Lyon's Heart

by Jordan Silver

  “Elena what are you doing here?”

  “Son that’s no way to talk to your mother and for your information we’re here to help Kat with the baking.”

  “Don’t you have an oven?”

  “Yes but it’s more fun doing it together, come on Caitie let’s go into the kitchen and grandma will teach you how to make her shoofly pie.” She confiscated my damn kid.

  “Hey we were just about to read the three little pigs woman.”

  “Oh Colt you can do that anytime, besides you have her all the time grandma only gets to see her every so often.”

  “Mom you’ve seen that kid almost everyday since she’s been born quit the bull. Hi Tina, hi Char.”

  “Hey Colt how goes it?”

  “Uh huh.” I sniffed the air when the giggling started, Daniel isn’t the only one you have to watch out for these days he’s turned Elena and her posse onto his shit and she can be just as bad as he is.

  “Just remember the cookies and pies are to be given away you three get the munchies I hope you have something to eat in those suitcases you call purses.”

  “Whatever do you mean Colton?” Tina tried to play the innocent card but she was about to bust from holding back her laughter.

  “Drake know what you been up to?”

  “He might not know for sure but he sure do enjoy the benefits.” Kat came out of the kitchen when the hooting and hollering started.

  “I know that’s right, I think that’s why Daniel leaves it out where I can find it. He does like the added agility.”

  “For the love of…mom cut it out that’s just nasty.” I made my escape on that note. I sure wish my parents would realize it was not cool to share certain things with me, damn.

  I could hear them in the kitchen yakking it up so I headed for my office, might as well find something to do with myself since the babysitting gig fell through. I called up Jared to see what he had going, somebody had to have an ass that needed kicking. Anything to get me the fuck out of here with Kat and her shit; Fucking women.

  “Dude what we got going?”

  “Nothing that I know of I have to go chop down a tree for old lady Morris but that’s about it.”

  “You decorating it too?”

  “Nah her grandkids are supposed to be coming over to do that.”

  “Count me in.”

  “I thought you had to take care of my goddaughter while Katarina cooked.”

  “Change of plans, Elena and her crew are here and they’re high I need out of this place like now.”

  “I’d pay good money to see that.”

  “Trust me bro you don’t want no part of that shit, where you getting the tree?”

  “Where we always get them Colt out back in the woods behind your place.”

  “Fine I’ll meet you back there.”

  “Give me ten before you head out.”

  “No problem.”

  I ventured into the henhouse to kiss my woman and my kid goodbye and from the silence that fell as soon as I crossed the threshold I knew I really didn’t want any part of what they had going on in there.

  “I don’t even want to know, please try not to corrupt my poor kid. Bye Caitie bear daddy will be back soon.”

  “Where are you going Colt I thought you were going to help us?”

  “That would be negative, Jared needs to get a tree for old lady Morris and I’m his wingman. Besides what do you need me for you’ve got your posse here to do cleanup. Elena the flour is supposed to go into the bowl not all over my floor.”

  “Where’s the fun in that? Caitlin likes when grandma makes a mess don’t you sweet girl?” Caitie could care less she was too busy gnawing on a wooden spoon with who knows what stuck to it. I gave her one last kiss, sucked Kat’s face off to the enjoyment of everyone in the room including my daughter and left the madness and chaos behind.

  The back of my place is nothing but woods after you get pass the swimming pool and recreation area. I’d cleared it out a bit cutting down most of the grass and rotted trees so that it looked more inviting I guess you can say, as opposed to something out of a backpacking horror flick, but it was still pretty dense in some parts. It was nothing like my old place but I guess having surrounding land and a backyard said family home more. I heard Jared before I saw him and from all the cussing going on I think the tree was winning the battle. Last year while the guys were helping me clean up back here we’d found the pine trees and they’d decided that here is where they’d be getting their Xmas trees from now on. I had no problem with that there were more than enough back there and if it saved them a couple bucks each year why not? Even Elena had gotten hers here this year and she’s the pickiest person I know. One of the guys thought we should sell them for a profit but I had a better idea. Why not give them away? So that’s what we did this year and that’s’ how Jared ended up back here trying to get one for old lady Morris who lived alone and whose family only came around the holidays.

  “Dude, that’s the sorriest looking tree I’ve ever seen what’re you doing?”

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “What’s wrong with it? Don’t you see all those bare limbs in the middle?”

  “Shit, I didn’t notice, dammit why didn’t you tell me it was brick outside?”

  “How would I have known that? I was in the house all morning and since you mention it I’d like to get back there sometime before next year so lets get a move on.” He looked up at the tree that he’d been about to cut down as if trying to find its redeeming qualities.

  “Forget it dude let’s go.”

  We walked around back there for a good while before we finally found one that I thought looked respectable enough.

  “This one.”

  “That shit’s huge Colt what’s she gonna do with that? She only needs a little five footer.”

  “Nah this is good it’s only about seven feet and look at it, it’s healthy looking.” I helped him cut it down and bind it up before we started heading back.

  We headed for his truck with me bringing up the rear. He stopped short and almost got me in the gonads.

  “Dude.”

  “Sorry Colt.” He bent down close to the brambles and I was about to ask him what the hell he was doing when he stood and looked around.

  “What’s up bro?”

  “Were you back here in the last day or so?”

  “No why?” He pointed to what looked like footprints and matted down grass but I still didn’t quite grasp what he was getting at. As much foot traffic as had been through here in the last few weeks there was bound to be tracks.

  “Somebody was back here bro and in the last day or so.”

  I didn’t bother asking him how he knew that shit, that was his thing. That little gift has come in handy a time or two in the past and I never questioned his knowledge. I knew fuck all about it so I let him take the lead.

  “Maybe one of the guys came out to get their tree.” Though they usually told me when they were going to be out here or they usually came by the house first it’s possible.

  “Nah bro Zack was the last one and I helped him get his two weeks ago and we came in over there.” He pointed in the opposite direction from where we now stood. I started following the pattern he pointed out with the naked eye and pretty soon I could see it. It’s not something I would’ve picked up on my own but the way he explained shit as he went made sense.

  “You see these right here, they were broken off just in the last day or so they haven’t started to turn as yet. That could be partially due to the weather but I don’t think so and look here. Here’s where the person was standing.” We’d put the tree down when he started his bloodhound routine and now we were standing in the spot where he thought someone had been. I was starting to get that kick in my gut again when we turned in the little copse of trees where he’d stopped. The bush around the base of one of the trees was matted considerably more than the rest around it but I still wasn’t sure it wasn’t from the guys tramp
ing through here.

  “How sure are you that this is new…?”

  “Colt…” The tone of his voice made me uneasy and I looked up at him. He was staring in the direction of the house and I knew I wasn’t going to like where this was going. I stood next to him and looked in the same direction. It was a direct line to the back of my house which was more glass than anything else. You probably couldn’t see anything from back here unless you had binoculars but if you got close enough you would be able to see into the house. My blood ran cold in my veins and my first thought was to run and get my woman and kid the fuck out of there. I started to do just that but Jared’s hand on my arm stopped me.

  “Wait bro lets see what else we find back here, it’s not easy to walk through the woods without leaving something behind.”

  “Fuck that Jared I’m getting them out of here now.”

  He was already off nosing around following the tracks, stopping every once in a while to study shit closer. We found a trail of sorts or more accurately Jared found a trail that led onto the property from the road that ran behind it. No one ever used that road because it led to nowhere for a few miles. In fact I doubt many people even knew it was there. The only thing that kept people off of my land was a little barbwire fence which I now saw had been cut.

  “Fuck me.” I ran my hand over my face as my mind raced, everything in me wanted to run back to the house, bundle them up and take them the fuck away from here. The other side of me wanted to snap someone’s fucking neck in half.

  “I’m calling a meeting you go drop the tree off and meet me back here in ten.” I pulled my phone and called Paul one of my crew and told him what I needed. Jared and I headed back in the direction of the house. He broke off and went to his truck while I stood at the back of the house and looked back towards the woods trying to figure out what if anything whoever had been out there had been watching. We hadn’t been spending as much time back here because of the change in the weather but could they see into the kitchen and if so why the fuck would they want to? I knew who was behind this, there was no doubt in my mind that it was the chick that was on my driveway but in the off chance that I was wrong or that for whatever fucked up reasons she might have an accomplice I had to be careful. One thing was certain after the initial gut punch. I wasn’t leaving my home because of some sick fuck, fuck that. I’m not uprooting my daughter and hiding her away somewhere. I had more than enough security around this place so that no one could get near my house without alerting me. The first thing I needed to do was reinforce the fence running along the back of the woods and do it in a way that Kat wouldn’t suspect. That should be easy all I had to do was tell her that the fence had come down or some shit. They didn’t have anything planned in the next few days that entailed her leaving the house without me so that was covered and I planned on having people around them at all times from now on until I got to the bottom of this fuckery. The trick was how to do it without alerting her to the danger.

  “Colton what…?”

  “Fuck baby back inside.” Fuck I scared her. She closed the door but stood there looking at me like a deer caught in headlights while I tried to calm the fuck down. Way to go Lyon way to not alert her to what’s going on.

  I went to her and pulled her into my arms while easing her away from the glass enclosure without being too obvious about it.

  “I’m sorry Angel I didn’t mean to scare you.” I squeezed her, folding her tighter into my body. The thought of her being in danger scared and infuriated me in equal measure. Nothing was going to fuck with her not now not ever. I pulled her head back and kissed her before placing it back on my chest.

  “Colton what’s wrong?”

  Think fast Colt don’t fuck this up. “Nothing’s wrong Angel my mind just wandered there for a minute and you spooked me.” She leaned back and looked up at me. I put a scowl on my face to let her know I didn’t appreciate being spooked, better that than letting her see what was really going on inside my head.

  “It’s all that crap you read, I told you to stop reading that stuff. You about scared me half to death.”

  I hugged her and kissed her again to farther dispel any suspicion.

  “I’m sorry babe, maybe you’re right, maybe I need to lay off a bit. Listen the guys are coming over to help me out a little before we have to leave for the hospital.”

  “Help you out with what? You guys gonna strap on the aprons and bake some cookies?” She grinned up at me just asking for trouble. I guess it’s a testament to her affect on me because even with all the shit going on in my head I wanted her. With one last kiss on her nose I eased her away.

  “Funny, no we’re going to repair the fence I think the last snow tore down parts of it.”

  “You guys have to do that today, can’t it wait?”

  “Nah babe I want to get it done before the next storm comes and fucks the whole thing up. It won’t take long with all the guys pitching in; not to worry we’ll be done in more than enough time. Mom and the ladies still in there right?”

  “Yeah we’re having a blast, we ended up making way more than we’d planned to but hey it won’t go to waste right.”

  “Okay I’ll be out here, where’s Caitie bear?”

  “Sitting in her highchair fighting sleep.”

  “Her grandmothers are probably making my poor kid crazy.”

  “No they’re fine she’s keeping everyone entertained with her new words, she’s such a showoff.”

  “What new words?”

  “Calm down she hasn’t learned anything new she just thinks she did, she’s babbling the way she always does when we’re cooking.”

  “Oh okay, you videoing?”

  “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Babe what did I say? We have to get all this shit on tape this is part of the whole holiday thing right?”

  “You’re right I forgot I’ll go get the camera, don’t take too long we don’t want to be late getting to the hospital and stuff.”

  “No worries babe we’ll be done.”

  I knew what I needed to do, what I was thinking of doing. Since there was no way I was leaving the house with this shit fresh in my mind I called Jared to pick up some supplies on his way back.

  “Colt I think electrical fencing is illegal in residential areas or some shit.”

  “I give a fuck bring it, Home Depot carries what I need, we don’t have time to run the lines so we’ll go with the solar operated one for now. It doesn’t pack the same punch but it’ll get the job done if the bitch tries cutting through it again.”

  “Okay I’m on it, I hope they don’t ask me what I’m using it for.”

  “If they didn’t want people using it they shouldn’t be selling the shit in my town.”

  The guys started showing up one by one a few minutes later.

  “What’s up boss?”

  “I’m cool Tommy you?”

  “I’m cool Linda’s on my ass about baking pies and shit so I’m kinda glad you called and got me out of that fuckery.”

  “I hear that, Elena and her crew are in there helping Kat; ran my ass out the house.”

  “Shit smells good though your mom making her shoofly pie?”

  “Smells like it, she was supposed to be teaching Caitlin how to do it.”

  “How’s my little darling doing?”

  A smile broke out across my face, my crew knows how I am about my little princess. They’d only just stopped teasing me about it in the last few months. I use any excuse to break out the pics or go on about her latest achievement. Of course every once in a while I have to kick somebody’s ass to remind them that although I might’ve gone soft over my girls I’m still the same hard ass.

  “Her mother says she’s in there fighting sleep. So when are you and Linda gonna get started on yours?” It felt strange having a normal conversation with all this shit going on but I was only explaining that shit once so I might as well pass the time until the others got here.

  “It’s all she
can talk about, I think your wife lit a fire under her ass or something. You know she wanted to finish getting her masters, I guess she figures she can do both just fine now.”

  “I’m happy for you, best thing I ever did.” I ignored his disrespectful smirk when I heard the others coming around the side of the house. I’d told them to meet me out back so we could avoid nosy ass Elena and her shit. If anyone could ferret out shit it would be her or she’d sic Char on our asses to figure out what we we’re up to.

  “We’re just waiting on Jared to get here and then I’ll tell you guys what’s going on. Any of those nosy ass women come out here we’re fixing the fence that’s it.”

  “I don’t know boss if they offer me some of whatever smells so damn good coming out of there I might spill my guts and I don’t even know what the fuck this is about.”

  “Zack we’ll feed your greedy ass in a bit Kat said they made extra; shit here they come.”

  “Hey boys we all ready for this evening?”

  “Hey Ms. Elena, we’re ready where’s Daniel?”

  “He had to go into the hospital today what’re you lot up to out here?”

  “Mom don’t you have pies in the oven?”

  “I just came to see if you boys wanted some hot chocolate and a slice of my pie. We made plenty I think we might’ve gone a little overboard this year.”

  “There’s no such thing as too much pie Ms. Elena…”

  “Zack.”

  “Fine I’ll have pie and chocolate after we help the Grinch fix his fence.”

  “They’re not twelve Elena and take my kid back inside it’s cold out here.”