May Contain Wine

by Vale, Lani Lynn

  In case the worst happened and some gunman were to enter the school.

  Then that resource officer would be able to hopefully protect them in the event that they ever needed it.

  “When you were here, they were different times,” Carruthers said, much more softly this time.

  That was when I realized that Carruthers’ defensive posture had changed.

  “True,” Louis agreed. “But that’s not to say that we can’t get back there. This school at least. Maybe if we did, the students wouldn’t be so bad. You got your work cut out for you, Carruthers. I sure hope that you have what it takes to fix what Bailey broke.”

  Carruthers looked down at his hands. “I do, too.”

  Things were silent after that for a long few seconds as everyone digested what had been said.

  “I don’t mind that you are here,” Carruthers finally stated. “I would hope that you keep it PG for my students’ sake. I would also like you to make sure that you are conscious of how your behavior affects the students here. I know that you’re not doing anything wrong now—but in the future.”

  I nearly rolled my eyes.

  “Yes, sir,” I said. “I wouldn’t do anything that would make these students think less of me. It’s hard enough to control them as it is.”

  His eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean by that?”

  I shrugged. “I mean that I’m a small person and that the students walk all over me. They’re getting worse and worse as the years go by. I have one student that comes in every single day and refuses to leave most days. If it wasn’t for Louis, he’d likely still be in my office.”

  Carruthers narrowed his eyes. “What’s this student’s name?”

  I told him, surprised when Carruthers curled his lip.

  “He was just as bad in middle school,” he said softly, looking behind him to make sure that there was no one in sight. “When he was in middle school, they had him evaluated. They held him overnight in a psych hold because he tried to stab his classmate’s sister.”

  My gut clenched.

  “I’m fairly sure I remember that he did kill his family pets. Used to stab them in the chest and watch them die,” he murmured.

  I shivered.

  “They got him help, and he got better over his seventh-grade year. But yeah, I can see how he would give you the attitude. He always had that when he was in my school, too.” He paused. “I’m actually quite disappointed that I have to deal with him once again.”

  At that, I actually burst out laughing.

  Carruthers rolled his eyes.

  “Be careful when you’re around him,” he said. “When he comes into your office, make sure you never close the door. Leave it open…”

  He left that last part hanging, but I understood.

  Leave it open so someone could hear me scream.

  “I don’t like this,” Louis said. “If he’s that bad, why is he here?”

  That was the million-dollar question.

  Why was he there if he was that bad, indeed.

  Chapter 4

  You sound better with your mouth closed.

  -Coffee Cup

  Louis

  I picked my hand up to knock right as the door flew open and Calloway came rushing out.

  She had an overnight bag in her hand, and she was holding onto a laptop case as if her life depended on it.

  I frowned when she didn’t even notice I was there. She turned hastily around, backed up, and hit me with her overnight bag before shutting and locking the door.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  Calloway reacted as if I’d pinched her.

  Screeching and whirling around, she stared at me with horror.

  That horror quickly fell off her face, but a different, more usual expression filled her face after that. Anger.

  “Why the hell would you scare me like that?” she asked, placing her hand over her heart.

  “I was standing here about to knock when you came barreling out of the door and didn’t bother to look who was standing on your front porch,” I said.

  If you could even call it a front porch.

  The place was falling down around her.

  The porch had more sagging and rotted boards than I’d ever seen in one place. And there was one part of her house, right beside the door, that I could actually see through.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said as she went around me and headed for her car.

  I frowned and followed after her.

  When she would’ve gotten into her car, I slammed the door back closed and leaned against the car door, waiting for her to acknowledge me.

  When she didn’t, I sighed and walked around her car.

  She used that time to get into hers and start it up.

  She was nearly about to put her foot onto the accelerator when I came to the passenger side and dropped my ass into it.

  “You owe me,” I said. “I came over here and picked up a dead kitten for you.” I paused. “Not to mention, I donate my blood to you.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I can get blood from anyone.”

  “I donate blood to you at least every two months,” I said. “Because it’s safer, and you know where the blood is coming from.”

  She didn’t argue with that.

  “They screen the blood they use,” she countered.

  I sighed. “That’s damn near ridiculous. You know you’d rather my blood than some random stranger’s.”

  And I knew I was right.

  She’d mentioned it a handful of times. That, and she really hated the idea of taking blood away from someone that might need it in the event of an emergency.

  “Whatever,” she said. “Why does it matter, anyway?”

  I reached for my seatbelt and locked it into place.

  “I want you to go on a date with me,” I said simply. “I want another chance.”

  She was silent for so long that I turned to look at her.

  Her hand was clenched hard on the steering wheel, and she was now driving close to eighty—in a fifty mile an hour zone, might I add.

  “You do realize that it’s a fifty mile an hour zone right here, right?” I asked curiously.

  The needle started to creep back down to the seventy mark, but before she could get any further, red and blue lights lit up the back window.

  My lips curled up in amusement as she started to curse.

  The first place she found to turn into—the goddamn donut store might I add—she pulled over, put her car into park, took her foot off the brake and turned her car off before putting her keys into the cupholder.

  Her father’s doing, I assumed.

  Before I could tell her to roll down the windows, those went down, too, effectively allowing the cop doing the pulling over to see into her car.

  The cop being her father.

  I started to chuckle and slide down lower in my seat, my hands covering my eyes as my chest vibrated with my silent laughter.

  When Bennett got to the door, Calloway sighed loudly.

  “I have a gun.”

  There was a moment of silence and then Bennett said, “Well I fucking hope so.”

  There was a delicate snort, and I moved my hands to see Bennett staring at me with raised eyebrows.

  “Hey, it wasn’t me telling her to speed,” I said, looking sideways longingly.

  Damn, I could go for some donuts.

  I looked down to see the keys in her cupholder, then grinned and snatched them up before she could think.

  Shouldering out of the car, I walked inside and nearly groaned.

  “Y’all have my pumpkin donuts!” I cried out.

  The woman behind the counter, Delanie Davidsdottir, Booth’s baby mama, rolled her eyes. “I do. And hopefully you have cash. I can’t figure out the card machine, and Dillan’s not answering my calls. I can’t believe I agreed to do this.”

  Grinning, I walked up to the dis
play case and started to pick out my poison.

  “Uncle Louis!” Asa, Booth and Delanie’s son, came running around the display cases like his feet were on fire. “What are you doing here?”

  I caught him up and whirled him around, grinning when he shrieked wildly. “I’m here to get some donuts, little man. What are you doing here?”

  I tickled him for emphasis, causing him to groan and squeal in excitement.

  He really was a cute kid.

  And he was getting fucking huge.

  I remembered when he was just a tiny little baby and all of us were so in awe of him. Now, we were still in awe of him, but he wasn’t so little anymore.

  “Who’s that getting pulled over by Uncle Benny Bear?” Asa asked.

  I started to chuckle and took him to the window, showing him Calloway.

  “It’s Calloway,” I said. “I was in the car with her. She was going too fast.”

  “Cal’s yellin’,” Asa said.

  Yes, yes, she was.

  She was also waving her arms around wildly and gesturing at me.

  When Bennett waved at Asa—at least I was assuming he was waving at Asa—Calloway turned with a glare on her face that quickly slid off.

  She waved—this time I knew at Asa—but I chose to piss her off and waved back.

  Calloway rolled her eyes and turned back to her dad.

  “You like Calloway, dontcha?” Asa asked.

  “You bet your behind,” Delanie confirmed. “But he’s too chicken to ask her out.”

  I stuck my tongue out at her. “Speaking of chicken…”

  Delanie looked away, her gaze going somewhere where only she could see.

  Delanie had a thing for her baby daddy’s brother, Bourne. Bourne had a big thing for her. But both of them were reluctant to act on anything because they were too worried about Booth. Though, they shouldn’t be. Booth had a thing for Delanie’s sister, Dillan.

  Needless to say, it was a big clusterfuck, and there was definitely some wife swap, Dr. Phil things going on in their family, and I tried to stay far, far away from it.

  It would work itself out in time.

  Especially with the way things had ramped up lately, making it nearly impossible to be in the same room as them and not see the sparks flying.

  “Get her donuts,” Asa ordered. “She likes the ones filled with cream.”

  I grinned. “Already two steps ahead of you, bud. Should we pick her out some pretty ones?”

  Asa nodded his head sharply. “Yes, I think so,” he said so authoritatively it made me grin. “Aunt Dillan said that pretty ladies should get pretty flowers. That’s what she said when she gave one of Mama’s new dogs a flowered donut. The dog ate it in three bites!”

  Delanie specialized in PTSD—post-traumatic stress disorder—dogs. Dogs that could help mostly veterans, but some other types of individuals, deal better with post-traumatic stress disorder on their own. Hayes had recently gotten a dog from Delanie. The dog’s name was Trigger, and apparently he helped him with reintegrating back into society. Something he’d been hiding rather well, but Ares had seen straight through.

  “Hey,” I said to Delanie. “Can you give me two dozen assorted? I don’t really care how much or what, other than a few cream filled. But the white cream, not Bavarian. Calloway thinks that one looks like snot.”

  “Oh, look!” Asa said, pointing over my shoulder. “Grandpa is here!”

  Nico was, indeed, there.

  He was pulling into a parking space, likely coming to get the little man in my arms and not to see Bennett.

  But he’d gone to Bennett anyway, offering him a handshake before grinning at Calloway who was now standing there with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

  “Any kolaches?” she asked curiously.

  “Yeah, give me a dozen, but split them up into two bags, too.” I paused. “Hey, Asa. Can you go get me four chocolate milks?”

  Asa scrambled down from my arms and did as I asked, coming back one time after another until he’d gotten me all four.

  “Uncle Bennett likes strawberry milk, though,” Asa said.

  I winked. “Go get me some of that, then.”

  He did, and five minutes later, I had an arm full of bags and excited kid.

  “I’ll bring him back inside if Nico doesn’t,” I said over my shoulder.

  Delanie gave me a wave and helped the next customer that’d followed me inside.

  Then, with Asa clinging to my head while perched on my shoulders, and me holding two dozen donuts, five jugs of milk, and some kolaches, I made my way outside.

  Asa shrieked in laughter when I pretended to drop him, causing Bennett, Nico, and Calloway to turn my way.

  Nico grinned at me—or more likely Asa—and broke away.

  When he was close enough, Asa dove into his grandfather’s arms.

  Nico hugged him close and fell back into step beside us, walking back to where Calloway and Bennett were still standing.

  I handed Bennett a box of donuts, half the kolaches and his strawberry milk.

  “If you don’t like the strawberry milk, it’s Asa’s fault. He said you did.” I poked the kid in the side.

  He bared his teeth at me in a feral grin that was really fuckin’ impressive. “It is his favorite.”

  “He’s right,” Bennett said as he eyed the donuts in the box. “But I’m on a diet. I really shouldn’t be eating these.”

  “Why are you on a diet?” Calloway asked as she snuck one of the cream ones out of her dad’s box.

  “That’s Bavarian,” I said before she bit into it. “The ones in here are yours.”

  She set the box on top of her car’s roof and pulled one out, grinning when she saw the flowers.

  “I like these,” she said. “Delanie did good.”

  She had.

  The girl was a freakin’ god when it came to decorating a donut.

  “Aunt Dillan is gonna do grad-didutation hats tomorrow,” Asa declared. “She said that she has an order for eight hundred donuts tomorrow.”

  Nico snorted. “Graduation.”

  “That’s what I said,” Asa said. “What are you doing here, Papa?”

  As Asa said that, he cupped his ‘Papa’s’ cheeks with both hands and forced Nico to look him in the eye.

  “I’m going to take you to your doctor appointment today,” he said. “Your mama said that your tummy was acting up. And your daddy got called in to work.”

  Asa wrinkled up his nose. “Daddy’s pissed, isn’t he?”

  Nico’s eyes sparkled. “Daddy wasn’t happy, no. But I’m here. Then we’ll go see Grammy at work when we’re done. Sound good?”

  Asa fist-pumped the air. “Do I have to go back to school after?”

  “No,” Nico said. “You’ve already missed half of it by now.”

  I didn’t bother to point out that it was only nine in the morning. He didn’t miss half of it. He would miss about half of it if he went back right after his doctor appointment.

  “Sweet.” He turned in Nico’s arms and narrowed his eyes at Bennett. “Can I press your siren button?”

  “As cute as this little baby is, I have to go,” Calloway said as she licked her lips. “I’m supposed to be in Dallas in two hours for something.”

  Bennett narrowed his eyes. “Something what?”

  Calloway shoved the box of donuts at me and held out her hand for her keys. “Give ‘em.”

  I ignored her, walked to her driver’s side, and said, “Get in.”

  Calloway stood there and growled.

  Instead of listening to her, I started her car, shoved the seat back as far as it could go, and then closed the door.

  Then, for good measure, I locked the door.

  Calloway stood there for a good two minutes before she realized I wasn’t getting out.

  While she was standing there, I helped myself to two more donuts and two kolaches before downing
my chocolate milk.

  Finally, I saw movement, grinning when I watched her stomp like a rabid badger around the car and yank open the door.

  I rolled the window down and said, “Y’all have a good one.”

  Bennett saluted me with a donut, and I waved at Asa. “Take care of the old man, Asa.”

  Nico flipped me off.

  Grinning, I rolled up the window and put the car into drive.

  “Now, which part of Dallas are we going to?” I asked. “And can we stop at Buc-ee’s?”

  ***

  “Holy shit,” Calloway said as she saw the gas station. “Oh my god.”

  “It’s big, right?” I said. “I’ve wanted to stop here since they opened it. Though the only time I’ve been past it, someone’s been with me that refuses to stop.”

  “Meaning your sister,” Calloway snorted. “You know how she hates crowds.”

  That was true. My sister, Beckham, really hated crowds. Hated it to the point where she had panic attacks, hated it. Needless to say, Buc-ee’s was out of the question for her. At least, she thought it was out of the question. Likely, it wasn’t bad at all, she just refused to give it a chance because of her refusal to enter into a situation that might cause one.

  “I just… it’s so big,” she whispered.

  I looked around at the parking lot, which was the size of our Walmart at home, and shook my head.

  “How many gas pumps do you think they have?” I asked as I looked down the long row of pumps.

  Surprisingly, there was a person at every single one of them.

  Jesus, they had to be making a killing here every day.

  “At least a hundred,” she murmured as she looked with me. “Jesus.”

  I agreed. Jesus.

  This place really was massive.

  “Let’s go inside,” I told her eagerly. “I want to see.”

  We got out of the car, and I pocketed the keys again, knowing that she’d try to steal them—and possibly leave me behind—if I didn’t take them.

  Getting out, I waited at the hood of the car for her and grinned when she gave me a glare.

  God, she was beautiful.

  Today she was in a pair of worn-out jeans. Ones that were likely manufactured to look worn out, but still. They were cute on her. They hugged her body in all the right places, molding to her ass, thighs, and crotch to the point that I could tell that she was wearing a thong with them.