Chapter 5
Myles
Sitting at the kitchen table with Maylee and Clem, I hand over the papers that complete everything between us regarding the house. I have all the forms from the lawyer who Maylee has had us dealing with regarding the legalities of the purchase.
Both myself and Maylee will have our names on the house, we agreed easily as she more than paid her share of the place. I didn’t want her to spend her savings, but she was adamant that we don’t have a mortgage when we don’t need one.
Clem is giving me a huge smile, and I know he’s more than happy to sign over the house as he’s living with Whitney next door in the cottage. They are using the sale of this place to have the cottage extended, and the yard tidied.
Clem slaps me on the shoulder. “Well, bro’ you have yourself a house.”
We all laugh a little, but it isn’t my first house. I sold that to pay my ex-wife off, and that was done to keep her away from Oren.
Speaking of Oren, he bursts through the back door with Whitney right on his heels. She looks like she wants to either laugh herself silly or throttle him.
“What did you do now, Oren?” I ask, and I know he has grown into a cheeky kid, but he isn’t nasty about it.
“Oh, this monkey just sprayed me with the garden hose. He was supposed to be helping, but you know this little devil just couldn’t resist.” Whitney, I now notice is dripping from the waist down, and shit the water’s freezing.
Maylee laughs, and I side-eye her because I don’t want to get involved in anything that may go down now.
Whitney launches herself at Maylee, grabs her around the neck and starts to drag her outside. Oren is screaming with excitement, and I know this was set up by him and Whitney when he shouts, “Come on, Aunt Whit, let’s get her...”
Clem and I both follow at an easy pace, keeping our distance because we don’t want to get involved in whatever is about to happen.
Following until we are standing in the cottage yard we watch as Oren grabs the hose, and much to Whitney’s dismay he turns it on them both, squealing loudly before he bursts out laughing. All the while maintaining the shower he’s giving them both.
Acting together like a synchronized swimming team, Whitney and Maylee stop fighting each other and turn on Oren. Both give him a feral grin before running towards him.
Oren takes off around the yard shouting for them to stop, but they keep going until they catch him and tickle him senseless.
Both Clem and I are laughing hard by this time, but soon stop when the three of them stop wrangling and look at us.
Shit! I know what’s coming, so I turn and make a run for it.
Clem is not as fast in reacting and bellows as freezing water from the hose hits him, much to the delight of Oren and Whitney.
I don’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.
I run to the house and slam the door behind me.
Grinning, I put the coffee pot on fresh for when Maylee comes in, and a warm chocolate milk for Oren.
Living next door to Clem and Whitney is great, and when they have kids, they can all grow up together.
We are a great family unit and support team for each other.
I can’t wait to knock Maylee up. She’s going to look great with a rounded belly. Geez, where did that thought come from?
The door bursts open, and Oren rushes inside, laughing loudly, and dripping wet. “Go shower and change, Oren. I don’t want you catching a chill.”
Oren rushes past to do as I’ve said, but he’s still laughing his ass off. When the door reopens and Maylee walks inside, I stand with my mouth hanging open because there is not one inch of her that is not dripping.
“Little shit's going to get it!” Maylee states, but she’s got a huge smile on her face. “Wait until I’m his mother. I’m going to scare the pants off him.” Cackling like an evil witch, Maylee kisses my chin as she passes, and continues cackling as she goes upstairs.
“Do you want to go to that new place in town to eat tonight?” I shout to Maylee from where I’m standing at the bottom of the staircase.
“Yeah, why not.” Maylee shouts through to Oren, “Get your cowboy boots on kid. We're going ranching.”
I shake my head because I reckon Maylee is going to corrupt Oren with her crazy ways, but he has at least stopped talking about bells on lately.
I’m sitting in a booth watching Oren dancing with Maylee and Whitney. Clem and Whitney jumped at the chance to come with us once they knew we were heading out.
“They are having great fun out there, Myles,” Clem states, taking a sip of his beer. We agreed I’d drive, and he'd drink this outing, and we’d reverse it next time.
“Yeah, they are. Oren loves them, and you know we’ve been blessed.”
Clem chuckles, “Yeah, we have. Whitney is talking about having a little Oren of our own.”
“Has she? You up for that?”
“Oh, yeah. I love Oren. He’s the best nephew I could ever have had. I’d like kids of my own, and now that we live next door it would be great in lots of ways.”
I nod because that’s exactly what I’d been thinking...family, and support on hand. Something many families don’t have, and will never get.
Clem and I sit straighter when we see a man walk up behind Whitney and speak to her. She shakes her head and turns her back on him. Dismissing him as she grabs Oren and spins him around.
Not having any luck with Whitney, he turns his attention to Maylee. Now, I’m not sure what he says, but her face quickly changes from laughing to scowling. I’m rising onto my feet when Maylee wraps her arms around the asshole's waist but brings her knee up and hits him where it hurts most.
As the asshole drops to his knees and bellows in pain, I notice another man stepping toward Maylee and Whitney.
Oren, however, must have noticed something was wrong as he rushes away from Whitney toward the man on his knees.
Although Whitney’s arms are stretching out to grab hold of him.
He swings his little fist and hits the asshole clean in the nose.
The other man, me and Clem all rush to the same place, and when I see the asshole lift his hand to slap either Maylee or Oren, I surge forward and push him out of the way.
“Not happening, asshole,” I snarl.
“You saw what that little kid did...”
I cut the fucker off because my temper is at the edge at this point.
I’m about ready to explode and let loose the side of me nobody really wants to witness.
“Oh, yeah, I saw what he did all right. He,” pointing at the asshole on the floor, “messed with two women who are not interested. I don’t know what he said to MY WIFE.
..” Yeah, he now knows that his bud stepped wrong, and it’s caused an issue they may not get out of easily.
“Oh, shit, man. Look, I’ll get him out of here.”
I can’t believe how fast he drags his bud from the floor and drags him away until I turn around and Clem along with other men I don’t know are standing behind me.
All with arms folded over their chests and looking more than a little pissed.
I raise a questioning eyebrow at Clem who grins, shrugs and walks away.
Whitney, Oren and Maylee are back at the booth, sipping drinks and eating ribs as though nothing happened.
“Bro’, just go with the flow,” Clem chuckles as he passes me and steps into the booth next to Whitney.
As I take my seat Oren gives me such a serious look that I side-eye Clem. “Dad, I did good...I punched him for being nasty to Mom.”
The table quiets, Maylee freezes with her mouth open just as she was about to take a bite from the rib in her hand. Dropping it onto the plate, she grabs Oren’s cheeks and kisses him silly.
Giggles erupt from Oren, and I hear Maylee whispering. “Thank you, Oren, I’ll be the best mom ever.”
As Maylee pulls back from Oren, I don’t hold back the laugh when I see he has rib sauce all over his face, but he has the biggest grin I’ve ever seen him give. I rub my sternum with the ache of happiness, and think how lucky I am.
The rest of the evening we eat, laugh and even line dance. The best night we’ve had in a long time, and both Clem and I grab our women, and we are going to hang on tight.