But I don’t see what any of that has to do with my kid.
“Yep! No explanation, just no.”
“What about the prom? She was so excited.”
I shook my head at mom as I drummed my fingers on the table. Tonight, when me, and the girls have our nightly convo I’m going to have to push hard for them to come up with some ideas on how to get my girl what she wants.
It’s not like she’s asking to run away to the jungle or some crap. The child just wants to go to school, something all parents everywhere in the world would be proud of, except Colt the dolt.
“That’s it, we’re not having a repeat of last year. I let that boy have his way when he was younger so he of all people should know what it feels like to have a parent who’s understanding and willing to step back and let you realize your dreams. And if he gives me any of that male-female nonsense I just might go upside his head. What in tarnation are you smiling at Char?”
“Ladies, you’re worrying for nothing.”
“What do you mean?” The three of us leaned forward in our seats all ears. I’ve learned long ago, since our first meeting in fact, that Char’s ‘visions’ are not to be taken lightly. She had my full attention.
“Come on Char give, if you know a way around my hardheaded son let’s have it.”
“We’re not going to need to do anything, the boy’s going to take care of it on his own.” She looked around the table at the rest of us.
If she was thinking that Todd with his young self was going to find a way around Colton Lyon she was sadly mistaken. Colt would just as soon chuck that poor child somewhere as listen to him when it comes to his daughter.
“I see not only her going away to college, but a wedding.”
“A wedding? Who’s getting married?”
“Caitlin of course.” My mouth was halfway to the floor. Now usually Char is pretty much on point with her thing, but this time I’d have to say my money’s on Colt. No way!
“Char are you serious? Are you sure?” My mother in law was damn near across the table at this point. The woman does love a good wedding. I wasn’t even worried about talk about my seventeen-year old daughter getting married.
That’s the way things are done in our neck of the woods. And what’s more I was barely older than she is now when I married her pigheaded daddy and I can’t see where it did me any harm.
Putting aside his overprotectiveness, I’ve been loved, cossetted and spoilt in ways no woman could ever imagine from the first time he took me to his bed ‘til now. No, wait, better not think about bed and Caitlin and Todd, that’s all I need is for the nutter to sniff out my thoughts and all hell would break loose.
“Shh!” I put my finger to my lips and leaned in so they could hear. “Let’s talk later. If Colt gets wind of this who knows what he’ll do.” I got up from the table as they all nodded their heads and went back to my cooking.
That night at dinner the ladies gave Colt the freeze out. If their noses got any higher each time he addressed one of them they’d be touching the ceiling. I had to bite my tongue a time or two to keep from laughing each time one of them took a potshot at him.
There were more innuendos and double entendre going around that it was hard to keep up. Then Colton to get back at me brought up what his sons had been getting up to the day before, at the dinner table; snake.
TODD
I was worried about her from the moment I hung up the phone with her sister. I still had another week and a half left before the semester was over but there’s no way I can stay here that long knowing that some shit is going on with her back home.
In the past few months since dealing with Mancini and Saunders, my outlook on life has changed drastically. Things I used to take for granted, like life and freedom, seem way more precious these days. In the grand scheme of things, a schoolyard bully is child’s play, but because it’s her, I can’t let it slide.
The fact that this has been going on for the better part of four years is also worrying. By now he should’ve moved on or grown up at least. But it’s obvious that he’s fixated on her if he’s back to tormenting her again. I’ll be damned if my baby’s gonna end up a statistic because of this sick fuck.
I’ve made two runs in the six or so months since I started ‘working’ with Mancini. Shit I never thought I’d be doing. Until now I was more business minded than anything else. Caitlin and I had long planned to go into business together, so that’s where my focus laid.