Colorado 03 Lady Luck (33 page)

We also bought a round, gunmetal table with
four wide-seated chairs with turquoise pads and matching umbrella
to put on the deck off the kitchen. With this we bought the
coolest, most awesome furniture for the front deck, a curvy,
rounded, flowing huge loveseat made in weatherproof resin the color
of straw with a long swirly footstool that fit into the loveseat
making it a big kind of shell-like oval both of which had thick
sand-colored pads and big square toss pillows for the back of the
loveseat. This was going to sit at one end with two matching
curving, high-backed lounges sharing a low, bubble-like, glass
topped table that would sit at the other end. For our balcony, we
got one large, oval resin lounger that was big enough to fit two
even with one of those two being Ty and was really a chair and
ottoman shoved together. This had dark gray, thick pads and a
matching, oval ceramic-topped table. Making awesome even more
awesome, it had a light-gray canvas canopy attached that you could
swing up or down depending on the kind of sun or privacy you
wanted.

As usual, Ty did not fuck around. It was the
nicest most stylish stuff they had, by far. Statement furniture,
classy, unusual that was beautiful to look at and comfortable.

I freaking loved it.

They did Sunday deliveries which I also
freaking loved.

The next day, I commandeered Ty to lug pots
around, fill them with soil and attach the window box. While he did
this, I started planting and occupied his mind by asking him
(frequently) what he thought of my gardening efforts (in other
words, every time I got one of the pots planted). He approved and
was very patient with me distracting him every twenty minutes to
drag him wherever I was working so he could look at a planter
filled with flowers, spiked and trailing greenery which I could
tell he gave not one shit about. Still, it kept him home, occupied
and off his phone.

Then the furniture arrived and we became
occupied with setting it out and assembling what needed to be
assembled. When we were done, we took a shower together and then I
occupied him by guiding him out to the lounger on our deck and
breaking it in. It was good tall pine trees hid us from view on
either side and at the front there was nothing but hill and forest.
But Ty pulled the canopy up just in case. It hid the wrong part of
us but it was something.

The salon was closed Sunday and Monday and
Ty’s days off were Sunday and Thursday so I could keep him occupied
most of the time but with me at work on Thursday and him not, this
presented a problem.

I solved it by calling Laurie and asking for
Tate’s number then calling Tate and dragging him into Distract Ty
Duties. He said he’d do what he could and I knew he did when I got
home to no Ty. Ty arrived an hour and a half later and when he did
he told me he was at Tate’s helping him “with shit”.

Success.

Yesterday evening, another Saturday, he was
again at his phone and I’d run a new play, mildly bitching about
not being in the mood to cook. I bitched for about two point five
minutes before he told me to get my shoes on, we were going out. We
went into town and had Italian. Then we went to Bubba’s and drank
with Ty’s friends. We didn’t get home until late.

Another success.

And that day, Sunday, I had my play sorted
out. I told him we needed to hit the home wares store and he’d
instantly balked. Garden furniture, he could do. Home wares, his
reaction to the concept stated clearly were not his thing. I’d had
to get creative with incentive for him to go with me, I did, he
liked it, I liked it and he went, liking my incentive so much, I
talked him into taking the Charger.

And I talked him into the Charger because
I’d put something in the trunk.

Then I directed him to make a pit stop at a
place I’d previously scoped out in Chantelle on the way to the
mall. He knew why the instant we parked on the street outside the
shop. I saw his face change when he looked at the sign but I got
out of the car before he could say anything. I was standing at the
trunk by the time he folded out and his eyes came to me but he
didn’t speak.

“Pop the trunk, honey, will you?”

He held my eyes but said not a word.

“Pop the trunk, Ty,” I semi-repeated.

He popped the trunk. I reached in and took
out the long, hard-sided cardboard tube in the back that I’d found
in a closet in one of the middle floor bedrooms. I slammed the
trunk and headed to his side, taking his hand in mine and tugging
him to the frame shop. It took a mighty tug but I got him to come
unstuck, slam his door and follow me in.

He picked the frame for Tuku’s pen and ink,
we left the tube and then we went out to the Charger. We didn’t go
to the home wares store but then again, that was a ruse so we
didn’t need to. We went straight home so Ty could express his
gratitude by fucking me on the couch, fast, rough and
brilliant.

I was on a roll and hoping I was succeeding,
making Ty’s time with me as good as it could be, something I’d want
to do anyway, but something I was determined to do so he’d want to
be where I was instead of where he needed to be so vengeance would
be his. Krystal advised me not to stick my neck out. I was doing
everything in my power to stop Ty from sticking out his. I liked
his neck and head where it was. And I was hoping, the more I played
this game, the less important his grand plan o’ vengeance would be
and Tate could do his work. Or, if Tate couldn’t, Ty would give up
and just live his life and for him to do it, I had to demonstrate
it was going to be a good one, worth giving up his grand plan o’
vengeance.

And so far so good. He texted but if he
wasn’t at work, working out or running, which he did in the
mornings of his days off, he was with me or Tate.

And he seemed content, happy even, grinning
more often, chuckling a few times and, twice, I’d made him burst
out laughing. I was hoping these were indications that his
nightmare was fading. I was hoping these were indications that he
was healing. I was hoping I was helping him to get to the other
side.

So now it was early evening and I was out
on the front deck watering as Betty taught me to do. Sometimes, if
the day was really hot, I had to water in the mornings
and
evenings after the heat went
off the day. I was also feeding the plants on her schedule. They
were looking good, filling out, blooming and I was a stickler for
pinching off the deadheads so every bit was healthy.

And I was also studying the funny look on
Ty’s face. We’d been together almost a month and some of that time
he’d been closed off. I knew he still held his cards close to his
chest. He didn’t let his thoughts or feelings show often but he did
it and I was becoming attuned to his moods.

But that look was a new one I did not
get.

Until I heard shrieked,
“
Alexa Anne
Berry! Where you at, girl?
”

My heart skittered to a halt, my mouth
dropped open then I closed it only to open it again in order to
whisper to Ty, “Holy fuck. That’s Ella.”

“Movin’ truck just pulled in the drive,
mama,” he told me.

“
Aaaaaahhhlehhhhhxsaaaaaah!
”

That wasn’t Ella.

That was Bessie.

My heart started hammering, I smiled bright
and dazzling at Ty, dropped the hose where I stood and raced by
him, around the side of the house and down the walkway. I made it
to the railing to see a short, white moving truck in the driveway,
Ella, Bessie and Honey standing outside and to the side of it
looking up at the deck off the kitchen.

“
Ohmigod!
” I screeched, “What are you doing
here?”

Three heads swiveled to me and three faces
split into huge smiles.

“
Ahhhyeeeee!
” Bessie squealed then disappeared under
the deck and I knew she was going to the stairs.

“
Girl! Look at
you!
” Honey shrieked
then she disappeared.

“
There’s my
baby!
” Ella cried then
she disappeared.

I raced down the deck and hit Bessie on the
fly as she got to the top of the stairs, arms tight, bodies
swaying. Honey hit us and burrowed in so our arms moved to
accommodate her. Ella came next and we affected a group hug,
giggling and swaying.

Then we disengaged but Ella kept me close
with an arm around me as I looked at her.

“What are you doing here?” I asked
again.

“Well, you needed your stuff. So we rented a
truck and brought your stuff,” she answered.

“Got us one of those GPS’s,” Bessie added,
grinning at me. “Took us right to your door.”

“
Ace crib, sistah,” Honey put in. “I am no
mountain girl but this place is
the shit.
”

“This is true but I need a cocktail. You
cannot imagine what bein’ in a big truck with these two for two
full days does to a woman,” Ella told me. “They weren’t my flesh
and blood, I’d be facin’ time.”

I grinned at her total lie. She’d spawned
Bessie and Honey, she adored them and she put up with a lot from
them and me
and
Ronnie. She
did not do this without losing her ever-lovin’ mind on a relatively
frequent occasion that often included threats of murder but she
would no sooner carry them out, or lift a hand, than she’d
voluntarily be boiled in acid.

Caught up in the moment, the surprise, I
totally forgot where I was and why I was there until I heard Honey
whisper a low, stunned, supremely appreciative,
“
Muthafuckah.
”

Bessie, Ella and my eyes went to her then
went to where her eyes were aimed to see Ty was standing, arms
crossed on his massive chest, just outside the open kitchen
door.

“Yo.” His deep voice rumbled and I sensed
rather than felt the group quiver.

Everyone was silent and still for a moment,
taking in all that was Ty. Since there was a lot of him and all of
it was really good, this moment lasted awhile.

Ella broke it by saying, “I see in the
mountains they make mountains of brother. I wish I’d known this
forty years ago.”

Ty grinned. This caused another group quiver
to glide through his female audience.

I experienced my quiver right along with my
family then I realized what was happening and that it was
brilliant, having them there but it could be explosive, depending
on their reaction to the news of why I was there.

But this was family and always would be
family and Ty was my husband.

So they had to know.

And they had to accept him.

Because he was family now too.

Therefore, I decided against stealth tactics
and instead to launch an all of it out there in the open offensive
and take my chances.

So I disengaged from Ella, moved to Ty and
reengaged with him, sliding my arms around his middle, he
reciprocated by sliding his arm around my shoulders.

My family watched silent and every last one
of them had their mouth open, Honey, wide open, Bessie, partially
open, Ella, lips parted.

Then I said, “Ella, Bessie, Honey, this is
my husband, Ty Walker. Ty,” I tipped my head back to catch his
eyes, “I’ve told you about my family.”

My gaze went back to the girls as the
reactions started.

“The fuck you say.” That was Bessie.

“Uh… say what?” That was Honey.

Ella didn’t say anything but her eyes had
narrowed.

My body tensed. When it did, Ty gave me a
squeeze.

Then he spoke and I looked back up to him.
“Get these sisters inside. Give them a drink. And give them an
explanation. I’ll call the boys and get them over to help unload
the truck.” I stared at him and didn’t move so he gave me another
squeeze and murmured, “Now, Lex.”

I nodded.

He looked to the women on his deck. “Who’s
got the keys?”

Bessie lifted a hand with the keys dangling
from it. Ty let me go, walked to her, grabbed them with a muttered,
“Thanks,” and walked around them to and down the stairs, pulling
his phone out of his back pocket.

My eyes went from where he disappeared to my
girls to see they were all looking at me. This boded bad things.
Not many women on this earth would miss watching Ty move, even if
it was just to walk down some stairs.

“Um…” I mumbled.

“
Get that white booty o’ yours in the
house,” Ella snapped, “
now
.”

I knew her tone. I was in trouble.

Therefore, I didn’t hesitate because I’d
learned it was better when you were in trouble with Ella to face it
fast, get it over with, accept your penance and move on. I walked
into the open door and they followed.

Then I headed to the fridge while declaring
with more hope than certainty I’d get away with the stall, “We’ll
start with drinks.”

“
We… will…
not,
” Ella countered and I turned around to see them all in,
the door closed and they were huddled at the island opposite me.
Honey had her hands on it. Bessie had her hands on her hips. Ella
had her arms crossed on her ample bosom. All their eyes were on
me.

“Explain,” Ella ordered.

“It’s cocktail hour and you guys just got –”
I began but stopped when Ella’s arm snaked out and she slapped the
counter of the island with her open hand.

“
Explain!
” she shouted.

“Ella,” I whispered but said no more, words
clogging in my throat as they always did when she got that kind of
pissed at me, be I thirteen or thirty-four.

“How on sweet God’s earth are you married to
a brother I’ve never met?” she asked.