Just the now, that’s what she said. Didn’t want to plan ahead, didn’t want to get her hopes up.”
“Understandable,” Rebel said agreeably, his gaze still fastened on the flames. “But . . .”
“I was going to ask her to marry me. At Christmas.” He’d been counting down the days with the kind of excitement that hadn’t possessed him since he was six. How many more days until Christmas? How many more days until he could propose? Until he could move Tammy and Mikey into his house? Until he could get on with the rest of his life, a family by his side and a good woman in his bed?
“Excellent idea,” Rebel agreed. Clarence glanced at Nobody, who nodded. “So what’s the problem?”
“That dick—I mean, Ezra. I didn’t . . . I didn’t plan on him. On her defending him. I can’t—I mean, I’m an old man. And if he comes back, if he decides he wants her back and he’ll do what it takes—I can’t compete with that. He’s Mikey’s dad. I’m just . . . nothing.”
A silence that pained him settled around them because what could Rebel or even Nobody say to that? Those were the cold, hard facts. Clarence had known it from the beginning—he was too old for her and there was no way he could win a battle for her heart against a younger man she already was tied to through Mikey.
“Ask her.” The sound of Nobody actually talking—out loud—made Clarence jump again.
“What?” Had he ever heard Nobody talk before?
“Ask her,” he repeated, as if that were all Clarence needed to know.
“He’s right,” Rebel agreed. “Ask her anyway. You’re only, what—forty?”
“Forty in three months,” he replied. Ask her anyway? After his behavior today? Yeah, he hadn’t done himself any favors there.
Rebel started to laugh and even Nobody cracked a smile. “Shit, man. That isn’t old. Not when you can still haul a man’s ass and shot-put it across a parking lot. You’ve got a claim. Stake it.” He turned a kind smile to Clarence. “Don’t be a dick. It’s really that simple.”
What the hell was that supposed to mean? “Yeah, okay.” He looked over at Nobody—but the man was gone. Seconds later, headlights cut through the dusk from far down the road. Dr. Mitchell was almost home.
“You better go,” Rebel said. “She’s not too happy with you right now.”
“Can’t blame her.” After all, getting into a fight and then bailing before his time was up was kind of a dick move. “See you,” he said as he hurried to his car.
He passed Dr. Mitchell on the road and was unsurprised when she glared at him. He gave an apologetic shrug of his shoulders and then drove on.
Ask her anyway? Don’t be a dick. How was that simple? Rebel was usually better with the advice thing than that. He didn’t leave things unfinished—
Then realization hit Clarence so hard that he almost drove off the road.
Don’t be a dick.
Like that dickbag had been.
Oh, hell—he had to get to Tammy right now .
Chapter Ten
Of course Ezra didn’t show. That part didn’t really surprise Tammy any more than it surprised her mom and Tara. The only person who had the capacity to be upset by this development was Mikey and he was going to make them all pay for his daddy not being there yet again.
When Mom said, “Dinner’s ready,” Mikey insisted that they wait for Ezra. After fifteen minutes, Tammy was forced to say they should eat without Ezra, which was not what Mikey wanted to hear. Raging with a fury that only a four-year-old boy was capable of maintaining, he threw his toys, nearly hitting the T.V. with a toy car and clocking his cousin Nelly in the head with a stuffed animal. Tammy had to wrap him up with both her arms and legs to keep him from breaking something. She just held him while he sobbed and she cried, too.
Of course Ezra hadn’t come. She’d expected that, expected the tantrum Mikey would throw at having his world knocked out from under him.
“I want Cwarence,” he wept
“Understandable,” Rebel said agreeably, his gaze still fastened on the flames. “But . . .”
“I was going to ask her to marry me. At Christmas.” He’d been counting down the days with the kind of excitement that hadn’t possessed him since he was six. How many more days until Christmas? How many more days until he could propose? Until he could move Tammy and Mikey into his house? Until he could get on with the rest of his life, a family by his side and a good woman in his bed?
“Excellent idea,” Rebel agreed. Clarence glanced at Nobody, who nodded. “So what’s the problem?”
“That dick—I mean, Ezra. I didn’t . . . I didn’t plan on him. On her defending him. I can’t—I mean, I’m an old man. And if he comes back, if he decides he wants her back and he’ll do what it takes—I can’t compete with that. He’s Mikey’s dad. I’m just . . . nothing.”
A silence that pained him settled around them because what could Rebel or even Nobody say to that? Those were the cold, hard facts. Clarence had known it from the beginning—he was too old for her and there was no way he could win a battle for her heart against a younger man she already was tied to through Mikey.
“Ask her.” The sound of Nobody actually talking—out loud—made Clarence jump again.
“What?” Had he ever heard Nobody talk before?
“Ask her,” he repeated, as if that were all Clarence needed to know.
“He’s right,” Rebel agreed. “Ask her anyway. You’re only, what—forty?”
“Forty in three months,” he replied. Ask her anyway? After his behavior today? Yeah, he hadn’t done himself any favors there.
Rebel started to laugh and even Nobody cracked a smile. “Shit, man. That isn’t old. Not when you can still haul a man’s ass and shot-put it across a parking lot. You’ve got a claim. Stake it.” He turned a kind smile to Clarence. “Don’t be a dick. It’s really that simple.”
What the hell was that supposed to mean? “Yeah, okay.” He looked over at Nobody—but the man was gone. Seconds later, headlights cut through the dusk from far down the road. Dr. Mitchell was almost home.
“You better go,” Rebel said. “She’s not too happy with you right now.”
“Can’t blame her.” After all, getting into a fight and then bailing before his time was up was kind of a dick move. “See you,” he said as he hurried to his car.
He passed Dr. Mitchell on the road and was unsurprised when she glared at him. He gave an apologetic shrug of his shoulders and then drove on.
Ask her anyway? Don’t be a dick. How was that simple? Rebel was usually better with the advice thing than that. He didn’t leave things unfinished—
Then realization hit Clarence so hard that he almost drove off the road.
Don’t be a dick.
Like that dickbag had been.
Oh, hell—he had to get to Tammy right now .
Chapter Ten
Of course Ezra didn’t show. That part didn’t really surprise Tammy any more than it surprised her mom and Tara. The only person who had the capacity to be upset by this development was Mikey and he was going to make them all pay for his daddy not being there yet again.
When Mom said, “Dinner’s ready,” Mikey insisted that they wait for Ezra. After fifteen minutes, Tammy was forced to say they should eat without Ezra, which was not what Mikey wanted to hear. Raging with a fury that only a four-year-old boy was capable of maintaining, he threw his toys, nearly hitting the T.V. with a toy car and clocking his cousin Nelly in the head with a stuffed animal. Tammy had to wrap him up with both her arms and legs to keep him from breaking something. She just held him while he sobbed and she cried, too.
Of course Ezra hadn’t come. She’d expected that, expected the tantrum Mikey would throw at having his world knocked out from under him.
“I want Cwarence,” he wept
Similar Books
