Golden Trail (86 page)

“Yo Dad,” Jasper said, he had a video game
in his hands over his face and he didn’t even look at his old
man.

“Yo,” Layne repeated, his eyes moving to
Rocky who was watching him move, her lips smiling, giving him the
dimple.

Layne stopped at the side of the sectional,
put his hands on his hips and Blondie jerked, rolled to her belly
and her neck twisted so she could stare at Layne, her dog eyes
showing she was trying to understand his intent. Did his presence
mean he was going to pet her, let her outside and go with her to
throw her ball or was he there to give her dog treats?

“Good call, sweetcheeks, this couch,” he
tipped his head to the couch.

“It’s comfy,” Rocky replied.

“It is, Dad, totally comfy,” Tripp agreed.
“It’s the shit. Giselle and I are gonna study here.”

“No you’re not, me and Keirry are,” Jasper
returned and Layne knew he was serious about staking this claim
because he moved the video game from his face to pierce his brother
with a stare.

“I called it!” Tripp shouted.

“So? I’m older than you,” Jasper shot
back.

“So?” Tripp returned, “That doesn’t mean
anything.”

Layne moved to the other end, over Jasper’s
head, and he shifted his body into the couch, claiming Rocky, he
settled into the corner and she curled into his body and his arms
as Blondie got up, walked over Jasper, got close and snuffled
Layne’s hand. The minute he started scratching her head, she
dropped to her belly and rested her jaws on his abs just over
Rocky’s forearm.

Yeah, the couch was comfortable all right.
Heaven on earth.

“It means everything,” Jasper retorted to
Tripp.

“Guys,” Rocky put in, “I don’t know if you
noticed this but there are four people and a dog on this couch and
none of us are touching, except, of course, me, your Dad and the
dog. I think you and your babes can share.”

“Right,” Tripp grinned at her, seeing Roc
curled into his old man and visualizing something else
entirely.

Fucking hell.

“I want privacy with my babe,
Tripp-o-matic,” Jasper started, “you and your babe take off.”

Shit.

“Same here,” Tripp shot back.

“Jesus,” Layne muttered, thinking of his two
hormonal, teenaged boys, he looked down at Roc. “Maybe this couch
wasn’t a good idea.”

“They’ll get used to it,” Rocky
muttered.

That was what he was afraid of.

“All right!” Vera shouted, pretending to
walk down the stairs casually. “The Colts game starts at one and
I’m making my Mexican layer dip. I need to go to the store. Does
anyone want anything?”

“Mexican dip sounds
awesome!
” Tripp
cried even though he’d downed five pancakes a half an hour
earlier.

“I’m good, Gram,” Jasper replied.

Vera disappeared into the kitchen, calling,
“Rocky, honey?”

“I don’t need anything, thanks, Vera,” Rocky
answered.

“Tanner?” his mother shouted.

“Nothin’, Ma,” Layne returned and Devin came
down the stairs.

When he did, both Jas and Tripp went still
and their eyes were riveted on Devin. Obviously having missed their
ascent, they nevertheless cottoned on immediately to the fact that
both Vera and Devin were upstairs, this was unusual and they were
up there together for reasons unknown and therefore suspect.

Devin made matters worse when he turned to
the crew on the sectional and announced, “I’m goin’ with Vera.”

Vera rounded the corner hitching her purse
on her shoulder and her eyes came to the couch. “Be back soon,” she
declared on a huge smile and, after securing her purse strap, she
gave them a finger wave.

All the eyes on the couch, except Blondie’s,
watched Vera and Dev walk to the door, out of it and then they all
looked through the window, Jasper even curling up and shifting to
get a view, as Devin helped Vera into the Calais, Dev rounded it,
got in and they drove off.

Rocky and Layne settled back in but Jasper
and Tripp kept their eyes on the window even when Vera and Dev were
out of view.

Then his boys’ eyes came to him.

“What was
that?
” Tripp breathed and
Rocky giggled.

“Yeah, I didn’t think Dev even liked Gram
and he, like, held her door for her,” Jasper whispered.

“That’s the gentlemanly thing to do,
Jasper,” Rocky advised him and Jasper’s eyes cut to her.

“Dev’s not gentlemanly.”

Rocky giggled again.

“How about we let that play out how it plays
out,” Layne ordered through suggestion.

“Let
what
play out?” Tripp was still
talking on a breath.

Rocky giggled again.

“Whatever,” Layne muttered, confronted with
the possibility of a Devin and Vera couple, live and in person, not
knowing how he felt about it and deciding he was just not going to
think about it at all.

However, Layne was not going to get this
because Roc decided to educate the Layne men.

“A woman doesn’t stop being a woman just
because she becomes a grandmother.”

“Roc,” Layne said low as three sets of male
eyes focused on her.

“It’s true,” Rocky returned and added, “I
think they’re cute.”

“Euw,” Tripp mumbled then Jasper and Tripp
stared at her with identical expressions on their face that clearly
stated,
gross.

“Let’s stop talking about this,” Layne
ordered.

“Why?” Roc asked with sham innocence.

“Because she’s my mother, he’s the finest
man I know and I want them both to be happy but I
still
don’t know whether to slap him on the back, threaten him, punch him
or vomit on his shoes,” Layne answered.

Rocky’s body started shaking but she managed
to get out a strangled, “Okay, sweetheart, we’ll quit talking about
it.”

“Obliged,” Layne muttered.

“Dad,” Jasper said in a quiet, guarded
voice.

Layne’s eyes went to his boy to see Jasper’s
were pointed to the window. Layne looked over Rocky’s shoulder and
both Dave and Merry’s cars were pulling to a stop at the curb.

Shit.

“Cool, Dad and Merry are here,” Rocky
observed and Layne turned her to face him.

“Roc, I’ve got two seconds but I’m goin’ out
there, havin’ a word with your Dad and brother and no matter what
you see, I want you to promise to stay here with my boys.
Yeah?”

Her eyes widened and she stared at him as
she asked, “Why?”

“Just promise and trust me, yeah?”

“Layne,” she whispered.

“Two seconds are up, sweetcheeks. Do I have
your promise?” She hesitated so he prompted, “Baby?”

“I promise,” she whispered, he touched his
mouth to hers and he moved swiftly off the sectional and to the
door, giving both his boys a look full of meaning before he stepped
out the door.

He met them both in the yard and Dave spoke
instantly. “You aren’t keepin’ me from my girl.”

“No, I’m not,” Layne returned and Dave’s
body rocked back.

“You aren’t?” Merry asked.

“I’m not,” Layne answered. “That doesn’t
mean we aren’t going to get a few things straight.”

Both men tensed.

Layne spoke. “I was hard on you both last
night. I had reason, I think you get that.”

“We get that,” Merry said quietly.

“You stepped over the line,” Dave said
antagonistically.

Layne’s eyes cut to Dave. “No, Dave, I
didn’t and you know it.”

“You threw a lot of shit in my face, Tanner,
and kicked me out of your house without letting me see my
daughter,” Dave reminded him.

“Yeah, Dave, it was last night, I remember.
I also remember watchin’ Rocky have her episode and I remember it
in a way I know I’ll never forget so my guess is, even though it
was eighteen years ago, your episode with Rocky lasted two days and
it freaked you so you know exactly how I felt yesterday.”

Dave pressed his lips together.

Layne’s voice lost its animosity and he said
softly, “You didn’t do right by Rocky and you didn’t do right by
me, then and now.”

“Are we gonna stand in your yard in the cold
and go over last night’s territory, Tanner, or are you gonna let me
see my girl?” Dave asked tersely.

“I wasn’t done,” Layne replied.

“Then get to it,” Dave ordered.

Layne sucked breath into his nose and then
let it out.

“Okay Dave, I’ll get to it. That said,
that’s done. This is now. We’re movin’ forward. Roc and me. Roc,
Jasper, Tripp and me. And you’re family so you’re movin’ forward
with us.”

“Sounds good,” Merry stated cautiously.

“With conditions,” Layne continued.

“Shit,” Dave muttered.

“Cecilia existed,” Layne told the old man
and Dave winced then he cleared it and glared at Layne. “And she
died a terrible death. That shit isn’t under the carpet anymore.
Rocky needs her mother and the only thing she has left is memories
so she’s going to be allowed to have them.”

“I –” Dave started.

“She visits her grave,” Layne cut him off
and Dave’s lips parted as Merry’s body visibly went still. “When
she needs her, she goes to her. I’m guessin’ from your reaction you
didn’t know that.”

“No,” Merry whispered.

“Well she does,” Layne returned, his eyes
locked on Dave’s and his voice got quiet. “I remember her, Dave, I
remember that she was always smiling.” Dave closed his eyes, Layne
ignored it and kept talking. “She died and that was tragic, her
missin’ out on life, you losin’ her, her kids losin’ their Mom. But
Carson Fisher killed her, Dave.” Dave’s eyes shot open and he
stared at Layne. “You didn’t do it, you just were doin’ your job.
Rocky didn’t do it by not putting herself in danger to help her
Mom; she did what her mother needed her to do and stayed safe and
alive. Carson Fisher is solely responsible for what happened to
your family. You have all got to learn to quit blamin’ yourselves,
feelin’ guilt which means you cut out memories of Cecilia and
connections with people you care about.” His eyes shifted to Merry.
“Start living again and bring Cecilia back where she fuckin’ well
should be.”

“Why don’t we focus on the matter at hand
and you leave Mia out of this?” Merry suggested, his voice edging
toward hostile.

“What makes you jump to the conclusion I’m
talkin’ about Mia, Merry?” Layne asked and Merry’s jaw got tight.
“Okay then, just to confirm, that reaction right there means I’m
talkin’ about Mia, brother.”

“Jesus,” Merry clipped.

“You gonna heal all my family’s wounds on
your front lawn, boy?” Dave asked.

Layne’s eyes sliced to him. “No, but I’m
going to tell you when Merry told me Rocky was intending to put
herself out there to out Harry Rutledge and I went to talk to her,
she spoke about you and her Mom. She did it with fierce pride,
Dave, and that was pride instilled in her by her mother. Cecilia
was proud of who you were, what you did and what you stood for and
she taught her daughter to feel the same way. You wore the white
hat, Dave, your son does it now. Your daughter is proud as hell of
that. Now, I don’t know, I’m not you, but I know my boys are proud
of me and I know how it felt when Jasper told me that, straight
out. So I get it, that wound runs deep, it’ll never heal but I
can’t imagine knowin’ your wife felt that way and your daughter
still feels it, that doesn’t help, even a little bit.”

Neither Merry nor Dave spoke and Layne
waited but they still didn’t speak.

So he did. “Vera’s out with Dev gettin’
stuff for Mexican layer dip, we’re gearin’ up for the Colts so it’s
not noon but I’m havin’ a fuckin’ beer. You can come in if you want
and you can stay as long as you like. Just understand, when Vera
and Devin get back, I’m not discussin’ the possibility that they’re
becomin’ an item because it freaks me way, the fuck, out.”

Both Merry and Dave’s mouths dropped
open.

Layne finished, “You can follow me and hang,
you can come in and see Roc’s all right, go away and plan my death,
you can do what you want, but I’m havin’ a beer.”

With that, Layne turned and walked into the
house.

The door didn’t even begin to close on his
back because Merry had his hand on it and he and his father were
moving in right after Layne.

“Hey Uncle Dave!” Tripp shouted.
“Merry!”

Merry and Dave went to the sectional.

Layne went to the fridge.

* * * * *

It was halftime of the Colt’s game, the
Mexican layer dip was decimated so they’d moved on to crackers and
cheese squirted from a can and Vera had whipped up an emergency
batch of sour cream onion dip for chips. She’d put out some carrot
sticks with the chips with more hope than realism. Blondie had
stolen a carrot stick and then spat it out on the floor by the
couch. No one else had touched them.

Merry, Devin, Dave, Blondie and Layne were
outside.

Merry was sitting and smoking.

Dave was standing and tossing a ball for
Blondie.

Devin was sitting and scowling at Dave and
the dog.

Layne was sitting, drinking beer and looking
over his shoulder into the living room.

He’d left the couch where Rocky was lying
with her head on his thigh, her feet in her father’s lap. Now, she
was sitting between Tripp, who was turned toward her, his mouth
moving, and Jasper, whose head was bent and his cell was in his
hands. His boys had both moved from the floor to her before his and
Dave’s asses were out of the couch.

Vera was in the kitchen, likely assessing
ingredients to concoct a dinner later which would sit like a lead
weight in his gut after all that junk food but which his sons would
burn off in approximately twelve minutes.

“Jig is up, brother,” Merry muttered and
Layne’s eyes turned to Merry.

“We lost Towers,” he surmised and felt Devin
and Dave’s attention shift to them.

“Yep, she’s gone. Lost her tail and
vanished. Even her army is laying low. The word is out they’ve been
made and they’re off the grid,” Merry confirmed.