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“Um, Texas.” I didn’t think that far ahead and had to think of something on the spot. I’d never been to Texas, and geography wasn’t my strongest subject in school, so I had to make something up.
Dallas’s eyebrows creased into a frown. He was normally a patient man, but it was obvious he had no tolerance for Johnny Wayne. “Texas, Texas?” With a sheepish grin, I shrugged.
Being the smart ass I was portraying, I laughed and snorted before I blurted out this doozy. “Well, you and your brother must have been conceived in Texas. I betcha you were conceived in Dallas and Meathead over there was conceived in Austin. Am I right?”
Dallas looked forward, pursing his lips. “Go sit down before I beat the tar out of you.” He beat the gavel on the podium, startling me. I know he did that on purpose. What did I say about him being dreamy and being the nicer brother? I take it all back. He’s still a complete tool.
“Where was I in the minutes? Oh yeah. It’s almost time for the Fall Festival and we've been selected to run the bake sale… again. Sorry, Frankie, the Kissing Booth was a hard pass from the city council. Hopefully, I can make the Chief proud and run it as smoothly as he does.” Dallas said in a somber tone until he burst out laughing. “Never had I been so thankful that we haven’t had to palm off Miss Dixon’s cookies over the last four years.”
One guy yelled out, “Yeah, last year Mr. Hammons asked if we had any of the skeet cookies.” The men laughed. “He used Charlene Dixon’s cookies for skeet shooting.”
It took everything I had in me not to stand up and go ape shit on these half-witted, ill-educated, chauvinistic swines. Mushu nudged my leg every time I muttered what I’d like to do to them. This was a novel idea that was only leading to a disaster.
Dylan responded while laughing, “Okay. Okay. I’m sure if Charlene Dixon was here. She’d be laughing along with you.”
“Oh, no she wouldn’t,” I muttered, only to be kicked by Mushu.
“Onto business. We had a discussion considering what happened to our Chief. We got word from my mother that his condition hasn’t changed. Not only that, but the medical staff leaked to her that Charlene lost her mind and disappeared. That’s irrelevant, but it's probably far from the truth. I’m sure she’s still in Anchorage, keeping a bedside vigil for her father.”
I wanted to melt into my chair and become invisible. After having my baking skills insulted, the kind words that came out of Dallas’s mouth made up for how callous he was moments before. “If anyone is interested, we’re riding out to the range Saturday morning for shooting practice.”
Austin cleared his throat. “So then you’ve decided we’re going to send the Aklark club a message, little brother?”
“In a manner of speaking, but I want no one harmed or killed. I just want to be prepared.” Dallas responded, clearing his throat nervously.
“An ambush will not guarantee no man goes unscathed,” Austin retorted as he rose from his chair. “Do you think this is what the Chief would do? He didn’t do this for Snaggletooth.”
“Snaggletooth was an idiot who shot off his mouth at the wrong time. This is our chief we’re speaking of, and I think we owe him this much.”
I was tired of hearing this and stood up. “Ummm-veep?”
“Yeah, Wayne?”
“I am here only to fight for Chief Dixon, but do you know who shot him? Rather than take it out on the entire club, it’s better to go after the source.” Even though I could feel Mushu tug on my sleeve, I had to have answers now.
“It happened so fast. We don’t know who shot Chief Dixon.” Dallas pounded the gavel on the podium. “This meeting is adjourned. Wayne, before you go. Can I speak to you?”
I didn’t answer him. I was livid and tears blinded me as I ran out to my bike. There was no way in hell I was going to be around this toxic bunch and wasted no time slipping my helmet on my head before I stumbled on the bike and started the ignition. Dallas rushed toward me. His mouth was moving, but I chose not to listen as I obnoxiously revved the engine.
There was no way I could go straight home for fear he’d follow me and my cover would be blown. I was craving a burger from Red’s, which was a hole-in-the-wall joint that has been in town for years. It may have looked like a dump on the outside, but their burgers were like heaven in your mouth.
Once I got my food, I took a ride out to Valdez. I needed to be surrounded by the beautiful scenic glaciers. The crisp air blanketed me and it was needed to cool the molten heat that rushed through my veins. The calming waterfalls made me forget about everything, even if it was for a moment. Right now, I was on top of the world—a world that was slowly crumbling around me.
Netflix was becoming a dry well of entertainment to pull me out of my funk. No amount of eye candy or romance or comedy cheered me up. The thought of getting drunk was stricken, as I was too lazy to pry myself off the couch to get one beer after another. Deep depression had boxing gloves on, ready to spar with me. It would have been an immediate K/O at this rate. My self-loathing was halted by the incessant pounding at my front door. “Go away. I don’t want company.”
“Knock it off, Char. It’s me, Moosh.” He called through the door. “Please. I have a gift for you.”
I loudly sighed and groaned, “Fine. The door is unlocked. Get your stupid ass in here.”
When he walked in, I craned my neck to see him juggling a gift bag, a six-pack of root beer and a pizza. With all the strength I could muster, I pulled myself from the comfortable couch and followed him to the dining room. “Thanks for the pizza, but I had Red’s, and I am stuffed.”
Mushu ignored me and grabbed a slice for himself. “Check out the gift I got for you,” he said with his mouthful. One of these days that boy will learn manners—let’s hope. He needs to find a woman who won’t tolerate his boyish behavior and set him straight—teach him how to act like a man, because I am not the one to do it for him.
“You’re twenty-three now. When are you going to stop acting like you’re thirteen?” He shrugged his shoulders. A response I half-expected from my best friend of eleven years. It will be nice once all of this drama is behind us and we can catch up on years we lost. “Moosh. I missed you.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and he tightly embraced me; something I missed—the comforts of home.
“Char, open your welcome home gift.” He urged me, hiding his smart ass grin, so this had to be a joke. The Mushu I remembered wasn’t always so thoughtful with gifts. There were too many birthday gifts composed of candy bars and bottles of soda. I wasn’t complaining. I loved sweets, and he was forgiven because it was the thought that counts.
When I reached in, I pulled out Old Spice Men’s deodorant and glared at Mushu. Men’s body wash and shampoo followed. “You’re funny, Mushu. All I am doing is dressing up like a guy—I don’t need to smell like a guy. If that was the case, I’d go days without taking showers.”
