Read Online Red’s Hot Honky-Tonk Bar by Pamela Morsi - Free Book Online
Authors: Pamela Morsi
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going to take them?”
Mike made a humorless chortling sound that was almost a snort.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what Bridge is hoping,” he said. “Livy probably was a genuine accident, but she knew I didn’t want kids. She got pregnant with Daniel anyway. I told her then and I’d tell her now, I’m not going to be trapped into some kind of daddy thing. That’s not a life I’m interested in.”
Red’s reaction was sharp and angry. “Those kids are crazy about you. And you act like you’re crazy about them.”
He shrugged. “Hey, they’re great kids. I’m not saying otherwise. But I’m not a home-and-hearth kind of guy. What I want is more cheap beer and cheaper women.”
Mike chuckled, but Red didn’t find it at all funny.
“Look, they deduct child support from my every paycheck,” he said. “I think that’s penalty enough for not keeping it in my pants. Bridge was the one who was so desperate for a family she had to grow her own. I guess that’s your fault, Red, so maybe granny duty is a just punishment.”
To: [email protected]
August 25 11:09 a.m.
From: [email protected]
Subject: I HATE HER!
I cant stand that she is my grandmother. She is the worse person in the whole world and I know now for sure why we never saw her much because you would not want us to be like her. She is so bad.
Daddy was here. It was like heaven. We went to Fiesta Texas and he rode the big roller coaster with me. Daniel was too short and he was scared too. We got to see Abuela and she squeezed my hand like she didn’t want to let me go. She loves me so much. And Daddy loves me too. He is so great and he wants us so much. He has to go back to Korea and he wanted to take us with him, but the Bad Gramma said NO! I hate her so much. I will never forgive her. Ever. Ever.
When you get home I want to never come back to her stinky bar ever. I hate being here. Dont worry. I’m not running away or anything. Somebody has to take care of Daniel. The red witch cant do it. I remember how you said that you do what you must because you have to. I will do what I have to too.
Miss you.
Livy
7
R ed gave the kids the news first thing the next day. The reaction to staying with her was about what she expected. Olivia called her a “mean old witch” and Daniel retreated into Spanish only, curling himself into a tiny ball on his chair. Nobody ate a bite of breakfast and morning ablutions were exceptionally noisy with all the slamming doors.
By the time Cam showed up about eleven, Red was grateful to see him.
“I’ve got some pretty unhappy campers,” she told him. She didn’t have a moment to even explain to him what had happened before Olivia piped in.
“Cam, please take us to the library,” she pleaded. “Please, please.”
He looked at Red for guidance.
“Do you have time?” she asked him.
“Absolutely.”
“I would really appreciate it,” she said.
After they were gone, Red tried to pull her thoughts and her plans together. This was really happening. She was goingto have to keep these kids with her for the next four months and she needed to figure out how to do that. She was not a woman who had ever backed down from anything that had to be faced. She managed bigger challenges, just by breaking them down into smaller jobs to be accomplished.
Seated on the patio, she listened to the sound of the river nearby as she made a list of everything that was needed immediately.
Sitter
School
Home
The last she circled and drew an arrow to the top of the list. She remembered the tacky roach-infested apartment in Irish Flats where she and Bridge had lived. She needed to do better than that.
She was still thinking and tapping her pencil when Cam came back alone.
“Where are the kids?”
“I left them with Mrs. Ramirez,” he said. “They were both starving and you know how she likes to feed people.”
“Good,” Red said, nodding.
Cam glanced at her list before he sat down. “So I
Mike made a humorless chortling sound that was almost a snort.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what Bridge is hoping,” he said. “Livy probably was a genuine accident, but she knew I didn’t want kids. She got pregnant with Daniel anyway. I told her then and I’d tell her now, I’m not going to be trapped into some kind of daddy thing. That’s not a life I’m interested in.”
Red’s reaction was sharp and angry. “Those kids are crazy about you. And you act like you’re crazy about them.”
He shrugged. “Hey, they’re great kids. I’m not saying otherwise. But I’m not a home-and-hearth kind of guy. What I want is more cheap beer and cheaper women.”
Mike chuckled, but Red didn’t find it at all funny.
“Look, they deduct child support from my every paycheck,” he said. “I think that’s penalty enough for not keeping it in my pants. Bridge was the one who was so desperate for a family she had to grow her own. I guess that’s your fault, Red, so maybe granny duty is a just punishment.”
To: [email protected]
August 25 11:09 a.m.
From: [email protected]
Subject: I HATE HER!
I cant stand that she is my grandmother. She is the worse person in the whole world and I know now for sure why we never saw her much because you would not want us to be like her. She is so bad.
Daddy was here. It was like heaven. We went to Fiesta Texas and he rode the big roller coaster with me. Daniel was too short and he was scared too. We got to see Abuela and she squeezed my hand like she didn’t want to let me go. She loves me so much. And Daddy loves me too. He is so great and he wants us so much. He has to go back to Korea and he wanted to take us with him, but the Bad Gramma said NO! I hate her so much. I will never forgive her. Ever. Ever.
When you get home I want to never come back to her stinky bar ever. I hate being here. Dont worry. I’m not running away or anything. Somebody has to take care of Daniel. The red witch cant do it. I remember how you said that you do what you must because you have to. I will do what I have to too.
Miss you.
Livy
7
R ed gave the kids the news first thing the next day. The reaction to staying with her was about what she expected. Olivia called her a “mean old witch” and Daniel retreated into Spanish only, curling himself into a tiny ball on his chair. Nobody ate a bite of breakfast and morning ablutions were exceptionally noisy with all the slamming doors.
By the time Cam showed up about eleven, Red was grateful to see him.
“I’ve got some pretty unhappy campers,” she told him. She didn’t have a moment to even explain to him what had happened before Olivia piped in.
“Cam, please take us to the library,” she pleaded. “Please, please.”
He looked at Red for guidance.
“Do you have time?” she asked him.
“Absolutely.”
“I would really appreciate it,” she said.
After they were gone, Red tried to pull her thoughts and her plans together. This was really happening. She was goingto have to keep these kids with her for the next four months and she needed to figure out how to do that. She was not a woman who had ever backed down from anything that had to be faced. She managed bigger challenges, just by breaking them down into smaller jobs to be accomplished.
Seated on the patio, she listened to the sound of the river nearby as she made a list of everything that was needed immediately.
Sitter
School
Home
The last she circled and drew an arrow to the top of the list. She remembered the tacky roach-infested apartment in Irish Flats where she and Bridge had lived. She needed to do better than that.
She was still thinking and tapping her pencil when Cam came back alone.
“Where are the kids?”
“I left them with Mrs. Ramirez,” he said. “They were both starving and you know how she likes to feed people.”
“Good,” Red said, nodding.
Cam glanced at her list before he sat down. “So I
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