“Oh, now you want the news.”
“I’ve been working on a whole-ass story with you for weeks.”
“Right.”
“What’s going on?” Dad asks.
“Cole’s dad went to go meet that maker he wouldn’t shut up about.” They both stare at me, not understanding. “He killed himself.” I hadn’t realized they’d brought him here, but maybe they wanted to check him over and test for drugs, but I’m pretty sure he’s just straight, old-fashioned crazy on his own.
“Fucking coward,” my dad mutters, lifting his hand and turning it back and forth like he’s trying to count his fingers or figure out if it’s connected to him. Lightweight.
“Sucks no one will get their justice, but it will make our lives a hell of a lot easier,” Bam says. I know he means as far as the cops go. The less we have to deal with them, especially Bam, the better.
The victims too won’t have to tell this story a million times and in a courtroom. It might not be the outcome everyone hoped for, but it might be for the best for everyone. It’s over; not sure we can ask for much more.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
BAM
“Idon’t think that footing is even,” calls Abe lazily from his lawn chair in the shade just under the back door. He lifts his beer and points the top of the bottle to the post I just dropped in.
I swipe my forearm across my face to wipe away the sweat before bending down and retrieving the level. Construction is new to me, and despite being active before, I’m using body parts I didn’t know I had. This type of manual labor is hard as hell. I respect any man—or woman—doing this for a living. In the past five days, I’ve used a backhoe to dig up and level the backyard, a compactor to make sure the ground was firm, and a post hole digger to create clean, deep circular pits in the ground for the footings. After I get these massive logs level, I’ll fill the cavity around them with cement. When that’s done, I can start building the floor. I’m excited to work on the actual structure, so even though I’m grumbling while I eye the level, I want to get it right. I can’t have the floor of my new place being off-kilter.
Abe enjoys ordering me around. I don’t mind it because if he didn’t like me, I wouldn’t be here building an addition to his home that I will be living in. Niki came over to help me out acouple of days ago. He said he’d be back next week to help me raise the walls. Abe says manual labor builds character.
“By the time I’m done here, I could build my own house.” I set down the level and start the concrete pour.
“That’s the idea, son.” I freeze at the “S” word, but Abe continues on like he hasn’t said anything earth-shattering. “You ever want to do something other than chase people around the city, this is an option.”
I nod because I’m not in a place to open my mouth lest I start blubbering like a baby. The hot sun bakes into my bare back and dries up the moisture in my eyes. Josie saunters out with an iced tea in her hand.
“Looks good out here.” She shades her eyes with a hand and surveys the flat dirt with the six posts poking out of the ground.
“The walls will be going up next week,” Abe informs her.
“That soon?”
“Niki’s coming over to help me put them up. I could be bunking in there in a couple of weeks.”
“Love that.” Josie glows. I sneak a quick look over at Abe, who signs and casts his gaze skyward while I steal a quick kiss.
Abe’s invitation, or order actually, for me to move in was on the condition that I’d be sleeping in a different part of the house than Josie. He knows that we are having sex, but he doesn’t want it under his roof. I respect that and his rules.
“I’ve got to run over to the laundromat for about thirty,” I tell them. “I’ll pick up tacos on my way back.”
“You have some jobs to do?” Josie takes my now empty glass.
“Nah, that kid from the Patton farm called. Clark wants me there when he shows up.”
“I’ll have steak tacos,” she says.
“I know. With pico, medium sauce, and extra limes. Abe, you want your regular order?”
“Shredded pork with guac, yeah.”
“I’m on it.” I wash myself with the outside hose and then pull a T-shirt over my still damp body. As I’m crossing the lawn, I catch Josie’s lusty eyes locked on my abs. The cotton is sticking to my chest. I hesitate, but Abe’s here, so I mouthlaterand haul my ass away before I do something dumb like throwing her on the ground and fucking her into the dirt in front of her dad.
At the laundromat, Niki greets me with a dap and a half hug.
