Chapter 13
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Riptide
My head swivels in our little man’s direction, and my heart sinks when I see twin tears streak down his cheeks. I think my old lady’s excitement was a little too exuberant for him to take. Here lately, any loud sounds startle him and he cries.
“Do you think we need to have him checked over by the pediatrician, Van?”
“No. Believe it or not, this is normal behavior for his age range,” she explains, but I’m not convinced. This is a new development and it has me feeling angsty. “He’s going to experience highs and lows like the rest of us as he transitions from being an infant to a toddler.”
I hum because for the life of me, I can’t figure out what he’d have to be moody about.
His every need is catered to and the very second even a whimper escapes his mouth, we run to him and pick him up, so he’s not lacking for attention.
“What can we do to make this process easier on him?” Just because I don’t understand it, doesn’t mean I want him to experience it.
I’m a dick at times, but I’m not a downright bastard.
I have feelings, I just don’t always know how to express them.
Kids in pain or emotional turmoil sets my teeth on edge.
“Exactly what we’ve been doing,” she tells me as she cleans our little man up and lifts him out of his highchair. “Like everyone else, he has to learn by living it and figuring things out for himself.”
“I don’t like it,” I grumpily reply. “As his dad, I’m supposed to fix shit for him.”
“That’s a problem, Rush,” she says around a sigh. “You put far too much pressure on yourself wanting to ‘fix’ everything for everyone. It’s impossible. You have to let others experience things for themselves. No matter how bad it is and even if there’s some sort of fallout for it.”
“Even if I can prevent it?” I counter.
“Even then,” she answers, nodding her head. “You can’t split yourself into pieces and be everywhere at the same time. It’ll eventually fracture you and you’ll fade away.”
“Nah, that’ll never happen,” I proclaim, shooting her a wink. “I’m indestructible.”
She snorts, saying, “Sure you are, Superman. Think what you will, but you’re not made of steel.”
“No, I’m made of stronger stuff, I’m titanium on the inside, baby. That alloy runs through my veins,” I tease, batting my fists against my chest in a show of strength.
“Now I know you’re full of shit because you bleed red like the rest of us ordinary folk do,” she jokes, giving me a mirthful smile. “If your blood ran silver, we’d be getting you admitted to the hospital.”
I mock my outrage by palming my chest and rubbing my hand over where my heart rests. “You wound me, Van.”
“It’d take a village to wound you, Superman,” she snarkishly tosses over her shoulder as she continues up the staircase. “I’m gonna give him a bath and get him down for the evening. Afterward, I plan on grabbing a throw blanket, sitting on the back porch swing, and unwind with a glass of wine.”
“Is that an invitation?” I inquire, wanting to join her. It sounds like the perfect ending to a fucked up day.
“You always have an open invitation wherever I’m concerned, Rush.” With that, she continues retreating to the second floor and I turn on my heels, heading to our stash of wine so I can toss a bottle into the freezer so it can begin chilling for her.
I have one foot on the ground and the other lifted up onto the railing, pushing us back and forth in the swing.
Even the creaking of the chains hooked from the swing to the ceiling of the roof can’t ruin this moment of peaceful solitude.
Van is settled against my side, tucked in tight, and my arm is wound around her shoulders as my fingers brush up and down her upper arm.
The weather is perfect, not too hot and not too cold—a phenomenon for Texas.
“Why do you think you got aggravated with Elodie earlier?” Van asks, her voice full of curiosity and not damnation. I think that’s why it's easier for me to open up and expose my skeletons to her—she never makes me feel prosecuted.
I mull it over for a brief second before sharing my conclusion.
“Paps was old school. He believed in loyalty, respect, and honesty. He hammered those three traits into mine and Rio’s heads until they became a part of life for us.
Elodie is a sweet kid, but here lately, she’s gotten bratty with the way she speaks to the brothers.
I’m not sure if it’s an age thing, and she’s testing her limits, but turning a blind eye to it isn’t helping matters.
She’s gotten bolder and Icer encourages that behavior.
He doesn’t think she does anything wrong, therefore, he doesn’t correct her when it’s needed. ”
“I’m going to share something with you that Zoey hasn’t told anyone. It’s something she and Indiana wanna deal with on their own,” Van says, lifting her upper body away from me so she can peer into my eyes.
“I’m all ears, baby. Is something wrong with our girl? Should I be worried?” I shoot my questions off in rapid succession.
“Calm down,” Van coos, rubbing her hand up and down my sternum in an attempt to cool my jets.
“I’ll calm down when I know there’s nothing to get worked up about,” I snap.
“I’m not going to tell you if you don’t settle down. Not everything can be taken care of with brutal force, you neanderthal.”
“Never came across anything I can’t handle with my fists if the need arises,” I reply. “But if you don’t tell me, I’m going to imagine the worst and go into a rage.”
“I shouldn’t have brought this up,” she says, a frown marring her face.
“But you did so there’s no backing out now, baby. Tell me what’s going on with her girl that can explain her spunky attitude. If I don’t know what’s going on, I won’t know how to adjust my own temperament and deal with it.”
“You know how the town is divided between supporting the Kings and the ones who’ve bought into the city council’s bullshit?
” I nod my head because this isn’t news to me.
That damn pussy of a sheriff has been running his mouth and nothing more than shit is leaking out of it, but there are some who’ve known him for the entirety of his life who think he shits out pots of gold.
How they can’t see around his facade is a mystery to me.
The pissant motherfucker has two faces, one of which I want to rearrange.
Immensely. “Some of those individual’s kids are harassing Elodie in school. ”
“Harassing her, how?” I ask, my body stiffening and my back going ramrod straight.
“It’s bad, Rush. She’s become an outcast. Nobody wants to sit beside her at lunch, nobody picks her as a partner for projects, and she plays by herself during recess.”
“And what do the kids whose parents support us do?” I probe.
“They’re indifferent,” she remarks.
“Care to expand on that, Van?”
“They don’t want to become targets themselves so they completely ignore her as if she doesn’t exist. It’s caused her to create a protective barrier around herself and act out at home where it’s safe for her to do so.
She lashes out because she trusts that no matter how ‘bratty’ she is, we will never stop loving her and spending time with her.
She can be as rude as she wants to be around us and we’ll still be there. ”
“Damn straight we will be,” I grumble. “Should I call a meeting with our supporters and let them know that it’s unacceptable and the club takes it as a slight against us?
I’ve never been in this situation so I’m not sure how to handle it?
This is different because it involves children, and we all know when I’m addressing an issue that pisses me off, I don’t wear kid gloves. ”
“Zoey wants to homeschool her, but she also wants to make sure Elodie has some socialization. There aren’t any charter schools nearby and any extra-curricular activities she signs her up for will have those same kids involved.
I’m not sure what the answer or solution is, but something’s gonna have to give soon or Elodie is going to become a shell of herself. ”
“I’ll talk to Indiana and see what he wants to do.
Whatever that is, the club and I will back him.
I think our best bet would be a town hall meeting or starting up our own school,” I state.
“Not to mention the fact that if Icer gets wind of this, fucking heads will roll. She’s his princess and he isn’t going to let anyone fuck with her. ”
“Want my advice?” she asks. When I nod my head indicating I would like to hear her opinion, she continues.
“A community meeting involving the entire town would be counterproductive at this time. It’ll let those who are against us know they’ve gotten under our skin and will keep encouraging their kids to continue being shitheads.
Find your supporters and start putting bugs in their ears.
Let them know if this keeps happening, then we’ll react in kind and start pulling our protection as well as the funds we donate to the town and local businesses from their coffers. ”
“I knew you would be the perfect old lady the first time I laid eyes on you,” I praise, leaning over and pecking her on the temple. “I’ll get the brothers on it.”