Reunion: Diversion Six

by Eden Winters

  “Nah, but since I don’t shoot at people for a living…” Charlotte patted her heavy purse.

  “You’re still good. Not rusty a bit. You practice?”

  Again with the grin of a villain on South Bend Springs. “Every now and then some good-old-boy wannabe shows up at the hospital, talking shit about hunting and how good he is. I take him down a peg or two, and if they ain’t cheap, I walk away a few hundred dollars richer.” She huffed on her fingernails and brushed them against her collar. “Makes me real popular with some folks at the hospital too. They know where to put their money.”

  Sounded like Lucky teaching newbies the pecking order in a boxing ring, and the office betting pool profiting from the outcome.

  Lucky stared at her target, her shots concentrated near dead center. She’d have beaten most guys in the department. He let out a low whistle. “Ever consider giving up on being a nurse and going into drug enforcement instead?” He wouldn’t let her risk her life, but damn could the woman shoot.

  “Not a chance, brother. I tell you what. When you send ‘em to the emergency room, somebody’s got to patch ‘em up.”

  And if a shooter ever entered the hospital, they’d get taken out by the harmless-looking nurse with a Texas-sized handbag and a North Carolina accent.

  ***

  Lucky flipped a veggie burger over on the part of the grill set off as the no meat zone. Moose whined, licked his chops, and returned to Todd and Ty’s game of Keep Away with the football. Critter would sleep good tonight.

  Lucky’s cell phone rang. He checked the screen before answering. This made four times today. “Hi, Mama. Yes, I’m fine. He’s doing fine too.” Like the last three times she’d called. “We’ve been busy with work, but we’ll come visit you soon. Yeah, she’s here with her boys. We’re having a cookout. No, Mama. Okay. I understand. I love you too.”

  Maybe someday she’d stop calling to ensure he lived. But still, nice to be wanted, though she never mentioned his father, and Lucky never dared call his old man directly. Too many dial tones still haunted his memories. Maybe one day.

  Charlotte ambled out the back door, arms loaded down with plates, forks, and spoons, which she dropped onto the picnic table Lucky’d sworn they’d never use the day they’d loaded the thing into Bo’s vehicle at the hardware store. “Mama again?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’ll get used to it. It helps if you text her first so she doesn’t have to call.”

  Words to remember.

  Charlotte strolled over to the grill, a glass of tea in each hand. “Looks like you’ve done well for yourself, big brother, even if you did try hard to be the black sheep of the family.”

  “Yeah. Who’d a thunk it’d turn out to be goodie-two-shoes Bristol?” He’d been welcomed back into the fold, but he wouldn’t cut his brother out of his memory. Wouldn’t stop using the name like the family stopped using his after his fuckup.

  “It’s hard not to hate him, ain’t it?” Charlotte handed Lucky a glass of tea.

  Lucky swilled down half the drink. “I’m not so sure I don’t.” He put an arm around his sister. “He took my family from me, tried to kill me, turned his back when Daddy needed him most, and damned near killed Daytona.” Not to mention the jury still being out on what happened to Uncle Ned.

  Charlotte, ever the voice of reason, snorted. “Don’t. It’s a waste of time. Besides, would you have the good life you have now if not for Bristol?”

  Would he? Would Lucky have wound up with Bo if he’d not been hurt and so damned lonely? “That’s what Bo tells me.”

  “Smart man. You should listen to him.” She pursed her lips, crinkles forming the corners of her eyes. “But he couldn’t have been too smart if he showed up at the door of a North Carolina redneck asking about her brother.”

  “Glad you didn’t shoot him.” And she hadn’t given Bo any information, either, protecting Lucky with all the fierceness of a mother bear.

  “Me too. He’s good people.” Her lips rose at the corners and fell again. “Things between Mama and Daddy might never be right again.”

  “Nope.” If his parents hadn’t been able to make their relationship work, what chance in hell did Lucky have of hanging on to Bo?

  “And things might not ever be right between you and Daddy either.”

  “I always thought he could do no wrong, and blamed myself for him cutting me out of the family.” Damn, how he’d beaten himself up over the years.

  Charlotte stared up into Lucky’s eyes. “I don’t want to take sides, but as a parent, I can speak from experience. Parenting is hard. Lord knows I’ve made mistakes. And I’ll make more, but I love my boys. Nothing, I mean abso-fucking-lutely nothing could make me turn my back on them.

  “But what’s done is done, there’s no going back. The relationship you and Daddy had is over. It’s up to you to decide if you’d like to have another, and what form it’ll take.” She stared off toward her boys. “Just remember, unconditional love goes both ways, and shutting off even a tiny piece of your heart affects every other relationship you have. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you’ve studied all the angles.”

  She planted a kiss on Lucky’s cheek and wandered off to set the table while Lucky turned back to grilling and mulling over her words. Occasionally she and Bo brought out buns, chips, lettuce, and such.

  His wise-beyond-her-years sister left him with plenty to think on. No, he’d never again be the kid who idolized and believed his father could do no wrong. But he could be a man who respected another man, accepted his apology, and learned to love him again, flaws and all.

  The way Bo loved Lucky despite his flaws.

  Lucky’s neighbor waved one hand through a hole in the plank fencing, flipping a burger with the other, while his kids played in the yard nearby and his wife set stuff on their picnic table.

  Lucky’d better replace the faulty boards in the privacy fence if he planned on getting any privacy.

  Ty shrieked in laughter, tussling on the ground with Moose, while Todd sat in a lounge chair, Cat Lucky in his lap.

  Hell, Lucky had gone and got domesticated.

  And he didn’t give a flying fuck. Maybe he’d been wrong all those years to call a nine-to-five life and a house in the suburbs pure hell.

  Nah. Couldn’t be. Lucky was never wrong. Well, not often. Okay, not all the time.

  Bo wrapped his arms around Lucky, while Charlotte snapped a picture with her cell phone. She grinned. “Aww… y’all are so danged cute together.”

  Lucky shot a glance at the neighbors to get their reaction. They’d better not be homophobes, or Lucky might be tempted to install a ten-foot tall privacy fence. Topped with barbed wire.

  The man saluted with his spatula. His wife waved.

  Okay. Lucky wouldn’t put out search warrants on them today to see if they kept a stash of pot in the house for recreational use. He had bigger fish to fry, or rather, burgers to cook.

  He had the partner, but the kids were borrowed. Sooner or later they’d leave with their mother.

  And the house would be quiet again.

  Somewhere along the way he’d learned to hate quiet.

  ***

  Lucky sat at the kitchen table, watching the sunrise. He’d let Bo sleep for a while. Poor guy spent the better part of the night driving Todd and Ty around Atlanta hunting for poofballs, or snipe or what the hell ever on their cellphones. And tonight?

  Tonight they’d stay indoors, watch movies on the big screen TV—the louder and funnier the better, and ignore the fireworks going off at neighbors’ houses. Bo hadn’t had a PTSD episode in a while now.

  Lucky would do his damnedest to ensure he didn’t tonight.

  Strange, though. At one time, an act of God or Congress couldn’t get Lucky out of bed before nine.

  Charlotte came in and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Can I join you? I want to talk to you about something.” The dark circles under her eyes said she hadn’t slept well.

  Wh
at now? “It’s a free country,” he said, but he meant You’re always welcome with me. And she was.

  “I been thinking…” She sat down beside him and took a sip of plain black coffee. Brrr… How’d she drink the shit without sugar?

  “What you got on your mind?” He sipped coffee and pretended not to worry too much. For her to beat around the bush, this must be something bad.

  “Nobody asked me about the house and the boys’ college funds after Victor’s arrest, and I sure as shit wasn’t going to say anything.”

  Funny how she never seemed to swear in front of her kids, acting the perfect Mom and scolding them if they cussed, but whenever she and Lucky got together, time turned back and they were as comfortable together as they’d always been.

  God, how he’d missed her.

  “Anyway, with Todd starting school down here, Ty’s a bit jealous his brother’ll get to hang out with Uncle Ric… I mean, Uncle Lucky.” Charlotte set her cup on the table with a clink.

  “He can come visit when school’s out. That is, if I’m not on assignment. They both can.” It’d be nice having the young ‘uns around from time to time. Not to mention how well they’d bonded with Bo.

  “The boys think you’re totally cool.” She propped her arm on the table and rested her head on her hand. “Ty’s changed his mind about joining the Navy. Been talking about following in your footsteps after graduation.”

  “Oh no!” Easy for a kid to hero-worship a living-in-the-fast-lane felon, but the kid would follow in his lawless footsteps over Lucky’s dead body. Which, if he waited long enough, might happen two or three more times before Lucky finally wound up with a headstone in a graveyard for real.

  “I don’t mean the drug running part. I meant law enforcement.”

  Oh hell. “No. Too dangerous.” Lucky wouldn’t wish the ugliness of the streets on anyone, especially blood kin.

  “You worried about him?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  Charlotte grabbed Lucky’s chin and yanked him around eye to eye with her. “I’ve worried about you every single day since you left home. Didn’t you know? You’ve given me quite a few heart attacks over the years. And here you are, the same ole cocky banty rooster, hell bent and determined to fight. It may have taken you a while to get your head out of your ass, but I’m told you’re a pretty good narcotics agent. If that’s what my son wants to do, yeah, I’ll worry for him. But if he’s determined, you know as well as I do it’s damned near impossible to change a Lucklighter’s mind.”

  Yup. Lucky did.

  “And having someone around who knows a thing or two you can’t learn in a textbook can only be a plus.” Charlotte let go of his face. Lucky missed the heat of her hand. “Anyway, I been considering my options. There’re a few small towns between here and Clemson where a decent house costs about a third of what mine would sell for.”

  Lucky’s heart slammed against his ribs. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I miss my brother, my kids miss my brother, and we’ve wasted enough time. I won’t get all underfoot and in your way, promise. You know I’m not like that. But I want you and Bo in my life. Besides, I never been away from my babies.” She paused to sip her coffee. “I’d like to be close enough to see Todd when I want to. And you know how I always wanted to be a nurse?”

  “Yeah.”

  “There’s several places down here where I can transfer my online credits and go to nursing school a whole lot cheaper than in Spokane. So, I’m kicking around the idea of selling the house, moving down here, and maybe taking a part time job while I study nursing.”

  What? Charlotte living close? Close enough for him to be Uncle Richie to her boys again? Close enough to visit often? Finally follow through on her life-long dream?

  Oh, hell yeah!

  “Besides, your fur kids might need to stay with Auntie Charlotte sometime while you’re on assignment.” Her grin brought to mind her ten-year-old self, planning mischief.

  “I’m afraid they might be the only nephews you get outta me.”

  “Why? Don’t you want kids? Growing up you used to say you’d never get married, but at the time I didn’t realize why. The world has changed. Nothing’s stopping you now.”

  “Unless he keeps telling me no.” Of course, Lucky hadn’t gotten the words out the other night before Charlotte showed up. Maybe if he asked again…

  “Give him time. Keep asking.” Charlotte squeezed Lucky’s hand. “Pour on the Lucklighter charm. And if he still says no, you can hog tie him and haul him off to the preacher.”

  “I might have to.” Unless he wore Bo down.

  “But it’s not like parents have to be legally married or nothing.” Charlotte swirled a fingertip around the rim of her cup. “Half the folks we went to school with ain’t married. Didn’t stop them from having a passel of young ‘uns.”

  Lucky somehow managed to raise a single brow. “It’s not like me and Bo can have kids. And nobody in their right mind is about to give a child to a man with my criminal record.”

  “Wasn’t your record expunged when you got a new name?”

  “Yeah.” Still, the adoption people might not like giving a kid to a gay couple.

  “Do you not want kids?”

  No need blustering and lying. She’d see right through him. She always had. Confession time. “Yeah. So does Bo. But I’m not getting his hopes up to see ‘em crushed. He’s had enough disappointment in his life already.”

  Her grin turned wicked. “You and Bo might not be able to have a kid of your own, but I know the next best thing.”

  “What?”

  She sighed and stared at her coffee cup. Okay, here came the part where she finally got to what was eating at her. “I’ve got two wonderful boys, but I don’t want to raise any more kids.”

  “And what’s that got to do with me having any?”

  She locked her determined gaze to his. “Don’t answer until you’ve had a chance to really consider my proposal and discuss the matter with Bo, but… even though I don’t want to be a mom again, all my parts still work. I’d be a pretty awesome Auntie Charlotte, don’t you think?”

  If Lucky’s heart somersaulted any harder, he’d be doing cartwheels. “Do what? What the hell are you saying?” Surely she wasn’t implying…

  Charlotte clasped Lucky’s hand in a death grip. “I’m saying, when the time comes and you and Bo are ready to start a family, me having Bo’s baby is the closest thing you’ll get to your own. The kid might even look like a Lucklighter.”

  No. Any kids needed to look like Bo. A little girl with Bo’s dark hair and freckles, or a boy with a dimple in his cheek. And boy or girl, they’d have a Grandma and Grandpa. Uncles and an aunt. Cousins…

  “But what kind of father could I possibly be?” The things he’d done…

  “A good one. Who makes mistakes. Who’s human, and who loves his child dearly, is always there no matter what. And who understands when the child is human too.”

  Could Lucky be a good father? “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Give it some thought.” The weariness left her face. “Now, why don’t you take your man breakfast in bed while I haul the boys out to the nearest Shoney’s? I’ll talk to them about relocating while you have a nice little chat with my future brother-in-law.”

  Those were some good drugs they’d given Lucky in the hospital. Was he still knocked out and dreaming? Or had Bristol succeeded in killing him, and all those years of his mother’s prayers gotten him into Heaven?

  He sat at the table while Charlotte roused the boys and left the house, then he rose and let the fur kids out to avoid fighting them away from the stove. On autopilot, he made pancakes and heated some wish-it-was-real-bacon. He’d even eat some of the soy meat substitute without complaining this morning. Topping the meal off with a cup of decaf green tea sweetened with stevia ought to earn him some points.

  Or a blowjob.

  No, this wasn’t about Lucky getting off. Eve
n he’d had enough of his selfish ways.

  Bo still slept, letting out the occasional snore when Lucky strolled into their room and placed a breakfast-laden tray on the nightstand—next to a dragon keychain.

  Lucky drank his fill of sleep-tousled hair and tanned skin, a far different look than the shaved body, highlighted hair, and buffed nails of the rookie who strode into his life three years ago, quoting textbooks and replacing bad eating habits and caffeine with healthier options.

  Same bubble butt. Hallelujah.

  Back then he’d tried so hard to be perfect, while Lucky put the same amount of effort into being an asshole. He might never come close to Bo’s goodness, but somewhere over time Bo’s influence helped shave off a few of Lucky’s rough edges and they’d come closer to meeting in the middle.

  Had anyone dared suggest he’d want the rookie in his life permanently, Lucky would’ve hauled their lying asses to the gym and kicked butt in a boxing ring.

  Bo saw past all the bluster and the shit Lucky’d sooner forget, rode out the storm of bad moods and hard times. Made Lucky a better man.

  And good Lord willing, he always would.

  Lucky eased down on the edge of the bed, admiring the light splash of freckles across Bo’s ever-so-slightly crooked nose. He’d always appeared young, but the past few years added a bit of character. Here and there a white strand peeked through his dark hair—hair now spread out in waves on a pillow instead of the every-hair-in-place style Bo wore when they’d first met.

  Pieces fell into place. How hard Bo used to work at being perfect to make up for the past. Now he’d learned to relax, be himself. He rested so peacefully, sprawled out on the sheets, when once he’d spent nights on the couch, unable to lie in a bed without having nightmares and flashbacks.

  Maybe, just maybe, Lucky helped Bo too.

  Lucky tip-toed to a door they’d left closed pretty much since moving in and entered the unused room. Colorful cartoon animals graced the walls, and if he didn’t study the images too hard, he could ignore the rough patch job he’d done on the goose. Of course, the blurring in his eyes helped.

  They’d put the crib over there…