“Aboutme? What kind of dreams?”
“She says someone’s been coming to her in them. Telling her all about an impossible home, and that one of us had to find it. She’s been having dreams for weeks, getting pictures of it, bit by bit. A tree. A trailer. A cabin. A pink flamingo.”
“And a gun, hidden beneath the water by an unruly blond boy with a strange connection with his father,” Momma adds.
She must mean that time Austin’s mom came here with a gun to win her husband back. Austin swam it out into the middle of the lake and buried it under the dirt before sending her on her way.
“That’s our house!” Ezra shouts excitedly, looking real proud of himself for putting two and two together.
“It sure is, Little Dick,” I say, kissing his forehead, because I’m kind of fuckin’ proud of him too.
“Obviously,” Jaden says. “It’s not as if Shanty-chic is all the rage.”
“You don’t have to be a jerk,” Ezra says, burying his face in my neck.
“Momma said it’s the prettiest house she’s ever seen.” He grabs his backpack from beside the couch and unzips it. His light-brown hair drops down over his eyes, and Jaden pushes it away for him. There’s a shy smile on Pete’s face, and a faint blush running across his cheeks. I ain’t seen him like this since Maybelle’s daddy accepted the dowry Daddy offered her family. They got twenty of our hogs, two horses, the recipe for Momma's world-famous hot water cornbread, and twenty dollars Daddy saved up all year. Now, Pete’s acting like he’s willing to throw all that out the window for my god-nephew. Pete’s always been a stand-up guy.
Pete reaches into his backpack and pulls out a crudely drawn picture that kind of looks like our home. There’s a box I’m assuming is supposed to be the cabin. On top, a rectangle for the trailer, and off to the right, a big circle with rippling triangle waves. Below, Momma wrotePathfinders Lake.
“She said a beautiful angel came to her,” Pete says. “And she was holding these cards that looked like playing cards, but instead of hearts or spades, there were two naked guys on them, doing unthinkable things. Things she never saw no men doing before, even though she wouldn’t tell me what it was they were doing.” He stares at Jaden, nuzzled up in his lap, resting his head on his chest and nods.
“The cards?” Ez asks, but the question is aimed at me. “How the hell does she know about the cards? Did Aussie have copies made so he could mail them to your family, because he’s a creepy exhibitionist?”
“You openly masturbate in front of everyone who lives here,” Jaden reminds him, and Ezra just scowls.
“It’s Dunsberry. The mail don’t go out that far.”
“I just said she saw them in a dream,” Pete says. “Did you drink gasoline as a kid like Maybelle’s baby brother? The boy ain’t been right ever since.”
“She’s in the room, you know.” Before Momma can get another word out, she holds her tummy. “Actually, I think that sixth and seventh monster just hit. Sorry, boys, I’ll be back in a jiffy.” As she heads upstairs, I turn my attention back to Pete.
“Momma said the angel kept calling herself some weird name I ain’t never heard before. Brenda? Maybe Carole? It was some stupid name like that. She also told Momma about a married couple down south that needed to be taught a lesson, but the angel wouldn’t tell her what lesson they needed to learn.”
“Who the hell is Brenda Carole?” I ask.
Ezra’s eyes are narrowed, like he’s putting a mental jigsaw puzzle together, but the pieces ain’t fitting. “Brenda? Do you mean Barbara?”
“That’s it! Barbara. What kind of a name is Barbara?”
Ezra shakes his head. “No. That’s just stupid. Barbara is mine. She has no other humans. Even if she did, she can’t go into anyone else’s dreams. I’ve asked her to project into Johnny’s at least a thousand times, and she never has.”
“You did?” I ask, blushing.
“Yes, but you can wipe that proud look off your face. I asked her to gather intel. Something so devious, Bubba would be forced to banish you from his life.”
“My life’s an open book, bro. I don’t keep secrets, especially from Bubba.”
“Yes. I’m well aware. God knows I’ve pulled your tarot cards enough times to know you’re squeaky clean.” He grins. “Thank goodness for that. It would’ve sucked if Bubba sent you away. I mean, I wouldn’t have cared back then, but I’d care now.”
“You would?”
It’s his turn to blush, and God, the color looks beautiful on his cheeks. “Yeah. A lot, actually. I’d miss you all day long.”
My heart flutters. “I’d miss you all day long too.”
“Who could blame you,” he says before focusing on Pete again, who is staring at us, baffled. “I’m lucky to even get a faint whisper when Barbara speaks to me. What makes your mother so fucking special?”
“She makes a damn-good sweet potato pie,” Pete says. “The lady told Momma we needed to find this place, and that we didn’t have a moment to waste. She said the lady wanted to check on her best friend’s future family, whatever that means. She said he’d lead us to what we need, but she wouldn’t tell us what that is. There are two people we’re supposed to find in Texas, too, but her friend is top priority.”
