Stars & Stripes (10 page)

“Well, see, first I took a plane. And then I rented a car. And then after getting lost twice, I found a sign that said ‘Garrett,’ scaled the big-ass gate down by the road, and hitched a ride on a prairie dog here.” He gave a mock frown. “Those things are not as cute and cuddly as you’d think.”

Zane snorted and pulled Ty inside. “Funny guy. Hell, I don’t care how.”

“I caught the first flight out this morning,” Ty said as he stepped into the marble-tiled foyer. “Called in a favor. All my favors, actually. I explained what was going on to Dick, and he’s claiming me for as long as we need to be here so I don’t have to use any comp time. And Alston took the case I was working in exchange for a personal favor of unknown origin later on.”

Zane hugged him again, stunned by the lengths to which Ty had gone to be with him. Ty laughed, his long fingers sliding down Zane’s back. Zane had to force himself to let go. He pushed the door shut behind them and looked down at the red and white Australian Shepherd sniffing at Ty’s ankles.

Ty watched it warily. “Why do they like me?” he whispered in exasperation. “It’s like they smell that I was almost food once.”

“Bullet likes everybody, even me.” Zane leaned over to scratch the dog’s ears and then shoo him away. The dog headed for the stairs, seeking out Harrison. When Zane straightened, it struck him all over again. “I can’t believe you’re here. And I can’t believe how much I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Not enough to trek my ass to Texas, but you sounded . . . I just figured I needed to be here.”

Zane hugged him again. He couldn’t help himself. “It’s just a shitty situation,” he said, glancing toward the kitchen as he released Ty. His mother was around here somewhere. Maybe upstairs in her suite, or in her office. He was surprised she hadn’t come out when the doorbell rang. “But I am so glad you’re here.”

Ty ran his hand down Zane’s arm. Then he shook himself and shrugged his bag off his shoulder, handing it to Zane. “I’ll just make myself at home then.”

Zane took it and dropped it on the floor next to the door. At Ty’s raised eyebrow, he said, “We won’t be staying here. We—”

His mother’s voice rang out from upstairs. “Zane? Who was at the door?”

Zane glanced to Ty and made a rude gesture toward the stairs. “A friend of mine’s here,” he called back, and within a few moments, Beverly Carter-Garrett appeared at the banister halfway around the second floor.

“A friend?” she asked, looking down at them from on high. She paused for effect, and then made her way down the polished wooden staircase, a polite smile in place.

She cut a severe figure on the spiral staircase, her graying hair dyed a harsh black, her smile not touching her blue eyes. She hadn’t been expecting company today, but that hadn’t stopped her from donning a designer pantsuit, high heels, and a string of pearls; her entire life was about outward appearances, and always had been.

“Ma’am,” Ty said with a nod as she came down the stairs.

Beverly tipped her head to one side as she looked Ty over. He was wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt, probably to ward off the blazing heat, and every inch of him was dusty. No way would he pass Beverly’s inspection. He wasn’t wearing a tie, after all. She turned her gaze to Zane as she stopped two stairs from the bottom—a tactic with which he was familiar. It put her at about his eye level. He’d gotten his height from his father and grandfather, so she’d come up with a way to compensate.

“Mother, this is Special Agent Ty Grady. Ty, my mother, Beverly Carter-Garrett.”

Beverly held out her hand, like royalty. Ty took a single step forward and took the tips of her fingers in his, bowing his head in a formal greeting that, for some reason, Zane was shocked to see his partner knew how to do. By the look on his mother’s face, she was both surprised and pleased.

“Hello, Mr. Grady,” Beverly said, voice still polite. “How do you know Zane?”

“I’m his partner, ma’am.”

The warmth and charm that seemed to exude from Ty at all times were missing. He was being gracious, but almost cool to her. It was obvious to Zane that what he’d said about his mother in the past was coloring Ty’s behavior toward her, whether Ty meant for it to or not. But Beverly treated everyone like that. Zane figured she wouldn’t think anything of it.

“His partner?”

“Yes, Mother. And it’s Special Agent Grady, not Mr. Grady.”

“Oh, I see. I wasn’t aware you had a partner, Zane.”

Zane just smiled, not willing to give her a chance to start an old argument. She was baiting him, pure and simple. When she didn’t get the response she wanted, she turned to Ty.

“Please, come in.” Beverly indicated the sitting room to her left. “Tell me what brings you to Texas, Mr. Grady.”

“Well,” Ty said, glancing back at Zane with a furrow of his brow. He was obviously wondering how much he should say, and probably how nice he had to be. Zane waved permissively—
go for it
. “Zane told me his father was shot.”

“And that brought you all the way from Washington?” she asked, sitting primly in the armchair that faced the couch. “Just to see your coworker?”

“Mother, you know full well it’s Baltimore, and Ty’s not just my coworker, he’s a close friend.”

Beverly folded her hands in her lap. “I thought perhaps he’d brought some work for you. You do claim to be important to that place.”

Ty looked between them. He cleared his throat, meeting Zane’s eyes, and he pointed to the bag by the door. He held his hand against his chest, where only Zane could see it, and mimicked holding a gun. “I did bring work.”

“I see,” Beverly said, her voice still cool. “I was under the impression that Zane was to be at
home
with his family.”

“Ma’am, I was under the impression that he’s been at the
hospital
with his family. Weren’t you there?”

The change that came over Beverly’s face was like a storm cloud passing over a clear blue sky. For once, she’d been struck speechless. No one in the area had the nerve to say such things to her, and no one in the family bothered anymore. Zane knew she’d dig in the spurs any chance she got, but he hadn’t expected Ty to shoot back. The pointed words from his partner, and the quiet way Ty was standing up for him, warmed him in a way he knew he should have been ashamed of.

But he needed to curtail it before it went further. He knew what Ty’s sharp tongue was capable of, and he knew his mother. Rather than waiting for the next verbal stab, he turned Ty toward the stairs.

“Mother, I’m going to take Ty to meet Dad. We’ll talk to you at dinner. Come on,” he said to Ty.

Ty turned with him, pausing to nod at Beverly. “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he offered as he followed Zane to the stairs.

“Dinner is at eight o’clock sharp,” Beverly called after them.

Zane didn’t slow until they reached the second story landing and the small sitting alcove that led toward a set of double doors to the outside. He stopped short of opening them and turned to Ty. “That was the first time in years I’ve seen someone do that to her.”

Ty ran his hand down Zane’s arm—a gesture he reserved for when he felt Zane needed comforting. “I’m sorry. It kind of slipped out. I promise I’ll be good.”

“It was spectacular,” Zane whispered, smiling and pulling Ty closer, palming Ty’s lower back as he reveled in the kiss. He couldn’t express in words how much Ty being here meant. “But yeah. Try to be good so she doesn’t banish you, huh? Dad’s a lot easier. And drugged to the gills on pain meds.”

“Right.”

Zane smiled as the rest of his mother-related tension melted away, and he led the way out to the porch. Harrison was sitting right where Zane had left him.

“Hey, Dad, I want you to meet someone.”

Harrison turned his head and watched them approach. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t get up,” he said, his gravelly voice even lower than usual. “This a friend of yours, Z?”

Ty waved his broken hand out by his hip and stepped closer. He held his left out to Harrison. “Ty Grady, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The difference in his tone with Harrison was night and day to his tone with Beverly.

Harrison shook Ty’s hand. He glanced up at Zane and back to Ty. “Z’s partner?”

“Yes, sir.”

Harrison smiled. “Wondered if you’d show.”

Zane blinked. “What?”

“You talk about your partner, Z. You’re closer than you let on.”

Zane glanced at Ty, surprised to feel himself blushing.

Harrison looked at Ty. “You’re playing hooky from work to be here, aren’t you, son?”

Ty smiled. “Yes, sir, I suppose I am.”

“Why is that?”

“Zane’s always there when I need him.” He met Zane’s eyes and added, “What sort of partner would I be if I weren’t here now?”

Zane grinned.

“Have a seat,” Harrison said, waving at two chairs in the informal grouping.

They settled in, and Zane began to relax. Ty had apparently passed his dad’s inspection, and his dad seemed content to let the conversation go at that. He never had been one for idle talk.

Zane looked to Ty. “Did you eat on the way here? We’ve got a few hours ’til dinner.”

“I had three peanuts on the airplane; I’m good,” Ty said, deadpan. “It really is like surface-of-the-sun hot here, huh?”

Harrison snorted a laugh. “Why don’t you two go on and get him settled in. No need to stay here until dinner.” Zane opened his mouth to protest, but Harrison talked right on. “I’m well enough, Z. You’ve been on your feet for days now. Take him and show him the ranch. Get some peace and quiet before dinner comes around and your mother starts in on you again.”

Ty looked to Zane, prepared to take his cues from Zane until he got a feel for the lay of the land. Classic Grady, studying his prey in its natural habitat before striking.

“You know what? I’m going to do that and leave you to face Mom’s wrath,” Zane said, standing up. “Ty put her in her place just now.”

“Did you, now? Would’ve liked to’ve seen that.”

Zane laid his hand on Ty’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll get another chance.”

Harrison chuckled. “Go on. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Okay, Dad,” Zane said as he patted Harrison’s good shoulder.

Ty stood and leaned over to shake Harrison’s hand again. “It’s a relief to see you doing well, sir.”

Harrison cracked half a smile, which told Zane that he liked Ty quite a lot. “Welcome to the C and G,” he said instead of good-bye.

They were driving away from the large colonial-style mansion, and Ty had just remembered to turn his phone back on when Zane spoke again.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Zane said, shaking his head as he guided the truck down the long dirt driveway.

“I was going to call and tell you I’d be coming, but I know you. You’d have tried to come get me at the airport and stressed about it. And I was kind of looking forward to surprising you.”

Zane hit the brakes, veering off the private road onto a flat, sandy piece of land that looked just like all the other flat, sandy pieces of land surrounding them.

“What are you doing?” Ty asked, worried that he might have upset Zane by coming unannounced.

Zane jerked his seatbelt off and threw the truck into park. He left it running, though, the air conditioning blasting to ward off the blazing heat outside. Ty watched him in alarm, but then Zane leaned sideways and crawled across the bench seat to grab him and kiss him messily.

Ty flailed, a hand going out to drag down the window as he tried to keep his balance, but Zane pulled him sideways and twisted him, toppling both of them over and into the passenger side door. He grunted as his head banged against the window, but he wrapped his arms around Zane, heedless of the knock on the head or the whatever-it-was sticking into his back or the seatbelt that might strangle him if Zane pulled him again.

“You’re incredible, you know that? I’m so goddamned lucky to have you,” Zane said before stealing another kiss. Ty could only grunt in response.

He had to shove at Zane’s chest when the kiss got too heated, holding him at bay with both hands, trapped against the door panel and looking up into those dark eyes he’d missed so much. “I refuse to let you grope me in the cab of a truck in your parents’ driveway,” he said, laughing as Zane began to chuckle.

Zane sat back, nodding and straightening his shirt. Ty shifted and pulled at his jeans. They’d gotten far too tight.

“So, if we’re not staying in the big house, where are we staying?” he asked as Zane pulled the truck back onto the road.

“Guesthouse. It’s so much smoother if I’m not under the same roof as my mother.” He glanced at Ty and leered. “And no one to hear you scream.”

“I’m down with that,” Ty drawled, smirking as he watched Zane. He was wearing dark jeans and cowboy boots, paired with a soft blue denim shirt that hugged his slim hips and highlighted his impressive shoulders and arms. The black Stetson on the dashboard had clearly been worn. His wavy black hair had a hat impression in it.

He looked incredible. Ty could feel his heart beating faster as he looked his lover over.

“Say something else,” Ty prompted.

“What?”

“Say something, tell me something else.”