“Really?”
“Yeah. I want a way to honor my grandmother. Do you know where I can get one?”
“We’ll probably have to go to Calgary. I can call Keegan and see if he knows anyone who can do it for you.”
“You’re going to call Keegan? Can’t we just go to a tattoo parlor?”
“Let me rephrase that,” Patrick stated. “I’m going to call Keegan to see if he knows anyone in Calgary who I would willingly let touch you. I’m kind of attached to your skin. I don’t want anybody to fuck it up.”
“So you’ll call Keegan now?”
“Now?” Patrick stared at him in disbelief. Brad had just screwed his brains out and now he wanted him to make a phone call?
“Well, I want to get this done while you’re still in town, so yeah. Think you could call him now?” Brad bit his lower lip and gave him puppy eyes. Patrick never stood a chance.
He sighed and held out his hand. “Hand me my phone.”
Brad grinned brightly before pressing the cell phone into his hand. “Thanks, sugar.”
“You’re lucky that I love you.”
“I know I am,” Brad replied softly. He gave Patrick a soft kiss that turned him to mush. He was pretty sure that he had a dumb smile on his face while the phone was ringing.
“O’Grady residence.”
“Hey, Sparky, can I talk to your husband?”
“Patrick? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. I need to ask him a tattoo question.”
“You better not be thinking of getting one while you’re gone. Keegan will kick your ass.”
“You know me better than that, Sparky. Brad wants to get a tattoo, and I want to know if Keegan can give me a name.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll get him for you.” The phone suddenly sounded slightly muffled. “Keegan!”
“Damn, Sparky. I thought only kids screamed for people over the phone.”
“I learned it from my son,” Justine replied with a laugh. “Well, here he comes. Take care of yourself, Pat, and call me when you know when your flight is getting in.”
“Will do.”
“Hello?” an accented male voice greeted him. “Patrick?”
“Hey, Keegan. I need to ask you something.”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Brad wants to get a tattoo. Do you know anyone in Calgary?”
Keegan’s rich laughter flowed over the line. “You will never believe this, but yeah, I think I got a guy for you. A guy that I hired.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I met him at a show about a year ago, and he called last month wondering if I had a job opening at the shop. He’s good. His name is Jacob Pennington. He still has two weeks of appointments left at a shop called Prairie Ink before he moves here. I’ll give him a call and let him know that you’ll be in tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Keegan. I really appreciate it. You know that if we had the time, I’d just bring him to Ontario and have you do it.”
“I know. Penn’s a good guy. He’ll do your boy up nice.”
“Thanks.” Patrick looked at his lover as Brad poked him in the side. He raised an eyebrow at him.
“Tell Keegan thanks for the flowers he and Justine sent,” Brad stated.
“Brad says thanks for the flowers.”
“Not a problem. Give that boy a hug for me.”
“I will. See you when I get back.” Patrick waited for Keegan to say goodbye before he hung up. He tossed his cell phone on the nightstand and rolled over so he was facing his lover. “I can’t believe that you made me call Keegan from bed. What if he knew we were naked?”
“It’s you. He probably just assumes that you’re naked whenever you call.”
Patrick poked his lover in the side before he pulled Brad back into his arms. “Why are you so mean to me?” He pressed a kiss to the tip of Brad’s nose.
“Because you know I don’t really mean it.” Brad snuggled further into his arms. “So, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“Do you think we could maybe head downstairs for some food? I’m kinda hungry.”
Patrick laughed softly. “Sure thing, Angel.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I was actually thinking about making you a sandwich before I came up here.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Brad pulled out of his arms and looked down at him while cupping his cheek with one hand. “You really know me, don’t you?”
Patrick turned his head to one side to kiss the palm resting against his face. “I think I do.”
“Are you going to let me know you?”
“I’m going to try,” Patrick replied. He pulled Brad back into his arms for another kiss. The sandwiches could wait.
JEREMY looked up as Cam walked back into the room. His lover didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked a lot more depressed than he had before he talked to Patrick. Jeremy was fairly certain that talking to your best friend wasn’t supposed to make you miserable. If it was, he and Ben were doing it wrong.
“Is Patrick alright?”
“He’s coming home some time tomorrow.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?” Jeremy lifted his arm as Cam sat next to him on the couch. He pulled his lover close and held him as Cam sagged against him.
“He won’t stay.”
“What?”
Cam sighed. “He told Brad he loved him.”
“Seriously?” Jeremy took a moment to process that bit of information. He knew from what Cam had told him, and from his own interactions with Patrick, that for the other man to admit his feelings—not only to himself but to someone else—was a very big deal. “Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“I think you might be right. I don’t think he’s going to be staying here when he gets back.” Jeremy pulled Cam closer and ran his hands up and down his lover’s back. He could feel the tension there. “Are you going to be okay with that, sweetheart?”
“I’m not sure.” Cam sighed and snuggled closer. “It’s been me and Patrick since we were kids. It’s going to be weird not having him around.”
“Well, you’ve got me. And Kennedy is still here.”
Cam pulled back and gave Jeremy a look. “Are you trying to use that as a good point?”
“Hey, I thought you liked me.”
“I do like you.” A soft smile graced Cam’s face as he raised a hand and touched Jeremy’s cheek. His fingers slid over Jeremy’s skin in a gentle caress.
“So it’s Kennedy you don’t like?”
“You know I love Kennedy. She just isn’t Patrick.” Cam groaned and tucked his head beneath Jeremy’s chin. “I miss him.”
“Baby, he isn’t gone yet. And I would suggest that you let him tell you that he’s leaving. If you tell him that you figured it out for yourself, it’s just going to cause a fight.”
“You’re right.”
“You want Patrick to be happy, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“And do you think he’ll be happy without Brad?”
“No. He won’t be happy at all.”
“So what does that mean?”
“That when he tells me he’s moving to Alberta I will smile and ask him if he needs help packing.”
Jeremy laughed and kissed the top of Cam’s head. “That’s my boy.”
“And you will do everything that is needed for Bingo to leave the province free of charge.”
“Of course I will.” Jeremy kissed him again. “So, you ready to take Hershey for a walk now?”
“Sounds good. I’ll go get her.” Cam pulled out of Jeremy’s arms, gave him a brief kiss, and headed out of the room calling for Hershey. Jeremy got to his feet with a stretch. Hopefully, the walk would help calm Cam down. If not, it was going to be a very tense time until Patrick got home.
Chapter 14
GRAHAM parked his car in front of the tattoo parlor and rested his head against the steering whee
l. He couldn’t believe he had agreed to this. All it had taken was one puppy-dog look from Brad and he had caved. He’d never before felt the desire to be near a tattoo parlor and now he was going to drive Brad back home from Calgary after his best friend got his skin inked. When did he turn into a taxi service?
A car parked in the space in front of him, and Graham watched as Brad and Patrick climbed out. He was still surprised that Brad was dating a man, but seeing how they interacted he was starting to understand the appeal. Graham could almost see how they felt about each other. Plus, he could understand Brad’s attraction to Patrick. Even he could admit the man was hot.
A fist knocked on his window, and he turned his head to see Patrick standing next to his car. “You gonna get out of the car, Small Fry?”
“What did you just call me?”
“If you get out of the car, maybe I’ll repeat it.” There was a wicked grin on the other man’s face.
“Think you’re so funny,” Graham muttered. He turned off the car, removed his keys, and climbed out of the vehicle. After locking the door, he leaned against it and glared up at Patrick. “You called me Small Fry, didn’t you?”
“Maybe.” Patrick grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Everyone needs a nickname, Small Fry.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really annoying?”
“I have been told that before.”
“Are the two of you going to stand there and banter all day or are you going to come inside with me?”
“We’re coming, Angel.”
Graham followed as Patrick walked around the car. “How come he gets a touching nickname?”
“Because I like him more than I like you.”
“That’s good to know,” Brad stated. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Patrick. Graham watched as the other two men kissed. He felt an indulgent smile cross his face. Seeing Brad happy was a nice change. Of course, waiting for them to finish kissing was taking a lot longer than he had anticipated.
“Um, guys? Not that I’m not enjoying the extended PDA, but I thought we were on a time frame.”
Brad broke away with a small groan. “He has a point.”
“Are you sure that you want to do this? You can still back out,” Patrick offered. Graham watched as Patrick’s hands settled on Brad’s waist. He could see Patrick’s fingers moving softly, almost like he was trying to soothe Brad with his touch. Graham guessed the motion would have been effective if Brad weren’t wearing a heavy jacket. Still, it was a nice gesture.
“No, I want to do this.”
“Then let’s get moving,” Graham interjected. He walked past both of them and pulled open the door. He held it open and waved the other two through. He slid his sunglasses to the top of his head as he followed them into the shop. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust when he got inside.
The inside of Prairie Ink was different than he had expected. The only things that matched his expectations were the pictures of tattoos on the walls. There were comfortable-looking couches around a low coffee table covered in magazines. There was a counter along one wall and a curtained hallway leading further back. The speaker system was playing rock music. A tattooed and pierced girl with spiked blue hair walked over to them with a bright smile on her face.
“Can I help you?”
“We’re here to see Penn. He’s expecting us,” Patrick replied. Graham noticed that he had his arm wrapped around Brad’s waist and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They were almost too cute to be allowed continued existence.
“Give me a minute and I’ll go get him for you.” She smiled again and went through the curtained hallway.
Graham wandered around the shop while they waited. He had to admit that some of the designs were pretty cool. Of course, the thought of someone putting needles in his skin made him break out in a cold sweat. No tattoos for Graham. Not ever.
“You guys are the ones Keegan called about?” a deep voice inquired. Graham turned and had to force himself to keep his jaw from dropping.
The guy was huge, at least 6’6” and solid muscle. Auburn hair was pulled away from his angular face in a short ponytail. His eyes were the color of chocolate and there were small flecks of gold in them. Broad shoulders and muscled arms protruded from the black muscle shirt that seemed to be molded to his sculpted chest. Tattoos covered nearly all of both of his arms. Graham wasn’t sure if he wanted to get closer so he could see the tattoos or back away before the guy swatted him like a bug.
“Yeah. I’m Patrick, this is Brad, and that’s Graham.”
“Nice to meet you.” Penn reached out and shook all of their hands. Graham watched with wide eyes as Penn’s hand completely engulfed his. “You the one getting the tattoo?”
“What?” Graham blinked in panic when he realized that Penn was not only still holding his hand, but that he was talking to him. “What? No! I’m not getting a tattoo!”
Penn released his hand with a warm laugh. “I guessed as much when I saw how panicked you looked. I just enjoy picking on the moral support.”
Graham let out a shaky breath as he laughed. “Dude, you’re kind of evil.”
“So I’ve been told.” Penn turned and started to walk toward the curtain. “Follow me.”
Graham took up the rear as he followed behind the others. The blue-haired girl behind the counter waved as he passed. Graham smiled weakly. He was still feeling nervous and it was annoying him. He didn’t like showing weakness, even around his best friend. Graham was fairly certain that stemmed from when they were kids. He’d always been picked on for his size.
Penn led them down a short hallway lined with doors. Graham could hear faint buzzing noises coming from behind the closed doors. Penn stopped in front of one of the few open doors and ushered them inside. When he closed the door behind them, Graham was surprised to find that it blocked out a lot of the sound from the rest of the building.
“Should I be worried that these rooms seem to be soundproofed?”
“Why? Are you a screamer?” Penn shot him a wicked grin.
Graham felt a hot blush cross his face. “Do you think you could maybe stop picking on me and talk to Brad about the tattoo he wants?”
“Sure.” Penn grinned and turned his attention to Brad. “So, what do you want?”
“Well, I want something in memory of my grandmother. Some-thing like what Patrick has.”
“Let me see Patrick’s,” Penn requested. Patrick sighed, pulled off his jacket and removed the shirt he was wearing. His actions left him standing in just a pair of jeans and a wifebeater. Graham moved around Patrick so he could see the tattoo as well.
Patrick held out his left forearm for them to see. The tattoo was of an angel holding a banner. Graham assumed the name on the banner—Marguerite—was the name of Patrick’s grandmother. Even Graham had to admit that the tattoo was a rather stunning piece of work.
Penn released Patrick’s arm and focused on Brad. “So you want to include your grandmother’s name?”
“Either that or her initials.”
“What was her name?”
“Annabelle Wilde.”
“Do you want something this big?”
“Not really. I was thinking something smaller. And not an angel.”
“Do you have an idea of where you want it?”
“Um, I was thinking on my shoulder.”
“Which side?”
“Left,” Brad replied. Penn nodded, grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, and sat on a stool to begin sketching.
“You’re going to design him one?” Graham asked in surprise.
“That’s why you’re here to see me, isn’t it?”
“I just thought he was going to pick one out of a book.”
“No way. Nothing but custom work for my boy,” Patrick replied. He had moved to Brad’s side and had an arm wrapped around his lover’s waist.
“Did your grandmother have a favorite flower?” Penn asked.
“She liked lilies.�
��
“That’s a nice flower.”
“Didn’t she always have lilies growing in the garden?” Graham hovered behind Penn in an attempt to see what the tattoo artist was drawing. Unfortunately, even with Penn sitting, Graham still couldn’t see over his shoulders. Graham sighed in frustration and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Height giving you problems, Small Fry?” There was a great deal of amusement present in Patrick’s voice as he asked the question.
“No one asked for your input.”
“Yes, my grandmother planted lilies,” Brad interjected, answering the question that Graham had asked.
“Are they always like this?” Penn asked.
“They just met a few days ago.”
“Damn. I feel sorry for you.”
“Thanks. I sometimes feel like I’m looking after small children.”
“Hey!” Graham and Patrick chorused.
“If you don’t want me to tell people that you’re children, you should stop acting like children.”
“What do you think of this?” Penn asked. He held out the sketch so they could all see.
It was a simple design with the name “Annabelle” in an elegant script. The top of the first “L” and the bottom of the second curved into lilies. That was all there was to it, but from the way Brad was looking at it—it was the most beautiful sketch in the world.
“Penn, it’s perfect.”
“Do you want any color in it?”
“No. I like it just the way it is. You’ll do it in black?”
“Yes. You ready for this?”
“I think so.”
“All right. Off with your shirt,” Penn instructed. Graham and Patrick moved to one side of the room as Brad stood and removed his shirt. Once that was done, Penn motioned for him to sit in the padded chair in the middle of the room.
Graham started to feel increasingly squeamish as he watched Penn prep Brad’s shoulder for the tattoo. He couldn’t believe Brad was actually going to go through with it. When Penn picked up the gun, Graham swayed alarmingly to one side. Only the sudden appearance of Patrick’s arm kept him from hitting the floor.
“Small Fry, you okay? Graham?”
“I don’t feel that great.” Graham looked up and realized he was actually resting against Patrick’s chest. “Why are you holding me?”
Broken Wings Page 18