by Sara York
He moved close to Tucker and spoke quietly. “What’s going on?”
“Suz is taking Zander for a run.”
“Really?” Mike glanced over to Suz and Zander, noticing how easy they seemed together. “He feels ready?”
Tucker shrugged. “I guess so.”
Marshal approached Suz and Mike moved closer to hear what they were talking about. Tanner was next to him, the scent of sweat and man a pleasing distraction. He glanced at Tanner and stared at his profile while he listened to Marshal.
“Are you sure about this, Zander?” Marshal asked.
The smile on Zander’s face was huge. “Yeah, I need this.”
“Suz, this man is my life,” Marshal said.
Suz held out her hand to Marshal who took it. “Hey, I’m going to take care of him.”
“He’s been—” Marshal stopped talking when Zander shot him a look.
Mike understood Zander’s need to be active. Sure, he’d been through hell and his body was damaged, but the man had to get back into being active or risk losing himself totally, at least that’s how he would feel about it.
“I’ll be fine,” Zander said.
Marshal stepped away, his face white. Suz placed her hand on Zander’s shoulder and met his gaze. No words were exchanged before she nodded to Ryan to start timing them.
The whole crew was watching as Suz and Zander took off. They hit the first obstacle, the parallel bars, and Zander couldn’t do it. Suz lifted Zander, getting him high enough so he had his legs over the bars and scooted forward. It looked awkward, but both Suz and Zander made it through the bars. They made it through the tires and the short wall but hit a snag on the high wall. Suz hooked into Zander’s safety harness and he jumped on her back.
Admiration filled Mike as Suz carried Zander over the wall then helped him down. She paused, bending at the waist to catch her breath. Ten seconds passed before she pointed to Zander and they moved to the low crawl.
Mike wanted to get closer to the action and walked over. He was followed by Tanner then the rest of the guys.
Cheering erupted and something happened in that moment. They were focused on their teammate winning. Their voices combined to one cheer as Zander and Suz began tackling the cargo net. She had Zander clipped on for safety, moving the clip up as they went. She helped him climb, going slow, keeping him steady. Healthy, the cargo net was a bitch to master, injured, the net was freaking impossible. It moved too much, but Suz guided Zander up and over. It was inspiring, and by the time Suz and Zander hit the ground on the other side of the net, he felt tears in the back of his eyes. He wasn’t going to cry, but this was so amazing he couldn’t squelch his emotions.
“Come on, Zander, Suz,” Mike yelled.
The balance logs which zigged and zagged two feet above the ground were difficult, almost as hard on Zander as the rest of the course so far. He tripped twice and fell to the side. Suz caught him each time, helping him to get back up on the logs and stay up.
After the logs, they both took a break, drinking water offered by Grant. The hooyah logs, which were stacked in a pyramid, were hard for Zander, but he didn’t give up. The transfer rope climb almost bested him. But when Zander slipped, Suz was there to catch him. He had a hard time grabbing the ring to transfer to the next rope, but Suz kept him steady.
Mike reached out and grabbed Tanner’s arm at one point. It was an on-the-edge-of-his-seat adventure watching the pair. The dirty name, a low log Zander had to balance on to jump to a higher log, proved to be almost too much and both Suz and Zander ended up in the dirt. They took a novel approach, with Suz steadying him before he leapt for the next rail. The weaver wasn’t too bad since it was just going under then over logs. When they made it to the burma bridge, which was unsteady in the best of situations, he didn’t think Zander was going to be able to continue.
So far, it had taken them fifteen minutes on the course. Zander looked winded, but determined. Suz was right behind him on the rope bridge, making sure he didn’t fall. When his foot missed the rope, the crew all gasped, but Suz caught Zander, keeping him steady.
Tanner slapped him on his back and Mike pulled the man into a hug. He held on, drinking in the feel of Tanner. When he couldn’t justify holding onto Tanner any longer, he let go, missing the connection as he stepped away. Zander needed Suz’s help getting up the platform for the slide for life. Both Suz and Zander made the obstacle look easy. He failed the rope swing, and the balance poles gave Zander trouble, but with Suz’s help, he made it through to the tires. The spider wall was impossible for Zander since the ledge where he had to stand was inches wide. It was something he needed to work on.
Zander had worked his heart out and when he finished with the vaults and made his way to the finish line, everyone was cheering him. Emotions made Mike’s throat close up.
Zander looked so happy having finished the course. Pure joy shown in his eyes when he caught Mike’s gaze. He couldn’t imagine how proud Marshal was of his man. He had to fight the tears springing to his eyes. Seeing Zander accomplish something he’d loved so much but had to give up had him popping goose bumps down his arms. He loved Zander, and because Suz helped him, he felt even closer to her. She’d shown up and displayed the true heart of what team was.
Next up was Grant and Marshal. They helped each other, and Marshal had some difficulties with a few of the obstacles, but they made it through fairly fast. Again, it was amazing to watch them grow together.
Tanner came up behind him and slapped him on the shoulder. “Run it with me.”
Tanner’s request threw him. He’d already run it with a partner, but he figured it wouldn’t do him any harm.
“Sure. You already ran it though, didn’t you?”
“I did, but come on, it’ll be fun.”
Mike laughed and threw up his hands. “Might as well.”
They lined up, getting ready to go. Ryan counted them down and off they went.
“You go first on parallel,” Tanner called out.
Mike ran a little faster and hopped up on the bars. He felt they were making great time and was happy to have Tanner as company on the course. They easily made it over the short wall, and Tanner helped him over the high wall. They worked well together. When they made it to the top of the platform for the slide for life their gazes met and he swore the grin Tanner gave him was full of lust. He ignored the desires and focused on the rest of the course. They finished a little slower than he and Billy had but he’d been fresh when he’d run with Billy.
“That was fun,” Tanner said.
“It was.” Mike moved to the ice chest and grabbed some water. Tanner took a bottle out of the chest and dropped to a chair someone had dragged out.
“I think we could improve on our time together.” Tanner tilted his bottle and took a long draw. Mike watched Tanner swallow, wondering when he’d decided seeing a guy drink water was sexy.
“If we worked together on it, we could.” Mike couldn’t believe he was suggesting they spend time together. Being with Tanner was nice, but it was challenging to keep his desire under control.
“Well, I think it’s a date then. We’ll work together to make our times better.” Tanner finished his bottle of water and stood, his body close to Mike’s.
Mike chuckled. “Did you just talk me into doing the course with you a couple of times a week?”
“Sure did,” Tanner said.
“Okay, it’s a deal. We’ll work together on the course.”
“Awesome. You ready to go in? It looks like everyone is finishing up out here.”
Mike glanced around, seeing most of the guys packing up and heading in. “Sure. Tomorrow is training with Jazz, are you ready?”
“I was born ready,” Tanner said.
Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sure you were. Now then, how about you tell me how ready you are to learn from Jazz.”
Tanner’s face grew serious. “I like Jazz. I mean, I don’t really know everyone here, but I
like you guys.”
“It’s a good group,” Mike said.
“From what I’ve seen, everyone is competent and they’re nice too.”
Mike wondered how Suz and Tanner would fit in with their group. So far, they seemed to be a great addition. Tanner lifted the cooler and slung it over his shoulder. Mike watched him walk away and depression hit. He was getting old and feeling it after running the course multiple times. Tanner acted like he’d just woken fresh from a good night’s rest. Mike’s gaze was drawn to his shoulders and then lower to the V of his torso. The guy was fit, beautiful, and way out of his league.
Tanner put the chest down outside of the garage and turned. He had a broad smile that faded when he looked at Mike.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Mike didn’t want to discuss his issues, mostly because he was embarrassed about how old he was compared to Tanner. The man wouldn’t want to be with him. Any fantasies he had about them hooking up were never going to come true.
“Unh-uh. You don’t get to get away that easily. We’re friends, buddies, brothers here. Right?” Tanner had a look on his face which basically said he wouldn’t put up with nonsense.
Mike wanted to tell Tanner to shut up and mind his own business, but they were family and had proven it today running the course together. “Yeah.”
“Tell me what’s up.”
He sighed and shook his head. “It’s really nothing.”
“Then it should be easy.”
He met Tanner’s gaze and huffed out a breath. “I’m old, okay. There, now you have it. I’m jealous of your age.”
Tanner’s brows bunched together and his lips twisted. “You’re what, thirty-four, thirty-five?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m forty.”
“Oh.” Tanner didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “But that’s still not old. You look young.”
Mike didn’t like how he felt. Didn’t like how being old made him slow. “Sure, I look young, but I slowed you down on the course today.”
Tanner shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.” Mike wiped his hand over his forehead. “I was tired. I’d run the course a couple of times and I was drained. You were still fresh.”
Tanner’s lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. “You’re not old.”
“I feel old. I’m tired after today.”
“So am I.”
Mike waved his hand at Tanner and his gaze traveled down his body. “Just look at you. You don’t look tired. You hoisted the ice chest up on your shoulder and walked over here like it was nothing.”
Tanner looked down at his shoes and then up at Mike. His heart thundered and his fingers tingled as he stared into Tanner’s gaze. He didn’t like the reaction he was having, but he couldn’t stop it.
“You’re older than me, but you’ve had more experience. You’ve earned your place here, I’m still going to have to work my ass off. I can’t even leave to…I can’t go into Colorado Springs or Denver yet. You could head out…You could…” Tanner stopped talking, the expression on his face pained.
Mike stepped closer, his body heating. He wanted to know what Tanner was going to say. Hell, just the thought of the man going into Colorado Springs, finding a woman or another man, getting naked with them and rolling around in bed, their bodies sweaty, made Mike angry.
“What? What would you do if you left? What do you think I would do?” Mike shouldn’t have asked those questions.
Tanner’s face went pink and he looked away. This close, Mike could see the gold flecks in Tanner’s eyes. His lips were pink, full, and puffy—perfect for kissing and more. He wanted those lips on him. The thought shocked him and he stepped back. Tanner glanced away and the moment was lost.
“I’m cooking fish tonight,” Mike grumbled.
“Sure, I’ll be there for dinner.”
Both he and Tanner took a step toward the door at the same time and bumped into each other. He stilled and Tanner met his gaze and swallowed. Mike’s body heated and he clenched his ass as his dick started to fill out. Seconds ticked past. There was no denying what he felt. But he wouldn’t act on it. No way would he act on this. He didn’t need anyone. He wasn’t like the rest of the guys. Fucking some woman in Denver or Colorado Springs every few weeks was enough for him. Sometimes he hooked up with a guy, but not often. But that had to be it. He wasn’t ever going to get involved in a relationship.
He broke eye contact and stepped into the house. There was no way to deal with his need. He didn’t understand, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to understand. Tanner was sexy as hell. Suz was sexy too. He didn’t want Suz though. He wanted Tanner in his bed, making him hot and sweaty.
Chapter Three
Tanner stood under the shower spray, trying to recover from class with Jazz. Sitting in the control room all day with only a few breaks to eat, had worn him out. He felt stupid. How the hell could he keep up with these people? Even Suz seemed to have issues during the class and she was one of the smartest people he’d ever met.
He heard Mike in the bathroom next to him and decided he couldn’t take the temptation while he was so tired. He finished his shower and shut off the water, drying quickly. He dressed in jeans and a light-blue T-shirt which hugged his chest. The shirt was too much, and he knew he should change, but he wanted to look good. He told himself it was only for him, but he was thinking of Mike as he stared at himself in the mirror.
A little disgusted with himself, he flipped off the lights then headed to the kitchen where Roger was busy preparing the meat to grill.
“What have you got?” Tanner asked.
“Some steak and burgers. We also have a little fish Billy caught the other day, and Duff started pork in the smoker this morning.”
“Yum, sounds like a feast.” His stomach rumbled in hunger at the thought of so much meat.
Roger laughed. “We do have a lot of guys here. We eat a lot. Some of the guys are going hunting next week to stock up on more.”
“Cool,” Tanner chuckled and moved to the freezer, looking for the corn. “I’m going to prepare some corn on the cob. I think I saw some in here the other day.”
“Sounds good. I think Matthew is making rolls and someone will roast some vegetables. We have ice cream in the deep freeze and someone made cookies, I think it was Matthew.”
He smiled and rubbed his belly just as he spied the corn. “It’s going to be a good night.”
Roger looked up from his task and his eyes went wide. A grin spread across his face. “You look hot.”
He huffed out a laugh as his body heated. “Um…thanks. I’m just wearing a T-shirt.”
“Hmm, one that hugs you in all the right places.”
“What’s in the right place?” Grant asked as he stepped in.
“Tanner’s shirt.”
Grant lifted his brows. “Looking good. But then you’re young and fit. Of course, you look good.”
He was regretting wearing the shirt but he couldn’t go change now. If he did, Grant and Roger would say something about it tonight. Grant leaned against the counter beside Roger. He placed one finger under Roger’s chin and held his face still while he kissed him. Tanner grew even warmer and had to look away.
Someone else came into the room but Tanner was focused on getting the corn ready to cook. The kitchen and den filled with the men from the ranch and the atmosphere grew jovial. He liked how the guys joked with each other. Suz stepped in and moved to stand next to him.
“You doing good?” Suz asked.
“Of course.” He winked at her then bumped her hip. “How was the class today?”
“Good. Tough. Jazz is smart.”
“That’s the truth,” Billy said.
A couple of guys laughed. It was the truth, Jazz was probably the smartest person on the ranch.
“I just study a lot,” Jazz said, his voice slow and a country twang was emphasized as he spoke.
“You’ve always been smart, or at
least a smartass,” Matthew said.
“Ha, you’re just jealous because I got this smoking body.”
Tanner paused, holding his breath. Jazz’s body had been blown up. He didn’t know whether to laugh or not.
“It was smoking when I found you.” Matthew chuckled and leaned in, kissing Jazz on the top of the head. His words had been sarcastic, but the look in his eyes was full of love.
Jazz met Tanner’s gaze. “I was probably smoking when he found me. Damn assholes tried to blow me up, but I bounced back, or I at least bounced on the dirt before I just laid there waiting for someone to find me.”
Tanner shook his head and chuckled at Jazz’s dark humor. “You’ve got a good attitude about what happened.”
“Have to. I don’t have my leg. I’m injured, no hiding from it. I see the scars every day. I can either be happy and deal with the facts or be miserable.” Jazz didn’t look angry or sad, just normal.
Suz stepped away from Tanner and over to Jazz. He wondered what his sister was going to do but he held his tongue.
“One day when we’re not celebrating getting out of your bitching hard class, I want to hear about what happened. I helped Zander get through the course yesterday not because I thought he needed my help, but I really do believe in helping my team members achieve everything they can. I’d like to find out what you want to do to challenge yourself and help you achieve your goals.”
Jazz leaned in and kissed her cheek. His smile was wide and his actions made Suz smile too. “Thank you, and thanks for helping Zander. I’ve got to say, it was inspiring.”
“We really are only as strong as our weakest link. People get the meaning wrong, they think everyone has to be strong. It’s not the individuals who have to be strong, but our relationship to each other that needs to be strong. If we have strong links, strong connections, it makes us stronger.”
He pulled her into a hug. “I think you’ll get along quite nicely here.”
Tanner was glad the guys were giving his sister a chance. She’d been treated unfairly by the FBI. They’d grown up hard, hell, his dad had been an asshole, and yet his sister had persevered. She was amazing.