under his breath, pondering what he had just heard.
“Shit, I know how you feel. It hit me hard too. But now we gotta’ deal with things. And fast. Hell if I’m gonna’ die by the likes of her.”
He looked up at Adam, solemnly. “She know you’re here?” He asked him.
Adam shook his head, staring at the table and picking at the aluminum ring at the top of his beer. “Nah. Just didn’t have anywhere to go. I fucked up. Lost all my fortune. What am I going to do now?”
I nearly lost all my patience listening to this. I stood up from the seat. “So you’re his dad?” I asked him.
“Sure am.” He said. He turned to Adam. “She looks like your mother did. You know. Back when I first met her.”
Adam smiled. “I can’t remember. But I’ve seen the pictures.”
I blushed. “And you know Brianna Baxter?” I nearly screamed the question.
“If getting drunk and telling her a bunch of times to get off my property, counts as knowing someone, than yeah I knew the bitch.” He stood up to grab another beer. “Look, I get it. This is all new information for you. You’re feeling confused. But you gotta’ trust in my son, kid. He ain’t gonna’ let you down.”
I looked at Adam. He was peering out the window, making sure no one had followed us. I suddenly felt safe. I felt good, despite the confusion surrounding our circumstance. After all, this was the new life I chose, right?
“Yeah, I know. He seems okay.” I laughed. Adam smiled and went back to looking out the window.
“It’s good you came here, you two. You’re safe here. For now at least. I can’t tell you how long that will last. But tonight we’ll have one big family dinner. Like old times, Adam. Remember? Us and the gang?”
“Do I ever. Before I went solo.” Adam smiled, stroking his chin.
“I never got why you did that in the first place. I mean, I get it. But we lost something big when you left. The whole thing just fucking crumbled into nothin’. Hell, now look at us.”
“Yeah? And what are the boys doing now?”
“It’s like I said. I heard Avery owns a bar in New Mexico. Somewhere tame, you know. I think after he got his face slashed, he was more ready than ever to get on with his life. Randy is a trucker now, I’ll be damned. Of all things to do. You really inspired the men to lose themselves, you know that?” He shook his head.
Adam chucked to himself, rubbing his chin like his dad. “Yeah, well sometimes life pushes you to do things that don’t exactly make sense. Still, there’s not much use in regrets.”
“No, I guess there ain’t. You learned well, son. Just glad you’re back home to visit your old man.” He took a giant swig and threw the empty can into the corner of the room. “Come on, help me cook the chili.” He motioned to me.
14
“ W atching you smoke that cigarette is killin’ me, man.” Adam’s dad smiled. He looked as if he we would do just about anything for a drag.
I mixed the chili in a big pot on the stove. “Why don’t you just have one?” I asked him.
“Can't. Quit years ago. Doctor told me my lungs looked blacker than coal. Ain't no thing though. I'll survive, man. Got this grass stuff now that seems to take the anxiety away. Probably better for me in the long run anyhow.”
I shrugged. “I suppose you’re right.” Adam smiled, taking another deep inhale. He looked like he was enjoying this cigarette in particular.
“Ah shit, one won't kill me, right?” Bruce held a dirty hand out in front of him. Adam reluctantly pulled one out and set it in his cracked palm. “Thank you kindly.” He bowed.
“So I’ve been thinking about our next move.” Adam said suddenly.
“You have?” I asked him. I was curious to hear what he had to say. Despite the charming qualities of our stay here, I knew that our time was almost up. I most certainly didn’t want the feds to bust in and catch us. If something were to happen to Adam, my whole existence would be meaningless. I’d
“Shit, I know how you feel. It hit me hard too. But now we gotta’ deal with things. And fast. Hell if I’m gonna’ die by the likes of her.”
He looked up at Adam, solemnly. “She know you’re here?” He asked him.
Adam shook his head, staring at the table and picking at the aluminum ring at the top of his beer. “Nah. Just didn’t have anywhere to go. I fucked up. Lost all my fortune. What am I going to do now?”
I nearly lost all my patience listening to this. I stood up from the seat. “So you’re his dad?” I asked him.
“Sure am.” He said. He turned to Adam. “She looks like your mother did. You know. Back when I first met her.”
Adam smiled. “I can’t remember. But I’ve seen the pictures.”
I blushed. “And you know Brianna Baxter?” I nearly screamed the question.
“If getting drunk and telling her a bunch of times to get off my property, counts as knowing someone, than yeah I knew the bitch.” He stood up to grab another beer. “Look, I get it. This is all new information for you. You’re feeling confused. But you gotta’ trust in my son, kid. He ain’t gonna’ let you down.”
I looked at Adam. He was peering out the window, making sure no one had followed us. I suddenly felt safe. I felt good, despite the confusion surrounding our circumstance. After all, this was the new life I chose, right?
“Yeah, I know. He seems okay.” I laughed. Adam smiled and went back to looking out the window.
“It’s good you came here, you two. You’re safe here. For now at least. I can’t tell you how long that will last. But tonight we’ll have one big family dinner. Like old times, Adam. Remember? Us and the gang?”
“Do I ever. Before I went solo.” Adam smiled, stroking his chin.
“I never got why you did that in the first place. I mean, I get it. But we lost something big when you left. The whole thing just fucking crumbled into nothin’. Hell, now look at us.”
“Yeah? And what are the boys doing now?”
“It’s like I said. I heard Avery owns a bar in New Mexico. Somewhere tame, you know. I think after he got his face slashed, he was more ready than ever to get on with his life. Randy is a trucker now, I’ll be damned. Of all things to do. You really inspired the men to lose themselves, you know that?” He shook his head.
Adam chucked to himself, rubbing his chin like his dad. “Yeah, well sometimes life pushes you to do things that don’t exactly make sense. Still, there’s not much use in regrets.”
“No, I guess there ain’t. You learned well, son. Just glad you’re back home to visit your old man.” He took a giant swig and threw the empty can into the corner of the room. “Come on, help me cook the chili.” He motioned to me.
14
“ W atching you smoke that cigarette is killin’ me, man.” Adam’s dad smiled. He looked as if he we would do just about anything for a drag.
I mixed the chili in a big pot on the stove. “Why don’t you just have one?” I asked him.
“Can't. Quit years ago. Doctor told me my lungs looked blacker than coal. Ain't no thing though. I'll survive, man. Got this grass stuff now that seems to take the anxiety away. Probably better for me in the long run anyhow.”
I shrugged. “I suppose you’re right.” Adam smiled, taking another deep inhale. He looked like he was enjoying this cigarette in particular.
“Ah shit, one won't kill me, right?” Bruce held a dirty hand out in front of him. Adam reluctantly pulled one out and set it in his cracked palm. “Thank you kindly.” He bowed.
“So I’ve been thinking about our next move.” Adam said suddenly.
“You have?” I asked him. I was curious to hear what he had to say. Despite the charming qualities of our stay here, I knew that our time was almost up. I most certainly didn’t want the feds to bust in and catch us. If something were to happen to Adam, my whole existence would be meaningless. I’d
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