AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That too,” Tommy grunts.
“Well, you make sure you tell Coach Davis that your mom has a boyfriend,” I grumble to Adam, suddenly not finding any of this that funny.
“She does?” Adam asks.
“I do?” Meadow squeaks, obviously panicked.
“Alright,” Leddie cheers with River echoing her.
“Damn straight,” I reply, making sure that there’s nothing to question in my answer.
“I don’t—”
“Hey, Uncle Blue, I was telling Adam and Tommy how you take me and Terry out along the pasture to feed the cattle. You think they can come with us sometime?”
“I don’t see why not. We can do it tomorrow if you want. I’ve been wanting Doe to come over to my place for dinner. You boys can help me out, and I’ll grill us up supper afterwards.”
“Blue—”
“Alright!” River answers.
“Sweet,” Adam murmurs looking up at me. There’s something in his eyes that I can’t name. I don’t get time to ask him because he turns and runs to his buddies.
“Miss Leddie, you’re invited, too.”
“Nonsense. You guys have your fun. Sundays are my reading day. It will be much easier to read with the house quiet. Adam gets carried away sometimes with his games.”
“If you’re sure,” I respond.
“Positive. Besides, I always have an early dinner with your momma and Jansen after church. Meddie is usually with us, of course—”
“And I can be this Sunday. I don’t need to be at Blue’s—”
“You hush your mouth right now, Meadow! You go and have fun with your crew. I’m sure Ida Sue won’t mind coming by to pick me up for church. Lord knows she’s offered enough times.”
“I don’t know…”
“I do,” I answer, taking out my phone.
“Blue, stop—”
“Damn, is there a giant asteroid getting ready to pummel the earth and blow us to smithereens?” Mom asks over the phone.
“Mom—”
“Not it, hey? How about all your cows get tipped over and you can’t get them back on their feet?”
“Not funny, Mom.”
“You know what’s not funny? When you never call your poor mother, knowing she wants to hear your voice.”
“Mom, you see me almost every day,” I grumble.
“Sometimes a mother needs to hear her favorite son’s voice over the phone, Blue.”
“Then maybe you should tell Cyan that,” I respond with a smirk.
“That’s cold. Keep it up and Cyan will be my favorite. I’ll even borrow one of his play toys to hit you over the head.”
“Mom,” I mutter, rubbing the tension between my eyes.
“And I’m not talking that fancy riding crop he has that I use for a fly swat.”
“Mom—”
“Silly boy thinks I don’t know what it is. Same thing when I took his ball gag and told him Hamburger wanted to use it to play fetch. He bought it hook, line, and sinker.”
“Mom—”
“I swear sometimes you boys have cow patties for brains. You can fall for anything. You didn’t get that from my side of the family—”
“Mom, you’re taking time from my date with Doe.”
“You’re on a date with my girl?” she asks sounding like she just won the lottery.
“I’m trying if you’d just let me ask you a question, so I can get back to it.”
“It’s not a date,” Meadow interjects—loud enough so Mom can hear.
“She’s still fighting it, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, she is,” I answer, looking at Meadow. The strangest thing happens when I look at her. The others around us disappear. It’s just me and her.
“Have you been gentle with her? I warned you, Moonie.”
“Jesus, Mom. I have.”
“Hmm… have you kissed her?”
“I’m not having this conversation with you, Mom.”
“You have to kiss her, Blue. A girl needs a reason to try. Lord knows you’ve already given her a million reasons not to.”
“Mom—”
“I’m just stating the facts, boy, and you know it. Make sure you kiss her.”
“Mom, can you and Jansen pick Leddie up for church in the morning?”
“Sure. Meddie isn’t sick, is she? I told her she should push for an earlier doctor’s appointment. She didn’t listen. She’s a lot like you in that respect. She just took the first one they gave her.”
“Doe’s not sick. I’m going to take her and the boys to the ranch for the day.”
“Oh! You are trying your hand at being gentle,” Mom says, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she wasn’t clapping her hands together.
“So, you can pick up Leddie?”
“Well, yeah. I said I would, didn’t I? I swear, you need to clean your ears. Though, honestly it wouldn’t hurt if you brought Meddie and the boys to church and stayed there yourself.”
“Mom—”
“It couldn’t hurt,” she mumbles.
“I got to go, Mom.”
“Of course, the church might catch on fire.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too. Blue! Pull her hair! You can be gentle and still take care of business, son.”
I hang up, closing my eyes for a second, before looking back up at Meadow.
“Mom’s picking you up in the morning, Miss Leddie.”
“That’s all settled. Now, let’s go see this new superhero movie you guys are going to watch. Does it have that big green guy in it? I like that one.”
