wearing yoga pants, a long-sleeved Tee-shirt, and running shoes. This morning, she wore no makeup but she was still utterly gorgeous, even though she seemed tired and peaked.
“Kendall!” Mortician called.
“You know her fucking name?” Johnnie asked as she halted next to him and smiled. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”
Mortician shrugged and belched again. “Don’t remember you fucking asking, assfuck.”
She stepped closer, her smile uncertain. “Good morning.” A vacuous expression blanked her face before she squeezed her eyes shut, her mouth moving to silent words. She opened her eyes again and frowned in concentration until Little Man wiggled. She stared at him and her eyes grew misty. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Yes,” Johnnie agreed, turning his attention to the little boy again to contain his reaction to her and try to make sense of her odd behavior. “What does a cow say?”
“Foo, foo, foo,” Little Man squealed, raising his hands in the air, like he’d scored a touchdown.
Johnnie frowned. “Not foo. Moo .”
Squeals, squeaks and finally, “foo, foo.”
Digger guffawed. “Yeah, you right. Little Man probably confused. We been trying to teach him to say fuck. I think Prez’ll like that,” he explained.
Kendall pushed away whatever she grappled with and gasped, her look appalled.
“No the fuck Prez won’t,” Val growled, pulling prescription bottles from his cut and opening one then the other. After taking a couple pills from each bottle, he grabbed Mortician’s beer and down the medicine. “Meggie won’t like Little Man cursing.”
“Won’t have a fucking choice,” Mortician reasoned, sucking his teeth before grabbing a toothpick and jabbing it between the spaces. “Fucking ham.” He drank from what had become the community beer bottle and swished it around in his mouth before swallowing it down and burping. “He around us all the time.”
Kendall cleared her throat. “Erm, maybe, you should stop using foul language in front of him,” she said, low and unsure. She seemed afraid of her own shadow.
Johnnie nodded, encouraging her to continue. “It’s okay, Kendall,” he whispered, for her ears alone. “You’re amongst friends. As long as you’re friendly.”
Hope flared in her brown eyes and tension eased from her shoulders. She started to speak, a smile threatening to break free, but Logan shuffled, drawing her attention. Color leeched from her and she reeled back.
“You know Lowman?” Mortician called.
Not answering, Kendall shook her head, the blankness returning before horror swept it all away.
She glanced in horror between all of them, balling her hands at her sides.
“You know my grandfather?” Johnnie asked.
“You’re…” Her hand flew to her mouth and tears rushed to her eyes. “He’s your grandfather?”
“What the fuck’s going on here?” Johnnie growled. “Answer me, Kendall.”
“That’s Spoon’s stupid cum hole,” Logan said with a shrug.
A low growl erupted from the back of Johnnie’s throat. “Keep your fucking comments about Kendall to yourself, old man.” Seeing Logan made so many different feelings and memories invade him. Whether he liked it or not, he was Grandda, the man he’d revered as a child, and Logan. And Johnnie despised Logan.
Needing a moment to allow his temper to cool, Johnnie held Little Man out to Digger. He stared at Kendall. A frantic desperation wrinkled her features and she looked ready to bolt and faint. It was a tossup on which would happen first. Leaning against the bar, he remembered he wore only jeans when he saw her staring at the dagger tat on his bicep. Her gaze dropped to his chest, her vulnerability and longing opening a well of protectiveness towards her.
Wanting to put her at ease, he gave her a half-smile. She seemed one step away from being catatonic. Every emotion she possessed, besides panic and fear—appeared frozen in her. He intended to discover what became of the woman
“Kendall!” Mortician called.
“You know her fucking name?” Johnnie asked as she halted next to him and smiled. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”
Mortician shrugged and belched again. “Don’t remember you fucking asking, assfuck.”
She stepped closer, her smile uncertain. “Good morning.” A vacuous expression blanked her face before she squeezed her eyes shut, her mouth moving to silent words. She opened her eyes again and frowned in concentration until Little Man wiggled. She stared at him and her eyes grew misty. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Yes,” Johnnie agreed, turning his attention to the little boy again to contain his reaction to her and try to make sense of her odd behavior. “What does a cow say?”
“Foo, foo, foo,” Little Man squealed, raising his hands in the air, like he’d scored a touchdown.
Johnnie frowned. “Not foo. Moo .”
Squeals, squeaks and finally, “foo, foo.”
Digger guffawed. “Yeah, you right. Little Man probably confused. We been trying to teach him to say fuck. I think Prez’ll like that,” he explained.
Kendall pushed away whatever she grappled with and gasped, her look appalled.
“No the fuck Prez won’t,” Val growled, pulling prescription bottles from his cut and opening one then the other. After taking a couple pills from each bottle, he grabbed Mortician’s beer and down the medicine. “Meggie won’t like Little Man cursing.”
“Won’t have a fucking choice,” Mortician reasoned, sucking his teeth before grabbing a toothpick and jabbing it between the spaces. “Fucking ham.” He drank from what had become the community beer bottle and swished it around in his mouth before swallowing it down and burping. “He around us all the time.”
Kendall cleared her throat. “Erm, maybe, you should stop using foul language in front of him,” she said, low and unsure. She seemed afraid of her own shadow.
Johnnie nodded, encouraging her to continue. “It’s okay, Kendall,” he whispered, for her ears alone. “You’re amongst friends. As long as you’re friendly.”
Hope flared in her brown eyes and tension eased from her shoulders. She started to speak, a smile threatening to break free, but Logan shuffled, drawing her attention. Color leeched from her and she reeled back.
“You know Lowman?” Mortician called.
Not answering, Kendall shook her head, the blankness returning before horror swept it all away.
She glanced in horror between all of them, balling her hands at her sides.
“You know my grandfather?” Johnnie asked.
“You’re…” Her hand flew to her mouth and tears rushed to her eyes. “He’s your grandfather?”
“What the fuck’s going on here?” Johnnie growled. “Answer me, Kendall.”
“That’s Spoon’s stupid cum hole,” Logan said with a shrug.
A low growl erupted from the back of Johnnie’s throat. “Keep your fucking comments about Kendall to yourself, old man.” Seeing Logan made so many different feelings and memories invade him. Whether he liked it or not, he was Grandda, the man he’d revered as a child, and Logan. And Johnnie despised Logan.
Needing a moment to allow his temper to cool, Johnnie held Little Man out to Digger. He stared at Kendall. A frantic desperation wrinkled her features and she looked ready to bolt and faint. It was a tossup on which would happen first. Leaning against the bar, he remembered he wore only jeans when he saw her staring at the dagger tat on his bicep. Her gaze dropped to his chest, her vulnerability and longing opening a well of protectiveness towards her.
Wanting to put her at ease, he gave her a half-smile. She seemed one step away from being catatonic. Every emotion she possessed, besides panic and fear—appeared frozen in her. He intended to discover what became of the woman
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