Gator (10 page)

20

It was dark when Gator pulled his little boat up on the shallow bank of the river.  He was careful, but he knew this land as well as his own.  There was a glow from one of the windows of the little cabin and he held Naughty’s hand and led her up the well-worn path.  He wrapped twice on the thin wooden door and waited.  It creaked as it slid open and he tilted his head and looked down into familiar black eyes.

“Hello Grandmother.”

A wide grin split her wrinkled face and she pulled him into her thin arms, but she hugged him with the strength of a woman half her age.

“Aubin my boy!  It has been too long.”  She frowned and looked at the air around him as if she could see more than just air.  “Come in boy, the air is unsettled, you aren’t safe out there.  Oh and bring your heart with you too.”  She said and nodded toward Naughty who suddenly seemed shy.

“This is Nau… Tiffany.”

Grandmother raised one brow.

“They call me Naughty, but my name is Tiffany.  Naughty is my stage name.”  Naughty straightened her spine.

“Oh, I bet you are something up on that stage, just look at you.”  Grandmother grinned wide again.  “I bet you are something.”

“I am something.  I’m a stripper.”  Her voice cracked, but she held her head high.

Grandmother reached out and patted Naughty’s cheek.  “I know dear, but what does it matter, takes guts girl and you’ll need those I think.  I still bet you are a sight to see up there.  Caught his eyes anyway.”  She nodded toward Gator. 

Naughty looked up at him and seemed to melt.  She was so tired and she had forced herself to be beaten down by this little old lady.  He shook his head.  Didn’t she know he’d never allow that?

Grandmother’s eyes widened.  Her hand shook as she reached out to touch Naughty’s slightly rounded stomach.  “Oh honey.  What a happy light grows in you, what a happy little light.  DO you feel its glow?”

Naughty wiped away a tear and nodded. 

“Oh honey come sit down.  Souls like that one are hard on a mother, like he was, his poor mama couldn’t eat a bite for nine months.  Well she wouldn’t drink a thing I brought her either so I guess she deserved a little discomfort.”

Grandmother sat Naughty on and ancient couch and started mumbling as she puttered around in the kitchen.  She mixed several things together and set it to heat in the kettle over the fire.

“Give that a little while to warm up and it will fill your belly and settle that child.” 

Then she spooned up a couple bowls of whatever she had in her big pot and handed them over.

She nodded and settled in her chair by the window.  Gator sat by Naughty and wrapped her in his arms before he dug into his bowl of Grandmother stew.  They had never known what was in it and had never had the courage to ask, but it was warm and tasted good enough.

Gator was proud that Naughty dug in and didn’t complain.  She was too tired to complain.  She was amazing and he loved her more as he watched her spoon the brown stew into her mouth.

“She knows what’s good.  That one’s a keeper, not like the last one… Bah.”

Gator smiled, Grandmother had never likes Sylvie.

“Sylvie is dead Grandmother, careful how you speak of the dead or she’ll be living with you.”

“I know she’s dead and I’m not worried about her foul spirit one bit.”

Gator didn’t want to think about that, especially while eating Grandmother stew, so he shoveled in another bite and then another until his bowl was empty.  Grandmother stood as he made his way into her kitchen to wash their bowls.  She filled a small mug with the brew from her kettle and placed it in Naughty’s hands. 

“Sip it and breathe it in.  Don’t worry about finishing it.  That babe will know when she’s done.  You need to listen to her.”

“Her?”  Naughty asked.

Grandmother nodded.  “Her.  Hair as black as coal and eyes as blue as the sky.  Heart as big as her mama’s and just as strong.  There’s big things in her future, it’s yours that I can’t seem to see.  You have three paths.  Sometimes they intersect and sometimes they veer close to the edge of a cliff.  I know it seems like it would be easy to step over and let it all go away, but that is not the way.  Stay on your path, you have people with you now.  If you stumble they will help you up and they will need you to do the same for them.  You aren’t alone anymore my precious child.”

Naughty let Gator take her cup as she sobbed.  Grandmother gathered her close and rocked her as she had done to so many other broken souls.  She had done the same for Gator after Cora was lost.

“Oh my sweet child, you cannot carry burdens so heavy alone.  Sorrows need wings.  We will let yours go in the morning.  You can leave them here with me and leave here free to be happy.”

“I don’t know how to let it all go.”  Naughty sobbed.

“I know that child, that is the biggest weight.  I’ll teach you, but first you need to sip your brew.”

Naughty nodded and took her cup like an obedient child.

“We can’t stay past tomorrow Grandmother.  I won’t risk it.”  Gator vowed.  He wouldn’t put this woman in danger.

“Oh my boy, they couldn’t find me unless they knew where to look and then only if I wanted them to.  You still have a lot to learn about the bayou.”

Gator didn’t want to hear her lesson tonight.  He wanted to get Naughty as clean as he could and in a bed.  He was worried about her being so tired.

Before she’d finished her drink he had a tub sitting in the kitchen by the stove and had poured it half full of warm water.  It was the best he could do.  She didn’t hesitate to strip off and climb in either, which told him how desperate she was for a bath.

Grandmother was studying the pale skin on Naughty’s back as she leaned her head on her knees in the tub.  Gator watched her as she stood and pulled ashes from the fire and cradled them in her gnarled hand.  She walked to Naughty.

“It’s ok beb, just be still and let her do what she needs to, it won’t hurt.”

Naughty didn’t even open her eyes, but she nodded slightly.

Grandmother pulled up a chair and sat behind Naughty’s back.  She dipped her finger in the bathwater and then in the little pile of ash in her hand.  She drew and elaborate pattern from Naughty’s left shoulder to just above her right hip.  It looked like smoke, but there was more to it, ghosts.

“Grandmother…”  He started to protest, but she ignored him.

It took her an hour to finish, but when she did her face looked worn and drawn.

“Now child.  Let me help you wash them away.  You didn’t need to spend another night with them did you?”

Gator realized Naughty’s shoulders were shaking.  She shook her head, but didn’t open her eyes.

Grandmother washed Naughty’s long hair with a sweet smelling shampoo and then picked up a brick of soap.

“This may sting my girl, but your ghosts are sticky.”

Naughty nodded and gritted her teeth as grandmother too the strong soap and scrubbed her perfect smooth back.  Before she was finished washing away the soot, Naughty’s back was a fiery red, but her sobs were gone and she was sleeping peacefully in her tub.

“Put her to bed my boy.  She will be much lighter than before.”

Gator lifted her in his arms and she did feel lighter than air.  He laid her in the narrow bed that sat against the wall.  Grandmother climbed into her own and soon the old house was filled with the contented breathing of the women he loved most in the world.  Everything felt right for the first time since he could remember and he drifted off lying on the couch by the glowing embers of the fire.

21

Naughty sat in the tiny boat as it swayed with the currents of the river.  She had hugged Grandmother tightly and it had almost killed her to let her go.  She didn’t understand what had happened and figured part of it was more dream than reality, but she felt free this morning and her stomach was happy too.  Maybe it was just a good rest that had healed her, but she wasn’t so sure.

Gator was quiet as he rowed their little boat down the river.  He was watching the trees and seemed deep in thought.

She reached out and touched his arm.

He looked at her in question.

“Are you ok?”

He smiled and her heart settled a little.

“I’m good love.  I forget how peaceful she is when I’m away.  Not sure how I forget that.”

“You love her.”

He nodded.

“I do too.  I don’t know what she did, but I feel free.”

He nodded.  She draws the ghosts to her.  Keeps them.  Sometimes they stay and sometimes they escape, but it’s peaceful for a while anyway.”

He talked as if none of this was strange at all.  Naughty guessed it was normal to him.  There was so much she didn’t know.  She wanted to though.
“What’s her name?”

Gator’s eyes cut to her.  “Why?”

“She said this was a girl…”  She patted her belly.

“Names can have power, but…”  He nodded.  “Josette.”

A shiver raced up Naughty’s spine.  “Josette.”  She whispered.  “It’s perfect.  Will she be alright?”

Gator laughed.  “Yes Naughty, she will be just fine until she decides to leave us.”

Naughty shook her head.  Maybe the rumors about Gator were right, this all seemed a bit voodooish to her, but it wasn’t the scary kind, it was the peaceful kind so she went with it.

“So, where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere they will never think to look.”  His smile made her suspicious, but she felt too good to argue.  Until he pulled his boat up on the river bank.

The day they’d left his house he had hidden her in Cora’s room again and ridden away to hide his bike and to make sure no one was still around.  It had taken him three hours and she’d been worried, but he’d come back sweating and thirsty.  There had been no time for questions.  They had showered and packed clothes in a backpack and food in another.  Then he had pushed and shoved until she’d climbed into his little boat.  That first night he hadn’t slept a wink and the next they had reached Grandmother’s.  Now he was pulling them onto the bank of the river in a place she recognized.  It’s where Sniper had found them.

“What the hell are we doing back here and how?”  She fussed as he chuckled and pulled her out of the boat. 

“The swamps can be a maze.  I just got us lost and paid a visit to Grandmother.  I needed them to be out looking for us.  We are getting on this bike and going the fuck home.  I can protect you better if I know who the fuck is looking for us.  Spec will know by the time we get there.  We will take our own sweet time.”  He said and gave her a playful wink.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“No beb, I haven’t.”  He took off his cut and carefully rolled it up and placed it in his saddle bags.  They were going to go invisible.

“Get on beb.  We need to ride.”  He said and kissed her frowning lips.

Then he looked at her suspiciously when she smiled sweetly.

“Ok, but I need to pee first.”

Gator let out a string of curses and Naughty laughed like a hyena.

“Hell if I’m holding you up this time.”

“But what if I fall?”  She made her eyes go round and blinked up at him with a pouted mouth.

“Oh for shit’s sake.”

She dropped her pants and he held her up and she only got a drop on his boot, but it was enough.

“You’re like a fucking poodle marking territory.”  He groused as he wiped his boot on the grass, but she caught his grin.

They were free and Naughty would trust Gator to keep them that way, well free and hopefully breathing.

They rode for a couple of hours before he pulled into a little restaurant.  It looked too fancy for them in their filthy state, but he insisted she eat something good.  The pretty blonde that greeted them didn’t bat an eye at their disheveled appearance and didn’t even seat them in the back of the room.  She put them right by a window overlooking a garden full of roses.  Naughty sighed.

“Like those beb?”  Gator asked.

“I do.  Maybe we could plant some by the front porch.”

“Dat sounds pretty.  What color do you want me to buy you?”

“I like pink and white.”  She giggled.  “I don’t see you as the type to plant flowers though.”

He looked insulted.  “I can plant them if you want me to.  I think I could figure it out.”

“You’d do it though?  Really?  For me?”  Her belly was fluttering with butterflies.  This was what love felt like for regular people.  She had been missing out by holding on to her past.  Now she was almost giddy.

“I’d do anything to see you smile.”  He reached across and captured her hand.  “Now eat something good that will keep you filled up for a while.”

Naughty grinned.  Oh she would eat something good, pasta, she loved pasta.

Their meal was delicious.  Gator talked to the waitress until she’d blushed and Naughty couldn’t help but enjoy his banter.  He was so happy.  She loved seeing him smile and laugh, he didn’t do it enough.

When they’d finished and she’d gone to the bathroom again and washed her face.  They were back on the road.  She didn’t ask where they were or where they were going, she just held onto him and let him get them lost in the great big world.

Gator pulled off the road and made a call just as the sun began to fall out of the sky.  She’d heard enough to know that he had gone nomad for a while which was fine by her.  Then he’d told Preach that her shit was his and nobody better touch it.  He was making sure she was protected.  Then he’d told her to call Spec.

She did and he still wasn’t sure who the mole was, but he was getting closer.  Fox and Ginger had gotten back home along with Wick and Lamb.  They had all seemed heart broken, but he’d been able to get a bug in their phones.  If they made contact with anyone they shouldn’t, he would know.  He’d also bugged all their houses or rooms.  He wasn’t playing around and he wasn’t sharing info.  He said he’d told Preach and the situation had been shared with only the officers that needed to know.  Jack was apparently ready to go to war over the whole thing.  That made her smile.  Jack was a sweetheart. 

“You wouldn’t believe who all has shed a tear over your sexy ass Naughty.  You are loved sweetheart.”

“Thank you Spec.”  She said, touched.

“Stay safe, both of you, just stay safe.  Get back home safe Brother.”  He sounded so worried.

“We will give it our best shot.”  Gator said seriously.

He hung up and turned and headed back the way they had come.  So, he didn’t trust anyone then.  She rested her cheek against his muscled back, good, neither did she.