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“I hope so,” I answer, rubbing the side of my neck. I don’t have a lot of trust in Ida Sue’s claim. Nothing with Faith has been easy so far, and I doubt that will magically change.
“It will. You’ll see, C.T.”
“C.T.?”
“That’s you new nickname. Anywho, I have a very important question for you.”
“What does C.T. mean?”
“You don’t like it?”
“It’s better than Tighty,” I grumble, closing my eyes. This damn woman could give me a headache.
“Good it’s settled then. You’ll be C.T. Now about my question…”
“What is it?” I ask, getting tired when she doesn’t talk for a bit.
“Do you know how to wire lights?”
“Wire lights?” I repeat, thoroughly confused.
“Yeah, like install a ceiling fan?”
“Well, no, though if it has instructions I can usually figure it out. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Oh, just wondering. Now, to get my part in this 007 plan down, let me recap.”
“Okay,” I tell her, glancing over at the clock. I’ve got a meeting with my team GM in an hour. I’m dreading it. Turning in the uniform seems so final, but it’s been a long time coming. The job I’ve managed to grab in Texas isn’t my dream job, but I’m kind of looking forward to it. The money is mostly shit, but there’s a pension plan, yearly bonuses and the house I’ve moved Faith into—without her knowing—was supplied in the deal. It’s not the money I once made, but then, it won’t be the same lifestyle either and I’m okay with that. I’m actually kind of excited about it.
“I get Faith in the house you bought, help her move out of my house. You move in with me for a year—”
“Only if there’s no room in the motel and—”
“There won’t be,” she says, sounding perfectly serious.
“…and I didn’t say a year. How do you know about the motel?”
“I… uh… checked today. They’re booked up solid for the next month.”
“Fuck,” I growl, feeling the dream of my own space—and protecting my ass from Ida Sue’s fingers—fading away.
“So, you will stay with me for a year and—”
“It won’t be that long. I just need to get Faith to forgive me,” I argue, praying to God it’s nowhere near a year. If Faith can’t forgive me and I can’t interest her in trying to make the two of us work as a couple, then… Then, I’ll find a place to rent and I’ll be there for my child.
I just hope Faith will let me try to be there for her too.
“Back to the plan. You’ll stay with me and work on getting my niece to forgive you. Do I have all that right?”
“Pretty much.”
“Okay then, C.T., you best be getting a move on. You got a big mountain to climb and you need to be down here to climb it.”
“Okay—”
“Preferably without a shirt on,” she says and I can hear the laughter in her voice, but I also hear the eager tone too.
“Just like I said, you’re a special kind of Fruit Loop,” I tell her, shaking my head. I don’t want to like her, but I can’t seem to stop myself.
“I prefer Cocoa Puffs. They’re just the right shade of chocolate.”
“You did not just say that.”
“Later, C.T.,” she laughs and then the damn woman hangs up.
Christ. I really hope Faith lets me in with her again… and soon.
thirty-four
faith
“I don’t understand. How can they not charge me rent for the first month?”
“He’s got the flu, peach blossom. You want him to drag his ass out here with a fever of 108 to collect your rent?”
“He’s got a fever of 108? Shouldn’t he be in the hospital?” I ask, not knowing temperatures could even go that high.
“Or the morgue,” Black says and I frown.
“Oh my God, I know this sounds horrible, but what if this friend of yours… What was his name again?”
“I call him C.T. His name’s kind of a tongue twister.”
“What if C.T. dies?!?! I just moved in. I’d hate to lose the house.”
“He’s not going to die,” Ida Sue says, and she really doesn’t seem worried. Still, a temperature of 108 seems… extreme.
“Unless someone kills him,” Black says and I frown at my cousin.
“No one is going to kill him,” Ida Sue growls at Black. They stare at each other a minute and I’m pretty sure I’m missing some pertinent information to this conversation.
“You never know. He’s not made any friends in this part of the woods. In fact, my brothers and I would like to smash his face in.”
“You and your brothers will do no such thing. I forbid it,” Ida Sue yells. She does this loudly and there’s anger in her words—enough that I take a step back.
“What am I missing here?” I ask, confused.
“C.T. made a few bad decisions,” Ida Sue says with a heartfelt sigh.
“That’s a freaking understatement,” Black says.
