Another.
So Tack knew that Black, like Black had an annoying tendencyto be, was right.
That was everything.
“Been waiting a long fucking time for today.”
Jagger Black took his gaze from the stars blanketing Tack’shouse in the mountains and gave it to Tack.
“Twenty-four years.A long time, sitting on it, until youwere ready to hear that story,” Tack continued.
Jag said nothing.
Tack did.
“You were his everything, Jagger.Everything.”
He watched the man swallow.
Then Jag turned his attention back to the stars andwhispered, “Wind in their faces.”
“Wild wind, that was your dad.His edges have been smoothedwith memory.Everyone remembers Keely being the crazy one, always up for a goodtime.Even, I think, your mom remembers it like that.But she didn’t know himbefore her.Before her, he dragged life around like it was his pet.Had a holdon that leash and owned it.Then he found her, and shit settled down fast,because he had to be her anchor so she could fly free.”
Tack let that sink in a second.
And then he gave him the rest of it.
“You remind me of him, Jag, a lot more than Dutch.Black wasresponsible when he had something to be responsible for.Dutch was responsiblebecause he never had a time when he didn’t have to be.”
It was a blow, Tack knew.For a variety of reasons.
He watched it land, the flinch.
But then Jagger’s face eased almost to the point it lookedserene.
He’d never seen Jagger look like that.
And seeing it, Tack felt a roughness in the back of histhroat because finally, after waiting decades, he’d been able to do right byhis friend.
And what would be more important to Black, do right by hisson.
Tack watched Jag look over his shoulder.
So Tack looked over his.
The woman Tack had met half an hour before was standing inthe kitchen with Tack’s wife, Tyra.
Tyra was bent over, pounding a hand on the kitchen counter,and he could see in her profile, she was laughing.
And Tack suspected he looked serene, seeing his wife likethat.
Laughing.
Then again, even if he didn’t show it (mostly so he couldgive her shit, because they both got off on it), Tack had that feeling a lot,because his wife laughed all the time.
A cool customer, Archie was watching her, a shit-eating grinon her face.
“Would he like her?”Jag asked.
