by Gen Griffin
“Curtis's friends sound just as worthless as he does.” David shook his head and scowled. “When all of your boyfriend's friends are douche-bags, you should take it as a sign that he's probably a douche-bag too.”
“I knew Curtis was a douche-bag,” Trish said after a moment's hesitation. “I finally got around to listening to all the messages on my phone. Curtis has left me a dozen voicemails explaining how we're not really getting a divorce. He says he's going to bring me to my senses.”
“Sounds like maybe Addison didn’t succeed at getting the message across to him after all,” David said.
“I think he left those messages before Addy shot at him,” Trish said. “It's been a few weeks since I felt brave enough to check my voicemail.”
“Maybe,” David acknowledged with a nod.
Cal reached into the smoker with a set of tongs and pulled a piece of meat out. “Here David, try this.”
David took it from the tongs with his bare fingers, barely flinching at the heat as he popped the bite into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. “Its good. Needs a little more seasoning through.”
“You think Cajun or plain ol' black pepper?” Cal asked.
“Cajun. Always Cajun.” David had his arm around Trish's shoulder and she relaxed into him.
“Wait, let me try a bite.” Katie stopped Cal before he could take the seasoning out of the spice rack that he'd brought out onto the porch of the houseboat. “You know as well as I do that David could eat a garden fresh jalepeno dipped in hot sauce and then complain that it wasn't spicy enough. I don't want to spend the rest of the night breathing fire.”
Cal laughed and pulled another, larger piece of meat out of the smoker. He pulled out a knife and chopped it up into several small pieces and laid them on a plate. “Fine. Everybody try a bite and we'll take a vote.”
Addison took one piece of meat off the tray and then passed it to Trish. She examined the small, pale chunk of meat for a moment before putting it into her mouth. The flavor was strong, spicy and definitely not like anything Trish had ever eaten before.
“I think its spicy enough,” Addison told Cal, snagging his beer off the counter and chugging half of it.
“You're a wimp when it comes to spicy,” Gracie said as she chewed her own bite. “I'm with David. A little more Cajun seasoning.”
“No, no.” Katie stood up from the chair she'd settled in and went over to the spice rack. “Watch this. I've been reading the wild game cookbook that Ian got me for Christmas. I have an idea.”
She started pawing through the contents of the spice rack, with Addison, Gracie and Cal all looking on.
“Its good, but what are we eating?” Trish asked David. “I doesn't taste like anything I've eaten.”
“Remember the alligators we shot last night?” David asked.
“Oh my,” Trish looked back over at the now empty plate he was holding. “We're eating my alligator?”
“I told you we would,” David reminded her with a laugh. “Didn't you believe me?”
“I'm learning to always believe you,” Trish told him. She wasn't just talking about the alligator and they both knew it.
“Good,” David replied.
“You know, I think I can get used to this,” Trish said with a small smile. “Hard to believe I didn't know any of you guys three months ago.”
“And now you can't get rid of us,” David told her with an easy smile. The expression in his dark green eyes was thoughtful.
“I don't want to get rid of you,” Trish said as she snuggled into his chest. “Not that I have the slightest idea what I'm supposed to do with you.”
“Enjoy the ride,” David said with a wink. “Just stay by my side and enjoy the ride. I promise you that everything else will work itself out.”
“For some crazy reason, I believe you.” Trish twisted so that she could look up into his dark green eyes. Her lips were only inches away from hers. She hesitated for a brief moment and then smiled. “I really want to kiss you.”
“All you had to do was ask.” David pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her tenderly. His arms felt warm and strong around her. Her hormones surged as she closed her eyes and let him slip his tongue in between her lips, enjoying the way the whiskey tasted when she was licking it off of his tongue. David slid his arms down her side, caressing her back. Trish lost herself in his warm kisses, wondering how she'd never known that just being in a man's arms could feel so incredibly good.
She was surprised to realize how natural it felt to be kissing him. He tasted so good, Trish suddenly just wanted to be alone with him somewhere dark and quiet. Alone somewhere where she could take her time inspecting each and every one of his tattoos, with her tongue.
“Damn!”
“Y'all need a room?”
“Shut up.” David broke the kiss and looked up to glare at the audience they had both temporarily forgotten about. Trish buried her face in his chest as an unexpected flush of redness blossomed on her cheeks. She had never, ever, not once in her entire life, made out with anyone in front of a crowd. Not even a small crowd, like this one. David had a way of making her forget herself.
“Aw, come on. We're just having a little payback.” Addison was grinning at them when Trish chanced a look away from David's chest.
“Yeah, you've been hassling the rest of us for years. Now its your turn.” Cal crossed his arms over his broad chest. He was grinning as well. Trish was surprised to realize that they were genuinely happy for their friend. She nestled even tighter against David and he squeezed her reassuringly.
“We could make it worse,” Gracie said with a wicked smile. “We could start chanting; David and Trish, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes-.”
“Jesus Christ, stop. You're giving me flashbacks of elementary school,” David held one hand up in mock surrender.
“Y'all remember when Susie-Bo Jenkins decided David was going to be her valentine?” Cal asked Addison and Gracie.
“How could we forget?” Gracie replied. “She wrote him that poem and read it out loud on the morning announcements.”
David sighed and buried his face in Trish's hair. “Shoot me. Please,” he whispered.
“A love poem?” Trish whispered the question back at him.
“I'll never live it down,” David admitted.
“David’s first, and up until now only, declaration of undying love,” Addison teased. “We were starting to wonder if he even cared if he got laid.”
“Says the guy who had more sex in my house than I did.” David rolled his eyes at Addison as he loosened Trish's pony tail with one hand. He ran his fingers through her hair. “Just because I don’t sleep with everything that walks doesn’t mean I’m not interested. It just means I don’t want to catch anything.”
“He has a point, Addy.” Katie shrugged at Addison. “I, for one, am glad to see David happy. Even if it means I'm losing my backup husband.”
“Darn, I hadn't thought about that,” Gracie wrinkled her nose and made an ‘aw shucks’ gesture.
“Back up husband?” Trish was confused.
Katie and Gracie started laughing. “You want to explain or should I?”
“Oh Christ.” David actually looked slightly embarrassed, something Trish hadn't been entirely sure was even possible. “I thought we agreed we don't talk about the whole back-up husband thing. Y'all make me sound like Addy. Except without the sex.”
“Hey! I resent your implications,” Addy said.
“Okay, now I definitely want to know.” Trish looked back and forth between the other two girls, both of whom were giggling madly.
“I've been with Ian since high school and Gracie has been with Cal, literally, forever.” Katie smiled at Trish as she spoke. “The downside of being in the same relationship forever is that you always expect to have a date and sometimes, for whatever reason, your boyfriend or now husband, can't make it. For example, Ian's schedule with the Sheriff's d
epartment can get pretty crazy. Sometimes, when everyone else is going out to eat or going to a cookout, I want to go but I don't want to go by myself.”
“So David goes with you as your stand-in date.” Trish suddenly got it.
“Right.” Katie nodded. “He's my back up man for everything I need done when Ian can't make it.”
“Mine too,” Gracie chimed in. “Its great because David is always single. We never have to worry about him being too busy or some girl getting mad when we borrow him. Every time we try to use Addison as a back-up date, we get crap from all his various girlfriends. I'm his sister and I still get crap about it. David is perfect because he never has a girlfriend. He'll dress up, come over, pick us up from the house and take us out to wherever it is we need to go. We can go out with him and we don't have to feel awkward or like the third wheel.”
“Y'all make me sound pathetic,” David grumbled.
“I think they're making you sound sweet,” Trish told him.
“Same difference. Pathetic. Sweet.”
“Not same difference,” Trish corrected him with a light kiss on his lips. She was surprised at how bold she was being with him. Trish never kissed Curtis first. Of course, Curtis had never made Trish's hormones run hot.
“Oh well.” Katie smiled at Trish. “I'm glad y'all have found each other. You guys seem happy.”
“I’m happy.” David wrapped his arms gently around Trish's shoulders. “I can’t speak for Trish.”
“I’m happy,” she confirmed as she leaned back into him. It surprised her to realize that she couldn't remember the last time she'd really felt happy. It was a feeling she wanted to hang on to.
“Good.” David kissed her on the forehead.
“Hey. I heard y'all got some alligator cooking.” An old man with a stooped back and Cal's broad shoulders came walking slowly down the trail that separated the creek from the rest of the property. He was wearing a blue plaid shirt and neatly pressed blue jeans despite the summer heat.
“Yes sir.” Cal grinned as the old man made his way onto the creek bank and then headed for the houseboat. “Alligator farm had a break out last night.”
“Heard that too,” the old man said.
Gracie was curled up on the chaise lounge, wrapped up in a fat beach towel. She looked over at the old man. “Hi Pappy.”
“Hello Gracie darling. You having a good day?”
“Just fine, sir.” Gracie smiled at him.
“Glad to hear it.” The old man sniffed the air and smiled. “Heard Addy was in charge of gator disposal.”
Addison laughed. He was sitting on the porch of the houseboat with a lit cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. “Figured out how I planned on disposing of them, did you?”
“It wasn't that hard to figure out. I've had a hankering for some good gator tail for a while now but I'm too old to go hunt for them myself. Y'all have gone about worthless lately, between your college and your work and your blasted frilly wedding. It ought to be a crime, making a man my age wear a tuxedo anywhere but to his own funeral.”
“We've got enough gator in the freezer to last us a solid five years. We shot over 20 of the bastards,” Addison propped up on his elbows and took a deep drag off of the cigarette.
“Ronnie Appledale was down at the store this morning raising hell with poor ol' Jerry. He ain't got a prayer. We've got one fella who thinks alligators who should be rounded up humanely and 1000 other folks who just want the damn things out of the street as quickly as possible before their chihuahuas get eaten.” The old man made his way onto the houseboat's deck and sat down heavily in the first chair he encountered, coughing slightly. “Addy, get me some of whatever David is drinking and put that damned cigarette out.”
Addison grumbled but he put his cigarette out immediately, rubbing the ashes into the deck of the houseboat. He reached into a small cooler that was sitting on the edge of the porch. Addison pulled out a fifth of whiskey and mixed the amber liquid with coke. He handed the resulting drink to the old man.
“Here ya go.”
“Thank you,” Pappy said. He focused his gaze on David and Trish. “I heard you proposed. This the girl?”
“Yes sir.” David shifted so that he was sitting a little bit straighter on the chaise lounge. “Trish, this is Pappy, also known as Joshua Walker. Pappy, this is Trish.”
“She's pretty,” Joshua Walker said to David. He lifted his drink to his mouth and took a sip. “I reckon your sorry ass got lucky. Looks to me like she likes you.”
“She’s put up with me so far.” David smiled as he offered his fingers to Trish. She took his hand and was surprised to see the old man smile.
“Good. You need a woman to keep you in line.” Pappy shook his head for a moment. “Now, lets you and me talk about that sorry ass trailer you’ve been insisting on calling a house.”
“It burned to ashes. What more do we have to talk about?” David sat up slightly and propped himself up on one elbow. He was watching Pappy with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
“Well, where are you planning on living now?” Pappy leveled his eyes on David, ignoring everyone else.
“Right now, I’m living with Addy.”
“You ain’t going to live with Addy in that garage forever. Wrong answer. Try again. Where are you planning on living now?” Pappy tapped his fingers against the glass he was holding.
“I haven’t got that far yet,” David said. “I was thinking that when Cal finishes getting his house up, I’ll probably move in with-.”
“Eh. Not that either. We all know you ain’t going to be happy camped out in other people’s houses long term. I know you better than that.” Pappy clucked his tongue at David. “Try again.”
“I don’t know,” David admitted with a sigh.
“You don’t need another trailer,” Pappy said to David. “Those damn things are built out cardboard. You’re lucky you made it out last night. It don’t take but 10 minutes for a singlewide to burn up like that. Besides, they look trashy. You can’t expect a pretty gal to want to raise a family if you’re living in the house equivalent of a McDonald’s burger box.”
“I know you hate trailers.” David sat up, chewing his lower lip. He was still holding Trish's hand. “You don't have to keep reminding me. After last night, I’m not feeling all that fond of them myself. You know how much work we’ve done trying to fix the wiring in that place. I’d finally got everything up to code and the damn thing caught fire and burned down anyway.”
“You’ve put over ten grand into trying to keep that thing from falling apart in the last year alone,” Pappy informed him.
David’s expression turned to a mixture of annoyance and surprise. “Have I really?”
Pappy nodded.
“How do you know?” David pursed his thin lips in a scowl.
“I tallied your account at store,” Pappy said without the slightest bit of shame. “You know we keep records. Especially since y’all never pay when you pick up. April Lynne was carrying on and on the other day about how you boys raid the store room, leave a note and pay the next month. She told me to tell y’all that our store ain’t the power company and she ain’t interested in offering monthly billing.”
“Tell April Lynne she can kiss my tail,” Cal cut into the conversation. “I’m still her boss.”
“You’ll always be her boss. The line of inheritance for Walker Hardware goes from me to your Daddy to you to David and then screw it. If we're all dead, April Lynne can have it,” Pappy said in a matter of fact tone. “I never said y’all had to listen to her. I just told her I would mention it. I’ve mentioned it.”
“I'm in line to inherit Walker Hardware?” David asked, clearly dumbfounded.
“Only if I die,” Cal pointed out. “April Lynne needs to learn to mind her own business.”
“Not that it matters,” David said. “I don’t reckon I’m going to be needing much in the way of remodeling supplies. The trailer is gone, Pappy. I’m not going to b
e moving back into it. Its completely destroyed.”
“I don’t want you buying another one,” Pappy said bluntly.
“Fine.” David shrugged. “You win. I won’t get another trailer. Happy?”
“I don’t want you putting your new house on that godforsaken hellhole of a junkyard Ricky left you either.” Pappy made a clucking sound with his tongue. He fixed his eyes on David as if he were expecting a fight. “That property used to be part of the damn county landfill.”
“Oh boy, here we go again.” Gracie stepped up beside Cal, wrapping her arms around his waist as he took a break from preparing their food to watch the interchange between his grandfather and his best friend.
“You should just give in already,” Cal said to David. “No one ever wins against him. Not long term.”
“Pappy, I thought we decided we weren’t going to have this conversation anymore? I know you don’t like my place. You never have.” David picked up his whiskey and coke and drank half of it in a single swallow. He seemed as if he’d almost been expecting this turn in the conversation. “And considering that Tate Briggs found a body on it earlier, I'm not feeling real fondly about the property myself right now. I'm kind of thinking the corpse might be a leftover surprise from dear old Dad.”
“We weren’t going to have this conversation anymore,” the old man acknowledged with a nod. “I was going to wait another couple of years until you finally decided to settle your wild ass down. I figured that you might listen to reason by the time you got yourself a wife and were starting to think about getting yourself some youngins. I’d been planning on leaving you to stew on the idea of going off to work every day and knowing the closest neighbors to your wife were a bunch of meth addicts and drug dealers. That property is on the wrong end of Callahan County and you know it. Ain’t nothing but felons and addicts living out there around you.”