Long Road Home (3 page)

“Asked the man in the hospital bed?”

Thom laughed at the reminder. “What? I was shot, not blinded. You and Drew were having a pretty intense conversation. Then you went white when you came into my room.” His smile died. “The doctor didn’t tell you something about me, did he?”

“No.” He smiled. “I’m pretty sure divulging your prognosis would get him fired. Hospitals take patient-doctor confidentiality pretty seriously.” He took a seat in the chair next to the bed. “We were talking about the shooting. The police don’t have any leads. Makes us worried the threat might still be out there when you’re discharged.”

Thom’s brow wrinkled as he frowned. “Oh. I hadn’t thought about what might happen when I go home.”

“Can’t blame you. You won’t be going home for a couple of days, and I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your mind right now.”

“I figured you guys were talking about your delivery.”

Hank’s heart melted a little. Here the farmer was, laid up in a hospital bed with a bullet wound and he worried about their delivery. “Drew made sure the delivery was taken care of. His mechanic already replaced the tires. There’s still time for me to pick it up and drive it to Los Lobos tonight.”

“I am real sorry about the chaos.”

“No need to apologize. This morning added a bit of adventure to an otherwise-boring week.” Hank didn’t want him to feel bad for anything, especially since his gut still told him the attack was on the Tao pack more than the farmer. “I do need to run something by you.”

“Okay.”

Here goes
. He took a deep breath and started, “Drew and I think you might benefit from a little extra help around the farm. Only until you’re healed.”

Thom cleared his throat. “I’ve got help. Also, I’m not an invalid.” He sat up straighter in the bed as if the action would prove he was capable of taking care of himself.

“We didn’t mean to imply we thought you were. Running a farm has to be a hard on a good day. You’re going to be laid up for at least a couple of weeks. We wanted to help. An extra pair of hands couldn’t hurt, could it?” He held his hands palm up in front of him as he spoke.

Thom glanced at Hank’s hands and the sweetest shade of red swept over his cheeks—like strawberries in the summer. It took every ounce of control he had not to run his fingers along Thom’s blush.

“Whose hands?” He shook his head and coughed lightly. “I mean, who would you send to help with the farm?”

“Me.” Hank said the word so softly, it might as well have been a whisper. “Before you say anything, you should know I’d need a place to sleep while I’m there.” His heart raced and his stomach knotted with sexual tension as he imagined sleeping in a warm bed next to the handsome farmer.

Thom’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped into an O as he stared at Hank. “You?” Surely the man wasn’t suggesting what Thom hoped he was. Gorgeous men didn’t drop from the sky and throw themselves into his bed.

“I’m strong and capable.” The trucker’s chest puffed up at the question as if he’d been insulted. “You won’t find a better man.”

Thom shook his head. “No. I didn’t mean….” He took a deep breath. “I appreciate the offer. Thank you. I’ve got a bed you can use.” His face heated even more as he pictured Hank sleeping next to him, his blond hair messy from a night of sex. “In a guest room. I’ve got a guest room you can have.”

Hank laughed. “Much appreciated.”

The beeping of medical equipment filled the room, and his leg burned where he’d been shot, but he could only stare at Hank’s warm smile. He hid some emotion there under the surface. The man had a tangible air of danger around him. Was it a mistake to let him stay in his house? He’d been nothing but kind since the moment they’d met. Drew was intimidating. All his men were. He’d also always been an honest man. A good man. Thom couldn’t imagine Drew being around a dangerous or dishonorable man.

He shook the thought out of his head. He’d imagined it. Or he’d misread the situation. Maybe the drugs were influencing him. “No. I’m the one who should be giving thanks. Drew has been a life saver from the moment he stepped onto my farm.”

One of Hank’s brows quirked. “This was my idea. Drew approved it, but I came up with it.”

The simple statement held the power to make his heart race and his cock swell. He’d never had such a strong reaction to a guy. The sensation had to be insane. Hearing Hank say he wanted to stay at the farm shouldn’t make him hard. It did. Unfortunately, the flimsy hospital robe and sheet did little to cover his reaction. “Okay.” He shifted trying to make his erection less noticeable.

“Excuse me, Mr. McKay.”

He looked up to see a cop had joined them in the tiny room.
Perfect
. More testosterone is such small place was the last thing he needed. “Yes, Officer?”

“I’m Detective Lee. I need to ask you a couple of questions.” He pulled out a notebook and pen. “Do you know anybody who might want to harm you?”

“No.” He shook his head with disbelief. “I’m a farmer. We don’t make many enemies.”

“What about ex-girlfriends or wives?”

The laugh slipped out before he managed to stop it. He regretted the outburst when Hank raised one brow in question. He’d have to come up with a suitable explanation. “Sorry. No. It’s been years since I’ve been in a relationship. Even then, we parted ways amicably.” He’d never wanted a relationship and neither had the men he’d had sex with. They’d been together for a night or two and then they’d moved on. Sometimes he’d remained friends with them but not always. He’d never broken any hearts, though.

“Any bad habits? Gambling? Drugs?”

“No. I don’t make enough to gamble or do drugs.”

The officer snorted. “You’d be surprised how few people care about their income when they get hooked. It’s why we ask.” He flipped back through his notepad. “What about your business. Any high-interest loans?”

“I’d sell before I took one of those things. I’d rather turn the land over to a corporation and get some sort of profit than throw the value away on interest payments.”

“Speaking of which, anybody make an offer on the land lately? Any potential buyers seem overly eager?”

“You’re thorough, aren’t you?” He paused as he thought back to the most recent offers on the land. “There are always offers, but none seem pushy. They all took it well when I turned them down.”

“I’m only looking for some sort of lead.”

He wished he could help the man, but he led a quiet, simple life. “I’m sorry, but I can’t think of a reason anybody would take a shot at me.”

“What about you?” he asked as he looked at the truck driver. “According to the report, you were there at the time. Did you see or hear anything?”

Hank sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Thom couldn’t help but watch the move and wish they were his fingers gliding through the silken strands. “I’ve gone over it a thousand times in my mind but, no. I didn’t see or hear anything useful.”

“Keep thinking about it. If you do remember anything, even if it’s small, give me a call.” He gave them both business cards and then left.

Thom expected to relax after the officer left. The room had been too crowded with three large men dominating it. Instead he became intensely aware of Hank’s presence once more. The attraction coupled with the pain meds made his mouth dry and his pulse race.

“It’ll be okay. They’ll catch whoever did this.” Hank rested a palm against his arm as he spoke. The gesture was one of reassurance, but the warm pressure and calloused skin made the ball of tension in the pit of his stomach become heavier.

He glanced at the hand but had to shift his focus to the wall. The sight of Hank’s skin on his overwhelmed him. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.” The hunger in his voice betrayed him. The husky tone echoed in his head as if it were a death knell. No way Hank would be staying with him now.

“I like your optimism.” His thumb slid over the sensitive skin on Thom’s upper arm causing him to shiver.

Damn. The man has no right to be so sexy.

“It’s great to see you haven’t let the attackers affect your outlook.”

Silence told him Hank must be done with his pep talk, but he didn’t take a step back. He continued to torment Thom by caressing him with his thumb. He took a second to steady himself before saying, “I’m sorry for the damage to your truck but, as far as I’m concerned, I got off easy.”

“Don’t worry about my truck.” He released Thom so he could sweep the hand through the air in a brushing motion. Thom had to bite his lip not to moan in disappointment. “The only thing you should be focused on right now is healing.”

His heart sank with disappointment at the concern in Hank’s voice. He’d never liked being fussed over but found he hated it when the strong virile man before him looked at him with sympathy. “You’re making too big a deal out of me being injured. The bullet didn’t hit anything major.”

“You collapsed.” Hank’s voice was strained.

“I was in shock. I’d never been shot before. Then the pain meds they gave me in the ambulance made me fuzzy. I’m feeling better now.”

Hank studied him, his warm brown gaze sweeping over Thom’s body from his head to his toes as if he somehow had X-ray vision. The room warmed by five degrees while Hank stared at him. “Okay.” Hank stood and walked to the door. “I’m going to go see to my truck and the delivery to Los Lobos.”

“Oh.” The sudden change from concerned to dismissive made Thom dizzy. “Okay.”

“Do you have any family in the area?”

“No.” His chest ached with the admission. He hated admitting he was the only McKay left. “I’m it.”

“I’ll be back to pick you up when you’re discharged.”

“I might not have family, but there are people I can call.” He didn’t know if the drugs were starting to wear off or if he’d had enough sympathy, but the look of pity had started to piss him off. Sure, he liked it when the trucker touched him—even if the touch had been intended to comfort. Since Hank no longer touched him, he no longer had to put up with the man’s compassion. “I’m sure one of my friends will give me a ride.”

Hank paused with his hand on the doorknob. His jaw tensed as if he was clenching his teeth but then he took a long, slow breath. “I’ve been told can be overbearing. I understand if you think I’m overstepping. You only met me today. You were shot in front of me, however.” He turned the knob and opened the door. “I don’t have it in me to watch another person go down in a puddle of blood and not give a damn what happens to them. I’m not an asshole. If you need to have a friend give you a ride home, I get it. Still, I would like to be the one to drive you. We may not be friends, but I do care about what happens to you.”

The door swung closed. When it clicked softly, he picked up his phone. He would call his friends and let them know he’d be okay. To leave them worrying would be a dick move. He wouldn’t, however, ask for them to come get him. Hank had been correct in his assentation. They weren’t friends. He didn’t really want to be friends with the man. He’d be lying to himself if he claimed the idea of being in the close confines of a car with him didn’t appeal. The thought alone made his breath catch.

Yeah, he’d let Hank give him a ride. He ran his fingers over his arm where the man had touched him. When he was home, he’d show Hank he didn’t need nor did he want his pity. There were several things he did want from the man, like strong, calloused hands running all over his body. Pity didn’t make the list.

It was late in the day when Hank raced back to the McKay farm in the rental pickup truck Drew had dropped off for him. He did his best to focus on the road ahead of him, but he couldn’t stop his attention from wandering. The farmer had taken up residence in his head.

Sure, his Wolf felt protective. He hadn’t been lying to the man. He couldn’t walk away after watching someone get hurt but it was more than protectiveness. When Thom had told him he didn’t have any family, the answer had resonated with him. He had been alone for a decade.

When he’d come out to his parents, they’d disowned him. On good days, he believed the move had been to save their lives. Magnum killed any dissenters. On bad days he didn’t want to be as charitable with their motivation. A lot of Wolves didn’t hold with homosexuality. They found the orientation unnatural. His parents kept to tradition. They might have been ashamed of him. In the end, both arguments were moot. He’d never know why his parents disowned him. They’d died in a fire a year after he’d been kicked out of the pack. Smoke inhalation had cut the most important ties he had to the Tao Pack. Or, at least, he’d believed the fire had at the time.

He’d mourned them alone in some truck stop in an Illinois backwater town. The next morning, he’d finished his run and gotten on with his life. He hadn’t looked back until this trip. Coming home changed everything. Being back in Los Lobos made the ache in his chest raw.

Sorrow clogged his throat and made his eyes burn. He didn’t have time to mourn. He needed to figure out what had happened at Thom’s farm. He pushed the emotion away and focused on the road. Keeping his eyes and his mind trained on what lay ahead had always kept him sane—and alive.

He parked the truck next to his semi before he jumped out of the cab. The ground squished beneath his feet. A recent storm had softened the earth. He bet the rain had washed all trace of their attacker away as well. He’d still check as soon as he’d taken a look at his semi. Finding some clue, no matter how small, might mean the difference between life or death for Thom. He knew whoever had taken the shot would be back eventually to finish the job.

The semi’s ruined tires had all been replaced. Indentations in the ground indicated the work had been done after the rain. The ground had been too hard before the storm to show any trace of a jack. The scent of two Wolves still clung to the air. He’d put money on the scents belonging to Drew’s mechanic and another Wolf there to watch the mechanic’s back.

He turned his attention to countryside. Dark and dense woods circled the farm. The environment didn’t intimidate him. He’d grown up in similar forests. Twigs and shrubbery crunched under his boots as he explored the area. He didn’t see any evidence of an active investigation other than some yellow tape. Not a huge surprise. They occupied a small section of a very large state. He doubted the shooting would even make the larger news venues.