Beginning to Believe (3 page)

Kit took the card, digging out his own. “Same to you.” He grinned. “You never know when you might need rescuing.”

Ty returned the smile. “I’d imagine I’m more likely to need it than you.”

“I’d be happy to rescue your ass, Ty. Anytime.” He blushed as he said it, but meant it, so he let it stand.

“You might be sorry if I take you up on it.” Ty gave him a wink.

Laughing, he shook his head. “Somehow I don’t think so.” He stood, groaning as his knees complained. “Okay, I do need to go. I’m reaching the end of my tolerance and I have a bit of a drive ahead of me.”

Tyler stood and shook his hand. “It was really nice to meet you, Kit. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Same here. Please, let me know when you want to get together and discuss the next steps.”

“What are you doing Thursday night?” Tyler flushed a little. “There’s a party on the beach. Lots of music, some food.”

“I...” Kit couldn’t take his chair down, but if he was careful, he could walk down on the sand. Hell, if he tried and fell, he could just turn his cowboy ass around and go home. “What time and where?”

“Diana beach -- it starts at five and if we get there ‘round then it shouldn’t be too crowded yet. We can stake out our spot.” Ty looked pleased.

“Okay. Should I meet you there, then?” He grinned. “And what type of beer should I bring?”

“I’ll meet you in the parking lot and the beer should be cold.” Ty took his hand again, giving him another squeeze. “See you Thursday.”

“Good deal.” He left money on the table and turned, heading toward his truck, slow and steady. As he headed out of the driveway, Kit figured he might want to take a few walks on his own beach during the next few days, just to practice.

Chapter Three

Tyler sat on the rail at Diana beach, feet swinging as he kept an eye out for Kit’s red truck. He was a little surprised at himself, at how eager he was to see Kit again. Something about the man held his interest, though, called to him.

He was usually pretty casual about his relationships. There were always exceptions. He never would have picked an ex country singer as one, though.

He grinned as he saw Kit pull up, hopping off the fence and heading for the truck. By the time he got there, Kit was swinging his legs out, wearing jeans and a black tank top, giving Tyler a look at beautiful, strong, tanned arms and pecs. He had to grin at the ubiquitous ball cap over the shorn brown hair.

“Ty. Howdy.”

“Hey. I’m glad you made it.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the invite.” Kit was moving easier, steps more natural as a towel and a folded lawn chair were pulled from the back of the truck. Ty got a glimpse of a folded wheelchair and a guitar case before the hard cover was locked down. “How’s it going?”

“Good. You don’t need the chair you know, I brought a couple. I hope you don’t mind -- I went ahead and chose a spot, put out the blanket and chairs, brought down the cooler.”

“Oh, cool. Saves me the carrying of it.” Kit stowed the chair away and gave him a smile. “Lead the way.”

“You got it.” He’d chosen the spot with care, somewhere not too far from the parking lot, but out of the main crowd and still affording them a decent view of the ocean and close enough they could hear the bands rather than the crowd. Kit looked like he approved, settling carefully in one of the chairs, legs looking odd and stiff on the sand, tennis shoes digging in.

“Comfortable?” Tyler asked, crouching by the cooler and pulling out a couple of beers.

“Doing good, thanks.” Kit took a beer, nodding. “Thanks again for the invite, by the way. It’s a damned pretty evening for a party.”

“It is,” he agreed, settling in the other chair. “Nice way to get to know a man, too.”

“It is.” Kit grinned and laughed, eyes crinkling up. “So, twenty questions?”

“Deal. I’ll go first.” He took a swig of his beer, considering. “Where’d you pick up that accent?”

“Enid, Oklahoma.” Kit nodded. “How many tattoos do you have?”

“Just the one, but there’s a lot more to it than what you can see.” He gave Kit a wink. “Any siblings?”

Kit’s laugh was fucking sweet. “No. Only child. My mom died when I was two. Are you a natural blond?”

Kit blushed nice, too.

“I am and I can prove it, if you know what I mean.” Oh yeah, Kit blushed real nice. “You bi or gay?” Tyler asked.

“That sort of depends, I guess. I’ve slept with both, but only been in serious relationships with men. Which do you figure that makes me?”

“That would depend on whether or not you were attracted to both. I mean, if the women were just the nearest warm body or an experiment or trying to convince yourself you weren’t gay...”

Kit was glowing, but nodded. “One was because we were lonely and one was wanting a baby. It was nice enough, but not... deep? Intense, maybe?”

Tyler gave Kit a long look. “You’d make a good father,” he said quietly. “So you’re not looking for a relationship with a woman. You looking at all?”

“I didn’t think so. I...” Kit swallowed and looked at the ocean. “I haven’t had sex but once since the accident, and it was... bad. I’m comfortable with the fact that I lost that. It’s hard to ask a partner to accept the scarring, the deformity. Are you involved with someone?”

“If you’re asking am I seeing anyone seriously, then the answer is no. If you’re asking if I’m sleeping with anyone then the answer is sure -- I’ve got a lot of friends who’re happy to help a guy out when he’s in need and I feel the same way ‘bout them. You jack off at all since the accident?”

“I... Yeah.” Kit shifted, nodded. “I’m handicapped, not dead. What’s your favorite song?”

“Favorite all time just one song?” Tyler took another haul on his beer, watching Kit move.

“If you’ve got one, yeah.” Kit reached down, moved his legs to a more stable position.

“I don’t know if I could pick just one. V loves Elvis, owns every record he ever made, but Love Me Tender was always her favorite. I can remember hearing it most nights growing up.” He shifted his chair around a bit, moving a bit closer to Kit, also angling slightly so he could see the man a little better. “Any time I hear it I stop whatever I’m doing and sing along. I suppose that’s the closest I have to a favorite. What’s your favorite food?”

“Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Do you have a pet?”

“Nope. You ever have that baby?”

“Yes. Her momma died in the bus. Cate lives with her grandparents on the east coast.” Funny how Kit could talk about so much loss with such a peaceful look on his face. “Do you play an instrument?”

“Like every boy in California I wanted an electric guitar and bugged my parents until I got one. I can still mess around on it some. Do you want to sleep with me?”

Kit looked over at him, eyes a little shocked, a little stunned. That long throat worked hard for a second. “Yes. Does it matter?”

“Seeing as I want to sleep with you, I guess it does. I’m not in the habit of bedding unwilling partners.”

“Oh.” Kit watched him for a moment longer, then nodded. “You got any soda in that cooler? Two beers is my limit for driving.”

Tyler wondered at the change of subject, but shrugged mentally and went with it. Kit likely wasn’t the kind of man who slept around easily even before his accident, Ty imagined that was even truer now.

“Yep, coke and ginger ale and munchies. We can get something off the grill when you’re hungry.” He gave Kit a considering look. “We done playing?”

“Nope. I’m just thirsty and trying to stretch out my beer consumption.” Kit grinned and reached for the cooler, fishing out a coke. “What do you do on your days off?”

“Surf, paint, make-out, work on bikes.” He grinned over at Kit. “What about you -- what do you do for fun?”

“Oh, I hang out, jam every now and then. I have a pier that I sit on and watch the water. Adam is trying to teach me to swim better in the pool over at the rehab center. I workout. Normal shit.” It was obvious that Kit worked out, the man’s upper body was cut and sculpted, fine to look at. “Hmm... my turn. What’s your favorite color?”

“Just one?” Tyler shook his head. “I guess blue if I’m forced to choose. What’re you doing Saturday night?”

“I’m having a little jam session at the house -- two tiny bands that I think will make one great group. Would you like to come out for an early supper and maybe stick around? The music should be fabulous.”

“I’d like that very much, Kit.” He grinned, looked like Kit was interested enough. “What should I bring?”

“Just yourself. I’ll throw something on the grill for supper.” He got another grin. “Is it my turn again?” Ty reached for a coke and nodded. “When’s your birthday?” Kit asked.

“July 11, 1971. When’s yours?”

“June 20th, same year. Sucks having a summer birthday, don’t it?” Kit was relaxing, that warm laughter coming easily, the stiffness of his body gone.

“Are you kidding? It’s the greatest.” Tyler laughed. “V used to take me and all my friends to the beach and we’d grill hotdogs and play in the water. She’d give out prizes to whoever brought her the most interesting beach stuff. It was the greatest.”

“Oh, man, I hated it. Hotter than hell, all the chores you didn’t have to do when you were in school having to be done, and everybody was off visiting family or working animals.” Kit shook his head, chuckling. “It was better when I got older, but when I was a boy? Damn.”

Ty chuckled. “Well I’ll have to see what I can do to make it up to you this year. How do you feel about tequila body shots?”

Kit’s laughter was loud, happy. “Oh, Christ! Just remind me to start in my chair, yeah? Can you imagine me otherwise? Good Lord! You’d have to pour me into a bed.”

“That doesn’t sound too terrible, Kit.” He winked and watched Kit over the top of his can as he took another drink.

That blush came back, but the stiff nervousness didn’t and he got a slow grin. “We’ll have to see what you think after I have a few and am laughing over some joke my imaginary friend told me.”

“You’ve got imaginary friends, too? Cool.”

“A man’s got to have friends to yell at the TV with, Tyler.” The look was almost serious, the laughter almost hidden.

“Have you got a lot of friends?” he asked, Kit’s words making him suddenly curious. “Of the flesh and blood variety I mean.”

Kit tilted his head, seemed to think some. Then he shook his head. “No. I’ve got Adam and his wife, Kerri. They live next door and I trust them with my life, but that’s about it. I know a bunch of musicians, people in the industry, but they’re not friends, you know?”

“Seriously? Aren’t you lonely?” He couldn’t imagine that. Couldn’t even dream of a world where there was only one couple he could call friends.

“Sometimes.” Kit shrugged. “I lost... I guess you could say I thought I’d found everybody I was ever gonna need and then I didn’t anymore. I guess I haven’t had time to start filling those empty spaces.”

“How long has it been again?”

“Six years in October.”

“That’s a long time to have empty spaces and no friends to fill ‘em with.”

“I guess.” Kit took another drink, meeting his eyes. “Sometimes it feels like forever, and some days it feels brand new. Memories are funny that way.”

Tyler nodded -- that he could understand. “So is your being here mean you’re ready to have one of those holes filled?”

As soon as he’d said it, he realized how it sounded and he laughed at himself.

Kit blinked for about half a second and then burst out laughing, doubling over, shoulders shaking like he was tickled. “Oh! Oh shit, Ty! That was funny as fuck...”

God, happiness made Kit look young, made him look completely different, like a mask had slipped off or something.

Still chuckling Tyler nodded. “I just wish it had been intentional.”

“Oh, the look on your face was more than half the fun.” Kit’s laughter slowly eased. “Oh, Lord. I haven’t laughed so hard in a month of Sundays.”

“Well you should do it more often, Kit -- looks good on you. Real good.”

“Feels pretty damned good.” Kit nodded. “And yeah, I’d like to be your friend, Ty. Get to know you. I mean, I’ve already confessed to thinking about you in a not-purely friendly way, but if you can forgive that, I do enjoy your company more than I’ve enjoyed anything in a long while.”

“Oh, I can forgive the thinking about me in a not-purely friendly way if you can forgive me encouraging it,” he replied, more pleased than he was willing to question by Kit’s words.

“Well, then. Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a deal.” Kit chuckled, then caught a stray volleyball that came winging by and threw it back, the shot sure and strong.

“You into sports?” Tyler asked, stomach growling a little as a waft of air brought the scent of burning meat with it. He could go for a burger.

“I’m a big baseball fan. Used to play, once upon a time. You?”

“Anything you can do on the beach.” He nodded off toward the where the nets were set up. “Volleyball, swimming, surfing, Frisbee.”

“You want to go play? Won’t hurt my feelings a bit. I’m a world champion watcher.”