Chapter 7 #3
Quain cleared his throat. “More than one of us could guess correctly. With Luke, you must have clear rules or you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Hey!”
Quain took Barber’s hand and reeled him close.
Errol stroked his beard, and I winced. There was grease on his fingers that definitely went into the long mess. “You can arm wrestle for the win!”
Sophie grinned up at KC. “I concede if it’s down to the two of us.”
I snickered, and Ren grinned while he squeezed the back of my neck.
Sophie stuck her hand out toward Ren, who seemed to be caught between smiling and acting aloof as he shook with her. KC gave me a squeeze and rubbed my back.
“I’m all right,” I whispered to him, but he didn’t look convinced.
“Sorry you come from the California Booths. I’ve heard they’re terrible from Luke.” Sophie smiled at Ren.
“You heard right.”
I studied the cars and tried to think like Errol, but that was a losing battle. “I bet it’s the red Acura.”
“You sure?” Errol waggled his gray eyebrows.
“I’m picking the Buick,” Quain said decisively.
“What the hell?” Barber planted his hands on his hips and scowled at the cars. “I’m picking the green Ford Festiva. I lost my virginity in one of those.”
“How?” Ren spun toward him. “How did you even manage to fit two men on one seat?”
Barber pulled Ren aside to whisper, and by the time we all dispersed to grab food—someone had brought out paper plates and silverware—Ren was laughing so hard he’d hiccupped at whatever Barber was murmuring to him, probably so that Sophie wouldn’t hear.
We locked gazes, then she rolled her eyes.
“I guess I’m going to be the baby princess forever. Should I tell them I lost my hymen years ago?”
“Don’t.” I glanced toward Barber frantically. “They’ll want to hunt the guy down and put his head on a pike.”
She grinned and smacked my shoulder.
It didn’t take long for everyone to load up their plates and take a seat. Beers were passed out, and since that was the only drink to be had, everyone took one. I decided to start with a cupcake after the terrible day I’d had and hummed happily as I bit into chocolate with raspberry filling.
I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but Quain was on my left at the end of the picnic table and KC was directly across from me. On my right was Sophie. She was happily digging into a cupcake, too, and she gave me a little wink as she did it.
“Listen to me, all right, Oliver?” Quain leaned toward me seriously.
For a second, I felt like a spotlight was shining on my face. “Uh yeah.” I leaned away from him, but he put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me upright.
“I want you to know that if things aren’t okay at your home, you are more than welcome in mine.” He stared directly into my soul, and I was nodding before I realized what I was doing.
“Th-thank you.” I swallowed hard. He was kind of scary.
“Thanks, Pa,” KC said softly. A wide, dopey grin had taken over his face.
Quain nodded at him, then me.
My heart ached happily as he patted my back in a comforting, fatherly way, then turned toward his plate with a small frown and picked up his fork.
He’d put the food together, but it was as if he wasn’t sure where to start between the pulled pork and the brisket or if he thought it was a heart attack waiting to happen.
“Hey there, Ren.” Errol was sitting right beside Ren, but he was talking like he was far away.
“Uh, yes?” Ren turned a bit toward him, clearly trying to be polite. Ren on his best behavior was weird.
“How’re your parents doing? Still sticks up their asses?”
Ren nodded and grinned. “Big ones.”
I didn’t even know them, but I couldn’t help laughing along with Barber, who thought that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard by the way he cracked up.
“You know what?” Ren said, after everyone had wound down. “I’m picking the Festiva, too.”
“That one’s mine,” Barber said with a mock scowl.
Ren quirked an eyebrow. “I want to kick your ass if we’re right.”
Barber snorted and threw down his fork. “We don’t have to wait for that.”
“Eat first,” Quain said. He didn’t shout, but then again, Quain never really had to bark to get his way. Barber sent him a sappy look and picked up his fork.
Ren shook his head and stuffed his tongue into his cheek. “You’re gonna take that shit?”
Barber waved his fork around with a piece of chicken stuck on the end. “Hell yes. I like to get laid.”
Quain sighed while everyone else was laughing again.
This was nice. My heart felt lighter as I glanced along the tables. This was exactly what I’d needed.
Ren swung around toward Errol. “Do you really blow stuff up or are you pulling my leg?”
Sophie tossed her cupcake wrapper in Ren’s direction to get his attention. “If you had a metal detector on this property, it would scream instead of beep.”
“Damned right! I could bury anything metal here and no one who didn’t know where it was could find it.”
My heart squeezed as the firelight glinted on the Kings of Men ring on my finger.
I held my breath, then slipped it off and let it fall under the table.
I used my foot to stomp it down into the packed earth.
Sophie looked at me oddly, but with the others here, she didn’t ask what I was up to. She was good that way.