Leaving Home by Chase, A. (life books to read .txt) 📗

Peter didn’t think he’d ever moved so fast in his life. He opened the back door, then

cleaned the seat off. He grabbed Chaz’s arm to pull him close to the car.

“Get in.”

Chaz managed to crawl in, then curled into a foetal position. His pasty skin glistened

with sweat.

“If you throw up in my car, I’m going to be pissed off,” Peter commented, shutting the

door.

As he walked around the front of the car, he got his phone out and dialled the ranch’s

number.

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LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 13

“Hello?”

“Hey, Margie, it’s Peter. I wanted to let you know I’m on my way home, and I’m

bringing someone with me.” He climbed into the driver’s seat while he spoke to her.

“You know you’re always welcome to bring home friends. Master Les wouldn’t mind at

all.” He could hear the smile in her voice.

“Well, he isn’t really a friend. Just some guy who needs some help. I didn’t want to

leave him alone, so I thought I’d let him crash for a little while.”

Margie was silent for a moment, then she said, “All right. Dinner will be ready when

you get back.”

“Thanks, Margie. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”

After Peter hung up, he tossed the phone onto the seat next to him. He waited a few

seconds before starting the car. He couldn’t help wondering if he was doing the right thing.

He’d seen too many horror movies that started with the good guy taking a stranger home,

and the stranger turning out to be some psycho serial killer.

He glanced over his shoulder at where Chaz lay curled on the seat. So often he’d heard

Les and Randy telling him to go with his gut feeling. Everything he was feeling about Chaz told Peter the man wasn’t dangerous to him.

After pulling away from the kerb, Peter headed towards the ranch. Only time would

tell whether taking Chaz home was a bad decision or not.

Twenty minutes later, Peter parked the car outside the main house. He climbed out,

then stood and stared at the building. It was a nondescript, stereotypical ranch house with white siding and blue shutters. There was a porch on the front, and there was a matching one at the back. Les had expanded the master suite a few years ago.

There was nothing remarkable about the house, yet Peter knew it was home to the most

wonderful couple he’d ever met. Also, it had been his home for the last several years. It went to show that the plainest packaging could hide marvellous things.

“Are you coming in, Peter?”

Glancing over at Margie, he smiled. “Yes, ma’am. I just have to get my friend.

Ummm…”

He hesitated at the passenger door. Was this the best decision he could have made? He

probably should’ve called T or David to come and help him. They would’ve known what to

do that didn’t involve Chaz being brought into the house.

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LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 14

He hated the fact that Les and Randy weren’t around. Neither were Tony and Brody.

Both couples had gone to Germany to watch Juan, Tony’s nephew, compete in some big

horse show. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Max still worked for Tony, but he’d quit to move to Austin with his partner, and Peter couldn’t blame him for that. Heck, every man deserved happiness when they discovered it.

Before he could open the door, Chaz burst through it to drop to his knees in the middle

of the driveway, and throw up. Peter didn’t know what to do, so he stood there, grimacing as Chaz crumpled to the side, moaning.

“I’ll go and start a shower in the guest bathroom. Bring your friend in when he’s

ready,” Margie said from where she stood on the porch.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He watched her stroll back into the house then turned to look at Chaz. With a disgusted

grunt, Peter walked over to where Chaz lay groaning and clutching his stomach.

“Come on. We have to get you inside. Once you get out of those wretched clothes and

take a shower, I’m sure you’ll feel better.”

Not that Peter knew anything about withdrawal or anything like that. But he knew

when he was sick he liked being clean best of all.

“I’ll be fine. Just give me my pills, and it’ll be okay.” Chaz held out his shaking hand.

Peter shook his head. “I don’t think so. Your problem is from these things. Seems to me

you’d know better than to take any more of them.”

“Whatever.” Chaz shrugged, letting his hand drop. “If I could just clean up, I’ll be out

of your hair.”

“You can spend the night, and I’ll take you back to town so we can find your vehicle.”

Chaz didn’t answer him, just braced his hands on the ground to push himself up onto

his feet. “Take me to a bathroom.”

The command in Chaz’s voice irritated him. Peter led the way onto the porch then

stopped instead of opening the door. He looked intently at Chaz, hoping to make Chaz

understand how important what he was about to say was.

“I’m trusting that you won’t be rude to Margie. This is more her house than mine, and I

warn you, if you are rude or mean to her, I’ll throw you out on your ass. You’ll have to find your own way back to Cheyenne.”

Chaz rolled his eyes, and Peter poked him in the chest.

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LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 15

“I’m not joking with you, Chaz. This isn’t my house, but the people who do own it are

some of my closest friends, and I won’t allow you to do anything to hurt them.”

What Peter didn’t expect was Chaz gripping his hand before pressing it flat against his

chest. His heart skipped a beat at how warm and muscular Chaz’s chest felt under his T-

shirt. He stared up into Chaz’s bottle green eyes and saw a hint of sincerity underneath the drug-induced glaze.

“Peter, I promise that I’ll be as polite as can be when I meet Margie. I might not be at

my best, but my mother raised me the right way. I know you don’t know me, and I

appreciate that you’re risking a lot to welcome