I mean seriously, if this shit didn’t stop, my neighborswere going to come over and complainto me.
“Yeah, Smithie,” I replied.
Smithie studied my face, couldn’t process the love I knewwas shining there in company, so he turned his attention up to Mo.
“Hey, Mo.”
“Yo,” Mo grunted.
With that, Smithie took his leave, but not before I grabbedhis hand as he tried to make by me and made him stop so I could give it asqueeze.
Smithie squeezed back.
Then he vamoosed.
When we heard the front door close, Tex asked me, “Am Igonnahave to fight ’emall backwith a club?”
He might mean Ray.
He might mean Mag, Auggie, Axl or Boone.
Hell, he might even mean Paul, Taylor or Rick.
My family was expanding, bonds were tightening, and it wasjust simply the manner of men I was fortunate enough to have in my life.
But for that role, there was only one for me.
The one who made my mother happy.
And the one who would pick that song to dance thefather-daughter dance.
I smiled at my stepdad.“No, Tex, I think you’vesuccessfully staked your claim.”
“I better,” he muttered.Then he asked, “Youhealin’?”
“Almost good as new,” I told him.
He turned to Mo.“What’re you up to today?”
“Hopin’ I can spend a quietSaturday with my girl without my sisters, her sisters, my brothers, herbrothers, or any other parental units like you fuckin’ it up,” Mo replied.
“Right, that’s my get-the-fuck-out cue,” Tex said, came tome, dropped a hand on the top of my head before he removed it and kissed methere, gave Mo an insane-looking grimace that I was pretty sure was a smile,then he took off.
Mo moved to the front door to lock it behind Tex and cameback.
The instant he hit the living room, I asked, “Where werewe?”
Then I cried out because I was over his shoulder in afireman’s hold.
Seconds later I was on my back in bed with Mo on top of me.
Oh yeah.
That was where we were.
Some timelater…
“Mag, listen to me,it’sgonnabe okay,” I said into my phone.
