Walk (Gentry Boys) (9 page)

Cord put his hands on his hips, glaring at his brothers, and I had a feeling this verbal scuffle was merely a slight variation of one they’d been engaging in their entire lives.  They would always be boys with one another. 

Saylor opened up a beer can and walked it over to her husband, kissing him on the cheek as she handed it over.  He forgot about his bickering brothers and gazed at her lovingly before planting a long kiss on her lips while circling one tattooed, muscled arm around her waist.   One thing was for sure; Stone Gentry came from damn good stock. 

Speaking of Stone, I noticed that he and Deck had wrapped up their conversation.  Deck had walked over to the opposite side of the yard with the phone to his ear, presumably so he could talk to his caller in private. 

Stone had his head down, his expression unreadable.  As I watched him, he glanced up suddenly and saw me.  He smiled so I figured that was enough of an invitation to walk across the yard and join him. 

As I approached I noticed that his right hand was curled into a fist.  “Everything okay?” I asked, sitting down carefully at his side. 

He nodded.  “Yeah.  Just got a little bit of bad news, that’s all.” 

“Anything I can help with?”

“Not unless you happen to be able to get through to a man named Conway Gentry.” 

“Who’s that?  Another cousin?”

Stone shook his head, staring over at his cousins as they continued to argue over the state of the meat.  Jenny had come out of the house by now, a freshly changed Isabella in her arms.  She scanned the yard for Deck, who had just finished his phone call and headed over to her.  He held his arms out for the baby and Jenny sank tiredly into a cushioned chair before accepting a cold glass of lemonade from Stephanie.  

“Con’s my brother,” Stone said softly, so low I almost didn’t hear him.   “We don’t talk though.” 

It seemed like he didn’t want to say more so I didn’t ask questions.  I just reached over and took his hand.  After all, if anyone knew about the heartache a troubled brother caused, it was me. 

Stone relaxed his fingers and then firmly laced them through mine. I noticed several of the Gentrys glancing over with approval. 

“Thank you for inviting me,” I said. 

“Thank you for coming,” he answered immediately. 

There it was again; a visceral connection that was intensely blue-eyed and inexplicable.  I really knew very little about Stone but I wanted to know so much more.  I wanted to know everything. 

Deck Gentry was approaching with a baby in his arms.  He glanced at our joined hands and raised an amused eyebrow, reinforcing something I had already guessed.  Deck wasn’t a man who missed much. 

“Feel like babysitting?” he asked Stone.

Stone looked rather baffled.  “Babysitting?”

“Yeah,” Deck said, passing the baby over.  “Hold Izzy for a few minutes while I grab a burger.” 

Stone backed away, protesting.  “No.  Come on man, I never learned how to hold a baby.” 

Deck rolled his eyes.  “Right.  Because holding a baby is so complex that no one can do it without seventy hours of instruction.  Now hold my kid.”

“I don’t know how to-“

“Hold my kid, dammit!” 

Stone opened his arms and Deck gently transferred baby Isabella over.  For a second Stone looked so awkward and miserable I was going to offer to take the baby myself but then his face changed as he stared down at the sleeping infant.  He curled her close to his chest and stared in awe at her pink face. 

“Hey there, little one,” he said softly, allowing her to wrap a tiny fist around his index finger. 

I wondered whether anyone in that backyard could hear the sound of my ovaries exploding.  If there’s anything that stirs a woman’s soul more than a strong, handsome man tenderly holding a tiny infant then I certainly didn’t know about it. 

“Whoa,” I whispered. 

Stone’s head jerked up.  “What?”

“Nothing.  She’s a beautiful baby, that’s all.” 

He smiled.  Stone was gorgeous if he was just standing around staring at a wall.  When he smiled the whole world turned to sunshine.   

Stone stared down at baby Isabella, who had drifted off to sleep holding onto his large finger.  I stared at Stone. 

A minute later there was a small commotion at the back gate and a man walked into Cord’s backyard. 

“Who’s that?” I asked, although I could guess the answer without being told. 

He wore a backwards baseball cap and a white tee that showed off his considerable muscles.  A thick gold chain circled his neck.  One look at his face and it was easy to see a family resemblance to half the backyard’s population. He was also flanked by two young women wearing too much makeup, too little clothing.  A half empty forty ounce bottle of malt liquor dangled from his right hand as he casually checked out the crowd, all of whom seemed universally startled to see him. 

But a quick glance to my right told me that no one was more shocked than Stone.  He stared in pained, open-mouth disbelief as the man who looked like him pulled one of the girls in for a sloppy kiss.  She cackled and crudely brushed her hand over his crotch. 

“Holy shit,” Stone said in a voice raspy with emotion.  “That’s Conway.  That’s my brother.” 

Conway Gentry was too far away to hear Stone’s words but his head jerked up just the same.  The brothers stared at one another across the yard for a long, silent moment that seemed to last for eternity. 

STONE

They’d warned me about what to expect.  It stunned me anyway. 

Conway, my goofy, tender-hearted little brother, had the look about him.  The hard look.  The ‘Fuck you, world’ look I’d seen a thousand times in lockup on men whose better natures had been squeezed out of them. 

Only moments earlier Deck had finished telling me some of the things he’d found out about Con’s most recent activities.  It all came to a head yesterday when they ran into each other.   It hadn’t been planned.  Deck hadn’t had any luck tracking Con down lately.  He happened to be visiting his buddy, who’d just opened up a garage in Tempe.  It might have been more of a chop shop than a garage but Deck wasn’t interested in moralizing. 

Anyway, while he was hanging out in the office Conway happened to stroll right in.  Apparently one of the mechanics owed him money for something that wasn’t on the right side of the law.  When the guy stammered and tried to run off, Conway grabbed him and threatened to mount his ass on one of the hydraulic lifts. 

Deck ran right out there and got the situation defused in a hurry, but Con was kind of wary at the sight of him.  They had a history.  It hadn’t always been pleasant.   When we were kids Deck Gentry was just a shadowy figure who rode around on his bike and scared the living shit out of everyone for reasons that were never explained. Then he left town and we didn’t see him more than once or twice for the next few years.   The night of the accident was the night my mother kicked Conway aside.  She didn’t need to do the same for me.  The state had already taken me off her hands. But the triplets carried Con out of Emblem and brought him home with them even though they had no plans about what to do with him next.  That’s when Deck quickly stepped in, deciding Con would live with him and Jenny, at least for a year until he graduated from high school.  Deck swore he tried his best but Con just grew wilder and more unreachable.  Then one night they argued.   Badly.  Things escalated and Con got in his face, punching a hole in the kitchen wall just as Jenny walked in.  It scared her.  After that, Deck decided no amount of common blood or caring could fix what was wrong with Conway.  Deck would have kicked him out if he hadn’t already left. 

Despite all that, they managed to have a fairly polite conversation yesterday even though Con clammed up as soon as Deck tried to prod him about what he was doing these days.  There were thick rumors that Con was chest deep into street racing, floating casinos and other fast living bullshit. Deck knew he’d dabbled in drug dealing briefly but as far as he could tell Con backed away from that garbage pretty quickly.  That didn’t make me feel much better. 

Con had only shrugged evasively over the invite to Cord’s house and Deck hadn’t really expected him to show up.  Deck even mentioned that I was out and wanted to see him but that didn’t seem to make an impression either. 

Yet here he was.  There must be a reason. 

The flat stare Conway gave me from across the yard chilled my blood more than rage would have.  At a distance I saw nothing of the boy who’d been like my other half for most of our lives.  He was cool, calm, and, I would guess, dangerous.  But what bothered me the most was that I’d always been able to read Con better than I could read myself.  Sometimes the thoughts that raced through my head as a wild teenager seemed foreign and even frightening. 

Not Con.  He was steady.  He was the balance.  He was the light.  He was far better than me.  I’d been sure of that since we were kids.  I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. 

Deck shot me a look before cautiously making his way over to Conway.   That was his way of telling me to stay put, for the moment.  It took a lot of willpower not to leap up and run over there, but after so many years in lockup I had a sense about when things might turn sour.  No one wanted that.   After all, there were kids everywhere and I was still holding Deck’s baby daughter.  But it unnerved me to realize that even Deck had no idea what to expect from Conway.   

However, my brother chose to smile charmingly and hold out his hand to our cousin after he passed his bottle over to one of the cheap looking girls he’d dragged in with him.  The triplets were right at Deck’s back.  Next came the Gentry women, who hugged Conway warmly and tried to make polite conversation with his guests. 

Evie’s hand touched my arm.  “Should we go over?”

Deck’s baby was still in my arms, sound asleep.  I wished someone would come along and take her.  I held her steadily but on the inside I was full of chaos.  For four years I’d waited for the chance to see my brother.  I’d written him over two hundred letters from prison.  Letters explaining what had happened on the day of the accident.  Letters full of remorse and regret and love and pleas.  None of which he answered.  Or even acknowledged. 

For the first time I realized something.  I loved Conway.  I always would.  I would move mountains for him.  I was also angry at him.  Four years of silence was a bitter pill. 

“Let’s hang back for a minute,” I said to Evie. 

Even though I’d told her almost nothing about my brother, she must have realized that an intense moment was underway.  She gave my shoulder a squeeze and I was grateful she was sitting beside me. 

I watched Jenny greet Conway rather stiffly and then cross the yard to retrieve the baby.  She pasted a smile on her face as she reached for Isabella. 

“Gentry men are all good babysitters,” she said in a voice that was just a little too light and cheerful.  I saw her glance back as she settled the baby on her shoulder.  Deck was watching her and gave a small nod.  She moved over to the sandbox. 

“Who wants ice cream?” Jenny asked the collection of children, who seemed oblivious that anything unusual was going on. 

“But we haven’t eaten dinner yet,” one of Cord’s daughters pointed out. 

Stephanie had also made her way over, taking each of her little boys by the hand.

“That’s okay,” she said to the group.  “We’re going to do things a little different today.   Anyone who goes to the table right now will get an ice cream sundae before dinner.”  She called to Evie.  “How about it, Dupont?  You want to help scoop out the ice cream?”

Evie looked at me. 

“Go ahead,” I told her with more calm than I felt.  “Save some for me.” 

Evie followed the children.  I saw her look curiously over at Conway but he was busy holding onto his arm candy. 

The only one who’d stood apart, who hadn’t offered his hand for a shake, was Creedence.  He remained a good ten feet away from the rest of the group with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.  Apparently not all the Gentrys were eager to forgive and forget whatever trouble Conway had caused the last few years.  Creed’s wife noticed and took his arm, trying to lead him away.  From what I knew of Creed he wasn’t the type to pull punches. If he didn’t have anything pleasant to say to Conway then he wasn’t willing to say anything at all. 

Cord took Chase aside and whispered something that caused Chase to look at over at me.  I stood up.  It was time to crack the four years of thick ice that had been collecting between me and my brother. 

Conway beat me to it though.  As soon as he noticed that I was going to head in his direction he shoved his bottle of liquor at one of the girls and started to walk my way.  When the girl whined an objection he barked, “If you don’t fucking like it, go wait in the damn car.  Both of you.” 

I saw everything that was happening.  I saw Deck standing guard like a dark, muscled wraith.  I saw Saylor reach the pouting girls and invite them to sit down to eat.  I saw Evie watching me from a sea of children and ice cream spoons.  I saw all this and I still saw every step my brother took as he crossed the yard. 

“Hey,” Conway nodded at me as if we’d just seen each other last Tuesday. 

“Hey.”  In spite of all the bitterness, anger and loss I wanted to grab the guy up in a bear hug.

Conway, however, looked like he wanted a hug about as much as he wanted an enema.  He spat on the ground, switched his baseball cap around and then crossed his arms, rocking back slightly on his heels. 

“So you’re out,” he said casually. 

“You didn’t know?”

“I knew.” 

I took a cautious step in his direction then held out my hand. 

Con let out a snort of laughter and shook his head.  The he suddenly grinned and accepted the handshake. 

“Been a long time,” he said, still grinning. 

“It has.” 

“You got big as a fucking shithouse, man.” 

“Two main pastimes in prison are lifting weights and thinking too much.” 

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Conway grunted and then took a seat on the bench I’d been sitting on with Evie. 

I sat carefully beside him, not too close. I searched for something profound to say.  It seemed I’d always kept a collection of speeches I would give my brother when we were finally face to face again.  I couldn’t remember a word of any of them. 

“You look good,” I finally managed to say.  “You doing okay these days?”

Con glanced over at Deck, who was now consulting with Cord and Chase. They were all trying to make it seem like they weren’t watching us. 

“I’m fantastic.”

“Is that true?”

His eyes narrowed.  “Have you heard differently, Stone?” 

There was something jarring about hearing him say my name again.  A million memories.  A million echoes. 

“I haven’t heard a damn thing, Con.  Not a damn thing in four years.” 

Con’s right hand balled into a fist.  “Right.  Can’t possibly be reasons for that.”   

“I understand the reasons, little brother.” 

“Don’t fucking call me that.  I’m not the same little turd who used to chase after you, cover for you, defend you.”

I took a deep breath.  “I wrote you letters, Con.  So many letters.  Do you read any of them?”

Con unclenched his fist.  He reached into his pocket and withdrew a cigarette, which he took his time about lighting.  Funny.  I used to smoke, not him.  He was always complaining that my bad habit stunk up our bedroom. 

Now, he exhaled and deliberately blew a ring of smoke at the sky.  It wasn’t so funny after all. 

“Maybe,” he shrugged. 

“If you had then you’d know.  You’d know that Erin and I never-“

“Don’t,” he hissed as he crushed the cigarette in his palm.  “Don’t you ever fucking say her name out loud where I can hear.” 

“It was an accident, Conway.” 

He looked me in the eye.  Blue eyes, just like mine.  “Well, we Gentrys are just full of unhappy accidents, huh?”

I didn’t understand his meaning but there was nothing to be gained by challenging him.  “If you say so.” 

Con exhaled and closed his eyes for a few seconds.  When he opened them again there was pain there.  

“Look,” he said.  “I don’t want to get into this with you.  Or Deck.  Or anyone else.  I’m glad you’re out of there, all right?  I am.” 

I was suddenly hopeful.  Underneath this armor of hostility he was still Con.  “Well, that’s a start.” 

“No, not a start.  That’s all there is.”

“What does that mean?”

A flash of blue fabric got my attention.  It was Evie, arriving with two glasses of iced lemonade. 

“Thought you guys might be thirsty,” she said as she handed them over.  Her eyes lingered on me and I gave her a nod of reassurance to let her know everything was all right.  She smiled and headed back to the group without saying anything else, likely realizing this was not the time for introductions. 

Con drained his glass in a few seconds and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  “That piece yours?” he asked, pointing to Evie. 

I glared at him.  “She’s a friend.” 

Con looked her up and down.  “Looks kind of uptight but not a bad view.”

When I didn’t answer Con laughed at me.  “If you’re looking for some hot action, boy, you can borrow one of those.”  He gestured lazily to the girls he’d brought.  They were eating hamburgers and laughing at something Truly was saying.  The two of them were probably all right and were hanging around Con because they thought he liked them. 

“They’ll do anything you want,” he whispered conspiratorially.  “Anything.” 

“I’ll pass,” I said, feeling a bit queasy about my brother’s newfound lack of respect for women.  He hadn’t been like this before.  Back in high school I was always the one tapping whatever I could get wherever I could get it, promising all kinds of things I didn’t mean to girls I cared nothing about.   Con was the opposite.  He was faithful to his longtime girlfriend.  The easiest way to infuriate him was to tease him about the fact that they’d never even had sex. He loved her that much, enough to wait forever.  Con was one of the rare good guys, or at least he used to be. 

I put my glass down on the weather-worn table.  I was trying to choose my words carefully, but I needed to say something.  I didn’t know how long he’d stay.

“Conway, I know we can’t get back to what we were.  I don’t expect that.  I’m not even asking that.  But there’s a lot of life still left.  We can get through it together.”   

“I told you,” he said coldly.  “I’m glad you’re out.  But that’s all there is.”