“Enough about this shit. Tell me how you are,” I tell her, changing the subject.
“I’m good. Staying busy,” she says as she breaks eye contact.
Bertha knows I hate her job. It’s not that I don’t think she should do it, or that she can’t. I just hate that she’s out there on the road all on her own for days—hell, months—on end.
“That’s good.”
“What about you? How are things with the club?”
“Good. Feels like we are finally getting our feet under us. Shop is doing well and all that shit.”
When I left Boston with Smoke, Gunner, and the rest of the guys, we had no idea where we were going to end up. We had nothing planned. All we knew was that we didn’t want to stay in Boston anymore.
I didn’t think we would escape to the Sunshine State, but we did. It’s not a bad place. We get hot summers and cool winters. It’s much better in the Panhandle than in the southern part of the state.
“Good, I’m glad.”
Bertha’s eyes drift to the clock on the stove.
“Is that the time?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
“Shit. I need to get back on the road. I stayed longer than I intended.”
“Are you sure you can’t stay for dinner?”
She offers me a weak smile. “Next time. I had to take a detour to bring Jane and the kids here. I need to get back on the road before I get off schedule. If I deliver my next load late, I’ll have to pay a fine.”
“Fine, get back to your mistress.” I sigh dramatically.
Bertha rolls her eyes. “Please, we both know the road is your mistress too.”
“Yeah, but you see more of it these days than I do,” I joke.
“True. It will always be my first love. Now if only I can find a man that’s as good to me as the road is.”
“You have to stay in one place long enough to find a guy for that to happen,” I remind her.
“Touché.” She pushes off the counter and steps forward, wrapping her arms around me.
I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight.
“It was good to see you. Even if it wasn’t for long,” I tell her.
“It was good to see you too.”
“Don’t be a stranger. Come back soon,” I tell her as she steps back.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
I walk my sister to the door and step out onto the porch.
“Love you,” she calls over her shoulder as she stomps down the stairs.
“Love you too. Stay safe out there.”
“Always!”
