by ML Nystrom
“I’m not arresting you tonight, Jonelle, but I am going to report this incident at the next hearing. I have a witness to this behavior this time,” Blue stated. I could tell he was angry but he kept it together, probably for his children’s sake. One drama queen was bad enough. Adding a king to the mix would be intolerable, even to me.
“Well, you just do that, Deputy Dog!” Jonelle said, sarcasm thick in her voice. “You go fuck yourself while you’re at it! Shell ’n’ Cody, get your asses to the car!”
The kids stayed put, reluctant to leave. Jonelle lost it. “I SAID MOVE!” she screamed.
Sam answered her with a blood-chilling snarl.
For a moment, her face was filled with fear. “You better keep that fucking dog away from me, bitch! I’ll put a goddamn bullet in his head!”
Michelle got up first, petting Sam one last time. Cody kissed the dog’s head and said, “Bye, Sam,” in a small voice before following his sister. They both moved to hug their father who bent down and whispered in their ears. His words were soft, but his face was hard as granite. I squatted next to Sam and put my hands around his neck in case he decided to go after the kids, or worse, Jonelle. “Stay down,” I commanded, hoping that would be enough, though I knew if he really wanted to jump, I didn’t have the strength to stop him. I could feel his muscles tremble with the need for action, but he stood rock still, his icy stare still on the raging woman.
“I’ll see you in court, asshole!” she yelled before stomping through the door, slamming it hard enough to rattle the ingredient bottles on my shelves. Blue leaned over the counter, both fists balled up, his arms rigid. He was wound just as tight as Sam. The dog started to relax under my fingertips, opening his mouth and panting out some of his stress. I stood up and went to Blue, placing a hand at the middle of his tension-filled shoulders. I still didn’t understand why he wouldn’t stand up to Jonelle, but I could tell he was fighting for control of his anger and needed support, not criticism. He was a man’s man and took a job as a protector. Right now, he was trying to protect his kids, even though it went completely against the grain to let someone walk all over him.
“Fuck!” he exploded when they left the store. He slammed his fists down on the counter, making the bottles rattle again. He was at his last nerve and ready to break.
“I’m so sorry, Blue,” I said softly. “I hope I didn’t cause this to happen tonight by not calling Jonelle first. The kids were tired and hungry and calling you was the only thing I could think to do about it.”
His shoulders lost some of their tightness as he shifted to face me. “Not your fault, Psalm,” he stated as he turned and leaned back against the counter. Both hands came up to cover and rub his face. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was exhausted. “It is what it is. Nothing more. I hope the next round in court will end this shit. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here earlier. I was at the high school with another drug overdose. Teenage girl this time. There were a bunch of them partying over behind the football bleachers. Ambulance took the kid over to the hospital. Right now, it doesn’t look good.”
My heart went out to the kid and the family, whoever they were. Blue as well. There was a lot of weight resting on those broad shoulders of his.
“Jonelle and I have a court date in a few weeks over custody and support. I don’t know how it’s going to go, but until then, I have to adhere to the current arrangement.” He made fists again and pounded them against the counter’s edge. “Fuck! I can’t stand my kids seeing that shit!”
I didn’t think about it, I just moved to him and wrapped my arms around him, getting as close as I could, body to body, resting my cheek against his shoulder. I sent mental vibes of comfort and support, hoping some of my Zen calm would reach him. He automatically put his arms around me but hesitated to draw me in.
We stood there for a long time, just holding each other, sharing a human bond. Or at least I thought so. He pushed me away rather abruptly.
“Thanks for taking care of my kids, Psalm,” he said gruffly. “Might have to call on you for court. You’re a witness now and I need every bit of help I can get.” He moved to the doorway as if trying to escape and wouldn’t quite meet my eyes.
“Of course, Deputy,” I said, feeling a little left out. I crossed my arms in front of my body, trying to keep his heat as long as I could.
Sam huffed again, breaking the awkward moment. He was looking at Blue, his golden eyes serious and his stance still wide, but the hair on his back was flat again.
Blue frowned. “That dog’s a fighting dog. He’s dangerous. You’re what, maybe a hundred and twenty pounds? You don’t have any business trying to handle a dog like that,” he said, going into citizen protection mode.
I knelt by Sam and stroked my hands over his short hair. He leaned into me but didn’t break the stare down he had going with Blue.
“I think Sam’s fine,” I said, loving on the large dog. “He’s been fitting in nicely, getting along with my other rescues. Come a long way in his life, haven’t you, boy?” I spoke directly to Sam, as he had decided Blue was not a problem. He flumped down to the floor to roll over and let me rub his belly. I looked up at Blue from my position on the floor. “Besides, I’m sure you saw how he was ready to defend Cody and Michelle. He may have been a fighting dog at one time but now he’s a pack protector.”
Blue just grunted. “It’s been a long night. I’m heading out. Don’t forget to lock up behind me.” He moved to the back door, then paused long enough to turn and mutter, “Thanks again,” before leaving and closing the door with a soft click. I finished petting the lounging animal and then moved to do as Blue had bid. As I was locking the door, I caught sight of Blue coming out of the back alleyway on his bike and heading up the street. I sighed and turned to my workroom, still restless myself from the night’s events. Hm… soap, or maybe some new candles?
Seven
The Lair was in full party mode when Blue drove up on his Harley. It was late and most people of his town were down for the night. Here, the lodge was hopping with music, bikers, and hangarounds. Blue parked his bike at the end of a long line of them and entered into the welcoming chaos. The Dragon Runners members were obvious, dressed in their distinctive cuts with the flaming green symbol sewn on the back. The spine of the beast represented a jagged curved road superimposed along a mountain. This was the Tail of the Dragon, a long and dangerous road with a long history of being both a biker’s wet dream to ride and his worst nightmare. Many lives had been lost on that road, one of them just a year ago. Joker, a former brother, had betrayed the club and kidnapped another member’s old lady to try and make an escape. This didn’t end well for him, as he lost control on one of the roughest curves and paid for it with his life in a fiery crash. The old lady, Kat, was pushed out just before the car flew over the cliff edge and suffered injuries so severe she wasn’t expected to make it. She did, however, and was now happily married to Mute, the club’s sergeant-at-arms and enforcer.
Kat was behind the bar at the far end of the Lair’s great room, serving drinks. His mother Betsey and her friends Molly and Tambre were sitting around the bar on high stools that were more chainsaw art than seats. They were a throwback memory of the old Rivers Edge bar and resembled the rear end of horses. From the back, it looked like they were sitting on horses’ asses.
A loud chorus of “Bloooooo!” rang out as he entered and walked across the floor. Some high fives and hand slaps later, he was sitting with several club members and had a cold beer in his hand. The noise around him was comforting and familiar. He’d grown up in this place and had watched its transformation from a one-percenter criminal group to a legit business group during his early childhood. The Dragon Runners still did things their own way and had their own code of right and wrong, but they stayed within the confines of the law—or at least appeared to most of the time. Blue knew there were some activities that pushed the limit and some that were illegal, but he also believed that there was sometimes a differen
ce between what was law, what was right, and what was true justice.
Betsey came over and hugged him. “Hey, darlin’, you doin’ all right? Your daddy’s up with Taz and Cutter playing poker if you wanna join in?”
His mother was amazing, and it was hard to believe she was a grandmother.
“I wish I could, but I can’t afford poker with Cutter right now. You know he cheats.”
They both laughed.
“Been better.” He jammed a hand over his tired face. “Jonelle lost the kids at the festival tonight. They wandered into the soap store on Main and the owner called me.”
Betsey blinked at the news. “Psalm’s place? I know it. She makes the best wrinkle cream in the world. Are Shells and Cody okay? Where are they?”
“I was at the high school dealing with another overdose. Jonelle showed up at the store just before I did and we had a fight in front of the kids again. I had to let them go with her, but it about killed me.”
He took a deep swallow of the beer. The chatter continued around him, but he felt alone and isolated.
“I think she’s using again, Mama, but I haven’t been able to catch her yet.”
Betsey clicked her tongue. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I saw ’em when I was workin’ the booth, but that bitch wouldn’t let ’em come see me. If I’d known them kids was alone, I’d a brought ’em up here till you got off work.”
One of the club members got up from the couch to make room for her and she slid into the space. “Somethin’s gonna need to be done about her, Blue. Them kids ain’t doing well. Michelle’s getting real quiet and that ain’t normal for her. Cody’s ’bout scared of everything and gettin’ worse. When’s the court hearing?”
“Three weeks from yesterday,” Blue told her, jamming a hand over his face. “I still need to find a better place to live. No judge is going to allow me overnights while I’m living in that shit hole.”
“You can always come back here,” Betsey whispered. “The kids would always be safe and have a ready-made family with lots of uncles and aunts. You know the judge will think twice and then some before messin’ with the Dragon Runners.”
Blue burped lightly. “I know that, Mama, but if I did, I’d go back to being Brick and Betsey’s son instead of Blue Davis, Deputy of Bryson City. I need to be out and be my own man with my own name. If it comes down to brass tacks, I’ll do what I have to do to keep my kids safe, including come back here, but unless something goes really bad, I need to do my own thing. A man is no man unless he can stand on his own two feet and take care of his family.”
Betsey blew out a pshhhhhtt between her red-painted lips and scowled at him. “Yeah, well, sometimes that man needs to accept a little help from time to time from his mama or his woman. Was Psalm there when Jonelle pitched her hissy fit?”
“Yeah, she was there. I’ll call on her for the court hearing if I need to.” Blue was exhausted and could feel his energy draining from his body. “I’m gonna crash here tonight, Mama. I’m wiped. Can you tell Dad I want to talk to him in the morning about this new drug shit coming through town? Had another kid OD tonight. I need to see if the Runners have any idea of what’s going on.”
Betsey hesitated. This was a clash between worlds and had to be played right. “Your daddy and the club ain’t got nothing to do with the drugs running through town. You know that, Blue. They’s just as bothered by it as anyone else and mean to put a stop to it like you do, but you know the club’s got a different way of coming to justice. Might be your daddy won’t share everything he knows.”
“I know, Ma, but I gotta ask anyway. I’m grasping at straws and feel like it’s only a matter of time before I have another damaged or dead kid from this stuff. We’ll cross the next bridge when we get there.” He got up from the couch and hugged his mother goodnight.
She hugged him back. “Sleep well, son. You always got a place here. Love you.”
Blue settled in the room that was kept for him in the living quarters that took up the majority of the second floor. The sounds of the club’s active night were faint as he stripped his uniform off and climbed into the queen-sized bed. He reached out to the nightstand and remembered his soap bar was still in his apartment. He’d gotten into the habit of smelling it every night and found himself missing the ritual. He had showered with it occasionally and found the scent did cling to him during the day, but he used a different soap most of the time as he wanted to make that bar last as long as possible. He knew he could always buy another one but for some reason, it was important to him to keep this one. Blue closed his eyes and called up the lavender fragrance in his memory. Even from miles away, he could smell the soap’s calming scent and was able to fall asleep.
Eight
Sunday was my favorite day of the week as it was my only real day off. Sometimes I’d sleep in if the dogs let me. Sleeping in meant I could stay in bed until six or seven, so for most people, it wouldn’t seem to be a luxury, but I’d learned to appreciate those extra few hours. Sunday was also Pamper Night. I got to take a long two-tub bath with my Kindle, use a body scrub, try a new face mask, shave my legs, groom my eyebrows, deep condition my hair, and whatever girly girl indulgence I wanted. A two-tub bath was when I filled the tub with water as hot as I liked, lounged in it until it cooled, then drained and filled it again. Some people may have called it waste. I called it therapy.
Some Sunday mornings I spent with my parents, taking the dogs out to their farm and letting them run in the large fields and wooded areas around their house. I used to be afraid they’d get lost, but they never wandered so far they couldn’t hear my call. I had the opinion that their lives had been rough enough that they knew they’d won the doggie lottery when they came to live with me. Sometimes I went to church with my parents, but I was just as content to go to their house in the early afternoon and hang out, messing around in Mom’s kitchen or seeing what new project Dad had started.
This Sunday was no exception as the snuffling and whining started at six thirty and I dragged myself out of bed to let the dogs out for potty time. Sam stayed right by me, still in protection mode, and was reluctant to go outside with the rest to take care of business, but Toto pushed him into it. She was the best dog ever!
An hour later, I had everyone packed up and in the truck, heading out of town to my parents’ farm. As I drove off, I noticed Blue’s lights were off. By this time every morning he was always up. I was concerned a bit, but Blue was a grown man and I was sure he was okay and somewhere safe. I had wondered from time to time where he went at night on his motorcycle, but also knew it was really none of my business as he always came home. Maybe he was really there and sleeping in. Last night had been rough on him and the kids, and my heart twinged for all three of them. Jonelle could kiss my ass!
My parents lived in an old farmhouse that sat in the back half of an open field. The house had been in my family for generations but had been modernized over the years. It still sported the same square boxy look of most farmhouses in the area, with a large living room and eat-in kitchen on the bottom floor, three large bedrooms on the second floor, and a root cellar underneath. Electricity was added a long time ago, but the kerosene lamp sconces were still on the wall. The house had been updated with new siding and roof, and recently my parents had the cable buried instead of draping down the long driveway. Dad said he hadn’t liked the look of having all those tall poles obstructing his view. There was running water courtesy of a well pump and made hot by a propane tank. The kitchen still had the ancient woodstove my grandmother used, and my mother preferred to cook on it for the most part, although there was an electric one in the corner. I’d always loved the combination of traditional and modern the house and my parents represented. It was funny to see my dad stoking a fire in the woodstove that heated the living room and then settle himself in his La-Z-Boy at night to watch sports through satellite on a big flat-screen TV.
The farm had been a working one for years, growing burly leaf tobacco at one time for
commercial use. Now some of the large fields were leased by other farmers as my dad was retired from working the land as much. He still had the fields around the house grow wild for hay and had it cut and baled already, and he also maintained a rather large garden, growing corn, potatoes, pole beans, tomatoes, and other vegetables. He was rather thin, but he was spry and always full of life. It was hard for him to sit still and he liked to be working on something every day. The garden kept him busy, as the produce from it fed them, me, and several other families. Mom called him the Energizer Bunny.
Mom was old-school as well, getting homemade cheese, milk, and sausage from neighbors. She kept a few chickens for fresh eggs but didn’t like to use them for meat. Sometimes the dogs would chase them around the house, but they had learned the hard way that Speckles, the rooster, was rather defensive of his territory. She still made her own soap with the same recipe her mother taught her using lard or rendered fat from venison. Her bars were plain and functional, which suited the needs of the farm. I used the same base recipe for some of my stuff but had expanded and changed it over the years and never used animal fat.
I pulled into the parking area right outside the house and saw my dad coming out of the woodshed with his arms full of logs for the kitchen fire. I waved as I opened the back and let the dogs jump out. They greeted my dad with doggie smiles and barks, their butts moving as rapidly as their tails. Buddy and Zeke took off after Speckles and Dion explored the closest bush. Toto greeted my dad with her head-butting hug against his leg.
He bent over, scratching at her graying ears. “Whatcha got there, little missy? A new boarder?”
Sam had taken up his usual spot sitting on his haunches next to me.
“This is Sam, Dad, and yes, he’s new. Just came last week from Virginia. Remember that raid earlier this year on the dogfighting ring? This is one of the fighters.”
