JOLIE
Mom had said she was going into town for some groceries. If Gauge was going to be staying with us for awhile, then she would need more food. Aman like Gauge, she had said, needed more than what she had on hand. She’dactually looked happy about that fact, and Iguess Icouldn’tblame her. She was excited at the prospect of being able to cook for more than just me and Louie. At one time, she had been cooking for my four brothers, my dad, and me and her. Those times seemed so far away now though.
Ihadn’thad the heart to tell her that it would literally be only aday or so. That was how long Shooter had said he would need to find out what was going on and put an end to it.
Two days max was all Ihad with Gauge, and good riddance.
I’dseen the young guys on motorcycles out front and I’dpresumed Gauge had gone to speak to them when I’dbeen huggin’ Mom, but when I’dgone around front he hadn’tbeen there, and one of them took off after Mom, making sure she was safe too, Ifigured.
Iwalked back through the house to our backyard, my mom’ssanctuary. That place was where she and my dad had spent agood portion of their lives—planting and sowing seeds, building tree houses with the me and the boys, having barbecues and pool parties. There were so many happy memories in that place; Iwasn’tsure how Mom could stand it.
When Iwent out back, Ifound Gauge sitting in Dad’sold garden chair. His gaze was on nothing in particular and his profile looked thoughtful. Not angry and scowling, just thoughtful. It was alook Iwasn’tused to seeing on him, and Ispent several long moments just taking it in. Taking him in.
“Hey,” Ifinally said.
“Hey,” he replied. He looked up at me, shielding his eyes from the sun that was behind me. “Look, I’msorry about that in there. Ihad no right.”
Isat down next to him, in my mom’schair, and Iacknowledged the strangeness of sitting there in these two seats with him.
“About what?” Ireplied, playing coy.
He turned to face me, ignoring my question for the bullshit that it was. “That wasn’tokay, okay?”
“Okay,” Ireplied with aroll of my eyes.
“You’re Dom’slittle sister, and it wasn’tokay for me to do that, okay?” he said again, more firmly that time, but Inoted how his hand went to his lips. He swerved the movement at the last second, dropping his hand to run his fingers through his beard. “Your brother is areal asshole though. Fuckin’ grated me the wrong way.”
Ismirked and looked at him, surprised to see him looking at me. “He has that effect on everyone.” Idropped my smirk and shrugged. “It’sfine, anyway. Don’tworry about it.”
Gauge sighed and dragged ahand through his beard. “Don’tdo that, Jolie.”
“Do what?”
“That!Looking at me with those big, beautiful eyes of yours, like you don’tknow what the fuck I’mtalking about.” He held his hands out in front of him, his elbows resting on his knees, and he shook his head, clearly frustrated with me and the situation.
Iheld up my hands in defense. “Iwasn’tlooking at you like anything.”
“Ifucked up.” He let out an irritated breath and looked away, giving ashake of his head. His dark hair hung loose around his shoulders and he tucked it behind his ears with ascowl.
“How so?” Iasked, and that time it was my turn to scowl.
“That in there was disrespectful to Dom and to my club, that’show fuckin’ so.”
We sat in silence for afew moments, and it would have been better if it would have been uncomfortable silence, but it wasn’t. As was everything with Gauge, it was comfortable. That feeling was growing on me more and more the longer Iwas around him. Irealized that it was afeeling that Ihadn’treally had in along time—comfort—and Iliked it. Iliked it alot.
“If it’sany consolation, it was hilarious,” Ifinally said, breaking the silence.
Gauge acknowledged my comment with another huff of frustration. “He was being aprick.”
Igrinned at him and Isaw the smallest quirk at the corner of his mouth. “Yep, that sounds like Louie. And it’sabout time someone put him in his place. He goes around acting like he’sthe king of everything. King of school, king of the football team, king of the house, king of me. He acts like he’sbetter than everyone and he can do no wrong, but he’sjust as big an asshole as anyone in this family.” Ileaned back in my chair.
“Isn’tthat almost exactly how Dom described you?” Gauge replied, tucking his hair again.
“That was different.”
“Why?” he asked.
Ithrew my hands up in the air. “Idon’tknow, maybe because we’re all the same in this family, but Dom…he’sthe worst of all of us, so he doesn’tget to dish out any of the asshole awards. That honor is for people who stuck around. He tried to work through the pain.”
