Golden Trail

Chapter Eighteen The Life and Times of Tanner Layne

Layne grabbed his smokes, his cell and headed outside in an effort not to kill his mother.

He slid the door back, stepped outside, slid it to and sat at the table. Shaking out a smoke, he fired it up.

Vera had spent the afternoon and evening taking a trip down memory lane and dragging Layne, Jasper and Tripp along with her.

She’d asked them if they remembered when Layne flew them all to Sedona for Spring Break and the boys had gone horseback riding.

She’d asked them if they remembered when Layne flew them all out to Colorado for Christmas, they’d driven up to Winter Park and the boys had gone skiing.

She’d asked them if they remembered coming down to Florida four years ago and “your father met that lovely Cassie woman and stayed out all night”.

And she’d asked them, while serving Milky Way cake, if they remembered going to LA for his birthday two years ago and she’d taught “that sweet Melody” how to make Layne’s favorite cake.

At first, these stories completely deflected off of Rocky and the boys had joined in with their grandmother. Rocky was too busy rooting for the Colts, eating junk food and bumping closed fists with Tripp anytime the Colts made a great play to cotton on to Vera’s new dirty game.

Then, after the never ending stories, it started to wear on Rocky and she ate less and got quieter. Jasper noted it at this point and stopped joining in and started paying more attention to texting Keira than his grandmother or football.

Then, when Vera brought up Cassie, Tripp got silent and became so engrossed in the game it was as if he’d be asked to re-enact it play for play. Rocky had been stretched out in front of Layne on the couch and when Cassie was brought up, Rocky went still as Layne went solid. She waited ten minutes, rolled off the couch and went to the bathroom. When she returned, she curled up in the side of the couch by his feet, her knees tucked to her chest, her elbow to the arm rest, her head in her hand, her eyes on the game and Rocky locked herself right in her head.

She’d accepted a piece of cake then set it aside after two bites which was approximately ten seconds after Vera announced she’d taught Melody how to make it.

Which was approximately five seconds after Layne’s cake plate hit the table with a crash, Vera jumped, Tripp’s shoulders slumped, Jasper’s concentration on his phone became visibly acute but Rocky didn’t move her eyes from the TV.

Layne moved. He rolled off the couch, got his cigarettes and cell and went outside.

He took a drag and on the exhale flipped open his phone and called Merry.

“You’ve reached Lieutenant Garrett Merrick, I’m unable to take your call but leave a message and I’ll get back to you,” he heard in his hear.

“This is the third time I’ve called today, Merry, you get this, call me back,” Layne growled into the phone, flipped it closed, took another drag and on the exhale he called Dave.

“Hello?” Dave answered.

“Dave. Layne.”

“Tanner, son, how are you?”

“Been better, Dave,” Layne answered honestly, an answer he wouldn’t have thought he’d give after he woke up that morning and after what transpired in his closet that day but, fuck him, there he was, giving it. “Listen, I’ve been tryin’ to get hold of Merry. You know where he is?”

“He’s on call this weekend, Tanner, probably busy,” Dave replied.

This wasn’t an excuse for Merry not to take his calls. Merry always took his calls.

“He got anything else goin’ this weekend?” Layne pushed.

“Not that I know of. He had a hot date last night but then he’s always got a hot date. Boy needs to settle down, he’s too old for this shit. I don’t know what was wrong with Mia. Never could get that.”

Layne couldn’t either. He hadn’t been around when Merry hooked up with Mia but he knew her before he left town. She was a seriously pretty, petite redhead with a temper that matched her hair but a wicked sense of humor and a smile that rivaled Rocky’s, falling short because she didn’t have a dimple and Layne had never been in love with her. Word was Merry fell and fell hard then broke loose for no reason.

Seemed the Merrick kids shared a particular trait.

Fuck, he really needed to talk to Merry.

“Dave, can you tell him if you see him or hear from him that I need to talk to him?” Layne asked. “As soon as he can.”

“Sure, son, no problems,” Dave paused then asked, “How’s Roc?”

“We’re back together,” Layne announced without preamble and this was met with utter silence.

Layne let the silence stretch and waited for Dave’s response as he took a drag and exhaled.

Finally, Dave whispered, “Sorry?”

“We’re back together, Dave,” Layne repeated. “Things changed on Friday and we talked it through last night.”

“You talked it through?” Dave repeated.

“Yep,” Layne replied and waited.

“You been separated for closin’ on twenty years and you talked it through,” Dave said.

“Yep,” Layne returned.

“How is she?” Dave asked, this question giving Layne nothing.

“She would be fine but Ma’s here and not Roc’s biggest fan so let’s say it’s not goin’ as smooth as I’d like it to go.”

“Vera’s there?”

“Yep.”

“Oh boy,” Dave muttered, knowing Vera and living in the same town as Vera until Vera moved to Florida five years ago. Vera hadn’t just decided to hate Rocky for breaking Layne’s heart. She became an equal opportunity Merrick hater, blaming them all. The only person Vera hated more than Rocky and her family was Gabby and that was only because Gabby wasn’t just a bitch to Layne, she was a bitch to his mother too and such a far cry from what Vera had when she had Rocky, it dug that particular knife in deeper.

“You need me to come over, even out the numbers?” Dave offered.

“I’ll take care of Roc,” Layne replied.

There was more silence then, “Tanner, I’m happy for you, I’m happy for Rocky, if this is the right thing but…” he hesitated before he went on, “doesn’t this seem sudden?”

Sudden? Jesus.

“Don’t know, Dave,” Layne returned. “Been wanting her back for eighteen years, she’s felt the same, we’ve been together for a month, both of us strugglin’ to hold it back, Friday it broke through, that doesn’t seem sudden to me.”

“Right,” Dave whispered.

“You got anything to give me?” Layne asked.

“Anything to give you?” Dave asked back.

“Yeah, anything to give me,” Layne repeated.

“Like what?” Dave asked.

“Anything,” Layne returned, losing patience.

Dave was silent.

Layne lost patience.

“Dave –”

Dave cut him off. “I’ll give you this, Tanner, I’ll tell you I lost faith in God the night he took Cecilia from me but, if I’d believed in Him, I woulda prayed for this to happen so now that’s it’s happened, it’s made me think maybe He’s finally kickin’ back in.”

This statement made Layne go silent.

“Happy for you, son, happy for Rocky. It’s about damned time,” Dave whispered and Layne heard the disconnect.

He flipped his phone shut, took a drag from his cigarette and turned to look into the house to see Vera sitting back in her armchair, a smug smile on her face. He couldn’t see Tripp but Jasper was staring at his grandmother, his profile not happy and Rocky was strutting up the stairs.

Fuck, she’d said something else.

Layne crushed out his cigarette and entered the house just as Rocky disappeared around the top of the stairs, heading to his room.

Layne moved after her.

“Tanner,” Vera said. “You shouldn’t smoke. Not even one a –”

She stopped talking when her mouth clamped shut after Layne’s eyes hit her and she read what was in them.

Layne took the stairs two at a time.

He found Rocky in his bed, back to the headboard, knees up, an arm around her calves, pillow sandwiched between her chest and thighs, cheek to her knee and an arm outstretched to point the remote at the TV.

Her head came up when he walked in.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey,” he replied, walked direct to the bed and climbed in.

She watched him do this, her face blank, clearly locked in her head then, when he settled, she went back to the remote, flipping channels on the TV.

“I’m footballed out,” she mumbled her fictitious excuse to leave the living room.

Layne leaned forward, pulled the remote out of her hand, switched the TV off, tossed the remote to the foot of the bed and then gripped the pillow Rocky was cradling and tugged it out. Her head came up and he shoved the pillow behind his back at the headboard and then he went after her. Grabbing a hand, he yanked her forward until she came off-balance and landed with a hand to his chest, her body to his side and her head to his shoulder.

Her head went up and back and she started to pull away while looking at him.

“Layne –” she began.

He interrupted her. “Don’t lock yourself in your head, sweetcheeks, talk to me.”

Her head tipped to the side. “About what?”

“Cassie was a one night stand,” he told her straight out, her eyes got wide then shut down, Layne ignored it and kept talking. “Ma was takin’ the boys to Disneyworld. I’m not a Disneyworld type of guy so I wasn’t goin’ with them. They were gonna leave at oh dark thirty and I went out the night before to meet a friend of mine who lives down in Florida now. I met Cassie while we were out. I came home as they were leavin’ and Ma’s not stupid. But Cassie knew my friend, he gave her my number, she called my cell while we were still there and Ma picked it up. Ma never even met her and I only saw her that once.”

“You don’t have to explain this to me, Layne.”

“Yeah, Roc, I do.”

The blank went out of her eyes as they started to ignite then she said, “Okay, then I don’t want you to explain this to me, Layne.”

“I know you don’t, but you need me to.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“’Cause I had a life for eighteen years and you’re gonna hear about it and when you get upset or your feelings hurt, I want you to talk to me about it and not lock yourself in your head.”

“I lock myself in my head to sort things out,” she told him.

“Yeah, baby, but once you locked yourself in your head and locked me out.”

She froze against him then started to pull away but he yanked her right back and when she struggled, he rolled so she was on her back and his weight was on her.

She stilled and glared up at him.

“Why am I always asking you to get off me?” she snapped.

“I don’t know, probably because you’re always tryin’ to take off when I’m not done talkin’ to you.” he clipped.

“Get off me,” she bit out.

“We’re not done talkin’,” he shot back.

“We are,” she informed him. “See, you just threw that in my face which tells me you’re not passed it and it also tells me you’re not going to get passed it so maybe all this was a bad idea.”

“I didn’t throw it in your face, sweetcheeks.”

“You damn well did!”

Layne cupped her cheek in his hand and dipped his face into hers. “You’re pissed at Ma, takin’ it out on me and I’m tryin’ to smooth it out. I’m not throwing anything in your face. I’m tryin’ to get you to talk.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to talk.”

“I had a life, Rocky.”

“I know.”

“There were women in it.”

“Trust me, Layne, I know.”

“None of them was you,” he went on.

“I know that too,” she snapped.

“So, except for the one I married ‘cause I got her pregnant, none of them even so much as had a toothbrush at my place.”

She snapped her mouth shut and stared at him.

Then she asked, “Really?”

“Really.”

“Not even a toothbrush?”

“I was seeing Melody for four years and she tried to leave at least three toothbrushes, a box of tampons and pair of underwear at my place. I found ‘em and I put ‘em in her purse. She eventually got the message and quit trying.”

Rocky stared up at him with her lips parted.

Then she asked, “Why?”

“Why?” Layne repeated.

“Yeah, why?”

Layne took his hand from her cheek, pulled in an impatient breath and tipped his head back to look at the wall before looking down at her and explaining, “Baby, ‘cause she wasn’t you.”

Rocky stared at him. Then the fire in her eyes went out.

“Poor Melody,” she whispered and she didn’t know the half of it.

Layne knew Melody was in deep with him, he even tried to find it in her, he just couldn’t but she never pulled away, she kept trying, kept hoping one day she’d get in. She never did. He should have cut her loose ages ago but even if she wasn’t Rocky, she was the closest he’d had.

“It’s over with her,” Layne stated and Rocky’s body relaxed beneath him.

“Does she know how to make Milky Way cake?” she asked softly.

“Ma taught her but Melody is not a kitchen person. Melody is a get dressed up, wait at the bar for an hour and half for a table and then eat a fifty dollar meal person.”

“That doesn’t seem your style,” Rocky noted.

“It isn’t.”

“I like to get dressed up,” she informed him, “um… every once in awhile.”

“Baby, you wear that dress you wore the other night, I’ll take you out where you can get dressed up every fuckin’ night.”

She grinned. “That’s not even my best dress.”

Jesus.

“Seriously?” Layne asked.

“Seriously,” Rocky answered. “I have this one, it’s clingier and shorter and –”

Layne’s brows shot up. “Clingier?”

“Yeah.”

“And shorter?”

“Uh… yeah.”

He rolled to his back, his arm over his eyes, muttering, “Shit. You’re killin’ me.”

She rolled into him, put her hand on his chest and called, “Layne,” he dropped his arm and looked at her, “how am I killing you?”

“Because Rutledge stares at your tits, Gaines stares at your ass and every other man who lays eyes on you finds somethin’ to stare at. This does not exactly make me happy.”

“Baby,” she whispered. “If I wear that dress, it’s just for you.”

He looked up at her and her eyes were half-mast, her mouth soft and he liked that look so much, that look directed at him again, finally, after all these years, that he lifted his hand to her jaw and ran his thumb along her cheekbone.

She turned her face into his hand, looked at his chest and kept whispering. “I wasn’t in my head because of Cassie and Melody.” Her eyes came back to his. “It was because I fucked up and your Mom talking made me realize just how badly I did it.”

“Rocky –”

She shook her head and kept talking. “I missed those birthdays and Christmases and horseback rides. I tried to remind myself while she was talking that if I didn’t, Jasper and Tripp wouldn’t be in that room but it didn’t make me feel much better.”

Layne rolled into her, putting his arms around her and settling them both on their sides.

“Roc, honey, I don’t know what to say.” And he didn’t because she was right, with her, there would be no Jasper and no Tripp and Layne couldn’t imagine that. Without her, he had them and he knew he was lucky, no matter how fucked up it got along the way.

“There’s nothing to say. I just need to lock myself in my head and sort it out.”

“I know how it is to fuck up and miss birthdays and Christmases with people you care about, baby. And I fucked up bigger than you because I didn’t miss just one person’s, but three.”

“Layne –”

“Don’t go into your head, let me in and maybe I can help you out. Yeah?”

She stared into his eyes for a beat that led into three and then she whispered, “Yeah.”

Layne smiled at her and leaned in to touch his mouth to hers but her head suddenly moved back and he stopped.

“Just that…” she hesitated, “can I ask that that’s the last we talk about the Cassies and Melodys in the life and times of Tanner Layne?”

He was still smiling when he rolled her onto her back, slanted his head and, with his lips on hers, he muttered, “Yeah, baby.”

Then he kissed her and Rocky kissed him back.

“Is Roc okay, Dad?” Jasper called out when Layne was walking down the stairs, leaving Rocky in his bed because she wanted a minute to “get presentable” which he figured meant she needed a minute to shore her defenses before she faced Vera again.

Not to mention she needed a minute to right her clothes considering Layne not only made out with her, he felt her up.

Layne hadn’t even made it to the middle of the stairs before Jas asked his question and by the time he hit the bottom, Vera and Tripp’s eyes were on him.

“She’s good, Bud,” Layne answered.

“She got quiet,” Tripp noted as Layne walked to the couch.

“She gets that way when her feelings get hurt,” Layne replied and Jas and Tripp both looked at Vera.

Vera looked at the television.

“What hurt her feelings?” Jasper asked after Layne had stretched out on his back on the couch, head to the armrest, and his eyes went to his boy.

As usual, Layne gave it to him straight. “She lost her Mom when she was fourteen so pretty much every memory for her is fucked. The birthdays and Christmases before her Mom died have bitter mixed in with sweet ‘cause she had birthdays and Christmases after her Mom died that weren’t so good because her Mom wasn’t there and she remembered them bein’ better when she was. So, talkin’ about that shit today made her realize she missed your old man during those times while we were apart and she got upset about it. ‘Cause of what happened with her Mom, she doesn’t deal with getting upset like other people do. She gets quiet first then she shuts down.”

Jasper’s eyes went back to his grandmother but Tripp asked, “But she’s good now?”

“She’s good, Tripp.”

Tripp nodded then muttered, “I got homework,” and he got to his feet and went to the stairs, avoiding looking at his grandmother.

“You got homework, Jas?” Layne asked.

“Yeah,” Jasper answered.

“It done?” Layne asked.

“No,” Jasper answered.

“Boy…” Layne said low and Jasper looked at his grandmother then to Layne.

“I was wondering if Rocky could help me. It’s English Comp. We’re diagramming sentences and it’s stupid. I try to get it but it just doesn’t make sense to me. My teacher is a dork and when I asked her after class if she’d give me some time, she made me feel like a dork because I didn’t get it.”

“Who’s your teacher?” Layne asked.

“Mrs. Reiger.”

Layne didn’t know Mrs. Reiger. What Layne did know was that diagramming sentences was stupid and the only person in that house who probably wouldn’t agree was Rocky.

“Roc!” he shouted.

There was a beat of silence then the, “What?” of Rocky shouting back.

“Jas needs your help with his homework!” Layne yelled.

There was another beat of silence and Layne and Jasper stared at each other as this became prolonged. Then Layne heard quiet footfalls on the stairs.

“What are you studying, Jas?” He heard Rocky ask from the stairs.

Layne grinned at his boy and Jasper’s lips twitched but he said to Rocky, “Diagramming sentences.”

“Get your books, honey, we’ll work at the island,” Rocky invited.

Jasper moved and Layne looked at the television set wondering if Jasper actually needed help diagramming sentences or if he’d just played his grandmother and Rocky.

Probably both.

“You shouldn’t say the f-word in front of the boys,” Vera murmured and Layne twisted his neck to look at his mother.

She caught his eye and tried to hold it but eventually looked back to the TV.

“Ma,” he called when she did and her gaze slid hesitantly back to his. “Don’t pull that shit again,” he whispered.

She pressed her lips together and glared at him for about a second before he saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes and she looked back to the TV.

Layne sighed.

The front door opened and Blondie, who’d been flat out on her side napping in front of the television, shot up to her feet, barked and galloped to the door.

“Damn mutt,” Devin grumbled.

“She’s pure bred, Dev,” Jasper informed him.

“She’s still a mutt,” Devin returned. “Please God, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, tell me you have whisky.” Layne heard Devin call.

Layne didn’t bother lifting his head from the armrest when he replied, “What do you think?”

“Cupboard over the coffeemaker,” Jas answered.

“Thank fuck,” Devin muttered and Vera’s eyes shot to him, she had the tears under control and her eyebrows flew up.

Layne ignored his mother, leaned forward, nabbed the remote from the coffee table and found another football game.

Layne walked into a mostly dark house. He dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter and saw Dev’s head turn to look at him over the couch. He was watching TV which was, with light coming from upstairs, the only light in the room.

“Get anything?” Dev asked.

Layne had explained to Dev about TJ Gaines and his teenaged harem. He’d also gone to the church to see if he could tag Gaines and follow him home after evening service.

Gaines didn’t attend evening service.

“Nope,” Layne answered walking into the house. “Everything in his personnel file is bogus. I’m workin’ cold on this. Until I tag his vehicle and follow him home, I’m operating blind.”

Dev nodded.

“Jas and Tripp are gonna ask questions tomorrow at school. See if they can get a make and model and an address,” Layne went on.

Dev nodded again.

“Where is everyone?” Layne asked.

“Boys are upstairs bickerin’ ‘cause Tripp’s studyin’ and Jasper’s supposed to be studyin’ but he’s textin’ Keira. Your Ma ‘retired early’, her words. Rocky went up just after your Ma.”

Layne twisted and looked at the clock over the microwave. It was barely nine o’clock.

This meant Vera was feeling guilty. Jas and Tripp likely both did have homework. Rocky was a wildcard.

Layne shrugged off his leather jacket and was about to say goodnight to Dev and turn to the stairs when Dev said, “Need a brief, boy.”

Layne’s eyes went to the old man, saw his face was serious and nodded. He tossed his jacket on the back of the couch, walked to an armchair, pivoted it to face Dev and lounged back, aiming his gaze at his friend.

“Hit me.”

“Got the goods on her ex-asshole, need to know how you want me to play it,” Dev replied.

Layne didn’t get a good feeling about the fact Devin was asking. Dev wouldn’t normally ask. Dev would normally play it whatever way he wanted to play it.

“What is it?” Layne asked.

“Campaign contributions that, if taken public, would make him and the Republican Party a bit uncomfortable,” Dev answered.

Jesus, Rocky married a Republican. She must have worked hard on convincing herself she was in love with the dick. Both Dave and Merry were staunch Republicans but Rocky had followed in her mother’s footsteps and voted straight ticket Democrat. Thus a variety of heated political discussions ensued over the dinner table, that heat mainly emanating from Rocky, and Layne had learned to keep his political opinions to himself.

“Over the limit?” Layne asked and Dev shook his head.

“Shell companies set up for the sole purpose of feedin’ into the current Governor havin’ his bed at the Governor’s mansion. Far’s I can tell, Republican Committee knew all about it because Astley sits on it. So do a good number of his buds, all of ‘em paid their dues but Astley was the mastermind.”

“Use it,” Layne ordered, still not understanding why Dev was discussing this with him.

“This hits, it puts him out there,” Dev replied.

“It won’t hit, he’ll back down,” Layne returned.

“Guy’s an asshole, boy, I get that you get that but I don’t think you get how much of an asshole he is. Thinks he’s untouchable.”

“He isn’t, no one is.”

“He calls your bluff, you got no choice but to put this out there. You put this out there, first, you make a fuckload of enemies and not the HOA, we’re talkin’ local power brokers here. Second, it’ll be a media circus.”

Layne now understood why Devin was hesitating.

“Roc’s clear of him, Dev,” Layne assured.

“It ain’t Rocky I’m worried about,” Devin returned and Layne shook his head.

“Got markers I can call,” Layne reminded him quietly. “Even if it gets hot and I get on power players’ radar, got markers I can call, markers with people who can trump anything he’s got and you know it.”

“Ain’t you I’m worried about either,” Dev replied.

Layne was losing patience and therefore asked, “We gonna play twenty questions?”

That was when Devin gave it to him. “Worried about Marissa Gibbons.”

“Who the fuck is that?” Layne asked.

“Rocky’s replacement,” Devin answered and Layne’s brows shot up.

“And I care about that bitch because…?” he prompted when Devin said no more.

Dev leaned toward Layne, put his elbows on his knees and his eyes got intense as his voice dropped low. “You care about that bitch because her Dad was a drug dealer, he pimped out her Mom until she bit it due to an overdose, Social Services cottoned on and Marissa went into foster care. Bounced around awhile, managed to get a high school degree, no idea how except a sheer miracle because she followed in Mom’s footsteps and fell in with the wrong crowd and when I say that, boy, I mean it was the wrong crowd. Saw with my own two eyes the results of her acting career. She wasn’t no star but she was good. Even I was convinced she was lovin’ every second of it when she took a huge fuckin’ cock so far down her throat it proved positive she has no gag reflex whatsoever.”

Layne felt his neck muscles contract.

“Porn?” he whispered.

“Three films, none of them starring roles, she did them under false names, different colored hair, carryin’ an extra twenty pounds, hadn’t yet had her boob job, was underage and looks it but no denyin’ it’s her.”

Layne grinned, not because Marissa Gibbons’s life clearly sucked but because he fucking loved it that Astley was fucking a porn star. No doubt he was still shit in bed but at least she’d have the skills to convince him he wasn’t

Devin watched him grin and shook his head, leaning even closer.

“She pulled herself outta that shit, Tanner. Don’t know how she did it, but she did. She’s goin’ to IUPUI, studyin’ to be a social worker. She’s turned her life around. This shit hits, no matter how big the names are around hers, she’s the face of it for…fuckin’…ever. History books, boy. Online encyclopedias, Goggle her name and she could cure world hunger but that’s the first thing you’d see. No more Pacemate, the squad will dump her. She’ll quit school. She’ll go back to what she knows. You tip Astley, you destroy her life. We both know it wasn’t a good choice for her to hook her star to his or how she did it but now we know why she did it. You want me to use it, I’ll use it. I’ll even use all of it which means he’ll set her out before he takes you on, whatever way that comes about. But he doesn’t bite, you go the distance, you take her down. She’s not a good woman because she’s had no role models but, even so, she’s tryin’ like hell to learn how to be one. You do this, you set her back in that task, I’m guessin’ irrevocably.” Devin sat back and finished, “That said, your call.”

Layne stared at Devin and made a decision.

“Lean on ‘em both,” he ordered.

Devin’s brows shot up. “What?”

“Go to her, tell her what you got on him and what you got on her. Porn past or not, she can do better. Fuck, anyone can do better,” Layne explained. “I’m guessin’ here but what they got is no love match so we’re doin’ her a favor. She leans on him one way, we lean on him the other. We partner up, coach her, play it right, he pays her off, settles with Rocky and they both get on with their lives with him not in it but his cash in their accounts.” Layne leaned forward and continued. “He still doesn’t play, you go one by one through the Republican Committee. I’ll lay money down that one of ‘em will buckle and I’ll lay more down on it bein’ the first one you talk to, especially seein’ as this isn’t blackmail, you’re sellin’ quiet cheap. They won’t have to dish out anything but a little pressure. Astley may think he’s untouchable from me, from Roc, but those boys can convince him a fuckuva lot different.”

Devin smiled and leaned back, saying, “Like the way you think, boy.”

Layne pushed up out of the armchair, replying, “You should, you taught me how to think.” He moved to the side of the couch, stopped and looked down at his friend. “Losin’ your touch, old man, you’da called that five years ago.”

“Lucky for me, I had the foresight to train my replacement before the dementia kicked in,” Devin shot back.

Layne bit back his smile and shook his head, muttering, “Goin’ to bed.”

“Don’t blame you,” Dev muttered back, his eyes moving to the TV.

Layne hesitated then asked, “Ma all right with Roc while I was gone?”

Devin didn’t look away from the TV. “Seein’ as both your boys threw down on Rocky’s side, then yeah.” He turned his head to Layne. “They’re good judges of character, like me.”

That didn’t sound good.

“They both threw down?” Layne asked.

“Not a word spoken but blind, deaf and dumb would know that to them it’s warm as the waters of the Caribbean with Rocky, frosty arctic with your Ma.” Dev’s eyes turned intense again before he went on. “You didn’t ask my advice but I’m givin’ it. I don’t know what went down when I wasn’t here but I know by the aftermath it wasn’t good so you better tell that woman to get her head outta her ass. They love her but they’re your boys. They see that soft spot Rocky’s got and, like you, they’re movin’ in to protect it. Not only that, she makes you happy in a way your Ma cleanin’ your house and makin’ cake ain’t ever gonna make you happy and they want that for you. It’s a fight she ain’t ever gonna win and she better get smart before she loses a lot more than she’d ever expect.”

“Roc’s stronger than you think, Dev,” Layne said quietly.

“You think that, you better look closer, Tanner, because she sure as fuck ain’t,” Dev returned, just as quietly and those muscles in Layne’s neck went tight again. “I can see you hangin’ back and lettin’ the women battle this out and normally I’d agree with that play but not here. You’re skatin’ on thin ice, boy, and you better be careful with every stroke of those blades because, you fall through, those waters are bitter cold and you know it ‘cause you been livin’ in ‘em a long time. You don’t want those waters to close over you again, Tanner, you have a word with your Ma.”

Layne sighed then he nodded, knowing after his mother’s behavior that day Dev spoke the truth but wanting to have a word with his mother about as much as he wanted to talk to Gabby yesterday.

Dev gave him a stare and then looked back at the TV.

“’Night, old man,” Layne muttered as he turned to the stairs.

“’Night, boy.” He heard Dev mutter back.

Layne was halfway up the stairs when he heard Tripp say, “Jeez, Jas, you’re gonna go over your limit of texts and Dad’s gonna be pissed.”

He hit the top of the stairs to see Tripp at the desk and Jasper with his back to the weight bench, knees bent, soles of his feet to the bench, his cell phone held over his face as he replied, “Dad’ll be cool. He gets it about takin’ care of your babe.”

“True enough, Jas,” Layne put in and Tripp swiveled around to look at him as Jasper’s head turned and his eyes focused on Layne. “Still, you go over your limit, I’ll be pissed.”

“She’s hot, Dad, gotta keep her hooked so no one moves in,” Jasper explained.

“Boy, why do you think I bought you that goddamned car?” Layne asked, he’d stopped and he crossed his arms on his chest. “Right about now, when you’re feelin’ like that, you stop playin’ it cool and her ass is here or your ass is there, you stake your claim and you don’t do it through fuckin’ texts.”

Jasper sat up, dropping his feet to straddle the bench. “You cool with Keirry bein’ here when you’re not?”

“Just as long as I don’t have to set up a crib in the corner of your bedroom, that is, if I win at hand to hand combat defendin’ my son against a gonzo Joe Callahan,” Layne answered.

Jasper grinned and crossed his cell phone over his heart before he lifted it in the air, “Swear. Gentleman. Totally.”

Layne stared at his son then looked to Tripp who was also grinning at him and who decided to add, “Giselle Speakmon’s parents are totally devout. When I get in there and we hook up, there won’t be any cribs for me either, Dad, because I reckon they’ll make her wear one of those chastity belts, knowin’ Jas is my brother and all.”

Layne felt his brows go up and he beat down any thoughts of his youngest being sexually active. Jasper was the first born boy, his leap to manhood Layne took in stride. Tripp was still just a kid in his eyes. Layne was not ready to go there, not by a long fucking shot.

Still, he asked, “You like her?”

Tripp nodded. “Got her talkin’ to me and she’s cool and she can be funny, in a quiet way that’s kinda awesome.”

“She at church today?” Layne asked and Tripp nodded again, his smile getting bigger.

“Yeah, she was the blonde who sat next to TJ in church.”

Layne felt his body lock as he looked at his boy. “Right next to him?” he asked quietly.

Tripp’s grin faded at his father’s tone and he answered quietly back, “Yeah.”

“She’s here after school too or you’re there. Jasper will be your ride,” Layne ordered instantly.

“Her parents won’t –” Tripp started and Layne cut him off.

“Then you call in Rocky. Even if her family’s religious, they won’t question Roc. They know she’s here, they’ll know Giselle is good. I’m not here and Roc’s not here but at her apartment, you’re over there with Giselle and I’ll talk to Rocky.”

“Dad,” Tripp’s voice was still muted. “She’s cool. She’s there because she’s religious. I don’t even think she likes TJ.”

Layne felt his gut squeeze. “She was sitting right next to him, Pal.”

“She doesn’t like him but he way likes her,” Tripp replied and Layne’s gut twisted.

“She’s here or you’re there. You tie her up one way or another, Tripp, you get me?” Layne asked and Tripp’s face got pale.

“Do you think –?” Tripp started to ask and Layne interrupted him again.

“I don’t think, Tripp, you don’t either. This is now, we move on from here and you tie Giselle up and you’re glued to her at Youth Group meetings.” Layne stared at his son and finished, “Now, do you get me?”

“I get you,” Tripp whispered.

“She got a cell phone?” Layne asked and Tripp nodded. “Got her number?” Layne went on and Tripp nodded again so Layne nodded back. “Go text her now.”

Tripp slid from the chair and whispered, “Got it,” then walked to Jasper’s room.

Layne looked at Jas to see his son’s focus was intent on him and he ordered, “You have his back.”

“Giselle’s a favorite, Dad,” Jasper muttered.

“You have his fuckin’ back,” Layne returned, Jas stared him in the eyes and nodded. “I want an address or the make, model and color of his car by tomorrow, Bud,” Layne ordered low.

“You’ll have it,” Jasper assured him and Layne walked close to look down at his boy.

“We’ve passed finesse,” Layne told him quietly. “We’re goin’ forward hard.” Jasper nodded up to him and Layne continued. “You don’t gotta be cool about this. He cottons on, I don’t give a fuck except you and your brother are in the middle of this shit. That you play cool, you play smart, you have Tripp’s back, you listen to your gut and you communicate with me. You walk down the halls, you know who’s walkin’ behind you. You have a chat with a Youth Group kid, you pay attention to what’s goin’ on on their face, not what’s comin’ outta their mouths and you also pay attention to who might be listenin’ in. You drive down the road, you check your rearview mirrors, you see a car more than once on your ass, you get a plate. You with me?”

“Yeah, Dad,” Jasper whispered.

“You’re in this house, alarm is armed. At all times, Jas.”

“Right.”

“Roc’s on his radar and Tripp laid claim to her today. Because of that, when light dawns, he’ll know where she sits with this. That means, I’m not around, you have her back too.”

“Gotcha.”

“He got any other favorites?” Layne asked and Jasper nodded.

“Alexis McGraw.”

“The redhead today?”

“Yep.”

“Any ideas how to keep her clear?”

Jasper shook his head. “She’s in deep. She thinks he’s the shit. They’re always together.”

“Fuck,” Layne whispered.

“I’ll think about it. She used to have a thing for Seth. Maybe –”

Layne cut him off. “Seth’s got enough to deal with.”

“Yeah, which means, I figure, takin’ his mind off of that shit will do him good,” Jasper returned. “We’ve talked about this, before Tripp and me started undercover and Seth thinks it’s creepy as all get out too. I reckon he’d come on board and he’d be cool, Dad. After yesterday, he’d do just about anything for you and Rocky. Alexis is a freshman and Seth is a senior but she’s cute and it isn’t unheard of. Jamie’s a senior and he’s datin’ a freshman and Seth and Jamie are tight.”

Layne nodded and asked, “Any bright ideas of how to shut the rest of it down?”

“Yeah,” Jasper whispered and stood, clearing the weight bench and bringing him close to his old man. “We don’t have to play it cool anymore, I start a campaign. Kids think it’s weird, teachers think it’s weird but no one’s talkin’ out about it. It’s all real quiet. Whispers. I talk out about it. Make like I’m goin’ as a joke. Get Seth and some of the team to go with me. Start fuckin’ around at Youth Group and, at school, make it uncool other than to go for shits and giggles, a place to fuck around and pick up girls.”

“I don’t know, Jas, bold play but could have the opposite effect, make the devoted more so and make it popular for kids to go, even if they’re fuckin’ around which might put more girls on the line. It also puts Tripp out there if Giselle is religious. She’ll want to think he’s into that too and her family will definitely want to think that if he wants to spend time with her.”

“Just because Giselle’s family is religious doesn’t mean she has to go to Youth Group,” Jasper replied. “Tripp can play her and, in the end, she’s still a shy girl who’s got a chance at the only freshman on the football team. She pushes it that she prefers to be with Tripp, her parents’ll cave. The other shit, leave it to me.”

Layne smiled and asked, “Lots of parents cave?”

Jasper smiled back. “Totally. Especially the girls. How do you think I hit so many? Before Keira that is.”

“Jasper Layne, football stud,” Layne muttered, still smiling.

“Off the market stud,” Jasper muttered back, also still smiling. “Just like his Dad.”

Layne chuckled as he lifted a hand and curled it around his boy’s neck, pulled him in and gently bumped foreheads with him before he let him go.

“All right, Bud, you play it how you feel it but you communicate with me, okay?”

“Okay.”

“You call your Mom today?” Layne asked.

“Yeah, twice,” Jas answered.

“Good man,” Layne murmured. “Homework done and tomorrow, thank your Gram for cleanin’ your room. She deserves it especially since, for most humans, it was a no go zone and I reckon Keira will be spendin’ time in it and we won’t want to rush her to the hospital after she’s exposed to the fumes.”

Jasper shook his head, grinning. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Boy,” was Layne’s only reply as he turned to walk away but he thought better of it and turned back. “Did you get your sentences diagrammed?”

Jasper’s grin died and he looked confused. “What?”

“Your sentences. Did Roc help you get them diagrammed?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure,” Jasper mumbled.

“Jas?” Layne called his son’s attention to him. “Did you have sentences to diagram?”

“Yeah,” Jas answered and Layne stared at him so Jasper’s eyes went to the double doors, he walked the two feet Layne had moved away and he whispered, “Two weeks ago. I got a C on the assignment. Next time, I’ll ask Roc to help before I get the final grade.”

Layne swallowed down laughter before he muttered, “Good call.”

Then Layne turned back to his room and walked to it as he heard Jasper say, “’Night, Dad.”

“’Night, Bud,” Layne replied and opened the doors.

Rocky was diagonal on the bed, on her stomach, papers spread in front of her, pen in her hand, bare feet swinging in the air and Layne knew Jasper didn’t have to whisper his secret because she had earphones in her ears, an MP3 player on the bed and between the sound and her concentration on the papers, she hadn’t noticed he came in.

He rounded the bed wide until he got to her side and then moved in. He put a knee to the bed and was dropping forward with a hand on either side of her when she cried out, jumped and started to turn but his torso hit her back and he pinned her to the bed.

She popped an earphone out, he heard the music through it and she twisted her neck to say, “Layne, you scared the bejeezus out of me.”

He didn’t reply. He smiled at her before he leaned around her, putting his mouth to the opposite side of her neck at the same time his hand went into her hair and he tugged out her goddamned ponytail. He’d left her and her hair was down which was how he liked it so now it was going to be down again.

“Would you quit pulling out my ponytails?” she asked, sounding annoyed and trying to roll but he moved his lips up her neck and then nipped her ear with his teeth and she quit trying to roll.

“Don’t like ‘em,” he whispered in her ear.

“I don’t care,” she replied. “I do.”

“I don’t care.” He ran his tongue along the curve of her ear and her body froze. “I don’t,” he finished.

“Layne.”

There it was. Breathy. Needy. Beautiful.

“You’re either gonna have to wait, baby, or let me gag you or fuck you in the closet again. The boys are usin’ the weight room to study and fuck around,” he said softly in her ear.

“I’ll wait,” she whispered, his head came up and she twisted her neck to look at him. “Do they stay up late?”

He grinned at her then leaned in and touched his mouth to hers before he suggested, “We could take a shower.”

“Hmm,” she mumbled and her eyes dropped to his mouth.

He liked her eyes on his mouth, so much, if he did something about it, they wouldn’t make it to the shower so his eyes dropped to her papers thinking he’d be seeing homework assignments but they weren’t.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he studied the papers.

Her head moved and he saw she’d looked down too.

“Lesson plans,” she answered and then twisted her neck to face him again. “Next week is To Kill a Mockingbird week. It’s my favorite week of the semester.”

He got that. It was her favorite book. He’d read it in high school, thought it was pretty good but didn’t think much of it until she’d gone on about it. Because she’d loved it so much, he’d read it again and he’d appreciated it a fuckuva lot more. His favorite book was Slaughterhouse Five, then and now, but To Kill a Mockingbird was a close second.

Looking at her face, suddenly he realized he’d pay money to watch her teaching it.

“You nearly done?” he asked.

“Nearly,” she answered. “I was about to finish up.”

“Good,” he muttered, pulled her hair away from her neck, kissed the skin there again and then looked at her. “I’m gonna go make coffee and secure the house. Meet you in the shower.”

He started to knife away from her but she caught him by saying, “Okay but you can’t get my hair wet.”

He stared in her eyes before he asked, “Come again?”

“You can’t get my hair wet because if you do I’ll have to blow it out before going to bed and that’ll take forever and –”

He cut her off. “Baby, your hair’s gonna get wet.”

“Layne –”

“Blow it out tomorrow.”

“I can’t, it’ll be –”

Layne rolled off her, pulled her on top of him and then rolled her to her back, Layne on top of her. Then he kissed her until her arms were tight around his back, her leg had hooked around his hip and she was mewing in his mouth.

Then he lifted his head and whispered, “Your hair is gonna get wet and your gonna blow it out tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she whispered back immediately, eyes hooded, arms locked tight around him.

Christ she was cute and she was hot.

“Look at me like that a second longer, sweetcheeks, I won’t give a fuck my boys hear you moan,” he warned, her eyes got wide and he grinned before he brushed his mouth against hers and ordered, “Finish then shower.”

“Right,” she murmured.

Layne knifed away and Rocky rolled to her stomach.

Then he walked downstairs, let the dog out one last time, got the coffeepot ready for the morning, let the dog in and secured the house. He said a last round of goodnights, went to his room and heard the shower going.

He met his woman there, her hair got wet and he made certain other parts of her got wetter.

In the end the water didn’t have to drown out her moans since Layne performed that chore with his mouth.

Then he watched the News, shoulders against the headboard with a sleeping Rocky’s wet, tangled hair splayed over his chest as she pinned him to the bed.