“If it’s okay with Keaton, why don’t you kids go play, and we will make you a plate?”Noel suggested.
“That’s fine with me, Sis.”
Laney and Levi instantly joined a group of children playing tag in the open lawn while the bright sunshine cast shadows under the tent as they ran around.Either the temperature increased over the past hour, or the number of attendants warmed the area even though a breeze kept people chasing napkins and other lightweight objects brought to the event.The tension of the brief encounter between Keaton and Rainey may have also been a factor in boiling Noel’s blood.
“Why do you feel the need to give Rainey a hard time about being a police officer?”Noel asked her brother quietly.
“Why do you think?”he questioned with a furrowed brow.
“Because he arrested you?”
“Bingo.”
“You never seemed to have a problem with him being a police officer before that incident,” Noel reminded Keaton.
“Yeah exactly.”
“What was he supposed to do when he responded to a call and found you kicking a car while onlookers videoed the whole thing?”
“Haven’t we had this conversation?”Keaton checked, holding his finger to his chin.“About ten times.”
“Probably.”
They shuffled a few feet ahead when the line moved.
“Can we just eat Thanksgiving lunch and talk about something different?”Keaton proposed.
“Sure, if you promise you won’t start anything with Rainey while we’re here.”
“I’m not that stupid, Noel.I realize we are in public, and pretty much the whole town is here,” Keaton said while looking around.
At least ten people walked by and said hello while Keaton and Noel shuffled forward.Some knew about Keaton’s struggles, but others didn’t; although in a small town, it didn’t take long to get relabeled.
“We were in public when you pushed Rainey on Halloween night while the kids trick-or-treated,” Noel reminded her brother.
“That’s because he told me I needed to go home when I was simply trying to spend a fun evening with my daughter.”
“Do you remember why he said you should go home?”Noel asked, impressed that her brother kept the conversation to a low volume this long.She already decided that if she thought anyone nearby could hear she would change the subject.
“Rainey accused me of being drunk.”
“You were drunk,” Noel reminded him.“Are you drunk now?”
“No,” he insisted.
“But you have been drinking.”
“What makes you think I’ve been drinking?”he questioned with raised brows.
Noel peered into her brother’s green eyes, a little darker than hers.“Did you brush your teeth with alcohol this morning?”she asked harshly.
Keaton took a step back.“Is it that obvious?”he asked.
“It always is,” she sighed.
“I only had a couple beers,” he replied, brushing it off.
“Yeah, and it’s only noon.”
