Chapter Two #2
“But you didn’t.”
“I know that now.” Megan leaned back against the counter. A small smiled played on her lips. “How are you?”
“Good. You?”
“Busy. The kids are back at school, and it seems like I’m running around with one activity after another.”
“Where are the little hooligans?” Rags smiled.
“Keith’s bringing them. He took today off work to take all three of them to the water park since it’s unusually warm today.”
“You didn’t wanna go?”
“Not really. I needed a day to myself, you know? Anyway, Keith’s like a big kid himself at the water park. He loves all the slides and stuff. The kids have a ball with him. I’m the dud who sits under the umbrella and reads a book.”
“Like when we were kids. You used to get so fuckin’ pissed when me or Jeremy sprayed you with the hose.” Rags laughed.
She chuckled. “You guys were a pain in the ass.”
“So where’s Mom?”
“Out back cutting flowers for the centerpiece on the table. You know how Mom likes to make everything so perfect and beautiful. It’s been too long since you came by. You know, Mom misses you.”
Rags ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been busy. She knows that. I text her a lot.”
“It’s not the same as stopping by.”
“I know. The summer’s always our busiest season, and now that fall’s here there’s tons to do, but I’ll do better.” He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and took a bite.
“Guess who I saw?”
“Who?” his mother’s voice said behind him.
Rags whirled around and smiled. “Hey, Mom.”
“Come over here,” she said, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She drew him into a long, tight hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“Same here,” he said stepping back. “You look great.”
“So do you. I’m glad you could make time to come by.”
“Megan’s already tagged me on that one, Mom. Work’s been busy.”
“I know, I’ve heard it all before. You and Jeremy lead very busy lives.”
Circumventing a guilt trip, he asked, “Is Jeremy coming tonight?”
“No. He’s too busy. I can’t imagine with what. He works a factory job with set hours. It’s not like having your own business like you do.”
“Maybe Wanda had to work late tonight. The bakery caters, and the theater is having a VIP reception before the play tonight. I’m pretty sure that’s what Clara told me,” Megan said.
Rags smiled at the mention of their youngest sibling.
Their mother shook her head. “And he can’t come over to dinner without his girlfriend? Does that make sense?” she said, looking at Rags.
He shrugged and took another bite of the apple.
“She’s got him wrapped around her little finger. Don’t get me wrong, I like Wanda, but she’s too controlling.”
“Maybe he’s okay with that,” Megan suggested.
“I can’t see Chase letting a woman control him, right dear?”
“Damn straight. I wouldn’t let any chick control me.” He threw the apple core in the trash can.
“Speaking of ‘chicks’, guess who I bumped into on Main Street,” Megan said.
“Cousin Carol, or Aunt Nelda? I heard Carol came into town for a few days and didn’t call your uncle, and he’s furious about it.”
“No, Mom. Your turn, Rags. Guess.”
“I dunno. Just tell us.”
“Guess.”
“No.”
“Humor your sister.”
“Carrie Underwood,” he said.
Megan’s face tightened. “What the hell would Carrie Underwood be doing in Pinewood Springs walking down Main Street?”
Rags shrugged. “You told me to guess.”
“With some intelligence.”
He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and rocked back on his boot heels. “Lainey Wilson.” A smiled tugged at his lips.
“Mom, tell Rags to stop being a jerk,” Megan said, glaring at him.
“What? You told me to guess.”
“So you guess my two favorite female country singers?”
“Figured it must be someone important to you to have me standing here guessing like a damn five-year-old.”
“I’m not telling you now,” Megan snapped.
“Whatever.”
“Chase, Megan, stop acting like you’re both in grade school, and”—she pointed her finger at him—“be nice to your sister. She obviously wants to share who she saw.”
“I don’t want to anymore,” Megan said turning away from him and staring out the window above the stainless steel sink.
Rags’s mother gave him that look. He sighed then cleared his throat. “I was just teasing you. Tell me who you saw.”
Megan didn’t answer. Rags shook his head, and mouthed, “I tried” to his mom then started to turn away when his sister said, “All right, I’ll tell you and Mom. I ran into Julie.”
Rags’ mood turned from playful to ice in less than a heartbeat. Julie. The slutty bitch. The one who took his heart and stomped on it, the only one who wore his property patch then spit on it, the one who betrayed him.
“Julie?” His mother’s question broke into his thoughts. “I thought she moved years ago after…” his mother’s voice trailed off.
“She did, but she said she came back to help out with her mom. Her mother’s not in a good way.”
Rags saw his mom glance at him, a hint of sadness and … pity in her eyes. Fuck that!
“So that’s the person you had us playing a guessing game about? Who the fuck cares if she’s back or what the hell she does.”
Megan’s face fell. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Nothing to be sorry about, it’s all past history.” He turned toward his mom. “What’s for dinner?”
“Barbecue ribs.”
“My favorite.” He smiled.
“I know.” His mother reached out and grasped his arm. “I made the marinade. Your dad should be here soon to fire up the grill.”
“So Clara’s not gonna be here for dinner,” he said, pulling softly away from his mother’s grip.
“No, she has to work. It’s the VIP reception. I don’t like her working late at night, especially with the murder that happened a couple of weeks ago. Did you read about it?”
“I heard about it. I don’t like Clara working late either. I’m glad she’s living at home.”
“For now, but she wants to get her own place. Your father and I aren’t thrilled about that at all.”
“Is she moving out? She didn’t mention it to me.”
His mother shook her head. “She’s just talking about it, but I don’t know why because I know she wants to save money. She’s also talked about going back to graduate school. Until that psycho is caught and put away, I won’t rest easy.
“What time does she get off tonight?” Rags said.
“Around midnight.”
“I’ll head over there to make sure she’s okay.”
His mother’s shoulders slumped in relief. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“Of course. Now lemme see if I can get that grill going.”
“Don’t go near it. It’s your dad’s new baby, and he’s very protective of it.” His mother laughed. “I’m going to put the utensils he needs by the grill then arrange the flowers on the table.”
When his mother left, Megan cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to be insensitive. It’s just that I was so surprised to see her, and I thought it was all done with you, you know in your mind and all.”
“It is. Don’t worry about it. Like I said, ‘It’s past history.’ Okay?”
Nodding, Megan replied, “Okay.”
* * *
Rags sat on the front porch holding a bottle of Dos Equis in his hand and staring out at the darkness.
Every now and then a spark of fireflies lit up the branches from the oak tree.
The clang of dishes, the low murmur of television sets, and the occasional voices of children playing in their front yards punctuated the night.
Megan, Keith, and their kids had left an hour after dinner.
Rags’ mother must’ve told his dad about Julie being back in town, because they left him alone with his thoughts on the porch.
The truth was he didn’t know how he felt.
Julie had been out of his life for the past several years, and he’d pushed all the memories and feelings of her in the dark recesses of his mind.
She had been the one he’d wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but she betrayed him.
After he’d gotten past the anger, he told himself it was better he found out she was a two-timer sooner rather than later.
It was Julie who had insisted on a full-blown citizens wedding.
In his mind, they were already hitched when she agreed to wear his property patch, but he wanted her to be happy, so he agreed to it.
And what he could never understand was why she wanted the whole shebang if she was fucking another dude behind his back.
Rags never could make sense of it, but after he left her sorry ass, a barbed wire had gone around his heart, and he spent the last several years partying and screwing sweet butts, club girls, and the occasional one-night stand with a citizen.
But one thing he made sure of was that he never hooked up with a citizen more than one time.
It was a rule he made a long time ago, and he still stuck to it.
Damn, I was crazy about that skank. I gave her everything. She better not think she’s gonna come back into my life because I’m not having it. She’s dead to me. Fuckin’ dead.
“Nice night.” Rags’s father’s voice broke in on Rags’s thoughts as the screen door shuttered open. “Summer-like nights bring back all kinds of memories and feelings.” His dad sat down on one of the cushioned wicker chairs.
“Yep,” Rags said.
“It makes me think of times when I was a kid with your grandparents, or when you were young and your mom and I would watch you play softball at McKinney Park. Or when I first saw your mom and knew she was the one for me, even though she didn’t know it at the time.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, it makes you think about memories like that.”
“Even the hard times in life.”
“I’m okay, Dad. Julie was a long time ago. I’ve moved on.”
“Your mom doesn’t think so. She wishes you’d find a nice girl to settle down with. Your friend Throttle has a wife and so does Animal and Diesel.” He laughed. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the names you and your friends use.”
“They’re my brothers, and when I want an ol’ lady, I’ll get one. Right now I’m fine.”
“I know. We just don’t want you to let what happened with Julie ruin the rest of your life.”
“It hasn’t. It was a long time ago. I’m good.” Rags took a long pull on his beer. “You know, you have a kickass grill.”