coincidence. That somehow Dennis is connected to someone in the Russian mob who would have it in for us? Who?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like this.”
“What is it you don’t like?”
Taylor threw Dennis a cold look. “Well, one thing I don’t like is getting my nose broken.”
“Your nose isn’t broken,” Will said. “Believe me, if your nose was broken, you’d know it.”
“I did not call anyone,” Dennis said. “I don’t know anyone in the Russian mob to call.”
Taylor ignored that. “What did you hit me with?”
Dennis looked uncomfortable. “I, uh, found a broken-off tree branch to defend myself with.”
“Nice.” Taylor stared straight ahead.
Will was angry about the tree branch himself. It wasn’t that difficult to kill someone if you hit them hard enough in the wrong spot.
Dennis rambled on, “I don’t have anyone I could call even if I wanted to. That’s the point. That’s why I’m back. I didn’t know what to do. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make it on my own. I decided to lay low somewhere, but then I saw you two show up at the motel and I realized my best bet was to stay in the program. So I ran down and knocked on your door.” He added, “I thought you were looking for me. But I guess you were just —”
Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw Taylor’s forearm recoil. The back of his fist connected with Dennis’s face with machine-like precision. Dennis howled and fell back.
“I knew that was coming.” Will muttered.
“What was that for?” Dennis protested, cupping his nose.
“Nervous twitch,” Taylor said, gazing out the side window as the town of Mist Bend grew smaller and smaller behind them.
* * * * *
When they arrived back at the house, Will’s dad greeted his runaway houseguest without particular joy, and retreated to the kitchen to once more call Clary Bennett at the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dennis, still cupping his nose, retreated to the loft. Grant was in the den watching television again.
“You want to take a walk?” Will asked Taylor. He felt obliged to ask, although the drive and his various worries had resolved his own state of arousal. He’d been up since four, and what he most wanted was a nap. A nap with Taylor would be especially nice, but that was liable to get them both — certainly Taylor — wound up, and they had enough trouble with that already.
Taylor glanced at the clock on the bookshelf. “I’m going to try to get hold of the DMV before Euphonia leaves for the day.”
“If you feel like it’s important, okay. I’m going to close my eyes for half an hour.”
Taylor nodded, already punching in the numbers on his cell phone.
Will headed for his bedroom. Passing the den, he spotted Grant sacked out in one of the large leather chairs, mouth agape, snoring in front of the TV. Will paused in the doorway. Grant looked like such a kid, sprawled there. It made Will’s chest ache. The next time he saw Grant, Grant would no longer be a boy. The service would change him. It would change him in good ways, but… Will was going to miss this impulsive, hot-headed, sometimes irresponsible, but always good-hearted young goof. It was crazy they were wasting this time together. The whole reason Will had made this trip was to spend time with Grant. Why did Grant have to turn it into a choice between himself and Taylor?
Will hesitated, then reluctantly continued to his room.
The house had a quiet, peaceful, familiar feel to it. It reminded him of Saturday and Sunday afternoons growing up.
And the thought of Taylor here, right down the hall, made it even better. Will pulled off his boots, stretched out on his bed and was asleep in seconds.
When he opened his eyes again the room was in shadow. He could smell woodsmoke from the fireplace in the front room, and the smell of home cooking. He listened, but the only voices came from the television set in the den.
He got up, splashed water on his face, and went into
“I don’t know, but I don’t like this.”
“What is it you don’t like?”
Taylor threw Dennis a cold look. “Well, one thing I don’t like is getting my nose broken.”
“Your nose isn’t broken,” Will said. “Believe me, if your nose was broken, you’d know it.”
“I did not call anyone,” Dennis said. “I don’t know anyone in the Russian mob to call.”
Taylor ignored that. “What did you hit me with?”
Dennis looked uncomfortable. “I, uh, found a broken-off tree branch to defend myself with.”
“Nice.” Taylor stared straight ahead.
Will was angry about the tree branch himself. It wasn’t that difficult to kill someone if you hit them hard enough in the wrong spot.
Dennis rambled on, “I don’t have anyone I could call even if I wanted to. That’s the point. That’s why I’m back. I didn’t know what to do. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make it on my own. I decided to lay low somewhere, but then I saw you two show up at the motel and I realized my best bet was to stay in the program. So I ran down and knocked on your door.” He added, “I thought you were looking for me. But I guess you were just —”
Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw Taylor’s forearm recoil. The back of his fist connected with Dennis’s face with machine-like precision. Dennis howled and fell back.
“I knew that was coming.” Will muttered.
“What was that for?” Dennis protested, cupping his nose.
“Nervous twitch,” Taylor said, gazing out the side window as the town of Mist Bend grew smaller and smaller behind them.
* * * * *
When they arrived back at the house, Will’s dad greeted his runaway houseguest without particular joy, and retreated to the kitchen to once more call Clary Bennett at the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dennis, still cupping his nose, retreated to the loft. Grant was in the den watching television again.
“You want to take a walk?” Will asked Taylor. He felt obliged to ask, although the drive and his various worries had resolved his own state of arousal. He’d been up since four, and what he most wanted was a nap. A nap with Taylor would be especially nice, but that was liable to get them both — certainly Taylor — wound up, and they had enough trouble with that already.
Taylor glanced at the clock on the bookshelf. “I’m going to try to get hold of the DMV before Euphonia leaves for the day.”
“If you feel like it’s important, okay. I’m going to close my eyes for half an hour.”
Taylor nodded, already punching in the numbers on his cell phone.
Will headed for his bedroom. Passing the den, he spotted Grant sacked out in one of the large leather chairs, mouth agape, snoring in front of the TV. Will paused in the doorway. Grant looked like such a kid, sprawled there. It made Will’s chest ache. The next time he saw Grant, Grant would no longer be a boy. The service would change him. It would change him in good ways, but… Will was going to miss this impulsive, hot-headed, sometimes irresponsible, but always good-hearted young goof. It was crazy they were wasting this time together. The whole reason Will had made this trip was to spend time with Grant. Why did Grant have to turn it into a choice between himself and Taylor?
Will hesitated, then reluctantly continued to his room.
The house had a quiet, peaceful, familiar feel to it. It reminded him of Saturday and Sunday afternoons growing up.
And the thought of Taylor here, right down the hall, made it even better. Will pulled off his boots, stretched out on his bed and was asleep in seconds.
When he opened his eyes again the room was in shadow. He could smell woodsmoke from the fireplace in the front room, and the smell of home cooking. He listened, but the only voices came from the television set in the den.
He got up, splashed water on his face, and went into
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