High Balls

by Tara Lain

  Snake made a rude noise. “That’s the problem when everyone wants credit and no one wants to do the work.”

  “You sound like the voice of experience.” The statement was said lightly, but his tone had a questioning edge.

  “The same everywhere.”

  “I’m not sure what time I’ll be home.” Man, was he watching an execution? That’s how tight his voice came out.

  “Don’t wear yourself out—but also don’t worry. We’re fine.”

  “I can’t thank you enough.”

  Snake chuckled. “Oh yes, you can.”

  Teddy didn’t even giggle. “I’ll call when I’m on my way home.”

  “Great. Hang in there.” He clicked off. Shit. Teddy had a complicated life. Those grandparents were a fucking piece of work, and the college didn’t sound much better, but hell, he seemed to have one scenario in mind for his life, and he couldn’t think past it. If I can’t get his brain outside the box, I’m toast—without cheese and tomato.

  “I’m almost done.” Andy almost rested his forehead on his hand as he focused on completing his task.

  “Me too. I’ll race you.” He plunged into his conclusions and heard Andy laughing softly as he added numbers.

  He had just finished his spell-check and hit Send on the email when Andy yelled, “Done!”

  Snake fell back against the couch cushions. “You beat me! Hmm. What should be your reward?”

  Andy cradled his chin between his thumb and crooked forefinger, looking very Sherlockesque. “What about an extra scoop of ice cream?”

  “Extra scoop? What makes you think there’s any ice cream to be had?” He suppressed his grin.

  “Well, I saw you bring in a paper bag and put it in the freezer. I figure it’s not cookies.”

  “Okay, you got me.” He held up his hands. “In fact, I brought two choices—cookie dough and rocky road. Want some of each?”

  Andy pumped the air. “Yeah!”

  Snake folded up his laptop and stood. As he crossed to the tiny kitchen, there was a knock on the door. He glanced at Andy, who looked surprised and, based on the wide eyes, worried. Snake smiled to reassure the kid. “Are you expecting anyone?”

  Andy just shook his head and his eyes got wider.

  Snake strode to the front door, which, sadly, didn’t have a peephole. No warning. He opened the door. Shit, very bad news. “Hello.” The tank top and shorts he wore felt like a goddamned G-string.

  Hanson Anderson’s stern expression morphed into a scowl, and his gaze prowled over Snake’s tattooed arms and legs. “What are you doing here?”

  Snake cocked his head. “Staying with Andy while Theodore attends a meeting at the college.”

  “Theodore feels you’re an appropriate companion for his son?”

  “Yes, sir, he does. What can I do for you?”

  For a second, Anderson looked confused; then he thrust forward his right hand, which held a small blue windbreaker. “Andrew left this at the park.”

  Snake reached for it. “Thank you. I’ll see he gets it.”

  Anderson pulled it back. “Is he here?”

  “Yes, but he may have gone to sleep.”

  Anderson just stared at him. Shit. Nothing to do. “Come in and I’ll see.” Feeling like Benedict Arnold, he stepped aside and let the grandfather walk past. Snake turned. At least Andy hadn’t made a liar of him. The kid had vanished. Snake gestured toward the sofa, and Anderson frowned but walked to it and sat. Snake took a step toward the bedrooms. “I’ll check on Andy.”

  Andy’s door was closed tight. Poor kid. Snake tapped lightly then opened the door. Andy lay in bed, covers pulled up to his face, with all the lights off. “Hey, buddy, you sleeping?” He knelt beside the bed and raised his voice just a little. “I’m sorry I bothered you. Go back to sleep.” Fighting a grin, he stood and returned the way he’d come.

  Anderson stood beside the coffee table, holding Andy’s homework in his hand.

  Snake said, “I’m sorry. He’s asleep.”

  Anderson glanced at his watch. It was seven thirty. Just barely a reasonable time to think a kid might go to bed.

  Snake didn’t bother to explain.

  “I see no reason why Theodore can’t leave Andy with his grandmother and me if he has to work.”

  “Maybe because I can come here, sir. That way Andy can go to sleep in his own bed. But you’ll have to ask Theodore.”

  “What exactly is your relationship to Theodore?”

  “We’re friends, and I help him with his preparations for his orals.”

  “That seems very unlikely.”

  Snake walked toward the door, opened it, and held it open. “Be that as it may, sir, it’s the truth. I’ll give Theodore Andy’s jacket. Thank you for bringing it.”

  Anderson took a couple of reluctant steps toward Snake, glanced toward the bedrooms, and stopped. “I suppose, based on Theodore’s lifestyle inclinations, I should assume that you’re my son-in-law’s boyfriend.”

  “You can assume anything you want. I told you what our relationship is.”

  “I can’t believe Theodore would conduct his perverted acts inside the very home of his son. Dear God!”

  Deny that and I’m a liar. “Sir, I think you should go since I’m obviously not prepared to answer any questions for you.”

  Anderson shook his head. “This is worse than I even imagined!” He stormed out the door, and, very carefully, Snake closed it behind him. He blew out the long, angry breath he’d been sucking in. Maybe Andy really had gone to sleep?

  He tiptoed toward the closed door—and it opened. Andy stood, still in his shorts and T-shirt from earlier, rubbing his eyes and hanging his head. “He sounded mad.”

  Snake grabbed him and picked him up. “He’s mad at me, not you. I think it’s time for ice cream, don’t you?”

  He nodded, but the unbridled enthusiasm had definitely dulled.

  Snake set Andy on the chair at the dining table and grabbed a couple of bowls, the ice cream containers, and a big spoon. As he dished, he stayed quiet. Might as well encourage questions if they were coming.

  “Snake?” Sure enough.

  “Yep.”

  “My dad said if we told Grandpa that I couldn’t see him and Grandma anymore, it could get us in a lot of trouble.”

  “Ummm?” He kept scooping. What the hell could he say to that?

  Andy looked up plaintively. “What kind of trouble does he mean, do you think?”

  “I don’t know exactly, Andy. Maybe he just means your grandparents would be really upset since they love you so much.”

  “I don’t think that’s what he meant. He looked kind of scared.”

  “It’s hard for your dad, wanting what’s best for you without making anyone else upset.”

  A crease the size of a small moon crater appeared between Andy’s dark brows. “What’s best is that I don’t have to see any of Grandpa and Grandma’s dumb friends anymore.”

  Man, he couldn’t agree more. He kept scooping.

  “How come people who go to church and talk about God all the time are so mean, Snake?”

  Snake brought the two bowls to the table with spoons and napkins and put one in front of Andy. He slid into the chair beside the kid. “Not all people who go to church are mean. Some are the nicest people you’ll ever meet. You just ran into a bad batch.” He grinned and swallowed some ice cream. “Which kind do you like best?”

  Andy stared at his bowl, then up at Snake. “Oh, you mean the ice cream.” He dug a spoon into rocky road and slid it into his mouth with great ceremony. “Hmm. This is very excellent.” He held his spoon in the air and stuck his nose up. Then he repeated the process for the cookie dough. “Ahhhhh. Also excellent, but then there’s more chocolate in the rocky road, so I give it a better revoo.” He laughed, and Snake joined in because it was damned good to hear it.

  As they licked their bowls, the door opened and Teddy walked in, looking tired and beautiful. Wish I didn’t have to t
ell him.

  “Daddy!” Andy bounded up like he hadn’t seen Teddy in a year and ran to give him a hug. “We’ve got rocky road and cookie dough and I’m doing revoos with Snake and Grandpa came and I pretended to be asleep and which kind do you want?”

  Teddy clearly stopped dead somewhere around the word Grandpa. His face went white.

  Snake gave him a tiny shake of the head. “Andy, let your dad get comfortable, and then we’ll get him some ice cream.”

  “Okay. I gave rocky road the best revoo.”

  Teddy laughed, but it sounded forced. “Well then, obviously that must be the best kind to have.”

  “But you can have both.”

  “Deal.” He hugged Andy and looked up at Snake, his eyes flooded with questions—and fear.

  Chapter Fourteen

  AFTER TEDDY had his ice cream and Andy wangled more by opening his mouth and cheeping like a baby bird, the three of them sat on the couch in a sort of heap and looked over Andy’s homework. Then Teddy put the boy to bed.

  Finally, Teddy walked back into the living room looking frazzled and worried. “Andy says Hanson was mad.”

  Snake pointed at the couch. “Sit.” Teddy complied and Snake sat beside him, grabbed one of his bare feet, and started to rub.

  Teddy let his head fall back. “Oh man, I’ll give you millennia to stop that.”

  “Tough meeting?”

  “Not really. Well, kind of. Knowing that I’m only doing it to butter up Ashworth is stressful. Of course, Rance is on the committee too. You know, the asshole you met at the restaurant?”

  “Naturally. Political animal.”

  “Yeah. So tell me about Hanson.” A muscle in his jaw jumped.

  “He brought Andy’s windbreaker that he left at the park. I’m sure it was an excuse to talk to you, but you can imagine how he felt about seeing me here.”

  Teddy glanced at Snake’s arms. “Oh shit.”

  “Yep. He was pretty confrontational. He wanted to know what our relationship is.”

  “Oh no, God.”

  “I told him we were friends and I helped you with prep for your orals. One guess how much he believed that.” Teddy moaned. Snake patted his arm. “He said he assumed we were lovers. He actually called me your boyfriend as if he were saying I was your accomplice serial killer. Finally I asked him to leave.”

  Teddy crumpled forward and held his head in his hands. “Oh shit and double shit.”

  Snake gently caressed Teddy’s back, but ants in ice boots crawled up his spine. “Look, sweetheart, don’t worry about it now. Focus on your orals, and when that’s over you can deal with the grandparent issue.”

  Suddenly Teddy’s head came up. “You have to go.”

  What? “Oh, okay. I guess he could be outside watching. Is that what you’re thinking?”

  Teddy stood like a scalded cat. “I’m thinking that I’m a selfish, idiotic asshole who’s put my son’s entire future in jeopardy so I could get laid.”

  Snake tried to control his frown. “Come on, Teddy, that’s not true. No matter whether you got sex or not, those assholes still would have taken your son to a holy-roller meeting and exposed him to a lot of homophobic idiots, and you’d still have to protect him from them.”

  Teddy visibly shook. “But at least I’d have a moral leg to stand on. I wouldn’t be defending myself for exposing my son to my boyfriends.”

  “Uh, unless you’ve been a lot busier than I’m aware of, I think we’re talking boyfriend. Singular. Me.”

  He paced the room. “I can only imagine what they think. Degenerate, perverse. I can’t even afford a lawyer if they come after Andy.”

  Snake stood and stepped forward. “Come on, Teddy. Be realistic.”

  Teddy whirled. “Realistic? What the hell do you know about it, Mr. I Don’t Take Anything Too Seriously?”

  Snake wiped a hand across his face. Just breathe. “I deserve that. I know I said it. But c’mon, have I done anything to make you think I’m not serious or reliable or that I don’t care?”

  He shook his head. “No. No, of course not. I owe you so much. It’s all my fault. I never should have done this.”

  Snake hissed out a breath. “By this, do you mean us? You never should have done us?”

  Teddy took a step back, but tears shone in his eyes. “Yes. I do mean that. I’m sorry, but I knew better. All this time since Esther died I’ve been so careful, and then one tattooed, pierced bartender later and I’ve thrown over everything I worked for. I’ve got to talk to Hanson. Tell him he’s right. Anything to keep them from coming after me.”

  Snake threw an arm in the air. This is ridiculous! “Teddy, damn it. Courts love families, and they’ll always give a kid to his parents. The mom may get first preference, but after that it’s always the dad. Not grandparents. The dad.”

  He stopped like a statue and gritted out through his teeth, “You don’t understand, and you never will.”

  A punch to his gut couldn’t have robbed him of more breath. Snake blinked hard.

  Teddy sighed long and hopelessly. “Please leave.”

  He did.

  THEODORE PRESSED a hand against his chest in the dark bedroom. Can’t breathe. No air. What have I done? What have I done?

  He sat up in the bed and sucked in terror. In three days, his professional life might come to a standstill. The Andersons already hated him, and that would seal the deal. I could lose my son.

  On its own, his body crumpled forward and a stomach load of bile burned up his throat. “I might lose Andy, and I’ve already lost Snake.” It’s stupid to care. I barely know him.

  Tears slid hot and wet down his face. In a repertoire of amazing lies, that was the biggest one of all.

  “YOU’RE HERE early today.” Michelle walked out of the back hall of the bar, probably leaving the office.

  Snake wiped the already polished surface of the wood. “Yeah, I’ve been neglecting my bar duties.” He tried to smile. “Thought I’d open today.”

  She leaned on the opposite side and gazed at him. He’d hired her only a few months before, but she’d become a good friend. “I was hoping you might have a new boyfriend.” She grinned.

  “I was sort of seeing someone there for a while.” Shit, it hurt to say that.

  “Whoa. It looks like it didn’t take long to get your heart broken.”

  Shit. Suck wind! Heat flashed behind his eyes.

  Her warm hand landed on his arm. “Sorry, Snake. I didn’t mean to be snarky.”

  “No, it’s okay. I guess I didn’t realize how, uh, upset I am.”

  “Was he a player?”

  “No. The opposite. Lots of family responsibilities, and I just don’t fit the criteria, you know?”

  She frowned ferociously. “Bullshit. I don’t know anyone more hardworking or responsible. What the hell does he want?”

  He shook his head. “He’s a widower with a son and just not ready for a new relationship.”

  “Oh hell, that’s tough. Maybe he’s kind of broken up too. When you’ve got kids, it really messes with your rational mind. You feel so protective, you want to fight off the smallest shadow.”

  “Yeah. I guess you ought to know.” She had three kids at home. He stared at his big, scarred hands. Each scar stood as a badge of honor for all the times he’d had to fight to be who the fuck he was. So why have I quit fighting? He looked up at Michelle. “Thanks. Thanks a lot. Is Luther coming in early or late?”

  “I told him early, but I can call him off.”

  “No. That’s fine.” He hauled his phone from his pocket and walked out from behind the bar. “I just remembered stuff I have to do. See you later.”

  He walked out to his bike and stood beside it. He held the phone to his mouth. “Find Underwood Gallery in Laguna Beach.”

  A number came up, and he hit Send.

  “Underwood Gallery, this is JJ.” The voice was high and lilting.

  “Is David there?”

  “He’s with customers.�
�

  “Tell him Snake is coming to see him. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

  “Snake? Oh dear.”

  Snake snorted and started walking the two blocks to Forest Avenue, Laguna’s main shopping street. He found the gallery, took a deep breath, and walked inside. Huge, beautiful paintings of huge, beautiful nude men graced several of the walls. The signature boldly proclaimed Roman.

  David came rushing out from the back, where two women were standing at a counter being waited on by a tall, wildly handsome guy. Of course that made two wildly handsome guys in the gallery, because David could launch a thousand surfboards.

  Snake waved. “Hi. Remember me?”

  David waved his hands. “Of course, Snake. I must, however, introduce you to JJ, my interior decorator. He’s certain that I’m about to be assassinated by someone called Snake.”

  “Sorry I scared him. I have kind of an important topic I wanted to tell you and Rod and Hunter about.”

  “I’m sure it must have something to do with our Theodore.” A crease appeared between his perfect brows. “Is he okay?” He looked around. “Do you want to go in the storage room to talk?”

  “No. I need to get back. I just wanted you to know that he’s really upset. He’s had some run-ins with his in-laws, and he’s certain that they’re going to try to take Andy away from him. I’m not sure where this idea comes from, but I think he needs some support in a big way.”

  “We’ve all noticed his obsessive fear that someone’s going to take Andy. We don’t know why either.”

  “Damn, I hoped you would.”

  “Nope.” David stared at a little clown doll on the display stand. “But I have an idea who might know something.”

  “It would be good to know.”

  David looked at Snake and crossed his arms. “Of course, we’ll give him all the love and support we can. But may I ask why you’re not doing it yourself? I mean, I know you two just got together, but—”

  Snake held up a hand. “He doesn’t want me around. I guess I’m just too confronting to all the people who matter in his life. His father-in-law’s really unhappy that I’ve been babysitting Andy.”