And her boys grew up without Uncle Richie. “I deserved that.”
Bo piped in from the table. “If you don’t sit down and eat, I’ll smack you too.”
Charlotte winked. “Better do what the man says and sit your ass down. I like him. He’s feisty.”
Lucky started to sit next to Bo, but he stopped himself and took the opposite chair at the four-topper table.
Charlotte smacked him again. “If that’s where you usually sit, then sit. It’s not like I don’t know y’all are together.” She grabbed the chair from Lucky and parked herself in front of Bo. Stubborn woman.
Wow! Bo had gone all out, even serving the pizza from a plate and not the cardboard box as Lucky would have. He’d ordered one veggie, one meat. Bacon! Lucky might have to kiss the smug little smirk off Bo’s face when his sister wasn’t looking.
“Lucky, since y’all invited me to stay the night, I reckon you better loosen up a bit. Go on. Kiss Bo if you want to. Matter of fact, if you don’t, I might. Pizza!” Charlotte yanked a piece of meat pizza onto her plate.
Spend the night? Lucky glared at Bo. Bo had the good graces to blush. Not that Lucky minded her staying, but Bo could’ve said something—and allowed Lucky even more time to worry his ass off. He eyeballed his pizza-munching sister. “Dang, woman! Don’t they have pizza in Spokane?”
“Yup,” she managed between bites, “but I try to fix the boys healthy meals. Gives them more incentive to move out when they’re eighteen.”
Liar. She’d be torn to pieces when her boys left home. Lucky wouldn’t put it past her to finally go to college like she’d been planning for years in order to keep an eye on her kids.
“How was the drive down?” Leave it to Bo to swallow down enough nerves to play host.
“Southern drivers ain’t got no better since I moved away.” She grinned. “I had to flip off a couple hundred, I reckon.”
“Where are the boys?” Charlotte’s arrival should come equipped with two nephews for Uncle Richie to get reacquainted with.
“They’re staying with a friend while I go tend the folks. They’ll be joining me when the school year ends.” She paused, took a sip of iced tea, closed her eyes, and smiled. “Now this is something I’ve missed living in Washington. Sweet tea. Bo, this is really good.”
Lucky mock-glowered. “How do you know I didn’t make the tea?”
She swallowed her mouthful. “Um… because I’ve met you? If it weren’t for Bo, you’d probably have bought a house without a kitchen, if you could find one.”
True. Lucky sipped his tea. At least she still appreciated the Southern nectar of the gods after being away so long. He had millions of questions he wanted to ask, but they’d been raised not to talk business, or talk much at all, at the table. With four other kids to compete with, the slowest eater might not get seconds.
They polished off the last crust and Charlotte rose first. “Y’all bought dinner, I’ll clean up.”
Maybe Lucky wasn’t the only one who needed a few moments to get his act together. Of course, she might run screaming for soap and water if she got a load of the mess she’d made of her makeup.
Bo stood and picked up his plate.
“I said, ‘shoo!’” Charlotte flipped a hand in the general direction of the living room. “Go talk about me before I get in there and you have to hush.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Bo put the plate back on the table.
Charlotte slapped a hand to her chest. “Be still my beating heart. A Southern gentleman. Richie, you got a well-trained one there. You better be good to him or I’ll haul him back up north with me. Folks would buy him drinks all night to hear him talk.”
Funny, she’d spent years in the Northwest, but if anything, her Southern accent had only grown thicker. But then again, he’d not heard her in years.
And whose fault is that?echoed in his head—in Charlotte’s voice.
The moment he stepped into the living room, Lucky grabbed Bo as hard as he’d grabbed his sister earlier. Right now, without an anchor, he’d surely fall.
“Shh… It’s okay.” Bo held him, rocking a bit.
Lucky sobbed, tears soaking Bo’s T-shirt. Family. He’d lost his family. And no matter how hard he pretended otherwise, they’d left a big, unhealed hole in his heart.
Charlotte alone stood by him. Had always been there. Had even come to his trial and heard him get a ten-year sentence. And cried.
Like she’d cried tonight. Sooner or later, he’d have to stop causing the woman tears. Bo pulled him down onto the couch and held him till his heart stopped breaking.
