by Sara Bell
Nate eased back against his thrice-fluffed pillows, struggling to comfortably situate his broken arm. Keith could tell he was still a little groggy from the medicine, but he was lucid, at least. Lisa was at the other end of the room fiddling with some English ivy sent by Brandon’s Grandma and Grandpa Taylor. She was also taking in every word.
Keith saw Lisa straining to hear what they were saying and winked at Nate. “Speaking of your brother, I stowed him at Bran’s last night. He’s really anxious to see you.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing him, too. I think it’s past time we worked this thing between us out. It’ll be nice having a brother again.”
“You’ve got more than one brother, my friend. You are now an official member of the Nash Clan. Mother has spoken.”
“How does Brandon feel about that?” His voice dropped so that Lisa was forced to move to a flower arrangement closer to the bed.
Keith said, “How do you think he feels?” Nate closed his eyes. “I honestly don’t know. I thought I remembered seeing him last night, but I was so out of it, I wasn’t sure. Then, when I woke up this morning, he was gone. I haven’t seen or heard from him all day.”
“And you thought once he realized you weren’t going to die, he might have changed his mind about you.”
“Yeah. We had a fight right before the accident.”
“I know. Brandon told me all about it. He also told me he didn’t mean a single thing he said.”
Keith could see the relief on Nate’s face. He hesitated. He didn’t want to tell Nate the rest of it, but he couldn’t have him thinking that Brandon was deliberately staying away from him. He finally gave in and said, “Nate, the reason Bran hasn’t been here has to do with your accident.”
“My brake lines were cut, weren’t they?”
Lisa nearly dropped the flowers she was holding. Keith just ignored her. “Yeah. You remembered?”
“Just bits and pieces. I remember trying to slow down for a curve and not being able to. I also remember that odd sensation you have when you mash the brake pedal and your foot goes all the way to the floor. My car is only three years old, and I keep it serviced. It didn’t take much for me to realize mine was an accident by design. At least now I know why Bran hasn’t been here.”
“He went over the edge when the mechanic who examined your car said the lines were cut. He’s been on the phone all morning with the State Police trying to get them to investigate this as a potential hate crime. Even as we speak, he’s got undercover patrols roaming the hallways of the hospital. There’s an armed deputy outside your door, too.”
Nate shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense. He’s told me time and again that he believes this is a personal attack made to look like a hate crime. Why would he get the State Police involved if he doesn’t believe it’s really a hate crime?”
Keith patted his uninjured arm. “Doesn’t matter. He’s going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if it means calling in the Feds.”
“He called the FBI?”
“Yep. He still has a lot of friends left over from his days with the Bureau. He’s called in every favor he’s got coming and a few he didn’t. He’s having one of those high-tech security systems installed at the house and he’s upgrading the system at your office.”
Nate nodded. “I knew about the upgrade at the office. Amy called me not long before you came in. She’s afraid to come by because she’s been exposed to mono.”
“That was her emergency last night?”
“Yeah. One of her pediatric patients has it. The little girl’s temperature went up and wouldn’t go down, so Amy met the girl and her mother at the office to see what she could do. She finally had to ice the poor little thing down, but it did the trick, thank God. She’s wasn’t happy about not being able to come up here, but Amy’s a fanatic about germs. She wouldn’t even let Mike come for fear he’s picked up the virus from her.”
Keith laughed. “Better safe than sorry, I guess. Anyway, the new security means at least you’ll be covered at home and at work. Hell, Bran’s even talking about sending Sasha to be trained as an attack dog.”
It was Nate’s turn to laugh. “Now that I would like to see.”
Lisa couldn’t stand it anymore. No one was paying her any attention. She used her silkiest voice and said, “Dr. Morris, there must be some mistake. I find it hard to believe that someone would deliberately want to hurt a man like you.”
Keith couldn’t resist. “You may change your mind about that, Lisa. You know what they say about doctors making the worst patients. You may be ready to kill him before he’s sprung from this place.”
Lisa’s demure sniff was so phony Keith almost cracked up. “You must not know Dr. Morris at all if you think that. He’s been a perfect sweetheart.” She stared at Keith with yellow-green eyes that reminded him of cat’s eyes. He’d always hated cats.
Lisa leaned against the side of Nate’s bed. “I couldn’t help overhearing, but a few minutes ago you said Dr. Morris was like a brother to you.”
It was the moment Keith had been waiting for. “Maybe ‘brother’ wasn’t the right word. Brother-in-law is more accurate.”
“You’re married to Dr. Morris’s sister?”
“No.”
Lisa looked at Nate. “You aren’t married. You don’t wear a wedding band, and I haven’t seen any signs of a wife.”
Nate closed his eyes again. Keith could tell he was tired, but he seemed to be enjoying this little game as much as Keith was, if his smile was any indication. He said, “No, Lisa, I’m not married.”
He couldn’t have given Keith a better opening. “But if I know my brother, he will be soon.”
How Lisa made it through nursing school was a mystery to Keith. She scrunched her eyes up and said, “What on earth does your brother have to do with—Wait a minute. Are you saying Dr. Morris is gay?” She looked at Nate. “You can’t be gay.”
Nate opened his eyes and raised his bandaged brow. “Really? Why not?”
Lisa shook her head. “You don’t priss around or lisp your words. You’re one of the manliest men I’ve ever met.”
A knock sounded on the open door. Brandon stood there holding an armload of roses and wearing an awesome grin. He said, “Well, I certainly agree with the manly part.” He dropped the flowers on a chair and came to stand beside the bed. “How are you feeling, baby?”
Nate sounded better than he had since Keith got there. “I’m fine now that you’re here.” Brandon needed no further encouragement. He bent down and gave a Nate a kiss guaranteed to raise his blood pressure. It certainly raised Lisa’s.
“That’s disgusting! I can’t believe that you . . . that you’re a. . .”
Keith said, “Better be careful, Lisa. Our chief of staff takes a dim view of certain words. Just ask Dr. Lincoln.”
Lisa didn’t say a word. She stalked off, but Brandon and Nate were too wrapped up in each other to even notice. Keith just smiled and slipped out.
* * *
Nate whimpered a little when Brandon broke the kiss, but a least he didn’t go far. He sat on the edge of the bed and took Nate’s hand.
“Wow.”
Brandon smoothed Nate’s hair away from the bandage on his forehead. “Wow, yourself. It’s good to see your eyes looking so clear. Last night they were all glassy and unfocused.”
“They’ve decreased my level of pain killers a notch or two. So I wasn’t dreaming last night? You really were there with me?”
Brandon lifted Nate’s hand to his mouth, kissing the sore spot just above the I.V. “I was there, all right. I would have been here when you got up, but I was called out on business.”
“I know. You were terrorizing law enforcement the world over trying to find the guy who cut my brakes.”
Brandon’s jaw went rigid. “And I will find that son-of-a-bitch, too, even if I have to call in the National Guard.”
“I think calling in the FBI and installing a NASA grade secur
ity system is enough, don’t you? And what’s this I hear about you turning Sasha into a pit-bull?”
“I think our dog is canine enough to take it.”
“Our dog?”
Brandon shifted so that he was looking directly into Nate’s eyes. “I know you said last night you were leaving me, but I can’t let you go, Nate. I convinced myself that you were only leaving to keep me safe. Was I wrong about that?”
“No. I thought I was doing the right thing. The idea of that bastard doing something to you is more than I can take, Bran.”
“Not gonna happen, sweetheart. I’m not going to let anything happen to either of us, Nate. I haven’t waited thirty-two years to find you just to lose you now.” He lowered his eyes. “That is, if you still want me.”
Nate reached out and stroked Bran’s injured cheek. “Oh, I want you, alright. What happened to your face, angel?”
Bran leaned into his touch. “Angel. You’ve never called me that before. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me by any endearment, come to think of it.”
“I never really felt like you belonged to me before. Now tell me what happened to your face. It looks like a concrete burn.”
Brandon leaned forward and nuzzled his neck. Even as bruised and battered as he was, just the heat of Brandon’s breath on the sensitive skin was enough to make Nate’s pulse race. “If you don’t stop that, a nurse is going to come in here and run you out.”
Bran stopped kissing him, but he pulled back only enough to see him as they talked. “Nate, last night. . .I thought you were running out on me because you didn’t trust me enough to protect you. It never occurred to me that you were trying to protect me. Well, it did, finally, but only after I’d made a complete ass out of myself. All those things I said—”
Nate carefully leaned forward enough to press his lips softly against Brandon’s. “Shh. I said things I didn’t mean, too. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you enough, Bran. I was trying to keep you safe. I should have talked to you about it instead of running away. For what it’s worth, I had just made up my mind to come back and try to make you understand when my brakes failed.”
“It took me a few minutes, but I finally realized what you were doing. I had Amy’s number half-dialed in a desperate attempt to track you down when Sam came in and told me about a bad accident on the highway. I didn’t know it was your car until we were already on the scene. When I saw them pulling you out of that wreck, I just blacked out. You were so still, baby.” Nate’s heart broke when he saw the tears on Brandon’s lashes. “I guess my mind couldn’t cope. I saw you lying there, and I thought I’d lost you.”
He pulled Nate as close as he could without hurting his tender belly and spoke against his ear. “I can’t go through that again. As soon as they’ll let me, I’m taking you home, to our house, with our dog. I love you, Nate. I know you wanted to take things slow, but—”
Nate kissed his temple. “I think we’re past the slow stage, Bran. I’m ready to take our relationship to any level you want. I love you, angel. I’m ready to show it.”
Brandon kissed just below the bandage on Nate’s head. He pulled back and lifted Nate’s chin with the tip of his finger. “You know we’ll take this at your pace. You show me your love just by the way you look at me. You don’t have to prove it. But before we take this any further, I want you to understand what I’m talking about here.”
“Okay.”
Brandon took his hand again. Nate was shocked to feel him trembling. He started to speak, but Bran shook his head. “Just let me get this out.” He took a deep breath. “Nate, when I said I wanted to take you home, I didn’t mean just until this is over. When I called it our house, I meant I want it to be your home from now on. I’m talking your name on the deed, me taking out the garbage, us doing the dishes together, the whole family bit.”
Nate wasn’t following. “I understand. You’re asking me to live with you.”
“No.” “No, you don’t want me to live with you?”
“No. Yes.” Brandon raked his hand over his face. “Fuck, this is hard.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not asking you to live with me, Nathan. I’m asking you to marry me.”
Chapter 6
Before he met Nate, Brandon always thought gay marriages were for other guys, not him. He didn’t care that the state didn’t recognize them. As far as he was concerned, God made a marriage, not city hall. No, the reason he didn’t take most gay marriages seriously was because half the gay couples he knew cheated on each other whenever the notion struck. To be fair, he knew of several monogamous gay relationships, he just never thought he’d have one. Even before he knew about Jeff’s propensity for sticking his dick in anything with blond hair and twenty-thousand dollars worth of dental-work, Brandon never even thought about dragging him in front of the family preacher. With Nate, it was different.
It wasn’t just that he knew Nate would never cheat on him. No, he wanted Nate to be a part of him. Hell, Nate was a part of him, his other half, the better half. He knew it, and he wanted to share that knowledge with the rest of the world. In front of a hundred and fifty of their closest friends and relatives, he wanted to make Nathan Morris his, forever.
Unfortunately for both Brandon and his nerves, the object of all his desires and affections was sitting in the bed staring at him with open mouthed astonishment. Brandon got up and started pacing. Damn it, why wasn’t he answering? Was he just going to sit there in silence until Brandon lost what little composure he’d gotten back after nearly losing Nate—permanently—not twenty-four hours ago? No way was Bran going to let him get away with that.
“Look, Nate, I’m not asking you to wear a white dress and carry a bunch of daisies here.” He crossed back to the bed. “I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Look, you don’t have to answer me right now. Take some time, think about it.”
“Brandon, I don’t need—”
“Nate, I know I’m nothing like Rick, but I do know we’re good together.”
“How do you know you’re nothing like him?”
“Seth was kind enough to point out our differences that first day we met. Seems Rick was into caviar and Cristal. According to your brother, I’m more the beer nuts and Heineken, type.”
“I believe he said you would be more at home at a tractor pull than the opera, but I guess the reference is the same.”
Brandon sat down on the bed again. “You heard all that?” “One thing you need to know about me, sweetheart: I’m a notorious eavesdropper. I’m the kid who always knew what he was getting for Christmas. I heard most everything Seth said to you. For the record, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He only saw Rick a handful of times. He didn’t even know we were anything more than friends until that last night, and you know how well that turned out.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you heard us?”
Nate gave him that sexy smile again. “And admit I couldn’t come into the room and blast my brother for what he said because I was standing in the hall crying like a six-year-old kid? That’s exactly what I started doing when I heard you promising dire retribution if he hurt me again. No one’s ever taken up for me like that before. Well, except for Amy, but she fights like a girl. Anyway, I didn’t mention it because I wasn’t about to dignify Seth’s stupid comparisons by acknowledging them. I was with Rick ten times longer than I’ve been with you, but I never felt for him anything close to what you make me feel.” Nate leaned back against the pillows and patted the bed. “Here, lay down next to me.”
“No. I’m too big. There’s not enough room.”
“There is if you lay real close.”
“I might hurt you.”
The trust in Nate’s eyes was humbling. “Never in a million years. Please, Bran. I love you. I need you.”
That was all it took. Brandon eased Nate over and into his arms, then scooted down beside him. Nate snuggled close and laid his head on Brandon’s chest, his broken arm resting on his side. “Umm,
that’s much better.”
Brandon kissed the top of his head. “So, if you love me so much, and I’m such a great catch, how come you haven’t answered my question yet?”
“I was going to when you freaked out on me.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve never proposed before. Forgive me for being a little anxious.” He ran his fingers along Nate’s spine, delighting in the shivers he caused. “Now, for the love of God, quit stalling and answer the damn question.”
“I’m not stalling. I’m about to begin negotiations.”
Brandon smiled. Only Nathan Morris could turn a marriage proposal into a meeting of the minds. God, he loved that man. “I assume this is the point where I ask you what your demands are, right?”
“Right. They’re pretty simple actually. I want to be married in the church you and your family go to. This marriage is going to be forever. We’re only going to do it once, so we might as well do it right. I was raised in the church, but I haven’t been since my parents and I parted ways. Even through all that, though, I never really lost my faith. I think we should begin our new family by going together. Do you think your minister will marry us?”
“Pastor Oakley has a son who’s gay, so he’s pretty open minded about it. The whole church is, really. I think you’ll like it there. It’s the First Christian Church of Reed, but we have all denominations in the congregation. We’ll have to do pre-marriage counseling, though. Church rules.”
“I don’t mind. It sounds nice actually, especially if it means having our marriage formally blessed. Which brings me to my second point: I’ve known gay couples who refer to each other as partners. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we’re partners now. When we say our vows, you’ll be my husband. I don’t care what the state says. We’ll be just as married as any other couple. You’ll be my husband, and that’s what I’m going to call you.”
“The first two demands sound pretty damn nice. Number three isn’t where you tell me you want a bachelor party with a male stripper, is it? You know how jealous I get.”