Chapter 22

Ryder barely made it to the bed before passing out. He felt Nolan covering him with the sheet, but nothing after that.

When he woke up, the sun was shining in through his bedroom window. It was much later than he usually woke and a little disorienting. But that could have just been the pain pills. After stopping by the bathroom, he stumbled out into the kitchen and found a note leaning up against his coffee maker.

I’ve made coffee for you. Just push the button. You were sleeping hard when I came in. I’ll stop by after work and wrap your arm up for a shower. Don’t work in the barn. I don’t want you to get your bandage dirty. I’ll do the chores after work.

Ryder pushed the button on his coffee maker and wondered if Nolan didn’t want to shower with him again. He stared at the note, rereading the lines again. Maybe Nolan had written the note that way because he didn’t want it to sound weird if someone like his mom or dad had come over before he woke.

Just thinking of showering with Nolan was making him hard. He would need to watch his thoughts, but thinking about Nolan was so satisfying. There wasn't a good way for him to jack off without Nolan's help, though, so his cock would be plenty hard by the time Nolan made it home.

Thinking about the accident caused a shiver to race down his back. His arm would heal, and he would be okay. He hadn’t really been injured.

He poured a mug of coffee and stared out the window. He needed to get his truck from work. Should he drive? Probably not. He was much sorer than he’d been the day before. The shots Nolan had given him must have worn off.

He decided to take it easy and watch TV. At some point, he must have fallen asleep because he had woken up to his father knocking on his sliding door.

He stood and headed over to the door, opening it before stepping back. A sliver of fear twisted through him because he couldn't take his dad with his arm injured. He just hoped the man didn't act like a fool. If he did, he would do everything he could to cause damage.

"Morning," Ryder said as he headed into his kitchen to pour himself more coffee. The machine had turned off, and the liquid in the pot was cold.

“You mean afternoon.”

He grunted as he poured the coffee out. He turned to face his dad. He wasn’t going to speak. The man had been a jerk, and he had nothing to say to him.

“Your mother is having that girl over. I expect you to be there.”

“I’m not dating anyone. I don’t care who you have over or who you all entertain. I’m not ever going to date anyone you or Mom suggest.”

“Now you’re just being a little shit.”

"No, I'm deciding what I allow in my life. You and Mom need to stop setting me up with people."

His dad frowned, looking like he was trying to be intimidating. But Ryder was past the age of being intimidated by his father, or at least showing that he was intimidated. A part of him wanted to tell his dad that he was enjoying sucking cock too much to ever date a woman again, but he kept that to himself.

His father threw up his hands. “You never were worth a hill of beans. I knew you’d be a waste when you were a baby.” His father turned to leave, slamming the door as he walked out.

Ryder wanted to follow after his dad and yell at him, maybe fight him, but he let him leave. The words hurt, but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. And what his dad said didn’t really matter. His father wasn’t his concern. All that mattered was his own needs and desires. If his dad wanted to be miserable, there was little Ryder could do.

His stomach grumbled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten. While he was in the middle of eating a sandwich, his phone rang. He was surprised the clinic was calling him. His heart sped up as he answered, hoping it was Nolan on the line.

“Hello.”

“Is this Mr. Jameson?" a female voice asked. For a moment, he worried that it was someone his mother had set him up with.

“Yes.”

“This is Lila, the nurse from the clinic. I was calling to see how you were doing.”

“I’m okay. Nolan is my neighbor, so he is checking on me.”

“Oh, that’s right. He does live in that odd little place next to your uncle’s house. Well, I guess it’s your house now. I’m glad to hear you’re doing okay. If you feel like you have a fever or that spot gets hot, you need more antibiotics. We gave you a shot, and that should kick anything hard, but we want to keep an eye on it.”

“Thank you. I’m sure Nolan will interrogate me this evening.”

Lila's laughter made him smile. "I'm sure he will. Have a good afternoon."

The conversation ended, and he smiled to himself, wondering how well Lila knew Nolan. Surely, she didn't know he was gay.

Sitting at home with nothing to do was boring. Tomorrow, he would go get his truck, talk to his boss, and see if there was anything he could do in the yard. He wouldn't last long sitting at home recovering. He needed action or at least something to keep his mind busy. Otherwise, he didn't know what would happen.