Chapter nine
The day after Christmas started with the New Mexico sun blinding Tyler as it splashed through the sliding glass doors.
He would have sworn it was hot out from how the sun beat down, but the highs rarely made it to sixty in the winter.
He groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, wishing he was in bed with Davey and feeling pretty damn stupid in the light of morning. He groaned at his own inside joke.
Soon enough he heard noises in the kitchen.
Most likely Davey would be making coffee, which was good because Tyler needed it.
Davey rarely drank coffee, but he always made it for Tyler.
He was almost always the first one up. Nothing different there, but unlike the previous day, Davey wasn’t jumping on him, eager to get the day started.
It was Tyler’s own damn fault.
He slowly pulled the pillow off his head.
He looked down at his sparkly ring that Davey had bought for him.
They’d come such a long way, but they’d gotten engaged and married so fast. Maybe they should have taken more time to get to know each other.
He hated the doubt that had crept in since Davey’s comments about his need to be liked complex.
The scent of butter, bacon, and syrup slowly descended over him from the kitchen.
Pancakes.
He sat up and peered over the couch. A steamy plate and mug sat on the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the living room space. Tyler bit at his bottom lip. He wanted to make up with Davey, but not just because there were pancakes.
“Come on, Ty. I see you. Come eat, baby.”
Tyler made his way into the kitchen and washed his face and hands at the sink before pulling up a stool at the bar. The pancakes were still hot. Tyler poured syrup all over them. “Thanks.”
“I love you, Tyler. We’ll work through the issue.” He turned away to tend to the griddle and flip more pancakes. “I didn’t like sleeping without you.”
“Me either. I’m sorry.”
“You can be so stubborn.” Davey flipped the pancakes onto a plate and brought them to the bar. He doused them with syrup and took a rather large bite.
“Holy syrup-butt, Batman. Are you really eating that?”
Davey smiled, shyly and took another bite.
“You are human... Wait. You’re planning a workout later, aren’t you?”
“Yes. You know it.”
Tyler groaned. “Okay. But, I’m going to need a second helping of pancakes.”
As they were cleaning up the breakfast dishes, the buzzer indicating someone was at the gate went off. “Expecting anyone?” Tyler asked.
Davey shrugged and wiped his hands on a dishtowel as he went to the door. “Not that I’m aware of.” He tapped at the security unit. “Can I help you?”
A tinny voice came over the speaker. “Delivery for Tyler McAllister.”
Davey glared at Tyler and pushed the button to release the gate.
“I have no idea.” Tyler followed Davey out to the porch as the big brown truck pulled up and stopped.
Tyler signed for the box, and it was huge.
Davey manhandled it inside the house while Tyler pulled out his pocketknife to cut it open.
There was a small card inside that Tyler handed to Davey while he pulled the cardboard away from the wooden crate that was inside.
A crowbar was attached. Tyler assumed it was to open the crate, so he started prying at one side immediately.
“Mother fucker.” Davey was fuming.
“What? Who’s it from?”
“That fucker, Gavin Peri.”
“Who’s that?” He popped the side of the box open, and the contents spilled out onto the carpet of the living room.
He could see a nice socket set, bike wipes for cleaning, and a nice tool belt.
Everything for working on bikes. It also had a little silver guardian bell for that extra superstitious protection on the road.
He could hang it on his Harley. He’d spent hours and hours working to restore that soft tail.
He loved riding his own bike alongside Davey riding his father’s touring bike.
He also loved riding double on the big Harley that Davey’s father had left him, so maybe he could hang it on that bike.
“Fuck this!” Davey’s raised voice interrupted his happy bike-thoughts.
Tyler could see the anger on Davey’s face. “I don’t understand this.”
“This is your fault. You were way too nice to that guy at the retirement event.” Davey pointed at Tyler with the card from the crate.
“What?”
“You can’t just expect everyone—”
“Wait a minute.” Tyler stepped over the mess of tools on the floor to get closer to Davey. “I was professionally nice. Not overly nice. That’s bullshit. You’re reaching. You can’t just snap at me because you’re jealous, Davey.” Tyler was completely over this argument.
“This...” Davey waved the card at the mess on the floor. “This is too far. You had to do something to give him the impression that you were easy.”
“What? That’s crazy. You heard Tate. The guy had a hard-on to get Bryce on his team. He just thinks he can go through me to do it. And that’s bullshit. I never gave anyone that impression.”
Davey crossed his arms.
Tyler wasn’t through. “This is ridiculous. Stop it. You know damn well that I don’t want anyone but you. I’m not some giant slut, flirting with every guy I see. If this Peri asshole took something the wrong way, it’s on him. Not me.” Tyler thumbed his chest. “I didn’t do anything.”
Davey rolled his eyes, and Tyler lost his temper.
He wanted to scream and smash something.
He dropped the crowbar onto the floor and stormed away, brushing Davey’s shoulder with his as he passed.
He stomped into the gym and started working through his stretching routine.
Davey and his trainers had helped him work it out—the advantages of living with a Supercross racer.
Tyler only wanted to calm down. He took long, deep breaths, bending over to stretch his thighs and back. After a few moments, he felt calmer but still furious. He took another long deep breath and headed to the circuit machines.
Tyler spent a long time focusing on his counting, his form and the way his muscles flexed, and the clank of the weights hitting as he finished each set. It took all of his attention, allowing him to completely ignore Davey’s shit. For a little while.
He had no idea how long he’d been at it, but he was sweating and tired by the time he decided he’d had enough.
Before heading to shower, he went in search of Davey.
He needed to at least make some kind of truce.
He was a little surprised that Davey didn’t follow him into the gym.
He stopped at their bedroom before heading into the main house, but Davey wasn’t there.
He wasn’t in the shower, either. What had he been doing all this time while Tyler had worked out?
Tyler didn’t find him in the main house, living room or kitchen, so he headed to the garage. When he found it empty, he opened the garage door. He realized Davey’s truck was gone before the door finished crawling up the track. He’d left. Immediately, Tyler felt that cold, empty space in his chest.
He stormed back into the house. With the rate his emotions had escalated, he’d need another workout before Davey came back.
Inside the house, he realized that not only was Davey gone, but the gift from Gavin Peri was also gone.
Most likely, Davey was headed to the post office in Gallup to return it.
Tyler grabbed his phone off the charging dock on the bar and flipped through his contacts. He tapped on the screen when the number he wanted came up, and in seconds, it was ringing.
A laughing, feminine voice answered. “Tyler! Merry Christmas, buddy!”
“Merry Christmas, Janie.”
“Oh shit. That doesn’t sound merry at all. What’s up, bro?”
Tyler dropped down onto the couch and told her everything. She listened like she always did. That’s why she was his best friend. She would take in everything and then tell him the cold hard truth. “Tyler. Baby. Davey’s, well...he’s kind of right.”
“What? How can you—”
“Hey. Don’t interrupt me.”
Tyler ran his fingers through his still sweaty hair. “Sorry, J. But don’t just take his side.”
“I’m not. I’m so not. Just shut up a second and listen.”
“Okay.”
“Fine. Now. What I was saying was...you do have a kind of complex about wanting people to like you. It’s just part of who you are. Face it. You’re a people pleaser. You want everyone happy.”
“Wanting everyone happy is different than wanting them to like me.”
“I don’t think so. Not for you. Hang on. Bradly is being a pest. Here. Take it to Daddy. Go on.”
“Ah... I miss seeing him. Bet he’s getting so big.”
“You have no idea. He is totally the best part of coming home for the holidays, even when he’s pesty.” Her bubbly laughter settled on his heart like a warm blanket.
“I’ve missed you. We have to get together. You should come to a race or something.”
“You are changing the subject, mister. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. And I don’t like going to the races, and I’m not interrupting you while you work, but we can figure something out, so stop changing the subject. We were talking about your people-pleasing.”
Tyler sighed. “I don’t think that’s true. What’s wrong with being nice?”
“Nothing. And you’re so genuine about it. Most people are drawn to you.”
“But?”
“Like you said about Cole. If someone doesn’t like you, it’s a big deal.” Tyler started to say something, but she stopped him quick. “Shh...hey. Remember Eric Phelps?”
“No. Who?”
“Oh, come on. Eric Phelps. I dated him first year of college. Well, for about a minute. He was super cute and had a great smile. Political Science major.”
“Was he the one with the really short hair that stood up funny in the back?”
“Yeah. That one.”
“That was like some kind of weird reverse cowlick.” The memory had Tyler chuckling.
“Shut it, Whitmore.”
“McAllister.”
“Whatever. Listen. You just proved my point.”