“Why the little one is mainlining sugar.”
I looked over in time to see Dolly sneeze, wipe her nose on her sleeve, and empty several sugar packets into her mouth. I did a double take as my heart seemed to gallop through my chest. “Oh no. I’d better get back. Just saw you over here and thought I’d say hi.”
“Hi.” Zina wiggled her fingers at me.
“See you around.” I left Zina and her brother at the bar and took quick strides back to the table. “Dolly, you can’t eat that.”
She stuck out her lower lip as I swiped the packets from her hand and moved the ceramic container away from her reach.
“She only likes to eat stuff that sparkles,” Jordan said without looking up from her phone.
“Gimme that.” I snagged the phone from her hands. She looked up, her eyes wide. I’d lasted almost exactly seventy-two hours before I lost my temper. The entire experience just reinforced the decision I’d made long ago. I wasn’t cut out for the family life. I did best when the only person I had to think about or be responsible for was myself.
Jordan crossed her arms over her chest and clamped down hard. Dolly licked her finger in an attempt to pick up as many sugar granules from the table as she could.
I sucked in a breath and tried to come up with something to say. Frankie beat me to it. “Uncle Alex, Shiner wants a snack.”
Shiner . . . I racked my brain trying to remember who the hell Shiner was. A loud squawk came from the bag at Frankie’s side. The bird shook his head as he emerged and climbed up Frankie’s arm.
“What the fuck . . . ” I started.
“What the fuck . . . what the fuck . . . ” the bird mimicked.
Conversation around us ground to a halt. Even the waitress stopped in her tracks as Shiner Bock climbed onto the table.
“Can he have a salad?” Frankie asked, unaware of the inappropriateness of bringing the pet bird out for a burger.
Before I had a chance to react, Shiner Bock bent down to take a drink out of Frankie’s shake. The glass toppled, sending mint chocolate chip liquid all over the drawing Izzy had been working on.
“Shiner Bock, you ruined my picture!” Izzy tossed a purple crayon at the bird, who flapped his wings and strutted across the table.
“Gramps, a little help here?” I muttered under my breath. I pulled a handful of napkins out of the dispenser in an attempt to sop up some of the shake currently dripping off the edge of the table. Besides Izzy’s cries, the restaurant was quiet, too damn quiet.
“Let me help.” Zina appeared on my right with a towel she must have snagged from behind the bar.
“Jordan, can you grab the bird?” I asked.
“No way, he bites.”
“He just doesn’t like you because you tease him.” Izzy flung a packet of sugar at her sister.
Dolly screeched. “You’re taking my sparkles.”
“I’m so sorry.” I turned to Zina, who’d wiped up the sticky mint-green liquid and now held Izzy’s drawing in her hand.
“It’s okay. Why don’t you get the bird out of here before the health department gets word of this?” She nudged her chin toward where Shiner Bock had managed to make it to the booth behind us and stood nibbling at a french fry on a woman’s plate.
“Frankie. Grab the bird,” I said.
“I can’t get out.” She slapped her palms on the table, where she sat sandwiched between her sisters.
I leaned over, put my hands under her arms, and then lifted her up and over the table. “Get him quick, okay?”
She nodded as she reached for the bird. Shiner Bock was faster though. He flapped his wings and awkwardly sailed from the table to where Zeb sat at the bar. Zeb backed away, knocking into the man behind him, who managed to spill an entire pitcher of beer.
The bartender wavered between making a grab for the bird and trying to stop the liquid from racing down the bar. The beer won. My hands clenched into fists. What had I gotten myself into?
Zina handed me Izzy’s drawing that still had shake dripping from the bottom. Then she snagged another towel from the edge of the bar.
