Page 6 of George’s Big Day

“And it was stupid that Baylor didn’t want the dogs outside with him and Kurt,” Liz, Brian’s wife, concurred. “We should have insisted he take them, but we were in a fierce game of Uno here, George, and you know how we all hate to lose.”

“I do,” I said, grinning at her. “You people take your games far too seriously.”

“Would we say too seriously?” Brian mused.

“Plus, it was so fast,” Javier commented. “Kurt and Baylor were headed outside before we even knew what was happening.”

“Well, I’m gonna take the dogs out now,” I told him, already on my way to the door.

“Maybe Baylor’s afraid of them,” Claudia offered as she poured herself a glass of wine. “I mean, why else would he insist the dogs stay inside?”

Good question.

“But you can go back to bed,” Alice offered kindly. “Vince and Car are out on the deck. They can let the dogs down into the yard.”

Why were Carson and Vince out there as well instead of inside with everyone else?

I wasn’t actually worried, because if I had been, I would have grabbed one of the two guns I kept in my nightstand before heading downstairs. Kurt was involved in some kind of discussion outside, not fighting for his life.

Crossing to the sliding glass door leading to the patio, I exited fast, the dogs on my heels, and they immediately charged over to the tall gate that, strangely, was closed. Normally, we kept the one on the deck open. If we were going out, we closed it, as it kept the two Dobermans from taking the flight of stairs down to the backyard. The property was not fenced, and we didn’t want them roaming onto the preserve. They probably wouldn’t, but neither of us was taking any chances with their lives.

“Fuck this,” Carson growled, moving around me to reach a tub of sports equipment Kurt kept on the deck for his patients. Sometimes it was easier for kids, and some adults, to talk to him while their hands were engaged.

“Amazing what a kid will tell you while they’re bouncing a basketball,” he’d told me when I’d first inquired about the various items.

When I reached the railing, I could see Kurt pacing as Baylor tried, unsuccessfully, to grab hold of his arms. Whatever the talk was about, Kurt didn’t want to hear it.

“Let the dogs out,” Vince told me, then turned to his husband, who rotated his right arm once, then gripped the ball. One second it was in his hand, and I had a moment to think, Is he going to throw that? before he fired the ball like his arm was a rifle.

I had watched lots of football in my life, seen lots of quarterbacks throw the ball, but I’d never seen anyone I personally knew hurl anything that fast. I barely had enough time to turn my head before there was a scream of pain.

Across the yard, Kurt was now bent over Baylor, who was writhing on the ground, clutching his left shoulder. After a moment, Kurt straightened up. When he did, the dogs, who had been at the gate, dying to get out, suddenly calmed. They could see, as well as I could, that Kurt was fine and the threat had been quashed.

“You’re in trouble.” Vince snickered a second before Kurt yelled.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“What?” Carson volleyed back as though he couldn’t hear him. I knew that ruse; I’d used it many times myself.

“That’s not gonna work,” Vince assured his husband with a soft chuckle.

“I have no control of my arm, you know that.”

Vince scoffed. Loudly. “What I know is that you’ve still got it.”

“Yeah,” Carson agreed, rotating his shoulder. “But it hurt.”

“You could have broken his arm!” Kurt called over.

Vince groaned like that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. I was right there with him.

Did it hurt, getting hit in the arm? Yes, I was sure it did. Had it been absolutely jolting and probably scary? Most likely. Would he have a bruise? Undoubtedly. But broken? Absolutely not.

“Seriously, Carson, have you completely lost your mind?” Kurt sounded really mad.

Carson pointed to his ear. “Still can’t hear you. You need to come inside.”

Vince took that moment to charge over to the gate.