The City PI and the Country Cop (15 page)

“It happens all too often, in one way or
another,” the chief replied. “Blame the victim, not the
perpetrator.”

“Which Carl did, even though the boys he
murdered had nothing to do with what happened to him,” Teague
added. He looked at Hoyt, dismayed at how pale and drawn he was.
“Time to get you home.”

Hoyt seemed as if he was going to protest.
Then, with a sigh, he agreed. He and Teague thanked Slater for
coming down to let them know about, and see, what he had found
out.

The chief helped Hoyt stand, telling him in
no uncertain terms that he was to take care of himself and heal. “I
know,” he added, “that you’ll start going crazy soon enough from
enforced idleness. If that happens, and if I think you’re ready, I
can place you on desk duty. You should be able to handle that.”

“Something to look forward to,” Hoyt replied
sourly. “Still, thanks for the offer. I suspect I’ll take you up on
it until I’m back in shape because you’re right. I don’t do idle
well.”

* * * *

“You really don’t do idle at all well,”
Teague said, repeating Hoyt’s words from twenty minutes ago.

The moment they walked into Hoyt’s house, the
detective flicked on the TV and began to walk toward the kitchen,
announcing he was hungry. The fact that he had to grab the back of
the sofa for a moment to steady himself didn’t seem to deter
him.

“You will sit. Now.” Teague ordered, pointing
to the sofa. “Then I’ll go upstairs and find you something to wear
so I can have my jacket back. I’d put you to bed, but I don’t think
you’ve got enough strength to navigate the stairs right now. Where
are the meds the doctor gave you?”

Hoyt collapsed on the sofa, muttering about
bossy men while he dug the pills containers out of the jacket
pocket. Teague took them, checking when Hoyt was supposed to take
them. “You’re due for a pain pill, and from the look of you, you
need it.” Teague handed Hoyt one then went into the kitchen to get
him some water.

“When are you leaving?” Hoyt asked after
downing the pill.

“Not until the nurse gets here.”

“No.” Hoyt rested his head on the back of the
sofa. “When are you leaving town.”

Teague sat down beside him, totally
forgetting for the moment that he was going to get Hoyt something
else to wear beside the jacket. “I haven’t decided yet. I should go
back tomorrow and have the chief call me to tell me what Irwin
says.”

“Undoubtedly that will be nothing,” Hoyt
replied dispiritedly. “I wish…”

“What?”

“That you’d stick around for a while like you
promised.”

Carefully, Teague slid his arm around Hoyt
until his head rested on Teague’s shoulder. “I’m not sure it’s
really a good idea. It would only be for a few days at best. You
know that.”

“I know.” Hoyt’s eyes closed. “But even that
would be…nice…We could get to…” His voice faded out and Teague
realized he was asleep. Unwilling to move, Teague stroked Hoyt’s
hair gently.

“If there was any way…” Teague murmured. “But
there’s not. If we get to know each other better, which is what I
think you were trying to say, it would hurt even more when I have
to leave.”

Why?
Why
have I finally met someone
I could learn to love, only to have to give him up because…because
we’re…
He almost laughed.
The country mouse and the city
mouse. Like them, we’re destined never to change. Never to learn to
accept the other’s life.

He was startled when the doorbell rang.
Carefully disentangling from Hoyt, who was so deeply asleep he
hadn’t heard the bell, Teague laid him down on his back and then
went to open the door. A young man stood there, incongruously
dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a scrubs shirt, with a backpack
over one shoulder.

“Hi,” the man said. “I’m Tony Hammond. I
suspect you’re not my patient.”

“Nope. That would be Hoyt.” Teague pointed to
the sofa.

“Why isn’t he in bed?” Tony asked, crossing
to look down at Hoyt.

“Because he landed on the sofa first? I
didn’t think he was in any shape to make it up the stairs.”

“Well, he can’t sleep here.” Tony put down
the backpack. “I’ll wake him and you’ll help me get him to his
room. Or better yet we can move him to the recliner. Probably
without waking him.”

Pissed at Tony’s attitude, Teague almost
refused. Then common sense took over. Between them, they navigated
Hoyt into the recliner. Tony carefully stripped Hoyt of the jacket,
his shoes, and jeans. “Go get him sweats if he has them,” Tony said
as he removed Hoyt’s shoulder brace.

“Are you always this dictatorial,” Teague
asked tightly, watching while Tony checked the wound site then got
fresh dressing from his pack.

“Sorry. I tend to get that way when I see a
patient who’s not doing what he should be.” He turned to smile
slightly at Teague. “And you’re here to take the brunt of it. So,
please would you go see what he’s got to wear? Preferably a loose
shirt that I can fit over the brace.”

With a nod, Teague did, returning with sweat
pants and a thick flannel shirt. With Teague’s help, Tony got Hoyt
dressed again and then put the recliner’s back at a forty-five
degree angle. “He’ll be more comfortable this way than flat on his
back,” he explained to Teague. “Where are his meds?”

“On the coffee table. He just took a pain
pill.”

“No wonder he’s out.” Going to get the
containers, Tony checked the dosage information then put them on
the mantelpiece above the fireplace. “Do you live here, too?” he
asked Teague.

“No, I’m just a friend.”

“All right. Then you should probably leave.
If you’re planning on helping him during the day, come back around
nine. Otherwise, I’ll call for someone to be here with him.”

“He’s not going to accept that.”

“You know what, that’s too bad. Until he
learns how to take care of himself without re-injuring his
shoulder, he needs a companion to do what he can’t.”

“That will be me,” Teague said, instantly
deciding he wouldn’t put Hoyt through more stress than he’d already
dealt with. “For the next couple of days anyway.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you in the morning.”

He’s worse than Hoyt when it comes to
bossy/grumpy.
With a shake of his head, Teague picked up his
jacket, took one long look at Hoyt, who seemed to be sleeping
comfortably, and then left, barely nodding when Tony said “Good
night.”

* * * *

When Teague arrived at Hoyt’s house at nine
the next morning, Tony let him in and then went straight into the
kitchen. From the aroma, Teague thought the man was probably fixing
bacon and eggs.

Hoyt was still in the recliner, looking much
better than he had the previous evening. As soon as he saw Teague
he smiled in relief. At first Teague thought it was because Hoyt
was more than ready to have Tony leave, and said so quietly after
pulling over a chair to sit beside Hoyt.

“Well…partly,” Hoyt admitted. “But more
because you’re here at all. I was afraid you’d head home after what
you said yesterday.”

Teague shrugged. “I considered it, until I
met Tony. I know you well enough now to get that the two of you
would spend more time butting heads than anything else. You’re too
similar. As for having someone around during the day, which he
threatened…”

“Yeah, that’s not happening. I’m capable of
doing for myself once I’m dressed.” Hoyt grimaced. “Maybe I’ll just
wear what I have on until I can get rid of the brace.”

“You do and no one will want to get within
ten feet of you by tomorrow.”

“Are you saying I stink,” Hoyt said in mock
horror.

“Not yet, but you will because I don’t think
showering is an option for a while yet.”

“It’s not,” Tony said, coming into the room
with two plates of food that he set down on the coffee table.
“Okay, on your feet, Hoyt. Breakfast is ready.”

“No kidding,” Hoyt muttered, looking at the
food. He started to get out of the recliner then sank back,
sighing. Teague immediately got up to help him.

“Stop right there,” Tony barked out. “He has
to do it on his own.”

“For the love of God, he just got out of the
hospital and this chair is not easy for anyone to get out of, any
more than the car was. I had to help him in and out when I brought
him home.”

“If he’d remember to raise the back to its
upright position,” Tony said with a smirk.

“Okay. Point made,” Teague muttered, adding,
“What were you in your last life? A flight attendant?”

While Teague and Tony were bickering, Hoyt
did raise the back of the chair and got to his feet. Now he
snickered at Teague’s comment while taking a seat on the sofa.
“More like Nurse Ratched.”

“Like hell. She was a novice compared to me,”
Tony replied without blinking. Then he laughed. “Yeah, I’m being
tough on you, Hoyt. You won’t get back to normal if I baby you.” He
looked at Teague. “Remember that. The more he does for himself,
without
over
doing it, the better. I’m sure his PT will
reinforce that when he sees her today. Now eat, both of you, before
it gets cold.”

“Me?” Teague said with surprise.

“Yep, because I’m out of here. My shift is
over. But I’ll be back. Just like…”

“The Terminator,” the three men said in
unison.

“Guess he’s not such a badass after all,”
Teague said after Tony had left.

“Could have fooled me until a few minutes
ago.” Hoyt took a bite of the omelet Tony had made. “And not a bad
cook if this is any indication.”

Teague nodded, asking, “What time is your
appointment?”

“In an hour and a half.”

“Then we better finish eating and get
moving.” Teague winked. “It’ll take you twenty minutes just to get
into the car since I can’t help you.”

“And I do need to change clothes. Not because
I’m stinky—” he grinned, “—but I’ll be damned if I’m going out
wearing what I have on now.”

“Don’t like the rustic, sloppy look?”

“Not really.”

They finished eating, then Teague put the
dishes in the dishwasher. When he came out of the kitchen, Hoyt was
nowhere in sight. “Where’d you get to?” he called out.

“Upstairs. And I could use your help.
One-handed dressing isn’t as easy as it’s cracked up to be.
Especially since I have to use my left hand.”

Teague went up to find Hoyt standing in the
middle of the bedroom. He had managed to change from the sweatpants
into a pair of jeans, and now he was trying to button his
shirt.

“Here, let me,” Teague said. “Why didn’t you
pick a sweatshirt?”

“Umm, maybe because none of mine open up the
front? I don’t think wrestling one on is in the cards right
now.”

While Teague buttoned the shirt, he realized
he’d never been this close to Hoyt other than last night when the
man had fallen asleep with his head on Teague’s shoulder. Teague
liked the feeling of…
Well not physical intimacy, but close to
it.

Apparently Hoyt felt the same way, because
when Teague finished and started to step away Hoyt gripped his arm,
his expression saying better than words that he wanted something
more. He slid his hand up Teague’s arm slowly, locking his gaze
with Teague’s. Both men remained that way for a long moment, Hoyt’s
focus moving from Teague’s eyes to his lips. “Sorry,” he whispered,
“but I need to know…” Leaning in, he kissed Teague.

For a second, Teague resisted. Then he kissed
him back. The kiss was short and sweet. And…“Very nice,” Teague
murmured when he pulled away.

Hoyt smiled. “Nothing to write home about,
but maybe…” He looked slightly embarrassed before he grinned.
“Maybe a text?”

“An email,” Teague retorted, carefully
hugging him. “Now however, we should get moving before your PT
thinks you’re standing her up.”

“And we know how women hate that.”

“We do?”

Hoyt snorted. “Well, all things considered,
probably not.”

* * * *

Hoyt’s joking mood of earlier that morning
was obviously just a memory for him. When he came out of the PT’s
office at the hospital his face was drawn with lines of pain that
made Teague want to go in and have a few words with her. He almost
said something when she appeared moments later.

She must have seen how Teague felt from his
expression, because she said, “He did well for his first time. It’s
never easy but it will get better. Your man’s a fighter.”

Teague was thrown by her ‘your man’ comment.
“We’re not…We’re just friends.”

“Without benefits,” Hoyt added sharply. “Just
friends.”

She looked between them and nodded. “If you
say so. Hoyt, I expect to see you the same time tomorrow and you
are to do the exercises I gave you. Also take your arm out of the
sling for half an hour a couple of times today. Straighten your
arm, move your wrist and hand. While you’re using the sling, move
your fingers, hand, and wrist the way I showed you so they don’t
lock up. You are not to take off the shoulder immobilizer until I
tell you that you can.”

“Can I take a shower with it?”

She chuckled. “Water won’t hurt
it
,
but it won’t do the dressing on your wound any good, which I’m sure
your doctor already told you. So you’re stuck with baths only until
he says otherwise.”

“I hate baths,” Hoyt grumbled.

“Tough. Deal.” She grinned at him. “I know
you’re a big boy now but it’s baths only, unless of course you want
to smell like a horse after a race. Then you can skip them.”

Hoyt broke out a smile, much to Teague’s
relief, saying to him, “What’s with everyone thinking I stink?”

“Well, there is a certain aroma about you,”
Teague commented without batting an eye.

The PT laughed, reminded Hoyt again that
she’d see him in the morning. “Go home and let him baby you.”

“Not damned likely,” Teague said, shaking his
head when Hoyt lifted his middle finger. As they left the waiting
room, Teague heard the PT murmur, “Just friends my ass,” before the
door closed.