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True Men
Mac called his mother aside. The argument was conducted in terse, restrained whispers, but it was in earnest. Theo sat at the oak table trying not to look in that direction, trying to pretend that she was completely unaware the exchange was over her. She gathered from the occasional phrase that became audible that Nancy Etheridge had guessed why she was here. And she’d noticed that the Burroughs that usually hung in her room was missing.
“Just for once, Mom, mind your own business,” Mac said quietly. “This has nothing to do with you. Leave the poor girl alone—she’s been through enough.”
The situation might have escalated if the doorbell had not sounded.
“Zeke is here,” Caleb shouted from the front door.
A simply enormous man walked through, shouting greetings to Sam and Caleb. He placed a case of beer on the bench and then threw his thick arm about Mac and rubbed his hair. “How are you, kid? Mom’s decided to bring the war cabinet to you, I’m afraid.”
Mac introduced Theo.
“Well what d’ya know? Gus the Aussie’s sister.”
“The poor thing’s just got out of hospital, Ezekiel,” Nancy said. “Perhaps you could check her over.”
“I’m fine.” Theo stood and backed away, alarmed. “It was just a cut.”
Zeke smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Theo. Unlike my mom here, I don’t conduct medical procedures by force…not without at least checking you have insurance first.”
“By force?” Nancy reared, jumping immediately to his meaning. “That bullet had to come out. I saved Cormac’s life.”
Zeke and Mac exchanged a glance. Clearly, the necessity of the bullet extraction was something they had discussed before. But all Zeke said was, “Lucky Mac.” He took two cans of Budweiser from the case, handed one to Mac, and held the other inquiringly towards Theo. She shook her head.
“I could change the dressings on your arm if you like,” Zeke offered. “Save you a trip back to the hospital—but only if you like. Though you should let me know before I start drinking.”
Theo smiled. Zeke, too, wore a holster, but perhaps she was becoming used to them. She could not help but like him. She was a little surprised when he offered to check her arm—only because she’d thought the gauze bandage invisible beneath her sleeve. “It was only changed this morning,” she said. “But thank you.”
“In that case,” Zeke twisted the cap off his bottle, “Cheese!”
“Cheese?”
“Isn’t that what you Aussies say?”
Theo laughed. “I think you’ll find that’s ‘cheers.’”
“That’s what I said. Cheese!” He sat down at the table with his beer.
Mac threw him a bag of potato chips and proceeded to finish washing the dishes by hand, while his brother talked with Theo.
Ezekiel Etheridge was an unusual man. He had all the swagger and manner of some kind of television cowboy—he was large and friendly, his features endearingly ugly. That he was a physician was fascinatingly incongruous. She wondered if he wore the gun on his rounds at the hospital. She didn’t ask because she was afraid of the answer. He seemed to have more effect stemming their mother’s questions than Mac did, asking Nancy pointedly if she was working for the government now. Though it was delivered in jest, the accusation seemed to be so unthinkable to Nancy Etheridge that she was struck into appalled silence.
Mac did not leave Theo alone with his family again.
Nancy cooked such a feast that Theo was convinced another dozen family members would drop in unexpectedly soon. But only Gus arrived. Perhaps Mac had messaged him a heads-up because he took the presence of the Etheridges in his stride.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly as he tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to keep Horse from licking his face.
“I’m fine…but I should be asking you that.” Theo’s brow furrowed with concern. Gus looked exhausted..
“Bugger of a day at work, that’s all,” he replied, rubbing the loose flaps of Horse’s muzzle until the hound’s eyes rolled back with pleasure.
Zeke, who it seemed had taken on the role of alcohol distributor, handed Gus a beer. “There you go, buddy, though you look like you could use something stronger.”
“This will be just fine.” Gus lifted the bottle in salute. “What are you all doing here?”
“Mom decided we had to all go check on poor Mac.”
