Down 'N' Derby (28 page)

             
“Jesus, Poppy, he’s not a cat post.” Falcon joked.  He hesitated, but I didn’t. I hugged him hard, and not one of those bro hugs where you just slap each others’ backs—a real hug.  He walked back to pick up all of Reed’s stuff she’d thrown and by the time she came back Reed and Storey had become fast friends. 

             
“Holy shit!” Reed screamed again.  I watched for the TSA to escort us out of here any minute just for her screaming. “You’re American Horror Storey!” My girl looked shocked but nodded her head ‘yes’.

             
“How did you know?” She asked, wide eyed.
              “Because I keep up with Derby.  You were on the Venice Beach Bombshells, right?”

             
“Yes!  I can’t believe you know that!” Storey screeched back.  Falcon and I followed behind them on the way to the baggage claim.  And Storey was afraid they wouldn’t get along. 

             
We got their bags, and while we put them in the back of the Jeep I noticed an absence of a ring from Falcon’s finger but didn’t mention it.  And then when I got into the Jeep, I noticed Reed only wore her engagement ring. 

             
“So, you’re like not catatonic.  I was looking forward to pouring ice water on your head,” Reed shot at me from the back seat. 

             
I took Storey’s hand as I drove, “Nope, I’m good.”

             
They both laughed. “But I did notice there’s something wrong with y’all’s fingers.”

             
Falcon met my eyes in the rear view mirror.  He knew what I meant.

             
“Let’s just get to wherever we’re going before we tell you what’s going on Mad.  I don’t want you to wreck.  These people can’t drive for shit.” Reed said as she looked out over the crowded freeway.

             
We got to Storey’s apartment after we picked up lunch and sat around eating.  I finished first and waited not so patiently for Falcon to finish.  Thank God my brother was a fast eater.

             
“Tell me what happened.” I demanded.

             
Falcon looked to Reed.  She smiled and gave him a curt nod. “Mad, you’re our brother, both of us.  It just wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

             
“What are you saying?”

             
“We didn’t get married.  We decided, together, to wait for you to get home.  I need my brother at my side when I marry Reed.”

             
Reed chimed in, “And I need my best friend when I marry his brother.  It was out of the question to get married without you there.” 

             
And if I didn’t already feel like shit before, I felt like it now.  I looked at Storey and she saw the gears grinding in my head.

             
“Don’t take it like that Mad.  They love you enough to postpone the biggest day of their lives so you can be there.  Take it as a good thing.  Don’t let it eat you.”

             
Was it really necessary for her to be right
all
the time?

             
“I’m sorry,” I directed at Falcon. 

             
Falcon clapped his hands, “The question is, when are we gonna get moving, ‘cause there’s an altar calling our names.”

             
“I can be ready to go tomorrow.” Storey added.

             
“Are you sure?” I asked her. 

             
“Hell yeah.  Unless y’all want to stick around for a while.”

             
“Nope,” Falcon interjected, “Anyway, we can always come back one day.  But for now, Owen and Nellie are livid that we got to come and they didn’t and Mom and Dad are pacing the floors.  I can almost guarantee that.”

             
“Ok, we’ll leave tomorrow then.”  I said.  Storey said she had packing to do and Reed said she’d join her.  Storey paused on her way to her bedroom and kissed me until I wanted to drag her far away from anyone watching. 

             
“Oh my God, y’all are so cute!” Reed was almost bursting at the seams.

             
“I forgot how challenged you were, Reed.  I missed that.”

             
“Aww, I missed you too, Mad.” She pinched my cheeks and the girls closed the bedroom door behind them.  Later on, I brought Falcon to see Rex.  We walked all the way there and back.  It gave us an opportunity to catch up and for me to explain everything to him.  Rex was packed already.  He was leaving everything but his clothes.  He’d pawned everything of value over the years just to get by and there was nothing else he wanted. 

             
The next morning we left Venice Beach but it never left us.  Storey and I would keep it in our minds forever.  As we rode in the Jeep, she reached over and put her hand on my thigh. 

             
“We have to come back one day,” she said.  “We have to come back and show our kids where we met.”  She looked out the window and I couldn’t believe her faith in us.  It never failed.  And to know I wasn’t the only one who thought about our future was the best feeling in the world.

             
“Yeah, and we have to show them how hot their Mom was when she was a pin-up model.”

             
“All those costumes and cute clothes, I’ll never wear them again.”

             
I squeezed her hand under mine and whispered, “You can always dress up for me.”

             
“Mmmm, now that’s an idea.”

              We drove for three days, only stopping for gas and food.  When we got over the Ponchatula River and were close to home, she started fidgeting beside me.

             
“Storey, ants in your pants.” I teased her.

             
“Shut up Mad, I’m about to meet your parents. I’m more nervous than a porcupine at a balloon festival.”  Oh Lord, not this again.  She got the same way when she met Falcon and Reed. 

             
“Storey, just wait until you meet my mom.  She’s kind and she dotes on all of us.  She holds this family together.  Honestly, I am the one who should be nervous, she’s probably gonna whip my ass and then feed me cheesecake.”

             
She turned in her seat and glared at me, “Maddox, you’re not helping.”

             
About forty minutes later we pulled up at the Black house.  It called me like a Siren.  Falcon, Rex and Reed got out and made their way to the front of the Jeep and leaned against it, waiting for us.

             
Storey unbuckled her seatbelt, “Come on, let’s go before I blow chunks.”

             
I snorted and then followed her lead.  We walked into the house and Falcon must’ve given them a head’s up.  They were all waiting.  Sitting on the couches like they were waiting for a woman in labor. 

             
Owen bulled through everyone else and grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me in for the hardest hug I’d ever received.  “Don’t do that to me again, bro.  I know I give you hell, but I missed the shit out of you.”

             
“I missed you too.  I tried to e-mail you back but we were in a little town with crappy internet service.”

             
“Owen, there’s like a line here.”  Nellie had her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapped on the floor a mile a minute.

             
She hugged me quickly and moved on.  She didn’t like crying in front of anyone.  I stared at my parents, words, apologies and regrets piled up in my throat, choking me.  Storey passed by me and touched my hand as she did and went straight for them.  She introduced herself and they both hugged her like they’d known her for years.  Especially my dad, he picked her up and spun her around, gushing about how beautiful she was and how tiny. 

             
Mom approached me first and she gave into a sob as she held onto me and so did I.  “I’m so sorry, Mom.” That was all I could choke out. 

             
“I’m just glad you’re safe, son.  Do you hear me?  You’re my son.  I don’t give a damn who gave birth to you.  You—are—my –son.”

             
“Thank God.” I answered her.

             
“We’ll talk more later.  I want to hear the whole thing.” She said. 

             
Dad was next and he nearly broke my back he squeezed so hard. 

             
I introduced everyone to Rex but he didn’t say much.  After a few jeers from Nellie about Storey, the girls fell into a comfortable conversation about derby and me.  I tried not to listen.  Falcon offered his apartment to Rex.  Storey would temporarily stay with Reed and Falcon in the spare bedroom until we could get her an apartment.  I was stuck living at home, even though it didn’t feel like a punishment anymore. 

             
My parents excused themselves to get back to the restaurant and Owen and Nellie went back to their jobs.  Falcon and Reed went home and took Rex with them, showing him to his new digs. 

             
Storey sat on the bottom stair and leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief.  I sat next to her and placed a kiss on her chin. 

             
“You’re really here,” I told her.

             
“I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled back at me.  Her eyes were closed, like she was coming down from a daydream.

             
“Where’s your room?” She asked.

             
“Upstairs first room right across from the top. Why?”

             
She got up and climbed four or five steps before turning back to me.  She reached out her hand and nodded her head.

             
“I wanna be the first girl you take to your room.” She winked. 

             
“Ok,” I took two steps and lifted her up.  Her arms encircled my neck. “As long as you’re the last.”

Chapter 35

Falcon

One month later

There was a chance Reed would kill me for this.  But there was also a bigger chance that she’d hold this in her heart forever.  And I’d give her every heartbeat for the rest of my life in this place—finally.

             
Everyone could hear Nellie cussing in the back of the church.  But I knew why.  Owen, Mad and I shared a knowing look and a snicker as we waited at the altar.  Reed got dressed at her house, accompanied by Nellie, Storey and my mom.  But then she was blindfolded and brought here.  She didn’t know where she was and apparently Nellie was having trouble with her.  Either that or Reed was purposefully giving Nellie a hard time because she was pissed.  She had come here to visit her parents’ old nursery and burned down home when she passed this church on her way home.  It was the church her parents were married at. She gushed about it being renovated and I knew what I needed to do. 

             
I met with the pastor the next day and booked our wedding.  We had originally planned to get married at the church that Owen and Nellie got married at, but I hoped that my girl would appreciate this—if she didn’t kill Nellie first. 

             
The rings were in the hands of my dad and each time I turned my eyes to him, he’d show them to me, easing my stress.  Since this wedding was planned very quickly, her aunt couldn’t come and lots of people we’d originally invited weren’t here.  But the most important ones were.  My family was here, Farrah was here.  Two candles had been placed on the left of the altar for her parents. 

             
My mom came through the back doors of the church and as the doors swung open I caught sight of a white piece of fabric.  My dad escorted Mom to her seat, but not before she lit Reed’s parents’ candles.  My Dad went back through the doors to get Reed.  She’d asked him months ago, without me knowing to walk her down the aisle and I found that I loved her ten times more after that. 

             
Great Expectations by Elbow started playing in the background and my stomach somersaulted into my throat.  Owen clapped me on the back, letting me know he got it.  Nellie came out first, her crazy ass had dyed her hair Malibu Barbie pink again.  Next was Storey.  I looked over at Mad, who had to clear his throat in an attempt to hide his choking up.  The song switched to Ache by James Carrington, a song we’d picked out together and the back doors opened.  She stood there with my father, a small bouquet in her hand, the dress that I’d never seen on her killer body. 

             
She came towards me, tears already streaming down to meet her smile.  Her green eyes shining with so many emotions.  She handed the bouquet to Nellie.  I could’ve stood there forever.  She was always, always better than my dreams of her, and this day was no exception.