by Lynn Stark
“Sweetheart, that was fantastic,” Fallon murmured against his skin.
“Yes, it was,” Hank agreed.
The best part of it was that no one had knocked on the door. Privacy was a wonderful thing.
Chapter Eight
Hours later, Hank was whistling as he headed out to his car. Although Fallon hadn’t suggested he leave, Hank felt he should do so before his coworkers showed up for work. He wasn’t quite sure how they would feel if they learned he was sleeping with the boss. It might make things very uncomfortable for everyone concerned. Hank didn’t want anyone to resent Fallon if they believed he was playing favorites among his employees. After all, they hadn’t exchanged any words of love, commitment, or permanency to their relationship. For all Hank knew, last night had been the one and only time they would ever be together. If that was the way it was going to be, he didn’t want his work experience to be a bad one.
Hank stopped dead when he opened the rear door of the building and saw three police vehicles and a half dozen police officers, including Reagan, the owner of the house where he lived, and a K-9 officer. The dog was being held back, but it was obvious he was very excited by something and was barking at Zippy.
All eyes turned on Hank. Taking a deep breath, he hurried forward. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing good,” Reagan told him grimly. “We received a tip that you were transporting a large quantity of heroin. Will you give your permission for us to search your car? Or do we need to get a warrant?”
Confused, having no idea where such an outrageous claim would have come from, Hank nodded. “Sure. Go ahead. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Five minutes later, Hank was asking for a lawyer and being handcuffed. He only uttered one denial. His disbelief was so great when the drugs were found that he was basically rendered speechless. Terror shot through him.
“We’ll get you a good lawyer,” Reagan told him gently in a quiet voice. He guided him to one of the large SUVs used by the sheriff’s department. “Now remember your rights.”
Hank was all for that. He remained silent as he was taken around the square to the sheriff’s department. He was searched again, his finger prints were taken, as was his booking photo before he was led to a room with a table and four chairs. The handcuffs were removed, and the deputy left without a word, leaving Hank alone with the sheriff.
“Sit down and don’t move,” Sheriff Evans told Hank, his voice rough. The playful man from the night before had disappeared. The man wasn’t bored anymore. “Your lawyer will be here shortly.”
There was no clock in the room, but after his ass lost all feeling, Hank guessed he had been there about three hours when the door opened and a man walked in. Hank didn’t recognize him, not that that meant anything. There were still a lot of people in town that Hank didn’t know.
“I’m Brodie Fitzhugh. I’m your lawyer,” he told Hank in the same grim voice everyone else had used that day.
Except for Fallon. Fallon had almost sounded as if he loved Hank when they woke and found themselves staring into each other’s eyes, their faces close on the pillow they shared. Fallon had greeted Hank in the sexiest manner he had ever heard. It was something to hold onto, although he doubted Fallon would talk to him after this, if he couldn’t clear his name.
Hank frowned, looking over the expensive gray suit the man wore. “I can’t afford you.” He watched as an equally expensive-looking briefcase was placed on the table and opened. Brodie took out a notepad, a small tape recorder, and a pen. Then he sat down across the table from Hank.
“Maybe not, but I’m still your lawyer, unless there’s someone else you want to call?” he asked, a dark blond brow rising. The man was very tan, as if he didn’t spend much time locked away in an office.
Ducking his head, Hank kept his lower lip from quivering. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “I don’t know anyone else.” Lifting his head, he looked Brodie straight in the eye. “I don’t know where those drugs came from. I was in a hurry last night. I have a bad habit of leaving Zippy unlocked. It’s not like Silver is a high crime area, so I don’t worry about it.”
“Zippy is your car?” Brodie asked, not looking up. He didn’t seem surprised that Hank had named his car.
“Yes.”
“Why were you in such a hurry that you wouldn’t secure your car, even in a place as nice as Silver?”
Did he want to get Fallon involved in this mess? He didn’t, but couldn’t see that he had a choice. Besides, the sheriff knew where Hank had spent the night. They all did now. Maybe they wouldn’t bother Fallon too much. The guy would probably want to forget Hank’s existence after this. Would Hank even have a job to go back to, he wondered, feeling very lost and lonely.
“I was meeting someone,” Hank offered.
“You will have to be more specific, Mr. Wells. I will need all the facts if I am to help clear your name. Who were you meeting?” Brodie pressed.
“Fallon Connolly.”
Brodie nodded as he continued making notes. It went on like that for an hour, Brodie asking questions, Hank answering them honestly. By the time the session ended, Brodie knew as much about Hank as Hank did. It was more than a little weird, but he guessed Brodie wanted to get a sense of what kind of man he was defending.
Brodie packed everything in the briefcase and stood, pushing in the chair as he did so. “I’ll arrange bail. You shouldn’t be in here much longer. I will also arrange for a room for you at the local motel, because the sheriff has advised that you not return home until this matter is settled. He doesn’t want Reagan’s reputation jeopardized, although you might like to know Reagan has protested quite vehemently in your defense.”
Hank nodded. “I don’t want anyone else mixed up in this mess. I just want my name cleared and the people responsible to be caught. I bet it was that asshole that I tried to buy heroin from not too long after I got here. It was around Christmas last year. I heard he blamed me for the cops watching the building where so many of the people like me were staying. You know, the ones here with the program Angel Salazar and the others run?”
“It’s very possible,” Brodie agreed. “Trust me, it will be investigated. Now, I’ll go arrange your bail.”
A half hour later Hank was walking out through the front door of the sheriff’s office. He was shocked to see all his friends standing there waiting for him. There was a rush forward to greet him. Hugs, smiles, and tears were freely shared.
“Fuck if I don’t love you guys,” Hank told them, wiping the tears from his face with the heel of his hand.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got your back,” Noah told him sincerely. “To some degree, we all know what you’re going through. Now, we’ve brought some of your things in. If you need the rest of it, just let us know. Or if we forgot something.”
Hank didn’t want to go to some impersonal motel. He wanted to go home. If truth be told, he wanted to go to Fallon and hear that everything would be alright. But dragging Fallon into this mess was the last thing he would do. He just wondered if he had a job to go back to. It would suck big time if he didn’t. It was a good thing this was his day off, otherwise he would have missed work without calling off.
It angered Hank to learn that Zippy was being held as evidence. He hoped they were taking care of his car. Hank was about to get into one of several familiar cars parked at the curb when he saw Fallon walking across the green. The expression on his face told Hank that he wasn’t a happy man.
Hank waited. Even though the urge to run was strong, he waited. It didn’t take long for Fallon to reach him. “What’s going on, Hank?” Fallon nodded to the others standing close to Hank. “I heard that you were arrested and I called Brodie. Why didn’t you call me?”
Shrugging, he looked up at the man whom had given him such an incredible night. “This is my problem, not yours.”
“I would have hoped that you would come to me first if you needed help. Where are you going now?”
“To the motel. My
lawyer arranged for a room there.”
Fallon scowled. “You definitely don’t need a room at the motel. You will stay with me.”
Someone bumped Hank from behind. There were a lot of chuckles and giggling, along with a couple of snickers. He felt his face heat up.
“I don’t want to be a bother. The motel is fine.”
Anger flashed in Fallon’s eyes. Hank had seen the man in several moods, but anger had not been one of them. He was a very even-tempered man, something Hank admired. Now the man’s anger was directed at him. That was something he definitely didn’t like.
“Do you have a problem with the idea of staying with me?”
“I just don’t want you mixed up in this mess.”
Fallon nodded, his expression softening. “Hank, I appreciate that, but you don’t need to worry. I know this is all bullshit, and I’ll stick with you through it.”
Hank had wondered the night before if he was in love with Fallon. If he hadn’t been then, he was now. This could be a major scandal in Silver for Fallon. The man was risking his reputation to stand by Hank. Did that mean Fallon loved him?
“Oh, shit, you need to kiss the guy!” Randy cried, hugging Hank from the back.
A wide grin spread across Fallon’s face. “Yeah, you need to kiss me.”
“I can do that.”
It seemed some kind of commitment was being made. Hank moved closer, helped by a playful shove from the back, and into Fallon’s strong arms. The man lowered his head and kissed Hank quickly on the mouth.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you home.”
Home. It sounded good to Hank.
“You guys get going,” Noah said. “We’ll bring your stuff.”
“Do you have everything here?” Fallon asked.
“No, they just brought enough for me to get by.”
“Then we’ll go out to get the rest of your belongings in the next couple of days,” Fallon assured him as they walked across the street and onto the green. The large park area in the center of Silver was one of Hank’s favorite places. He loved that he could see it from the balcony at the front of Fallon’s apartment. “Do you happen to have a suit?”
Hank shook his head. “No. Do I need one? Oh, we had a date tonight. I’m afraid I didn’t think about wearing a suit.” He was very much a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy. He hadn’t needed a suit since he had left home in Buffalo.
“We have a date tonight,” Fallon corrected. “If you are up to it, of course. Today’s events had to be difficult for you.”
Shaking his head again, Hank smiled at Fallon. “No, I’m good. Well, I’m better now that I know you don’t hate me. Honest, Fallon, I don’t know where those drugs came from. I shouldn’t have made it so easy for whoever did it. I should have locked Zippy up.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll catch those responsible. And a suit isn’t that important. Wear whatever you’re comfortable in.”
Fallon seemed to be all about making Hank’s life easier. Squeezing the hand holding his, Hank said, “I’d like to have a suit again. I just haven’t had any need of one for a while.” It was a new life for him. Buying a suit would be a good thing, a tangible sign that his life was on a different track. “After I wash up, I’ll go down and get one. I know exactly which one I like. I helped Harvey with the new inventory a couple of weeks ago.”
Harvey was the department manager for Men’s Wear. Hank liked working with the elderly gentleman. Harvey was also a tailor. He had approved Hank’s choice when he had admired a particular suit, saying it would look great on him. Now Hank couldn’t wait to go find the suit, hoping it hadn’t been sold.
Glad to have something to get his mind off his problems, because Hank knew they were far from over, he focused his attention on being with Fallon and the night ahead.
* * * *
Fallon had promised not to sneak a peek, but waiting for Hank to make an appearance was testing his patience. The man had disappeared into one of the guest bedrooms to get ready for their night out, but only after extracting a vow that Fallon would wait to see the end result.
Harvey had helped Hank with finding the suit Hank wanted, as well as a shirt and tie to go with it. Hank had tried the suit on and discovered it was nearly a perfect fit. While Hank had gone to the shoe department to choose appropriate footwear, Harvey had quickly made a few temporary adjustments to improve the fit.
Walking out onto the balcony, Fallon thought about the morning’s events. When Grayson had called to tell him that he had been forced to arrest Hank for drug possession, Fallon had believed his friend was joking with him. It was a short-lived belief, because he knew Grayson would never joke about something so serious. He had then demanded an explanation, which he was given. The moment their call had ended, Fallon had called another friend who was a lawyer. Brodie Fitzhugh was one of the best. He had spent several years practicing law away from Silver, but had returned two years before to go back to what he loved the most, which was ranching. He was defending Hank as a personal favor to Fallon. There was no way Hank was going to prison for some bullshit setup.
Hearing a step behind him, Fallon turned. All of his unpleasant thoughts were chased away by the sight of Hank dressed in a dark gray suit, white shirt with a plain blue-gray tie, and black leather shoes.
“You’re gorgeous, baby,” Fallon told him, moving closer to the other man. Hank was obviously nervous. He smoothed the tie and tugged at the collar around his neck. “Are you too uncomfortable? If you are, go change into something else. I can, too.”
“But you said we’re going to Paradise Lake. I hear that place is real fancy.”
“It is a little, but they don’t have dress restrictions. We can wear jeans and T-shirts.”
Hank shook his head, looking down at his front. “No, this is fine. I like to get dressed up once in a while. I just haven’t done it for a few years. I’m not used to it. What time is our reservation? Shouldn’t we leave now?”
Finally convinced that Hank was okay with wearing a suit, Fallon took him by the hand to lead him through the apartment. They rode the elevator down in silence, their fingers entwined. Knowing they were likely to encounter employees as they stepped off the elevator, Fallon waited tensely, wondering how Hank would react. This was all very new to them both. While there was no company policy against employees being in relationships, this was the first time Fallon had crossed that invisible line. But it was different for him. He was the boss. He had never even flirted with an employee, let alone taken one to bed. Now he was planning on so much more. He had fallen in love with Hank and knew he wanted to spend the remainder of his life with the man.
The doors to the elevator slid open, and Fallon felt Hank stiffen beside him. Fallon gave Hank’s hand a gentle squeeze, hoping to reassure him. There were three people in the loading dock area moving large boxes toward the room where everything would be prepped before being taken out to the sales floors.
“Hey, Hank, you okay?” Mort asked, his deep voice filled with concern.
Hank nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. It was a rough day.”
“Well, we know you didn’t do anything illegal. It’s obviously a setup,” Frank told Hank fiercely.
“Wow, Hank, you look as hot as the boss.” This was from Mandy, one of the newest hires. She was young, enthusiastic, and obviously didn’t have much of a filter. Fallon liked her.
Fallon chuckled and Hank choked. “Uh, thanks, I guess. Fallon is hot.”
After that, Hank practically dragged Fallon outside and toward the garage across the alley. “I’ll drive this time. The reservation is for seven. If you drive, we won’t get there until after midnight.”
“Ha, ha,” Hank said as they parted to walk around the car. “You’re so funny. Your car is worth, like, a million dollars. I sure as hell don’t want to scratch it. Worse, I don’t want to put a dent in it.”
Staring at Hank over the top of the car, Fallon didn’t know if the guy was serious or not. “It’s hardly worth a m
illion dollars. A small fraction of that, in fact. It’s also insured. Don’t worry about scratches and dents.”
He got in and closed the door, waiting as Hank got in on the other side. “Let’s just not risk it, okay?”
“Okay. Now, let’s just enjoy the evening by relaxing and having fun.”
Fallon knew that he and Hank would have to talk about what had taken place earlier in the day, but he hoped they could avoid the subject as long as possible. They could talk about it when they got home, if they weren’t distracted by other things. Fallon rather hoped he could talk Hank into staying overnight in one of the hotel’s luxurious suites. It would be a brief getaway, but one he hoped to repeat many times in the future as Hank and he, hopefully, shared their lives with each other.
The drive from Silver to Paradise Lake was a long one, but the scenery was spectacular, and Fallon quickly learned Hank hadn’t done much exploring in the area since arriving in Silver. Hank basically went from home to work each day. It was fun to listen to him vocalize his wonder over the things he was seeing, which included a herd of bison grazing in a meadow not far from the road.
“My life’s pretty boring,” Hank admitted, looking back ahead, the bison now out of sight.
“I don’t know about that. It seems to me that you’ve been fairly focused. You’re very committed to keeping your life in order and on track. It’s admirable.”
“Coming to Silver has been a blessing, despite what happened today. I got my second chance here, and I’m not about to waste it. I feel so good without the heroin, the overriding need to have it. Sure, I have my moments when I get the craving. That’s when I make a phone call. I have a great support system here.” Fallon reached out to take Hank’s hand. He gave it a squeeze. “You gave me a chance, too. I really appreciate that. I love working in the store and helping people.”
Fallon squeezed his hand again. “I have good instincts about people. I knew you were right for the job as soon as I met you.” They were on the road now that led to the grand Victorian hotel that had been restored the year before and was now very much a destination for people living in the area and those visiting.