“Do me a favor, Zane?” he whispered.
Ty looked really worried, which didnt do much for Zanes peace of mind. “Yeah.” “Grab the kid and dont let her out of your sight, okay?” Ty requested as he looked at Zane finally. “As soon as people hear „bomb, theyre gonna panic and scatter.”
Zane nodded slowly. There was a story there somewhere related to the “he and Mommy used to date” comment. But it didnt matter. “Yeah, Ill do it. Be careful.”
Ty merely nodded and reached up to touch Zanes fingers through the fence before turning away. He picked up his helmet, then jogged toward the home dugout as the speakers blared on.
“Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we ask you to please move in an orderly fashion toward the south field.” Zane took a couple of careful steps backward, still watching Ty, before he turned to the stands to find Elaina. With just a few strides, he was next to her. “Cmon, Elaina,” he said, holding out his hand.
“What about Mommy?” Elaina asked as she climbed down the bleachers. “Ty will get her and the rest of the team,” Zane said as she slid her hand into his, and he started walking, almost immediately hitching his steps shorter because his legs were so long compared to hers.
They were almost across the parking lot when the cute brunette from second base caught up to them and took Elainas other hand. “Are you Garrett?” she asked Zane breathlessly.
“Yes, maam,” Zane responded automatically. He looked at Elaina and noted the strong resemblance. Dark-brown hair, large eyes so brown they were nearly black. “You must be Mommy.”
She laughed slightly and nodded. “Im Shannon.” She didnt offer her hand, though, instead reaching down and picking Elaina up so they could move faster. “Is this for real, or is Ty going off the deep end?”
Zane glanced at her, surprised. “Id say its for real.” He pointed at the dugout on the far side of the next field. The lower part of it was made of wooden planks, the upper part more chain-link. “That ought to be a good place to hunker down. Were far enough away.”
“God, I was hoping hed just had too many painkillers,” the woman said under her breath. She pulled her daughter higher on her hip and quickened her pace. Zane heard sirens in the distance as they reached the other field.
Zane stopped at the steps to let Shannon get into the dugout first, and then he waited as several other people passed by, distractedly offering an arm to help them clamber down the concrete steps, watching for Ty as fire trucks pulled up at the field. He hated being back here doing nothing.
He finally spotted Ty, standing next to the blue bomb squad truck and speaking with one of the techs. He was gesticulating erratically, obviously worked up, and the tech seemed to be trying to reason with him. Finally, two firemen came up to join the conversation, and one began leading Ty away, toward the dugouts. The fireman was larger than Ty by quite a bit, a true hulk, and though Ty didnt appear happy with the arrangement, he went along without fussing until they reached the dugout where Zane stood.
“Does this belong to you?” the fireman asked Zane in a deep, booming voice, scruffing Ty by his jersey collar like a stray dog. Zane raised a brow at the phrasing but nodded anyway. “Should have made sure he was wearing his tags, I guess,” he answered as he tried to judge Tys condition.
Ty rolled his eyes and shifted his jaw in annoyance. “They dont believe me,” he told Zane under his breath. “This is Tank, by the way. He runs people over.”
The big fireman laughed heartily and shook his head. His teeth gleamed bright against his black skin. “Gotta lead with the shoulder when a big dawg is blocking the plate. You know that.”
“Yeah, shoulder, not front bumper,” Ty shot back.
Tank looked to Zane. “Shape he was in last time I saw him, Im not surprised hes like this.”
“You sure knocked him for a loop,” Zane confirmed before asking Ty, “Are they checking it out?” Ty pressed his lips tightly together and nodded, looking at Zane sideways like he knew hed be in trouble. Tank spoke up when Ty didnt. “He told them if they didnt, hed go on record saying he put it there himself so theyd have to check it out.”
Zane snorted. “Jesus, Ty,” he muttered, shaking his head. “There were tool marks!” Ty insisted.
“Take it easy, Bulldog,” Tank said as he turned and patted Ty on the back hard enough to send him stumbling forward into Zane, who reacted automatically and raised his arms to grab hold of him.
He still had on the catchers gear, but as Ty wrapped one arm around Zanes waist to keep his balance, it was clear the pill hed taken had finally gotten the best of him. His body was loose and relaxed, his movements not as controlled as usual.
Ty muttered obstinately as he turned to look at the scene behind them, his body still brushing against Zanes as they stood together. He obviously felt certain he was right about the threat. But it was entirely possible theyd just evacuated a few hundred people in front of the local news because Ty was high. Zane sighed and kept his arm discreetly around Tys waist. Most of their co-workers would figure Zane was holding him back anyway.
The bomb squad techs directed a small robot down a ramp from the back of their truck, and another member of the team pulled out a bullhorn to address the crowd as the robot chugged away at a snails pace toward home plate. Besides that, it was hard to see what was happening on the field.
Ty cleared his throat and turned his head to look at Zane. He leaned closer and spoke quietly. “Where are Shannon and Elaina? They safe?”
“Theyre in here somewhere,” Zane murmured. He splayed his hand flat on Tys lower back against the fabric. “You dont look so good.”
“Shut up,” Ty muttered as he turned and looked further into the dugout. He kept one hand on Zanes arm to hold himself steady. Zane sighed and resisted the urge to lay his forehead against Tys in a bid for support and comfort. This definitely wasnt the place, or the time, no matter how much Zanes instincts were screaming at him to drag Ty away from here to somewhere safe so he could take care of him. Hed have to deal with that—and the fallout of the other momentous realizations of the morning—later.
A voice blared over the bullhorn, and Ty startled against Zane before turning to look at the field as the announcer warned people to stay where they were and cover their heads.
“Tyler, get down here before you fall over!” Shannon shouted. She stepped out and grabbed the strap of Tys chest protector. “What were you thinking, taking something before you came out here?”