Chapter Nine #2
“Did you call Buzz?” Dad asked.
“Sure did. He said he was busy.”
“Oh, yeah? He did?” Dad snapped.
Before I could tell him I had that part handled, he stormed out of the house, his phone to his ear. I followed, leaving Mom to keep Trina company so I could finish the lawn.
Buzz’s truck pulled up to the curb within minutes, and he was already audibly grumbling before he even got out of the cab. “I’m a senior member of this goddammed club. I don’t take orders—”
“You’re a senior member of my club and about to be the wearer of my boot in your ass,” Dad growled. “Now, you better get to work with your plunger, or I’ll find a place to stick that too.”
As Buzz walked inside, I went back to the lawn. It took another hour to finish, and then Trina invited me in for a beer. I walked inside to the sound of Buzz squealing from under the sink.
“Where did this leak come from?” Buzz bellowed.
“Don’t quit on us now,” Mom encouraged.
“I’m not gonna fuckin’ quit, Dani. Mama didn’t raise no quitter, but she did raise a complainer, so I’ll get the job done, but you’re gonna hear about it while I do it.”
Trina laughed. “I appreciate you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he droned sarcastically, then swore when he bumped his head for apparently the third time.
“I’m gonna head out,” I said, finishing my beer, then leaning down to kiss my mom’s cheek.
“Thanks for taking care of everything for me today,” Trina said.
“Anytime,” I said, then walked out the door to the sound of Buzz bitching about yet another leak.
* * *
Echo
Archer organized the fishing trip for the Sunday right after their ‘family night.’ I hadn’t attended, not feeling quite ready for a crowd, but I was genuinely warming up to all of his friends and family, so I was determined to accept the next time he invited me.
Archer insisted on picking me up, so he met me at my place just before five a.m. Apparently fish didn’t bite in the afternoon.
I pulled open the door, biting back a yawn.
“Morning,” he said, way too chipper for my liking.
“It is morning, you are correct.”
He chuckled. “I brought coffee and bagels.”
“Bless you.” I smiled. “I’ll just grab my bag.”
“Mom and Bryn are meeting us here in ten minutes.”
“Oh, cool. Come in.”
“You sure you feel good about all of this?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m good. Judy and Floyd feel really comfortable and that’s all that matters to me.”
He frowned. “You should feel comfortable too, Echo.”
“I feel comfortable with your mom and Judy, so I’m good.”
“You will love Bryn,” he said.
“Do you love Bryn?” I asked, then gasped. “No, don’t answer that. It’s none of my business.”
“Absolutely not.” Archer laughed. “Bryn is almost old enough to be my mom, even if she’s got babies. She’s also got kids in their twenties. She’s married to one of my club brothers and totally in love with him, so you have nothing to worry about. ”
“I didn’t say I was worried. I was just asking.”
He smirked. “Gotcha.”
God, I needed to get a fucking grip. I was so tired, I couldn’t keep my emotions in check, or my apparent desire to kneel before him and lick his dick like a lollipop.
Okay, maybe that was just the dream I had last night.
A soft knock at my door pulled me out of my erotic thoughts, and I made my way to the door and pulled it open.
“Good morning, sweetie, you look gorgeous,” Dani said.
“You’re a really good liar, Dani, but thank you.” I smiled. “Come on in.”
“Would you like to meet Bryn now, or wait?”
“Oh, right. She’s welcome to come in now.”
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
I paused for a second then let out a quiet breath. “You might be the kindest person I’ve ever met, next to your son.”
“We might need to expand your circle, sweetheart.”
I smiled and left my door open while she went to get Bryn and I grabbed the rest of my things.
“Where’s my mom?” Archer asked.
“Getting Bryn. She didn’t want to overwhelm me.”
“You okay?” he asked.
I smiled. “Yes, I’m good.”
“Oh my god, I know you.”
I turned to the sound of the feminine voice and couldn’t stop a smile. “Holy crap, I know you, too.”
“I’m Bryn,” she said, holding out her hand.
“Echo.”
“How do you know each other?” Dani asked.
“We did an ER rotation together,” Bryn provided.
“It was my last one,” I said. “Before I went into hospice care.”
“So brave,” Bryn said. “I would dissolve into a puddle every night.”
“Sometimes I do.”
“Jesus,” she breathed out. “If you ever need someone to talk to, you call me.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“Ready?” Archer asked.
“Yes,” I said, needing to break the heaviness of the moment.
I followed everyone out and locked up, then we headed to Judith and Floyd’s.
Floyd was waiting for us and I nearly panicked as we pulled up to the curb. “Is Judy okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine. She told me to wait out here because I was bugging her.”
I relaxed and gave him a gentle smile. “Okay. We’ll all mask up and gather our things.”
Bryn and Dani introduced themselves, then Bryn turned to me. “I brought extra masks. I wasn’t sure how many we’d need.”
“That was thoughtful, thank you. I brought enough for everyone, so we should be good.”
After masking up, we headed inside and found Judy in her wheelchair, sitting by the window and appearing to be bright and alert .
“Good morning,” I said. “I was expecting you to still be asleep.”
“Floyd has been up and spinning like a top since three. There was no sleeping for me.”
“How do you feel?”
“I feel great.”
“Are you sure you feel up to visitors?”
“The more the merrier, sweetie,” she assured me. “Especially if it gets Pinky out of the house.”
I grinned behind my mask and nodded. “Okay, I’ll bring them in.”
The small group filed into the house and I introduced everyone, then Archer went back out to carry copious amounts of bags in from the vehicles. Dani had shopped. And by shopped, I mean she shopped .
“What is all this?” I asked once Archer and Floyd left.
“I wasn’t sure what Judy would feel up to eating, so Bryn and I went a little crazy.”
“Goodness,” Judy said. “You really didn’t need to do all of that.”
Dani chuckled. “Well, I love to cook, so does Bryn, so we figured we could meal plan for the week and leave a few things for you and Floyd to heat up. Do you mind if I rummage through your cabinets for things to cook with?”
“No, make yourselves at home.”
“Thank you,” Bryn said.
“You let me know what we owe you and Floyd will write you a check,” Judy said.
“Nothing,” Dani said, emptying bags. “This is from us. ”
I glanced at the women as I took Judy’s vitals. I was humbled, again, by this group of people.
“You are in tip-top shape, honey,” I said. “Now, can I get you something to eat?”
“I’d love some egg whites,” Judy said. “And maybe a cup of tea, please.”
“Coming right up.” I gave her hand a gentle squeeze and headed into the kitchen.
“I can make those egg whites if you like. You make the tea?” Dani suggested.
“That’d be great,” I said. “Just plain for the eggs. Otherwise, they’ll bother her stomach. If she keeps those down, we’ll move onto toast.”
“Perfect.” Dani smiled. “What can I make you?”
“I’m happy with a bagel and coffee.”
“We have bacon.”
I bit my lip. “Ooh, bacon.”
She chuckled. “I’ll make you bacon.”
“Bless you.”
I took Judith her tea, then once all the food was prepared, we gathered in Judy’s family room and set things up on her coffee table.
“Would you like to play a game?” Judith asked.
“I love games,” Dani said. “What did you have in mind?”
She pointed toward the cabinet on the opposite wall. “We have some board games in there, or we can play, ‘Fuck, Marry, Kill.’”
I nearly spit my coffee out. “Oh my god, Judy, what?”
“I’m sorry, sweetie, have I offended you?”
“No, not at all, I just didn’t think you’d know what that was.”
“I watch a lot of cable television.”
“We could do both,” Dani said, as she rummaged through the cabinet.
“May I go first?” Judy asked.
“Absolutely,” Bryn said.
“I’d fuck that boy that was in that band, ah, what is his name? The Watermelon Sugar song.”
“Harry Styles?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes, Harry. I’d fuck him, marry Robert Redford, and kill Willard Scott.”
I again nearly choked on my coffee. “Isn’t he already dead?”
“Well, I’d dig him up, reanimate his corpse and kill him again. That man lied to me about the weather for forty-five years. I hope he’s being force-fed Smucker’s jelly for all eternity in hell.”
I laughed. “Wowzer.”
“Okay, how about you, Echo?”
“Um, I’d fuck Jason Momoa, marry Keanu Reeves, and kill… gosh, I don’t know if there’s anyone I’d kill.”
“It’s a game. You don’t really want to kill anyone,” Bryn pointed out.
I sighed. “Right, okay, I guess Ryan Reynolds? I think he’d be too much after a while. I’d need him to just stop talking and look pretty, you know?”
“Oh, totally,” Bryn said. “Okay, I’d fuck Alan Ritchson, marry Paul Rudd, and kill Jerry Seinfeld.”
“Oh, those are good,” I said. “Dani?”
“I’d fuck Seth MacFarlane, marry Seth MacFarlane, and kill anyone who got in the way of me fucking and marrying Seth MacFarlane.”
The three of us froze and stared at her. Bryn was the first to break.
“Seth MacFarlane as in, Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane?”
“Yes,” Dani confirmed, setting Trivial Pursuit on the coffee table in front of us.
“Like, Stewie?” I asked.
“You betcha.”
“Would you want him to do all the voices while he’s fucking you?” Bryn asked.
“Wouldn’t you?” Dani challenged.
“Put your bottom in the air, you naughty minx, I’m going, whhhhhip you,” Bryn moaned, imitating Stewie’s over emphasized ‘h.’
“Hell, yeah,” Dani said. “And you need to stop, or I’m going to call Booker and he’s going to need to take care of me.”
“Holy cow,” I breathed out. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“As a heart attack.” She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “That man is my hall pass and Booker knows it.”
Bryn, Judith, and I looked at each other and burst into girlish giggles.
“Oh, my word, this is delightful,” Judy said.
“Do you feel up to some toast before we play Trivial Pursuit?” I asked her.
“Yes, please,” she said.
For the next eight hours, we chatted, laughed, ate, and communed in a way I never had before. These women were unlike any I’d ever met before and Judy came alive in their presence, and quite frankly, so did I.
Dani and Bryn had made a week’s worth of meals for Floyd and Judy, labeling and freezing them so they were easy to identify, including instructions for Floyd on how to reheat everything.
By the time Floyd and Archer walked in, Judy had just woken up from a nap, and the sun was beginning to set. Bryn was pulling a pot roast out of the oven, her mother’s recipe, and Floyd walked in, declaring, “Something smells delicious.”
“Ooh, lordy, Pinky, it’s not you,” Judy said.
“I know. We fished our guts out.”
She chuckled. “Smells like it. How about you shower real quick and we can eat.”
“Can everyone stay?”
“We don’t want to overwhelm Judy, Floyd,” I said.
“I stink too,” Archer called out from his place by the front door. “It’s why I’m not coming in.”
“You’re welcome to stay,” Judy said. “I’m not overwhelmed.”
“You can swing by our house and shower, Bubba, then come back,” Dani said. “You have some clothes there.”
“Okay, sounds good. Ah, Echo, you gotta second?”
I excused myself and met him at the front door, pulling my mask down as I went. Once I got a whiff of him, I slid it back up. “Hey. How did everything go?”
“We had a blast. Floyd’s a cool dude. He and my grandfather hit it off like they’d been friends forever.”
I smiled. “That’s awesome.”
He nodded. “Your car’s ready. You want me to pick it up for you?”
“Oh, wow. Um, that would be great. Thank you.”
“Okay, before I do that, though, I wanna ask you out.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Got plans on Thursday?”
“I do.”
“Fuck, seriously?”
“I have standing plans everything Thursday,” I said. “Would you like to join me?”
He grinned. “I’d love to join you.
“Well, don’t get too excited, you might regret saying that.”
“What are we doing?”
“I’m going to let that be a surprise.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, cool. I love surprises.”
“Go shower.”
“Yes ma’am.” He grinned again. “I’ll see you soon.”
I watched him walk to his truck and drive away, but I couldn’t stop a little pile of goo forming in my nether regions.