He snorted, pulling out the kitchen chair with his foot and sitting down. “Just great. How are you trying to help, Ms. Quine?”
“You don’t have to patronize me. You mother has lost her EBT card.”
“What the fuck is that?”
“Steel, please.” His mother placed her hand on his.
Breanna turned to face him. “It’s short for Electronic Benefit Transfer. It means that instead of having paper currency for the benefits, they’re put on a card. It’s sort of like a debit card.”
Her face had wisps of red streaking across it, and he liked that he was making her nervous. He had no idea why he liked it, but he did. “How fucking efficient and clever. And thegovernmentjust happened to sendyou?”
She scrubbed the side of her neck with her fist. “I’m one of three social workers assigned to the reservation. Since your daughter is one of my clients, your mother was naturally assigned to me. We like to keep family cases together. It makes sense to do it that way. Do you have any more questions?”
“Yeah. Why the fuck are you here?”
“Steel!” His mother smacked his forearm lightly.
“No worries, Mrs. McVickers. Your son is not the first rude person I’ve met. So many people take out their issues and frustrations on others. I just ignore it. It goes with the territory of being a social worker.”
Steel shook his head. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“I don’t have to, since you’re not my client, but I will to show you how an adult acts in this type of situation. Your mother has misplaced her card again. I need to ask her some questions because this is the sixth time in the past eight months that she’s reported a lost card. When I came over, she told me she was faint. She also told me she hadn’t eaten in a couple of days. That’s why I’m at the stove with a skillet and some eggs. Would you like me to make you an omelet, Mr. McVickers?”
He was torn between chewing her ass out for her snarky attitude and shaking some sense into his mother. He turned to her. “What the fuck’s going on with you? Why haven’t you eaten anything,Shimá?” He pounded his fist on the table and both Breanna and his mother jumped. “How can I help you when I don’t know what the hell is going on? Fuck! First Chenoa and now you?” He kicked back from the table and ran his hand through his long hair.
“Yelling at your mom isn’t going to solve—”
Baring his teeth, he pointed his finger at Breanna. “I’ve heard enough outta you. Stay the fuck outta this.”
She blinked several times, then turned back to the stove.
“Shimá?”
His mother sighed. “I don’t like worrying you. You have so much on your mind with your club and Chenoa. Sometimes the money’s tight with all the grandkids.” She wrung her hands and quickly added, “But I love having a full house. And I didn’t eat because I didn’t have an appetite. Don’t be mad.”
He cleared his throat as the fire in him burned down. “I’m not mad. I want to help you. Did you see Pa?” She shrugged. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Breanna watching their exchange. “I know you did. You get like this whenever you run into him and he makes you feel like shit.Shimá, the asshole’s been gone for many years now. You need to let it go.”
He reached out and gently stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Her skin was smooth and soft, even at her age. He loved touching it. It was like velvet… just the way he remembered it when he was a little boy and his mother would squeeze him tight, her face pressed against his.
“I know,” she said softly. She wiped away imaginary crumbs from the multicolored oilcloth. “I still love him.”
White-hot anger ran through him.How the fuck can you still love a man who treated you like shit for years?He sucked in a deep breath. “I know, but you have to let go. He sure as fuck has.” The last few words came out much harsher than he’d intended. If he could swing it, he’d make sure his mom never saw his bastard father again.
She nodded.
A woman coughing grounded him, bringing him back to the here and now. He’d forgotten the nosy social worker was still there. “You still hanging around? Can’t get enough of me?” He winked.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here for her.” She leaned down and put a plate with a large omelet on it in front of his mother.
The glimpse down her blouse was his bonus for having to endure her insufferable cockiness. “I didn’t imagine you checking me out at the hospital. By the way, I never thanked you for making sure Chenoa got to the hospital in time.”
She raised her brows. “You’re actually saying something nice to me?”
“I’m trying to tell you I appreciate what you did, and you have to act like a smartass. Damn, woman.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You know, I don’t like being called ‘woman,’ ‘lady,’ or ‘babe.’ My name is Breanna, but for you it’s Ms. Quine. And you can stop puffing out your chest. You don’t intimidate me. I come from the other side of the tracks, so I don’t bully easily.”
He stared at her, his lips curling up slightly.She’s got a fire in her, that’s for fucking sure. I like her spirit.“I’m not trying to intimidate you. All I wanted to say is thanks for helping my little girl. You’ve got a major chip on your shoulder,Ms. Quine.”
