She reeled it in, and I was honestly surprised by the size.
“Wow,” I said as I looked at the little bugger. “That one must’ve been born yesterday.”
She snickered as she handed it to me to take off the hook.
I did, holding it out to her.
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
Conrad took the baby catfish from me, brought it up to his face, stared at it for half a minute, then released it back into the water.
Only once he was sitting down did I finish.
“I was sitting there, looking at him because I knew exactly who he was,” I admitted. “I studied him, wondering why he was there. He studied me because he was honestly disgusted by my attire. When I got up and offered him my hand, thinking that I should just get the meet over with, he looked at me like I’d lost my mind. The first words out of his mouth were, ‘I don’t shake hands with homeless people.’”
She threw her head back and laughed.
It was the first time that I’d heard that kind of laugh leave her mouth.
I’d seen her smile.
I’d seen her giggle.
I’d heard her snort at something she thought was funny.
I had not heard her laugh.
And that laugh went straight to my fuckin’ soul, wrapped itself around my heart, and warmed it from the inside out.
Only when she was done did she say, “Oh, man. That makes me feel better. You’re homeless. I’m not all there in the head. We should make fine children.”
I knew the words were said in jest.
I knew it, yet my heart didn’t stop pounding away a mile a minute.
In fact, the more I thought about her having my child, the more I realized that not only did I want one, but the thought of having one with her was so appealing that I could downright taste the life I wanted.
I just had to have the courage to take it… right?
• • •
Conrad was sweet to her as we left.
He invited her to come back anytime.
With or without my uncle, Mattie! With or without!
Her response still made me smile.
I tell you what. If you can sneak away from this place, and meet me halfway for lunch, I’ll do it once a month with you.
Conrad was seventeen now. He had a license, and he could drive anywhere he wanted. If his father allowed him to have a car, which he didn’t.
But… I could easily rectify that. I could find him something.
If it helped both of them, I’d definitely see what I could do for him. Anything to see those smiles on their faces.
We finally pulled onto the main road that would lead us back into Accident, and I grimaced.
I didn’t want to take her to her van for the night.
In fact, I wouldn’t.
She would not sleep another night in that van if I had anything to say about it…
“I need to stop for gas!” I called out.
She patted my chest, indicating that she’d heard and understood, and I pulled over to the first one I saw.
Grimacing at the price of gas, I pulled into a stall, and got off.
I caught her before she could even get off the bike.
“Don’t touch the pipe,” I growled.
She wrinkled her nose. “You know how you tell someone not to do something, and you just can’t help yourself?”
I reached forward and pressed the side of my boot against the pipe.
It started smoking.
She looked at it dispassionately before saying, “Damn. That looks like it would hurt.”
I grinned at her and reached for my wallet.
She wandered inside, and I started pumping my gas before reaching into my other pocket for my phone.
I called Cassius, since he was off today, and waited for him to answer.
He did half a ring later.
“What?” he grumbled.
My brows rose. “What’s got your ass in a twist?”
“Work bullshit,” he grumbled. “What’s up?”
Work bullshit was a surprise, honestly.
Cassius was a harbor pilot.
He navigated the channel that led out to the gulf, one of the most dangerous in the world. He loved his job, and it was honestly a complete surprise that he would have any problems at all. Especially when he enjoyed it so much.
“You got time to bring a van to my place?” I asked.
There was a moment of silence and then, “You finally gonna get in there?”
I was finally gonna get in there. “Yes.”
“Good, I’ll be there in ten. You have beer?” he asked.
I had beer for a year.
“Sure do,” I answered. “See you when you get there.”
After I hung up, I shoved the phone into my pocket, and was just reaching for the nozzle when I heard, “See who when you get where?”
Was she jealous?
I could see the anger she was trying to conceal in her eyes.
I kept the smirk to myself, and instead explained.
“I asked Cassius to pick up your van and bring it to my place,” I said, thinking on the fly. “After firing Ellen today, I’d rather you not be at your clinic for a few days to make sure that she doesn’t decide to take out her anger on you.”