Page 4 of Serve (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1, #5)

Chapter Four

Chip

“Your nephew is my hero.” Tyler whispered in Dixie’s ear. She placed her finger over her lips and shushed him.

“Don’t say that too loudly. It’ll go straight to his head.” She stopped the wheelchair while Chip stood at the employee entrance, scanning the parking lot for reporters.

“Coast is clear. Oh, here, put this on.” Chip took off his cowboy hat and placed it on Tyler’s head. He glanced up, catching Chips’ eye.

“Never worn one of these before. How does it look?” Tyler winked.

“Hush up, you two. Let’s get out of here.” Tyler bit his lower lip as Dixie scolded them, then she held the door open while Chip pushed the wheelchair through it.

Chip’s truck was parked close by, otherwise he would have pulled up to the entrance. He propelled the wheelchair forward while Aunt Dixie walked casually beside it, blocking the view.

“Shit.” He heard Dixie mutter. Chip stopped pushing for half a second, then pushed the chair a bit faster.

“What’s happening?” Tyler whispered.

“A couple of guys with cameras are sneaking a smoke in the lot. Keep your head down.” The next few seconds lasted forever. Finally, they stopped next to a giant pickup truck. He looked up, only to be swatted by Dixie.

“Keep your head down, fool!” She whispered.

Chip unlocked the door, then he stooped over and whispered in Tyler’s ear.

“You ready, big fella? On the count of three, stand.” Tyler nodded. Chip placed his arm around him for support.

“One, two, three.” Tyler’s legs shook, but he managed not to fall over. Chip tightened his grip on the man’s muscular shoulders. Tyler leaned into Chip and hoisted himself into the front seat.

“I’m gonna roll the wheelchair back to the entrance. Hop in the driver side, Aunt Dixie, and make sure he keeps his head down.”

Dixie raced to the other side of the truck and got in. He scanned the lot as he walked the wheelchair to the entrance. The two reporters didn’t look at him even once. He strolled back to the truck, not wanting to provoke their interest by running.

“I can’t thank you enough, Chip.” Tyler said as he snapped his seatbelt in place.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. Thank me when we’re pulling up to your house, okay?” Chip replied.

Tyler reached over Dixie and squeezed Chip’s knee, surprising him. He felt his face flushing, then he dropped the keys.

“What the hell is wrong with you, boy? Start the damn truck!” Dixie muttered through gritted teeth. He found the keys, turned the ignition, and pulled out of the lot. His fingers trembled, and his face was hot, and not just from his aunt’s fiery words.

“Help him to the sofa, Chip. I’ll get some coffee started.” Dixie commanded.

He looked into Tyler’s eyes, inches from his own. The athlete gripped his shoulder, then let go of him.

“I’ll be fine.” Tyler lowered himself to the sofa with a soft groan.

Chip scanned the room with a sense of awe. A glass case on one side held over a dozen glittering trophies, while the furniture alone probably cost what he made in ten years. Why didn’t he know more about this guy? His aunt never spoke of him, and after all this time, it made little sense.

“Here you go, boys.” Aunt Dixie placed the tray on the table and poured them each a cup. She hurried back to the kitchen and reemerged with an open bottle of beer for herself.

“I don’t drink on the job, but tonight called for it.” She took a swig and fell into the seat next to Tyler. Chip sat in the chair across from them, feeling more and more confused about his aunt and the man she worked for.

“What’s wrong, Chip? You look like a kitten yanked from its momma.” Dixie peeled the label from her beer, placing the shreds on the coffee table in a neat pile.

“Well, I guess it’s just confusing. I mean, you’ve worked with Tyler for a long time, but I had no idea who he was.

I’m not used to sneaking bona fide celebrities out of hospitals in the dead of night.

Can I have one of those?” He pointed at the beer.

Dixie raised a brow and nodded, then pointed toward the kitchen.

When he returned, the two of them were whispering. He sat down, then his aunt spoke.

“I’m sorry, Chip, but you know I can’t talk about my job, don’t you?

The reason you know little about him, or my work, is that I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

I’m not allowed to talk about it.” She turned to her boss and teased him.

“Hey, Tyler, give me a raise! I don’t even talk about you to my favorite nephew!

” She punched him in the shoulder, cackling.

Tyler winced, then laughed along with her.

“You’re more than worth it, Dixie.” He looked at Chip’s aunt with unabashed gratitude. They were almost like a married couple, their body language perfectly in sync.

Chip stared at the two of them, then took a sip of the beer. He didn’t drink often, and winced at the bitter flavor. He placed the bottle on a coaster and glanced up to see Tyler staring at him.

“You might as well get used to Chip, Tyler. Now that you’ve met, you’re going to be seeing more of him.

I’m going to be here a bit more now that you’re not feeling up to snuff.

You two can have a play-date, plus I might need his help with a few things.

” Aunt Dixie drained her bottle and placed it on the table.

“My injuries aren’t that bad. Just bruised ribs and a concussion. You don’t need to come back full-time, just help out as needed.” Tyler replied, his gaze now focused on his lap.

“Tyler, you think I want to be here all the time? I’m supposed to be semi-retired, not slaving away over you.

I will be here as long as it’s necessary, then I will return to part-time.

Unless you decide to go back on tour, of course.

Have you decided about that yet?” She placed a hand on his knee and squeezed.

“No, I was going to talk to Grant about it, but obviously I was delayed. Shit, I never called him. Will you remind me to call and apologize tomorrow?” Tyler asked Dixie.

“Sure, if you want I’ll do it, and leave a message with his receptionist.”

Tyler nodded, and Dixie made a note on her phone.

“In fact, Let me take care of something else while I’ve got my mind on it.” Dixie pressed a few numbers in, then stood up, and spoke, “Sania? It’s me, Dixie. How ya doing, sugar?” She walked into the kitchen to continue their conversation.

Chip had never seen his aunt in her professional capacity and was impressed. She seemed to be much more than a housekeeper.

“Who’s Sania?” He asked Tyler, who had his face in his hands.

“My agent,” Tyler sighed. “I’m glad Dixie’s here, because I didn’t want to make that call. Sania’s not thrilled with me at the moment.” Tyler stretched in his seat and winced.

“Maybe you should get some rest. You’ve had quite a day.” Chip wanted to reassure the man, make him feel better. Instead, he felt tongue-tied around the athlete, out of his depth.

Tyler stared at him and shook his head. “I wish I was you.” Tyler muttered, glancing away.

Chip didn’t want to tell the man how boring his life was, especially when he was in so much pain.

He might have nothing to say, but he could be there for him.

He sat down next to him on the sofa and placed his hand in between his shoulders.

The muscles were knotted. He gently pushed in, feeling them loosen under his fingertips.

“I’m sorry you feel bad, and I wish I knew what else to say, but any friend of my aunt is a friend of mine.

I’ll do what I can to help you out.” Chip whispered.

Tyler said nothing, didn’t have to. His shoulders shook, and Chip realized the man next to him, who had everything you could ever want in this world, was crying.

“It’s too late. Sania says she saw something on Twitter. Famous athlete in Texas, hospitalized. She was waiting for one of us to call. She’s going to want you to give a press conference to squash any rumors.” Aunt Dixie sat down and opened up another bottle of beer.

“Fine. At least we tried. I’m not doing the press thing for a couple of days. I’ll call Sania tomorrow and have her prepare a statement. Lord knows, they’ll make up something, anyway. ‘Champion on drinking binge in drunk-driving accident!’ I hate my life.” Tyler said in a monotone voice.

Chip shook his head, shocked that a man with so much could feel such self-pity.

“Tyler, you are so damned spoiled, sometimes it kills me.” Dixie smacked him on the arm.

He looked at the older woman suspiciously.

“Have you forgotten how much your career has done for you? Look at this house, and everything in it. You’ve been on the cover of magazines, for crying out loud. Damn, I hate it when you feel sorry for yourself.” Aunt Dixie didn’t mince words, no matter who it was.

“I know, I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to deal with this.” Tyler smiled. “At least they can’t publish a picture of me looking like this. Those assholes would kill for a picture of me all beat up.”

“You look great.” Chip murmured.

His Aunt took a swig of her beer, then burped.

“Bless your heart, Chip.”

“You are acting like a teenage girl, Chip. What the hell is wrong with you?” They’d put Tyler to bed, and now Aunt Dixie was on her third beer, her tongue loosening with each sip.

“Nothing, why do you keep asking that?”

The older woman giggled and shook her head. “Just ignore me, child. I’m enjoying my buzz, that’s all.”

“Aunt Dixie, why’s he so worried about the press? I thought famous people liked being in the news all the time?”

“It’s not that simple. He’s got a lot going on, and after you’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, it gets to be a pain in the ass.” She shook her head, thinking the same thing Chip was, but feeling the need to defend her employer.

“But it’s just a car wreck. If anything, the story of a famous guy nearly killing himself to save a dog is great… what’s the word... publicity?” Chip knew none of this was his business, but he was curious about Tyler. He wanted to know what made him tick.

“Sugar, I can’t speak for him. The main thing is, he doesn’t want people to know he’s seeing a shrink. I get that, because people will make stupid shit up about it. Also, he’s…” She pressed her lips together and looked at the ceiling.

“What is it? He’s got the perfect life. Money, fame, trophies, I mean, what the hell could be wrong?” He persisted.

“Are you blind, Chip? He’s gay, and afraid to come out.” She slammed her empty beer bottle on the table and stood up.

“Why? I didn’t think it was such a big deal anymore.”

“He’s thirty years old. When he started out, your career could be ruined if they found out you were gay, especially if you were a male athlete.

He was given really bad advice over the years about it, especially from that son of a bitch coach of his, Scott.

You see, when people look at Tyler, all they see are dollar signs.

Scott depended on Tyler to get paid. He told him he’d ruin his career and lose millions of dollars if he was honest. Maybe that was true ten years ago, but not anymore.

” Her voice grew softer. It was obvious to Chip how much his aunt cared for Tyler.

“He should just come out then.” Chip saw the issue in black and white, couldn’t understand what was holding Tyler back.

He’d only just met him, but hated seeing him in such pain.

Dixie patted his head and walked over to the floor to ceiling windows.

The sky was clear, and the moon shone bright over the yard.

Chip saw a tennis court and a swimming pool shimmering under the silvery light.

“Honey, the man has had so little love in his life, the thought of sacrificing the adoration of his fans to be true to himself is horrifying. He wants to, I know he does. But, I really don’t think he will.”

“Why not?”

“Love. He’s just like you and me, sugar. He wants love, and until he finds it, he’s going to stay alone and afraid. Damn it, I miss Sue.” She held out her hand for Chip. He stood up from the couch.

“Do we need to check on him? I thought people with concussions weren’t supposed to sleep?” Dixie asked.

“That’s not true, anymore. It’s not a serious concussion, and other than that it’s just bruised ribs and muscle soreness. Sleep actually helps concussion patients recover faster.” Chip replied. Dixie nodded her head.

“Let’s go to bed. Guest rooms are upstairs.” She pulled him forward a few feet, then he stopped.

“What is it Chip?” She looked at him perplexed.

“Nothing, I’m sorry. Just…” He shook his head, and allowed her to lead him upstairs.