Cut and Run 6 - Stars and Stripes

brought up the topic Zane was desperately wishing she’d avoid.
    “Zane, when are you going to come back here and settle down? Surely you’ve gotten this government nonsense out of your blood by now,” she said as she passed the gravy to Annie, like it was an everyday conversation.
    “Now, Beverly, you know Z’s worked hard to get where he is. He can’t just drop it,” Harrison said.
    “I can’t just up and leave my assignment, Mother.”
    “Surely you can request a transfer or retirement.” Beverly turned her eyes on Zane’s silent partner sitting across the table from Zane. “Can you do that, Mr. Grady?”
    “Oh, look,” Ty said, as if he’d just discovered something wonderful. “Biscuits!” He tore off a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth.
    Annie snickered, and Zane kept his eyes on his plate as he tried not to smile. Even Sadie began giggling, looking around the table with eyes that shone. She was sitting next to Ty, mimicking his actions. Ty looked sideways at her and winked.
    Beverly drew a breath to continue, but Harrison spoke first. “So what is it you’re doing now, Z? You must like it pretty well.”
    Zane looked at Ty before speaking. “We do a lot of investigative work. Research and field work, stuff like that.”
    “Research,” Beverly sneered.
    “Mother, not right now, okay? We can talk about it later.”
    Ty pressed his lips into a thin line and kept his eyes on his plate, obviously trying to keep from saying anything. But then he glanced up at Zane’s mother, brow furrowed, and then at Zane. He was probably tying his tongue in knots trying to restrain himself from weighing in.
    The whole thing made Zane angry. And then there was Ty, here to support him and being forced to sit through Beverly’s cutting remarks. She had yet to address him by any of the titles he’d earned, instead calling him Mr. Grady. Zane glanced up and met his partner’s eyes.
    Ty raised one eyebrow pointedly. “Lie,” he mouthed.
    Zane’s jaw clenched. “I’d been thinking about it.”
    Silverware clattered as both Annie and Harrison looked at him in surprise, and Beverly broke into a smile. “Well, you merely had to say so, Zane. We can talk all about it sometime this week. Now, Juanita, what do we have for dessert?”
    The matronly little woman hovering nearby bustled off toward the kitchen, and Beverly surveyed the dinner table with a smile.
    Eyes wide, Zane stared at her and then Ty in disbelief.
    Ty pressed his lips together again, clearly trying not to laugh as he ducked his head and tightened his grip on his fork. Zane kicked Ty’s shin under the table, and Ty gave a muffled grunt and jerked before he could stop himself, clanging his fork and plate together.
    Harrison looked up, his lips twitching. “Okay there, Ty?”
    “Yes, sir,” Ty answered with a grimace. “Bad leg. Old football injury. Tripped over the water boy. There was Gatorade everywhere, it was horrible.”
    Annie began giggling again, and even Zane grinned as Juanita came back in with a tray of churros and bowls of sweet dips.
    As Sadie dove into the desserts with all the enthusiasm of a three-year-old, Beverly placed her napkin on the table at her elbow, leaning forward and watching Ty. Ty seemed to sense the attention and he looked up, meeting Beverly’s eyes.
    Zane’s stomach flipped. His likened his mother to a wild animal sometimes; if you made eye contact, it was like a challenge. But Ty always made eye contact, and he didn’t back down from challenges. Watching his mother and his lover stare at each other was the proverbial irresistible force meeting an immovable object.
    “So, Mr. Grady, how did you find yourself in the FBI?”
    “It’s Agent Grady, Mother.”
    Ty gave her a charming smile. “The Marines didn’t want me, and it’s hard to find a job where you can shoot things without getting arrested.”
    Zane actually groaned.
    Beverly was struck speechless for a moment, and Ty took advantage to change the subject. He looked around the table, addressing Harrison and the others.
    “So, what exactly has been going on? Can someone fill me in?”
    “Well,” Harrison started.
    “Do we really need to talk about such nasty business at dinner?” Beverly asked. She still sounded flustered, and Zane couldn’t decide if it was unsettling or amusing. His mother didn’t like it when things were out of her control; that was where their similarities began.
    “Your husband was shot on your own