“Well, I know you’re not dead.” He blinked slowly. “It doesn’t matter. You look so tired. You should be out on the lake. I want to be on the boat with you. Me and Walter were going to Mexico to soak up the sun.”
Beck shook his head. “You’re in the hospital in Baltimore, Sky. Parker says you held on, you won, and then you got trampled. Do you remember?”
“No.” He won? Good. “I remember telling Walter…I remember…that your eyes are brown.” The world was starting to be fuzzy around the edges, foggy. “And that you like to sing.”
Beck touched his face with warm fingers. “You can sleep, Sky.”
“But what if you’re gone when I come back?”
“Sky.” Beck’s thumb slid across his bottom lip. “I’ll be here. I promise.”
“Promise.” God, he was heavy. “Miss you, love. Don’t tell anyone I told you. You don’t want to know.”
Beck gave him a wistful smile. “I won’t tell, Stud.”
“So good to me. Love.” He tried to reach up, but he was falling, sinking into the bed, and drowning in white. “Don’t forget me!” he called up, hoping Beck could hear him.
7
“Does Wyatt ever stop growling?”
Wyatt? Wilbur. Willis. Something.God.
Parker had pulled the trailer into the hotel parking lot and left the cat in a carrier at his feet.
“Walter. And no.” The goddamn cat was the size of a friggin’ pony and howled like it was dying.
“He’s going to be so much better when you see him next.” He thought maybe he was going to miss Parker. Once he realized how much Sky meant to Parker, he looked at the guy differently. They’d spent a week worrying about Sky together, and he appreciated the new friendship. “Keep in touch, let us know how you’re doing.”
“Always.” Parker reached out and grabbed his hand. “I’m glad you came to him. He needs you.”
“He does.” That was for sure, in any context. There was no way Skyler could recover well without help. “I’m going to take care of him, Parker. He won’t have to worry about anything but getting better.”
The cat howled and he looked down at the carrier. “Walter, on the other hand…”
“He’s a beast. You could take him to the pound, I guess, but do it after I’m gone.”
He shook his head. “Sky keeps talking about him. I think I’m stuck.” He tugged on the hand Parker was holding, pulling the cowboy into a hug. “So this is the point where Sky used to roll his eyes at me. Be careful. Ride smart.”
“Take care of you. Remember he’s scared, huh?” Parker hugged him back.
“I’m trying. He likes to pretend he’s not.” He let Parker go. “I haven’t told him I gave you the trailer yet. Or loaned you the truck. I might wait until he asks. Drive safe.” He picked up the howling devil spawn and took a few steps away.
“Will do. Good ride, buddy!” Parker pulled off, leaving him there with the demon kitty. Of course, said demon had been locked in a trailer for over a week without its person.
Walking through the hotel lobby with a growling, hissing cat carrier was tons of fun, and he particularly enjoyed apologizing to everyone that got on and off the elevator with him. He was relieved when he could finally put the carrier down in his hotel room, but then he had another problem. Did he let the thing out? It seemed mean to keep it in that tiny little cage. He couldn’t imagine doing that, even if it was evil.
Okay. It wasn’t anit; Walter was ahe, andhebelonged to Sky. The poor thing was probably lonely.
He and Parker had set up litter and cat food already, and he had a bag of treats that Parker said Sky would feed Walter by hand. How hard could this be? He’d let Walter out and then leave the cat be for a while to get used to the place while he made some phone calls.
He put a few treats out on the floor in front of the carrier and slowly opened the door.
Bright-gold eyes stared out at him, the beast staring at him for a second before looking around, whiskers vibrating madly.
He tapped the floor next to the treats, backed up a few feet, and sat cross-legged on the floor. “Hey, Walter. Come on out. I’m taking care of Sky. I can take care of you too, no problem.”
Walter slunk out of the carrier, keeping low to the ground, eyes wide and whiskers twitching as he sniffed at the treats.