Cleats in Clay

by Jackson Cordd

  “Odie, there’s lemonade in the fridge. Grab some glasses while I get this going.”

  “On it,” Odis said as he went into the kitchen.

  Bobby took a seat at the table, and Heim tried to crawl in his lap. “Ooomph, get down. You’re too damn big,” he told her as he pushed her down. She parked on her butt at his side.

  They ate one plate of food each and then went upstairs. Bobby closed the door after Heim came in. Odis paused just long enough to kick off his shoes before crawling onto the bed. Bobby took off his shoes, crawled onto the bed, then spooned in behind Odis. Heim jumped on the bed and sat behind Bobby’s knees.

  All three let out a quiet sigh.

  Chapter 24

  MINUTES later, Odis rolled onto his back. “I’m sorry. I feel like I’m lettin’ ya down, since I don’t wanna do anything.”

  “What?” Bobby asked with confusion.

  “I know how young men are. I’m sure you prob’ly wanna fool around.”

  “Oh hush, I’m not that fuckin’ young. And I’m quite satisfied with this.” He squeezed Odis close for emphasis. “This is all I want right now. I may be more worn out than you are, since I didn’t get a nap today.”

  “It wasn’t really a nap,” Odis said as he looked up into Bobby’s eyes. “It’s kinda weird how you make me feel something I never even thought I wanted.”

  Bobby looked down into his blue eyes, as richly deep as the sky, and felt himself nearly falling into that depth. “What do I make you feel?”

  “Safe. Secure.” Odis reached up and rubbed his hand along Bobby’s forearm before letting it rest in the middle. “I’ve never felt this before. I didn’t know I wanted to.”

  “Maybe that’s part of why you’ve had attractions to men, as a way to fill that need.”

  “Could be.”

  Bobby squeezed him again. “I kinda like keeping you safe. I never got to be a big brother or anything.”

  “You didn’t for Nathan?”

  Bobby shook his head. “He was so confident and independent, he didn’t need it. Which was good at the time, with my career. I could go on the road and not worry about him.”

  Odis put together the family dynamic of what he’d said. “So you were the youngest?” Odis asked, not sure if Bobby would answer, since he was so reluctant to talk about his family.

  “Yeah,” Bobby said with a nod. He paused before abruptly adding, “I just had one older brother.”

  “Oh.” Odis rubbed his arm again when he noticed the use of the past tense. “When did he pass?”

  Bobby gazed down into Odis’s eyes for so long, Odis thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then Bobby’s eyes started to moisten up and he rolled away onto his back. “He—”

  Odis turned onto his side to face Bobby, showing a supportive face without saying anything.

  Bobby finally spoke again. “It wasn’t pretty when I came out,” Bobby said as he sat up. “And I know you deserve to hear about it, but so does Tuck.” He turned to Odis. “It’ll be hard enough getting through it once. I don’t wanna have to keep repeating it.” He reached out to Odis’s neck and pulled him close enough to kiss his forehead. “Okay?”

  “Sure,” Odis agreed. “It can wait ’til we’re all together.”

  “Okay,” Bobby said as he got up and went into the bathroom. Heim jumped down and followed him in before he closed the door.

  Odis lay on the bed, trying to ignore what sounded like a sob. At that moment, he felt so grateful for the relationship he had with his sister. He felt a little stab of guilt when he couldn’t remember the last time he’d told Gertie how much she meant to him.

  TUCK was flipping through the channels, searching for something else to watch, when his door opened. He looked up to see Josh standing in the doorway. He bumped down the volume.

  “Hey, dude,” Josh said as he slowly walked in.

  “Hey, Josh. Ya didn’t get enough of the hospital yesterday?”

  “I heard ya got attacked by a freezer,” he teased back as he got closer.

  “Looks like ya had yer own fight,” Tuck said when he noticed the bandage on his cheek surrounded by various blooming bruises.

  “Somethin’ like that. So, how are ya?”

  “Doin’ okay, I guess,” he said, raising his right arm to show off the cast. “Looks like I took a little more damage than you.”

  “Nothin’ an old, tough dawg like you can’t handle,” Josh said with a nod. He sat in the chair near the bed. “Did ya hear that Bobby Lane’s in town?”

  Tuck nodded. “I heard.”

  “Well….” Josh hesitated. “I think ya should talk to him. Have a beer with him.”

  Resisting a smile, Tuck sat quietly. He felt a strange pleasure from watching Josh squirm and was curious about how far the younger man would take the conversation.

  Josh looked at his eyes briefly. “I heard he’s been hangin’ out with Gertie’s brother. Shouldn’t be too hard to track him down.”

  “Okay,” Tuck said flatly. “And why should I do that?”

  After glancing at him quickly, Josh shifted in the chair and looked up at one of the monitors. “I… just think you should.”

  “Why?”

  “Because.” Josh clasped his hands in his lap and finally met Tuck’s gaze. “He might be a good role model.”

  “But I’m not a baseball player.”

  Josh sighed in exasperation. “Jeez, yer just as hardheaded as yer brother sometimes.”

  “So Hawk should meet him too?”

  “He already did, but that’s not the point.”

  “Then what is the point?”

  Josh shifted in his chair again. “The point is, you should meet with Bobby.”

  “And ya still haven’t said why,” Tuck replied, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his face stoic.

  “Dammit, Tuck,” Josh said as he hunched forward. “Ya don’t need to be such a hardass. Doesn’t make any difference to me, or nearly anybody else… who you are. Ya don’t hafta keep everything private.”

  “Ah,” Tuck said, finally allowing a smile. “But there’s the rub, ain’t it? You said ‘nearly anybody’. That’s my point of concern.”

  Josh shrugged. “I can’t account for everybody.”

  “No. And I’d already guessed that you, and quite a few others, wouldn’t give a howlin’ hoot about such things. Some, though, I’m not so sure about.”

  “Like who?”

  “Well,” Tuck said before pausing. He looked over Josh, trying to judge just how far he wanted this conversation to go. Of everybody at the department, he trusted Josh as much as he trusted Hawk, so maybe…. “Broyles, for one. I think he’d come around in the long run, but it will probably freak his shit at first.”

  “Right,” Josh said with a nod. “And the fact he’s the boss doesn’t make that easy.”

  “No, it doesn’t. And I don’t know about Fenton, either. I can’t ever seem to get a bead on that guy.”

  “Know what ya mean. That dude’s kinda weird sometimes.”

  “As for Bobby, we’ve already had beers.”

  Josh looked up hopefully. “When?”

  “Friday. I was the one that picked him up at the airport.”

  “No shit?” Something seemed to click, and Josh suddenly grinned. “Was he the ‘something that came up’ Friday night ya called me about?”

  Tuck nodded.

  “Well, holy shit. Then you…?”

  “You sure you wanna ask that?” Tuck questioned aloud.

  “It’s Bobby Lane. How could I not ask?”

  Tuck smiled. “Yes, we did.”

  “Holy shit. And did he… is he… was it good?”

  Tuck shook his head. “I can’t believe you just asked me that. I thought ya were a straight boy.”

  Josh smirked. “If some hunky baseball star wanted to share my bed, I wouldn’t say no. Shit, I’d prob’ly even catch.”

  Tuck tried not to chuckle at his euphemism. “A little bit heteroflexible,
are ya?”

  “Could be,” Josh said with a blush. “So when Bobby was here yesterday, he was comin’ to visit you?”

  “Yep. Thurson brothers kinda screwed up our weekend plans.”

  “That sucks.” Josh glanced around, trying to look casual. “Well, ya gonna see Bobby again?”

  “Why? You wanna date him?”

  Josh smirked at Tuck but didn’t say no.

  “We have plans for tomorrow night, if I get released.”

  “Oh, that’s chill,” Josh said as he stood up. “Well, you’ll hafta make yer own decisions, but I wanted to let ya know ya got allies. Lots of them.”

  “I appreciate it.” Tuck shook his hand.

  “And talk to Hawk. Like now. You know how he is—he’s either at zero or a hundred. He knows somethin’s up, but he’s keepin’ at zero. Don’t wait ’til he hits a hundred and explodes.”

  “Okay, I will,” Tuck said with a nod. “Ya wanna do me a favor, then?”

  “Sure.”

  “Step out in the hall and call him. Not supposed to use yer cell phone in here.”

  “No problem,” Josh said as he went to the door. After pushing it open, he let it close without stepping out. “Don’t look like I need to,” he said as he turned back to Tuck. “I think that’s his giant mug out there now.”

  “Good. Ya better clear out, then. He ain’t gonna listen to no one-at-a-time rule.” He smiled at Josh. “Thank ya for the visit. I really do appreciate it.”

  He smiled back. “It was a nice chat,” Josh agreed. “I’ll see ya later, Tuck.”

  Tuck took a deep breath and settled back into the bed, preparing himself. It didn’t take long for Hawk to burst in.

  Hawk stepped into the room gingerly. “Hey, midget. Still here, I see.”

  Tuck held up the cast. “But prettier since the last time ya’s here.”

  Walking slowly to the bed, Hawk looked over the cast. “So that’s really all that got hurt?”

  “Nah, also got some bruises starting to hurt too.”

  Hawk glanced over him with a critical eye. “I don’t see no bruises,” he said after a minute.

  Tuck lifted up the hospital gown on his left side, showing a huge purpling, dark-red bruise that started near his left hip and reached all the way to his ribs in a vaguely round pattern.

  “Shit,” Hawk spit out. “That looks like it hurts.” Hawk untucked his shirt and pulled it up on the right side, turning so Tuck could see the curved crescent bruise on his lower back. “I got one too,” he said with a touch of bragging in his tone.

  “Sure did. You sure that was the explosion? Looks more a horse kicked ya.”

  “Who knows? Yers looks like a fucked-up Easter egg,” Hawk said with a laugh as he tucked his shirt back in. “I don’t remember a fuckin’ thing after Fenton squawked roll call. It might have been a damn horse.”

  “I remember us crouching in position, then a white light, but nothing after that.” He motioned for Hawk to sit in the chair. “Come here a minute. I think it’s time we had a talk.”

  After a brief “oh shit” expression flashed on his face, Hawk pulled the chair right up next to the bed and sat. He tried to casually ask, “What’s up?”

  Tuck looked at his brother. “First,” he said after a deep breath, “I need ya to promise me not to get all riled up.”

  Hawk’s face fell into concern. “What? Is it…?” he asked while staring at the cast.

  “No, no. Nothin’ about that.” Tuck reached out and bumped his arm to get him to look back at him. “It’s more personal.”

  “Okay,” Hawk said with a wavering nod.

  “How much do ya know about Vic? And how’d ya even find out about him?” Tuck asked very quietly.

  “Chrystil.” Hawk looked up at the monitors. “She saw ya hangin’ around the auto shop when she took her truck in ta Walmart for some new tires last year. She said you’s kinda chummy with one of the mechanics.” Hawk looked over at the cast on Tuck’s hand. “So I followed ya that weekend ta find out what was up.” He glanced very briefly at Tuck. “And I saw ya with that biker guy.”

  “What did ya see?”

  “Does it matter? I ain’t stupid, ya know. I kinda figured, for a long time now, that you was that way. And I don’t give a flyin’ fuck about it. I just want ya ta be happy. Which I don’t think ya are.”

  “Okay,” Tuck said. “How’d ya find out his name?”

  Hawk looked at him as if he’d suddenly gone stupid. “Standard investigatin’ techniques, ya dumb midget. Went back to Walmart and asked around,” he said as he rolled his eyes.

  “Right.” Tuck bumped him in the arm again to get Hawk to look back at him. “And what did ya find out?”

  “He’s got a criminal past.” Hawk looked him in the eye.

  “We were all dumb kids. Public drunk and joyriding at fifteen doesn’t make someone a hardened criminal,” Tuck defended.

  Hawk smiled. “I know, but I wanted ta see if ya did yer homework. That was the only thing I found on him. But he still seems kinda shady.”

  “Well, ya don’t hafta worry about him anymore. We broke up. For good,” Tuck said strongly.

  Hawk raised his eyebrows and stiffened his shoulders. “What’d he do?”

  “Calm down, he didn’t do nothin’. Let’s just call it irreconcilable differences.”

  “Okay.” Hawk relaxed a little bit. “So what next for ya?”

  Tuck hesitated as he looked at his brother. “I—I met Bobby,” Tuck finally threw out.

  “Really?” Hawk asked as he perked up visibly. “Oh yeah, he was here in the room with ya yesterday.”

  “Yep. I picked him up at the airport Friday.”

  Hawk’s brow furrowed with confusion. “So ya knew him before the hospital?”

  Tuck shook his head. “No, Odie knows him.” Tuck looked sternly at Hawk. “And this is where it gets complicated. Promise me ya’ll keep a lid on yerself.”

  “Okay,” Hawk agreed with a tentative nod.

  Tuck took a deep breath, trying to think of how best to explain this. He knew it wouldn’t take long for the gossip mill to start churning, and he had to tell Hawk before he heard some twisted thirdhand version of the truth. He struggled for what to say.

  “Okay,” Hawk said again. “Spit it out.”

  Tuck decided to try from a more analytical angle, even though he doubted Hawk could follow that line. Bless his heart, his brother wasn’t exactly the sharpest pencil in the box. “Have you ever heard of a ménage à trois?”

  Hawk’s brow crinkled. “Is that like a zoo?”

  “No, not a menagerie.” Tuck resisted a sigh. “A committed three-way.”

  Hawk seemed to concentrate on the words a moment. With a lowered voice, he asked, “Ya mean like those Mormons?”

  “No, not polygamy. A three-way.” Tuck sighed.

  Hawk looked into his eyes. “What’s the difference?”

  “With polygamy, the wives may not like each other or even necessarily know each other. They each have an individual commitment to the husband. It’s sometimes more like they’re property of the husband.” Tuck scanned Hawk’s face to see if he was following. “With a ménage, all three are committed to each other.”

  Hawk still looked confused. “I still don’t….”

  “Okay.” Tuck sat forward a bit, deciding to change tactics. “Let’s say you fell in love with Chrystil and married her.”

  Hawk nearly scowled. “Gina hates her. She’d kick my ass fer doin’ somethin’ like that.”

  “Let’s say, for whatever reason, Gina didn’t have a say. Even though they hate each other, they both love you and are both your wife.” Tuck reached out and bumped his arm. “Can ya picture that?”

  “Sure, I guess.”

  “Okay, that would be like polygamy. Now try to picture somethin’ different. Let’s say Gina was into girls as much as guys. And she met some girl, like Holly for instance, and they started falling in love. Then you meet Holly, and you f
all in love with her too. So all three of you decide to share the relationship equally, together. That’s a ménage.”

  Hawk sat back and thought about all that a minute. “So yer sayin’ this Holly, Gina, and me would all love each other together? And all have sex together?”

  Tuck nodded. He could see from his brother’s face when all the gears started pulling together and the machinery turned. “So Odie. He’s into guys too?”

  Tuck nodded.

  “And… so ya got two boyfriends now?”

  Tuck nodded again. “I guess you could put it that way.”

  Hawk frowned slightly. “And that makes ya happy?”

  Tuck grinned. “Happy isn’t even the word for it.”

  Hawk’s lips lifted a little at the corners, but he still looked concerned. “I’m glad for that. I really am. But you know the town’s gonna talk, and some of it… won’t be nice.”

  Tuck studied him to make sure he was being truthful. “It wouldn’t bother you, having Bobby as a brother-in-law?”

  “Hell no,” Hawk said with a smile. “He’s a famous athlete. And kinda good-looking too, I guess. Who would mind that?”

  “And what about Odis?”

  “That little shrimp?” Hawk asked with a smirk. “I always thought he was smarter than you, and he’s got some balls too. Yesterday I thought he was gonna bite my nads off. He wasn’t gonna let me back here, not as long as he was conscious.” Hawk let out a short chuckle.

  Tuck also chuckled. “I thought ya learned not ta mess with pit bulls.”

  “I know. I still got a scar on my calf from that mean bitch.” Hawk sat up with a serious expression. Then he reached out and took Tuck’s left hand and looked him in the eyes. “I’m glad. I’m really glad ya finally told me. Ya didn’t hafta wait so long, midget.”

  “And it really doesn’t bother you? I mean, everything?”

  Hawk chuckled. “With two boyfriends, ya’ll prob’ly be gettin’ more than me now. Don’t bother me at all, other than maybe a little jealous,” he said with a smirk.

  “That’s good. I was almost afraid to tell ya, but I knew I had ta say somethin’ before any rumors start.”

  “You didn’t hafta wait for rumors. I mean it, I want ya to tell me everything from now on. Even the bad stuff. I can’t be a good brother if ya don’t let me,” Hawk said with a stern look.