Page 81 of Moonshine Lullabies
“Nice,” he said grinning and nodding at me, and I was grinnin’ with pride and a nod too.
“Y’all done a good turn for me, now!” I called out. “I’m blessed to know you!”
“Wish we could take credit, but it was mostly La Croix and Hex!” Collier said putting the skull in the back. J.P. bringin’ our bags over and tucking ‘em around the freshly carved piece.
“C’mon, Tate. Let’s go for a ride,” I said and my kid eagerly jogged around the front of the truck and got in on the passenger side.
Col leaned in the open door and kissed me soundly and shut me in.
“Right behind you, Sis!” J.P. called out and the two bikers got into my brother’s truck.
“We going to the city?” Tater asked and I shook my head.
“No, kid – it’s back to your granddaddy and your grannies for you,” I said with a sigh.
“Aw, man!” he complained. “Dang it!”
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“It’s not so much fun over there, they make me go to bed at likeseven,” he complained and I snorted and had to laugh at that.
“Why so early?” I asked.
“That’s what I asked!”
“What’d they say?”
He rolled his eyes, “Because I said so!” he declared in a mocking voice.
I laughed, and I said, “You know the rules,” and he made an exasperated noise and said, “I know, I know, it’s their house so they make the rules!”
“Darn right, but I’ll still have a talk wit ‘em and see if I can’t get it up to your usual nine,” I said.
“Thanks, Mom,” he said.
“You’re wee, buddy.”
* * *
By the timewe got to my folks my nerves were in full swing. I was worryin’ about all sorts of dumb things.
About my parents meeting Col in a more official capacity. If Col was offended that I’d had Tate ride with me – which I was sure was just me, but I hadn’t wanted my momma givin’ me a ration of hell. She so would if I pulled up havin’ Col ride shotgun rather than my kid who was supposed to be my whole world in all things to the point it was unhealthy. Sometimes, it was just easier to think ahead an’ head that type of shit off at the pass.
I worried about how my daddy’d receive Col… mostly because he had no faith in my choice in men and hadn’t liked a single one of my boyfriends before.
I don’t think my dad had any faith in any of the decisions I made, so I couldn’t say for certain that it had much to do with the guys. I couldn’t say it didn’t, either… but I’m pretty damn sure that it had more to do with me than not.
I let out a breath as we pulled into my parent’s driveway in front of the house that I grew up in and J.P. pulled around up next to me and into the grass, parking on the side of the house.
“Hopefully, granny’s cool today,” Tate said mildly and I turned to look at my boy and ruffled his hair. He said as he got out the truck, “I don’t know how you did it sometimes.”
I laughed, and thoughtout of the mouths of babes,and got out the truck myself feeling oddly comforted and validated by my boy which made me worry on a whole other track.
I knew it wasn’t my fourteen-year-old’s responsibility to emotionally fulfill me. It was a fine line to walk sometimes, though.
I had to stuff all my worries away and put on a brave face as I got out the truck. The front door to my parent’s place opened up and my daddy stepped out and I put on a false brightness and waved. He crossed his arms over his chest lookin’ all hard like he usually did and called out, “Hey there.”
“Hey, Daddy,” I called back. I lifted Tate’s tackle box out of the back of the truck as Tate finished hefting his gym bag and his backpack out.
