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Raven sits in a leather recliner. She’s up, dressed, and looks pretty darned good. Her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, and she’s wearing baggy jeans and an old sweatshirt from Dad’s Texas A&M days.
“Looking good, Ray,” I say as I enter.
She moves to stand.
I gesture to stop her. “Don’t get up.”
“I’m perfectly capable of standing up, Falcon.”
“Did I say you weren’t? In fact, I’m thinking a walk might be good for both of us. Where are Mom and Dad.”
“Dad’s out working, of course, and Mom went to run some errands.”
“ Can I get you anything?”
“I’d die for a soda,” she says. “Orange Crush.”
“I’ll get it.”
I head behind the bar to the full-sized fridge and open it. Sure enough, there’s half a case of Orange Crush, Raven’s favorite. Mom set her up.
I grab a can for both Raven and myself, pop them both open, and return to her, handing her a can.
She takes a drink. “Mmm. Tastes like sunshine.”
Tastes like sunshine.
She always says the same thing when she takes her first drink of Orange Crush. She’s been saying it since we were kids.
I take a drink. Not sunshine so much as fake flavoring and fizz, but I keep that to myself. “So how about that walk?” I ask.
“You know? That sounds awesome. Mom hardly lets me out of this damned chair.”
“We can go out back, take one of the trails. We can take the dogs with us if you want.”
Raven rises, and I resist the urge to help her, knowing it will just piss her off.
We walk to the spacious gourmet country kitchen and out the French doors onto our giant redwood deck. The pool and hot tub, along with the pool house, sit to the right.
Dusty and Zach follow toward us, begging for more pets. Raven and I both oblige them. In the distance sit two guesthouses made of the same stone and rustic siding. I lived in the bigger one during my summers home from college.
Seems like a lifetime ago.
“You two want to walk with us?” Raven asks, scratching Dusty behind her ears.
But then a bird chirps, and Dusty and Zach are back in the yard, chasing the sounds.
“Guess we’re on our own,” I say.
“Just as well. You and I can talk.”
Raven’s a talker. Always was. Except lately. So the fact that she wants to talk is a good sign.
“What about?” I ask.
“Everything, Falcon.”
I frown. “There are some things I’ll never talk about, Ray. Not to you, and not to Mom and Dad.”
“But to Hawk and Eagle.”
“They were there,” I say. “They know everything anyway.”
“Falcon.” Raven grabs my arm. “You and I both know you never killed anyone.”
I say nothing.
She tugs on my arm. “Fal…”
I brush her hand away. “Raven, you’ve been sick for nearly a year. Chemo worked at first, until it didn’t. You need to put all your energy into healing now. My bone marrow won’t do you a bit of good if you don’t keep your attitude up. And talking about events that are ancient history isn’t good for anyone’s attitude.”
She shakes her head. “You’re a big pain in my ass, you know that?”
“Yeah? Well you’re a pain in mine, too, and I’ve got the bandage to prove it.” I point to the back of my left hip.
“Low blow, Fal.”
“Come on. I’m teasing, and you know it. In truth? I’m glad I could do something for you that no one else could. And before you say it, no, not because it got me out on parole earlier. I was headed in that direction anyway.”
“I can never thank you enough.”
“So stop trying, then. No thanks are needed. I’ve told you all this before, Ray. Come on. Let’s take the short trail.” I look up at the blue sky. “Damn, it’s a gorgeous day, isn’t it?”
“It’s a typical Texas spring day.” She stares into the distance, smiling. “But you’re right, it’s gorgeous. I finally get to see it.”
“I hear that one. We got about an hour a day outdoors while I was inside, but it wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot. I sure missed the sun.”
“Me too. And you know what, Fal?”
“What?”
“I’m glad to be out of that damned hospital, and I’m super glad you’re out of that damned prison. I hated you being there. I hated it.”
“I wasn’t overly fond of it myself,” I say.
She gives me a good-natured swat. “Because you never did anything to deserve to be there. I’ll never believe that you did. I don’t care how much evidence the police had.”
In reality, the only evidence they had was my gun. I didn’t take the shot, but it was my gun. So I confessed.
And I’d do it again. At least I always thought I would. But with Eagle getting into God knows what? I’m not so sure anymore.
If I’d been a better brother, I’d have stopped the whole thing from occurring in the first place.
