Chapter 8

 

 

TODD WAS nervous as hell.

“This is going to start running tonight,” Trevor said as he stood at the head of a table in the Sportsman’s private dining room, the usual place Trevor held work gatherings and parties. Trevor grinned as he motioned at Todd, who stood briefly and then sat back down next to Duncan. “But I wanted all of you to be able to see it. We are going to run it three to eight times a day on the local television stations, and hopefully this will drive new customers into our expanding locations.”

He sat down, and the screen blipped before Todd stared at himself. The scrape of the sled on the concrete had been amplified, and even he smiled at the antic. The commercial’s dynamic, especially with the short clip that had been chosen of him on the run, just worked. The humor came across, as did a sense of action and interest. By the time the thirty-second ad was over, Todd was ready to pick up the phone to make an appointment.

Everyone clapped, and the second, shorter spot ran. It was cut down to the basics, with the humor intact.

“You did a great job,” Duncan told him and then leaned closer. “And you look sexy in your practice suit. Maybe I could take a closer look later.” He winked, and Todd rolled his eyes to try to keep from blushing.

“Once the commercials air, we will be adding them, along with some additional teasers, to our website. We’re working to add functionality to allow customers to book their appointments directly through the site, but that is taking a little longer than we’d hoped, and I don’t want to add something that will be a detriment or only half thought through. So, stay tuned.” The servers began taking orders and bringing drinks.

It was a happy party, with the commercials being shown a few more times as others arrived—Trevor’s way of celebrating the ad, but also thanking all of his employees for their hard work.

“What’s next?” James asked Duncan. “Trevor described the commercial to me, and I think it’s a great idea.”

“Well, I’m thinking winter. Maybe having Todd try to ice skate with his sled through the parking lot. Something like that. We have plenty of footage that we can use of him on his runs, and even some of him wiping out. There’s one that’s pretty hilarious.” Duncan took his hand, and Todd had to agree. “So, I was thinking of an ad that centered on fender benders and getting back on track after an accident. I need to work on it, but it could be really good.” He smiled and then, remembering James couldn’t see, touched the back of his hand.

“I think that will be awesome,” James said as his attention wandered while servers moved around him. “Thanks,” he said when his glass was placed near him.

Duncan guided James’s hand to the glass so he would know where it was and got a smile in return.

“Excuse me, this is a private party,” a server said.

Duncan looked up as Corrina pushed past the server and marched toward him. Duncan rolled back away from the table. “What are you doing here?” he asked, continuing toward the door. He needed to get her out of the room and learn why she’d seen fit to interrupt the party. “What do you want?” Duncan asked once they were in the main dining room. He peered back inside, catching Todd’s eye.

“Look, I’m in trouble. I don’t have enough to pay the rent and am going to be evicted.” She wrung her hands, eyes wild, as though she’d been taking something. God knew what, but Duncan backed away. “You and I were supposed to work together and everything was going to be fine. We’d have made a good team, and now….”

“That was before the accident, and even then you weren’t doing your share of the work. You wanted to play around and schmooze, but when it came to the real work, you left that to me. I couldn’t go into business with someone who wasn’t going to pull their weight.” He glanced around and made sure his voice remained low so he didn’t disturb others, but he was firm. “There isn’t anything I can do to help you.”

Todd came out and stood behind him, putting his hand on his shoulder, and Duncan placed his own on top of it. “What do you want?” Todd demanded. “You’ve hounded and pestered Duncan for something that’s never going to happen. You need to walk away, get on with your life, and leave him alone. We’re sorry that things didn’t work out between you, but that’s over. Now let it go.”

Duncan felt so much better knowing Todd had his back. He met her gaze as Corrina’s lips curled into a snarl.

“You’ll pay for this. The two of us could have been great together, but I’ll show you. I’ll start my own business, and I’ll be more successful than you will ever be. I’ll show you.” Her pupils were huge, and sweat broke out on her forehead, little bits of spittle flying from her mouth. She ran her hands over her stomach, making small circles on her rounded belly as though she were trying to calm herself, and Duncan stifled a gasp as he realized Corrina was pregnant. “Damn you, Duncan,” she said much more loudly. “I will make you pay.” She whirled around and stomped out, brushing against people as she made her way past the bar to the door.

Duncan shook as he watched her go, genuinely afraid. “She isn’t….”

Todd squeezed his shoulder. “That girl needs help. A lot of it.”

Duncan nodded and pulled out his phone. “It isn’t only her who needs it.” He scratched his head, wondering who he could call to try to get her some of the care she needed. He sure as hell wasn’t going to call her brother. He was as out of control as she was.

Duncan sent a message to Corrina’s mother and received a reply that she had no idea where her daughter was and wasn’t responsible for her. Great, what a hell of a family. No wonder Corrina was frantic.

“You can’t help her,” Todd said.

Duncan nodded. He knew whatever was going on was out of his control and beyond his ability. “But I have to do something,” he countered, feeling completely helpless. “It isn’t just her.” He turned as Todd shrugged.

“No, you don’t. She has issues that have nothing to do with you. They’re hers, and I hate to be a dick about it, but if you get involved, you’ll never, ever get out of it. She needs professional help. I feel sorry that she’s having a hard time, but look what she’s put you through already. Corrina is trying to pressure you into a business relationship you don’t want. What’s next?” Todd raised his eyebrows, and Duncan blew out his breath. He knew Todd was right, but Corrina had once been a good friend, and his heart ached to see her like this.

“I don’t know,” Duncan said softly. He slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair. “I’m so damned tired of feeling helpless.” He grew quiet as heads turned toward him. Duncan sighed grandly, turned his chair around, and went back into the private room without saying anything to anyone. He suddenly didn’t feel social at all and just wanted to go home.

He returned to his place and stared at the plate that had been brought for him, no longer hungry. But Trevor and some others were watching him, and he didn’t need to make a scene. He picked up his fork and ate slowly.

“Duncan… I…,” Todd said, but he only turned to grimace in his direction.

Duncan wasn’t angry with Todd, not really. He was just plain angry and frustrated as all hell. Duncan plastered a smile on his face. He shook his head to tell Todd he didn’t want to talk about it, ate most of his dinner, and made it through the rest of the evening.

“Do you want to talk now?” Todd asked once they were in the car.

“About what? There’s nothing you can do to change anything, and talking isn’t going to help.” Duncan sighed. “I feel so damned helpless most of the time. My therapist suggested I try to take charge of my life, but every time I try, something is there trying to block me. Tonight was supposed to be about the success of my first project, and Corrina shows up to harangue me because I decided not to work with her. Then she’s rubbing her belly and telling me this sob story. I wanted to help her, but I can’t.”

“Is this really about Corrina?” Todd asked.

“No. It’s about me.” Duncan gripped the armrest. “Sometimes I’m completely useless. I know you’re going to tell me that I’m not, and I love you for that, but it’s how I feel. Yes, I wanted to help Corrina, and I want to help Trevor and you, and I’d really like to help my mom instead of being a burden to her.” He clenched his hands to fists and bounced them in his lap because there was nothing he could do with them anyway. Having something to punch would be fucking awesome right about now. “Where are we going?” he asked as they passed the turnoff into his subdivision.

“I have an idea.” Todd grabbed the phone and made a call. “Hey, dude, it’s Todd. Is it okay if we borrow the garage for an hour or so? Awesome. Thanks, I owe you one.” He hung up and hit the accelerator.

Ten minutes later they pulled into the drive of a ranch house in Brown Deer. A huge man came out of the back, smiling as they pulled to a stop.

Todd jumped out and shook hands with him, then pulled out Duncan’s chair and waited while he transferred himself. “Duncan, this is Bear. His real name is Rodney.”

“Bear,” he said, extending his hand. Duncan shook it, and then Bear lifted the garage door and flipped on the lights. “It’s all yours. There are gloves in the box on the shelf. Just come get me when you’re done.” He half saluted and went back inside.

“He’s a powerlifter now, but in college he boxed.” Todd pointed to the bag hanging from the garage rafters. “Come on.”

“What are we doing?” Duncan asked as he followed.

“We’re going to put some gloves on you, I’m going to hold the bag, and you’re going to punch it until you get all this frustration out. Just take it out on that.” Todd got some gloves, and Duncan put them on. “Have you done this before?”

“In gym class, a lifetime ago.”

“Then go for it.” Todd went behind the bag, holding it, and Duncan set the brakes on his chair.

“I feel kind of dumb,” he said, staring up at the bag.

Todd huffed. “Fine, pretend the bag is Corrina or her brother. You can’t hit them in real life, but you can whale on her in your head. Get the frustration out. Picture your mom, me, anyone who’s getting under your skin.”

Duncan hit it a few times.

“That’s all you got?”

“No. I….” This wasn’t working. He didn’t feel angry any longer.

“Bullshit. Remember being in the hospital and the doctor just told you that you’d never walk again? I bet you wanted to take a swing at him, punch his lights out.”

Duncan punched the bag with each hand.

“More. Let him have it.”

Duncan hit it again, harder, as pent-up anger bubbled to the surface. “I hate that you move my chair.” He hit the bag six or seven times. “I’m an adult and I’ll make my own decisions.” He rapidly punched, seeing red. “And I fucking sure as hell want more than talking about going into business together.” He hit it again as Corrina took over his thoughts. “You only wanted me as a workhorse so you could have a free ride and be the center of attention.” He punched the bag again and again, letting out everything he’d held inside.

Sweat beaded over his arms, back, and forehead as he continued punching. His hands grew sore, and he breathed deeply. He slowed his punches and then let his hands come to a rest on his lap. He lowered his eyes. Part of him was relieved, and another a little ashamed that he’d had to resort to something so basic and violent.

“None of that.”

Dammit. Sometimes he hated how observant Todd was.

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes.” At least the frustration was gone for the most part.

“Then it helped.” Todd untied the gloves and tugged them off Duncan’s hands. Then he gently rubbed his fingers, warming his soreness away. “Just take it for what it is and don’t try to think about it too much. It was a way to get all that energy out so it could be replaced by something positive.”

Duncan’s heart rate slowed and the cool night air caressed his damp skin. “I think I need a shower.”

“Well, that I can’t help you with here.” Todd put the gloves away. “Why don’t you get back in the car, and I’ll close things up here and tell Bear that we’re leaving.”

“Okay.” Duncan was more wrung out than he wanted to admit. He returned to the car and got into the passenger seat with a sigh. God, he really was out of shape, but he felt better. The exertion had worked the kinks out even as it cleared his mind and allowed him to think.

Todd put his chair in the back seat and got in the car once the garage was closed up, then took him home.

The house was dark when they pulled into the drive. His mother clearly wasn’t home, which surprised him. Not that he minded. Duncan checked his messages and found one he’d missed. She was apparently out with some women from church.

“Do you want to come in?” Duncan offered.

“Of course.” Todd smiled, and they went through the routine of getting him into the chair and inside.

“I need to shower. If you want to watch television, I’ll be as quick as I can.” Duncan grabbed some fresh clothes and rolled across the hall to the bathroom. He got undressed and used the bars to move onto the shower seat. He turned on the water and began soaping himself up so he could get cleaned up as quickly as possible and back out to Todd.

“Sweetheart,” Todd said, sticking his head around the door. “Want some company?”

Duncan stilled. Bathing was one of those times when he was completely vulnerable and at his weakest. The soap and water made things slippery, and he was a little clumsy in the tub. For the longest time, he’d needed skilled help to bathe, which had left him feeling self-conscious. He swallowed his fear. “You can, but there’s nothing sexy about it.”

The door closed, and then Todd stepped in behind him. He took the soap and ran his hands over Duncan’s chest and back. “You were saying that this wasn’t sexy.”

When Todd pressed to Duncan’s back, Duncan leaned slightly into the touch. It was nice, and he groaned as Todd washed down his belly. “Okay, I’ve changed my mind.” He chuckled as Todd teased and tickled him slightly. “You’re supposed to be washing me, not sexing me up.”

“Can’t I do both?” Todd knelt behind him, wrapping his arms around Duncan’s chest, holding him close, water beating over him.

Duncan closed his eyes, letting the closeness wash over him. Sex with Todd was amazingly mind-blowing, but this was intimate and special. He had never thought bathing together, just touching and holding, could be as intimate and bonding as sex.

“You can do whatever you want.” Duncan groaned softly as Todd washed his hair, rubbing his scalp and then rinsing him off, water sluicing over him. God, that was awesome, and he wanted this to last forever, but the water grew cold and Duncan shivered. Todd turned it off and got out of the tub, then held up one of the bath sheets and wrapped it around Duncan to keep him warm.

“Let me help you,” Todd said gently, and Duncan easily got back into his chair, nearly completely wrapped in the bath sheet like a mummy. Todd dried himself and dressed quickly. “I’ll let you finish drying off and get dressed. Your mom left some popcorn on the counter, so I’ll stick that in the microwave, and we can watch a movie until she comes home.” Todd winked. The two of them had a history of watching movies that they never really watched, as necking and petting became more important than whatever antics were on the screen.

“I’ll be right out.” Duncan closed the door and finished drying himself off, squirming to get out of the wrappings Todd had him in. It took him a few minutes, but then he got dressed and met Todd in the living room.

Things were good now. He felt it, and damn it all, Duncan was happy. Maybe things in his life were starting to come together.

 

 

TODD GRINNED as he saw his commercial playing on the television in the customer waiting room at work. It had been running for two weeks, and Trevor had reported that business was increasing day by day. Word had gotten around that the guy in the ad was also a mechanic, and a lot of customers asked for him to work on their cars. Some people came in just to see him. It was a little strange being sort-of famous.

“Hey, Todd, there’s a phone call for you,” Brent called from the office as he was getting ready to start his next job. “They’re saying it’s important.”

Todd went inside and picked up the line that was indicated. “May I help you?”

“Yes. This is Eileen from the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. You are the Todd Hamilton who’s in the commercials for Michaelson’s Service?”

“Yes. I’m featured in them.” Todd was instantly on guard. “But we did them based upon the federation and USOC rules. There are no logos, and I never mentioned the Olympics or anything like that.”

“That’s true, and that part of the commercials we have no problem with. But in viewing them, we are curious where you received the video that was shot of your runs?”

“Those were taken by a friend of mine during some of my practice runs. We have a signed release from him, giving us permission to use it.”

“That’s the problem. That film was taken while you were using federation property. And you do not have the federation’s permission to use the footage. We are in the process of contacting Michaelson’s Service to have the commercials pulled and will be sending a cease and desist order for them.” She sounded as though she were telling him he’d won the lottery. “The purpose of this call was to verify the source of the footage.”

“You can’t do that,” Todd said. “You don’t own the footage, and we are allowed to take it. Besides, the person taking the film has given permission to use it. And you have no jurisdiction over them. You can make all the rules you want, but they aren’t under your nonprofit organization.” He kept his voice reasonable.

“We allow video at our facilities for training purposes only. Not commercial use,” she continued, undeterred. “I’m sorry, but the footage must no longer be used. We will be in contact with Michaelson’s Service.”

“So will I.”

“And, Mr. Hamilton, they may not be under the umbrella of our organization, but you certainly are. You do realize that you can be removed from the federation, have your benefits canceled, and have access to all of the federation’s training facilities denied to you.” She said that in the sweetest voice, with an edge that could cleave steel.

She ended the call, and Todd stared at the phone, feeling the blood rush out of his head.

“What is it?” Brent asked as Todd swayed on his feet.

“I need to talk to Trevor right away.” He sucked air and called his cell, getting voicemail. He left a message.

“What was that all about?” Brent asked. “Sit down and talk to me.” He closed the door.

“The Bobsled Federation is angry because we used the training film in the commercial. They say they’re going to serve Trevor with a cease and desist order.” Todd was breathing rapidly and thought he might be hyperventilating. He purposely slowed his breathing and calmed himself. He needed to keep his mind working normally, not panic.

“Let them,” Brent said with a smile. “Trevor consulted his attorneys before shooting, and they said that as long as Duncan owned the film, which he does, they have no claim. It was fully checked out and signed off on. They can bluster and bluff all they want, but they aren’t going to get anywhere.” Brent sat back in his chair. “Trevor has been around the block enough that he knows the score and made sure he was covered.”

His phone rang, and Todd snapped it up. “Hello?”

“Are you coming over tonight?” Duncan asked happily.

“Yes,” Todd said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

“What’s wrong?” Duncan asked. “I can tell that something isn’t right.”

Todd turned to Brent and then sighed. “The Bobsled Federation is upset because we used the training films in the commercial. They’re threatening to go after Trevor, and if he doesn’t do what they want, they said they want to remove me. They’ll bar me from competition and using their facilities.” Todd did his best to quell the rising panic.

“Bastards!” Duncan swore.

“It isn’t their film, but they said that they only allow filming at their facilities if it’s for training and noncommercial purposes.” Todd could see his ability to compete flying right out the window. The commercial was already running. There was no way Todd was going to ask Trevor to pull them. Trevor probably would offer, but…. This whole thing was a real mess. The film could probably be edited, but that clip was part of what gave the commercial energy and explained what he did, since most people had no idea what skeleton was. Without it, he was a guy dressed in a bodysuit, holding a weird sled.

“That’s bullshit,” Duncan said, this time with much less conviction. “God… I….” He sighed, and Todd could sense his nervousness.

“There’s nothing you can do right now.” Finally he was starting to think clearly. “I’ve got a call in to Trevor, and once I talk to him, we’ll see what he says and wants to do.” He felt terrible that he might have caused trouble for him.

“This is all my fault,” Duncan whispered. “The commercial… all of it was my idea, and I looked into it.”

“So did Trevor’s lawyers, apparently,” Todd said as Brent nodded. “Let’s not get too far down that road. All I got was a phone call, which doesn’t mean a hill of beans until they decide to actually act on it, and that would have to be in writing.” He was trying to think logically, but part of him wanted to scream at the world.

“Then I guess I’ll have to wait and see,” Duncan said, but it was obvious from his tone that he didn’t like it any more than Todd did. “I hate this… always did. They think they hold all the cards and everyone will bow to whatever they want. We did nothing wrong, even by their own rules.” He coughed nervously anyway.

“I know, and this is not your fault.” He could picture Duncan nervously rocking in his chair. Duncan was quiet, and that only added to Todd’s jitters. “I need to go. Trevor is calling me back, and I need to bring him up to speed.” He hung up and took Trevor’s call, relaying the conversation with Eileen as word for word as he could get it.

“Shit,” Trevor swore lightly. “I need to contact the lawyer and give him the heads-up, but as far as the business is concerned, I don’t think there is anything they can do. That doesn’t mean they won’t try to get what they want through you.” He sounded so calm. “Just relax, and let’s see what they do once they put their money where their mouth is. Organizations like this are used to people being afraid of them.” He paused, and Todd wondered what Trevor was up to.

“Okay. I’ll do my best to hang tight and see what they actually do.” The last thing Todd wanted was to be warned off. He loved his sport and he hoped to be able to continue racing. But they were making it harder and harder for him to do that.

“Let me know as soon as you hear anything. And you and I will talk Thursday. Oh, and see if Duncan can come in as well. If they press this, then we’re going to need a council of war.” Trevor’s tone was harsh as hell.

“Excuse me?”

“There’s more than one way to win a fight like this. There’s the court of law and the court of public opinion, and we’ll get together and be ready to assault them from both sides.” Man, Todd was glad that Trevor was on his side, because he sure as hell didn’t want to fight him. Apparently the man had balls of steel and he wasn’t going to be bullied. “They have vulnerabilities, and what we need to do is find out what they are. Don’t worry. We aren’t going to send you up the river over this.”

“Thank you.” Todd didn’t know what else to say, and Trevor ended the call. Todd put his phone back in his pocket as the garage phone rang. He figured it was Trevor, and left the office to let Brent and Trevor talk things over. This whole situation had the potential to blow up around them, but Todd knew he was most likely on the front firing line.

He went back to work, trying to keep his mind on his tasks. He needed to get his head where it belonged, rather than on things he could do nothing at all about. Trevor was right—once the federation fired their shot, then they would know how to address it.

That idea didn’t make the waiting any easier.

 

 

“HOW BAD is it?” Duncan asked that evening as soon as Todd pulled into the drive. He must have been waiting on the porch for him, because he rolled down the ramp and met him as soon as Todd got out of the car.

“I don’t know.” Todd shrugged slightly. “Trevor has asked me to meet on Thursday, and he wants you to be there. He says it’s a council of war.”

Duncan nodded. “Did you expect him to give up without a fight? I sure didn’t.”

Todd hadn’t been sure how Trevor would react. He’d half expected him to be angry with Duncan, and that wasn’t something Todd would stand for. The federation being dicks of the first order wasn’t Duncan’s fault. “I guess I expected him to be angrier.”

“Maybe….” Duncan bit his lower lip. “This is all my fault.”

Todd sighed and bent down to give Duncan’s abused lip a gentle kiss. “No, it isn’t. The film that we used was yours. They can’t own everything and everyone. They just think they do.” He smoothed his hand over Duncan’s hair. Just hugging him was enough to calm Todd down. He’d been on edge all day, and finally some peace settled into his spirit.

“I went over everything they gave us, and I don’t see anything about videos being for training purposes only. Maybe it’s buried somewhere in their rules, but I haven’t been able to find it.” Runs were often taped so they could be analyzed later. It was pretty standard practice given the remoteness of the facilities. They had to make the most of each and every run they had, as well as their time at the facilities.

“I think this is going to be up to the lawyers, and I’m afraid that Trevor might have to recut the ads without that footage.” Todd hated that he was causing trouble for everyone.

“But that’s the cool part and what really makes an impact—the speed, the energy.” Duncan’s voice trembled, and Todd had to keep himself calm or they were both going to go off the emotional deep end.

“I know, and I think Trevor does too. But I don’t think we can expect him to go to the ends of the earth to protect the vision. This is his business and he has to protect it. There are dozens of people who rely on it, and….”

Duncan sighed. “I know. I feel like complete crap. I’m the one who told him this was possible and came up with all the ideas. I even offered him the film.” He pulled away and wiped his eyes.

“I said it before, and I’m going to say it again. This is not your fault, and no one thinks it is.” He was exceedingly firm.

“But what if they cut you out of the sport because of this?” Duncan hugged him tightly. “What if I cost you your dream?” He looked up at him. “I lost my dream. I don’t want you to lose yours.” Duncan swallowed hard.

“Look, let’s get something straight. If I can’t skeleton again, then I’ll do something else. Maybe I’ll coach, or maybe I’ll find something else to do, like learn how to coach wheelchair racers or push a certain person to be his best. I don’t know. But I’m figuring out that, while racing is important to me, there are other things… and people… who are so much more important.” He hugged Duncan tighter and realized they were still outside next to the driveway having this conversation.

“What do you mean?” Duncan asked, his voice cracking.

“That if it came to a choice of racing skeleton or you, I’d choose you each and every time.” Todd met Duncan’s shocked gaze as he blinked and quivered in his arms. “There’s no doubt about that whatsoever. So let the federation be assholes, let them try to threaten me all they want. They can’t take away you.” He swallowed as a wave of contentment and resolution settled over him like the warmest blanket on the coldest night. “I used to be afraid of them because of what they could take away, but now… let them try.” Todd took a step back. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

Duncan nodded and slowly turned around. He started up the ramp, and his hands slipped on the wheels. Todd caught the chair to stop it from rolling backward as Duncan put his hands over his face. Todd got him to the top of the ramp and turned Duncan around.

Tears ran down his cheeks. “How is that possible? How could you love me that much?” Duncan let go, tears flowing. “I mean, I’m….” He looked down at his legs. “I’m only part of what I was and….”

“No. You aren’t, and you need to stop thinking that way.” Todd opened the door so Duncan could roll inside. “You are you.” Todd closed the door. “You are not your legs or your feet or any individual body part.”

“But….” Duncan swallowed hard, lips moving but no words coming out at first. “How can you give all that up for me?” He sniffed and blinked, and Todd gently wiped the wetness from Duncan’s cheeks. “I don’t have anything to give up to show how much I love you. I have nothing that I can use to demonstrate that.”

“You have your heart.” Todd leaned down to kiss him. “I give you mine.”

Duncan nodded. “But you already have mine. You’ve truly held it for a long time—I just didn’t realize it.” He put his arms around Todd’s neck, drawing him closer.

Todd kissed Duncan with everything he had, opening himself, letting Duncan feel all that Todd had to give him, and what surprised him was the way Duncan gave it back. Each gave to the other, building as they kissed and held on, with Todd nearly sitting in Duncan’s lap.

“How could I have not seen you all that time we trained together?”

Todd smiled. “What’s important is that we see each other now.” He smiled and rested his forehead against Duncan’s. “I see you for who you are.”

“A guy in a chair,” Duncan muttered.

“If that were all you were, I probably would never have looked at you twice.” Todd knew he was being a little harsh, but he needed to get Duncan’s attention. “Look what you did. You made a plan for Trevor that is showing results. There is more business than ever before. The website is up and running, and soon customers will fill our appointments. Brent told me that Trevor is considering adding another location or two just to handle the increased business. You did all that.”

“Yeah, and look what else I did. The federation is having a fit and threatening to expel you, and they’re going to give Trevor a hard time as well. I should have done more. I should have thought about this.” Duncan turned away, looking downward. “I have big ideas that are as useless as my legs.”

“Your ideas got Trevor and the business moving again, and they are brilliant. Don’t you understand? You were talking to James, explaining the next set of ads you wanted to help Trevor with, and he understood them. James hasn’t seen anything on television in many years, but he understood. Your ideas have power, and people like them. Look at how they’ve responded. This is a gift, and you need to embrace it… and fight for it.” He took Duncan’s hand. “Because I’m here, willing to fight for you.”

Todd wasn’t sure how much more he could say to Duncan to make him understand that his feelings were real and just how far he was willing to go.

“I can’t believe you would do that.”

“But you’d do the exact same thing for me without even thinking about it.” Todd knew that, just as surely as he knew that he was prepared to walk away from skeleton and his sport in order to protect Duncan and his ideas and reputation.

Duncan lifted his gaze, and Todd squeezed his hand but didn’t say anything. Then Duncan pulled his hands away and gathered Todd to him, holding him tight. Todd blinked and gasped at his strength. He didn’t say anything, just held Duncan for a long time.

“I love you too, so very much,” Duncan finally whispered just as his mother came up from the basement. She walked into the room carrying a basket of laundry, and paused for a second as she saw the two of them. Todd watched her over Duncan’s shoulder, her expression softening and then her lips curling into a smile. She turned down the hallway, leaving them alone again.

Todd didn’t want to let go and stayed where he was even after his legs grew tired and his calves and thighs began to protest.

“What do we do now?”

“It depends on what you want to do,” Todd said.

“Then we have to fight, somehow. I won’t let you go down for my idea, and I’m not going to allow Trevor to have to pay for doing what I suggested.” Duncan sat back in his chair, wiped his eyes, and looked straight forward. “But I don’t know where to start.”

“We’ll figure it out.” The words sounded lame to him, but they were all he had at the moment. Todd stood and sat on the sofa across from Duncan, just watching him. There was nothing he wanted more than to take Duncan down to his room, close the door, and then strip him naked and make love to him for the entire night. He needed to show Duncan just how much he meant to him, and he needed to feel Duncan against him to know that they were together and that Duncan was his.

“Sweetheart, I left your laundry on your bed.” Duncan’s mother set the basket behind the living room chair and picked up her purse. “I need to run to the store. I’ll be back in a little while.” She left the house, and Todd met Duncan’s amused gaze. It was clear that neither of them believed her excuse.

“I think I love your mother.” Todd peered out the window, then wheeled Duncan down the hallway to his room, closed the door with his foot, and wasted no time lifting Duncan out of his chair and gently laying him on the bed. Todd didn’t break Duncan’s gaze as he opened Duncan’s shirt, popping the buttons one by one to expose his chest. “You take my breath away,” Todd whispered, raking his eyes over Duncan’s bare golden skin. He wanted him so badly, he couldn’t keep from kissing him, like an invisible force pulling them together.

Duncan sighed as Todd wrapped his arms around him, cradling Duncan as he kissed him for all he was worth, reveling in the rich, earthy heat touched with a hint of sweetness that was all Duncan—his Duncan.

Todd slipped off Duncan’s shirt, popped open his pants, and slipped them off his legs. He was always so careful with him, afraid he’d hurt him. Yes, Duncan was strong, but the last thing Todd ever wanted was to cause Duncan pain.

Duncan shifted on the bed, pulling the edge of the coverlet over his feet and legs.

“You don’t need to hide from me, you know that.” Todd pushed the blanket away, running his hands slowly along Duncan’s legs. “Can you feel me?”

“Yeah. Sort of. It’s like you’re a long ways away.” He smiled and closed his eyes.

“Does it feel bad when I touch you?”

Duncan shook his head. “More like you’re touching someone else and I’m feeling it through them. It’s removed. Like there is the barest hint of signal making its way through.” He laughed slightly. “Unfortunately that’s the only sensation I have.”

Todd rubbed one of Duncan’s feet and then up his leg, the smooth skin flowing under his fingertips.

Duncan gasped when Todd reached the top of his leg and hip. “God. It’s like your hands came from behind a curtain.” He tried to sit up, but Todd pressed him back down, using his hands to glide over his belly and chest, leaving Duncan’s tented boxers alone for now.

“I want you to be happy.”

Duncan sniffed. “That’s all I want too, and I keep wondering if I’m going to be enough.” He cupped Todd’s cheeks in his hand, guiding him until their gazes met. “I need for you to be happy.”

“Then I am,” Todd breathed.

“But will you be happy in a year or five years? Is this…?” Duncan shifted his gaze down to his legs. “Are you going to resent me?”

“Are you going to resent me because I can walk?” Todd figured a stupid question could be answered with another, because to him that had to be one of the most ridiculous things he’d ever heard. “Of course not. You are who you are.” Todd leaned closer and gently kissed along Duncan’s neck. He was getting tired of this conversation. There had been way too much talking and not enough loving, given the fact that Duncan’s mother was only going to be gone for so long. It didn’t take him but a few seconds to find that spot at the base of Duncan’s neck that made him shake, and he worried his lips over it.

“Todd….”

“That’s better…,” Todd said at the almost musical moan he got in response. “Less talk.”

“Okay.” Duncan wrapped his arms around Todd’s neck, and Todd went to work, feasting on Duncan until he was on the verge of screaming. There were plenty of concerns and worries waiting outside that door. For now, at this moment, their love held it all at bay, and Todd wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could.