Howl For It
Page 32
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Daddy.
Im just saying . . . its something to be aware of.
Im fully aware, and shes not frail.
All right, all right. If itll make you feel better, your brothers are jealous.
No, they aint. They love their mates.
Sure they do. But your mate is actually nice to you.
Shes not my mate, Daddy.
Dont know what youre waitin for, boy. I marked your momma the first weekend we were together. Knew I had to hold onto her or I would lose her.
I cant worry about that right now. My first concern is keeping her safe.
So she cant take care of herself?
Daddy, youre making me crazy. One second youre asking me why I havent marked her yet and the next, youre talking about how weak she is.
Just making sure youre thinking with the head on your shoulders.
Why did Eggie bother? Some days he really didnt know.
Maybe I should look into it, his father suggested.
No, Daddy, Eggie quickly said.
But I just want to
No. Because Eggie knew his daddy would only make everything worse. I dont want you to do anything.
Then what did you come to me for?
I dont know. Talk to my father, maybe? His father frowned. You know . . . father-son chats. The frown got worse, and Eggie sighed. Forget it.
I will.
Eggie was about to get up and head home when his brothers came charging out of their parents house.
What the hells going on? Daddy demanded.
The girls are in Collinstown jail again, Bubba told them while he headed for his truck.
Eggie and his father laughed until Benji walked by and said, Dont know what youre laughin about, Egbert Ray. Your girl is there, too.
Darla rubbed her head in a desperate attempt to make her headache go away, but it wasnt working.
Although that probably had a lot to do with the arguing going on between the bars. The bears had put Darla and her sisters in one cell and the She-lionssisters from the local Barron Pridein the other. And none of them had shut up since.
What did you do to my car?
Darla opened her eyes and let out a huge sigh. She was so relieved to see Eggie. Then she pointed an accusing finger at the other cell. That heifer hit your car!
Your whore was hittin on our males!
Eggie looked at Darla, raised a brow. Really?
I was not!
The deputies walked in and began to open the cells. Yall can pay your fines out front.
The usual? Bubba asked as he waited for Janie to come out. He didnt look happy and Darladidnt blame him. She was five-months pregnant with his child but she was still getting into fistfights with cats. Just . . . no.
Whats the usual? Eggie asked as he took Darlas hand when she stepped out of the cell.
This ones not in here for the fight, the deputy explained.
Shes not?
She was trying to stop it.
Then why
Shes in here for doing a hundred and ten in a thirty mile per hour zone.
The entire jail fell silent, all eyes focusing on Darla.
I was just . . . She cleared her throat, tried again. Seeing what your car could do.
And it can do a hundred and ten? Eggie asked.
Apparently.
Our deputies lost her on Millers Road but theyd logged the make and model. Then they got to the fight and saw the vehicle there.
Right, Eggie said. Got it.
Eggie glanced at her, shook his head, and started to walk off.
Uh . . . Eggie?
He stopped, focused on her.
Darla shrugged and admitted, We still need to go to the grocery store.
He growled and walked out . . . not that she blamed him, though.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The sisters all ended up baking at Eggies house and once they were finished with the pies, they brought them over to Miss Paulines.
By the time the Lewis sisters arrived, the family dinner was well under way and Darla would call it more of a party than a dinner. To her, dinners involved sitting at one table inside the dining room, but to the Smiths, it apparently involved many tables set up in rows in the backyard, music, and shine. Lots of shine. Not surprising, though. For decades, the Smiths had made their Pack money with moonshine.
Darla hadnt seen Eggie since hed paid her rather large fine at the Collinstown jail and handed her his truck keys. Keep it under sixty, hed ordered her, and because shed promised thats exactly what she did. Much to the annoyance of her sisters.
Oh, what could she say? It was the one thing the Lewis sisters had in common. Their love of fast cars. Even Darla. Nothing was more freeing to her than hitting the gas and making a tight turn without losing control. Very few things in life really beat that feeling as far as she was concerned.
She helped her sisters put out the pies on the dessert table and she had to admit, their food looked amazing. As opposed to each one doing her own thing, theyd all worked together to get the pies done in a short amount of time, and she was really proud of her sisters. Then again, how could she still be mad at any of them when theyd gone after those cats like . . . well . . . like dogs after cats when theyd seen the Barrons hit Eggies car? So, for the first time in a very long time, theyd worked together and had done a great job.
Im just saying . . . its something to be aware of.
Im fully aware, and shes not frail.
All right, all right. If itll make you feel better, your brothers are jealous.
No, they aint. They love their mates.
Sure they do. But your mate is actually nice to you.
Shes not my mate, Daddy.
Dont know what youre waitin for, boy. I marked your momma the first weekend we were together. Knew I had to hold onto her or I would lose her.
I cant worry about that right now. My first concern is keeping her safe.
So she cant take care of herself?
Daddy, youre making me crazy. One second youre asking me why I havent marked her yet and the next, youre talking about how weak she is.
Just making sure youre thinking with the head on your shoulders.
Why did Eggie bother? Some days he really didnt know.
Maybe I should look into it, his father suggested.
No, Daddy, Eggie quickly said.
But I just want to
No. Because Eggie knew his daddy would only make everything worse. I dont want you to do anything.
Then what did you come to me for?
I dont know. Talk to my father, maybe? His father frowned. You know . . . father-son chats. The frown got worse, and Eggie sighed. Forget it.
I will.
Eggie was about to get up and head home when his brothers came charging out of their parents house.
What the hells going on? Daddy demanded.
The girls are in Collinstown jail again, Bubba told them while he headed for his truck.
Eggie and his father laughed until Benji walked by and said, Dont know what youre laughin about, Egbert Ray. Your girl is there, too.
Darla rubbed her head in a desperate attempt to make her headache go away, but it wasnt working.
Although that probably had a lot to do with the arguing going on between the bars. The bears had put Darla and her sisters in one cell and the She-lionssisters from the local Barron Pridein the other. And none of them had shut up since.
What did you do to my car?
Darla opened her eyes and let out a huge sigh. She was so relieved to see Eggie. Then she pointed an accusing finger at the other cell. That heifer hit your car!
Your whore was hittin on our males!
Eggie looked at Darla, raised a brow. Really?
I was not!
The deputies walked in and began to open the cells. Yall can pay your fines out front.
The usual? Bubba asked as he waited for Janie to come out. He didnt look happy and Darladidnt blame him. She was five-months pregnant with his child but she was still getting into fistfights with cats. Just . . . no.
Whats the usual? Eggie asked as he took Darlas hand when she stepped out of the cell.
This ones not in here for the fight, the deputy explained.
Shes not?
She was trying to stop it.
Then why
Shes in here for doing a hundred and ten in a thirty mile per hour zone.
The entire jail fell silent, all eyes focusing on Darla.
I was just . . . She cleared her throat, tried again. Seeing what your car could do.
And it can do a hundred and ten? Eggie asked.
Apparently.
Our deputies lost her on Millers Road but theyd logged the make and model. Then they got to the fight and saw the vehicle there.
Right, Eggie said. Got it.
Eggie glanced at her, shook his head, and started to walk off.
Uh . . . Eggie?
He stopped, focused on her.
Darla shrugged and admitted, We still need to go to the grocery store.
He growled and walked out . . . not that she blamed him, though.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The sisters all ended up baking at Eggies house and once they were finished with the pies, they brought them over to Miss Paulines.
By the time the Lewis sisters arrived, the family dinner was well under way and Darla would call it more of a party than a dinner. To her, dinners involved sitting at one table inside the dining room, but to the Smiths, it apparently involved many tables set up in rows in the backyard, music, and shine. Lots of shine. Not surprising, though. For decades, the Smiths had made their Pack money with moonshine.
Darla hadnt seen Eggie since hed paid her rather large fine at the Collinstown jail and handed her his truck keys. Keep it under sixty, hed ordered her, and because shed promised thats exactly what she did. Much to the annoyance of her sisters.
Oh, what could she say? It was the one thing the Lewis sisters had in common. Their love of fast cars. Even Darla. Nothing was more freeing to her than hitting the gas and making a tight turn without losing control. Very few things in life really beat that feeling as far as she was concerned.
She helped her sisters put out the pies on the dessert table and she had to admit, their food looked amazing. As opposed to each one doing her own thing, theyd all worked together to get the pies done in a short amount of time, and she was really proud of her sisters. Then again, how could she still be mad at any of them when theyd gone after those cats like . . . well . . . like dogs after cats when theyd seen the Barrons hit Eggies car? So, for the first time in a very long time, theyd worked together and had done a great job.
