“Your brother made sure he didn’t. And thinkin’ about it, seems to me you was no bigger than Joey when you jumped. The way I had it figured, landing on that there getup is cleaner. ’Sides, Joey’s more like you than you realize. Got a stubborn streak a mile long. I knew it was only a matter of time fore he got up on that there roof. Thought we should be prepared.”
Colt stared up at his dad, the noonday sun causing him to squint. Dodge seemed to know what was coming before it came and how to handle it when it arrived. The man always was downright wearisome.
“If you’re expecting me to say thank you, I won’t. If you hadn’t bought that darn thing in the first place, maybe Joey wouldn’t have thought to jump.”
Dodge chewed on that for a minute. His attention momentarily landed on Jenny, who was busy with the details of a fireman climbing up the oak tree to get to her, branch by branch. Dodge whispered, “She your brothers’ doing?”
Colt gave him a little nod.
“They never did have no sense.” Then he said, “The way I see it, when dealin’ with young bucks, there either is or there ain’t. Maybe won’t never do you no good at all.”
Colt wanted to argue, needed to argue to blow off the steam that was tearing up his insides, but he spotted Helen Shaw ambling right for him and in an instant, just the sight of her melted away all his anger. Her ruby-colored hair surrounded her beautiful face and covered her shoulders as she made her way closer to him, looking better than ever in her tight black jeans, brown boots and a tan T-shirt featuring a cowgirl on horseback. To say that Colt had it bad for this woman would have been an understatement. To say that he could think of nothing but wicked bedroom thoughts as she approached was more to the point.
Still, now was not the time. It was his son’s birthday and said son had pitched himself off the barn roof. The boy needed scolding in the worst way.
Nonetheless, as Helen walked in closer, he knew reprimanding Joey would have to take a backseat for the moment. Dodge was right, as he always was. Joey’s descent off the roof had been inevitable. Colt was just happy Dodge had prepared for it.
“Now, there’s a mighty fine woman.” Dodge patted Colt on the shoulder, and walked away. Colt stood.
Jenny stopped talking and also stood, moving next to Colt.
When Helen finally came within earshot, Colt said, “You left the tour just for Joey’s birthday party? We’re honored.”
He stepped away from Jenny, wanting to take Helen in his arms and never let go, but instead he felt awkward with Jenny once again at his elbow.
Helen stopped a couple feet in front of him. Her deep green eyes sparkled as she gazed over at encroaching Jenny, who had her hand out before Helen could respond to Colt.
“Hi, I’m Jenny Pickens.” She rested her other hand on Colt’s arm, familiar, as if they were a couple. His instinct was to flick it off like an annoying bug, but he didn’t want to be rude. She continued, “I don’t think we’ve ever officially met. You served me drinks a couple times at Belly Up. Don’t you still work there? What tour? Are you in a band? I always wanted to be in a band.”
Helen worked at Belly Up Saloon as a waitress and part-time bartender whenever she wasn’t on the road. At one point or another she’d probably served half the town a drink of some sort. Everyone seemed to end up at Belly Up for one occasion or another. It was the only real tavern for miles.
She gave Jenny a quick handshake, then let go. No smile. Her reaction to Jenny was as cold as ice on a frozen lake. “Nice to meet you.” She turned to Colt with a concerned look on her face. “Can we talk?”
But Jenny answered. “Sure. Why don’t we sit down on one of the benches on the front porch. It’s nice and shady there.”
Colt moved away from Jenny’s grip on his arm. “If you’ll excuse me, Jenny. This is between Helen and me.”
Jenny tilted her head, smiled sweetly and said, “Sure. Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine. Just fine. I’ll wait for you on the porch.”
She walked away, leaving an awkward silence between Colt and Helen. They both started talking at once. Colt trying to tell her that he just met Jenny today, but his words seemed garbled as he attempted to speak over Helen, who was asking if Jenny was his new girlfriend, a concept that stunned Colt.
Finally they both stopped.
“You first,” Colt said.
Helen hesitated for a moment, then said, “That’s one brave little boy you have there.”
“More like ornery and pigheaded if you ask me.”
“Like his father.”
“And his father before him. What brings you back to Briggs? Shouldn’t you be in Vegas, competing?”
“Actually, Tater’s still there. I’m having him transported in a couple days. Something’s happened and I’m on my way to Jackson to stay with my parents for a while, but I wanted to stop here first and...”
His stomach pitched as he took a step closer and reached out for her. She stepped back, away from his touch. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Something wrong with your parents?”
She completely befuddled him. His mind raced with scenarios. None of them good.
“Nothing like that.” She glanced over at Jenny, now seated on the front porch. “Is there someplace private?”
He chuckled. “Sure, we can try, but at the moment—” he nodded toward Joey and his boys charging straight for them “—that doesn’t look too promising.”
Joey ran right for him at full speed, calling his name, looking all proud of himself. “Papa! Papa! Did you see me?” He ran smack into Colt as he swooped up his boy in his arms, giving him a tight squeeze, thankful there were no broken bones.
“You had me scared as a jackrabbit with a fox on its trail. Never do that again. You hear me, son? Never.”
Joey’s face went all serious. His blue eyes instantly lost their sparkle. “But, Papa, it’s my fourth birthday and Gramps said you jumped off the roof when you were four. Isn’t that what I was supposed to do?”
“Sounds about right to me,” Helen said as Colt’s other two boys grabbed hold of her with tight hugs. Colt knew how much his boys liked Helen, but he also knew they were a handful when they tackled her like they were doing now.
“Boys, give her some breathing room.”
They let go and tackled Colt instead, knocking him to the ground, where they wrestled and tickled him. “Wait!” Colt yelled over their laughter and squeals. “You boys almost gave me a heart attack. What the heck were you thinking?”
They stopped attacking Colt and Joey got all serious. “Did you have a heart attack, Papa? Should I call nine-one-one?”
“No, I’m fine, but that’s beside the point.”
“You didn’t have a heart attack and I jumped off the roof. That makes me happy. Are you happy?”
Colt sat up and looked Joey in the eyes. “Promise me you’ll never, ever do that again.”
“Why would I do it again? I could hurt myself.”
Helen let out a little laugh. Colt shot her a look. “This is serious.” He turned back to his boy. “That’s right, son. You could break some bones or worse.”
“Of course he could, that’s why we moved the trampoline over,” Buddy, his oldest, said.
“We’re not stupid, Daddy,” Gavin chimed in.
“Yeah, Daddy,”