Snake Charmer (Rawkfist MC Book 2) (6 page)

Journey

C
hristine is a confident, powerful,
intelligent woman. These qualities wouldn’t be evident to anyone witnessing her
arrival home tonight. Her blonde hair is wrapped in a bun like on most work
days. Having messed with it too much on the drive home, her hair now sticks out
in every direction.

“Why did you invite him to dinner
tonight?” she asks, rushing into her bedroom.

A disapproving Justice shakes her head and
frowns at me. “Yeah, why not next year or five minutes before the sun burns
out?”

“I don’t believe in waiting around to
do things,” I say, despite how I’ve repeatedly considered calling Donovan to
postpone our hiking date.

“You should have asked first,”
Christine says, turning on the shower. “I need time to prepare.”

“You’ve been waiting to see him since
we moved back here. I’ll cook dinner. We’ll play interference for you, and
Jared will come over and draw all of Zeb’s ire. It’ll be fine.”

Christine stops rushing around her
bathroom and focuses her gaze on me.

“He’s my dad,” she says, explaining her
frayed nerves. “My disappointed father who told me not to marry Jared and who
said I was a bad person to leave town. He’s judged everything I ever did.”

“And he looks like a homeless person
now. Feel free to judge him right back.”

My mother gives me a tight smile. “You’re
right, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“You dealt with your mother issues. You
faced your Jared issues.”

Justice leans over my shoulder and
whispers, “Not in quite the same ways.”

Not in the mood to remember my parents
dry-humping against my SUV in the Kroger parking lot, I bump my sister with my
hip to force her out of the room. Once we’re alone, I focus on Christine.

“You’re ready to deal with your father
issues,” I promise.

Leaving her to take a shower, I return
to the kitchen where Otto and Felix sit at the table. They immediately look up
from their homework.

“Who is coming to dinner?” Otto asks in
his wannabe alpha voice.

“My grandfather Zeb Earlham.”

“What does he want?”

“Chill on the big man talk,” I warn
while looking through our freezer. “What did I tell you about sounding like a
thug? Better to speak softly so your enemy won’t expect the punch to their
face.”

Otto nods because everything I say is
golden to his little ears. I don’t know how long he’ll worship my every fart,
but I’m taking advantage of it for now.

“Is Zeb nice like your grandmother?”
Felix asks.

A laughing Poppy ruffles his dark hair.
“I think that was sarcasm.”

“Jared doesn’t believe in sarcasm,”
Justice reminds her step-son. “He won’t acknowledge it. So if you notice him
ignoring everything I say, that’s why.”

The boys glance at each other and share
a look. Justice does the same with Poppy. I have no one to share a look with,
so I frown at our fat gray cat, Thelma.

“We’re having pork chops for dinner,” I
announce when everyone remains too quiet. “I’ll throw in a few extra for Jared
and Zeb. No sweat.”

Justice joins me in the kitchen. “I’ll
help. I don’t want you hogging all the obedient daughter points.”

Handing her a knife, I gesture at the
cabbage. Poppy sits in her spot on the floor and reads a school book. The next
hour is quiet while the kids do homework and then watch a movie. Only Matilda
shows any interest in helping with dinner.

A half hour later, I hear my father’s
Harley heading up the driveway. Justice opens the door for him. Even in a
simple black shirt and jeans, he looks ready to seduce his former wife.

“Why am I here exactly?” he asks upon
entering the house.

Poppy frowns. “Shouldn’t you have asked
that before driving over?”

My father quickly learned to ignore a troublemaking
Poppy, and he does so tonight.

“Your grandfather won’t want to see me
tonight any more than he did when you girls were little. Last time I saw him,
he was walking along the side of the road. When I stopped to see if he needed
any help, he pulled a knife on me and said I stole his daughter’s dreams.”

“Poor bastard,” I say, patting his
shoulder. “Did he hurt your feelings?”

Jared gives me a little smile and then
loses it when Justice saddles up next to him.

“Why not be the hero here, Pa? If you draw
all of the homeless man’s rage, Mom can relax.”

Jared stares at us. I wait for him to
say something, but he’s figuring out if helping Christine is worth suffering
through the old man’s hate.

“What’s for dinner?” he asks, having
made his decision.

“Pork chops.”

“Journey’s a good cook too,” Justice
announces, hugging me. “The very best.”

“You’re still helping.”

“Well, shit. What was the point of
saying anything agreeable to you then?”

“I’ve never felt more loved.”

Justice rolls her eyes, but her gaze is
back on Jared. “You look handsome, father. Too handsome maybe. I don’t want Mom
humping you during dinner.”

“Can’t help what God gave me,” Jared
says, winking at Justice. “I’m heading outside to talk to Court.”

“Take Otto with you,” I announce. “He
needs more time around men. I don’t want him growing a uterus.”

Otto frowns. “I don’t want that
either.”

Grinning at his reaction, I consider
explaining what a uterus is but decide his childhood has been tough enough.

Dinner is nearly ready when Hal barks
at a figure walking slowly up our long driveway.

“I’m scared,” Poppy says, standing next
to me. “If he’s a biter, will you protect me?”

“He’s an old man. If you can’t take
him, you can’t take anyone.”

“I’m okay with that. I’m a liar, not a
fighter.”

Shooing her away, I tell Justice to get
Christine. We need a united front to set dinner on the right path. With one of
him and nine of us, we should have this in the bag.

Christine pops her head out and stares
wide-eyed at me. “If he says anything mean to you guys, don’t take it
personally.”

“I never take anything anyone says
personally,” I say.

“I hope he takes my insults
personally,” Poppy mutters, standing behind me. “So, Mom, is Peepaw as
obnoxious as Meemaw?”

“Don’t call them that. Just call him
Zeb.”

“Right because that’s so much better,”
Poppy says, pulling her ponytail loose. “Either way, I hear banjos.”

We peek out the blinds to see Zeb still
moseying his way up the driveway. I think he’s showered since the store. His
gray hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing different clothes.

Christine takes a deep breath and walks
onto the porch.

“Hi, Dad!” she calls out and waves.

Poppy stands at my right side with
Justice on my left. They’re both tense with anticipation.

Poppy looks at me and whispers, “This
is so exciting.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“I don’t know.”

Zeb finally arrives at the porch where
Christine hugs him. Only Hal's growling ruins the heartwarming moment.

“Your dog needs some learning,” Zeb
says, looking down at the chubby Puggle.

“He’s protective.”

“That’s what you said about the biker
when he didn’t let you leave the house.”

“He let me leave. He just didn’t want
to drive me to your house that one time when I was nine months pregnant with
Justice.”

“Controlling men never change.”

“We’re divorced, Dad.”

“Heard you fucked him at the Kroger a
few months back. Don’t seem so divorced to me, Christine.”

“Wow,” Justice whispers. “Who knew old
people cussed?”

“Shut up,” I growl at her before
stepping outside to join my mother. “Hello, Zeb. Dinner is nearly ready. Can I
get you a drink?”

“You have any alcoholic drinks?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“We have kids in the house.”

“I used to have kids in the house, and
I also had beer.”

“If you want beer, go buy it yourself.”

Zeb gives me a dark gaze with his
bright blue eyes. I glare right back at him. Christine stands next to me and
stops holding her breath.

“Give me whatever you got. Water will
do if you’re stingy.”

I glance back at Justice and tell her
to get him a soda. When I look at Zeb, he’s studying Christine and shaking his
head.

“Two divorces,” he says.

Christine doesn’t respond while Justice
and Poppy step onto the porch. Zeb takes his drink and looks over Poppy.

“This one looks like you. Real fine
looking girl.”

“Well, it’s official,” Justice tells
Poppy. “All old people want to gyrate their rickety hips against you.”

“I think they’re just looking to steal
my youth.”

Christine sighs loudly. “Would you like
to come inside, Dad?”

“Am I welcome inside? I heard you
kicked your mother out some time back.”

“She was acting like a rude bitch,”
Poppy says before Christine can stop her.

“She’s your elder,” Zeb says, defending
the ex-wife he loathes.

“I’m sixteen. Most people are my elder.
What’s your point?”

“Heard your girls have big mouths too.
Which one of you is the snitch?”

Justice raises her hand. “That’s me,
Peepaw, so watch yourself tonight. I’d hate to have to rat you out to the
coppers.”

Zeb grunts. “I guess I could sit down.”

While they walk inside, I hurry around
back and look for Jared. He’s throwing the ball with Otto. I pause to watch
them play and wonder if my dad ever missed having a son.

“What’s up?” Jared asks me when I only
stand nearby watching them.

“Zeb’s here, and he’s already making
everyone’s life better.”

“Oh, I’m sure he is.”

Jared throws me the ball and smiles
when I catch it. He leaves Otto and me to play. I know I ought to return to the
house, but I’m tense enough about seeing Donovan tomorrow. I need a small break
from the old man’s jackassery.

“I want you to break your date with
that man,” the boy says, taking the ball from me.

“I do what I want, Otto. My father
can’t boss me around, and I won’t let you either.”

“He’s not right for you.”

“Who told you that?”

Otto shrugs. “It’s just something I
heard.”

“From who?”

“No one. I heard someone say that on
TV.”

“Then you should know it’s not
something to say to me. Do you remember what I told you when you came to live
here? You and I need to be square with each other. I won’t baby you because
you’re too old to hear lies, and you won’t lie to me because I’ll see right
through it. You said you agreed that day. Are you changing your mind now?”

“No,” he says, kicking the ground.

“Well, all right then. Let’s go inside
and play buffer for Christine and Zeb. I also want to make sure Court isn’t
nibbling at the food. Justice doesn’t feed him enough or something because he’s
always showing up here and eating everything.”

Otto loses his frown and follows me to
the house where all hell has broken loose.

“You stole her virginity!” Zeb yells at
Jared.

“Stop talking about my parents
fucking!” Justice yells.

“You’re not helping,” Court tells his
wife, who winks at him.

Christine only stands with her arms
crossed and gaze focused on a back wall. I suspect she’s gone to a happy place
where she’s orphaned and childless.

Standing next to our mother, Poppy
squirts Zeb with the water bottle we use on the cats. “Bad, Peepaw!”

“Would you all shut up?” Jared hollers.

“You’re not my father!” Poppy yells
back.

On the couch, Felix and Matilda watch
the yelling adults. They’re unsure if the display is amusing or terrifying.
Otto laughs next to me.

“She squirted him.”

“That she did,” I say, ruffling his
messy hair.

Zeb steps closer to Jared and growls,
“I raised Christine to be a good girl, and you turned her into a…”

“Don’t you dare say it,” Jared growls
right back.

Poppy squirts Zeb again and then takes
a shot at Jared. My father reaches for the bottle, so she bolts for the back
door and uses me as a shield.

“Do something,” she demands before
squirting a laughing Otto.