Justin did not recognize the sound as his doorbell right away. Had it rung even one time since he got back? When Murphy began to bark, he realized someone must be there. Getting up from his computer where he’d been working on the last lesson of his pet grooming course, he answered the door.
When he flung it open, shock raced through him. Barry stood there, shifting his weight from foot to foot. At first, Justin didn’t know what to say or do. Then manners kicked in. “Come on in,” he greeted. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
The acid sarcasm in the second sentence sounded hard, even to him, but he wasn’t ready to deal with the other man, not now and maybe not ever. He’d clung to the shreds of his anger, using them as a shield. Without time to steel his resolve, he wavered. That
