Chapter 15
SERANA
“Are you sure you’re up for this?”
I smiled at Roscoe, still amazed at how well he’d cared for me since the accident two days ago. The look on his face was troubled, so I asked, “Are you up for this? You seem a little anxious. What’s wrong?”
“I’m grateful that you saved Koda. So unimaginably grateful. I love that kid in small doses - from a distance. But why, when you went full-stop superhero and put yourself in danger to save a child, did it have to be Koda Forrester?”
“What?”
“Out of all the children in the world, you rescued Koda.”
“Was I supposed to let him get hit by a freakin’ car?”
“No! That’s not what I’m . . . I’m not explaining this well at all.
By doing what you did, which was commendable and amazing, you have firmly cemented your place in this family.
They will never forget that and will have your back through everything, which is great for you.
Do you need to bury a body? Not a problem.
Call them up, they'll show up with a backhoe and an alibi. Do you need some dinner? You’ve got a place at the table.
But out of all the kids in the world, you rescued one from the craziest branch of the crazy tree.
Scratch that. If we’re talking certifiably insane, then Clem’s branch is probably the craziest.”
“What?”
“Clem has children named Roar, Wild, and Rebel. That says a lot.”
“I don’t know Clem, but those are actually pretty cool names.”
“You met Rebel at Gamma’s diner. She’s the one that convinced you to get the peanut butter . . .”
“I loved her! She’s great!” I smiled when he cringed but had to ask, “Why are we talking about this when there are people inside the house waiting for us?”
“Those are some pretty unique names, but they also explain the dynamics of Clem’s family, which is nuts. Kale's branch of the tree is mostly psychotic with a side of dangerous, and you’re now a leaf on that branch.”
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked in confusion. “I know you’re attempting to tell me something important, but it really seems more like you’re trying to warn me about them.”
“I love them all. I do. They’re my family, and if they needed me, I’d show up with a backhoe and an alibi, but they really are easier to take in small doses.”
“I think they seem wonderful. Terra was so sweet, and Kale looks gruff, but watching him hold that baby was enough to assure me that it’s all bluster.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, but it’s okay.
They like you. Hell, I’d go as far as to say they love you.
That alone will make your life much easier in the long run.
However, that won’t make our afternoon at their home any less chaotic.
If anything, they’ll let their guards down and welcome you into the fray now that you’re one of them. ”
“I think this is your backwards attempt at trying to hype me up to get to know all of them.”
“I’m going to remind you that you said that when we leave in a few hours and you spend the entire drive home curled up in the fetal position, sucking your thumb.”
Just then, the door flew open and the crazy little boy I’d instantly fallen in love with ran across the porch. Instead of taking the steps, he vaulted over the railing and sprinted toward Roscoe’s truck.
“He’s so freakin’ cute!”
“You’re already too far gone,” Roscoe mumbled right before Koda yanked the passenger door open and yelled, “Angel!”
“Hi, sweetheart! You look like you’re feeling much better.”
“Eh. I’ve had worse.”
“You’ve done worse things than fly through the air?” I asked.
When he looked at me as if I should already know the answer to that, I heard Roscoe snort before he asked the boy, “Is Stache still cutting down your zipline?”
“Yes,” Koda answered petulantly. Without missing a beat, he looked down at my bandaged foot and asked, “Want me to carry you inside?”
I smiled at him sweetly. “I appreciate that, but my crutches are in the back seat.”
“I can carry you,” Koda boasted. He looked me over before he tilted his head and said, “Or maybe drag you.”
I grabbed the cake pan off the console and then handed it to Koda. “Instead of carrying me, will you carry the cake I brought for dessert?”
“Oh, yeah! I love cake!” Koda said eagerly.
Roscoe had made it around the truck and put his hand on Koda’s shoulder. “Walk, don’t run, and don’t open the top for any reason. Understand?”
Realizing that Roscoe had foiled his plan to sneak a taste, Koda heaved out a sigh before he grumbled, “Yessir.”
As Koda shuffled dejectedly toward the porch, I smiled at Roscoe. “How did you become such a hard-ass?”
“Experience,” Roscoe replied with a grin as he opened the back door and pulled out my crutches. “And before you start arguing - yes, you still need to use these, and no, I don’t care that your ankle already feels better.”
I mimicked Koda’s sigh before I said, “Yes, Doctor.”
Roscoe looked at me with wide eyes and said, “Well, I’ve never had that sentence do that to me before.”
I burst out laughing. “You liked that, huh?”
“Keep it in your arsenal to use in two months.”
“Why two months?”
“Your liberation date is in six weeks, and I fully intend on keeping you in bed for at least a few days after that. In two months, we’ll have burned off all the frustrated sexual tension that’s been building since we met and might want to be playful.”
“That explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?” Roscoe asked as he held my crutches out for me after I slid out of the truck.
“Don’t get me wrong! I appreciate that you haven’t pressured me because I’m feeling enough pressure of my own making. When you snuggled up in bed with me last night, fully clothed, I wondered if I’d read your intentions wrong or . . .”
“You set a date that’s important to you, and that means the date is important to me. Therefore, I’m willing to wait for six weeks and not a single day longer.”
“There are only forty-three days until my year is up.”
“Somehow that sounds worse than six weeks.”
“I’m going to hold out until the end, even though I’ve actually already broken my vow.”
“With who?”
“No one! Part of my vow was also not to get involved with a first responder or anyone in the medical field. I believe we are definitely involved whether we’ve had sex or not.”
“I’m breaking barriers right and left, aren’t I?”
“You’re such a trailblazer.”
“I’ve been called worse, and someday I hope to be called something better.”
“What’s that?”
“Yours.”
◆◆◆
Prison wasn’t this loud and chaotic.
My ears are going to be ringing for days.
There is an unbelievable amount of people in this house, and all of them are talking at once.
A few minutes ago, two of the men got into a slap fight in the kitchen, and their mom popped them with a towel until they took it outside.
Thank God most everyone followed them while joking, yelling encouragement, and taking bets on who would win.
I’m not sure if they love each other or hate each other, but I know they’re brothers.
I’m so confused right now.
I was sure there were at least fifty people in this house, but I counted a few minutes ago and, including the kids, there are only thirteen.
How is it this loud and crazy?
I have no idea, but the food is good, the bed makes it feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud, and I haven’t spotted a guard yet, so I’m staying until they kick me out.
Admit it, Moe. You love it there.
I watched the dots at the bottom of the screen. They disappeared before Moe responded, but she didn’t have to. I could tell she was enjoying herself just as much as I was right now, noise complaints aside.
I could honestly say that I’d never had this much fun as a guest at someone’s home before. It was wild, chaotic, loud, funny, sweet, boisterous, and complete insanity all rolled up into a big ball of family love that I’d never experienced before.
I might have felt this way at home when I was really young, but it was hard to remember the good times. Once my older sister started on her path of destruction, there was so much tension in our house that moments of happiness and joking weren’t nearly as common as before.
“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Terra asked as she walked over and sat beside me on the porch swing.
“It really is.”
“How long have you been out?”
I gave her a sideways glance and didn’t see any judgement on her face, but I was still wary when I asked, “How did you know I was in prison?”
“I’m on the board of directors of The Flower Patch. Zoey asked Kale if he’d like to be, too, but he’s not one for meetings or organized discussions, so he passed.”
I laughed before I could stop myself and said, “I just can’t see you as the committee-type either.”
“Zoey asked me because she knew I’d have insight into how difficult it can be to adjust to the outside world after being locked up for a while.”
“You were in prison?” I asked in disbelief.
“For a long time. The world changed so much, and I missed it all.”
“I was only in for a few years. It feels like nothing really changed except me.”
“Good for you.” Terra smiled before she said, “While I was locked up, everyone got cell phones and started doing this crazy thing called texting. I think that might have been the biggest thing for me to get used to. When I went in, I didn’t even know such a device existed, but by the time I got out, everyone had them. Even kids have the damn things now!”
I was still reeling at the thought of Terra Forrester - wife, mother, and grandmother - behind bars.
And from what she’d said, it wasn’t just a little time, but a long stretch.
I wanted to ask a million questions, but I’d been locked up long enough to know to keep my ass quiet.
You’d get answers if and when the person with the information decided to put it out there.
“I know you’re wondering, so I’ll just come right out and tell you because it’s not a secret. I killed a man who deserved it but was convicted for the crime and spent about ten years behind bars for it.”