“I know Zane would end up on the floor when you’re done with him,” Mara continued, “and I will not have a guest in this house sleeping on the rug, so come help me make up the couch.”
Ty glanced at Zane, his lips twitching at the irony of what his mother said. They would fit in a double bed together just fine, but only because they had a lot of practice with occupying the same space while horizontal.
“I’ll make a pallet on the floor, Ma,” Ty assured Mara. She looked at him dubiously, but he just smiled at her innocently. “For myself,” he added.
Mara rolled her eyes, smiling as she turned away. “Fine,” she agreed. “As long as he don’t end up on the floor,” she warned.
“Not like tomorrow night, when we’ll all be on the floor,” Deuce mumbled.
“Outdoors in the cold,” Earl added from behind his mug.
“With the rocks,” Ty concluded as he glanced sideways at his mother and smirked.
“Buncha dumbasses,” Chester muttered as he stood and shuffled out of the room.
“Get out of my kitchen, all of you,” Mara ordered with an irritated wave of her hand.
Ty and Deuce practically scattered, leaving Zane to fend for himself. Earl remained where he sat, finishing his coffee and laughing softly. Shaking his head at their retreat, Zane said his goodnights and walked up the stairs. Earlier in the day, he and Ty had brought their bags upstairs to the spare room—Ty’s former bedroom—and now he pushed the door shut with a soft click as he sat down to pull off his boots.
Looking around the room, he realized that it wasn’t so much a spare room as it was still Ty’s bedroom. The walls were still adorned with the trappings of high school life: pictures, awards, trophies, and knickknacks lined the shelves and hung from the walls.
It was enlightening to see a younger Ty, before the FBI, before the military. Zane stood up and started around the room, smiling at some of the photos. Ty’s wide grin was clear, so much more so than now. He’d been happy and unbothered by life’s problems.
As Zane surveyed the items displayed on the shelves, he gained little pieces of insight into what had been important to Ty then. There was an old football with faded writing on it, as well as several ribbons that signified first and third place finishes, but they didn’t tell what they were for. There was a fiddle case on a shelf near the window and an old guitar beside it, and Zane smiled as he remembered how appalled Ty had been when he’d admitted he knew how to play.
Almost every photo on the wall had Ty’s brother in it as well. They’d obviously always been close, even more so then than now. One of the most prominent pictures was of the two of them standing together in front of the old garage that still stood beside the house. They were both covered in grease, wearing nasty coveralls, holding wrenches as they wrapped their arms over each other’s shoulders and grinned at the camera. Behind them was an old motorcycle, halfway through being restored.
As he stared at it, he wondered again why Ty hated the Valkyrie so much.
He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there before he heard the click of the door and felt that he was no longer alone.
“Snoop,” Ty accused softly as he moved into the room quietly.
Zane smiled. “Kind of hard to miss photos when the walls are papered with them.”
Ty lowered his head and smiled as he slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I left a week after I graduated high school,” he said. “Ma never touched this room. I don’t think she’s even vacuumed it.” Zane turned to face his partner. Ty was staring at him, his head slightly cocked. “She was afraid I’d never come back,” he said with a hint of melancholy. “Wanted it to stay like I left it.”
Zane nodded slowly. “Mine feels the same way,” he said quietly. “They love you, though.”
Ty raised an eyebrow and nodded. “You saying yours don’t?” he asked as he moved closer.
Zane’s shoulders tightened. “No. Doesn’t mean I don’t wonder about my mom sometimes.” He watched Ty approach and slid his hands into his jeans pockets to mirror his stance.
Ty stopped just inches away from him, studying him with an unreadable expression. “I’ll get Ma to bake you a pie, make you feel better,” he offered finally, his tone of voice and his expression entirely serious. The only way to know that he was teasing was the slight glint in his hazel eyes.
Zane’s lips twitched at the ultra-dry humor. “Can’t say I’ve ever had a pie baked for me before. My mom’s more the cookie type.”
Ty snorted in disdain and turned away, heading for the double bed. He flopped down on the end of it and bent to begin unlacing his boots. “She always has one waiting for us when we get back from a hike. Apple, usually. Good stuff, man.”
“Sounds good,” Zane agreed. He was glad he had his hands in his pockets; his fingers were itching to touch Ty, but he had no idea what Ty would allow, especially here in his parents’ home. He toed out of his running shoes and unbuckled his belt, his gaze not wavering.
Ty seemed to sense his eyes on him, and he looked up at him questioningly as he pulled off one boot. Zane shook his head very slightly and glanced to the door Ty had left half-open. Ty followed his eyes and then smiled as he looked back at Zane.
“Getting a little antsy?” he teased.
“Yes,” Zane said immediately.
“Why?” Ty asked.
“We’re in the bedroom you grew up in,” Zane pointed out. “I’m not sure what to expect with you here.”
Ty began to laugh softly, and he bit his lip to keep from laughing harder as he pulled his other boot off and set it carefully beside the first at the foot of the bed. “We’re not doing anything wrong, Garrett,” he pointed out. “We’re just sleeping here,” he said with a wry twist of his lips as he stood back up.
Zane rolled his eyes and decided some reciprocal teasing was in order. “Fine. Then you can close your eyes and ‘sleep’ while I undress,” he proposed innocently, pulling his hands out of his pockets and pulling his shirt over his head, letting it fall on the foot of the bed. He knew Ty enjoyed this part of their time together; he did too. The chemistry between them seemed to click just a little better when they got up close and personal.
“Cocktease,” Ty accused in a low voice, and he moved closer, took Zane’s face in his hands, and kissed him.