Everybody Falls (23 page)

I still miss you, my darling
, Edie thought, stopping as she took a moment at the bottom of the stairs. The dizziness was back and her poor, old, worn-out heart was thumping to beat the band. She knew she was going to have to see her cardiologist again, but she also knew he'd just put her on some other kind of pill. Which meant that she'd have to adjust all her other meds as a result.

What a lot of bother.

That last attack, the one a year before Denny died, had almost ended her life. The doctors had said that she needed to be careful. Screw careful. Life was meant to be enjoyed, was Edie's philosophy. Yet, after taking Jax back in, she knew she had to get better in order to take care of him. It was good to have someone to take care of again, even if that person hadn't wanted her help.

If she was reading the situation correctly between those two kids, though, it looked as if she was going to be handing over the reins to Lacey. She was such a good girl and Edie felt confident that she was someone Jax could lean on, count on, when he needed that extra help.

His reactions to the crap of yesterday was shocking. The old woman had been convinced he was going to throw an absolute shit-fit over the media stalking him again. But he'd been more concerned about her and Lace than he was about himself.

Which was an amazing step forward all the way around.

Edie reached for the coffeemaker and found it warm, the coffee already made. She held the glass pot up to the light coming through the window. Not quite as light as she liked it, yet still better than that awful brew that Jax insisted on, she decided pouring herself a cup. Must've been Lacey who made it.

Did she smell cinnamon?

She took a sip and enjoyed the slightly spicy taste on her tongue.

Just like last night's dinner. While breakfast and lunch were easy enough to prepare, getting dinner together was harder at the end of the day. Edie just wasn't up to trying to teach Jax how to cook. But, Lacey? The girl obviously knew her way around a kitchen and not just with baking.

Yep, Lacey was turning out to be a godsend for their little family of two.

Please, God
, Edie prayed as she shuffled to the table.
Don't let him screw this up
.

The two of them came into the kitchen laughing and holding hands. Jax already dressed for his morning run while Lacey was looking cute in her jeans, wearing one of Jax's dress shirts tied at the waist.

"Morning Grams," Jax said dropping a kiss on her head.

"Morning, Edie," Lacey called moving to pour two cups of coffee. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough, I guess," she replied, her face half-hidden by her mug. "Jax we need to call a plumber. I could hear thumping in that old bathroom. Must be something wrong with the pipes."

She watched as the two kids turned to stone, mugs poised as their cheeks flamed in pretty, matching shades of pink at her words.

Edie bit her inside cheek to keep herself from laughing as she saw their eyes shoot to one another.

"Uhm, will do, Grams," he mumbled, upending and finishing his coffee. She saw him squeeze Lacey's fingers as he handed her the cup. "Gotta run, Ladies," he offered before dropping a kiss on his girl's upturned face and smiling at the old woman. Though, Edie thought that the smile looked a bit sheepish.

She winked in reply as he moved past her to the porch.

"How'd you two sleep, Lace?" she asked, watching the young woman's' eyes follow her fella out the door.

"Ah…" Lacey began.

"Pish. I know where you slept. Jax finagled a 'yes' outta me last night regarding the sleeping arrangements. So no hemming and hawing, girlie," Edie admitted with a simple laugh. "I didn't hear the piano or the guitar so I'm guessing he slept all the way through?"

"Yeah, I think he did. So he got what? Seven, maybe seven and a half hours of sleep last night," Lacey replied, sitting down at the table. "That's good, right?"

Edie reached and patted the younger girl's hand. "That's more than good, Lace."

The two of them allowed the comfortable silence of the kitchen to settle around them.

"I saw stuff in the fridge to make a breakfast casserole, if that's okay," Lacey said gently.

"There's some peppers out in the garden you could probably use," the older woman replied just as soft. "I need to take my pills, except I need a little something in my stomach first. Is there any more cobbler left?"

They smiled warmly at one another before Lacey went to pour them each more coffee and fetched a piece of the dessert for Edie.

Chapter 19

I was just pulling the casserole out of the oven when Jack came down after his second shower of the day. I popped the pineapple muffins in, adjusted the temp on the old stove, before turning to him for my kiss.

"Didn't I warn you two about…" Edie began, before she was interrupted by the peal of a doorbell.

"I'll get it," Jack said as he went back down the hall to the living room.

"I wonder who it is," I heard her begin, pulling herself up from the table. I moved to help her but she waved me away. "No one uses the front door anymore."

"Turner!" I heard Jack exclaim, his deep voice travelling towards the back of the old house.

"Hey, squirt. How they hangin', bro'?" I heard another deep voice growl, a voice I didn't recognize.

"Grams, this is Turner Brown from the band. Turner, this is my grandmother, Mrs. Dennison," Jax introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Turner," I heard Edie reply in her kind voice. "Why don't you join us for breakfast?"

They all piled into the kitchen as I reached for another plate. As usual, I'd made enough food for an army, so it was a simple thing to just add another place setting.

"And this is my girl, Lacey," Jack said, moving to where I stood, looping an arm around my waist pulling me into his side.

"Lacey," the tall, ginger-haired giant said with a nod.

"Nice to meet you, Turner," I responded. "I loved your music when I was growing up."

"Shit, now I feel old," Turner said, shooting his eyes to Jack.

Laughter filled the room at his words.

I hadn't intentionally tried to make him feel that way, except I really had moved on from the heavy metal music of my earlier years.

"Coffee?" I asked. "We just made a fresh pot."

"Ah, sure. What smells so good?" he asked, his pale blue eyes looking around the kitchen.

"Lacey made a breakfast casserole and there's muffins still baking," Edie explained, her face wreathed in a smile as she caught my eye.

"Wow. No wonder you're looking so healthy, squirt," Turner said with a jab towards Jack's stomach that, luckily, never connected.

The sound of the doorbell pealed again causing Edie to glance towards Jack. "What is this? Grand Central Station?"

"Hey, Sarge." The creak of the old screen door was loud as he spoke.

There were sounds of hands slapping before Sarge's rough gravelly voice offered, "Slugger."

"Go on back. Lace is in the kitchen." Jack's voice bounced down the hall, almost muting the soft ding of the timer for the muffins.

"Oh, hey, Ms. Dennison," Sarge greeted from the edge of hall after taking in the group in room. He moved to where I stood and gave me a one-armed hug, muttering, "Hey, Lace."

"Sarge. Is it okay, Edie, if Sarge joins us?" I asked as I opened the oven door.

"The more, the merry," she shot right back and I saw her eyes roam over the three large males filling up her farmhouse kitchen.

Sarge introduced himself to Turner and they did a hand bump. I liked how Sarge didn't seem fazed in the least over meeting another member from the notorious band.

"I think we're ready if you guys want to sit down," I offered, moving to begin placing the big dishes in the middle of the table. The men were just taking their seats, when there was a loud knock on the back screen door.

Jack's face was a study of confusion as he glanced between me and his Grams. "Was there a party scheduled none of us knew about?"

"Boots? C'mon in. We're just sitting down to breakfast if you want to join us," Jack said, coming back into the kitchen, taking his place at the head of the table.

I moved to add another plate.

"We need to talk, Jax," the older man grumbled before seeing all the other faces already sitting. He quickly whipped his baseball cap off his head, running his hand over the sparse hairs on his crown as if to smooth them. "Ms. Dennison, Lacey, Sarge," he greeted however the social smile on his face didn't stay long.

"Turner, this is my sponsor, James Simon also known as 'Boots'. Boots, this is Turner Brown," Jack introduced.

"Ten Gallons of Tears?" Turner asked.

I saw Boots nod but his eyes were wide as he gazed at Turner in what can only be described as awe. I heard him whisper, "Turner fucking Brown."

"Hey!" Jack yelped. "Let's get this straight, up front and right now. There's ladies present so watch your language, okay?"

I glanced at Edie to see if she wanted to laugh as badly as I wanted to, remembering all the different words Jax tended to use when it was just the three of us. I guess it was a case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.

All three of the other men nodded and Boots mumbled, "Sorry, ladies".

I sat down between Jack and Turner with Edie on Jack's right. Knowing what was to come next, I reached for their hands, seeing everyone following suit. Yesterday before both lunch and dinner, Edie had made a point of saying grace. I got that it was something she liked to do before each meal.

Like I've said before, I'm not religious. Except I do believe in allowing others to worship whatever they want, whenever they want, just so long as no one gets hurt. If Edie wanted to say a prayer before eating, who was I to stop her?

"Dear Lord, for what we are about to receive, please accept our thanks and help make us truly grateful. Amen," she said, which was word for word the same as the day before.

It didn't take long before the large glass dish of the egg casserole, the huge bowl of fruit salad and all the muffins in the basket were empty, as were each of the plates.

Sarge and I stood up at the same time as we began to clear the table to the chorus of 'great eats, really good food, and thanks'.

"I'm guessing that this isn't a social call from either one of you two," Jack said. I raised my eyes to see him leaning his elbows on the table as he glanced between Boots and Turner.

Both men answered at the same time, so the only words I caught were 'speak to you in private'.

Sarge was rinsing and I was stacking the dishwasher with whatever he handed me, and we shared a look at hearing the others speak. I glanced back to see Jack push up, as if to stand, but then stop.

"No. You know what? I don't hide anything from Grams. I don't want to hide anything from Lace and Sarge has probably seen it all since he's been around the block more than a few times. So which one of you wants to chew my ass out first?" Jack asked, his voice not loud just steady. "And, as a reminder, watch your damn cussing."

"Should I make more coffee?" Sarge asked on a stage whisper, bumping my shoulder.

I nodded, not wanting to miss even a second of what was going to be said. I glanced at Grams and saw her staring at Jack with a calm, soft smile. He must have caught it too, because he moved his hand to cover hers.

"I'll go," Boots said before clearing his throat. "We gotta talk about you and Lacey here."

Wait…what? What did I have to do with anything?

"Sorry, Lace, but Jax ain't supposed to have any relationship until he's been sober for a year," he continued.

"Bullshit," Sarge interjected.

"What?" I breathed. The room begin to vibrate with tension.

"It's the rules, Jax," Boots said, dropping his head to where he was drawing invisible circles on the tabletop.

"I've never heard that," Turner said firmly.

"It's bullshit, that's why," Sarge said, wiping his hands on the dishtowel and moving back to the table. I took over the coffee prep in his place. "You tried that same weak-assed crap with me, too, old man. Remember?"

"Well, it's what I was told and what I had to do when I was first coming out of it," Boots shot back, his voice rising both in volume as well as in pitch. "Drunks and druggies need to make sure their shit…er, I mean, stuff…isn't rubbing off on their squeeze."

"Sure, I can see that," Turner said. "However, isn't that if the partner is an enabler? Someone you used to get high or drunk with?"

I saw Sarge plant his feet and cross his arms as he nodded emphatically. Catching Boots' eye, I saw him point a finger at Turner. "He's got the right of it."

"And the left of it," Jack affirmed. "You can tell me until you're blue in the face, Boots, but I'm not going to stop seeing Lacey."

I had moved on to wiping the counters, scrubbing like we'd left egg to dry on them. Except my ears were trained on the table as I shot glances over my shoulder.

"Baby?" I heard Jack's velvet voice call. "C'mere."