After the Scrum Read Online Free Page B

you."
    "You sure?" Patrick "Patty the Drunk" Edwards leaned in closer, giving him a full view of rotted teeth and breath to match. "Could use a few quid to tide me over."
    "Quite confident." Francis attempted to edge around the man with Sherlock pressed firmly against his leg. The dog always stayed close to him when his anxiety started to rise. "Have a good morning."
    Holding his breath, Francis quickly strode down the pavement and up into the pub. He slammed the door. Once inside, he slid to the floor with his back against the closed entrance. Sherlock clambered up into his lap, resting his head on his owner's shoulder.
    The panic attacks had started when Francis lived in London. He'd been young and idiotically believed himself invincible. A few drunks outside of a gay club in Vauxhall had taught him a rather bitter lesson about the dangers of alcohol and being out of the closet. They'd cornered him in an alley and beaten him rather badly.
    He'd avoided clubs and alcohol ever since.
    "How humiliating." Francis groaned with his face pressed against Sherlock's fur. His therapist had suggested a dog to help with the panic attacks. The sheltie had been specifically trained to recognize the signs. "Thanks, little love."
    For all his often manic energy, Sherlock had taken to his training well. He knew precisely how to soothe away Francis's anxiety. Once the initial panic faded, the sheltie would lick Francis's face and dance around like a clown until he laughed at least once.
    Francis's smile turned into a grimace when he noticed the muck covering his jeans from the uncleaned floor. "Well, Sherlock, pub won't clean itself. Can I use you as a dust mop?"
    Sherlock barked twice and scampered away from him.
    "I'll take that as a no." He chuckled at the dog's antics then got to work. "Floors first, yeah?"
     

Chapter Six
     
    Caddock
     
     
    Every. Single. Night.
    Every. Single . Blasted. Night .
    The same dreams had woken him in a sticky mess for the past week since the visit to Looe. It was all a bloody pain in the arse. Never mind him being too damn old for dealing with things he hadn't dealt with since his teen years.
    Caddock had things to do. Lots of them. Moving his and Devlin's lives to a little village required a fair amount of work. He did not need distractions. Nor did Caddock have time to deal with sleepless nights caused by increasingly lurid fantasies about his interior designer.
    Why now?
    After years of mostly not dating, his life had seemed to reach a comfortable state of loneliness. With a high-profile career, it had been impossible to settle down for anything outside of a few nights here and there. And now? Who wanted a washed-up rugby player with a kid in tow?
    The impending move to Looe had his entire routine scrambled. And early morning wet dream wake-ups were less than ideal. All the extra wash was a pain, for one thing. For another, he didn't stand a chance with Francis.
    Younger men didn't often go for greyed men like him, unless they had particular needs. Caddock had no interest in playing a role for anyone. It would be best to put the dreams and the man out of his mind—though far easier said than done.
    In a short period of time, the movers had managed to help him pack up the furniture and almost everything else being taken down to Looe. The only items left in his now barren flat were clothes and more personal things, which he preferred to take himself. They would easily fit into his Range Rover.
    After taking stock of his bedroom, Caddock decided to check on his nephew. It was getting late in the day. He chuckled when he spotted the lad napping on a stack of folded clothes near an open suitcase.
    Lifting the snuffling little boy into his arms, Caddock carried him into his own room. They would be sleeping on mattresses for the night. Indoor camping. They'd set out for Looe in the morning, following the last of the boxes going with the movers.
    His parents had initially wanted to be there to help pack and