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.West chuckled. You need anything with all those babies coming and going?""A house on the other side of the farm. He grinned. Nah,we're good.Mabel's store's just taking off and those thataren't helping out with the farm are helping out there.EvenAggie's stepped up, running the cash.""You mean she can count?""Don't be a bitch, West.She's trying.""Ard.She's a fucking user.She's a shitty mother, a worsesister.The only thing she manages is to have attractivechildren and she can't take care of them without you.""Her father died when she was twelve, West.It was a hardtime for all of us.She.made some stupid choices.Andshe's my sister. It was an old argument."Yeah.I know.Not my business, anyway. He could almostsee West shrug.The man's tolerance since Brian's deathwas non-existent."Sure it is; you're family, West, just like she is.Familieshave good and bad in them, yeah?""Yeah.You're a good guy, Ardie.""Oh, yeah, a real saint. He snorted. "Yeah.You take care of your whole family.Brian savedlives.I? Make video games.Go me.""Okay, stop that.Right now.You're a good man, West.""I'm a cerebral moron who makes first-person-shooters andmakes a fortune doing it."He hated it when West got down on himself like this.Ithappened all too often since Brian had died. Don't makeme come up there and whup your ass, Westie-Testie.""I'm shaking in my shoes, Ard. West chuckled. Petrified.""Bitch. He said it fondly.God, he loved that man and it waskilling him, how hard West was taking this, how he wasn'tgetting over Brian's death."You know it. West sighed. I'd better go, Ard.I'm going topack a little and take a nap.""Okay, West.You take care of yourself, buddy.I mean it.""I do.Y'all be good.""You, too, West.You, too."He heard West click off and slowly hung up the phone.Damn, he worried about West. * * * *West pulled up to the farm the day before Mrs.Bodine'sfuneral in a sleek rental car that looked completely out ofplace with the lines and lines of pickups.Still, it looked like Ard was doing okay.He knew Bell was,the business rocking.God, he hadn't been back sinceBrian died.Two years? Three? More? Christ.And this timehe wasn't staying.He had a hotel room in town and he wasflying out Sunday morning.Ardie was the one who found him, walking on down the lineof trucks, wrapping him in a big hug. Damn, West.I'm gladyou're here.""Hey, Ard.I wouldn't have not.How's everyone holding up?""We're doing okay.It was just a matter of time, you know?She was just a shell really since Poppa died."Ardie kept an arm around his shoulders, slowly walkingthem up the lane."Yeah, I know. He smiled, held on.Ard looked good,damned good."You look tired, West.You still working too hard?""As hard as Lee lets me, I guess.The money's great." Ardie nodded. Yeah, that's what you keep saying.Sothings are good between you and your Lee?""They're okay.Lee's brilliant, you know? High-maintenance.""High-maintenance?""Yeah. Lee liked things just so, liked him to be just so.Itwas a challenge keeping things peaceful."That's a good thing?""I.I don't know, Ard.It's a hard thing.""Love's not supposed to be hard, West. Ardie was gettingthat worried older brother look."I never said it was love, Ardie. It was.not being alone."You could come home. Once a month or so, the offer wasmade."No, Ardie.I can't.Lee wouldn't like it here and you've gotenough family. Hell, Lee'd thrown him out for coming downfor the funeral.Ardie nodded like he hadn't expected any other answer. Well, I'm glad you came.You want to go in, or we could goout to the barn.See if our spot's still there?" "Oh, let's go to the barn.I'm not here long, I have to get myvisit in."Ardie's hand squeezed his arm.Just as they got to the barn one of Aggie's brood camerunning up. Auntie Bell said to bring you this."She had a little cooler and a small basket with food in it."Thanks, honey. Ardie took the stuff and gave him a grin. She can read me like a book, that Mabel.""That's her job, I guess. West smiled at the girl, nodded."Yeah.She's good at it.Come on; think we can still climbthis old ladder?""I might.Hell, I'm a stud.You gonna let me smoke upthere?""Hell, no.We don't want the place going up in smoke."He rolled his eyes. Spoilsport.""Yep. Ardie winked and started climbing.He swatted Ard's ass as they went.Jackass.Ardie just laughed and then laughed some more. Oh, man, it's freshly stocked.Looks like this isn't just ours anymore."He looked around, grinned. Man, we're old, Ard.We'vebeen superseded.""Yeah, no shit. Ardie shook his head and groaned as hegot down onto the blankets. Damn, I am getting old.""You and me both, bud. He sat, leaned against the wall. You and me both.""As always, it's good to see you, West.The best.No matterwhy.""Yeah, we gotta stop doing it over funerals, though.""That's a deal, West.A damned, let's make it so deal."He nodded, reached over, and squeezed Ard's hand.Ardwas the only reason he'd made it through some of thosedark, dark days.Ard squeezed back, didn't let go. Do you ever wishsometimes that we were still kids, West?""Oh, Lord, you know I do sometimes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.West chuckled. You need anything with all those babies coming and going?""A house on the other side of the farm. He grinned. Nah,we're good.Mabel's store's just taking off and those thataren't helping out with the farm are helping out there.EvenAggie's stepped up, running the cash.""You mean she can count?""Don't be a bitch, West.She's trying.""Ard.She's a fucking user.She's a shitty mother, a worsesister.The only thing she manages is to have attractivechildren and she can't take care of them without you.""Her father died when she was twelve, West.It was a hardtime for all of us.She.made some stupid choices.Andshe's my sister. It was an old argument."Yeah.I know.Not my business, anyway. He could almostsee West shrug.The man's tolerance since Brian's deathwas non-existent."Sure it is; you're family, West, just like she is.Familieshave good and bad in them, yeah?""Yeah.You're a good guy, Ardie.""Oh, yeah, a real saint. He snorted. "Yeah.You take care of your whole family.Brian savedlives.I? Make video games.Go me.""Okay, stop that.Right now.You're a good man, West.""I'm a cerebral moron who makes first-person-shooters andmakes a fortune doing it."He hated it when West got down on himself like this.Ithappened all too often since Brian had died. Don't makeme come up there and whup your ass, Westie-Testie.""I'm shaking in my shoes, Ard. West chuckled. Petrified.""Bitch. He said it fondly.God, he loved that man and it waskilling him, how hard West was taking this, how he wasn'tgetting over Brian's death."You know it. West sighed. I'd better go, Ard.I'm going topack a little and take a nap.""Okay, West.You take care of yourself, buddy.I mean it.""I do.Y'all be good.""You, too, West.You, too."He heard West click off and slowly hung up the phone.Damn, he worried about West. * * * *West pulled up to the farm the day before Mrs.Bodine'sfuneral in a sleek rental car that looked completely out ofplace with the lines and lines of pickups.Still, it looked like Ard was doing okay.He knew Bell was,the business rocking.God, he hadn't been back sinceBrian died.Two years? Three? More? Christ.And this timehe wasn't staying.He had a hotel room in town and he wasflying out Sunday morning.Ardie was the one who found him, walking on down the lineof trucks, wrapping him in a big hug. Damn, West.I'm gladyou're here.""Hey, Ard.I wouldn't have not.How's everyone holding up?""We're doing okay.It was just a matter of time, you know?She was just a shell really since Poppa died."Ardie kept an arm around his shoulders, slowly walkingthem up the lane."Yeah, I know. He smiled, held on.Ard looked good,damned good."You look tired, West.You still working too hard?""As hard as Lee lets me, I guess.The money's great." Ardie nodded. Yeah, that's what you keep saying.Sothings are good between you and your Lee?""They're okay.Lee's brilliant, you know? High-maintenance.""High-maintenance?""Yeah. Lee liked things just so, liked him to be just so.Itwas a challenge keeping things peaceful."That's a good thing?""I.I don't know, Ard.It's a hard thing.""Love's not supposed to be hard, West. Ardie was gettingthat worried older brother look."I never said it was love, Ardie. It was.not being alone."You could come home. Once a month or so, the offer wasmade."No, Ardie.I can't.Lee wouldn't like it here and you've gotenough family. Hell, Lee'd thrown him out for coming downfor the funeral.Ardie nodded like he hadn't expected any other answer. Well, I'm glad you came.You want to go in, or we could goout to the barn.See if our spot's still there?" "Oh, let's go to the barn.I'm not here long, I have to get myvisit in."Ardie's hand squeezed his arm.Just as they got to the barn one of Aggie's brood camerunning up. Auntie Bell said to bring you this."She had a little cooler and a small basket with food in it."Thanks, honey. Ardie took the stuff and gave him a grin. She can read me like a book, that Mabel.""That's her job, I guess. West smiled at the girl, nodded."Yeah.She's good at it.Come on; think we can still climbthis old ladder?""I might.Hell, I'm a stud.You gonna let me smoke upthere?""Hell, no.We don't want the place going up in smoke."He rolled his eyes. Spoilsport.""Yep. Ardie winked and started climbing.He swatted Ard's ass as they went.Jackass.Ardie just laughed and then laughed some more. Oh, man, it's freshly stocked.Looks like this isn't just ours anymore."He looked around, grinned. Man, we're old, Ard.We'vebeen superseded.""Yeah, no shit. Ardie shook his head and groaned as hegot down onto the blankets. Damn, I am getting old.""You and me both, bud. He sat, leaned against the wall. You and me both.""As always, it's good to see you, West.The best.No matterwhy.""Yeah, we gotta stop doing it over funerals, though.""That's a deal, West.A damned, let's make it so deal."He nodded, reached over, and squeezed Ard's hand.Ardwas the only reason he'd made it through some of thosedark, dark days.Ard squeezed back, didn't let go. Do you ever wishsometimes that we were still kids, West?""Oh, Lord, you know I do sometimes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]