The City PI and the Country Cop (22 page)

* * * *

Hoyt quickly discovered Teague was correct.
Even with the snow falling the aroma from the barbeque place
permeated the air. “Do you get hungry the second you step out the
front door,” he asked.

“Only when I get home early enough to smell
it, which isn’t too often. They close at nine on weekdays.”

“Right. You’re the workaholic who rarely
leaves the office until the wee small hours of the morning.”

Teague laughed. “It’s not quite that bad. I
try to get out of there by ten at the latest.”

Hoyt reached for Teague’s hand, happy, since
he wasn’t certain how accepting the people in the city were, when
Teague didn’t pull away. “Are you going to work that late the rest
of this week?”

“Honestly, it depends on what’s going on. A
lot can change in a few days, to wit Cal’s sudden resignation.”

“That’s going to put a dent in things, isn’t
it?”

“It’ll mean some serious shuffling of cases
until I can find a replacement.”

“Sort of like the chief had to do after I got
shot. Not that I was handling that many, since we’re a small town.
Our crime rate is minimal most of the time.”

“It still keeps you busy though.”

Hoyt nodded. “Busy enough that I don’t get
bored too often. Nothing as…exciting as the Irwin case, thank
goodness.”

“Yeah. Murder is not something you want to be
dealing with every day in a small town.”

“Medium-sized town, or better yet a small
city, thank you very much. Especially during ski season.”

Teague laughed. “I stand corrected. And we’re
here.”

The restaurant was small, and very busy.
People were lined up to the door, waiting to place their orders at
the long counter along the rear wall. Tables were crammed
together—ones for two to four people, others that had at least a
dozen chairs around them. From what Hoyt could tell, many of the
people at the long tables were alone, or in pairs, sharing the
space. Only two seemed to have either a large family or a group of
friends seated at them.

“My mouth is watering already,” Hoyt said,
sniffing the air.

“It’s the second best barbeque place in the
city. The other one is housed in what used to be a gas
station.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” Teague said. “Maybe we’ll hit it up
Saturday night, if you can stand eating barbeque twice in four
days.”

“Works for me.”

After getting their meals, they managed to
find a vacant table for two. They didn’t talk much while they ate,
other than to comment on the food and how messy eating it was. “I
think I’ve gone through half-a-dozen napkins already,” Hoyt said
with a grin at one point.

By the time they finished and left the
restaurant the snow was almost a blizzard. They walked as fast as
they could, heads bowed against the wind, back to Teague’s
building. In the entryway, they stomped their feet to get rid of
the snow on their shoes, and brushed as much as possible off their
clothes and hair before heading up to the condo.

After hanging up their jackets, they went
into the kitchen where Teague began making coffee.

“You look like a drowned rat,” Hoyt said with
a grin, running his fingers through Teague’s damp hair.

“I should get it cut again,” Teague
responded, grinning back.

“Naw. On you, the too long look is good. Me?
I look like a mountain man who’s just come into town when I let
mine grow any longer than it is now, because it’s pretty much
untamable.”

“Has a mind of its own, huh? Just like the
man it belongs to.”

Hoyt laughed. “That’s one way to describe
it—and me I suppose.”

“Definitely you.” Teague gazed at him for a
long moment. “You know what you want and you don’t give up until
you get it, I think. Whether it’s stopping someone like Irwin, or
getting back into shape as fast as you could so you can get back in
the field again, or…”

“Or doing what I have to, to be with the man
I’m more than half in love with,” Hoyt said quietly, finishing
where he thought Teague was going with his words.

“I hope so,” Teague replied softly. “Even if
it’s not going to be easy.”

“We’ll make it work, one way or the other.”
Cupping Teague’s face in his hands, Hoyt kissed him. Teague
responded enthusiastically and the kiss deepened. Hoyt wasn’t
surprised when Teague managed to turn off the coffeemaker without
looking at it, murmuring against Hoyt’s lips, “We can have coffee
later. Right now I want us in bed.”

They made their way to Teague’s bedroom, amid
increasingly heated kisses and lost clothing. By the time they got
to the room, they were shoeless and naked from the waists up. They
quickly took care of getting rid of their jeans and briefs before
tumbling onto the bed.

“I hope,” Hoyt muttered, “you’re better
prepared than I was at my place.”

Teague grinned, getting condoms and lube from
the nightstand. “These what you meant?”

“You know it. Gimme.”

Teague cocked an eyebrow. “You sound like a
two-year-old.”

“May I please have them? Better?”

“Much.” Teague handed him the lube and one
condom but didn’t give Hoyt time to do anything with them. Instead,
he quickly sheathed Hoyt’s hard cock and crawled on top of him.
Beginning with Hoyt’s lips, Teague began kissing him inch by inch
as he worked his way down his body. For long moments he paid
special attention to Hoyt’s nipples, eliciting deep groans of need
from his lover.

Finally he reached his ultimate destination.
Hoyt thought he’d never been so close to heaven as when his cock
was engulfed in Teague’s hot mouth. Then Teague swallowed it and
Hoyt fought hard not to come on the spot while he twisted the sheet
in his hands, riding the pleasure Teague was giving him.

“My…turn,” Hoyt gasped, using all his
willpower to pull away.

“Be my guest,” Teague responded, rolling off
Hoyt before sprawling on his back, arm, and legs spread wide. “Just
remember, I can’t fuck you if you make me come too soon.”

With a grin, Hoyt tapped Teague’s forehead.
“Mind over matter, my love.” Then he sheathed Teague’s throbbing
cock and got down to business. Soon he had his lover writhing in
ecstasy. When he was certain Teague couldn’t take one more suck or
swallow, Hoyt sat back on his heels. Suddenly he was the one on his
back and he looked up at Teague in surprise.

“Pull back your legs,” Teague told him. “I
want to watch you while I…make love to you.”

Getting the picture immediately, Hoyt did as
Teague requested. He grimaced momentarily when Teague inserted two
lubed fingers. Then one found his gland and he rode the wave of
rapture flooding him, only to growl in frustration when Teague
pulled his fingers out.

“Easy, love. The best is yet to come.” Teague
bent to kiss Hoyt, slowly and passionately. Breaking the kiss, he
pressed the head of his cock to Hoyt’s entrance and inched in as
their gazes locked.

Hoyt bit his lip hard to counter the pain
when Teague pushed further into him. Pain which soon changed to
extreme pleasure. Teague rode him slowly to begin with, but it
wasn’t long before they were moving in tandem, Hoyt rising up to
take Teague in deeper with each thrust from his lover. He felt his
balls tighten and with a shout, he came. He was only vaguely aware
when, soon after, Teague exploded with a sharp cry of
exultation.

When he was able to move, Hoyt straightened
his legs and embraced Teague. “That was…spectacular.”

“Sensational. Breathtaking,” Teague panted in
reply, smiling euphorically at Hoyt before they kissed.

“Now, about that coffee,” Hoyt said when
Teague pulled out.

“It’ll keep you awake.”

Hoyt tapped Teague’s nose. “And that’s a
problem why?”

“No reason I can think of.”

* * * *

For the next three days, Teague and Hoyt
spent as much time as possible together, considering Teague did
have a business to run. While he was doing that, Hoyt explored the
city. He found the Town Market, thanks to a friendly cabdriver, and
spent Thursday afternoon wandering through the various shops.
Another cabdriver suggested he check out the Memorial Garden and
the nearby museum. While Hoyt wasn’t interested in looking at art,
he did wander through the Garden with its interesting, if
snow-covered, statues of famous people from the city and the
state.

Thursday afternoon, Teague and Hoyt both got
calls. Teague’s was from the prosecuting attorney for the Irwin
trial. Hoyt’s was from Chief Davis. Bradley Irwin had been found
guilty on all counts. That night, they celebrated by going to
Teague’s favorite club for supper and more than a little drinking
on Teague’s part.

“It’s over,” Teague said at one point,
hugging Hoyt.

“It wouldn’t be, if it wasn’t for you. You
pushed me until I took you seriously about Grimes murder being
connected to the ones years earlier.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Teague said, smiling
smugly. Then he sobered, as much as possible considering he was
more than a little drunk. “I might have done that, but it was you
who managed to put two and two together to prove I was right.”

“No, we both did. We made a good team for
that. Us and Keir. Can’t forget him.”

“Nope, sure can’t. I gotta call him.”

“You already did. Twice.” Hoyt told him,
laughing.

“Oh, yeah. Guess I did.”

“I think it’s time to pour you into the car
and get you home,” Hoyt said still laughing. Since he had kept his
drinking to two beers, he was making himself the designated driver.
Thankfully, Teague agreed with him. When they got back to the
condo, Teague flopped down on the bed and was asleep before Hoyt
finished undressing him.

“When you celebrate, you celebrate.” Hoyt
smiled, kissing Teague’s forehead. He undressed, slid into bed
beside his lover, and soon was asleep as well.

Saturday, the two men spent the day together,
first in bed which was hardly unexpected by either of them, and
then going out to lunch at the barbeque restaurant in the former
gas station. That afternoon, Teague took Hoyt on a drive through
the residential areas of the city, just, he said, “To prove we have
them.”

“Like I thought you wouldn’t,” Hoyt replied
as he admired the old homes, both large and small.

They ended the day in the jazz district,
eating dinner and then moving on to one of the clubs to listen to
an excellent band before going home to bed.

* * * *

Then it was Sunday.

Hoyt, being the better cook by far, fixed
breakfast—omelets stuffed with cheese, ham, and vegetables seasoned
to perfection, toast, and juice. Teague’s contribution was setting
the table and making coffee.

As they ate, Hoyt studied Teague.
I’m
going to miss this…companionship. I have to figure out how I can
afford to come back here again—soon.

“I’m going to miss you when you leave,”
Teague said softly, echoing Hoyt’s thoughts.

“I’ll be back, and you’ll come see me.” Hoyt
smiled. “I think Thanksgiving is only a week and a half off. Maybe,
if you can get away?”

“I can, and I will. And then there’s
Christmas…”

“New Year’s, too, although they’re close
together. I might be able to get time off to come visit, if you
want.”

“Want?” Teague grinned. “I’m going to make
sure you do, even if I have to drive out there to get you.”

“I do own a car.” Hoyt nodded slowly. “Yeah,
I do and if I can get the week off…I have vacation days left for
this year. I’ll talk to the chief. How long does the drive
take?”

“I think it was around eight hours to get to
Collingswood, and a bit less than that from there to Faircrest. But
since you’d be driving straight from there to here…” Teague took
out his phone and brought up the site he needed. “Thirteen hours,
according to this.”

“Not bad. Not fantastic, but I can handle it
as long as I know I’ll have almost a week with you before I have to
drive home again.”

“Then we have two official…dates?”

Hoyt leaned over to give him a swift kiss.
“That works.”

Since Hoyt’s flight left at eleven, he went
up to finish packing while Teague did the dishes. Hoyt looked
around the room, which he hadn’t actually used except as a place to
keep his clothes.
I wish…
He sighed, closing his bag.
I
wish I was twenty years younger so being a responsible person
wasn’t so damned important. But I’m not, and I have a job to get
back to, and a house.
He chuckled dryly.
I guess I should be
glad I don’t have a dog. That would really top things off.
Checking to be certain he hadn’t left anything behind, he went back
downstairs.

Two hours later, after Hoyt and Teague said
their goodbyes, involving hugs and several kisses, Hoyt was on
board the plane, heading west.

* * * *

“Home sweet home,” Hoyt muttered, dropping
his bag on floor beside the front door. He’d take care of unpacking
it later. Right now he needed to call the chief to let him know he
was back and then…

And then, what? Maybe call Carolyn to see if
she’s free and willing to have supper with me.

She was, and they agreed to meet at Hal and
Mary’s at five. That made him feel better. At least he wouldn’t be
alone for the evening. He needed to adjust after spending almost
every hour of the last few days with Teague. He missed him
desperately, even though it had only been a few hours since they’d
been together.

Carolyn was there when he arrived. She kissed
his cheek just as the hostess arrived, asking how he was doing, but
didn’t get an answer until they were seated.

“I’m fine, and glad to be back to doing what
I’m best at, come Monday, thanks to you.”

“Hoyt, all I did was teach you how to use
your arm and shoulder correctly so you’re regain use of it. You did
all the work.”