Make sure he isn’t getting into anything. Maybe get him some crayons and a coloring book from his room.”
“How about I just set him down and fix him a plate of pizza?”
“That will work, but cut up his food.” Ellis held up a hand and made a space with his first finger and thumb. “No bigger than that. He eats too fast and gets choked.”
“Got it.”
Even though Jon wanted to get Ellis taken care of, he checked on Rudy. He sat at the dining table. His stare all but burned a hole into the aluminum covering the pizzas. He looked up when Jon walked in. First he smiled then he frowned. “You left them on the swing so I brought them inside. But I didn’t touch it. Rule number three.”
“I can see that. Good job. Do you want me to fix you a plate?” The grin Rudy gave him almost split his face in half.
“No anchovies.”
“Nope, no anchovies.” Jon looked through the cabinets till he found some plates and then cut up two slices for Rudy. “What does Ellis let you drink with dinner?” There was milk and juice in the fridge.
“Soda.”
“There aren’t any sodas.”
“In the top of the pantry. Ellis thinks I don’t know where they are, but I know. I always find what I’m looking for.”
Jon stopped, hand on the doorknob of the pantry. “If Ellis lets you have soda then why does he hide them?”
Rudy chewed his food. In spite of the pile of napkins red sauce coated Rudy’s chin and shirt.
Jon waited. “Rudy?”
Rudy swallowed. “I’m not really supposed to have them. But I like them. He puts them on the top shelf in the back because sometimes I forget and drink them when I’m not supposed to.”
Jon went back to the fridge. “Milk then?”
Rudy gave a one shoulder shrug. Jon fixed him a glass. “Now I need you to stay here, okay? I’ve got to go take care of Ellis.”
“Is he okay?” A crumb of pizza fell out of Rudy’s mouth and onto the table.
“He’s fine. But he needs you to be really good. Don’t move from this spot.”
“Okay.” Rudy started to take another bite then stopped. “What if I have to go to the bathroom?”
Jon scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Uh, just go, then come back.”
“Okay.”
“We good?”
“Yeah.”
There were no pictures of family or friends in Ellis’s room and nothing decorative. The blank space felt more like a pause between events than a place in a home.
The only thing that told Jon for sure that Ellis slept there was his scent; almost sweet and slightly woodsy. Jon didn’t know if it was his cologne or just his soap, but the smell permeated the air and created heat in his groin.
What the hell was his problem? Ellis was beat to hell and Jon was acting like a horny teenager. He gathered up the supplies and returned to the bathroom.
Ellis sat slumped over right where Jon left him. He put the washcloths and first aid kit beside the sink.
“Ellis?” Jon shook Ellis and he threw up a hand guarding his face. Jon caught his wrist. “Easy, it’s just me.”
Ellis looked around then back at Jon. His brow furrowed. “Is Rudy okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine.”
“Are you sure? I should probably go check on him.”
Jon pushed him back down. “We already had this discussion, remember? Let me get you cleaned up first. He doesn’t need to see you like this.” Jon wet the washcloths and laid out the towel. “I need take off your shirt.”
“Why?”
“First of all, it’s bloody. Second, I need to see if you’re hurt anywhere else.” Ellis pressed his arm against his ribs. “I take it your side hurts.”
“Some.”
“We really need to get that shirt off.”
“Fine.” Ellis struggled to lift his arms to pull the shirt over his head.
“I don’t mind helping you.”
“No. I can do it.” Ellis lost his grip twice and cursed.
“The offer still stands.”
“Give me a minute.” His peeled the shirt from his skin with a sticky sound and dropped it on the floor.
Black patches bloomed across Ellis’s chest and
“How about I just set him down and fix him a plate of pizza?”
“That will work, but cut up his food.” Ellis held up a hand and made a space with his first finger and thumb. “No bigger than that. He eats too fast and gets choked.”
“Got it.”
Even though Jon wanted to get Ellis taken care of, he checked on Rudy. He sat at the dining table. His stare all but burned a hole into the aluminum covering the pizzas. He looked up when Jon walked in. First he smiled then he frowned. “You left them on the swing so I brought them inside. But I didn’t touch it. Rule number three.”
“I can see that. Good job. Do you want me to fix you a plate?” The grin Rudy gave him almost split his face in half.
“No anchovies.”
“Nope, no anchovies.” Jon looked through the cabinets till he found some plates and then cut up two slices for Rudy. “What does Ellis let you drink with dinner?” There was milk and juice in the fridge.
“Soda.”
“There aren’t any sodas.”
“In the top of the pantry. Ellis thinks I don’t know where they are, but I know. I always find what I’m looking for.”
Jon stopped, hand on the doorknob of the pantry. “If Ellis lets you have soda then why does he hide them?”
Rudy chewed his food. In spite of the pile of napkins red sauce coated Rudy’s chin and shirt.
Jon waited. “Rudy?”
Rudy swallowed. “I’m not really supposed to have them. But I like them. He puts them on the top shelf in the back because sometimes I forget and drink them when I’m not supposed to.”
Jon went back to the fridge. “Milk then?”
Rudy gave a one shoulder shrug. Jon fixed him a glass. “Now I need you to stay here, okay? I’ve got to go take care of Ellis.”
“Is he okay?” A crumb of pizza fell out of Rudy’s mouth and onto the table.
“He’s fine. But he needs you to be really good. Don’t move from this spot.”
“Okay.” Rudy started to take another bite then stopped. “What if I have to go to the bathroom?”
Jon scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Uh, just go, then come back.”
“Okay.”
“We good?”
“Yeah.”
There were no pictures of family or friends in Ellis’s room and nothing decorative. The blank space felt more like a pause between events than a place in a home.
The only thing that told Jon for sure that Ellis slept there was his scent; almost sweet and slightly woodsy. Jon didn’t know if it was his cologne or just his soap, but the smell permeated the air and created heat in his groin.
What the hell was his problem? Ellis was beat to hell and Jon was acting like a horny teenager. He gathered up the supplies and returned to the bathroom.
Ellis sat slumped over right where Jon left him. He put the washcloths and first aid kit beside the sink.
“Ellis?” Jon shook Ellis and he threw up a hand guarding his face. Jon caught his wrist. “Easy, it’s just me.”
Ellis looked around then back at Jon. His brow furrowed. “Is Rudy okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine.”
“Are you sure? I should probably go check on him.”
Jon pushed him back down. “We already had this discussion, remember? Let me get you cleaned up first. He doesn’t need to see you like this.” Jon wet the washcloths and laid out the towel. “I need take off your shirt.”
“Why?”
“First of all, it’s bloody. Second, I need to see if you’re hurt anywhere else.” Ellis pressed his arm against his ribs. “I take it your side hurts.”
“Some.”
“We really need to get that shirt off.”
“Fine.” Ellis struggled to lift his arms to pull the shirt over his head.
“I don’t mind helping you.”
“No. I can do it.” Ellis lost his grip twice and cursed.
“The offer still stands.”
“Give me a minute.” His peeled the shirt from his skin with a sticky sound and dropped it on the floor.
Black patches bloomed across Ellis’s chest and
Similar Books
