Page 20 of Raging Fires

Tears filled her eyes and she pulled away. “I have to go.”

“What? Kelli—” Jake looked at her in confusion, still holding onto her hand.

“No. This can’t—I have to go.” She ripped her hand from Jake’s and practically fled toward the kitchen. And the safety of lights.

Chapter Eleven

A cannon went off, yanking Jake out of sleep into a world of pain. His head was at least twice its normal size, and it felt like someone had been player soccer with his brain. He opened one eye a slit to see a large form looming in the doorway. “Grng,” he greeted his grandmother and shut his eye again.

She marched across the room and pulled the blinds up. A supernova exploded into the room, shooting right through his closed eyes and burying itself in his brain. He rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head. “Christ, Gran. . .”

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” Nina Kent said crisply and came to his side. “What are you doing here?” she boomed out. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Jakey, what is the matter with you?”

“I have a hangover the size of Alaska,” he grumbled. “And I thought we weren’t supposed to take the Lord’s name in vain.”

“I didn’t take it in vain. I was calling on the Holy Family to give me the patience to put up with you. The last time I saw you, you and Kelli were pretending to dance while you were making out.”

“We weren’t making out.”

“Ha! What do you call wrapping yourself around her like a blanket and kissing her?” She snatched his pillow away and tossed it to the other end of the bed.

“How do you know this stuff?” There, she’d suckered him into conversation. How did she always do this?

“I have my spies everywhere. Tiny told me.” She paused, then said in a thoughtful voice, “What do you think they call Tiny’s father? Big Tiny?”

“No, then they’d have to call your spy Little Tiny. Ten bucks his dad’s named Earl.”

“Nah. Has to be something like Mad Dog.”

“Tiny’s Earl Jr, and that’s why they had to call—” Jake groaned. “No. I am not going down the rabbit hole with you. Gran... please go away and let me suffer in peace.” Why had he stayed at the Blue drinking with Asa and Kowalski last night, wallowing in self-pity and beer?

“Don’t be a wuss. It’s after ten. Time to get up.” With that, Gran leaned over, about to yank the sheet down.

“Gran! I’m naked!” Jake scrambled to move away while holding the sheet close.

Gran snorted. “Like I don’t know what’s under there. I changed your diapers.”

“Not anytime recently,” Jake protested and wrapped the sheet around him, tying it in a bulky knot on his hip. Well, she’d succeeded in making him get out of bed. “Gran, what is going on? Why do I have to get up when I feel like a garbage truck rolled over my head?”

“You’ve got things to do.”

“No. I really don’t.”

“You have to move into the house.”

“Huh?” He responded eloquently.

“The house,” Gran said with exaggerated patience. “Behind the bar. That’s part of the requirement, remember?”

“What? No. Kelli’s going to live there. We’ll be in possession of it the whole year.”

“You both have to live there.”

“Why? Who’s going to know?” Jake asked. Gran crossed her arms and regarded him blandly. “Wait. Oh, my God, it’s you, isn’t it? You’ll report me to the lawyer. Seriously, Gran, how twisted is that? You’re going to snitch on your own grandson. It’s unnatural.”

“Jakey, you know I never let you get away with anything. Remember that time when you were six and you picked up a Twix and put it in your pocket? I made you go right back in and give it to the clerk and apologize.”

“We’re not talking about a candy bar,” Jake shouted, then winced as his head reverberated with the sound.