Chapter 25 #2
Fonz
Bro! You disappeared! I thought we’d party hard after that win!
A few minutes later, after that photo went viral…
Fonz
WTF? What’s this baby? Where are you, Knox? Is that why you were asking about Bonnie?
Kyler
KB, you alright? We’re worried about you, man.
Baker
I know you’re headed to Newhope for the break—let us know if we can help.
Several days passed, and the texts all started up again after Melody’s show.
Fonz
WTF??? They took your fucking baby away??? Time for a road trip… AR ain’t that far.
Baker
I know a guy who knows a guy in Little Rock.
Etienne
We ride at dawn? Just say the word.
A smile lifts my cheeks, and I realize my brother is watching me.
“Sorry.” I shove my phone into my pocket. “I had a bunch of texts I hadn’t looked at in a while.”
“Good news?”
“Just the guys on the team checking in, wanting to know what’s up.”
“Need to let them know?” He starts to stand, but I wave my hand.
“I’ll reply to them in a bit.”
Dad taps on the door lightly, and we look up as he steps into the room. “How’s it going in here?”
He catches my arm, and I give him a side hug. “I’ve been better.”
“It takes a lot of strength to do what you did.” He puts a hand on my shoulder, gripping it before giving me a pat.
“I thought I was going to lose Dylan and Hendrix after your grandparents passed. They were so young, and I was only twenty-one. If Miss Gina hadn’t stepped in, they’d have gone to live with Aunt Thelma in Birmingham. ”
“Shoo, Aunt Dylan would’ve hated that.” Austin looks up at him.
Dad nods, rubbing his hand across his lips to hide a grin. “Aunt Thelma didn’t think Dylan had enough female influences growing up.”
“I mean, she didn’t,” I say.
“So she sent her all those dolls with the freaky eyes.” Austin huffs a laugh, and I feel slightly better remembering my aunt’s closet full of American Girl dolls. “They scared the shit out of Kimmie Joy.”
“Kim,” our dad corrects him.
“Right.” Austin nods, looking down at his hands. “I’ll remember that at some point.”
“A lot changed after you left for college,” Dad says.
“All these pesky kids grew up and got cocky.” My brother stands, giving my arm a playful punch. “Too bad Mav’s staying home with Dove. Otherwise, you two could spend the rest of the week seeing who can piss the farthest.”
“It’s me.” I hook a thumb at my chest. “I can piss the farthest.”
“I’m glad I missed you two as kids.” Austin shakes his head. “I’d’ve had to kick y’all’s teenage butts on the regular.”
Dad covers his laugh with a cough, and I’m about to say I’d have liked to see him try when my eye catches on something bright pink at the bottom of my bag. I frown, taking a knee to dig it out. When I realize what it is, my head drops.
“It’s Cricket’s coat.” I sit back on my heels, holding it in my hands. “What’s it doing in my bag? She doesn’t have her jacket.”
Grief again hits me like a wall, and tears are in my eyes as I look up at my dad and brother.
They exchange a glance, and Austin catches my arm, pulling me to my feet. “Come on. We’re going to Cooters & Shooters.”
“Good call.” Dad nods. “Have a few drinks. Shoot some pool.”
I’m still holding the small coat in my hands, and I shake my head. “She’s probably cold, and I have her only coat.”
“Her cousin got her a coat,” Austin says, giving me a gentle shove. “Not that it gets very cold in New Orleans anyway.”
“It gets cold,” I argue. “It snowed a few years ago.”
“In January.”
“Her cousin will take care of her.” Dad gently takes the pink puffer from my hands. “Go with your brother. Get your mind off all this.”
I hesitate, looking down at the little jacket, before Austin drags me to the door. “First shot’s on me.”
* * *
“This Thursday will be a special Dare Night,” Uncle Craig says on the PA system in a crowded Cooters & Shooters. “We’ll have almost all the kids back home, and we’ll have an early, spicy Thanksgiving treat for you, along with some holiday drink specials. Hashtag, gratitude. Hashtag, blessed.”
An excited noise sounds through the dining room, and my honorary uncle waggles his eyebrows at them in response.
Aunt Dylan has been hosting “Dare Night” at the restaurant since before I was born, and she prepares a special, super-hot pepper dish for daring customers to try while Uncle Craig plays fire-themed music and leads a rowdy dance party, complete with drag.
Gina’s dad, my uncle Garrett, is always in the middle of it, dancing on the bar with him in his own blonde wig, unless he has to work.
“Aunt Allie, Knox needs more purple drink, please!” Gina waves at Mom, who’s helping run the smaller bar near the entrance to the pool tables tonight. “If I can’t have any, at least you can.”
Before Mom married Dad, she was a single-parent waitress at Cooters & Shooters, and even though she’s the high school librarian now, she still helps out when the crowd swells around the holidays and during the summer months.
She puts two cups in front of us, one leaded and the other unleaded, then she reaches for my forearm. “How are you feeling, baby?” Her head tilts to the side.
“Like I’ve had a lot to drink,” I answer honestly.
“I’ll ask Dylan to send over more chicken wings.” She starts to go then stops abruptly, turning back. “Did Liv tell you she scheduled a Zoom meeting with that girl’s lawyer tomorrow? I think she wants you to be there.”
“No!” I straighten. “Shit… What time?”
“I think she said two o’clock.” She reaches down and pulls out a clear plastic cup and fills it with ice water. “Drink this. I’ll get those wings.”
My head spins, and I turn to face my cousin, who takes a big sip of her virgin drink.
“Don’t worry—you’ll be fine by then.” Gina waves her hand at me. “Tell me all about the Quarterback Princess. I wasn’t expecting her to be so pretty when I saw that YouTube video…”
We’re leaning on the small bar facing each other, and I do a quick mental accounting of how much I’ve had to drink tonight.
Austin bought me a shot of vodka, and this is my third purple drink.
I slide it to the side and reach for the cup of water instead as Mom puts a platter of chicken wings in front of us, giving me a wink.
“Knoxey!” Gina shakes my arm.
I look down at her. “What?”
“The Quarterback Princess! My new hero! You tapping that or what?”
My eyes drift to the side, and she squeals, grabbing my arm and shaking it again. “Oh my gaaaahd, you are! How did it happen? You were pissed as hell at her in LA.”
“Yeah, she was kind of a pain in my ass in the beginning. She started all this bullshit about me not taking the checkdown and playing hero ball.”
“Take the checkdown, K-Brad,” Austin leans over and shouts at me.
I shove his shoulder. “A-hole,” I holler back.
I’m doing a lot better at not swearing. Put me in front of that lawyer, and see if I drop a single F-bomb. I won’t.
“Ooo… so it started out as hate-boinking?” Gina’s eyes flash, and I huff a laugh, nodding. Then she squeals. “Brain freeze!”
Her eyes squeeze shut, and I hold up my thumb. “To the roof of your mouth!”