Round and Round (14 page)

Kevin glared at his friend, who had the decency to appear ashamed. “I’m fine, Dad. The police are on it, and so is the fire department. So nothing is going to happen to me. But if it will make you feel better, I’ll stay with Angus.” It clearly didn’t make James feel much better. And Angus couldn’t blame him, but he understood why Kevin hadn’t wanted to live at home with his dad. “I’ll be perfectly safe with my own personal firefighter to watch over me.”

Was that a hint of heat in Kevin’s gaze, or mischief?

“Kevin,” James began in a fatherly tone. “I think it would be better if you came home for a while.”

“Dad, I’m old enough to make my own decisions. Besides, you have your life to live, and I don’t want to cramp your style.” Kevin turned to Angus with a huge smile. “My dad has turned out to be quite popular with the ladies in the neighborhood. A number of houses have sold recently, and they all seem to be to divorced women who have eyes for my dad.”

“I’m not dating—” James said.

“Then you should be. Mom left a long time ago, and you need to find someone to make you happy. Even if it’s just for a night.”

“Kevin!” James exclaimed, but he was definitely blushing. Angus didn’t think James was as lonely as he wanted his son to think. “I do have a life of my own.”

“Outside work?”

“Yes.” James nodded. “And that’s enough shifting the conversation away from what you don’t want to talk about. He’s an expert at that,” he said to Angus and Zach. “I remember when he used to bring home his report cards. I’d check over the grades and ask him about the C in gym, and of course he’d point out that he got an A in math.”

“The math did me a lot more good than concentrating on archery and volleyball in PE class,” Kevin observed. “Now who’s the one changing the subject?” It took only a few minutes to see that these two were very much alike.

Kevin lay back and closed his eyes. The conversation died pretty much away as Kevin dozed off for a while. James turned on the television and found a movie that drew their attention until Kevin gasped, jerked awake, and began coughing before choking out, “He was there.”

Angus felt a chill run up his spine even though he had no idea what Kevin meant.

“WHAT DO
you mean? Who was where?” his father asked.

Kevin turned to Angus. “He was outside the apartment building. I just remembered.”

“Okay,” Angus soothed, and Kevin smiled. He loved the sound of his voice. “Tell me what you remember.”

“Well, things were really fuzzy, but a little while before the fire started a man came to the door. He said he was from the gas company and needed to read the meter for the building. I didn’t think about it at the time, but now I remember the same guy was watching the fire. He stood back in the crowd, but was watching things. It had to be him.”

“Can you remember what he looked like?”

“Yeah, he looked like the gas man. I didn’t take a good look at him. I mean, who memorizes what the gas man looks like? He was a little older than me, I guess, and sort of plain-looking. I wouldn’t have dated him unless I found out he had a really nice personality and made me laugh. He was the kind of guy you see and forget. Really ordinary.”

“That isn’t helping much, I’m afraid,” Angus said, and Kevin huffed softly. He wasn’t sure what else to tell him.

“I’ve never seen him before, but if there’s footage of the scene, I can probably pick him out. Can you call Officer Grumpy and see if he can help? Things were hazy after the fire, but I remember him now because he kept watching me.” Kevin shivered when he thought about him. “He was creepy.”

“Okay. I’ll call Officer Grumpy, otherwise known as Antonio, and tell him what you’ve remembered. He’ll probably come down to see you tomorrow with some more questions.” Angus squeezed his hand, and Kevin smiled. He liked Angus’s hands, rough from work, and he tried not to think how those hands had felt when they’d roamed over his thighs and chest. He didn’t need to be sporting wood with blankets this thin.

“Take it easy, and I’ll pass along the information.” Angus got up and left the room.

Kevin watched him go and then turned to Zach. “He has a better butt than Bull.”

Zach play growled. “You aren’t supposed to be looking at Bull’s butt.”

“Come on. You didn’t look at Angus’s?” Kevin challenged, and Zach smiled. “Of course you did, and you gotta admit Angus’s is better. More bubbly.”

“I really don’t need to know this,” Kevin’s dad said. “Is this the kind of thing you guys do on a regular basis? Go around talking about and comparing people’s butts?”

“No,” Kevin said. “We only talk about guy’s butts. Not girls.” He rolled his eyes when his dad paled a little.

“It sounds like the kind of conversation two golden retrievers would have,” his dad said.

“That’s funny, Dad,” Kevin said and turned back to Zach. “Angus still has the better butt.”

“If all you’re going to do is talk like that, I’m going to go home for the night,” his dad said. “Zach got you a new phone, and you know my number, so call me if you need anything. If you can tease and make jokes, you’re feeling better.” His dad stood and leaned over the bed, kissing him on the forehead. “And for the record, Bull has a better butt.” His dad straightened and left the room without another word. Kevin could have heard a pin drop until Zach started laughing. Kevin wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with that pronouncement, and he did his best to keep from laughing, though it was hard.

Angus came back into the room. “What did you do to your dad? He looked shell-shocked.”

“We were having a discussion about butts, and it got to be a little too much for him. We may have chased him off,” Kevin explained and reached for his tray. “I got a new phone, thanks to Zach, so would you put your number in it for me?” Kevin handed it to Angus, who typed in his number and then set the phone back on the tray.

“Officer Grumpy will be here first thing in the morning.” Angus smiled. “I’m going to have to be sure to use that to my best advantage someday. Now, it’s getting late, and if you want to get better, you need to sleep.” Angus walked to the door and turned out the overhead light. “Go ahead and rest. I can see you’re tired, and fighting to stay awake isn’t good.”

“When did you go to medical school?”

“Smartass,” Angus told him with a smile. “Zach is going to go home and get some rest so he can come back in the morning, and I’m going to stay here with you for now.” Angus sat in the chair next to his bed. “If I can sleep in a firehouse dorm with half a dozen snoring men, I can sleep in a hospital chair.”

Zach stood and said good night, hugging him carefully before leaving the room. Kevin lay back in the bed and tried to breathe evenly. He was having trouble because Angus was so close and that always got his heart going. “I’m not really sleepy.”

“Yes, you are. You’ve been yawning since I got here, and sleep is the best thing for you. It’s going to take time for your lungs to get better, but if you want to go home, you need to sleep.” Angus leaned closer. “Besides, they’re going to be in a few times during the night to check on you, so sleep while you can.”

Kevin sighed and then coughed a little. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep with Angus sitting in the chair next to his bed. But after a few minutes he didn’t remember anything until a nurse woke him for breakfast.

KEVIN WAS
sick of lying down by the time he was released from the hospital late the following day. Angus’s friend had gotten him a line on a couple of places, and he was scheduled to see them in a few days, but until then, well, he’d been pulled in two different directions. His dad still wanted him to stay with him. The prospect wasn’t a happy one. He loved his dad, but living with him again was not his idea of fun, so he’d decided to take Zach and Bull up on their offer of their guest room. The hospital staff insisted he leave in a wheelchair. Dad came to pick him up, and Kevin sighed as the orderly rolled him out of the hospital toward the curb.

As they exited the building, Angus strode toward him with a huge smile. “Hey, cutie,” he called.

Kevin loved that he called him that sometimes. It made him feel special. “I thought you had to work,” he said.

“I was able to trade shifts for a few days. One of the guys owed me a favor. So I came to get you, but I see you already got… sprung.”

“Kevin, you need to rest,” Dad said. “You could rest all you want at the house.”

“I know. But you’re an hour away from all my friends, and I will have to go back to work. I’m going to stay with Zach and Bull. They offered me their guest room. I told you that already. I’ll be fine. Zach is at work right now, and Bull had some things to do at the club, so maybe Angus can take me to his place, and then Zach will pick me up after work.” He sounded like a whining child even to his own ears. “I can make my own decisions, Dad. I know you’re trying to help, but sometimes you don’t listen.”

“I’m worried about you,” his dad said.

“I know. But you have your own life, and I’ll be fine.” They had told him he needed to take it easy and not do anything strenuous. Kevin hugged his dad hard. “I love you very much, you know that.”

“I know.” His dad hugged him in return. “You can’t blame me for wanting to keep you safe.” Kevin always felt like that in his dad’s arms. For a long time it had been just the two of them, and it would be so easy to just go home and hide out from the world. “I hate the thought that someone is out to hurt you.”

“I do too. But staying with you is only geography. If someone wants to find me, they will. Bull is a formidable protector, and he’ll keep me safe. Angus is a fireman. He’s the antiarsonist. So I’ll be fine.” He stepped away from his dad. He felt alone in some ways, and though his dad was an amazing guy, Kevin needed to work, and commuting from his dad’s wasn’t the most pleasant prospect. Not when Bull and Zach were ten minutes away.

“Like I said, you can’t fault me for trying.”

Kevin hugged his dad again. “Actually, I love you for it.” He lifted the plastic bag that carried the few things he owned in the world. Most of them Angus had gotten for him. His dad had given him a check and some gift cards so he could buy things he needed. “I’ll call you later today.”

His dad smiled and walked out toward the parking lot. Kevin had to fight the urge to go with him. He waved, and then Angus directed the orderly to push Kevin’s wheelchair to his car, which was parked in the first row, right in front. “One of the benefits of being emergency personnel.”

Angus unlocked the trunk and car and put Kevin’s bag in the back as Kevin stepped away from the wheelchair. He thanked the orderly for his help, and the orderly took the wheelchair back into the hospital.

“Do you want to go rest? I can take you back to the house,” Angus said.

“God, no. If I lie around and do nothing for two seconds longer, my head is going to explode. I need to get some more clothes if I can, and then I have to call my insurance company. Bull had talked me into getting renter’s insurance. I never thought I had anything worth insuring, but now I see the beauty of it. At least I’ll be able to replace my things when I get another place. Not that I had all that much….” He got in the car, and Angus walked to the other side.

“I’ll take you to Macy’s. But we can’t stay too long. I don’t want you to get worn out.” Angus started the car and drove to the mall. It felt good to breathe nonantiseptic air once again. Angus parked close, and they walked inside. Kevin knew the store by heart and went right to the men’s department. He got two pairs of jeans and a pair of khaki pants, some shirts he could wear to work, and a few pullovers. He got a light jacket as well.

“Don’t you need to try anything on?” Angus asked him.

“No. I know my sizes in these clothes.” He grabbed a Nautica shirt in light blue that he knew would look good on him and then stopped by the shoe department. Kevin smiled when Angus took his latest purchase and added it to the growing pile he was carrying.

“Is this enough?” Angus asked.

“You don’t like shopping?”

“No. I’d rather be doing something fun,” Angus huffed.

Kevin took pity on him and motioned toward the register. He was already tiring, so he pulled out the gift card his dad had gotten him, paid for the clothes, and waited while they were bagged.

Angus took the bag and guided him out of the store. “I can tell you’re tired.”

“Yeah, I am.” He got in the car and let Angus put everything away. Then they drove to Angus’s house and unloaded the car. Well, Angus unloaded the car, but only after getting Kevin inside and seated on the sofa in front of the television. It was nice being cared for, and Kevin listened as Angus trooped back down the stairs to the car.

“Make yourself at home,” Angus told him, and Kevin nodded and yawned. There was a blanket draped across the back of the sofa. It was light and soft. He tried not to yawn again, but ended up pulling the blanket over his shoulders to keep out the air-conditioned chill. He rested his head back, and soon his eyelids got too heavy to hold them open.

Eventually he felt Angus guide him down onto the sofa. He stretched out and curled up under the blanket, falling deeper into sleep when Angus turned down the volume of the television. Something about cooking hovered at the edge of his dreams, and he figured it must have been the television. Not that he really cared.

When he woke, Zach was sitting at Angus’s table, and Kevin heard soft conversation. “How long have you been here?” Kevin asked Zach as he slowly sat up.

“Just a few minutes. We didn’t want to disturb you.”

“I was talking to Zach—he has some ideas for the simulator,” Angus said.

Kevin yawned. “He’s awesome with graphics and things.” He stood, feeling a little wobbly for a few seconds and then steadying. He walked to the table and sat down. “I think I should eat.”

Angus went to the refrigerator and got out various dishes. He set them on the table and opened the lids: chicken salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw…. “I sometimes cook when I’m worried.” He got plates as well and passed them out. Kevin took a little of each dish and ate slowly. He figured if he didn’t, Angus would try to feed him, from the way he was hovering.