the cabinet, a spoon from the drawer, and a can of food from the pantry.

“Are you hungry? I’m sure I could dig us up something.” Maybe. He’d gotten in the terrible habit of skipping dinner altogether if he wasn’t able to pick up some takeout on the way home.

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