I rolled my eyes.
“Feb just rolled her eyes,” Jessie told Colt helpfully and I transferred my death glare to her.
Colt’s arm slid fully around my waist and I couldn’t hear his laughter anymore but I sure could feel it.
“Maybe we’re not solid,” I announced to the room. “Maybe we’re very, very shaky.”
That’s when I heard Colt’s laughter come back.
“Earthquake!” I declared loudly and it couldn’t be missed, angrily. Regardless, Colt, and pretty much everyone else, burst out laughing.
“Feb, quit messin’ around, Colt’s gotta get to the Station,” Dad said after he quit laughing.
I decided not to inform my father that I wasn’t messing around and instead felt slightly embarrassed but highly emotional and I didn’t need that shit, definitely not facing a day with Amy’s funeral looming and Denny out there wreaking havoc, but also not anytime.
Dad took a sip of coffee, Colt took his hand from mine on the counter, leaned into me to nab half of the muffin but kept his arm around me when his hand disappeared and I knew he was eating it. I kept up my grudge because I was good at it, known for it and, anyway, by my way of thinking, they all deserved it.
Dad started talking again. “Morrison and Delilah have worked things out. He’s movin’ back in and Jackie and me are movin’ to his place for awhile.”
“You can have your pick,” Josie told them. “Feb’s apartment will be open, seein’ as she’s movin’ in with Colt.”
I felt Mom, Dad and Morrie’s eyes hit me and Colt, all at the same time.
“Josie!” Chip snapped.
“What?” Josie snapped back with narrowed eyes. “Jackie said it was okay, me bein’ in on the family meetin’ and all.”
“Shit, woman, that doesn’t mean you can participate,” Chip returned.
“You’re movin’ in with Colt?” Morrie asked me before Josie could reply, which was good, Josie could be a ball-buster. She was also not a woman who would be told what to do, not like Jessie, who knew the art of compromise (though, it should be said, Jessie knew it existed, she didn’t utilize it much). Josie was so much not that kind of woman, she was a little bit scary. It was lucky she found Chip, who was as easygoing as they come. No matter that Josie was super pretty, not many men would put up with her being like that.
“Yes,” I said sharply, deciding to officially tell Morrie later I was happy for him and Dee. “Now, can we move on?”
“You told Josie and Jessie?” Colt asked from behind me, giving me a squeeze to get my attention at the same time reaching for the second half of his muffin.
“Yes,” I replied again.
“Baby, we decided, like, ten minutes ago.”
I twisted my neck to look at him and said, “Correction, Colt, you told me to move in ten minutes ago.”
He grinned through chewing and then, also through chewing, he said, “Yeah. Right.” He swallowed and said, “Still, didn’t ‘spect you to announce it so soon.” Then he took the last man-bite of his muffin, which was to say, shoving the rest of it in his mouth.
“I’m uncertain how this is moving the family meeting along so you can get to the Station,” I told him.
He chewed then swallowed again and said through another smile, “Just pleased you’re so excited, honey.”
“Do you have a hatchet?” I asked him.
“Got a mind to use it?” he asked back.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Then, no,” he said back.
“Kids, can we focus?” Mom asked and I twisted back but also tried to pull out of Colt’s arm. It tightened which meant I failed so, instead, I crossed my arms on my chest.
“Like I was sayin’, we’re movin’ into Morrie’s, a bit more room, Feb,” Dad’s eyes came to me then he went on. “‘Cause Dee’s gonna give notice today and try her hand at the bar. We’re gonna be around to help at the bar and with the kids while she’s gettin’ on her feet.”
This, I suspected from what happened last night and it also made me want to shout with glee. But, as I mentioned, I was good with a grudge so I kept my trap shut.
“It’d be good you could spell Feb too so she can get settled here and we can have some time together,” Colt put in.
“Oh!” Jessie cried. “You two should take a vacation.”
“Good idea,” Mom said.
“Colt and Morrie just went fishin’ and I’m fine without a vacation,” I declared then put in for good measure, “and I’m good with my schedule at work.”
“You work more’n me anyway, Feb,” Morrie spoke the truth. “With Dee helpin’, we’ll work somethin’ out to make things more even and, in the meantime, you can take a breather.”
“I like my hours,” I asserted again.
“You’ll have somethin’ to fit in those hours now,” Dad reminded me, another fact that made me quietly happy but I was damn well not going to show it.
“Hmm,” I muttered and Colt gave me another squeeze.
“That settled?” Dad asked like he expected an answer rather than made his pronouncement and we were all supposed to fall in line which was the way it always was and the way it always would be.
Of course, if I wasn’t pissed and holding my grudge, this would have all made me pretty happy. I did like my hours but I liked them in a time when I could work them and pretend I wasn’t working them so I wouldn’t remember I was so damn lonely all the time. Now, I wouldn’t know lonely if it bit me on the ass and, God knew, I could use a breather. Not to mention, the idea of a vacation with Colt sounded f**king awesome.
Then again, I’d be happier to wait until it was warmer and have that vacation somewhere we could take his boat.
I was not, of course, going to offer this piece of information to anyone at that present time, however.
“Walk me to the door,” Colt said in my ear and I decided to do what he didn’t exactly ask seeing as I’d already acted uppity in front of Chip, who I didn’t know all that well, and Brad, who I didn’t know hardly at all, and my Momma raised me right and she was right there besides. Jessie obviously didn’t count because she was family and Josie was practically family so she also pretty much didn’t count but still.
Colt said his good-byes as he put on his holster and blazer and then he stopped at the door and turned to me.
“Feb just rolled her eyes,” Jessie told Colt helpfully and I transferred my death glare to her.
Colt’s arm slid fully around my waist and I couldn’t hear his laughter anymore but I sure could feel it.
“Maybe we’re not solid,” I announced to the room. “Maybe we’re very, very shaky.”
That’s when I heard Colt’s laughter come back.
“Earthquake!” I declared loudly and it couldn’t be missed, angrily. Regardless, Colt, and pretty much everyone else, burst out laughing.
“Feb, quit messin’ around, Colt’s gotta get to the Station,” Dad said after he quit laughing.
I decided not to inform my father that I wasn’t messing around and instead felt slightly embarrassed but highly emotional and I didn’t need that shit, definitely not facing a day with Amy’s funeral looming and Denny out there wreaking havoc, but also not anytime.
Dad took a sip of coffee, Colt took his hand from mine on the counter, leaned into me to nab half of the muffin but kept his arm around me when his hand disappeared and I knew he was eating it. I kept up my grudge because I was good at it, known for it and, anyway, by my way of thinking, they all deserved it.
Dad started talking again. “Morrison and Delilah have worked things out. He’s movin’ back in and Jackie and me are movin’ to his place for awhile.”
“You can have your pick,” Josie told them. “Feb’s apartment will be open, seein’ as she’s movin’ in with Colt.”
I felt Mom, Dad and Morrie’s eyes hit me and Colt, all at the same time.
“Josie!” Chip snapped.
“What?” Josie snapped back with narrowed eyes. “Jackie said it was okay, me bein’ in on the family meetin’ and all.”
“Shit, woman, that doesn’t mean you can participate,” Chip returned.
“You’re movin’ in with Colt?” Morrie asked me before Josie could reply, which was good, Josie could be a ball-buster. She was also not a woman who would be told what to do, not like Jessie, who knew the art of compromise (though, it should be said, Jessie knew it existed, she didn’t utilize it much). Josie was so much not that kind of woman, she was a little bit scary. It was lucky she found Chip, who was as easygoing as they come. No matter that Josie was super pretty, not many men would put up with her being like that.
“Yes,” I said sharply, deciding to officially tell Morrie later I was happy for him and Dee. “Now, can we move on?”
“You told Josie and Jessie?” Colt asked from behind me, giving me a squeeze to get my attention at the same time reaching for the second half of his muffin.
“Yes,” I replied again.
“Baby, we decided, like, ten minutes ago.”
I twisted my neck to look at him and said, “Correction, Colt, you told me to move in ten minutes ago.”
He grinned through chewing and then, also through chewing, he said, “Yeah. Right.” He swallowed and said, “Still, didn’t ‘spect you to announce it so soon.” Then he took the last man-bite of his muffin, which was to say, shoving the rest of it in his mouth.
“I’m uncertain how this is moving the family meeting along so you can get to the Station,” I told him.
He chewed then swallowed again and said through another smile, “Just pleased you’re so excited, honey.”
“Do you have a hatchet?” I asked him.
“Got a mind to use it?” he asked back.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Then, no,” he said back.
“Kids, can we focus?” Mom asked and I twisted back but also tried to pull out of Colt’s arm. It tightened which meant I failed so, instead, I crossed my arms on my chest.
“Like I was sayin’, we’re movin’ into Morrie’s, a bit more room, Feb,” Dad’s eyes came to me then he went on. “‘Cause Dee’s gonna give notice today and try her hand at the bar. We’re gonna be around to help at the bar and with the kids while she’s gettin’ on her feet.”
This, I suspected from what happened last night and it also made me want to shout with glee. But, as I mentioned, I was good with a grudge so I kept my trap shut.
“It’d be good you could spell Feb too so she can get settled here and we can have some time together,” Colt put in.
“Oh!” Jessie cried. “You two should take a vacation.”
“Good idea,” Mom said.
“Colt and Morrie just went fishin’ and I’m fine without a vacation,” I declared then put in for good measure, “and I’m good with my schedule at work.”
“You work more’n me anyway, Feb,” Morrie spoke the truth. “With Dee helpin’, we’ll work somethin’ out to make things more even and, in the meantime, you can take a breather.”
“I like my hours,” I asserted again.
“You’ll have somethin’ to fit in those hours now,” Dad reminded me, another fact that made me quietly happy but I was damn well not going to show it.
“Hmm,” I muttered and Colt gave me another squeeze.
“That settled?” Dad asked like he expected an answer rather than made his pronouncement and we were all supposed to fall in line which was the way it always was and the way it always would be.
Of course, if I wasn’t pissed and holding my grudge, this would have all made me pretty happy. I did like my hours but I liked them in a time when I could work them and pretend I wasn’t working them so I wouldn’t remember I was so damn lonely all the time. Now, I wouldn’t know lonely if it bit me on the ass and, God knew, I could use a breather. Not to mention, the idea of a vacation with Colt sounded f**king awesome.
Then again, I’d be happier to wait until it was warmer and have that vacation somewhere we could take his boat.
I was not, of course, going to offer this piece of information to anyone at that present time, however.
“Walk me to the door,” Colt said in my ear and I decided to do what he didn’t exactly ask seeing as I’d already acted uppity in front of Chip, who I didn’t know all that well, and Brad, who I didn’t know hardly at all, and my Momma raised me right and she was right there besides. Jessie obviously didn’t count because she was family and Josie was practically family so she also pretty much didn’t count but still.
Colt said his good-byes as he put on his holster and blazer and then he stopped at the door and turned to me.
