by Megan Slayer
“Nothing. He didn’t touch us or anything. I made sure he wasn’t alone with Darcy after that.” Chris’ gaze didn’t waver. “I think he had a boyfriend before you split up. A guy in Japan or something. Tai? Kai? I don’t know. But it was right before he left for good.”
“And you never said anything because of what he’d threatened?” Bobby asked.
“Yeah. You seemed happy,” Chris said. “Not like now. After a while, I didn’t trust Terry. That’s why I didn’t want him to go on runs with us. That’s why I made sure he wasn’t alone with Darcy in the pool.”
“You took on a lot, kid.” He rounded the island and hugged his son. Tears burned at the back of his eyes. “I wish I’d known.”
“I don’t get the skeevy vibe from Remy, Dad. He’s cool.” Chris nodded and pulled away from Bobby. He wiped his face with the back of his hand. “Call him. Make sure Remy’s okay.”
“Chris.” Fucking balls. “I will.” He’d been so clueless with his own kids. He’d failed at keeping them safe. He wasn’t sure what Terry had done or told them, but still. His children deserved more.
“Remy’s a decent guy. You should go out with him more. He’d be good dad material.” Chris shrugged and strolled out of the room. “Call Remy,” he shouted.
Considering what Chris had just told him and the decorations on his lawn…he wasn’t a happy camper. He flipped through the pages on his phone until he got to the one with Terry’s information. The bastard. No one fucked with his kids. He erased Terry as a contact and the photos he’d left on the phone. Fuck that shit. He’d keep his kids in a damn bubble if that was what it took to keep them safe.
He sank onto the closest chair. Bubbles, no matter how indestructible, weren’t going to keep everyone out. Sooner rather than later, his kids would be adults and free to make their own decisions.
He wished he could trust his own judgment. He’d figured Neil out pretty fast, and once he’d gotten a bead on Helene, he’d realized the relationship wouldn’t end well. But Terry… He’d thought Terry was a good man, but instead he’d been good at hiding his true self. Bastard.
Could he trust Remy the way he’d trusted Terry? He wasn’t sure. Still, he liked the man and needed to know Remy was okay. He dialed Remy’s number and waited. Fifteen rings before the call went to voicemail. Maybe he was still in the meeting. Bobby waited a few moments then called again. The least he could do was leave a message. Another fifteen rings and the call went to voicemail. He tried a third time and got the same result.
Bobby left his chair and strode into the living room. He stared at the flags waving in the early afternoon breeze. If they hadn’t been painted on, the little rainbows would’ve looked kind of cool against the green grass. He gripped the phone and folded his arms. He had to do something. The town had to get involved. He snorted. If everyone in Cedarwood who wasn’t connected with the Coalition put flags in their yard, then the whole town would be blanketed with rainbows. Sure, not everyone in Cedarwood was for the LGBT community, but still. No one would know the difference between the gay households and the straight ones. He chuckled. Wouldn’t that be a sight? No way to be sure, so no way to label. Realization struck, and he snapped his fingers. That was what he needed to do—let the flags rain all over the city.
“Mom?” He made his way over to the steps. “Mom?”
She appeared at the top of the staircase. “Hold on.” Once she reached the bottom, she sat on the third step. “What’s wrong?”
“What if we got everyone in Cedarwood pride flags? Like everyone who is part of the LGBT community and those who support it, or even for those who just don’t support the Coalition?”
“Pepper the town with the rainbow?” She rested her hands on her knees. “Could be good. I’m sure my friends would take part. Your father and I would.”
Chris trotted down the steps. “I can help Grandma find flags on the Internet.” He sat beside her. “I want to help. She probably needs the tech assistance, and besides, you taught us not to be afraid of who we are. I’m not afraid.”
His respect for his son grew by leaps and bounds. Hell, his respect for his mother increased too. He hadn’t expected either one to get involved.
“We’ll go upstairs and look for the flags. If you can, call that single dad group. I’m sure they’d want to know about this.” His mother winked, then stood. Chris ran up the stairs first and she followed.
Oh boy. Colin would definitely want to know. He’d call him next. First, he wanted to try Remy again. He hit the Redial button and waited. After three rings, he considered hanging up. Instead, he got through.
“Hi,” Remy said. “Are you home?”
His voice sounded ragged and broken. Bobby stomped into the living room. “Where else would I be? What’s wrong?”
“I’m at the hospital.”
“What?” He gripped the phone tight. “What happened?” His heart hammered and his chest ached. He wiped his free hand on his pants leg. “How?”
“I got the interview. The Coalition was happy to talk to me. They took complete credit for the flags. Got some wonderful quotes too.” Remy grunted. “I hadn’t planned on talking to them, and I wasn’t really prepped for the interview—I didn’t have my contacts in or a button-down on. I wore my shirt that says ALL SHADES OF THE RAINBOW WELCOME. They were glad to talk to me, but when I left, no one followed me out. I should’ve been concerned, but I—I wasn’t. When I got into my car, someone had stuffed something in the exhaust pipe. I noticed it and took the chunk of whatever—potato I think—out. I tossed it into the nearby trash, and when I turned to get into the car, a man from the Coalition sucker-punched me. I’m waiting for the X-rays, but the doctor doesn’t think anything’s broken. I’ve got a shiner, and my jaw is killing me.”
“Babe.” Fucking hell. What in the name of God is the world coming to? “Mom’s here. Want me to come get you? Did you call the police?”
“Your dad’s here. The Coalition headquarters aren’t far from the police station, so I drove over there. They’ve got my car.” Remy’s voice cracked again. “Man, I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? Jesus. You were doing your job. So you wore the wrong shirt? That doesn’t mean you should have the hell beat out of you.” Bobby clenched his fist. “I’m glad you got to the police department.”
“Me, too. Your dad and another officer took me to the hospital. I guess they’ll keep my car in their impound lot, and Chief’s driving me home. Can I come over instead?”
“I’d be pissed if you didn’t.” Bobby closed his eyes. “You’re in good hands with Dad.”
“I’ll call you back or text you before I leave,” Remy said. “The doctor’s here.”
“Of course.” Bobby disconnected the call and opened his eyes. He needed to call Colin. Sure, his father was on the case, and if he knew his dad, the person responsible for hurting Remy would be brought to justice. But the whole situation had become bigger than him or Remy or even the LGBTQ support group. The whole town was in chaos because of a few devout people stuck fast in their hate.
Things needed to change—right now.
Chapter Nine
Remy winced as he slid onto the back seat of the police cruiser. He preferred having room to stretch out, but being transported in the back of an official vehicle kind of sucked. For all anyone on the outside knew, he’d done something wrong. Was that the kind of image the LGBT community and The Tribune wanted to share? Not in the least.
Still, he wasn’t in any shape to drive anywhere. His ribs ached from the punch, his face felt like someone had played the bongos on him and his head throbbed. What a great way to spend my afternoon.
His phone buzzed. He swiped his thumb across the screen to answer the call. Wearing his contacts might have been a good idea that morning, but he hadn’t planned on doing an interview. God, he was in sad shape.
“Hello?” he asked. “This is Remy.”
“Hi, Rem.”
He settled against the seat back. M
aureen. He could handle talking to her right now. “What’s shakin’, baby?” He didn’t sound like his normal self and hated it. He wanted the whole damn situation to go away.
“I heard you went to the ER. Please tell me it’s nothing important? You’ve got all your pieces, right?” she asked.
“They’re all there. Some are a little bruised and tender, but I’ll live.” Thank God the X-rays proved he hadn’t sustained any broken bones. “But this is the second direct attack on members of the LGBT community.”
“Do you have your notes on the Coalition story?”
“Yeah, but what’s that got to do with anything? They fucked me up.” He hated to be blunt with her, but his restraint was gone.
“I know, honey. I’m sorry it happened. If I knew who it was, I’d go kung fu on their collective asses.”
He snorted. “You don’t know kung fu.”
“No, but I’d learn. You’re a good man, Remy Nicholas. Just because someone busted you up doesn’t mean you can’t get the story done.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Mr. Novack wished he had cameras there to witness the attack. Said it would make a great spread for the front page.”
Wonderful. He didn’t want his broken face all over The Tribune . “Sorry.”
“That said, he’s behind you. Write the story. The interview. Their side. All of it. Then write about your attack. I’ll polish for you, and we’ll get it in The Tribune . This can’t go unchecked.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I should have it in by now, and I don’t have anything done.” He rested his head against the back of the seat. “This is a mess.”
“No, you were hurt. Rest and see if you can get the story done tomorrow. You need to get your head in the game before you can write that, and if that means TLC with that hot boyfriend of yours, then you do that.” She laughed. “I’ll call you later.”
“Bye.” He hung up and sighed. He hadn’t expected that phone call. He figured he’d be looking for a new job. Mr. Novack and the other heads of the paper didn’t talk to the staff much. Maybe he should’ve been thankful, but the lack of communication could royally suck. Still, Maureen said he had his job and an extension on the Coalition story. He should’ve asked her who was handling the flag story, but dropped his phone onto his lap. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about the Coalition or their crap right now.
“We’re here.” Chief Gagnon climbed out of the car first, then opened the door for Remy. “I’m guessing Bobby’s worried sick about you.”
“Probably.” His stomach soured. Bobby. He’d spoken to his boyfriend not long ago and explained his current situation. That didn’t bother Remy. No, the memory of what he’d said before he left to do the interview came to mind. He’d told Bobby he loved him. They weren’t that far into the relationship, and he’d jumped the gun. He doubted Bobby would cool things between them right now, seeing as he was fucked up, but once he got better he could probably count on Bobby ushering him out of the door and his life.
He winced as he headed into the house. Bobby waited in the kitchen. His mother came down the stairs and slapped both hands over her mouth.
“Mom.” Bobby wrapped his arm around Remy’s waist, then turned his attention to the chief. “You’re on this, right?”
“I’m not, but I’ve got Delaney going over the scene. He found the hunk of potato that was in the exhaust. Useless for fingerprints, but it’s still evidence.” Chief Gagnon pointed to the living room. “Why don’t you take care of him? I’d like to see the kids.” He hooked his arm around his wife’s, then made his way to the second floor.
Remy sagged against Bobby. “Honey, I’m home.”
“You are.” Bobby walked Remy to the front room and helped him onto the couch. “What’s hurt? Ribs? Your poor face? What else?”
“My face is normal,” he said, trying to make a joke and smile. “Maybe they made it better.”
“No.” Bobby knelt between Remy’s legs. “Hey.” He curled his fingers under Remy’s chin and tipped Remy’s gaze. “Dad won’t let them get away with this. Promise. He’s highly respected and damn good at his job. If he has Delaney on the case, they’ll get it figured out.”
“I know.” The truth was, he didn’t know. The depression hit him hard. Not the wishy-washy, this-won’t-end-well depression, but down-to-his-soul sickness. Nothing looked positive at the moment.
“I’ve got a huge bed and you’re staying. The kids know we’re together and gave us their blessing. Mom and Dad have a pretty good idea what’s going on, and they don’t care.” Bobby brushed his thumb across Remy’s bottom lip.
“I told you I love you,” he blurted. Well, shit. He’d said it again.
“Do you?”
“Love you? I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” He grasped Bobby’s hand. “I’m a mess at relationships.”
“You’re doing fine.” Bobby rose up on his knees and feathered a light kiss to Remy’s lips. “You’re braver than I could ever be.”
“How?”
“You admitted what you wanted and how you felt with abandon. You go for the things you want—like the interview and me. You probably see yourself as not good enough, but you’re better than good enough. You’re awesome.” Bobby kissed him again. “I’m glad to be with you.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh.” Bobby grinned. “Let’s get you some soup. I’ve got news for you too. Stay there.”
Remy blew out a long breath. News? “Like what?”
“Hang on.” A few minutes later, Bobby returned with a bowl resting on a plate. “Okay. All I’ve got is canned chicken noodle, but it should help. It’s warm and nourishing and makes the kids feel better when they’re sick.”
“Thanks.” He accepted the food and rested the plate on his lap. “I’m not dying.” He hated to sound ungrateful, but he’d been beaten up. He wasn’t hanging on the edge of death.
“I know. Just— It’s making me feel better…like I can control something.” Bobby shoved his hands into his back pockets. “This isn’t my forte. I help, but I know what’s going on. Right now, I have no idea which side is up.”
“I understand.” He was more than a little mixed up too.
“Let me check on the kids.” Bobby hurried out of the room again, leaving Remy in silence.
Remy held on to the bowl and sighed. His head ached, and the meds weren’t kicking in. According to the doctor, he wasn’t showing signs of concussion, so that was a plus. Still, he hurt all over. He forced himself to eat some of the soup. Bobby had gone to the trouble of making it, and at least he cared. The broth burned down his throat but was oddly comforting. He’d forgotten he hadn’t eaten all day. No wonder his stomach growled. He devoured half the soup before Bobby returned.
“You’re hungry.” Bobby grinned. “That’s a good sign.” He sat beside Remy. “I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never had this kind of an incident with a boyfriend before.”
“Neither have I.” Remy finished the soup and placed the bowl and plate on the coffee table. “Once we get past the naked time, they don’t hang around. I tend to deal with a lot of stuff on my own.”
“Well, you’re not alone.” Bobby patted Remy’s thigh. “Mom and Dad are leaving soon. Chris got the call that the 5k was postponed. No make-up date yet.”
“Probably just as well for the run. The community is on edge.” Remy folded his hands on his stomach. “You should’ve seen the people coming out of the police department when I was there. I couldn’t tell if they were afraid of me or afraid for themselves.”
“A little of both.” Bobby rested his elbows on his knees. “What if everyone had a flag? Or a bunch of those little flags? No matter what our color, we’re all represented and we’re not differentiating?”
“Us or the supporters?” Remy shrugged. “It’s a good idea, but will too many people be scared and unwilling to go along even if they agree? I can see the situation a couple of different ways. Some people would take part no matter what. Some would want to, but
the outcry from the Coalition would be enough to keep them quiet. Then there were the ones who would have no part in any of it. Regardless of how they felt, they’d stay out. Lastly, there are the devotees of the Coalition. They’d do whatever they felt was necessary to keep the town…clean. Are we willing to risk riling all those people up?”
“I don’t think Cedarwood is as homophobic as the Coalition wants everyone to think.”
Bobby could be right but Remy didn’t believe so. “Okay, well, whatever the plan—I’m in.”
“Yeah?” Bobby smiled again. “The LGBTQ support group meets tonight, but Colin probably won’t want to get everyone together after…” He nodded to the picture window. “I’ve got a better idea. I want to have the meeting here. You can report on it and take part without having to go anywhere. Plus, it’s safer here.” He stood. “Where’s my phone?”
“If Colin and company are fine with it, then sure.” Remy sighed. He had the feeling that no matter what he said, Bobby’s mind was made up. That was part of what he liked about Bobby.
Remy waved as Bobby darted out of the room. He should probably take the soup bowl to the sink. Should also be working on his story for the paper. Fuck. He hated to be late. He worked hard to ensure all of his stories made it without going over his deadlines. Then the Coalition happened. He managed to stand and carried the bowl to the kitchen. Bobby hardly noticed him as he passed.
Remy grabbed his messenger bag and hoped to God his tablet was intact. He returned to the couch and opened the front flap of his bag. The device and keyboard seemed to be in working order. He opened the folio case and turned on the Wi-Fi. Once the tablet recognized the keyboard, he pulled up a blank document.
A CITY ON THE EDGE
He liked the title for the article. Bold and a little scary, but great for gaining the attention of his readers. He started working on the piece. The words came to him fast and furious. Within a few minutes, he had the first draft of the story nearly done. He read it over and twiddled with some of the lines until he liked what he’d written. The piece was informative and unbiased, just like he wanted. According to his notes, the Coalition had taken complete responsibility and weren’t above doing so again.