Chapter 95
Tonya grimaced.
“You okay? Is it the baby?” He reached for the call button.
Tonya laughed. “No. I just need to go pee.”
Rory relaxed. “Sorry.”
“When I’ve been to the bathroom, do you want me to go downstairs and round up lover-boy?”
Rory grinned. “Thank you, yes.” And the first thing he’d tell Zane was how much he loved him.
* * * *
“Oh, God, Zane,” Rory said when a battered, bruised, and bandaged Zane came into his hospital room a couple of hours later. “You look awful.” He started to cry.
“Ror!” Zane sank to his knees by Rory’s bed and took Rory’s left hand in his. “I’m so sorry. Sorry for everything, for Tonya, for you gettin’ hurt, for…”
“It’s okay.” Then Rory remembered what he’d promised himself he’d say. “I love you, Zane Fox. Love you so much.”
“Me, too. Love you, Ror. Have for months.”
Both Rory and Zane started at the sound of someone applauding.
“About time,” Tonya said from the doorway.
* * * *
Despite not being especially tired, Zane had insisted he and Rory have an early night. Rory didn’t mind. Any time spent snuggling with his lover while listening to the radio was time well spent as far as he was concerned. God knew, he couldn’t do a whole lot around the ranch with his leg in a cast.
He’d been out of the hospital for a week and was getting increasingly frustrated at his enforced immobility. Sitting around mending and oiling tack, or leaning against the split rail fence that surrounded Shadow’s corral and loving on the big stallion could only fill so many hours in a day.
It would be weeks before the cast could come off, and then there’d be several rounds of physical therapy. So God knew when he’d be able to resume his normal ranch duties.
He’d been incredibly relieved to learn his hospital bills were covered by insurance. Barry had taken out medical insurance for all ranch employees.
On the downside, Rex had gone back to ignoring him. However, Zane was a constant presence, getting anything Rory might possibly need. Zane wanted to carry Rory rather than allow him to use his crutches but that caused him more pain and would complicate his healing. Rory would never admit it, but it was something of a relief when Zane’s work took him to other parts of the ranch, giving Rory a break from the man’s constant attentions. Although as soon as whatever chore was completed, Zane would be back with hugs, kisses, and declarations of love. Rory certainly enjoyed those.
At first, the others had been cool if not hostile to Zane. Rory had had to step in and tell them that Zane had apologized, even though there was nothing for him to apologize for. Zane had said he’d been with Tonya because he’d felt lonely and in need of human contact. Rory could certainly understand that. The Tonya encounterhad happened before Rory and Zane had gotten together and accidents happen. Privately, Rory got a kick out of thinking Zane’s semen had to be pretty potent if it got through a condom and also foiled the birth control pill Tonya was taking. Okay, intellectually, he knew Zane’s super-strength sperms had nothing to do with the lack of efficacy of the pill, but it still gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling to believe his strong, powerful lover shot equally strong and powerful semen.
The men’s coolness had also extended to Tonya. However, as soon as they learned Tonya’s father had disowned her for getting pregnant, the mood changed and the Double J welcomed another stray.
* * * *
“You’re tuned to the Lover’s Hour on KZNF,” the radio announcer said after the last song finished playing. “Our next request is from Zane. He says, ‘the man in black wants to tell Ror I love you so much.’”
Zane’s arms tightened around Rory, who couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“So, Ror, just for you, here’s another man in black, Johnny Cash, with ‘A Thing Called Love.”
The song began to play and Rory shook with emotion as the words washed over him about how a big, tall, strong man was deeply affected by love.
“I love you so much, Ror,” Zane said in the darkness, tears in his voice.Epilogue
Rory knocked on the door and when it was answered he yelled, “Trick or treat!”
“Uncle Ror, you found one!” Cody screamed.
“How did you know it was me?” Rory asked, removing the headpiece of his lion Halloween costume and winking at the three-year-old.
Cody rolled his eyes. “’Course it’s you!” He clapped his hands and giggled. “You’re a lion.”
Turning around on the doorstep to swish his tail, Rory elicited more claps and squeals of delight. Rory, unable to disappoint his unofficial nephew, had rented a lion costume to wear for Cody’s first trick or treat. The costume was baggy and too big for him, and if he didn’t watch his step, he tripped over the tail.