Alec couldn’t shake the feeling that he should have heard from Tyler by now.

A morning phone call to Doc Gordon, one of the few guys who dealt with even more guys from the racing world than Alec did, had put Tyler on his patient roster for Wednesday.

He hadn’t exactly said why he needed someone else to take over the case, but Dr. Gordon had been more than happy to do it. From what Alec had heard, he’d worked with a few of the biggest names over the last decade, so Tyler’s team management ought to have been happy, too.

Everyone won, right? So why hadn’t Tyler let him know how the appointment went?

It was in Nashville, so he’d given Tyler a few hours to get home—then a few more. Alec’s office was closed for the day, so Tyler was definitely back by now, but… still nothing.

He hadn’t realized how the hours dragged by until now, but his usual routine of coming home and turning on the TV just didn’t cut it anymore. Especially when he was waiting to hear back from his brand-new boyfriend.

As the street lamps flickered on and the sun set, there was no word. “Come on, man,” he mumbled, poking his phone screen for what felt like the hundredth time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

But still no word.

Goddamn it. As his boring evening drew to a close, he finally concluded that he was just going to have to be patient. And maybe get out on that goddamn bike and do something with all this restless energy.

* * *

Not that Tyler was the center of Alec’s life now, but he’d still heard nothing by Thursday afternoon, and it bothered him.

Sure, it wasn’t unusual for them to go a day or two without texting, but having not heard from him since their Monday night together? It was a little weird.

Alec reminded himself that he probably had other commitments. Helping Josh around the farm, or maybe meeting with his family. He seemed like the type who had a loving family.

I’m not jealous, either, he told himself. And he almost believed it.

He’d bought himself a bike to distract himself, but then day after day passed and he hadn’t yet tried it out for any longer a ride than around the block.

He kept his cool as best he could as the work day drew to a close, but Rosie had noticed something was off. She waited until the last patient had left and he’d locked up before flagging him down, mercifully.

“Where did the ants come from?”

“Is this like a what did the fox say thing?” Alec didn’t keep up with memes as much as he could have, but he’d heard that song playing on Rosie’s desktop way too much a few summers ago.

Rosie laughed. “In your pants.”

“Ah.” Alec checked the buttons on his shirt sleeves and tugged them down, avoiding her gaze as he shrugged his jacket off and hung it on the usual peg. He straightened it until it was just so.

“Boy problems,” she surmised. “Boyfriend problems? He didn’t turn you down for the opera, did he?”

“No. No, he… well.” Alec crinkled his nose, trying to think back to that conversation. “I think he accepted. We got a little distracted.”

Rosie snickered. “I’ll say! If you can’t even remember if he said yes!”

Alec swatted at her and then fidgeted with his collar, suddenly embarrassed. Was that too unprofessional of him to have said?

Rosie waved a hand impatiently. “Well?”

“I, um… haven’t heard from Ty since I referred him to Doc Gordon.” Alec frowned.

“The one in Nashville?”

Alec nodded.

Rosie hummed, then glanced at the clock. “If I hurry, I might get through to reception and see if he attended.”

“Oh, I know Ty attended. I sent the doctor an email thanking him and he said it was a pleasure to help.” Alec shook his head. “God knows what he thinks of me passing him off to him…”

“What Doc Gordon thinks, or Ty?”

Rosie’s question was more perceptive than Alec realized at first, as he opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. “Oh. I guess I’m more worried about Tyler.”

“That he thinks you don’t want him anymore? Or you’re worried he doesn’t want you?”

Alec was dumbstruck for a few moments. He didn’t really know how to answer, but his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. His eyes stung, but he blinked rapidly and shrugged as he checked his pockets for his car keys.

He knew he was running from the situation—from his own thoughts—but Rosie let him do it.

“Just something to think about. Don’t let it slip away,” Rosie told him. “And for God’s sake, take off early tomorrow. The last couple hours are empty. Cancellations. I’ll keep them free.”

Alec shook his head slowly. “Why?”

“So you can go find out what’s going on,” Rosie told him patiently.

“Ah.” Alec cleared his throat. The thought of driving up to the farm and finding Tyler there avoiding him… or not there…

“Call him first,” Rosie told him. “Find out what’s happening. Just talk about it, Alec. Like you would a professional problem. It’s okay to talk about your feelings, too.”

He got the feeling she was teasing him, but he couldn’t be sure. He just nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess. Okay, I’m taking off. See you tomorrow.”

Rosie’s advice played on his mind for the whole drive home. He’d already been thinking about it, but something had been stopping him.

Now he knew what: the fear of what Tyler’s answer might be.

It was a hard one to wrap his mind around. It didn’t make sense, but that didn’t stop him feeling the fear.

“Just do it, man,” he mumbled, tapping his steering wheel as he drove on autopilot. “The minute you get home. Don’t put it off.”

Three days without hearing from his brand-new boyfriend seemed like cause enough for a phone call. Hell, it was probably enough for a visit if Tyler didn’t answer.

Just as he’d promised himself, when he walked in the door, he pulled out his phone and didn’t let himself put off the call.

His stomach lurched when Tyler answered on the first ring. “Hey, it’s Ty.”

Alec hadn’t expected that, so he fumbled for words for a few moments. “Ty—hey—um, hi. It’s Alec.”

“Aw, shit. I didn’t text, did I?”

“Nope.” Alec chuckled. “Been thinking you went and fell off a horse.”

Tyler laughed. “I’m smart enough to stay away from things with a mind of their own, aside from cars. Sorry, though. I should have answered.”

“Why? What’s been going on?”

“Lots of work stuff,” Tyler said vaguely. “And then the appointment in Nashville, of course.”

“How was he?”

“He’s… well, he’s not you. But he was all right.”

Alec smiled and sank onto the couch, stopping his pacing. “Yeah? What’d he say?”

Tyler laughed. “Same stuff as you, don’t worry.” His voice turned teasing as he added, “Or am I spying for you? Physio espionage?”

“No,” Alec snorted. “Silly.”

“That I am.”

There was an awkward pause for a few moments. Alec wished he’d dropped by now—it was impossible to read Tyler’s body language. “So, uh. Can I see you this weekend?”

“How about next week?” Tyler hedged. “Like, Monday?”

“Aren’t you going out with the guys Friday?”

“Oh, that’s—that’s not every Friday.”

“I’m sure they said last time that next week—” Alec started, but Tyler interrupted.

“I mean, I don’t go every Friday.”

“Right, right. Monday works for me. The opera is Tuesday night anyway.”

“Tuesday’s a weird day for it. But I should be here—I mean, free that night.”

Another pause while Alec furrowed his brows. Tyler wasn’t thinking of racing again, was he? “You know, no matter what Doc Gordon said, you aren’t fit to get back in the car that soon.” Technically, Tyler probably could sit up for that long, but the heat was climbing and the physical exertion wasn’t just in bursts—it was a constant grind around the track, around and around. He wasn’t confident a healing body could handle that toll.

“Oh, I know my limits.” Tyler sighed, but his voice softened. “I appreciate that you’re worrying about me, though. That’s… nice. New, but nice. I’m sorry I worried you by, um… vanishing.”

Placated, Alec slowly relaxed. “Yeah. Don’t do that again, or I’ll drive over there and smack your pretty little ass.”

Tyler’s gulp was audible. “Uh huh. My… yeah. Uh huh.” He sounded like he was short-circuiting, or perhaps in public. Maybe both.

“Oh, I’ll definitely smack that ass if you want me to,” Alec teased to lighten the mood. “Just say the word.”

“I’m so in public right now, dude,” Tyler mumbled.

“Sucks to be you.”

Tyler burst out laughing. “I… I like you. Even if you’re a dick.”

“I like you too, you dick,” Alec said and laughed again.

The weirdness had smoothed out. He could figure out what the hell all that was about soon, but for now, they were talking.

“Talk to you soon, huh, babe?” Tyler asked. “I’ll call this weekend and catch up.”

“Yeah, please do. I like hearing from you.” Alec missed seeing him in person, but Tyler did have other responsibilities. Unlike Alec, he had a family and friends and… maybe hobbies?

Alec would have to ask sometime. But not until he picked up hobbies of his own, or the conversation would be awkward when it turned to him. Which just got him thinking about his own life again, and he really didn’t want that.

“I will, then,” Tyler promised. “Hopefully I’ll have great news.”

“Oh?”

“I’m working on it.” Tyler sounded like he was up to no good. “More on that soon.”

“Good luck with it,” Alec wished him. He couldn’t think of what it might be, except… maybe investigating the crash. That could get dangerous, if someone seriously did wish him harm. “Be careful.”

“I will. Thanks. Bye, hon.”

“Bye,” Alec bade, smiling at the pet name.

He felt a million times better upon hanging up, but it only took a few minutes for doubt to creep back in.

What was Tyler up to?