Page 65 of Holding On to a Hero
The next store had a small satchel-type bag that my backpack fit into nicely. Trying on a coat, though, was so painful I broke out into a sweat. The first one fit, so I just left it on. The clerk cut the tags off for me and I was ready to go.
Time to find my men.
* * *
Excerpt from transcript of interview with Richard Graham, William Graham’s father:
Graham: I absolutely will not provide an alibi. And I told my wife not to either. We didn’t do it, but I won’t help you. He deserves to lie in the bed of his own making. I mean, ugh, right? I’m sure a man such as yourself would have no truck with sissy boys like that.
Agent Wainwright: Like what, sir?
Graham: Like that man I used to call my son. Doing perverted things with other men. He probably likes little boys too.
Agent Wainwright: Are you accusing your son of pedophilia?
Graham: I mean, I don’t have proof. I’m just saying, if it happened, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Agent Wainwright: I see. So you are refusing to provide an alibi for the timeframe in question?
Graham: Exactly. I’m refusing. I know my rights. But hey, can you do me a favor?
Agent Wainwright: What’s that, sir?
Graham: You’re in contact with people down in Texas, right? Of course you are. Can you have them tell my daughter that if she repents her life of sin and rejects her brother’s deviant lifestyle she can come home and we’ll take her and her spawn in?
Agent Wainwright: I’m sorry, but that’s not in my job description, sir.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Cole
The encrypted phone pinged and I held my breath. Jason said, “Okay, he sent a photo. He’s got new clothes, and he’s on his way.”
“Thank fuck.” Jason handed me the phone and I drank in the sight of Will. Or what I could see of him, what with the coat, hat and sunglasses. I held the phone to my chest and huddled lower behind the front seats. We’d been parked at a fast food place down the highway until Will let us know he’d landed. Now we were at the rideshare pickup point and I was covered with a fuzzy plaid throw blanket so the casual passerby wouldn’t notice me.
I couldn’t wait to see him. Could. Not. Wait. It wasn’t just that I wanted to hold him and soothe away his hurts and his worries. It wasn’t just that I wanted to lay him out, examine his bullet wound and kiss him all over to make it better. It wasn’t even that I needed to hear his laugh to know he was okay.
It was because Jason and I needed him. If we’d learned anything during these past six weeks, it was that he and I were not meant to be alone together for long periods of time. Looking back, it was easy to see that my acting and travel schedule, and then after my retirement our moving and setting up the ranch, had masked our problems. Any alone time we had was precious, so we made a point to be on our best behavior, considerate and focused on each other’s happiness.
But not now. Now all we’d had was time together. Time to relax around each other. Time to show each other our bad habits. Time to forget to be considerate. To forget each other’s happiness.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all bad. We still loved each other. We still had amazing sex. But I swear, if that man told me what to do one more time, things were going to get real.
But I didn’t forget it takes two to tango. I may or may not have deliberately played up my tendency to leave dirty clothes on the floor just because I knew it annoyed Jason. And I didn’t do it intentionally, but I had a bad habit of leaving the kitchen cabinet doors open. Jason may or may not have hit his head on one a couple of times.
I didn’t expect Will to come in and manage our behavior like some sort of Dom or relationship counselor or anything. And of course going back to our normal lives would improve things again. But even with our limited time together I could tell Will could help even us out. He was someone else to try to be better for. He made us better. With Will, Jason and I would stay together but we could be more. We could be three.
So no, I couldn’t wait.
“There he is!” Jason started the car. “He sees us! He’s coming over!” Jason’s voice was higher than normal. Tension from being vulnerable in public combined with excitement at seeing Will again, probably.
Then his voice changed. “He’s walking funny. Stiff. Shit, I bet his shoulder hurts after the day he’s had.”
“Don’t forget his back,” I added.
“We’re about to find out.” The passenger door opened. It was all I could do to stay still.
“Hey.” Will’s beautiful voice. I heard a bag hit the floorboard of the front passenger seat, then Will sat down and pulled the door shut.
