Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6)(27)
Author: Abigail Roux

Ty turned and gave her a confused smile. “It seems familiar to me and I’m not sure why.”

“Are you a connoisseur of art?”

“Hardly. I’m more a photograph person, if anything.” He cocked his head the other way, examining the colors and brush strokes. There was an element of profiling to looking at a painting if you knew enough about art, but Ty didn’t.

“You’re familiar with the artist.” Annie stopped at his side and looked at the painting with a smile.

“No, really, I can only name like five painters.”

“I bet you can name this one.”

Ty looked at her sharply, and then turned his eyes back to the painting. He pointed with one of the fingers holding his wine glass. “Zane painted this?”

Annie nodded.

“You’re shitting me!”

She laughed, and Ty looked around with a wince as his words echoed off the marble floors.

“That’s incredible,” he added, quieter. He studied the painting again. Careful strokes, meticulous details that still somehow formed a sloppy likeness of the sun setting over the desert. There was calm beneath the vibrant surface, like Zane in reverse.

“You didn’t know Zane could paint?”

Ty shook his head, still gazing at the brush strokes.

“He’s quite a talented artist. His charcoal sketches were heartbreakingly beautiful.”

“I never knew he could do that.”

“Even so. You recognized this as his.” She patted his shoulder and Ty felt her move away. He licked his lips and set his wine glass down, eyes still riveted to the painting. He had to force himself to look away and followed her to the front door.

Annie slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. They strolled through the yard, the temperature surprisingly comfortable. It was still hot, but there was a breeze that seemed to be apologizing for the sun trying to melt them all day. Ahead of them, Zane and Harrison were trailing along behind Sadie, who was fluttering like a butterfly, chasing lightning bugs.

“Why do you tease him like you do?” Annie asked.

“You want the real answer or the one I’d give his sister?”

“The real one.”

“Fair enough. Because I enjoy it,” he said with a sideways glance. “And so does he.”

“So . . . foreplay.”

Ty barked a laugh.

“And the answer you’d give his sister?”

“I don’t know, I’d have had to stall to come up with one. Probably would have tripped you or something.”

Annie laughed. “Well, Ty Grady, I bet he has his hands full with you.”

“God, I hope so.”

“I’m glad he has someone. I worried about him for so long.”

Ty nodded, his mood turning more somber. They walked in silence a moment, and Zane and Harrison slowed their pace until he and Annie came abreast of them. Harrison was moving well, but seemed to tire quickly. He had his hand on Zane’s arm, and when they caught up he took Annie’s arm instead, freeing Zane to fall in next to Ty. Sadie was a few dozen yards away, dancing, twirling, and skipping around the yard.

They ambled along, content in the silence. Ty stopped and stared as the sun melted into the ground ahead of them.

“That’s spectacular.”

“Everything’s bigger in Texas,” Zane whispered, a smile in his voice.

“Oh God.”

Zane laid his chin on Ty’s shoulder to watch the sunset. His familiar scent and his comforting presence were wonderful, and Ty turned his head to touch his cheek to Zane’s. He was aware of how close they were in front of Zane’s family, and though he was enjoying the moment, he could feel his shoulders tensing.

Harrison cleared his throat. “Now, I believe we need to discuss this situation a little more seriously,” he said as the landscaping lights began to flicker on around them.

“You mean, should we tell Mother that Ty and I are screwing?” Zane asked, voice flat.

“Oh, look,” Ty said. “Horses.” He took a step and made to escape.

Zane reached out and grabbed him by the back of the neck, and he flailed and stumbled as Zane’s fingers snagged his collar.

“No wandering off, Grady. This is your problem now too.”

“Do you have to tell her at all?” Annie asked. She looked genuinely concerned. Ty wondered how many members of Zane’s family would give a damn if Zane was g*y. It seemed the real problem on everyone’s mind was what Beverly would do. Ty was beginning to think that perhaps all this family money was hers. If not the money, then definitely the power.

“She’ll find out through the grapevine soon enough,” Zane said as Ty tried to shake him off.

“Well, yes, I suppose she will,” Annie said, wincing.

Harrison lit the cigarette he’d rolled before dinner, and Ty gave one last swat with his cast before he stopped struggling against Zane’s fingers.

“You prepared for what might happen when you mother finds out?” Harrison eyed Zane’s grip on Ty’s collar, shook his head and smiled. “Let your friend go, Z.”

Zane released Ty’s shirt collar, and Ty squared his shoulders and straightened his shirt, giving Zane a glare. Zane smiled serenely when he met Ty’s eyes.

“I say let her find out when she finds out,” Zane said. “I told the important people.”

“If that’s the way you want to play it,” Harrison said. “But I do have one question.”

“Okay . . .” Zane said.

“Not for you.” Harrison nodded at Ty instead.

Ty raised his chin and braced himself for whatever Zane’s father could throw at him. After facing down his own father, he didn’t think anything could scare him now.

“You know anything about horses, son?”

Ty raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, not sure if he’d heard right. “Not much, sir,” he answered. “I know how to get on one, and I know how to fall off one.”

Annie snickered and Harrison nodded. “Well, then. I guess we can’t all be perfect.”

Ty narrowed his eyes at Harrison. “I have a question.”

“Fair enough.”

“How in the hell do you do that with your mustache?”

Harrison gave him a grin and wink as he turned away.

Zane and Annie watched in total exasperation as Ty spent most of the evening teaching Sadie how to jab a pressure point with two fingers, and where the most effective pressure points were located.