wasn’t the best idea. If we went to the lake, I could put something on someone’s car window. Or draw it in the sand where someone would see. The lake provided more opportunities.
I nodded, and she handed Jim one of the bills. He laughed mischievously.
“I’ll be right back.” He went into the house and came back out a minute later wearing sturdy boots and a sleeveless shirt. Small keys dangled from his little finger.
“Jim...” The warning in Nana voice was clear as he jumped from the porch.
Emmitt looked up from his mowing as Jim swung a leg over Emmitt’s motorcycle and inserted the key. The drone of the mower died as the bike’s engine roared to life. Jim laughed loudly and revived the bike over Emmitt’s shouted words. Saluting us, Jim took off.
“Nana!” Emmitt called in frustration. It reminded me of Liam when Aden wouldn’t share a toy. “You couldn’t stop him?”
Just then, we heard Jim rev the engine again and squeal a tire on the blacktop road. The sound faded much too quickly.
Nana glanced at me with a small smile. “Jim was lonely without Emmitt.”
“I can tell,” I said absently, turning to watch Emmitt run a hand through his hair. His lips moved rapidly, and I guessed if I stood closer, I would hear swearing. “Did Emmitt miss Jim, though?”
She laughed. “Let’s get you that towel.”
* * * *
Emmitt finished mowing the backyard and moved to the front before Jim returned. Pieces of grass stuck to our feet when Liam, Aden, and I ventured out onto the newly cut expanse. I loved the smell of it.
Nana called to us from the porch and presented the boys with the gloves and ball that Jim had unearthed in the basement.
I helped them fit their small hands into the large gloves as she went to the garage to fetch a rake. Without a glove to play, too, I grew restless watching the boys toss the ball to each other.
Living in confinement hadn’t been bad if I followed the rules, but it had been boring. Given our options at that time, boring had been better than David’s harassing presence or Blake’s furious attention when I did something outside of the boundaries he set. But being bored while the ticker ran in my head just brought my increasing tension into focus and reminded me that the ache would only get worse.
I went to the garage, found a second rake, and helped Nana, stopping occasionally to roll my shoulders. I caught Liam watching me with a knowing look and was glad Emmitt wasn’t within sight.
The motorcycle roared into the yard while the mower still rumbled in the front. The boys stopped their play to watch Jim park. He put his feet down to stop and grinned widely at the boys.
“I’ve got some cool stuff for tomorrow!”
Liam looked at me for permission, but Aden inched his way toward Jim before I even nodded. Jim stood and swung a leg over the bike, handing a bag to each boy as they crowded close.
I set the rake on the grass and joined them. Through the plastic bags, I saw boxes for sparklers, smoke bombs, spark fountains, and more. I didn’t see one food item. I glanced nervously at Nana. Jim had blatantly disobeyed.
The mower in the front quieted. Jim grinned wider, looking down at the boys’ rapt expressions. I doubted they even knew what they looked at. Nana set her rake down and strode toward Jim to peer into the bags.
“James Grayson Cole. That wasn’t your money.” The growled intensity in Nana’s voice surprised me. Even the boys looked up at her.
Though Jim’s grin remained on his face, it started to look a little forced.
“I got what we needed, Nana.” He met her eyes steadily.
I watched the byplay, feeling uncomfortable. There was an obvious silent message there, but I didn’t know what. Would they start arguing?
Emmitt walked around the side of the house just then. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of his damp shirt and glistening skin.
I nodded, and she handed Jim one of the bills. He laughed mischievously.
“I’ll be right back.” He went into the house and came back out a minute later wearing sturdy boots and a sleeveless shirt. Small keys dangled from his little finger.
“Jim...” The warning in Nana voice was clear as he jumped from the porch.
Emmitt looked up from his mowing as Jim swung a leg over Emmitt’s motorcycle and inserted the key. The drone of the mower died as the bike’s engine roared to life. Jim laughed loudly and revived the bike over Emmitt’s shouted words. Saluting us, Jim took off.
“Nana!” Emmitt called in frustration. It reminded me of Liam when Aden wouldn’t share a toy. “You couldn’t stop him?”
Just then, we heard Jim rev the engine again and squeal a tire on the blacktop road. The sound faded much too quickly.
Nana glanced at me with a small smile. “Jim was lonely without Emmitt.”
“I can tell,” I said absently, turning to watch Emmitt run a hand through his hair. His lips moved rapidly, and I guessed if I stood closer, I would hear swearing. “Did Emmitt miss Jim, though?”
She laughed. “Let’s get you that towel.”
* * * *
Emmitt finished mowing the backyard and moved to the front before Jim returned. Pieces of grass stuck to our feet when Liam, Aden, and I ventured out onto the newly cut expanse. I loved the smell of it.
Nana called to us from the porch and presented the boys with the gloves and ball that Jim had unearthed in the basement.
I helped them fit their small hands into the large gloves as she went to the garage to fetch a rake. Without a glove to play, too, I grew restless watching the boys toss the ball to each other.
Living in confinement hadn’t been bad if I followed the rules, but it had been boring. Given our options at that time, boring had been better than David’s harassing presence or Blake’s furious attention when I did something outside of the boundaries he set. But being bored while the ticker ran in my head just brought my increasing tension into focus and reminded me that the ache would only get worse.
I went to the garage, found a second rake, and helped Nana, stopping occasionally to roll my shoulders. I caught Liam watching me with a knowing look and was glad Emmitt wasn’t within sight.
The motorcycle roared into the yard while the mower still rumbled in the front. The boys stopped their play to watch Jim park. He put his feet down to stop and grinned widely at the boys.
“I’ve got some cool stuff for tomorrow!”
Liam looked at me for permission, but Aden inched his way toward Jim before I even nodded. Jim stood and swung a leg over the bike, handing a bag to each boy as they crowded close.
I set the rake on the grass and joined them. Through the plastic bags, I saw boxes for sparklers, smoke bombs, spark fountains, and more. I didn’t see one food item. I glanced nervously at Nana. Jim had blatantly disobeyed.
The mower in the front quieted. Jim grinned wider, looking down at the boys’ rapt expressions. I doubted they even knew what they looked at. Nana set her rake down and strode toward Jim to peer into the bags.
“James Grayson Cole. That wasn’t your money.” The growled intensity in Nana’s voice surprised me. Even the boys looked up at her.
Though Jim’s grin remained on his face, it started to look a little forced.
“I got what we needed, Nana.” He met her eyes steadily.
I watched the byplay, feeling uncomfortable. There was an obvious silent message there, but I didn’t know what. Would they start arguing?
Emmitt walked around the side of the house just then. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of his damp shirt and glistening skin.
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