good. He needed to keep his distance until I was able to calm down.
“Can I have another?” Dallas asked like a damn five-year-old.
“Go get it yourself. She’s not your waitress,” I snapped at him.
His eyes went big and he stood up with his plate and headed to the stove.
“Okay, what’s got you all tied up in knots? You weren’t here this morning and Bray was out looking for you while the rest of them tried to be a distraction. I did raise every one of you. I know when one of you don’t come home at night and I know when Dallas is trying to charm me so someone else can get away with something.”
Dallas chuckled as he sat down with another plate piled high with biscuits and tomato gravy. “Figures,” he said with a grin.
I refused to tell Momma what was wrong. There was no reason for her to suffer that kind of pain now. She had good memories of my dad and it needed to stay that way. Telling her wouldn’t make it better for her. It did nothing but hurt her for no reason.
“I’m adjusting to being home again. Steel broke it off with Dixie and I’m not gonna lie. I’m glad. Dixie needs to move on and not with one of my brothers.”
I hoped my voice didn’t betray me.
Momma cocked an eyebrow and sat down across from me with a cup of coffee in her hand. “I call BS,” she said simply and took a drink of coffee while studying me. “BS, you hear me. I don’t buy it,” she said making sure she got her point across.
“Momma, let’s just leave him alone,” Bray said. He was the only one brave enough to say something like that to Momma apart from me.
Momma turned to look down the table at Bray who was now looking like a little boy with his hand in the cookie jar. If I hadn’t been so damn fucked up, I would have laughed. Dallas and Brent both laughed.
“I don’t recall asking you what to do. I carried him for nine months and went through ten hours of painful labor to birth him. Then I cleaned his nasty butt, nursed him when he was sick, held his hand while he got stitches and let him puke all over me while I held him when he got food poisoning. So do not tell me what I can and can’t do. If and when I want to know about one of my boys, I will ask. And you might be next, so shut your mouth and eat your breakfast.”
Bray dropped his head in a defeated stance. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
Momma swung her attention back to me. “Now, last time I checked you tossed that sweet Dixie Monroe to the curb without a backwards glance. Wouldn’t talk about her or look at her. I was worried about you getting too serious so young, so I didn’t push it. But three years later when you should be attached to some girl you’ve met at college, you’re back here still solemn and lonely. Ain’t right. When a man looks like you he has the women beating down his door. But you’re alone. Explain that to me. ‘Cause it has to be you pushing them away. Steel loves that girl. He’s bought her a diamond ring God knows he can’t afford and now he’s broken up with her two days after you get home. I smell S. H. I. T.”
I glanced down the table at Bray, but he was eating and not looking our way. Momma had put him in his place. Brent was watching us with a concerned frown. He knew I couldn’t tell Momma the truth. They all did. But not one of them was trying to help me out here.
“Maybe he didn’t love her enough. Maybe he didn’t love her enough to fight for her and make sure she was protected from everything that could hurt her. Maybe he didn’t love her enough to sacrifice
“Can I have another?” Dallas asked like a damn five-year-old.
“Go get it yourself. She’s not your waitress,” I snapped at him.
His eyes went big and he stood up with his plate and headed to the stove.
“Okay, what’s got you all tied up in knots? You weren’t here this morning and Bray was out looking for you while the rest of them tried to be a distraction. I did raise every one of you. I know when one of you don’t come home at night and I know when Dallas is trying to charm me so someone else can get away with something.”
Dallas chuckled as he sat down with another plate piled high with biscuits and tomato gravy. “Figures,” he said with a grin.
I refused to tell Momma what was wrong. There was no reason for her to suffer that kind of pain now. She had good memories of my dad and it needed to stay that way. Telling her wouldn’t make it better for her. It did nothing but hurt her for no reason.
“I’m adjusting to being home again. Steel broke it off with Dixie and I’m not gonna lie. I’m glad. Dixie needs to move on and not with one of my brothers.”
I hoped my voice didn’t betray me.
Momma cocked an eyebrow and sat down across from me with a cup of coffee in her hand. “I call BS,” she said simply and took a drink of coffee while studying me. “BS, you hear me. I don’t buy it,” she said making sure she got her point across.
“Momma, let’s just leave him alone,” Bray said. He was the only one brave enough to say something like that to Momma apart from me.
Momma turned to look down the table at Bray who was now looking like a little boy with his hand in the cookie jar. If I hadn’t been so damn fucked up, I would have laughed. Dallas and Brent both laughed.
“I don’t recall asking you what to do. I carried him for nine months and went through ten hours of painful labor to birth him. Then I cleaned his nasty butt, nursed him when he was sick, held his hand while he got stitches and let him puke all over me while I held him when he got food poisoning. So do not tell me what I can and can’t do. If and when I want to know about one of my boys, I will ask. And you might be next, so shut your mouth and eat your breakfast.”
Bray dropped his head in a defeated stance. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
Momma swung her attention back to me. “Now, last time I checked you tossed that sweet Dixie Monroe to the curb without a backwards glance. Wouldn’t talk about her or look at her. I was worried about you getting too serious so young, so I didn’t push it. But three years later when you should be attached to some girl you’ve met at college, you’re back here still solemn and lonely. Ain’t right. When a man looks like you he has the women beating down his door. But you’re alone. Explain that to me. ‘Cause it has to be you pushing them away. Steel loves that girl. He’s bought her a diamond ring God knows he can’t afford and now he’s broken up with her two days after you get home. I smell S. H. I. T.”
I glanced down the table at Bray, but he was eating and not looking our way. Momma had put him in his place. Brent was watching us with a concerned frown. He knew I couldn’t tell Momma the truth. They all did. But not one of them was trying to help me out here.
“Maybe he didn’t love her enough. Maybe he didn’t love her enough to fight for her and make sure she was protected from everything that could hurt her. Maybe he didn’t love her enough to sacrifice
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