Cleats in Clay Read online

“And what would that be?” Bobby said, trying to hide the hard edge in his tone.

  “Nathan’s work order was actually for two commissions. One for April 1, which was for your birthday. The other… well, it seems a bit macabre to me, but it’s not my call in the long run.”

  “What is the other one?” Bobby asked.

  “He attached CAT and X-ray scans of himself for me to make a bust that he wanted delivered to your address on July 3.”

  “He wanted me to get his head for our anniversary? After he died? That twisted fuck.”

  “Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I hafta wonder, since the order was filled out October 16.”

  “That’s… that was the day before the first game of the Series.”

  “So, hafta wonder.” Odis shrugged. “Seems Nathan knew the risk he was taking by getting on that plane and wanted to leave you something, just in case.”

  Bobby just shook his head and slumped further into the chair. “Now I’m just confused. What the hell was he up to?”

  “I certainly can’t say, I didn’t really know the man. But you see the macabre element I was talkin’ about. I thought maybe there was some point to it I didn’t see.”

  “None that I’m aware of, either.” As he pondered it, though, it seemed maybe Nate had more future surprises in store. Bobby sat up and finished off the rest of his beer. “I mean, a bust might be nice down the road sometime, but I’m glad I found out now instead of having it just show up out of the blue in July. That’s just too soon. Opening a box with his head in it would have been utterly creepy.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Odis agreed as he drained his beer.

  Bobby looked over at Odis. The man looked exhausted, like he needed about twelve hours of sleep. The darkened circles under his eyes drooped almost as much as his eyelids. “I should go. You need some rest.”

  “Yeah, the beer’s crashing me.”

  Bobby stood and stretched, feeling his back pop. “Oh, Gertie said I should ask you about working out here.”

  “On the west side, across the patio just past the stairs, is a little gym room. You’re welcome to it.” Odis glanced over at Bobby’s jeans. “Do you have some workout clothes? Very doubtful any of mine would fit you.”

  “No, I didn’t really plan on staying around, so I didn’t pack anything.”

  “There’s a Walmart over by Hutchinson, about twenty minutes from town. If ya think it’s worth the trouble.”

  “All right.”

  Odis stood up and walked over to Bobby. He rubbed his hand across Bobby’s chest. “I had hoped to pick up where we left off yesterday—”

  “You look like you’re about to pass out, though. Better just get your butt in bed. I’ll see if I can find that Walmart and come back later.”

  Odis gave his bicep a squeeze as Bobby turned to the door. “Come back later, then.”

  “Sleep tight,” Bobby said as he left the house.

  BOBBY eventually found the Walmart. Along with a duffel bag, some jogging shorts, and a few plain T-shirts, he also got some toiletries and an electric grooming razor. He realized it had been a while since he’d done any manscaping.

  When he got back to the B and B, he spotted Gertie in the living room folding some towels as she watched TV. He gave her a wave.

  “Howdy, Bobby. You been back over to Odis’s?” she asked, noticing the Walmart bags in his hands.

  “Yeah, we ate and he showed me the sculpture he did. He was up all night working on it, though, so wanted to get some sleep.”

  “He finished already? What is it?”

  “Just saying it’s a weeping willow tree doesn’t begin to describe it.”

  Gertie smiled. “That’s usually the way his work is. It’s never ‘just a’ something. Did you like it, though?”

  “Like? Love? Admire? I don’t even know which words to use,” Bobby admitted.

  Gertie chuckled. “I look forward to seeing it, then.” She glanced at the shopping bags again. “You plannin’ on staying longer?”

  “Odis said I could use his weight room. Then I realized I didn’t have any workout clothes, so he suggested the Walmart. Do you have any scissors I could borrow to open some packages?”

  “Should be some in the top dresser drawer in your room with the sewing kit. And I’m sorry. I thought about Walmart last night but reckoned it might be too far out of the way. I should have mentioned it.”

  Bobby shook his head. “Don’t even worry about it.”

  “Oh, you gonna be around for dinner?”

  “Don’t think so. I’ll head back out to Odis’s in a bit and may stay awhile.”

  Gertie smiled. “Well, then, you two enjoy yourselves. Gotta get back to the laundry.”

  Bobby went up the stairs and into his room, where he dumped the shopping bag contents onto the bed. Since he had toiletries now, the need for a shower suddenly seemed pressing, but he decided to call Sharon first. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

  “Hey, Bob,” she answered.

  “Hey, Shar,” he said, slumping back onto the bed.

  “So, you’re staying another night, aren’t you? I can hear it in your voice.”

  “How could you hear that? I only said two words.”

  “Exactly. You always get terse when there’s something you’re afraid to tell me.”

  Bobby sighed. “Yeah, one more night.”

  “Spill already,” Sharon urged.

  “Well, it’s kinda the artist. I… I don’t know.”

  “Don’t know what?”

  “Well, he’s kinda attractive.”

  The phone was dead quiet for a moment. “I’m not gonna do this, Bobby,” Sharon declared. “I’m not gonna be your shoulder to cry on. You know I loved Nathan to death, and I miss him like shit, but Nate was the one who died. Not you.”

  “What?” Bobby sat up in shock.

  “Where are you staying?”

  “Hasting’s B and B in Brungess.”

  “All right. If you’re having some kind of feelings for this artist, you know Nathan would be the first one to tell you to quit pining and get off your whiney butt. Go do something about it. If you don’t, I’m gonna fly out there and kick your ass. I’ve got your address now,” she threatened.

  Bobby hesitated.

  “Quit being a dumb jock and go.”

  Bobby just shook his head. “When did you get to be such a hard-assed bitch?”

  “The minute you needed it. Now get off the phone and get moving. Go see that artist or just come home. Either way, I don’t want to hear any more about it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Try to have some fun too, while you’re at it,” Sharon said before hanging up.

  Bobby picked up the electric razor, opened the package with the scissors, and then headed to the bathroom. Since he was going to work out first, he decided to just trim up a bit and do a quick rinse. Besides, he couldn’t get the thought of using Odis’s shower out of his head.

  After getting back to his room, Bobby packed up the toiletries, jogging shorts, and a change of clothes in the duffel bag he’d bought and headed back to the rental car.

  BOBBY pulled up to the gate and hadn’t even gotten out of the car when Heimdalla showed up to greet him. She enjoyed her car ride back to the house. She bounded ahead to the house door, but she crooked her head curiously when Bobby turned right at the bottom of the stairs. She tagged along behind him to the exercise room.

  When Bobby opened the french-style doors, he breathed in the inviting familiar gym smell of hot tub chemicals and old sweat. He was surprised to see so much equipment as he glanced around the room. Besides the Bowflex in the corner, he also saw a cycling bike, a stair-step machine, and a treadmill. In the other corner, the hot tub bubbled away, its gurgling sounds muffled by the padded cover.

  Heimdalla hesitated at the doorway.

  “I’ll be all right. Go stay with Odis,” Bobby told the dog.

  She gave him a once-over glanc
e, then headed across the patio to the main house.

  Bobby stripped off his jeans and pulled on the jogging shorts, only then realizing he’d forgotten to bring a towel.

  He decided to start with the treadmill.

  As Bobby jogged along, Sharon’s words from their last phone call kept echoing in his head. “Quit pining and get off your whiney butt” seemed to be the favored phrase. But didn’t he have every right to pine? It’s only been 162 days since Nathan died. Not even a full six months have passed. Aren’t people supposed to grieve for a year or something?

  With his heart rate up comfortably, Bobby went and examined the wall-mounted instruction chart for the Bowflex. He set up the machine to do some chest exercises by hooking a pull-down bar to two steel cables that dangled from an upper support bar.

  He lay down on the bench, trying to clear his mind and focus on the task at hand. He counted his reps aloud. “Pull, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four. Three, two, three, four.”

  He stopped, suddenly aware of someone watching him. The french doors opened and Odis stepped in. “Don’t stop. Just had to see what had Heim all bugged out.” Odis gazed at Bobby’s athletic body. His bare thighs and calves looked so solid, not at all overbuilt.

  “Four, two, three, four.” Bobby could still feel Odis’s observing eyes study him. “That’s kinda distracting.”

  Odis motioned to the cabinet by the hot tub. “There’s towels and stuff in there, and the tub should be primed if ya wanna use it after.”

  Bobby stopped and sat up. “What was that about Heim?”

  “She was in a tizzy about something, thought maybe somebody was at the gate. But she pointed over here when I got outside.”

  “She sure is a friendly dog,” Bobby said.

  “Friendly?” Odis crinkled his brow. “Wouldn’t call her that. She’s kinda aloof, except for Gertie.”

  “She’s friendly to me. Always runs out to the gate and wants to ride in the car.” Bobby moved his right knee, spreading his legs open a bit farther as he readjusted on the bench.

  “I’ll be damned.” Odis glanced hungrily over Bobby once more. “I’ll clear out and let ya get back to it. Just come in the house when you’re done. I might be layin’ down, but just come on in anyway.”

  “All right.” Bobby lay back down on the bench.

  Damn. Bobby forgot how many reps he’d done. He started over. “Pull, two three, four.”

  Odis turned back. “Why do you count that way?”

  Bobby stopped again and glanced over. “Best technique.”

  Odis looked confused.

  “First stroke is force, then hold it for one count, and release slower over two counts. Maximizes the workout if you double the resistance.”

  “Never heard of that. Is it something new?”

  Bobby sat up as he thought back. “Don’t think so, been doing it awhile. We got workout critiques every year at spring training, so don’t remember when exactly.” Bobby could practically feel the caress of Odis’s eyes as he studied his body again. Something in Bobby’s shorts twitched.

  “Oh.” Odis hesitated.

  Bobby took his hands off the bar and watched Odis.

  Odis couldn’t take his eyes off those legs—or the basket of his shorts. “Maybe you could show me sometime.”

  “I’d be happy to….” Bobby smiled as he noticed where Odis’s gaze had landed. “Maybe right now. If you’d like.”

  Odis licked his lips. “Sure. If you’d like.” He took a step forward.

  With a mischievous grin, Bobby raised his arms and put his hands back on the bar. Odis brought his eyes up and saw the lines of Bobby’s tightened pectorals under the snug T-shirt. Odis took another step closer.

  Bobby tightened his grip on the bar and flexed his pecs, his nipples shrinking in excitement as his chest muscles bulged under the tight fabric. Odis seemed mesmerized by the demonstration as he took another step forward.

  “Pull.” Bobby pulled down on the bar, the muscles of his arms and shoulders bunching with the effort. “Two,” he said while holding the bar down right in front of his navel.

  Odis’s gaze flitted from the bulging arms to the tightened shoulders and back to the squeezing pectorals. He didn’t know where to look.

  Shifting on the bench, Bobby opened his thighs farther apart, providing more room for his swelling erection. Odis followed the movement and watched Bobby’s growing basket. Odis stepped up next to the bench and then looked into Bobby’s face.

  “Three,” Bobby said as he slowly raised the bar up level with his nipples. As his eyes locked with Odis’s, Bobby’s grin softened at the enchantment he saw in those blue eyes.

  Odis breathed in the musky, working scent of Bobby as he stood so close. Unconsciously, Odis reached a hand down to adjust his own swelling jeans.

  “Four.” Bobby raised the bar the remaining distance.

  Odis put a hand on each of Bobby’s shoulders and then squeezed slightly, feeling the strong muscles as he leaned in for a kiss.

  Their lips touched, and they both felt a new passion and desire in the contact. Bobby took his hands from the bar and surrounded Odis in his arms, pulling him in as he opened his mouth.

  Odis put his fingers behind Bobby’s ears and gently caressed the flaps of cartilage with his thumbs as he explored Bobby’s mouth in a tentative french kiss. He lifted his leg and straddled the bench as Bobby moaned.

  Bobby spread his legs and pulled Odis closer. He slid his hands down Odis’s back.

  Odis widened his legs as Bobby pulled on his lower back, bringing him so near that their swelling groins nearly touched.

  Bobby started leaning back, pulling Odis down with him.

  Odis’s forehead bashed into the pull-down bar as he leaned forward. “Ow.”

  Bobby broke the kiss as they both chuckled. “Sorry.”

  Odis stood up and raised the pull-down bar so it rested on the two hooks at the top of the machine.

  Bobby stared at the swollen groin in front of his face, taunting him. It was so close, he could stick out his tongue and lick it.

  Odis was suddenly aware of Bobby’s warm breath on his crotch. Odis looked down as Bobby examined the denim-sealed package in front of him. Odis felt the crotch of his jeans tighten even more.

  Bobby raised his hands and placed one on each of Odis’s thighs right at the lower brief line. He gently held the tight muscles, pushing in with his thumbs slightly as he slid his thumbs up the inside, tracing the seam of the jeans to the bottom of the denim bulge.

  “Oh,” Odis moaned as he stood frozen, hype-aware of the strong masculine hands grasping him.

  Bobby leaned in, opening his mouth wide and sealing it on top of the bulge before exhaling a large breath.

  “Jeez-us,” Odis moaned as every nerve in his dick suddenly lit afire in the hot blast of air.

  Bobby chuckled at the exclamation, sending twitches through Odis’s legs with each pulse of his laughing breath. He pulled back and slid his hands around the outside of Odis’s legs and raised his hands to his hips. The denim package twitched, beckoning for his attention. But something besides lust seemed to be fueling Bobby. He lifted his gaze to Odis’s face and tugged slowly on his hips, pulling him down to sit on the bench again.

  Odis wore an expression of disappointment.

  Bobby kissed him again and erased it.

  They shared a deeper kiss and hugged each other closer as their tongues danced with each other.

  Bobby ran his hands down Odis’s back, then moved them inside his untucked shirt and slid them along his bare skin.

  Odis moaned at the sensation of Bobby’s strong, roughened palms and fingers on his skin. This wasn’t the soft and delicate grasp of a woman.

  Bobby pushed his fingers in tighter, rubbing the muscles under his skin.

  No mistaking—these were the hands of a man pulling Odis forward.

  Odis curled his fingers into the short hair at the back of Bobby’s head and opened his mouth even wid
er. He tried to pull Bobby nearer, but he couldn’t seem to get close enough.

  Bobby slid his mouth away from Odis’s lips and over to the corner of Odis’s jaw, right under his ear. Bobby nibbled and sucked at it.

  “Oh jeez,” Odis moaned as his fingers tightened against the back of Bobby’s head. These were the strong teeth of a man chewing under his ear.

  Odis wanted to see the manliest part of Bobby. He moved his hands under Bobby’s armpits and then stood, pulling Bobby up to his feet with him. He leaned in, feeling the bulge of Bobby’s swollen groin rubbing up against his stomach.

  Bobby bent down and lowered his mouth to the base of Odis’s neck so he could nibble his upper shoulder.

  Odis dropped his hands to Bobby’s lower back, pulling him closer and moaning as Bobby’s manhood pressed into his stomach.

  Odis couldn’t wait anymore. He had to see inside Bobby’s shorts. Right now, before he lost his nerve.

  Bobby turned Odis’s head and pulled Odis’s ear to his mouth so he could lick at the sensitive cartilage surrounding the orifice.

  “Jeez-us, what are you doing to me?” Odis moaned while lowering his hands. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of Bobby’s shorts and started pushing them down.

  Two quick sharp barks echoed in the hollowed-out courtyard outside as a buzzing doorbell noise echoed in the room.

  “Damn,” Odis said as he pulled away. “Someone’s at the gate.”

  Bobby breathed heavily, watching Odis will himself away and turn to the door. “Is it Gertie?”

  “No, Heim doesn’t bark when Gertie comes. It’s a vehicle she doesn’t recognize,” Odis explained as he went to the french doors and left.

  Bobby looked around the gym. So much for getting a workout, he thought as he gathered up all his things and put them in the duffel bag. He took the bag and went into the main house.

  Chapter 5

  AS BOBBY stood by the dining table, he watched through the house’s glass wall as Odis carried some kind of cardboard delivery box and took it into his studio.

  Odis returned to the house a moment later, empty-handed. “Sorry about that, just a delivery.” He smiled at Bobby. “Where were we?” Odis asked as he stepped closer.