“You look perfect!” Daisy assured him and then she danced away to investigate the new collection of herbal concoctions set up across the counter beside her sister. “Oh, Starla, you and Pam have been so busy. Show me what you've made!”
As the sisters entered an animated discussion of the new remedies and how Starla could sell them under consignment at the hookah shop she worked at part-time, Mike's attention was drawn to his uncle. Jeff had entered the room behind his flouncy sister and he was trying to endure the usual backhanded compliments of his parents. Once again, Mike was struck with admiration at his uncle's strength of character and endless patience.
“Jefferson Starship, you could at least have changed before you came over,” Pamela scolded him, fiddling with the woven headband which held her fully gray, frizzy hair back away from her corded and wrinkled neck. “You know how we dislike that hideous uniform of yours.”
“Jeff, Mom,” he corrected her. “Please, for the hundredth time, call me Jeff.”
“Your name is Jefferson Starship, not Jeff, just like my name is Pamela and not 'mom', 'mother', or some other socially mandated label.”
“Ugh,” James scoffed, wrinkling his freckled snub nose. Though over seventy, his shoulder length hair still retained touches of its original gingery color. Now it looked almost pink. What a future I have in store, Mike thought sourly. From torch to… that. Ugh. Maybe I'll get lucky and go bald young. His grandfather continued speaking. “How did I raise a child who was so willing to work for 'The Man'? Don't you know that the police department is just another arm of the institution that's trying to control us, man?”
Pamela patted her husband's arm consolingly.
“Yes, yes,” Jeff sighed. “I know. You tell me every time you see me in uniform, but I didn't have time to go home and change.”
“See, I told you,” Daisy interjected looking smug. “I told you, you should have made time.”
“Or maybe carry a change of clothes with you,” Pamela suggested.
Jeff cleared his throat and responded. “I'm not going to carry a change of clothes with me on the off chance I'll be coming over. You all know I'm a cop and you just need to get over it already.”
“Jefferson Starship!” his mother boomed. “Please, there's no need to be rude.”
“I wasn't being…” Jeff ran his fingers through his neatly trimmed strawberry blonde hair and sighed. So that's where I got the gesture from, Mike thought. No wonder. This family would drive any sane person to… well, messing up your hair is pretty mild compared to what we could be doing, I guess. “You know what, you're right. I'll try to remember to bring a change of clothes with me next time,” Jeff caved and Mike knew from experience he just wanted the conversation to end.
There would be no winning with James and Pamela. Had Jeff brought a chance of clothes with him, they would have found something else to complain about. Probably how he was a materialist for having so many articles of clothing and how he shouldn't be so interested in consumerism, Mike thought, unconsciously shaking his head. Sort of like they consider me a fascist for having entered the military.
Trying to rescue his uncle from his torture, Mike walked over and shoved his hand out in greeting. “Hey, Uncle Jeff, long time, no see, huh?”
“Hey, man!” Jeff beamed, grasping his nephew's hand firmly.
Disgruntled, Pamela grumbled as she walked away from the two young men. “Handshakes, really? You boys haven't seen each other in what, four years?”
“Two years, Ma,” Jeff called after her. “Mike came home before he was shipped overseas to Afghanistan, remember?”
“Whatever, you know I don't care to measure my life by conventional standards,” she retorted. “And my name's Pamela.”
“Here,” James bellowed. “This is a proper greeting.”
Before either of the younger men could respond, James latched onto Jeff. He gave him a healthy kiss on the lips and then embraced him warmly. At first, Mike thought it was funny, but when he realized he was next, he struggled to make his escape. Unable to scamper away before his grandfather laid a wet smooch on him, his eyes grew wide with horror. It was now Jeff's turn to laugh as he watched Mike squirm.
“Grandpa!” Mike sputtered, catching a glimpse of his sisters as they darted from the room, avoiding the potential of being pulled into the family kiss fest.
“James,” his grandpa corrected, “and you boys need to stop acting bothered by male intimacy.”
“We aren't acting, Dad. We really are bothered by it,” Jeff replied in seriousness, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Well,” James scoffed, unaffected, “get over it.”
“And you thought the worse thing they could do was to name you after their favorite band,” Mike chuckled, nudging his uncle.
“Yeah,” Jeff rolled his eyes. “Just shoot me now. I know you know how.”
“Don't be so dramatic, Jefferson Starship,” Pamela told him. “Now, come help me in the kitchen. I have to siphon this new tea infusion into bottles so it can chill before I can take it to the store tomorrow.”
As they started to head out into the kitchen, basically an extension on the living room, James casually lit up a joint he had just rolled.
“Dad!” Jeff sounded shocked. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, sorry,” James said, not looking sorry in the least bit. “Did you want to take the first hit?”
“No, I do not want the first hit!” Jeff raked his hair again.
“Then what's got you all frazzled?” James seemed genuinely confused by his son's behavior, but not enough to keep him from taking a long, deep drag on his smoke.
Mike and Jeff glanced at each other askance. “He's kidding, right?”
“I wish,” Jeff replied, walking briskly over to snag the joint from his dad, then headed to the toilet. “Damn it, Dad! How many times do I have to tell you? I'm a freakin' cop, for goodness sake!”
“So? Just because 'The Man' signs your pay checks doesn't give him the right to dictate your life to you,” James protested. “Now, if you aren't going to take a hit, give me back my doobie.”
“No,” Jeff's voice carried through the trailer. “I am a man of the law and this is an illegal substance.”
“Hey! What are you – Jefferson Starship!” James shouted, sounding distraught as the sound of the flushing toilet reached Mike's ears.
Mike suppressed his smile as Jeff came back into the open-concept living quarters with his dad grumbling at his heels. “You had no right to do that!”
“Dad, you're lucky I don't just arrest you,” Jeff threatened.
“Jefferson Starship!” Pamela gasped as Daisy and Starla moved in next to their mother, showing support by offering a united front.
“Do it!” James ordered, thrusting his clenched fists out at his son. He was holding his wrists together, hands palms up, gesturing the way a person does when they're actually wearing handcuffs. “Take me in now. Oh, 'The Man' would love that!”
“Dad, there is NO 'Man'!” Jeff sighed, exasperated. “How many times do I have to tell you?”
“Brainwashed!” Starla accused her brother, pointing a finger at him in disapproval.
“Oh,” Pamela wept. “I can't believe 'The Man' has infiltrated my own family!”
“Oh, Pamela!” Daisy cooed, trying to comfort her mother as Starla glared at her brother.
“It was bad enough when you went to work for 'The Man', but now I see it so clearly!” James sobbed. “The government has indeed brainwashed my son.”
“Grandpa, no one's -” Mike couldn't even finish his sentence before his mother interrupted him.
“You're the worst of all!” Starla screeched. “You killed for the government!”
“I defended innocent people,” Mike retorted.
“Oh, where did I go wrong?” Starla wept, Pamela embracing her in shared misery.
“I helped to contain and eliminate hostile governments,” Mike tried to explain his life choices in
a way he thought his elders could best relate. “I thought you'd be proud of that.”
“Proud?!” Starla shrieked, unable to say any more due to the intensity of her crying.
“If that's what you do then why haven't you killed anyone in our government?” James demanded to know. “What about the injustices our government perpetrates on us?”
“What?” Jeff and Mike asked simultaneously. What the hell?
“Yeah!” Daisy chimed in. “Why aren't you defending our innocent people?”
Jeff and Mike just looked at one another, uncertain what to do or say. Finally, Jeff patted Mike on the shoulder. “Welcome home, man.”
“Oh yeah,” Mike said sarcastically. “Thanks. It's good to be here.”
Books by Simone Beaudelaire
When the Music Ends (Hearts in Winter Chronicles Book 1)
When the Words are Spoken (The Hearts in Winter Chronicles Book 2)
When the Heart Heals (The Hearts in Winter Chronicles Book 3)
Caroline's Choice (A Hearts in Winter Romance)
COMING SOON: Letting Go (The Hearts in Winter Chronicles Book 4)
Baylee Breaking (Sweet Romance Version)
Baylee Breaking (Steamy Romance Version)
Watching Over the Watcher
The Naphil's Kiss
Xaman (with Edwin Stark)
Amor Maldito: Romantic Tragedies from Tejano Folklore
Darkness Waits (with Edwin Stark)
Keeping Katerina
High Plains Holiday (Love on the High Plains Book 1)
High Plains Promise (Love on the High Plains Book 2)
High Plains Heartbreak (Love on the High Plains Book 3)
The Wounded Warriors Series SAVING SAM
Other Books Written By J.M. Northup
The Fears of Dakota series
A Ripple of Fear
Fears of Darkness
COMING SOON: A Winter of Fear
A Prisoner Within
Soul Searching (with the inclusion of the short story, Emergence)
Feline Fascinations: The Adventures of Boris and Olga
COMING SOON: Snoqualmie Valley Sasquatch
The Wounded Warriors Series SAVING SAM
Thank you for taking time to read Justifying Jack. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
Justifying Jack (The Wounded Warriors Book 2) Page 18