him anything. Except for football stuff.
“I got it.”
—
M ack parked where the road ended, at the bottom of a long slope of trees. Near the top, that’s where they’d be working, I thought.
We could hear voices while we were still climbing. More than one. The closer we got, the clearer they became. I couldn’t make out the words, but I didn’t like the tone. I motioned Mack to move behind me. I couldn’t see if he signed anything to Minnie, but the white pit bull put herself between us.
“What d’you say, big man? You’re a cinch to win!”
A young man’s voice. Not one I recognized.
Another one: “Come on, stud. I mean, you like eating pie, right?”
One more: “Hey, maybe he’s never had any. You like the way good pie tastes, Franklin?”
“I don’t—”
Just as I stepped out to where they could all see me, Mackcut off whatever Franklin had been about to say with: “How would
you
know? The only way you’d ever get close to pussy would be at the animal shelter.”
Mack’s voice was flat and hard, the kind of hostile calm that scares people like them.
All three whirled. None of them liked the view.
“Who’re you guys supposed to be?” the first one said.
“I’m a friend of Franklin’s,” I told him. “A good friend. And this is a friend of mine”—quickly nodding my head toward where Mack was standing. “He wanted to meet Franklin, so I brought him with me. That’s a problem for you, maybe?”
“We never saw you before.”
“You don’t want to see us again,” Mack told him, very calm.
I watched their hands. Twitchy, but not ready to reach for anything.
Franklin opened his stance, but stayed as rooted as one of the trees he was working on. He wasn’t sure what to do, not yet. But I knew what he’d do if any of the three punks moved toward me, and I didn’t want that.
“Tough guy, huh?” their spokesman said. “I’m not fighting no pit bull.”
“Off!” Mack snapped out. Minnie hit the deck. Mack looked at the guy who’d been doing all the talking for the three of them, holding out two empty hands. “Feel better now?” he said, his voice as empty as a hollow-point slug.
“Look, we were just having some fun,” the spokesman said, turning to me, as if my age would make me more reasonable.
“Have it somewhere else,” I told him. “We don’t like people having your kind of fun.”
“We can do whatever—”
“Whatever isn’t the same as
wherever
,” I said.
“You own this property?” another of them whined. Not tough, looking for an excuse to go away.
“We’re
standing
on it,” I said.
“Mr. Dell, they weren’t doing anything,” Franklin finally said. “Really. They were just—”
“I know,” I assured the giant. Then I dropped my hands to my sides, stepped off to my right, and told the three punks, “We’re all done talking.”
Minnie was still flat on the ground, but she never took her eyes off them. Mack rotated his head on his neck. The audible
crack!
was as loud as a gunshot in the still air.
They all walked off, their leader muttering under his breath. Bullies need to save face, but this lot wasn’t stupid enough to make threats loud enough for us to hear.
—
“G ee, Mr. Dell, I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Actually, I’m looking for Spyros,” I said. “It was Mack who wanted to meet you, so I brought him along.”
“That’s a pretty little dog,” Franklin said. I didn’t see what gesture Mack made, but the white pit shot toward Franklin, leaping up at his chest. The giant caught her in the air, spun her around, and scratched her behind her right ear. “See, Mack! She likes me.”
“Of course she does, Franklin. She knows who likes
her
, too. You and me, you and me and Minnie, we’re going to be pals.”
“If you’re Mr. Dell’s friend, then you’re
my
friend, right?”
“Right,” I said over my shoulder as I was walking off. I didn’t look back, already punching Spyros’s number into my
“I got it.”
—
M ack parked where the road ended, at the bottom of a long slope of trees. Near the top, that’s where they’d be working, I thought.
We could hear voices while we were still climbing. More than one. The closer we got, the clearer they became. I couldn’t make out the words, but I didn’t like the tone. I motioned Mack to move behind me. I couldn’t see if he signed anything to Minnie, but the white pit bull put herself between us.
“What d’you say, big man? You’re a cinch to win!”
A young man’s voice. Not one I recognized.
Another one: “Come on, stud. I mean, you like eating pie, right?”
One more: “Hey, maybe he’s never had any. You like the way good pie tastes, Franklin?”
“I don’t—”
Just as I stepped out to where they could all see me, Mackcut off whatever Franklin had been about to say with: “How would
you
know? The only way you’d ever get close to pussy would be at the animal shelter.”
Mack’s voice was flat and hard, the kind of hostile calm that scares people like them.
All three whirled. None of them liked the view.
“Who’re you guys supposed to be?” the first one said.
“I’m a friend of Franklin’s,” I told him. “A good friend. And this is a friend of mine”—quickly nodding my head toward where Mack was standing. “He wanted to meet Franklin, so I brought him with me. That’s a problem for you, maybe?”
“We never saw you before.”
“You don’t want to see us again,” Mack told him, very calm.
I watched their hands. Twitchy, but not ready to reach for anything.
Franklin opened his stance, but stayed as rooted as one of the trees he was working on. He wasn’t sure what to do, not yet. But I knew what he’d do if any of the three punks moved toward me, and I didn’t want that.
“Tough guy, huh?” their spokesman said. “I’m not fighting no pit bull.”
“Off!” Mack snapped out. Minnie hit the deck. Mack looked at the guy who’d been doing all the talking for the three of them, holding out two empty hands. “Feel better now?” he said, his voice as empty as a hollow-point slug.
“Look, we were just having some fun,” the spokesman said, turning to me, as if my age would make me more reasonable.
“Have it somewhere else,” I told him. “We don’t like people having your kind of fun.”
“We can do whatever—”
“Whatever isn’t the same as
wherever
,” I said.
“You own this property?” another of them whined. Not tough, looking for an excuse to go away.
“We’re
standing
on it,” I said.
“Mr. Dell, they weren’t doing anything,” Franklin finally said. “Really. They were just—”
“I know,” I assured the giant. Then I dropped my hands to my sides, stepped off to my right, and told the three punks, “We’re all done talking.”
Minnie was still flat on the ground, but she never took her eyes off them. Mack rotated his head on his neck. The audible
crack!
was as loud as a gunshot in the still air.
They all walked off, their leader muttering under his breath. Bullies need to save face, but this lot wasn’t stupid enough to make threats loud enough for us to hear.
—
“G ee, Mr. Dell, I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Actually, I’m looking for Spyros,” I said. “It was Mack who wanted to meet you, so I brought him along.”
“That’s a pretty little dog,” Franklin said. I didn’t see what gesture Mack made, but the white pit shot toward Franklin, leaping up at his chest. The giant caught her in the air, spun her around, and scratched her behind her right ear. “See, Mack! She likes me.”
“Of course she does, Franklin. She knows who likes
her
, too. You and me, you and me and Minnie, we’re going to be pals.”
“If you’re Mr. Dell’s friend, then you’re
my
friend, right?”
“Right,” I said over my shoulder as I was walking off. I didn’t look back, already punching Spyros’s number into my
Similar Books
