Page 14 of Serve (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1, #5)

Chapter Twelve

Chip

The afternoon sun was unusually hot for early spring, and Chip was soaked in sweat.

He’d promised to mow Aunt Dixie’s yard, and hoped it would take his mind off of Tyler.

Not that he hated thinking about him, he’d just never been so worried about someone before in his life.

Tyler was playing in the semi-finals in Houston, and he was stuck here, mowing the yard.

He also had a secret, one he was hiding from his aunt.

“Chip, honey that’s enough. You don’t need to clip the hedges too. Put the lawn mower up, then come over here and enjoy some lemonade with me in the shade.” She said when he was done. He rolled the lawn mower into the garage, then sat at the picnic table with his Aunt.

“This’ll hit the spot, sugar.” She poured him a glass of the sugary elixir and slid it over to him.

“You ready to go to Houston for the finals tomorrow?” He asked her.

“What makes you so sure he’s going to win his match today? I’m pretty sure he will, but in this business you never know.” She dabbed at her upper lip with a napkin. It was steamy even in the shade.

“He wants to win it, bad. I watched him practicing with Emm, and I had no idea the amount of work that goes into being a professional player. I couldn’t do it.” He said.

“Sugar, what they put themselves through is unbelievable. It looks so easy when you watch it on television. People have no idea the amount of work it takes to make it look so effortless.” She sighed.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Chip cooling down, while Dixie kept sneaking glances at him. Finally, when the silence was becoming uncomfortable, she hit him with the question he was avoiding the most.

“So, have you quit your job yet?”

He looked down at the table and nodded. No one in the world could read him like she did.

“Chip, I want you to be happy, you know that. But why the hell are you rushing into this?” Her tone of voice wasn’t so much as angry as it was resigned.

Tyler had asked him to go to Europe, to be there for him.

He’d provide the cover, make him his personal assistant.

He would have a salary. No one would find out about them, and he needed Chip, couldn’t stand the thought of being without him for so long.

Work had been hard recently, nothing like he’d expected for such a small town.

“I couldn’t say no.” He mumbled into his glass.

“Now I owe Sania ten bucks. I told her it wouldn’t happen until after Monte Carlo. Shit.” She laughed and shook her head at his amazed expression.

“Sugar, you think I haven’t seen this before?

How do you think Emm and Tina first hooked up?

This happens all the time. The tennis star declares their love, can’t win a match without them by their side.

So the object of their affection drops everything in their life in order to be with them.

Honey, just make sure you feel right about it.

You’re the one giving up everything, not him.

” She patted his hand, then asked a hard question.

“Have you exchanged the magical three words that will forever join you spiritually, emotionally, physically, and make observers either wretch or clutch their hearts?”

Chip had no idea what she was talking about at first, then it dawned on him.

I love you. He’d thought it, and he was pretty sure he felt it, but he had no other experience with it.

Whenever he looked into Tyler’s dark, soulful eyes, his heart raced and he forgot what they were talking about.

His body yearned to hold him, to never have him gone from his side.

If that was love, then yes, he was in love with him.

But he was afraid to say the words, and had no idea why.

“No,” he said. “We haven’t said the um, three magic words yet.”

Her mouth dropped open, then she spoke. “I can’t tell you what to do, but you need to listen to every word I say.

Before you start gallivanting all over the world on the arm of your knight in shining armor, you’d best own up to how you feel about him.

” She said. Her face scrunched up, anger washing over her features. Chip said nothing.

“Do I need to have this talk with him too? Shit, if he messes with my nephew he’s going to have to deal with a mean old lady first.” She hit her tiny fist on the table, nearly knocking his glass over.

“Aunt Dixie, chill out. It’s okay, it’s not just him making decisions, it’s me. We want…” Both Chip and his aunt’s phone buzzed at the same time. Dixie was faster grabbing hers.

“Hot dog! He’s in the final!” She said, then asked Chip. “You wanna take this mean old lady to Houston tomorrow?”

“What the hell is wrong with them?” Aunt Dixie bitched about the seating arrangements.

Tournaments almost always sat both player’s teams next to one another, but nobody thought it would happen this time.

Tyler’s former coach Scott was loathed by both Dixie and Sania for the way he'd left Tyler in the lurch.

Having to sit next to him was torture, and the entire tennis world knew about the bad blood.

His player, Travis Johnson, had made the finals too.

Now they were stuck sitting next to Scott, who kept giving Chip questioning looks.

“Is everything happening the way it should?” Chip overheard his Aunt whispering to Sania. He turned in her direction, and saw her nod and frown.

Tyler won the coin toss, and elected to serve. It was the last easy thing he’d win that day.

Chip’s heart raced as he watched Tyler hit balls everywhere but over the net. He double-faulted on his first serve, and barely managed to hold. His opponent, Travis, was pumped up, bouncing, filled with energy.

In the players’ box the atmosphere was less than cordial.

Scott never looked at them without a smirk plastered on his face.

Aunt Dixie’s little fists were clenched, and Sania’s normally serene face was grim.

Emm looked like she had the flu. Her reputation was on the line since Tyler was the first top player she’d worked with as a coach.

The first set went back and forth, both men breaking the other’s serve, but Travis was always ahead.

It ended in a tie-break, and Travis came out on top.

During the changeover Tyler looked up to his box and grimaced.

For a brief moment, Chip held Tyler’s eyes to his, and he worried about the shadows lurking underneath them.

There’s something wrong. Chip could tell by his slumped shoulders, and the lackluster way he jogged to the back of the court.

Chip smiled, gave him a thumb’s up, and sent mental messages of hope.

Telepathy probably didn’t work, but right now he’d try anything to see Tyler win.

When Tyler turned his attention back to the match, Chip’s smile faded, along with his hope.

“What the hell is this?”

Chip turned at the sound of a man’s voice. It was Scott, Tyler’s former coach. He was staring at his phone, his mouth open. He turned to Sania and spoke through clenched teeth.

“Empty threats.” His face flushed red.

“You signed it. Violate it, and we will take you to court. It’s that simple.

Best of luck to your player.” Sania smiled sweetly, slid her sunglasses on, then turned back to the court.

Seconds later Tyler looked up again, a frantic look in his eyes.

Sania lifted her sunglasses half an inch and smiled at him, then gave him a thumbs up.

“You can’t prove anything!” Scott said, his voice carrying just enough to arouse the attention of those in nearby seats.

“Now, now, Scott, just remember, neither can you.” She took her sunglasses off.

“Not only will you violate the agreement, you’ll be accused of libel.

If you want to spend years in court defending yourself, knock yourself out.

Just realize we will drag you through the mud, and our pockets are much deeper than yours. ”

“But…” Scott spluttered, then Sania shut him down.

“Rise above this Scott, and let the players decide who the real champion is.”

Chip was enthralled, not by the match, but by the lethal force Sania radiated toward Tyler’s ex-coach. Dixie elbowed him, hard.

“Pay that no mind, sweet pea.” She nodded her head toward the court, and Chip turned his attention back to the match.

Seconds later he was on his feet.

Shouts and applause rang through the stadium as Tyler returned to his chair. Tyler was leading in the second set, 2-0.

“What happened?” He asked Dixie.

“While you were busy eavesdropping, Tyler broke Travis. Boy never knew what hit him.” She looked up at him with an evil grin.

“Scott wanted to win this through blackmail. I hope that poor boy figures out what a scummy coach he has and dumps him. Boy’s got talent, and it’s a shame to waste it with Shithead over there.

” She didn’t even bother keeping her voice low.

Chip turned toward Scott, who had his face in his hands.

They left the tournament and headed straight for the airport to catch the flight to Europe. The tournament in Monte Carlo started tomorrow, so Tyler would be sleeping on the airplane. Now they were waiting for their flight and saying goodbye to Aunt Dixie, Sania, and Tina.

“Tell me what really happened, or I’m never mowing your yard again.” Chip whispered to his aunt.

“Boy, don’t threaten me. Gimme a minute, would ya? I’ve got to get these tickets and reservations in order. Remember, you’re the one taking care of this stuff after you get on that plane. Sania?” She called out. “You giving me a lift home?”

“No, Tina’s dropping you off. I’m heading back to L.A. We’ll talk tomorrow. Chip, hand me your phone.” Sania ordered. Chip handed it to her, which she placed next to hers for a moment, then handed it back.