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Saturday, 3:58 p.m.
"Have you no sense at all?" The words were so loud that they were clear even to Chris who was standing several feet away from Orrin and his cell phone - which thankfully was nowhere close to his head.The Superintendent winced, glaring at nothing. But his words were calm and even as he answered, "My sense, Judge Andrene, was circumvented in your Courtroom yesterday morning. There are no emergency stipulations in the Order you signed, as I have been reminded every five minutes for the last 5 hours by attorneys from all sides and the ever-growing crowd of media representatives." The acid in the words grew stronger with each one, and Chris smiled his support at his boss.
They were still standing at the point where the trail widened into the open area of the site. The site itself, however, was in the center of a field of mud and standing water caused by the rain run-off from the Quadrant Mountains and the overflow of the Gardiner River. The Rangers had been walking as much of a perimeter as they could, keeping people as far away from danger as possible. The rain was still falling in sheets, they were all still wet and cold and miserable, and more and more frustrated.
"Shut that site down, Travis," the Judge snapped, and they all sighed with relief. "Clear everyone out of there and set a perimeter at the road until the weather allows for a safer one. I'll have my clerk draw up an order to that effect and I'll expect to see you and everyone involved in my chambers at 8:30 Monday morning - is that clear?"
"Completely," Travis snapped back. He shut his cell phone with a force that was loud enough for the rest of them to hear - or would have been but for the shouts of relief coming from his men.
"You heard the Judge," Travis said loudly so that everyone - media and everyone involved as well as his own people, understood. "This site is closed all the way back to the road. Mr. Sanchez, your teams are responsible for maintaining roadblocks off the access trails to this area. Everyone else - this area is off-limits and any trespassers will be arrested and incarcerated for a minimum of 48 hours."
They moved in teams, Travis, the voice of authority, leading so that he could make it clear to anyone objecting - and there were many - that this was from the Judge. Josiah and several of his people went as well so they could begin the preparations for blocking off the trail head. Most of the vehicles went with the first wave; the disintegration of the ground's integrity was making it more and more likely that anything not moved soon was going to end up in the same shape as the news van which was now half buried in mud and water.
Buck, cleared by the paramedics and mostly washed free of the mud at this point, and JD led the next group of Rangers, helping to assist any stragglers or recalcitrants. The women of all the groups involved - Shoshone, students, and media - seemed to have arrived at one agreement: Buck was a hero. By the time he and JD were out of sight, so were almost all the non-Rangers that had been left.
Chris and Nathan and their team brought up the rear, waiting about an hour to make certain that everyone had had ample opportunity to clear out.
They'd cleared the perimeter and were working down the trail when Nathan and Chris paired off. After awhile, Nathan said, "Got a call from Rain. She recorded the press conference. Said Vin was real good. Said he was shy, but in a good way. Cameras loved him and the reporters did, too."
"Good," Chris said, trying not to show any more emotion than he would if it had been Buck or Josiah or Nathan himself. "We can stand a little good influence about now."
"Hate that it's Vin," Nathan said quietly. "Sounds like he's had enough trouble in his life. If half of what the papers say about him is true, that boy's lived more of life than the rest of us will ever know."
Chris shrugged. "Gotta play the hand you're dealt," he said casually. "He'll be okay. We just gotta watch his back."
He was so busy searching the wooded area for people trying to get past them that it took him a few minutes to realize that Nathan had stopped. He turned to find his friend looking at him and shaking his head. The little dog from earlier was sitting at Nathan's side, his head tilted to one side as he, too, stared at Chris.
"You ever listen to yourself?" Nathan asked, and the little dog's tail beat on the ground. "If you were half as much the hard-ass as you try to pretend to be, not a one of us would be working with you, you know."
Chris blinked, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, then grew more confused and irritated when Nathan started chuckling.
"Nothing," the other man said around his amusement. "Let's get on back before one of them reporters takes a fancy to Vin and tries to turn him into a weatherman or something."
It was almost six by the time they actually managed to make it back to the Center; Josiah's teams had set up blocks and sentries at the heads of all the trails leading into the danger areas, and Travis had authorized more vehicles to travel the roadways around the area of the remainder of the weekend and into the week. The rain had turned into a mild drizzle now and the rumblings of the earth, while still present, had calmed to a more muted growl and fewer actual motions.
The Visitor's Center was as busy as it would have been on any normal sunny day - fewer actual hikers, but more gawkers, as JD said with frustration when Chris stopped by the reception desk on his way in.
"More reporters, but after Travis blew up at 'em after the press conference, they've mostly been taking pictures and talking to the visitors, not to us. He threatened to ban them from the entire Park which, for the weekend at least, he probably could." JD's smile was surprisingly vicious.
Chris straightened, looking at the other man with a frown. "More problems on Monday if he does," he reminded the youngest member of his team. "And the way things have been today, we've already got a full plate of those."
"Yeah," JD agreed. "But I gotta tell you, Chris, I can't believe how stupid people can be - is it always like this?"
Chris smiled at him then, relieved to see the youthful disbelief. "No, thank goodness. If it were like this all the time, I'd have stayed with the Feds. At least there, you can shoot 'em."
For an instant, JD's eyes widened with shock - just before they narrowed with annoyance. "Stop kidding me, Chris," he huffed.
Chris laughed. "Sorry. Where's Buck?"
As if on cue, the big man ambled over, smiling with an ease that made Chris cautious. He had cleaned up, a long shower and change of clothes ridding him of the immediate evidence of his heroism. His uniform had been replaced by a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt under a dark brown jacket that Chris recognized as his 'dating suit'.
"Chris!" he called, one arm sliding familiarly around the other man's shoulders. "How the hell are ya?"
"No," Chris said flatly. "Whatever it is, the answer is no."
Which, of course, did nothing to inhibit Buck at all. "After a day like today, the best thing a man can do is kick back with a nice meal, some entertaining company - "
"No, Buck, I am not double-dating with you - where the hell is Vin?" Chris demanded, shirking off his friend's arm.
"Vin? Now there's a question - why, I do believe that the last time I saw him, he was headed out the door with Ezra - wasn't that about an hour or so ago, JD?" Not daunted in the least by Chris' temper, Buck leaned back on the counter, crossing his legs at the ankles.
"Right after we got here - Ez was on his cell phone, saying something about a dinner or something, some reporters or something - I wasn't paying a lot of attention, and Vin was looking pretty tired." JDs voice was distracted; he was looking at something on his laptop. "Hey, look at this!" He turned the computer toward Buck. "Vin made the CNN news feed!"
Chris stepped up to stand beside Buck, watching the screen as camera snippets of the press conference rolled along. The sound was low, barely audible, so that all he heard was the comments from whomever was doing the reporting, not Vin's voice.
But he was there, wide-eyed and skittish, the lights and the lenses shaded perfectly to catch the soft pink blush of his shyness and the shocking blue of is eyes.
Ezra stood beside him, smiling, of course, his green eyes dazzling the cameras with their warmth and appreciation, and Chris had no doubt at all about how much the man had done to get Vin through this.
"Is this the conference?" he asked; but even as the words left his mouth, the scene was changing to another sequence.
"Just the ten-second feed," JD said. "Mary's got a copy of the whole thing, if you want to see it," he continued distractedly as he pulled his laptop back and started typing.
"Thanks." Chris turned to start away, planning to head to his office and find out what was going on with Vin when Buck said quietly, "Gonna be a long, lonely evening, stud. We could offer ya a nice dinner, some pleasant company - you don't have to do anything, just come along and make nice."
Chris shook his head. "Thought you had to work until 8," he said. "Travis giving you time-off for stupid behavior?"
Buck laughed. "Between my life-saving and the closing of the site, he's down-sizing the force for the evening. JD and I are picking up the ladies and making it a pleasant night - could even stand for you to come along, Chris, you know, celebrating living through the day!"
Chris sighed and walked away, ignoring his oldest friend. Behind him, he heard JD's laugh, followed by, "Don't give up on me yet, kid. There's still time."
He closed the door to his office, leaning against it for a few seconds in exhaustion. He wanted to go home, turn off the phone, take a long hot shower, and then wrap himself in bed with Vin and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.
Or whatever else one could get up to in bed.
With effort, he pushed himself off the door and toward his desk, cursing not too loudly when he stumbled against the side of the desk and bruised his hip. He was more tired than he realized.
Not for the first time in recent memory, he cursed some more as he picked up the phone and remembered that Vin didn't have a cell phone. And didn't want one. Chris had suggested getting one for him recently - it would cost next to nothing to add one to Chris' own plan, but the look of horror on Vin's face had stopped him - first with a burst of laughter than had left him hurting, then with a certain fond irritation. Vin didn't want a phone - other than Chris and the guys, he didn't have anyone he needed to call, and if he needed to call them, he could use the office phone. Or the pay phone near his camper.
On the trail, he had the radio.
And for the most part, Chris had reckoned the other man was right. Today was a rare exception.
So instead, he looked down his list of stored numbers until he found Ezra's cell.
"Mr. Larabee!" Ezra's voice was so loud that Chris winced, jerking his handset away from his ear. In the background, he could hear loud music and many voices, like a party. "To what do I owe this honor?"
"Where are you?" Chris asked - or tried to; he was afraid to get the phone too close to his ear.
"At the moment, we're at the cocktail lounge of the Lighthouse. But we should be leaving here shortly - " There was some noise in the background, then Ezra laughed, the sound carrying sharply through Chris' office.
His temper flared. "Let me speak to Vin," he said as loudly as he dared.
Ezra was still laughing and Chris was afraid he was going to have to repeat himself; the thought pushed his anger a little higher.
"What was that?" Ezra said into the phone just before Chris spoke again. "Oh - forgive me, things are a bit loud at the moment - we're in the process of moving the entire group to the restaurant - "
"Vin!" Chris snapped into the phone.
"I'm afraid he's not available," Ezra returned, and while he sounded as pleasant as he had before, Chris could tell that he was annoyed in return.
"What do you mean he's not - "
"He's busy," Ezra shot back. "He's in the middle of a very important discussion with Ms. Rathbone at the moment, and unless you have a dire emergency, I see absolutely no reason to drag him away from something he should be enjoying!"
Chris found himself staring at his phone. Ms. Rathbone? Hadn't that been the young lady in the pictures that the newspaper had run - the young lady Vin had danced with at the Yellowstone Foundation fundraising dinner at the beginning of the summer?
As if reading his mind, Ezra said, "Pink is an excellent color for him, brings out the delightful shades of his blushes and the press-people are eating it up. Now if you will excuse me, Mr. Larabee - "
"Where are you going to dinner?" Chris demanded, already rising from his desk. "I'll meet you there."
There was no answer from the other man, just the continued bar noise and loud music that had him shouting Ezra's name so loudly that he could see heads turning through his office windows to stare at him.
Just as he was ready to slam it down and head out to the Lighthouse, he heard a different voice on the other end. "Vin?" he called.
"Chris?" But the voice wasn't his lover's, even though it was familiar. "Is that you?"
"Mary?" he asked, caught off-guard. "What are you doing there?"
She laughed, a relaxed sound. They had been flirting and even dated several times over the past year, but it had never been anything serious. She was Orrin's daughter-in-law, but more importantly to Chris, she was a friend and he didn't have any desire to hurt her. There were times when he had thought he could take the relationship further, but he had always known that it wouldn't go as far as she wanted.
Only Vin seemed to have breached his defenses in that regard.
"Ezra asked me to come along to help out; it's an informal evening, a select group of friends of the Park." The sound of her voice grew softer but so did the background noise. "I moved away from the bar," she said, and he could imagine the smile on her face. "He wanted to butter up the right media people, and it seems to be working. Of course, it helps that he knows so many of the local celebrities. He had this organized before the press conference was over. And apparently Chloe Rathbone has been asking after Vin since the dinner so getting her and a group of her friends here was easy."
"So, Vin's with this woman?" A certain disquiet settled in the pit of Chris' stomach. It was odd, he thought; he couldn't remember ever talking to Vin about his interest in women, and it occurred to him suddenly that he had no idea if he should feel threatened by this or not. A vague memory from the other night, Vin's mention of someone named MaryJane slipped through his defenses and startled him - did Vin prefer women but was too shy around them to make a move so he'd turned to Chris?
Of course, they had also never discussed exclusivity in their relationship either; Chris had just assumed that Vin was as monogamous as he was. That had been the implication from the start - hadn't it?
"Seems to be having a good time," Mary answered. "Of course, after the stress he's been under today, the three shots of whiskey Ezra force-fed him when we walked in are probably the real reason he seems so relaxed." She giggled, and Chris knew that Vin wasn't the only one who had had a drink or two. "He's such a nice guy, Chris - I mean, I knew he was, but today he as just wonderful. I think he deserves a little happiness tonight, and Ezra and I are going to do everything we can to see that he gets it."
Chris felt the alarm then - no matter where he and Vin stood, the last thing Vin needed to have to do was deal with the manipulations of two seasoned PR people who were trying to 'help him out'.
"Mary," he started, holding the phone in a death grip, "Vin doesn't need any more complications right now. He's not ready for a relationship with someone like - "
"Oh, Chris," Mary laughed even harder and Chris hoped that she wasn't driving. Chloe is hardly looking for a relationship! Vin won't have to worry about this - he can have all the fun he wants tonight with no worries in the morning. And even better - this is the perfect PR for him for this whole mess!"
"What are you talking about?" Chris demanded, wishing he had had a drink or two before he started this conversation. "How can spending time with reporters and a local gossip girl be good for Vin's reputation?"
"Because it's something people will understand," Mary said, and even though her words made no sense to Chris, the tone of her voice was more sober. "Vin's been dragged through the mire because the first press on this was from Van Atta sympathizers who wanted to make the Park and the Wind River look bad - and using Vin accomplished that. Now, though, he's out in the company of numerous known personalities who, by their presence alone, demonstrate their support of him and their opposition to what Van Atta's people are trying to do. On top of that, he's happy and enjoying himself and acting like a normal guy. That alone will take some of the sting out of the impression that the Van Atta people want to create."
'A normal guy'. The words hit him like a physical blow. Vin wasn't a 'normal guy' - not in those ways. Hell, not in many ways. That was why Chris had fallen for him.
"Where are you guys going for dinner?" he asked, trying a different approach. "Why I don't I join you - "
"Oh, Chris, that is so sweet!" Mary breathed into the phone. "And on any other night, I would love to - in fact, maybe later this week we can have dinner? We haven't been out in ages!"
Chris took a deep breath, willing himself to control. "Well, then, why don't I join you now?" he asked. "Another Park representative can't hurt, right?"
Mary sighed, though, and it was almost plaintive. "If you weren't his boss, I'd agree in a heartbeat, you know I would. I'd love for you to be here with me, with us. But I think that your presence would be almost as intimidating as Orrin's. You're Vin's boss. No, for tonight, I'm afraid, we need to have this be casual. We've already explained that to Orrin and he would be so offended, I think, if you came and he wasn't allowed to."
It was a two-way crunch. But it still rankled.
Before he could argue further, she came back, "Oh, I've gotta go, Ezra's got the group moving. Don't worry about Vin - we'll make sure he has fun and gets home - well, to someone's home," she giggled, "later tonight. I'll call you tomorrow and we can talk about getting together. Bye!"
She hung up and he was left staring out his window at Buck and JD, who were watching something on JD's laptop.
As if feeling the weight of his stare, Buck looked up, caught his gaze, and frowned. With a cant of his head, he asked if Chris was all right.
Chris drew a breath or two, seeing the concern in the other man's eyes. After a few seconds, he nodded and tried to smile. He figured that that was probably what did it for Buck.
The other man started across the room, his gait a fast amble that still put him at Chris' door before Chris could stop him.
"Everything all right?" he asked.
Chris nodded, even as he felt the pull of too many conflicting emotions. "You got any idea where Ezra was carting Vin and Mary off to?"
Buck shook his head, frowning. "They didn't say, just something about schmoozing to take some of the heat off. Ez talked to Travis for a while, and I heard him promise something about making sure Vin was taken care of, but other than that, no. Mary went with them - you want to catch up with her?"
Buck didn't even try to hide the smile that the thought provoked.
Chris shook his head. "I'm just worried about Vin. He was really not happy about all of this and from the sound of it, he's trapped out there with a group of people who only want to use him."
Buck laughed then, reaching out to catch Chris' shoulder. "Vin's a big boy, Chris. If he don't want to be there, he won't be - hell, he'll get up and walk home if he wants to, you know that."
He did know that. It sat in his belly like a block of ice. If there was one thing he knew about his lover, had known from the first day they had met, it was that Vin had no qualms about walking out a door and heading home when he was ready. He'd done it the first several times he'd gone out with the team, just - vanished. Later, they would find out he had decided he'd had enough and just left, no goodbyes, no letting anyone know. Chris had finally gotten him to at least let them know he was leaving - and most of the time, to let one of them take him home. It was often more than twenty miles from wherever they were back to the Park, and even though Vin had transportation of his own - an old truck and an old motorcycle, he often let others drive.
As they had come to know each other, Chris had learned to read the signs of the other man's restlessness and had learned to pre-empt the need for Vin to speak up.
"Chris, you're a good boss and a great friend," Buck said, and even though there was a smile on his face, Chris knew the words were sincere. "If Vin needs us, he'll call."
Chris knew that. It was the inverse to it, however, that was worrying him - what if Vin didn't call?
"I know I been ragging you about doing the dinner with me - but this time, I'm not pushing. Come on with us - no expectations, no date, just dinner with some friends. Hell, JD and Casey are gonna, come too, so it's not like a date. Just a good dinner, some relaxing company, and no pressure. You could stand a break. And," there was a slight hesitation, and Chris studied the other man as he said, "I'd like to spend some time with you. Today scared me."
It was a hard admission for him, and just as hard for Chris. Today had scared him, too; the thought of losing Buck was almost as sharp as the thought of losing Vin, harder in some ways.
Chris looked out the window into the Visitors Center; the crowd was thinning and the rain was still coming, casting the night in grey.
"And if you're that worried about Junior," Buck continued, his tone lighter, "maybe we'll run into him somewhere - ain't like this place is so big that someone could get lost!"
His laugh was contagious and despite himself, Chris agreed. "Just dinner, no pressure," he said flatly, even as he reached to turn off the lights.
"Damned straight," Buck chuckled. "Just dinner."
Sunday, 8:11 a.m.
He woke with a blazing headache - hangover, he thought, recognizing the signs too well. Slowly, his fuzzy brain dredged up the memories: dinner at Braxton's, a local place that served a great steak. Buck hadn't lied, the company had been good, the ladies friendly but not too demanding, Buck and JD more amusing that he had a right to expect. The beer had been cold, the bottles of wine with dinner perfect, then the after-dinner drinks at the bar even better.As had been the dancing. And the singing.
And the kissing -
His stomach rebelled then, partly at the alcohol, and partly that the remembrance of lips on his, hands on him, his hands on -
He made it to the bathroom, but barely.
Christ, what had he been thinking - what the hell was he -
Vin. He'd spent the evening thinking about Vin, thinking about him in the arms of the Rathbone woman, thinking about Ezra pushing him into those arms. Thinking about Vin not being with him, and not even trying to call him. At the beginning of the evening, he'd kept his cell phone in his hand, set for a low ring and for vibrate so he wouldn't miss the call. But as the evening progressed - and the drinking and the laughing - the cell phone had rung several times - Josiah checking in to say everything was fine, Travis checking in to say everything was fine, and then about 9:30, Mary calling.
Very drunk, and giggling. To tell him everything was fine - better than fine, really. They were on their way to somebody's house - in a limo. In the background he could hear Ezra singing, something that sounded operatic. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of female laughter. He'd asked to speak to Vin - again, only to be told he was 'busy'. Then more laughter and - kissing noises. Mary making kissing noises into the phone.
He'd felt the anger then, a slow boil in his stomach. Anger and hurt.
He'd ordered another round of drinks without even waiting for the phone to hang up - he'd already disconnected from his end. And turned off the phone itself.
At 11:00, or there about, the local news had carried footage of the press conference, and he'd had a moment of serious guilt as he had watched Vin on the camera, wide-eyed and edgy, looking constantly to Ezra as he had answered questions. The sound was down, the bar's music far more important than what was on the television, but he didn't need to hear words to know that his lover was stammering, his words raspy and weak.
Right behind the clip of the conference had been footage from later, at The Lighthouse, Chris saw, recognizing it just before the name had scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Vin had looked much different there, his arm around Chloe Rathbone's shoulders, holding her close as she kissed his cheek and primped for the cameras. Vin was still shy, but less so, and his eyes were slightly glazed. Perhaps from the bourbon. Or perhaps from that kiss - and the one after it that landed squarely on Vin's lips.
Chris had looked away then, angry and jealous and hurt. Another round of drinks appeared at their table, and he had had no more guilt.
It had all made so much sense then, he though as he dry-heaved into the toilet. And in its own way, it still made sense now. But now, it was only hurt, the anger in remission.
Washing out his mouth, he avoided the mirror, knowing what he would see.
At least he hadn't slept with anyone - had he? Carefully, he peaked back into his bedroom, relieved to find he was alone. And had been - there was no evidence of anyone else's clothes, or any other body. Vin's pillow was pulled close to his own, but -
Vin's pillow? The queasiness returned and he closed his eyes. Goddamn it.
He stumbled back against the bathroom counter, fumbling open the cabinet over the toilet to find the aspirin. He took four, followed by several handfuls of water, then stood still while he willed his stomach not to reject them.
It was about an hour later before he made it to the kitchen. The pain in his head was better, but his stomach still roiled. Toast, he thought, something to absorb some of the bile.
He was leaning on the counter, waiting for the toaster to heat and staring into the wet morning, when he realized that the flashing in his eyes was from an actual light - the light of the answering machine. Dreading what he would hear, already guilty that he had probably left Josiah with some mess that he should've been there to handle, he hit the button to retrieve the three messages on it.
"Message received, Sunday, 1:14 a.m.," the mechanical male voice stated.
'Chris?' The voice was hesitant, edged with distress. Noise in the background told him that they were somewhere loud, still, and that Vin was close to it. 'I tried callin' yer cell, but ya ain't answering - are ya there?' A space, and Chris felt his stomach quiver. 'Ezra wouldn't let me talk to ya - please don't be mad at me, I need ya - Chris - '
A sharp female voice in the background, calling, 'Vin! There you are! Come on, I want to dance! Hang that - ' and then a dial tone.
"Message received, Sunday, 3:14 a.m.," the voice stated, telling Chris that this call had come after he was home - or so he hoped. He had a vague memory of looking at his watch at some point, JD driving his truck and him arguing that he was okay. He had proven it by announcing that it was 2:18. He had looked up then to find they were pulling into his driveway and JD was laughing.
He had been passed out when this call came in, too drunk to even hear the phone ring.
'Chris?' No background noise this time, Vin's voice softer, sadder. 'Hope yer all right - hope everything at the Park is okay. I'm - somewhere, some friend of Chloe's place. Ez is here, but he had somebody take Mary home. I'd like ta go home too, but Ez is pretty lit and I don't wanna leave him alone. Anyway - I hope yer all right.'
Chris scrubbed at his face, hearing the words play over in his head. 'Hope yer all right.' Goddamit.
"Message received, Sunday, 5:54 a.m.," the voice intoned ominously, letting Chris know he had still been too out of it to hear the phone.
'Yer cell phone still ain't ringing - I'm worried about ya. I'm at Ez's - I think I finally got him settled. I'm gonna head over to the Park, see if yer there. Maybe I do need a damned cell phone - then ya could at least call me and let me know yer alive. Hope so. Worried 'boutcha, Cowboy.'
He looked at his watch. 9:25. Vin was either already at the Park or somewhere close. Goddamit.
He took spare moments to change, washing his face and brushing his teeth, and hoping he didn't smell like liquor or vomit.
It was only after he was long away from the house that he wondered if he smelled like Donna, the friend he had vague memories of kissing.
Sunday, 10:18 a.m.
"Jeez, Chris, you all right?"Vin's eyes were wide and concerned as they stared at Chris through the passenger window of the Explorer.
Chris closed his eyes and nodded, wishing the guilt would pass as fast as the hangover and knowing that it wouldn't.
He had found Vin walking just inside the North Entrance to the Park, identifiable more so from his clothing than anything else. He was wearing a pair of khaki slacks, soaked all the up the knee from the damp grasses, and a blue dress shirt, and carrying a navy suit jacket over his shoulder - the same outfit, Chris vaguely recalled, that he'd had on in the footage from the Lighthouse the night before.
His hair was tied back, but not well; Chris guessed that it had been up and down several times over the past twenty-four hours, and now it was kind of trapped between the two, then damp from the mist and sprinkling rain. Strands of it framed his face, and he looked about as tired as Chris felt. It occurred to him then that Vin probably hadn't had any sleep at all.
"Chris?" Vin's voice rose a notch, both in sound and pitch.
"I'm okay, Vin," he said weakly, forcing himself to look the other man. "Long night."
"Where were you?" Vin asked. "I called - hell, I called everywhere."
He had. Once in the car, Chris had turned his cell phone back on to find 6 messages there - all about the same as the ones on the answering machine. He suspected he would find at least two on the machine at the office.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I . . . " What? 'I spent the night making out with one of Buck's friends because I thought that's what you were doing?' 'I got drunk because I was jealous that you were with someone else?' 'I totally lost my mind?'
"Is everything okay here? Were you here all night - I thought Travis was closing down access - "
"He did," Chris cut in, Vin's concern cutting too deep. "Everything here is fine."
A car horn sounded behind them, and Chris looked up, checking the rearview mirror. The vehicle was out of the flow of traffic, but it wasn't a legal parking spot. Combined with the drabness of the day, it wasn't safe.
"Get in," he said, "let's go find some breakfast."
Vin frowned, and Chris saw the question in his eyes. But he didn't argue. Instead, as he opened the door, he said, "Can we stop by the camper? I'd love to get out of this get up and into something comfortable."
Despite his mood, Chris chuckled. "Long as the jeans are decent enough for the public," he said, and was rewarded with one of Vin's fast but sweet grins.
The tension in the SUV eased a little, and Chris pulled back out onto the roadway. Vin settled beside him, then yawned, and Chris shook his head. "You stayed for Ezra?" he said carefully.
Vin shrugged. "Don't think he planned on getting drunk, but it sorta happened. Chloe and her friends are pretty wild and the people Ez invited along ate it up like candy. Him and Mary were trying to keep things under control, but I think they were caught off-guard by it all. Don't think Mary drinks much at all - 'specially them fruity drinks. Don't take many of them to get her wound up. And Ez - well, I don't think he noticed that Chloe was slipping more shots into his drinks when he wasn't looking. I tried to warn him, but he . . . ." Vin frowned. "He didn't listen to me much last night. Guess he thought I was too dumb to understand how things work at parties like that."
And he wasn't the only one, Chris thought, chiding himself. But a few questions still niggled. "What about Chloe? I gather she's pretty taken with you. The 11:00 o'clock news seemed had some interesting pictures of the two of you."
He knew from Vin's frown that he was confused, but that there was also something else at play. He didn't turn, but he glanced to his companion, watching.
"Chloe's taken with anything that pays her two cents worth of attention," Vin answered. "She tried the first night we met to get me into bed, and she knows I ain't interested. And more to the point of your question, Chris, I wasn't interested then and I sure as hell ain't interested now." The frown came back and Chris felt the weight of a very heavy stare. "You didn't think . . . . "
He had thought. And in that way they had of knowing each other, Vin realized it, too.
"Chris, I thought you understood that I . . .I mean . . . " Vin swallowed, the sound unusually loud. "Didn't you understand what I said on Sepulcher Mountain? What I said to you the other night in your kitchen? I ain't playing, Chris. Wasn't then, ain't now, won't ever. Not with you."
Chris knew and had known. He sighed. "I know, Vin. I just . . .things have been so complicated lately, with all of this. I thought maybe . . .you know, with her being a woman and all . . . "
"You thought maybe I'd become somebody else?" There was an edge of amusement in this voice - but it was cut with an edge of anger.
"I didn't think," Chris answered quietly. "I called and Ezra and Mary kept saying you were busy or indisposed, and then once Mary was - " He stopped himself, knowing how stupid that was going to sound. "I knew this had all been hard on you and I . . . I forgot who you are."
"So you went out and got drunk last night," Vin said quietly, " 'cause ya thought that's what I was doing."
"Went with Buck and JD," he answered, wanting to distract Vin from the line of thought he was on. "Celebrating sort of. The closing of the site, the fact that Buck didn't get himself killed with that dumbass stunt."
Vin was watching him still. "I'm sorry, I shoulda been there, with you and with Buck . . . " He sighed then, leaning back against the seat. "I didn't want ta go last night. But Ez and Travis - well, they made it seem like it was the only way ta get this done. Ta make it go away."
"They were probably right," Chris said. "They know more about this than most of us." He slowed as they came up on the turn into the Visitor's Center area. It was crowded, and there were the now-regular media people, but he didn't see any hordes of people as he had yesterday.
"I wanted you to go, but I couldn't come up with a reason to wait. Especially after Ez and Mary told Travis that it would be better if it was just me and them, no 'people in charge', so to speak." He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "Hell, Chris, you know I'd rather have been with you. And Buck - I didn't even hear about that 'til one of the media guys mentioned it while we were having dinner."
Chris snorted. "You'd rather have been anywhere else than there," he said. He eased into the parking area near Vin's camper, then into a spot near it. But he didn't turn the Explorer off. Instead, he turned to face the other man and held out one hand. "I got stupid, and I'm sorry. I missed you."
Vin turned, too, looking at him then at his hand then back. "I'm gonna say this one more time, Chris, so listen to me this time: you're it for me. I ain't playing with you or with us and what we got. I sure as hell ain't taking any chances with it for a one-night stand with somebody who thinks love is anyone talking to her for more 'en five minutes and asking her what she'd rather have for dinner."
It was a test of his strength of will that he didn't drop the gaze from his own shame. He knew that Vin saw everything in his eyes - the night before, the drinking, the anger, the dancing, the woman.
The doubt.
"I understand, Vin," he said. "I . . . I'm sorry. For all of it."
Those eyes still stared into him, through him, tearing him apart and, slowly, rebuilding him.
After an eternity, Vin took his hand, squeezing hard. "I'm gonna go change. You comin'?"
Chris squeezed back. "I love to watch."
But any lascivious thoughts - any thoughts of even an affectionate embrace were quickly scattered as Vin stepped up to the camper and found the door open.
Chris saw his confusion at the same instant he, too, noticed that the door was merely resting against the frame, the latch not caught. "Careful," he hissed, automatically reaching for his revolver - which wasn't there.
His instinct was to catch Vin and pull him back, to take the lead himself. It was an instinct that was hard to deny, and in truth, he wasn't certain that he could have. But Vin was already through the door, taking that decision from him, and he followed, mentally calculating the amount of space there was in the small camper for any sort of altercation.
The place wasn't in total disarray, just a general untidiness that spoke of someone - or someones plundering through Vin's stuff. Drawers were open and rifled - all fifteen or so of them, and the contents of the cabinets and closet had been handled.
"They went through my kit!" Vin's tone was rough with disbelief. "What in the hell - they think I hide money under my Speedstick?"
"Anything missing?" Chris asked, trying to recall what he knew of Vin's minimal possessions. As far as he knew, anything that Vin had of value was on him at all times; his friend didn't lock the door to his camper - something they had argued about even though they both agreed that it wouldn't matter, the tiny door lock wouldn't stop anyone who was seriously interested in getting in.
Vin shrugged, tossing aside the plastic zipper-bag that housed his shower and shaving gear. He rifled through the closet, his jaw clenched, then turned to the small series of drawers that stored the rest of his personal stuff. "No, just manhandled. Who the hell would . . . " But he sighed, letting the sentence drift off. After a few seconds, he said grimly, "Guess the world needs to know I use Ivory soap for my delicate skin and keep a box a Trojans in the corner of the bed."
Chris stepped behind him and let his hands rest on Vin's tight shoulders. "You want to file a report? Maybe call the locals out of Gardiner and get some fingerprint people in here?"
There was silence for a few seconds, telling him that Vin was thinking about it. But as he expected, Vin sighed and shook his head. Strands of his hair brushed gently against Chris' fingers, almost tickling in their softness.
"This is where you get to say 'I told ya so', ain't it," he said instead. "Shoulda locked the damned door, then at least I'd have some means to say I was violated."
The word caught off Chris off-guard, evoking images that were more painful than the disruption to the camper. Without thinking, he pulled Vin tight against him, holding him close.
"Sure hope Ez was right," Vin said quietly as he relaxed into the embrace. "I'm damned ready for this to be done."
"Why don't you grab what's important and let's get back to my place."
It didn't take long, both for Vin to find what he wanted and to straighten up what he could in the camper. Chris stayed back, riding the waves of his own guilt as he watched the other man and wondering when things would settle down for them.
They were on their way out the door when a familiar truck came gliding into the parking lot, pulling up behind Chris' four-by-four.
"Well - ain't you two party boys up awful early!" Buck's grin alone was almost enough to make Chris wish he had his gun; the words were the last thing he wanted to have to explain.
And of course, Buck was full of unstoppable enthusiasm. "So, Vin! You have half as much luck as Chris last night?" He was climbing out of his truck as Vin stepped out of the camper and closed the door. The rain had stopped for the moment, and as if brought by Buck, the sun seemed to be sneaking through the clouds, trying to escape its confinement. "Them pictures on the news and in the paper this morning sure had a tale to tell!"
"Door jam's busted," Vin muttered to Chris. "Gonna have to get a new one, but ain't no point in worrying about it now, I reckon. That horse is done gone." His volume rose and he tried to smile as he turned to the newcomer. "Howdy, Buck. Sounds like you boys had one hell of a night yourselves." He had a duffle bag slung over one shoulder, and Chris knew it had his uniforms in it as well; he'd offered the use of his washer and dryer, and he needed to wash his own today as well, as they might actually have a chance to do so.
Buck chuckled. "From all them pictures, you did, too, eh, Junior? Looks like you and Chloe were quite the pair. She kiss as good as it looks like she does?"
Vin sighed, opening the back passenger door of Chris' big vehicle to toss in his bag. "Don't go reading into it things that ain't there. We danced some and hung out - nothin' more. Mostly, I was there to make sure Ez and Mary made it home. Chloe was pretty wasted, too, long before we got her home. 'Course," he smiled, closing the door and sauntering back to where Buck was leaning on the hood of his truck, "same could be said for y'all, too, I reckon. Who got you boys home?"
"Well," Buck grinned as he gestured to his rumpled clothes, "I'm still working on it for myself. As for him," he laughed then, his hand falling to Chris' shoulder, "I believe that JD and Casey managed to get him home - which was a bit of a surprise this morning! I was assuming that he had stayed at the apartment with us. Hell, the way he was buried under Donna on the couch when Evaleen and I went to bed, I just assumed he was in bed with her this morning!"
Chris didn't have to look, didn't want to look. He knew what he would see.
Instead, he glared at Buck, noting that the cheerful expression had turned to one of confusion. "As you can see, I went home," he said flatly, his voice hard. "As I think I mentioned several times yesterday, I only went for dinner and - "
"A little celebratin'?" Vin's voice was cold. "Guess you really were thinkin' about me, huh."
Chris looked then, in time to see Vin turn and step away from Buck, back to the rear door of the vehicle.
Oddly, though, it was Buck who interceded.
"Hang on a minute," the tall man said, pushing himself to full standing. "I was just kidding, Vin. Chris was worried about ya -hell, the reason I was ragging him about being on the couch was because I thought he'd passed out there, with Donna on top of him. They spent the evening dancing and I think they kissed once, when he couldn't get away from her fast enough." He stepped toward Vin and Chris followed, not sure what he was going to do but rounding the back of his own vehicle in time to see Buck catch Vin's duffle as Vin pulled it back out. "Chris was worried as hell about you. He kept turning his phone on and JD and I kept taking it away from him." He held the bag tightly as Vin tried to pull it away. His voice was soft and serious now. "Vin, don't."
Chris tensed at the same time Vin did, but the other man just stood still, his eyes on Buck's.
"Don't blame Chris. He worried about ya and the rest of us tried to distract him - and you, if ya wanna know the truth of it. Ezra wanted us to keep you two apart - hell, Travis wanted it. Said it'd be better if Vin was on his own without other Park people around, 'specially his bosses. But we all know how the two of you are. If the two of ya are in the same room, neither one of you says more than five words, and the whole point of this was to get you to open up for them reporters. So Ez wanted us to keep Chris out of the way. We pretty much had to get him drunk to do it - hell, we had to get him so drunk he couldn't see straight! At one point, he was going lookin' for ya even though he was too drunk to drive!"
For an instant, Vin glared at him, with a heat that was annoyance and frustration. But not as much hurt.
Then, with a sigh of his own, Buck said, "You two are worse'n a couple of married people - ya can't decide if you're more pissed 'cause you're worried or more pissed 'cause you're not!"
He opened the Explorer's door again, throwing the duffle back in. "You both need some sleep, and I don't think you're gonna get it here, not if the media comes huntin' you today the way they did yesterday. Go crash on Chris' couch, watch a game or two - both of you. Tomorrow's Monday and if Travis is right, we're gonna be back to ridin' the trails, looking for the nitwits. Get on, both of ya."
Buck turned, shaking his head tiredly as he brushed past Chris and back to his truck.
But as he slammed the door, his own irritation clear, Vin called out, "Thanks, Buck. Sorry. I'm just tired."
Buck couldn't hold a grudge if he tried - and when it came to his friends, he never had. Chris was infinitely thankful for that. "It's been a bad week, for all of us. Y'all don't need to be blamin' each other."
"'Specially when we can blame you," Vin laughed.
It was a good sound, and Chris realized how much he had missed it.
"Funny, Junior," Buck shot back, but he was laughing, too. "Dinner at Chris' place, 6 o'clock?" he said, turning his attention to Chris.
Chris sighed. "You bringin' the beer?"
Buck laughed, cranked his truck, and revved the engine. "Glad to. Won't take much after last night!" Then he was gone, whipping around the parking lot and out the exit.
Chris stood, watching him leave but aware more so of Vin. After a short while, he felt the other man edge near.
"Didn't occur to me to ask if you were sleeping with someone 'cause you thought I was," he said softly. "Were ya?"
Chris turned and looked at him. "No," he said honestly. "Even drunk, I don't want anyone else's head on the pillows in my bed."
Vin shook his head but he grinned that little grin that was all for Chris. "Well, I could stand to have my head on that pillow right now."
Chris nodded, pulling his keys out of his jacket pocket. "Could stand that, too. Rest of you as well."
Sunday, 5:04 p.m.
He waited, but it was an effort. Spooned around Vin, the head of his cock just breaching the twitching ring of muscle, all he wanted to do was push hard, fast, take what was his.Fortunately, they were laying on their right sides, the position they had been asleep in when he had started to wake, his body wanting. Vin was barely awake, responding more from his own sense of need than any conscious thought. His erection lay warm and new in Chris left hand, not yet complete in its tumescence, but getting there.
Vin growled slightly and his body relaxed at the invasion, allowing Chris more entry. Chris pushed farther in, until the passage was again too tight.
It was going to be slow, he had known that in what little part of his rational mind was working. They'd collapsed into bed half-dressed, him in his boxers, Vin slipping into a pair of sweats since he'd never gotten around to changing at the camper. Chris' hangover headache had come back as the aspirin wore off, and Vin had been exhausted, asleep before his head hit the pillow.
His pillow. That had been the thought that Chris had fallen asleep to.
'His Vin' had been the thought he'd awakened to, his body warm against Vin's, his cock nestled in the warm cleft it had already come to want at every opportunity - and many inopportune moments. The soft cloth of the sweats had been a nice cushion, but also an obstacle that Chris removed; he slid his hand under the waistband, pushing the sweats down past the knobby hips and long thighs, leaving the elastic stretched just above Vin's bent knees.
He loved touching Vin's skin, the satin smoothness of it accentuated by the fine hairs that turned to gold as the summer tanned him. Even relaxed, the layer of muscle so close to the surface gave him a definition that still fascinated Chris.
He hadn't lied to Vin when he'd told him of sleeping with other men; Chris had always appreciated attraction wherever it lay. But he had never thought about becoming emotionally involved with another man, never slept with any man, before Vin, more than once. Sex with a man was exactly that - sex with a man.
Until Vin.
Now, he knew it was love. And not just the love of friendship, like he had with Buck, or the love of family; it was love like he had had with Sarah. The love that made him happy and content. And jealous and confused.
He had been possessive of Sarah, but not the way he was with Vin. He knew himself well enough to know that it was him; of the two of them, Sarah and Vin, he was probably more secure in Vin's love for him. He'd never doubted Sarah, not for an instant. But she'd also been one to start a fight just to draw his wildness. She had loved his anger and her own, and there were times, before Adam, when just about anything was fair game.
Vin was the opposite. Perhaps because of the complexities of his own past, Vin didn't like to argue, didn't like confrontation. He said what he meant and meant what he said.
And as this last day had proven, he didn't mess around.
So Chris knew that he was the cause of his own doubt, and he also knew why. Because Vin was not only a man, thereby placing their relationship outside of the normal, socially-approved, heterosexual realm, but he was also Chris' subordinate, making their love a violation of all sorts of work regulations and federal laws and - everything Travis was worried about.
At first, the secrecy of the relationship had added a certain spice to things. It had also been natural to the two very private men.
But events over the past few weeks had led Chris to realize that there were far more secrets at play in this relationship than he liked. Finding out about Vin's past this way was playing with his own sense of security - what else about Vin didn't he know?
What else didn't Vin want him to know? What else did Vin believe to be unimportant that actually wasn't?
He knew that much of what had happened the previous night was because of their secrecy. No one knew about them, even though Travis and Josiah, at least, suspected. And Buck probably did, too, given the way he had been acting, pushing Chris into the date. Which meant JD did - and probably Nathan. And probably Ezra and -
He didn't want to think about it anymore, wanted only to lose himself in Vin.
He was so hard that touching himself had almost been enough, and he'd had to work slow and with a strong grip to apply the lubricant. Touching Vin had been almost as difficult, his want so strong that he'd been less gentle than he'd hoped as he'd used one knee to push Vin's thighs as far apart as the stretched cloth of the sweats would allow.
Vin had stirred then, edging closer to consciousness, but Chris had pressed on. And in; letting one of his fingers tease at the small opening, amazed as always that it could and would stretch to take him, and that Vin wanted it. That Vin trusted him, even now, to not hurt him.
Vin had murmured something, his body trying to shift, but Chris slid his arm more securely around Vin's waist; the position actually shifted the lean body to more of an angle, giving Chris easier access to what he wanted.
His finger slipped deeper, welcomed by the heat and closeness, and Chris knew he couldn't wait, didn't want to wait. He didn't hurt Vin, but he needed to claim him, to possess him.
He'd used two fingers to line himself up, then given a slight push, convincing himself that if it hurt, Vin would resist or squirm or - something.
Instead, Vin had moaned low and taken him, his body opening just enough. Just enough to let him in.
And now it adjusted more, and he went deeper, moaning himself at the snug fit that was just on the border of pain, the heat that almost burned.
"Relax," he breathed against Vin's neck, letting his hand move along the lengthening flesh he held. "Let me in."
Vin did. It still wasn't all the way, but it was more. As he stalled once again, he felt Vin shift, pushing back.
"Don't," he said, more loudly, "you'll hurt - "
"Need you," Vin rasped as his left arm reached back and caught Chris' hip, pulling him forward.
He knew he should stop it, at least slow it, but his own need equaled his lover's. The pace was fast and rough, Vin not satisfied with the patience this position required. Within minutes, he had rolled, drawing Chris with him, so that he was on his knees with Chris bent over his back. Somehow, by some feat of contortion Chris completely missed, the sweats were pushed off one leg so that they were no longer an obstruction.
But that wasn't enough either; Vin spread his legs farther, then arched his back so that his hips were raised, giving Chris an access and depth they had never before achieved. Not even when Vin had been on top, impaling himself, had Chris felt as much a part of the other man as he did now.
Until Vin started pushing back against him, meeting his thrusts with equal and hard force.
It became a battle of wills, then, almost violent as the two converged. In the rare instances when he could think, Chris knew this was wrong, too much, too intense. Vin would suffer after if he wasn't already in pain.
But Vin wouldn't stop, wouldn't let Chris back off. When Chris tried to slow, he clenched his muscles, holding Chris in place; when Chris tried to temper his thrusts, Vin pushed back harder, knocking Chris to a sitting position, and almost off the bed. They hadn't been this rough the night after Vin had been trapped in the mud, nor the night after the first encounter with Trahart and his people when Vin didn't want to talk.
Chris caught his shoulders, trying to hold him close, but Vin shrugged him off. "Take me, Chris," he ordered, slamming back, "take what you want, claim me like you need to." His words came in gasps, spoken to the ceiling as his head was thrown back, his hair clinging to his shoulders. "Do what you need to so you don't never doubt me again."
He almost stopped then, guilt and fear combining to give him some control - which was stripped away as Vin flexed, stretching his back and curling to grab Chris' shoulders, keeping him close.
The pressure was almost too much - but worse, it was just enough. The first coil of orgasm snaked through his groin, his balls drawing tight with imminent release. He tried to forestall it, wanting to make this last, wanting Vin to come first -
His climax wrenched him from all thought, depriving him of any awareness but of his own body.
Afterwards, as his senses returned, he grew slowly aware of the man in his arms, the twitching contractions that bespoke Vin's release, the warm wetness dripping over Chris' hand as his own fading erection was pushed from the shuddering body.
They fell slowly forward, Chris draped over Vin until he managed to shift away, giving the other man space to breathe.
As thoughts wafted back into his head, he remembered the last words he had heard, the echo of them bouncing off the vacant walls of thought.
"I'll never doubt you again," he tried to say, but the words stuck as his tongue refused to move right in his dry mouth.
Vin understood though. He smiled tiredly, even as he winced, his body reluctant to stretch out. "Amazing what a good fuck can do," he said lightly.
Chris caught his arms, pulling Vin to lay close, head on his shoulder despite the sweat sticking them together. "No, not the fuck," he corrected, making his mouth work. "What you did last night - what you did this morning. I should never have doubted you to start with - and in a way, I never did." He paused, trying to find a way to say it.
But he didn't have to. Vin met his gaze and the smile slipped a little. There was no anger in the words, just a touch of sadness. "You doubted yourself," he said. "Don't blame you, Chris. It's one thing to fuck a man, to scratch an itch. Completely another to come home to him every night. Can't blame ya fer feeling hemmed in."
Chris let his fingers run through Vin's hair, grimacing at the knots he found along the way. "I might be feeling hemmed in," he answered, "but it's not from you. Think we should tell the others."
Vin stiffened, looking at him. "You ready to be unemployed?" he asked.
Chris almost answered, but he stopped, hearing what Vin was saying. As he smiled, Vin frowned.
Chris answered him before he asked. "You're not worried about what the others are going to think?"
The smile came back accompanied by a soft chuckle. "Only one who might be surprised is Bucklin, and I think even he knows, in his own way. He sure was working to explain what happened to you last night, and that weren't all because he was worried 'bout me feeling neglected."
Chris thought about it and knew the other man was right. "I'm not saying we should take out an ad in the paper. But . . . "
"Last night woulda been a damnsight easier if the others had known," he filled in the silence. "At least if Ez and Buck had known."
Before Chris could answer, his phone rang. Even though the ringer was still set low, the sound was startling in the silence of the late afternoon house.
Chris sighed, glancing at his watch. "Not time for Buck yet - could be him, though."
"Could be trouble," Vin said, stating what they both expected. He sighed, rolling away from Chris and rising slowly to his knees as the phone rang a second time. "Better get it."
Chris sighed, but reached for the nightstand.
"Mr. Larabee," Ezra's voice was rough with irritation and, Chris suspected, pain; his hangover was probably as bad as Chris' had been. "Have you seen Mr. Tanner?"
The response was out of his mouth before he thought about it, his own irritation reinforced by the conversation they had just had. "He's not with you?"
"No," Standish shot back with notable annoyance, "he is not with me. He seems to have decided to leave in the middle of the night and as he refuses to partake of the conveniences of modern society, I am at a loss as to how to find him."
"You let him leave in the middle of the night?" Chris asked, trying - and succeeding, he knew, to sound outraged even as he smiled. He leaned back in the pillows, intent on enjoying this as much as possible.
Glancing up, he met Vin's gaze, noting that his lover was both amused and put out by his subterfuge.
"I did not let him leave," Standish mimicked. "As you know, Mr. Tanner is decidedly obstinate about some things. I assumed that, like a rational human, when made aware of his lack of transport, he would do the sensible thing and sleep in my guest room. I was, apparently, mistaken."
"It's almost six at night, Ezra - you're just now finding out that he's gone?" Chris found this point less amusing, and he looked away from Vin, letting his anger simmer.
"Of course not," the other man shot back, testily. "I am at his camper - which, by the way, he leaves unlocked - has he no sense at all? Does he not realize the dangers of leaving his possessions unprotected - not that camper is in any way safe to start with - "
"He's not there, then? Have you looked - "
"I have looked everywhere, Mr. Larabee," Ezra said, his own irritation growing. "I checked the Center first, of course - he is not on duty nor has he checked in with reception today nor submitted any itinerary, his vehicles, such as they are, are still present, and he is not in what passes for the local eateries nor is he in making use of the facilities - "
"Did you actually go into them?" Chris asked, unable to stop the grin he had at the thought of Ezra entering the public showers and restrooms that Vin used when he was staying at his camper. The overly-clean Standish had made it quite clear on many occasions that he found the very idea of public facilities heinous and beneath his own standard of acceptability.
"With great trepidation and embarrassment," the man answered. "Have you ever - I can't believe - he honestly frequents those places by choice?"
"That's my understanding," Chris answered lightly. He extended one hand to catch one of Vin's, pulling him close.
Vin was still looking at him with a certain irritation of his own, but he allowed the contact, settling in against Chris.
"Anyway, he is not here anywhere, and I must find him. We have dinner plans - "
"You do?" Chris asked, cutting his eyes at his lover.
This close, Vin could hear Ezra's side of the conversation as well, and he was frowning in confusion. He shrugged at Chris, and Chris nodded.
"Does he know?"
"Not yet," Ezra answered. "That's why I must find him. We're meeting some very important people at 7:30 and I have to make certain that he is presentable - I fear that what he wore last night may well be the height of his fashion sense and the dinner tonight will require even more - "
"Ain't going," Vin said loud enough for Ezra to hear him. "Done enough of that last night."
There was a short silence before Ezra erupted with a squawk, "He's there? He's there with you?"
Chris had to jerk the phone away at the volume, the volume of the other man's voice leaving him momentarily deaf in one ear.
"I'm here, Ez," Vin answered, "and I ain't going. I'm tired and I feel like hell and I want a nice quiet evening without anybody wanting nothing from me."
Chris blinked at him, feigning hurt, then smiling when Vin shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Ezra was speaking, though, still loud enough for both of them to hear it from the handset Chris was holding. "You have to go. You're the guest of honor and it's extremely important that you be there - the success of the whole plan rests on the impression you make - "
"While we was out making impressions last night, someone broke into my camper, Ez," Vin said with a coldness that surprised Chris. "And on top of that, you and Mary lied to me about Chris calling - "
"We never lied to you," Ezra rushed, and Chris was pleased to see Vin's eyes narrow in anger. "We merely felt it best not to concern you with minor distractions."
"Well," Vin drawled, still glaring at the phone, "If you had, you mighta not had to go searching fer me in them public facilities you hate so much."
"Yes, well," Ezra said blithely, skirting the issue, "I apologize if our discretion caused you any concerns - "
"How many times did you and Mary find me trying ta call Chris last night?"
"Now, Mr. Tanner, really, I wasn't keeping count - "
"Well, no, I guess not, 'cause at one point you said it was something like a 'gazillion' or some such, and you almost broke the handset slamming it down. You might need to check with Chloe and see if you owe her friend a new phone by the way." Vin snorted, but he continued, his tone sharp. "You can call it whatcha want, but it amounts to the same damned thing - ya lied to me. And that don't rightly make me want ta head off with ya again tonight, I don't care what the situation is. Hell, I'm tired 'cause I had to walk back to my camper from your place this morning which wouldna been the case if ya had told me when I asked."
"I apologize. Deeply and sincerely. I promise you that it will never happen again - indeed, I will allow you to retain possession of my own cell phone through the course of this evening - "
"What's this about, Ez?" Vin interrupted with a sigh. "More of yer reporter friends? If so, I'd like to know which of 'em decided to go rifling through my drawers - "
"Not reporters, not this time," Ezra interrupted smoothly. Chris found himself smiling again, amazed at the man's ability to be so charming in the face of someone else's anger. "This is far more important - not that yesterday wasn't important, for you and for the Park, of course," he interjected, as if anticipating Vin's objections.
"And the Foundation," Chris said as well, smirking, "don't forget your own employer, Ezra."
Standish went on as if he hadn't heard. "I made several phone calls this morning to certain interested parties who have a vested interest in the current situation involving the site - "
"Ezra!" Vin snapped, and Chris did laugh this time. It was rare to see anyone beat him to the punch on cutting through Ezra's bullshit. "Cut to the chase!"
This, apparently, did manage to get under the other man's skin. His tone was chilly when he responded. "I have come up with a plan that might solve the current problem and get you out of the public's eye," he said succinctly and with some bitterness. "But the people who might be of help to us want to talk to you. I could put this off, but I assume - and please, correct me if I am wrong," the last was so sarcastic that Chris shook his head, "that you would like this situation resolved as soon as possible?"
Vin sighed. "Does it have to be tonight? I really am tired." His gaze caught Chris' and he smiled a little, the expression one of suggestion.
"The next possible opportunity would be next weekend," Ezra stated flatly. "Do you want to wait that long?"
Vin closed his eyes. "Dammit. All right. 7:30 - where?"
"I'll come get you - "
"I'm bringing my own vehicle this time," Vin shot back. "Ain't gonna be dependent on nobody."
"Or I could come with him," Chris volunteered.
Vin opened his eyes, the relief like a physical charge.
"No," Ezra rushed, his tone almost panicked. "No, Mr. Larabee, I don't think your presence would be particularly conducive to the atmosphere that we want to create - "
"I won't glare at anyone, Ezra," Chris snapped, rolling his eyes. He ignored the smirk on Vin's face. "I can be civilized when I have to be."
There was a pause, and Chris could visualize the gears turning in the other man's head. "I don't doubt that, truly, I don't," Ezra said with a slowness that Chris knew was so he could find the words. "But I fear that . . . well, to be honest, the people who we will be dining with want to meet only with Mr. Tanner - they're not even certain that they want me to be there, but to get him there, I rather assumed that I would - "
"You blackmailed them," Chris interjected. "So just include me - "
"Mr. Larabee." There was no give in his voice now, nothing charming or subtle. "If you must know, I have pulled a number of strings with this, called in a multitude of favors that I am already wishing I hadn't. If this works, it will be quite a coup for The Park, for Mr. Tanner, and for the Foundation, of course. But the odds of it working are slim, at best, and I assure you that I do not like playing on a margin this fine. If there were any way that I could include you, I assure you that I would - if for no other reason than that I should like to even out my own odds on this succeeding."
Chris and Vin looked at each other, the words rather stunning.
And for one of the first times since he had met the man, Chris knew he was hearing a bottom line of truth.
"Ez," Vin said quietly, "I don't want you doing something for me that might cost ya - "
"I appreciate your concern," Ezra cut in, and Chris heard the play return to the other man's voice. "Don't worry about that. If it works, we shall consider your debt to me then. Until that is determined, I would appreciate your cooperation - and your restraint, particularly yours, Mr. Larabee."
"Yeah yeah," Chris groused. "I won't hold ya up. But you are right - what sort of clothes are we gonna have to come up with for Nature Boy here?"
Vin rolled his eyes again, trying to take the phone.
"We're dining at the Colony Club," Ezra said, "can you outfit him?"
Chris smiled. Looking directly at Vin, he said flatly, "I can dress him, Ezra. But I'd much rather undress him, which was my plan for the evening."
He saw Vin's eyes reach a size that he would have thought impossible, so round and so large that they were all he could see.
On the other end of the line, there was silence. After a few seconds, he continued, keeping his tone as relaxed as it had been. "You're messing up my plans for the second night in a row, and I don't take that very kindly."
Finally, he got a response.
Ezra laughed, a long, low sound that was as sincere as his truth had been earlier. "No, Mr. Larabee, I don't suspect you do. I promise you, sir, to return him with the utmost alacrity, just as soon as he has served my purposes."
"You do that, Mr. Standish," Chris smiled, taking Vin's hand. "But you watch 'your purposes' and make quite sure they don't threaten me and mine. I'll have him there at 7:30."
"7:15, at the latest," Standish blurted. "I need to polish him a little."
"7:15, then." He glanced at his watch, then smiled as he added, "I might be able to get him back into some clothes by then. Bye, Ez."
He hung up on the other man's laughter.
Vin was staring at him. "Thanks for asking me," he said quietly. But there was a slight turn to his lips. "Guess we ain't having a repeat of last night, huh."
Chris lifted the hand he was holding to his lips, kissing the hard knuckles. "I figured you'd rather he know than me have to rush out and get you a cell phone of your own."
Vin shook his head, his hair brushing over his shoulders. "Ain't having no damned phone. I'd rather walk across the damned state."
Chris laughed. "Seems a little extreme," he said, "but I guess as you're doing it for me . . . ."
He'd meant it as a joke, but Vin's canted his head, his face serious. "Yeah, for you. For you, Chris, I'd walk across the country or more."
Chris held the gaze, pulling on the hand he held until Vin bent to him. "Well, if you call me, I'll come get ya. I promise I'll leave my phone on for ya."
Vin smiled, a shy, wonderful expression. Then, glancing at the clock on the bedside table, he said, "You better call Buck. If you're gonna be carting me all over the countryside, you ain't gonna be cooking dinner for him."