Chapter 12 Zach
Zach
“Heavens to Betsy, you two! Are you still playing? Your fingers are going to fall off and the dogs will nibble on them.” Nanette came out of the house with two big tumblers of iced tea. “Is it raining still?”
“You got eyes in your head, girl? Damn rain’s gonna flood us out and give the cattle rot.” Jerry’s grumble was mean sounding, but Nanette just laughed, which made Zach smile too.
“You want me to build your ancient butt an ark, Pop?”
“I want you to leave us to our playing.” She got a sly glance, a half grin. “And I wouldn’t look askance at some of them peanut butter cookies you’re planning to make.”
“Planning to…” Nanette arched an eyebrow at Zach. “Did you see how he did that? You like peanut butter cookies?”
Zach blinked. Did he? He never had a homemade one. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You don’t sound convincing. You don’t have one of those nut allergies, do you?” Nanette eyed him hard like she’d know if he was lying.
He didn’t like to admit how things had been, but he wouldn’t lie to them. “No, ma’am. Not a whole lot of baking happened on tour. I don’t think I’ve ever had a peanut butter cookie that didn’t come from a truck. And those weren’t worth the money.”
“See,” Jerry pointed to Zach. “It’s a public service you’d be doing letting him taste the real thing.”
Nanette snorted, rolled her eyes, and winked at Zach. “I swear to God, these are better than the ones from a truck covered in saran wrap and left to wither.”
Zach finally smiled and watched her head back into the house. He wondered what it would have been like to have grown up with her. She didn’t take shit, but she was as loving a person as he’d ever met.
Maybe he had, he just didn’t remember. Not that Maddie was so bad. She just wasn’t his mom.
Jerry was watching him when he turned away. “She’s a fine woman, son. It’s good you’re polite with her. You need to be my age before you can sass someone like her without it being a hanging offense.”
It had taken him a few tries to understand the dynamics between Jerry and Nanette. If he had to guess, it was his way of coping with being retired. “Yes, sir.” He set the fiddle down and motioned for the banjo. “Can I take a turn on that?”
“Can you play?” Jerry perked up even more. “Cause I got a second one and some picks.”
He didn’t want to brag, but he could play banjo better than Jerry. “Not as well as I play violin, but we had to learn as many instruments as we could in case someone was sick.”
Jerry set his banjo down and hurried inside without another word. It hurt Zach’s joints to see the old man move. It was a little like watching a marionette with loose strings being walked by a meth-addled Geppetto.
The thought tickled him, and he caught himself laughing. Fuck, had it been so long since he’d wanted to laugh hard that it surprised him? Maybe. Maybe so, but if he was lucky, he’d get back in the habit.
Two big pickups trundled down the water-logged gravel road, slinging mud like snot and sending up geysers of brown rainwater. Zach recognized Colton’s Chevy, and the sheriff’s vehicle was marked, so it looked like the….
“Is that Ted? He plays too. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.” Jerry handed Zach an older banjo. From the history on its round, scarred face, Zach bet it had been used to teach a number of kids in the family.
“Sorry, it’s a bit used. But it’s in tune and plays well.” In his other hand, Jerry had a set of picks. “Some of these should fit.”
Zach eyed the offerings and picked those that seemed promising. When he had three that fit, he set the rest down and took up the old five-string.
Testing the strings, Zach nodded. “Take care of them right and these old boys will play forever.”
Before Jerry could answer, Zach launched into ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’.
It had been a hot minute since he’d played.
Ashton never got sick and always seemed worried Grandpa would replace him once he’d heard Zach play.
Not that Zach wanted that. Ashton was the only one who tried to be his friend.
When the others weren’t around and picking on him too.
Ignoring the approaching trucks, which really meant not thinking about the hot guy driving the one in front, Zach found his groove. Jerry raised an eyebrow, cracked a wide grin, and began picking along with Zach.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d played for the love of it, with someone who did the same.
Jerry wasn’t the best, but he poured himself into the music.
It vibrated through them both and evoked grins of joy.
This is what his grandfather used to talk about when he’d trained Zach.
About those days when he and Zach’s mom would play for hours just for fun.
And the few times he and Grandpa sawed away just for fun.
Jerry pulled up his instrument, and people clapped.
“Damn, Grampa, listen to you! I haven’t heard you play in a month of Sundays.” Colton’s words were for Jerry, but those eyes were on him.
“Well, if certain grandchildren would indulge an old man…”
“I know. I know. I hear you.” Colton rolled his eyes dramatically. “Hey, Zach, we got someone here wants to see you.”
A jolt of pure joy crawled up Zach’s spine, zero to sixty in no seconds. He popped out of his chair, handed the banjo to Colton, and launched himself at Maddie.
She wrapped him in a hug that made everything he’d gone through to get away worth it.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Zach sucked in a breath to hold back the tears. “I was worried they’d find out you helped me.”
“I told you not to worry about me.” She squeezed him like she didn’t believe her words. “But we’re both safe now.”
A phone rang, and Ted answered his cell. His voice trailed off as he talked.
Zach sniffed as he pulled away. She winked, ruffled his hair, and nodded in Colton’s direction. “I guess I owe him an apology. Told him I wouldn’t believe you were safe unless I saw you with my own eyes. Have to say I didn’t expect to find you picking away like you owned the world.”
When he decided to run, the last thing he expected was to end up in a place like this. “They’ve been kinder to me than I deserve.”
“Nonsense.” The screen door opened, and Nanette came out with a plate of cookies. “He’s been a perfect houseguest. Plus, I haven’t seen Jerry this happy on a rainy day in years. I’ve more in the oven, so dig in.”
She set the plate down, wiped her hands on her apron, and held out her right one to Maddie. “Nanette Hanlon. Welcome to our home.”
“Maddie Brown.” Maddie accepted and they shook. “Thank you for your hospitality. And for watching over Zach.”
“Like I said, he’s no trouble. Helpful, polite and a fine rainy-day companion for my father-in-law.”
Jerry hmphed, and everyone laughed. Nanette held onto Maddie’s hand and nodded toward the house. “Come in, and I’ll make us some tea while the cookies finish baking. You boys can stay out here a bit longer before lunch is ready”
Maddie followed Nanette into the house, leaving him alone. Zach wanted to fold himself into Colton’s arms again, but with how things were, that was never going to happen.
“Colton.” Jerry’s deep growl broke Zach’s dark mood. “Go fetch a guitar and Ted’s banjo. We can play a bit before lunch is ready.”
“Don’t do that.” Ted cleared the corner of the house. “Stephen Ulmstead is dead.”
“No shit?” Colton looked poleaxed. “What the hell happened?”
Zach stood still, like he’d been frozen to the porch. Dead? He wanted to give a whoop, but he had a bad feeling Creepy Suit Guy was involved. When he saw everyone looking at him, he panicked. “It wasn’t me.” The words just fell out of his mouth.
Colton arched one eyebrow. Did he even know he did that? “We know that, honey. You’ve been here.”