Broken Road

by Addison Kline

  She overheard Tim barking an order at Randy.

  “Get those two boxes and load them in the truck. We’re going to start emptying out the garage.”

  Averi slid her hand along the wall that used to hold their family photographs, pictures of her and Colt as teenagers. They were kids back then, with the weight of the world on their shoulders. She knew the move to the ranch was a positive thing, but she couldn’t help feeling sad leaving the first house she and Colton had called home together. She brushed that thought away, though. Black Horse had made damn sure that their sanctuary that they had built together, no longer felt safe. Even with him gone.

  Averi grabbed onto the bannister and as she prepared to head downstairs to see what was going on, Shelly was rushing up the stairs with a glass of orange juice in her right hand.

  “Hey girl,” Shelly said looking tired but alert, “I was just about to wake you up. We’re getting an early start so that we can be settled in by dinner time.”

  “I was wondering what was going on…”

  “Yeah, the guys have been at it all night. They never even went to bed. Your Uncle Shawn is here, too… Along with some of Tim’s friends and some of Colt’s guys from the gym.”

  “Oh, my God! They better not break anything!” exclaimed Averi as her eyes went wide. “They are a bunch of brutes.”

  “They are all being very careful. Colt marked everything that was fragile.”

  Averi let out a sigh of relief. She took the glass from her friend and went back into the bedroom where she could get dressed.

  “Pick out what clothes you need for today, because I’m going to load the rest in my car. I don’t want to put it in the truck. It’ll wind up damaging your stuff.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll probably have to buy new clothes after baby McClain gets here, anyhow.”

  “What are you talking about?! You’re going to lose all that baby weight. Just wait.”

  “Yeah, yeah…” Averi said as she pulled out a pair of maternity jeans, a pink t-shirt, a baby blue GAP hoodie along with some underwear, socks and a bra. She picked up her white sneakers off the closet floor and told Shelly, “It’s all yours.”

  Not wasting any time, Shelly began plucking Averi’s clothes out of the closet and transporting it downstairs. Averi called after her friend, “Uh, I’ll just be in the shower!”

  She hated feeling like she was of no help, but being six months pregnant, there wasn’t a whole lot she could do in this stage of the move. Once they were at the house, though, that was a different story entirely.

  ***

  “Pick up your end!” Colt yelled at Randy as they lifted the dining room table out of the house and into the moving van. With a grunt, Randy lifted his end of the oak table higher, his face turning purple under the weight.

  Tim was in the garage with two of his buddies, Jax and Harlen, pulling out storage bins and loading them in the back of the huge moving truck. Jax, who stood at six feet six inches with bulky muscles and black spiked up hair, clearly had no trouble taking the boxes to the truck. He took three large storage containers at a time, picking them up like they were nothing. Meanwhile, Harlen was disassembling Colt’s work table and storing all the tools neatly in a box. If at all possible, Harlen was even bigger than Jax, but not quite as ripped.

  Shelly walked out to the car with her hands full of Averi’s clothes. When she saw Jax she nearly stopped in her tracks. He had a good foot over her head, and standing next to him made her feel like a child. Jax took the clothes from her while she opened up the back door of her car.

  “Oh, thanks… Jax right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “How do you and Tim know each other?”

  “We fought together in the MMA…”

  “I should have known…” Shelly said in a mildly annoyed tone as she opened the car door.

  Inside the house, Shawn was bossing around Colt’s buddies in the living room.

  “This couch should’ve been the first thing in the damn truck! C’mon!” Shawn barked.

  Colt’s buddies from the gym, included Ricky, the kickboxer that Colt was helping to train for his upcoming bout, Torian, a short but jacked up personal trainer who worked at the gym with Colt, and Will, a fair skinned and super lanky minor league basketball player who Colt had known since his high school days.

  Torian stared at Shawn with bug eyes as he mentioned under his breath to Will and Ricky, “This dude is fucking intense.”

  “Shut up, I’m not bailing you out!” Ricky said as he picked up his end of the couch.

  “All I’m saying is, things would go faster if he would pick something up… He’s like an armchair dictator…” Torian blurted out.

  Sure enough, Shawn was sitting in an arm chair shouting out orders as he sipped his mug of coffee.

  “He is the police captain… You know that right…”

  “I live in San Anton’… Why the hell would I know that?”

  “Just sayin’…”

  “Who is he, anyway…? Why is he here…?”

  “He’s Averi’s uncle. Her very overprotective uncle. Colt says he’s cool though…”

  Torian gave Shawn another look. He eyed Shawn’s hard edged look as he sipped his mug of coffee and supervised the operation of the move.

  “Yeah, real cool…”

  “Here, let me give you a hand,” Colt said as he came up next to Torian and grabbed a corner of the couch. With his help they were easily able to get the couch into the back of the truck.

  The sun hadn’t even come up yet and the house was nearly empty. Colt looked around at the empty house that he and Averi had once called home, and he couldn’t help but feel a little sad. As Will and Randy grabbed the last boxes and took them outside, Colt asked for a moment alone.

  Standing in the barren living room, alone with his thoughts, Colt couldn’t help but wonder, if Black Horse hadn’t come back, would he and Averi had raised their family here. It was a great house, situated in a quiet section of Oakeley near good schools and hospitals. But the more he thought about it, the more he fought to push it away. Nothing was going to stop Black Horse from coming back. He was a psychopath with a one track mind… and now Colt had his brother to deal with.

  Sure, it was a great house. But the ranch would be a safer place for them to live and to grow as a family. He had finally convinced himself of that fact. Plus, he was keeping the family together. It may be strange to the outsider’s eye, but Averi, Colt, Randy, Tim and Shelly were as much a family unit as any. Colt and Randy fought like they were brothers, themselves. Averi and Shelly loved harder than any sisters Oakeley has seen, and Tim, the lovable tough guy, was prepared to show the world just what ends he would go to protect his family. While Randy had decided to take over his grandfather’s old workshop, Shelly and Tim were taking over the west wing of the old farm house. Meanwhile Colt and Averi took over the rest of the house. It was decided that since Shelly couldn’t cook worth a lick, and Averi and Colt loved to cook, that they could have full reign of the kitchen, as long as they were prepared to make dinner for everyone. Colt knew what they were doing was the right thing. Everyone was together after being apart for so long… and they were building a safe world for baby McClain to come into.

  A creak at the top of the staircase caught Colt’s attention. As Averi descended the staircase, step by step, she smiled at Colt as she dried her long brown hair that was soaked from the shower.

  “4:30 in the morning… You weren’t kidding with an early start,” Averi said facetiously.

  “I figured we could get settled in by dinner time, have a relaxing night,” Colt said, still standing in the middle of the room, staring at the empty walls, the barren floor.

  “It’s a good idea. This is early, even for me, but it’ll work out… The house looks so strange without all of our stuff,” Averi said as she walked to where Colt was standing.

  “I know. We made some calls last night, and all the guys came to help out.”
/>   “Which ones came?”

  “Torian, Will, Ricky, Jax, Harlan… Your Uncle Shawn is here, too.”

  “I’ll need to make a stop on the way to the house.”

  “A stop? Where?”

  “We have to feed them.”

  “You want to feed them… They will eat a horse.”

  “Donuts will have to do,” said Averi with a smile.

  As the pair looked at the place they called home, the first place where they felt truly safe, a strange calm took over them.

  “This was a stepping stone, Colt… It will all be fine,” Averi assured him. She knew he had worries.

  “We’re doing the right thing. It’s nice and quiet in the country. Who the hell would bother us out there?”

  “Exactly,” Averi said as she looked up at Colt and planted a kiss on his lips. “It’s time.”

  Averi pulled Colt’s hand and as they walked out of the house for the last time, Colt had an overwhelming feeling in his heart that they were doing the right thing.

  Chapter Nine

  The sun had begun to shine its vibrant rays over the hillside as Colt’s truck crossed into Hammerly County. The ranch was only 45 minutes away from Oakeley, but it might as well have been days. The atmosphere in the countryside was calmer, more relaxed… but they were also more isolated; a fact which did not escape Averi. All in all, Colt and Averi knew in their hearts that they were making the right decision. They wouldn’t realize the depth and the timeliness of their judgment call until the Devils had made the morning news just 24 hours from now.

  Averi sat wrapped in Colt’s jacket in the passenger seat with Barkley asleep on her lap. She watched the rural landscape fly by her window. The further from Oakeley they got, the more relaxed Averi felt. The rumble of Colt’s truck of the rocky terrain was soothing to Averi, and she couldn’t help but smile when she saw the old wooden post that read “Hall Ranch.” Lord only knows how long that sign had been stuck in the hard dirt at the crossroads of Route 97 and Fork Bend Pike. It had certainly seen more weathers than Averi or Colt had seen, that’s for sure. Colt veered off the rocky dirt road of Fork Bend Pike and followed the even rougher dirt and gravel road that led to the Ranch. Averi smiled as she saw it. It was the very place that she and Colt had been married, only now the late autumn weather had bleakened the scenery. The house had been freshly painted, a subtle clue that the house was ready to be inhabited once more. A tire swing swung lazily from a tree branch as a cool gust of wind blew through, here one minute gone the next. Averi smiled as memories of her as a girl on that very swing came to the forefront of her mind.

  “Good memories, here…” Colt said. A smile had formed on his face.

  “More to come,” Averi added, squeezing his hand tight. “Are you going to be able to handle living with my brothers and Shelly?”

  Colt smirked, “I’ll manage. No animals inside of the house, though…”

  “Barkley? No Colt, he’s a house dog…”

  “Not Barkley!” Colt said in a happy voice. He patted the sleeping pup on the head. Colt gave Averi a sneaky look. “I’m talking about Randy!”

  Averi couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s setting up Pappaw’s old workshop…”

  “Yeah, but he’s gotta get in there first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Where do you think we put all their old furniture?” asked Colt with a chuckle.

  “You’re kidding…”

  “Tim didn’t want to throw it away. You know him. He’s a pack rat. So we had to put it somewhere, and we thought that would be pretty funny. After all he has been dissing our remodeling skills.”

  “He’s gonna go ballistic.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping. I could use some entertainment,” Colt said as he winked at Averi.

  “Bad. What the hell am I going to do with you?”

  “Dirty things I hope…”

  Averi’s mouth gaped open as Colt winked at her again, “You hear that Barkley, Daddy’s bad.”

  “Bad as you want me to be. Hand me my coffee.”

  Averi did as Colt asked and shook her head at her husband. Little boys never grow up.

  Following behind them at a steady speed and loud volume, Randy, Jax and Torian were crammed into the cab of the moving truck. Randy’s heavy metal music that was playing on the radio could be heard all the way up the road. Averi raised her eyebrow at the reflection of Randy in the rearview mirror.

  “There goes the neighborhood…” Colt said in jest.

  Averi laughed as she watched Jax and Torian in the seat beside Randy act out a joke. Randy threw his head back as his bellowing laugh echoed into the quiet morning air. Following behind them, Tim and Shelly were trying to figure out what was so funny at 5:30 in the morning.

  “I’m not sure if I can survive living in the same house as him,” Shelly said, giving Tim a serious look.

  Tim laughed, “He’s not that bad. He does tend to mellow out when he doesn’t have an audience. Besides, he’s not in the house…”

  “Where’s he staying?”

  “In my grandfather’s old workshop.”

  “A workshop…”

  “It’s actually not bad. Two stories. Top floor is huge, bottom has a small kitchen and a large area that he can convert into a living room. Too bad he don’t know it’s loaded up with antiques and knick knacks.”

  “You guys didn’t fix it for him?”

  “No. He wants to talk smack about my methods with a drill, he can fix it his damn self.”

  “That’s not nice.”

  “No, but it’ll teach him to simmer down.”

  ***

  Ignoring her brother’s antics, Averi stared up at the old farm house as a flurry of emotions swarmed in her belly. She was excited, nervous, and anxious… but the reigning emotion above all else… She felt safe. Her family was together, and that was her stipulation for moving out of Oakeley. She needed everyone living together in the same place. And what better place than here? Colt and Randy were the most reluctant of the five. They were on good terms, great in fact, compared to years past, but they weren’t sure if this was pushing the bar too far. Averi, on the other hand, made it very clear. She recalls scolding both of them, “You two were brothers once. You will be again. You have to set it aside. I need my family together.”

  It didn’t take much convincing. Colt had looked her deep in the eyes and saw how badly she needed this. She needed to show their baby what a family is. It wasn’t the most conventional of families, but it certainly was a strong and tightly-knit one.

  Averi remembers her Pappaw guarding this very land and while some had dared to cross him, no one would dare step across the boundary to this land. They knew. He would shoot any intruder dead on the spot. Colt, Randy and Tim were reminded of this very rule by Shawn prior to moving in. Colt had no problem upholding Hank’s wishes.

  ***

  “Open the door, already…!” Randy complained as Colt fumbled with the house keys. It was difficult to tell which one would open the deadbolt in the dim of the early morning light.

  “Please… For two seconds… Be quiet,” Colt pleaded through gritted teeth.

  “Here,” said Randy with an outstretched hand, “Give me the damn keys. I’ll do it.”

  Colt swatted Randy’s hand away. “Git.”

  Averi watched as her husband and brother argued over who was opening the door like children. Shaking her head, she raised an eyebrow and cast a look of exhaustion in their direction.

  “Seriously?!” Averi vented in disgust as they continued to argue. “Give me the keys! I need to sit down, my ankles are killing me.”

  Averi swiped the keys from Colt and immediately slid a heavy key into the lock.

  Randy elbowed Colt, “Hormones!”

  Shelly covered her mouth as she began to laugh, but got quiet when she got a look from Averi.

  “My hormones have nothing to do with you two acting like idiots. Especially you,” Averi said looking at Randy
.

  Other than being annoyed, Averi was dying to see the inside of the house. Colt and Tim had kept their upgrades a secret from her. A smile crept over her face.

  “I can’t wait to see inside…” Averi said excitedly, casting an exuberant look back at Colt.

  Randy had a hardened look on his face. “I can’t wait to see all the shit I have to fix,” Randy blurted out giving Colt and Tim a sideways glance.

  Colt smacked Randy in his gut causing Randy to gasp in surprise.

  “Douche canoe!” Randy blurted out as his face turned red.

  “Are you suffering from Tourette’s now?” Tim asked.

  “Tim, that’s not funny. I know someone with Tourette’s syndrome,” Shelly reminded.

  “It’s you, isn’t it?” Tim asked, giving Shelly a serious look.

  Before Shelly could answer, she was distracted by a very pregnant Averi grabbing Colt and Randy by their t-shirt collars. Through gritted teeth she told them both, “You two are lucky I love you. Pain in the asses!”

  “We love you Averi….” Randy said in a sing-song voice.

  What a pest.

  Finally, Averi was able to focus on the task at hand. With the door unlocked, she turned the knob and let the door swing open.

  “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed as she got her first glance at the inside of her new home.

  “What?” Colt asked as Randy gave him a smug look.

  “It’s beautiful!”

  Randy suddenly looked sheepish. He truly hoped to show Colt and Tim up. Averi stepped into the foyer of the huge house, the house that she had walked into so many times before. As a baby, visiting with her mother and father, as a little girl, when Uncle Shawn brought her here to live after the deaths of her parents, and just a few months ago when she married Colt on the grounds of the ranch. This place had special meaning to Averi. It was safe. It was the only other home she knew outside of her house with Colt. It was almost as if this house were sacred ground, guardian of some of her most treasured memories. Now she hoped to offer the same to her child.

  Averi circled the grand room. The walls where the dining room and living room used to be closed off were opened up and it looked like a completely different house. What was aging was now modernized, the disrepair of the home had been eradicated and made new.