The guy—Robert—pulled his arm back. “Sorry about lying to you on that note.”
“Note?” The one telling him to come here?
“Signed it ‘T,’ ’cause I know that’s what people call that guy you been hanging around with. You been spending a lot of time with him. Oughta be careful about that.”
Careful? Dalton blinked at him. Had the guy been watching him? How else would he know about Tierney?
“Yeah, so guess I should get this over with.” Robert took a moment, though. He huffed out a breath, blowing his cheeks up big and running his hand through his hair. “I’m here to apologize for my part in, you know, kicking your ass that night. It was one of those group things, herd mentality, you know. My brother Jimmy’s always said I was a follower. Guess he was right. Anyway.” He cleared his throat, shifting again.
Dalton shook his head, trying to get things to make sense. Kicking my ass?
The guy’s lower lip poked out, just a little, and he frowned. “Doncha got anything to say about that?”
“Why are you apologizing to me?” burst out of Dalton before he thought better of it.
More of the shifting, as if Robert’s seat was a bed of nails, or he had hemorrhoids or something. “Well, ’cause I feel guilty about what I did to you and Miller,” he said while inspecting the floor next to his chair.
He thinks I’m Sam? Well, this was about the least-threatening confrontation Dalton could have imagined. As a matter of fact, he’d classify his current state as pissed off—he’d skipped right over annoyed. “You didn’t do anything to me.” Leaning back in his seat, he waited to see what would happen next. Cannot believe this guy.
Confused blinking happened next. “You’re not Jurgen’s cousin’s boyfriend, Dalton?”
“Uh, nooo. Ian’s boyfriend would be Sam.”
When all he got in response was confused scowling, Dalton continued. “He’s about eight inches taller than me? Much bigger nose?” He pointed to himself, tapping his sternum as he spoke. “I happen to be a witness in the case.” Then he nearly said more. Words were rising up, crowding together in his throat. About how he’d seen the whole thing and he thought Robert and his friends were the worst excuse for humans he’d ever met. But this guy was one of those guys, and it seemed stupid to provoke him.
Robert whistled, of all things. “Well, shit. Guess that explains why you’re spending so much time with that other guy. Say, you wouldn’t happen to have Sam’s number, would you?”
“What?” He had to grip the table to keep from reeling right out of his seat. “Really?”
Robert just kept looking at him expectantly.
Dalton leaned forward. “Why would I give you Sam’s number?”
“So I can apologize,” he answered, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
“You assaulted him,” Dalton hissed, trying to keep his voice from going strident like it wanted to. “You aren’t supposed to contact him, or be in the same room as he is, or even look at him.” Were flames shooting out his nose yet? He felt like he was breathing fire. “Same goes for me; didn’t you hear me say I’m a witness?”
Holding up his hands, as if showing his palms would calm Dalton—ha!—Robert said, “Let’s just hold on a second, I’m trying to make peace here. I was even gonna pay for your lunch. Been trying for a couple of weeks now—”
“Are you saying you have been stalking me? That fruit basket and those tickets were from you?”
“Now that was my brother Jimmy’s idea. See, he was over in Afghanistan for a tour. When he made it home, he was mighty pissed off at me. Said he hadn’t fought for the freedom of all Americans to have me trying to take someone’s away.”
“Wait.” Dalton sliced his hand through the air. “So this isn’t even a sincere apology? You’re just doing it because your brother guilted you into it?”
“I wrote all the notes Jimmy delivered; those were my words and stuff.” Robert poked the table with his forefinger, making his point. “He just did some recon, kept me apprised of your habits, and delivered the—”
“Okay, so he’s stalking me. Still a crime.”
Robert inhaled a very large lungful of air, the obvious kind people took when they wanted someone to know their anger was building. “Listen, we need to end this little chat, ’cause we’re both getting hot under the collar. How about, if you won’t give me Sam’s number, you find it in your heart to apologize for me?”
A short, loud, totally unamused laugh escaped Dalton, and the heads of the diners nearest them turned. Murray’s was always full of noise, but he and Robert were getting loud enough to start attracting a lot of attention. Did he care?
“No,” he said, answering both their questions. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his brow.
Robert mirrored him, except he clearly wasn’t conversant in the arrogant eyebrow thing. “I feel like I made all this here effort, and I’m not getting any return on my investment, as they say. That’s just not right.”
Un. Believable. Then the most obvious thing in the world occurred to him. “Did you apologize to Miller?”
“Well, now, that’s different.” Robert’s jaw went hard. “See, Miller lied to us.”
Dalton gaped. “Lied to you?” Parroting the guy was the most response he could manage.
“Sure did.” Robert sat back with a satisfied nod, as if he’d done good. “All those years he pretended to be our friend, and he was gay the whole time.”
People around them were beginning to murmur, but at this point, it didn’t matter to Dalton if they were making a scene. He planted his elbows on the table and fake smiled, so angry he had to tense every muscle to keep from shaking. “Oh, and that’s just the worst thing a guy can do to a bunch of repressed hicks, isn’t it?” He was totally poking this bear, but he wasn’t going to stop, because logic like that was just too fucking medieval to be withstood.
“Don’t you judge me.” Robert glared at him, eyes narrowing into slits. “Faggot.”
The word sent an electric shock along Dalton’s spine, making him sit up straight and meet Robert’s stare. “Um,” he said in that tone that implied being very sure about what one was about to say, “I think we’re done here.” He stood up. “I’m sure Detective Johnson will be very interested in what you’ve said to me today, and all the lovely gifts you and your brother gave me.”