Cut and Run 6 - Stars and Stripes

After the news story was over, the man beside Ty joked about his bandages, asking him if he’d been mauled by a tiger too.
    Ty managed a smile as the stranger chuckled, then gave Zane a look that said if they didn’t move he was going to end up with blood on his hands.
    The rest of the flight home was uneventful. It was dark and quiet as Zane drove up the last mountain road before they got to the Grady’s winding driveway.
    Ty kept glancing over at him, as if he wanted to ask if he was okay but already knew the answer. He gave Zane directions instead. Zane pulled the rental beside the old truck in the gravel driveway and turned off the car. They sat in the darkness, the engine clicking as the silence settled over them.
    Ty cleared his throat. “Should we tell them about the shooting and violence and tigers, or just stick to the basics?”
    Zane rubbed his thigh. He could feel bruises and strained muscles all over his body, little bangs and cuts that you never noticed when you were scrambling for dear life. Ty looked and probably felt even worse. Zane sighed and pointed at Ty’s brand new cast and the sling he now wore because of the gunshot to his shoulder. “They’ll figure it out anyway.”
    “Alrighty,” Ty said. He unbuckled, but stopped and glanced at Zane again before getting out of the car. “Tell me something, Zane.”
    Zane stared at him in the darkness, wallowing in the relief of simply being with Ty. “Anything.”
    “Was it you or Mark who shot me?”
    Zane bit his lip, trying not to smile. “Totally Mark.”
    Ty narrowed his eyes. Then he smiled and leaned over for a quick kiss. Zane couldn’t help but laugh. He had a feeling Ty knew he was lying. It was one lie he didn’t mind paying for later.
    Ty lingered over the kiss for another moment, then pressed their foreheads together. Calm settled over Zane, and then Ty pulled away and slid out of the car. As soon as the car door shut, the porch light came on and the front door of the house opened.
    Zane waited for the anxiety to strike, but it never came. He was happy to be here, and the relief was overwhelming. Even the uneasiness between himself and Earl didn’t register as important anymore.
    He opened the door to climb out of the car, stifling a groan as the stitches in his thigh pulled.
    Earl stood on the top step. “You boys look like something the cat dragged in.”
    “The cat jokes lost their luster a while ago, Dad.”
    “Not ’round here they didn’t.”
    “Wait ’til he hears about the tiger,” Zane muttered.
    Ty laughed, not even trying to stop himself. Zane grinned, falling victim to Ty’s infectious laughter and beginning to chuckle. Suddenly, it all seemed funny.
    Ty was still snickering as he trudged up the steps. Earl offered his hand to Ty in greeting, but Ty bypassed it and hugged his father instead. Earl looked shocked for a moment, but he hastily returned it, gingerly patting Ty on the back at first, and then truly embracing his son.
    Zane merely smiled as he watched. Mara came out just as Ty let Earl go, and she shouldered past Earl and pulled Ty into another hug. Ty gave a pitiful cry as she grabbed his arm.
    “Oh my good gracious, what happened?” She took Ty’s face in her hands, then turned her sharp eyes to Zane. “You too! What did you do to yourselves?”
    “Just a little scuffle,” Zane said as he dropped his bag on the front step and turned back to the car for Ty’s.
    “Zane Garrett, you get back here and give me a hug!” Mara called after him. “Earl, get their bags.”
    Zane spun in place and returned to the porch, a little bemused by how he reacted to her orders without thinking. “We’re fine,” he said as she pulled him down into a tight hug. It was still awkward for him, but he was beginning to realize just how special it was.
    “Both of you are liars,” Mara grumbled, though her voice was affectionate. “Come on in and tell us what happened. We wasn’t expecting you back.” She turned and led them into the house, where they could smell something with cinnamon cooking. Mara hooked her arms through both of theirs and dragged them into the house.
    The smell of cinnamon was stronger in the kitchen. Mara pointed them toward the table and then sat across from them. “What happened in Texas?”
    Zane met Ty’s eyes, wondering what Ty wanted to tell them. Zane wanted to tell them every word of it. He wanted to speak it to someone who would understand and give him a hug to make it