The food disappeared quickly from both their plates and the basket was empty before Tyler finally sat back, feeling better and ready to get to know the handsome cowboy.
That was when the excruciatingly bright flash of a camera blinded Tyler.
Chapter Four
Tyler’s first instinct had him rearing back in his chair, wrenching his shoulder, which brought pain slicing down his arm to his fingertips. He couldn’t stop the small cry that escaped as he started trying to breathe through the agony.
“Tyler, are the reports true that your career is ending due to your injuries? Are the rumors that you’re gay true? Is this your boyfriend?”
Graham sprang into action. Putting his hand on the lens of the camera he shoved it back into the greasy haired, overweight jerk’s face. From experience, he knew anything he said would be switched around to suit the reporter’s paycheck. But something had to be said fast, because he could see Tyler was in great pain. “Mr. Hayward will be giving an interview when he has all the information from his doctors, team, and family. Now please give him some room.”
With that, Graham carefully guided Tyler to his feet, shielding him from the reporter’s attempt to get a picture of his face, covered in sweat, tortured with agony. Graham didn’t stop moving until they were in the elevator heading toward the third floor.
“Oh man, it hurts so bad.” Tyler’s muffled voice came from Graham’s shoulder. Graham had his arms around Tyler, holding him close, letting the weight of his shaking frame lean on him. Graham felt his shoulder becoming damp and realized Tyler was crying.
“Do you have any more of those pills on you?”
“I thought we decided that they messed me up too much?” Tyler lifted his head off of Graham’s shoulder and looked at him, tears still sliding down his face.
“Honey, you’ve eaten and I’ll continue to make sure you’re drinking enough. But I think when we get to my room you’ll need to take some meds. If the pills don’t cut the pain, I’m taking you back to the hospital to have the doctors look at that arm.” Graham knew he sounded bossy, but seeing Tyler in pain had brought out every possessive instinct he had toward the pretty man. Not to mention the hard-on from hell he was sporting because of the lean, taut body pressed so invitingly against his.
Tyler heard the ping of the elevator door opening, and then Graham managed to get them out and down the hall with Tyler’s face still pressed into his shoulder.
Before Tyler knew it, they were inside a hotel room and he was seated on a bed with Graham at his feet taking off his shoes and socks. Gently, Graham had Tyler stand and opened his jeans, sliding them down his legs. A small part of Tyler was disappointed that the cowboy had left his boxers on. Then he was again seated on the bed and Graham pulled off his jeans and took the packet of pills out of the pocket. Leaving for a moment, he came back with a pitcher of water and a glass.
After making sure Tyler took the pills and drank the whole glass of water, Graham unbuckled the strap that ran across his chest and back. Carefully, he slid the sling off of Tyler’s injured arm. Graham found the two buttons that held the shirt together underneath his bandaged arm and then Tyler’s long sleeve T-shirt was gently pulled up and over his head. The arm of the T-shirt for Tyler’s injured arm was cut off so it slid off easily. Graham pulled the covers down, grabbed the pillows, and arranged them into a nest. Then he lifted Tyler up completely and set him onto the middle of the bed.
“Do you need me to put the sling back on for sleeping?”
“Not if we can arrange the pillows to completely support the arm and prevent it from moving.”
Carefully, Graham supported Tyler’s arm and body while lying him down amid the pillows. With a few adjustments here and there, Tyler looked relatively comfortable lying in Graham’s bed.
Tyler happily watched as the bigger man pulled off his own shirt, revealing a muscled back that had Tyler drooling. Then he lowered his jeans, revealing tight, dark-blue boxer briefs. Tyler told himself he was breathing harder because he was in such pain. Really! Honest!
Graham turned around, revealing a wide muscled chest covered lightly with dark, curling hair and a hard belly containing six-pack abs. Despite the pain he was in, Tyler’s prick hardened, peeking over the band of his boxers.
Graham climbed into the bed, sliding until he was pressed up next to Tyler’s uninjured side, and slid his arm under Tyler’s head.
Tyler wasn’t sure how he went from looking at the ducks in a haze of drug-induced fog to being in bed with a man in a strange hotel room. But he wasn’t complaining. He was thankful and he wasn’t alone.
“Are you still with me honey, or have the drugs kicked in?” Graham asked.
“I’m still here, but I can feel the pain starting to ease.”
“That’s good.”
“You know, I saw you at the hospital about two weeks ago, following your sister with a suitcase into the rehabilitation wing,” Tyler confessed.
“Well, I saw you down by the pond later that afternoon and every afternoon since.”
“Why didn’t you get up from the bench under the tree and introduce yourself before today?”
“Ah.” Graham chuckled. “So you knew I was there.”
“I find that when you’re anywhere near me, I just seem to know you’re there. And I want you to know that I’ve decided that it’s the drugs that have me confessing all this stuff to you.”
“You can blame it on the drugs all you want, but I’m still going to hold you to everything you say.” Tyler could see Graham’s green eyes were sparkling with humor.
“I think the whole point in blaming the drugs for confessing everything is that you aren’t held accountable for the confession.”
“Nice try, Mr. Baseball, but your confessions are mine to keep.”
“So, you know about me?” Tyler wished the drugs would kick in faster so he could avoid any part of this conversation. He didn’t want Graham to think he was an asshole.
“I know you’re one of the best players in the game of baseball right now. From what I’ve read in the papers and seen on the television, many sports analysts thought you were robbed of the MVP award last year.” Graham continued, “About three months ago, you were seriously injured when a car ran a red light and hit the cab you were riding in. I also know that I find you very attractive and would love to get you know you better.”
“Well, I would say we are getting to know each other pretty well, since we are in bed together.” Tyler couldn’t stop the huge yawn that burst out of him as the drugs started taking effect.
“Ah, we may be in bed, but you are going to sleep and I’m going to make sure you drink water every few hours. The hanky-panky will have to wait until we are both up to it.”
“I can’t believe you just said hanky-panky. And for the record, my dick has been up for anything since the first time I saw your tight ass.” Another yawn grabbed Tyler and his eyes felt so heavy.
Graham chuckled and pulled him closer as both men fell asleep.
* * * *
Graham made it to the airport front entrance just in time to see his parents walking toward him, pulling a baggage carrier. Quickly turning around, he signaled to a driver standing by his cab, indicating he would need the trunk opened.
Lance and Marian Conner were both in their midfifties but looked much younger. They had flown in to Los Angeles from Africa, where they had been attending meetings and social events. Their passion in life right now was to bring the plight of the people of Africa to the attention of politicians and the media. The Conners had money, prestige, and the gift of being able to make things happen in high society and the government. Marian Conner would never be caught without makeup or covered in dirt, helping the hungry and AIDS victims out in the field. But Marian and her husband knew who to find and just what to say to get money into the right hands, and laws made or changed to help the cause of their choice.
Now they had interrupted their work to come and take their daughter f
rom the hospital to the apartment they were renting. They would stay there until Cindy was able to go back to training and competing in gymnastic events to qualify for the next Olympics. Graham would never understand why his parents hadn’t been able to miss a couple of meet-and-greets when Cindy first had the accident and surgery. But at least they were here now.
“Graham, it’s so good to see you,” Lance Conner greeted his son. To anyone watching the two men exchange a hug, there was no doubt that they were father and son. Both were about six foot one, with wide shoulders, narrow hips, and dark-brown hair. The startling difference was that the older man wore a very expensive suit and shoes, his hair professionally styled., While the son was wearing a plaid shirt, sleeves rolled up, faded, worn jeans that clung to powerful thighs, and cowboy boots that showed the wear and tear of hard work on a horse ranch. The son’s big hands were rough with calluses and small scars from hard manual work. While the father’s were clean, smooth, and manicured.
“Let the boy go, Lance, and let me have my hug.” Marian Conner was very petite, with shiny, rich dark hair that Graham knew didn’t come out of a bottle. His grandmother and sister had that same hair. Though she loved her children and tried to do her best by them, it was her husband and their latest cause that made her want to get up in the morning.
Graham hugged his mother, lifting her slightly off her feet. He had been taught early on that showing affection was okay as long as it was shown with dignified good taste. Air kisses were exchanged, just as a camera was shoved into their faces.
With the grace of long experience, Graham’s mother and father talked with the three reporters that had found them newsworthy. After posing for a few pictures with their son by their side, the family was finally able to get into the cab and be on their way to the hospital.
“Cindy sounded like things are going well when I talked to her yesterday. How is she really?” Marian asked.
“The surgery on her elbow seems like a success and she should make a full recovery. She needs to heal and have physical therapy for the next couple of weeks, but they think she can start light training within a month.” Graham answered.
“Well, we’re free for the next two weeks to help her. Are you going right back to the Crazy Angle?”
“I thought I would stick around here for a little while. I’ve met someone and I want to see if it goes anywhere.”
“Just be careful. Your dad and I have built up our image to help those poor people in Africa. I don’t need you involved in a scandal, to take away all of the hard work we’ve done.” Marian pulled a newspaper out of her Gucci purse and revealed a photo from the night before, of Graham and Tyler at the restaurant.
Why Graham was surprised his parents already knew about Tyler was a mystery. They made a living using the press to further their beloved causes. Now that he thought about it, someone had probably called them within an hour of that picture being taken.
“I’ll be careful, Mom. It’s still in the early stages and we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
No more was said about Graham’s budding relationship with Tyler. By the time they had caught each other up on their day-to-day lives, they had reached the hospital. Graham’s sister was scheduled to be released shortly, and after her reunion with their parents, she turned to Graham, giving him a big hug.
“I’ll miss you.”
“Ah, baby girl, I’m just a call away.”
“You always say that.”
“And I always am.”
Leaning back, she looked him in the eye. “If I need to come home, it’s okay?”
“The ranch will always be your home and its door is always open.” Graham kissed his little sister on the cheek. This conversation, word for word, had replayed between them since Cindy had come to live with Graham when she was thirteen years old. Now she was nineteen and he was thirty-four, and the conversation was still very true.
After quite a long wait for the paperwork to be processed, Graham managed to get his sister released and the little group on their way to the rented apartment. Now Graham was headed down the street toward the park where he hoped a certain ballplayer was sitting on a bench watching the ducks.
Chapter Five
Walking into the park, Graham was glad to see that Tyler was there. There hadn’t been much talking going on that morning after they had overslept. Graham knew that waking Tyler up and making sure he drank a glass of water throughout the night had contributed to them both scrambling into their clothes to make it to their commitments on time.
Tyler had a meeting scheduled with his doctors and a therapy session, while Graham had needed to find his way through the maze of interstate highways that led to the airport. But now Graham hoped they could have some time alone together.
Sliding onto the bench, he put his arm around Tyler and kissed his cheek. “Hi, did everything go okay today?”
Worried eyes looked up at him. Graham watched the worry turn to a warm welcome as Tyler leaned over, kissed him, and then straightened. It was far too short of a kiss, in Graham’s opinion. “I thought therapy went real well and so did my meeting with the doctors. They’re talking about releasing me from my therapy requirements.”
“What does that mean?” Graham asked.
“It means my parents, agent, and the team doctors are flying in tomorrow morning and meeting with me and the hospital staff that have been working on my arm. It means, for me, the afternoon will be spent with the staff and team doctors evaluating my hand, elbow, and arm. Then decisions will be made whether more surgery is needed or more therapy. Or they could just decide my career is over.”
Graham pulled Tyler into his arms for a hug. Tomorrow was going to be a monumental day in Tyler’s life. He wasn’t sure where he stood, but he hoped Tyler let him hang around.
The ringing of a cell phone interrupted the warm embrace that enveloped Tyler. He didn’t want to leave the feeling of security he found in Graham’s arms, but the tune, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” meant that a family member needed to talk to him.
Reluctantly pulling away, he answered the phone and recognized his older brother’s voice on the other end.
“Tyler, how’s it going, man? I heard tomorrow is the big day.”
“Hey, Brad. Yeah, hopefully it will be good news. How are you doing?”
“Same old, same old. Working, running the kids around to all of their stuff.”
Tyler heard something in his brother’s voice that said things weren’t as smooth as he was making them out to be.
“Anything you want to talk about?” he asked.
“No, you have your own stuff to deal with. Maybe we can go out for a beer when you’re back in the area.”
“Sure, that would be great. But you know that I’m here if you need to talk?”
“Thanks, brother. But the reason I called was to give you a heads-up. I was over at Mom and Dad’s house yesterday. Things weren’t good over there. Mom was on a tangent about a picture of you and some guy that was in yesterday’s paper. She also was calling some friends looking for a nice girl to introduce you to.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” Tyler was stunned. He could see that the whole nightmare of the last couple of years was going to start all over again.
“No. Dad actually took the phone out of her hand and they started having this huge argument. I know they’re planning on flying out there tomorrow. So I thought you should prepare yourself.”
“Shit. Thanks brother. I have to go.”
“Take care, Tyler. Don’t let Mom take over. It isn’t worth it. I should know.”
Even though his mind was reeling from everything Brad had just told him, he was even more convinced that something was going on with Brad. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“Tyler, you need to deal with tomorrow. I’m a big boy now and can handle things on my own.”
“Brad, you’ve always been a big boy.”
“You know it, bro. Take care.”
Slowly putting his cell back in his pocket, Tyler’s mind processed all the implications of Brad’s warning. The more he thought about it, the more the panic started to rise. No longer able to sit, he jumped up, causing the ducks in the pond to squawk in fear and quickly swim away.
Tyler jerked around and faced Graham. “Am I too old to run away from home? I’m thinking the circus is a good place to start. On the other hand, I’ve heard Siberia is real nice this time of year.”
Tyler watched as Graham’s eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. He knew he had surprised the man, but in about two seconds, he was going to hop on a plane to Mexico. No, maybe Europe would be better. It was farther away.
“How about you tell me what has you so freaked out, and then we’ll see how far we’re going to have to run?”
He hadn’t missed that Graham had said the word “we”. And that was part of the problem. If Graham found out all Tyler had done to further his career, the handsome cowboy would dump his ass on the nearest street corner. Tyler had a feeling that his heart might never recover if that happened.
“Tyler, I can see it’s big. Just start talking and we’ll deal with it,” Graham urged.
“I have a question for you first.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“We’ve been dancing around each other for the past two weeks. But we’ve only started to get to know each other since yesterday. Why would you even want to take a chance with someone like me? I come with a lot of baggage and after tomorrow, that baggage might be able to fill a semi-trailer.” Tyler had to know. He wanted to put his trust in Graham but knew it was too early in their relationship to heap all of the drama on the man. Unfortunately, life sometimes just had a mind of its own. Tyler had to know right now if there was a chance that Graham would bail. Fair or not, he’d end it now, rather than let his guard down and get burned.
Tyler's Transformation [The Men of the Crazy Angle Ranch 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 3
