“Whatever that means,” Jackie said.
“Oh hey Daddy,” Duke said nervously when he realized his father was in the room. “We didn’t see you over there.”
They all looked. Marco was as nervous as Duke when he realized Mick had heard them. It was Jackie’s time to laugh out loud. “Now tell me again, Duke, tell me again, Marco, why y’all wanna be just like Daddy when y’all grow up?”
Duke gave his sister one of thosethat is so not funnylooks. But Mick agreed with Jackie’s assessment: They were being ridiculous. He pushed away from the doorjamb and made his way to the table. “Where’s Gloria?” he asked them.
“She’s in the family room with the babies,” Marco said. “Where’s Ma?”
“In the shower.”
“Since you’re about to reenter the world again,” Marco said, “can I at least get off of lockdown now?”
“No,” Mick said in his patented blunt way. Then he looked at his youngest son. “Duke?”
“Sir?”
“Come with me.” Then Mick began heading out of the kitchen.
Jackie and Marco looked at Duke. “Uh-oh,” Marco said. “You know how territorial Big Pop is about his woman. You stepped over a line.”
“But what did I do?”
“Go see what he wants,” Jackie said. And suddenly she was concerned for her brother. “Just tell him you were kidding around,” she advised him. “Don’t try to justify it.”
“Marco was joking about it too.” Then he looked at Marco. “Why didn’t he make you come with me?”
“Because you started it,” Marco said. “I just joined in.” Then he added the worduncle, since the younger Duke was actually his uncle, and then he laughed.
Duke rolled his eyes. “I can’t do anything right!” he said as he pushed back from the table and stood up.
In the living room, Big Daddy Charles Sinatra was standing at the front window looking out. Mick walked up and stood beside him. “Don’t you have a home and business, not to mention a wife you need to get back to? Everybody else left a few days after my surgery when they were certain I was going to be okay.”
“I’m not everybody,” Big Daddy said.
That was for damn sure, Mick thought proudly. “I’m sure Jenay misses you.”
“I doubt that. She’s in New Jersey with Ashley and Monk. Monk and his men have her and Ash under tight security. Every time we talk on the phone it’s all about how much she’s enjoying being with our daughter. Ash has her feeling like a teenager again.”
Then Big Daddy looked at Mick and noticed the all-black outfit he was wearing. “You’re suited up.”
“That’s right.”
“Already?”
“That’s right.”
Big Daddy nodded. “It’s about time,” he said, and Mick looked at him and laughed. He was the only one who felt Mick was moving too slow.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold remember?” Mick reminded him.
“Cold yes,” Big Daddy said. “But your dish is frozen.” Mick laughed again. “Your dish is in danger of breaking it’s sogotdamn frozen.”
“You wanted to see me, Dad?”
Both men turned around when they heard Duke’s voice. Big Daddy was always shocked to see how big Duke had gotten as he walked up to his father and uncle.
“Yes, I wanted to see you,” Mick answered his question.
