Walk (Gentry Boys) (4 page)

I lowered my head.  Not unexpected.  But it cut just the same.  “I see.” 

The guard was trying to be kind.  “The visiting window is two hours.  You are welcome to stay here.  Maybe your brother will change his mind before time is up.” 

“No.”  I stood stiffly, shouldering my purse.  “Thank you.  I’ll be leaving.” 

There were curious eyes on me as I stalked out of there. The skirt and heels I’d found so much confidence in this morning now seemed like ridiculous choices. I felt conspicuous, foolish, the opposite of confident.

As I got to the parking lot I saw the figure of man in the distance, on the opposite side of the prison complex.  He was walking toward two other men.  When he reached them they all embraced. 

Since there was nothing else to do in the middle of the afternoon I decided to clear my head by aimlessly driving around the town of Emblem.  There wasn’t much to see in Emblem.  It looked like a hard luck kind of place dotted with a few prosperous neighborhoods.  There weren’t many people wandering around in the heat of the day but the ones I did see I wondered about. 

There was no way to guess by looking at anyone what kind of wars they’d waged, with themselves or with the people they loved.  Growing up in the home of an indulgent pair of well-to-do college professors should have meant that Macon and I were kept from life’s sordid underbelly. As a child it would never have occurred to me to think otherwise.  I knew better now. 

By the time I drove out of town it was late afternoon.  I paused to fill up my tank with gas and then realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day.  Kendra would have jumped at the chance to meet me anywhere but I just couldn’t get the bitter taste of disappointment out of my mouth and figured I wouldn’t be much company. 

There was a small diner in Queen Creek I’d seen before but never stopped at.  It was an unremarkable kind of place that suited my mood so I pulled in. 

The waitress looked confused when I ordered coffee and two slices of cake on separate plates. 

“Oh,” she said, glancing at the empty side of the window booth.  “I’ll set another place for your party.” 

“I’m not expecting anyone,” I told her.

“But you want two separate plates?”

“Please.” 

The waitress, who was in the salt and pepper phase of middle age and wore a nameplate that said Candy, merely shrugged and moved on.  She probably received even stranger requests every day. 

Outside the window, cars drove in one direction and cars drove in the other direction.  Everyone was going somewhere, doing something.  In a way I was jealous of them. 

When Candy placed the dual slices of chocolate cake before me she stepped back and then thoughtfully added a second fork. 

“Thank you,” I said and pushed one of the plates across the table. 

“Happy Birthday, Macon,” I whispered very quietly and then ate every bite of my own slice.  The other one I left alone with a generous tip to keep it company. 

It was only many hours later, as I sat on my couch performing a very bad self-manicure, that I broke down and wept. 

STONE

“Why the fuck are you always up so early?” Bash grumbled as he slid onto a stool beside me at the breakfast bar. 

“Habit,” I shrugged and reached over to pour him a cup of coffee. “Cell doors always opened promptly at six a.m.” 

“And then what?” he asked curiously.  “They clap their hands and shout ‘Rise and shine’, offering you a hand towel on your way to the bathroom?”

“Not exactly.” 

There was really no way to explain to a man who’d never been locked up what it meant to hear the door of your cell unlock.  That sound meant you could enjoy the very limited freedom of moving about the prison unit.  It wasn’t much, but it was something. 

Bash didn’t seem interested in more of an explanation though.  He sipped coffee and stared at his phone.  We were still getting used to each other after a few weeks as roommates. Bash had been Chase’s student about three years back and they’d kept in touch.  Once when he was half drunk he’d muttered something about owing Chase a few favors and I got the feeling Chase had helped him get out of some trouble at some point.  Anyway, he’d lost a roommate about the same time Chase and Deck were hunting for a place for me to stay.  If Deck had to sweeten the deal to get Bash to agree to live with an ex-con stranger, then nobody had said so out loud.  Bash’s brother-in-law owned the party rental place and was always on the lookout for a strong back.  It wasn’t bad work; mostly setting up equipment and then waiting around for the party to be over so it could all be taken down. 

“What time are we on today?” I asked him as I set down the book I’d been reading and pulled a dented frying pan out of the cabinet.

“Gotta be at the warehouse with the truck by noon.  Venue is a wedding at a south Chandler golf resort and we need to have the ceremony site and the reception hall done by four.” 

“Got it,” I said, grabbing a carton from the fridge.  “You want some eggs?”

“Hell yeah.” 

Bash thought it was funny that I spent so much time at the stove.  Actually, before a few weeks ago I’d never so much as boiled water, but since I’d been out I found that preparing my own food gave me a weird sense of pleasure.  Bash was happy to cooperate by eating whatever I fixed. 

“I fucked our neighbor last night,” he gleefully told me a few minutes later as he dove into a plate of scrambled eggs. 

“What neighbor?  The one next door you’ve hooked up with before?”

“Nah, hell with her.  This one just moved into the south building.  Purple hair that might be usually brown.  I forget her name.  It’s a weird one, like Pegasus or Allusion.”

“Well, good for you.” 

“Yeah,” Bash chuckled. “She was a wild one.  Except she got eight shades of pissed off when I took off as soon as we were done.  Fuck it though.  She wants a morning after she can go chase one of those sensitive ponytail college boys.  A man’s got to get some sleep.” 

When I laughed Bash pointed an accusing fork my way.  “You, on the other hand, get too much sleep, Gentry.” 

I rolled my eyes.  “Make up your damn mind.  When you walked in here you complained that I’m awake too early.” 

“You know what I mean.  Go out and get a few hours of fun, dude.  You read, you brood, you work and then you read some more.” 

“I like my word porn.” 

Bash picked up the book I’d left on the counter and squinted at it.  “Lots of fucking going on in the pages of Dickens?”

“Tons,” I deadpanned.  “Those Victorians really knew their way around tits and ass.” 

“Hmph.” Bash set the book down. “You know, this is a college town, Stone.  There’s plenty of real life tits and ass just hanging out, waiting to be used in a more practical way.” 

“You keep using Pegasus and I’ll keep using my books.” 

He grinned.  “Pegasus slides a bit easier on the cock.” 

I laughed.  Bash was okay. 

“You hear from your brother yet?” he asked suddenly. 

Bash knew the basics.  About Erin.  About Con.  About why I’d been in prison.  He also knew that I jumped every time there was a knock at the door because I was hoping it was Conway. 

“No,” I answered tersely.  “Nothing.” 

“He knows you’re out though?”

“Not sure.  He really doesn’t even keep in touch with my cousins these days, although if he’s been following the calendar he’s got to realize that my release day has come and gone.” 

Chase wasn’t even sure where Conway was living now, although Deck managed to keep close enough tabs on his activities to find out he was definitely in the area.  He was definitely still living on the wild side as well. The fact that Deck seemed troubled by Conway’s antics worried me.  I’d given Con some space and hoped he would come to me.  It was not exactly my choice since I didn’t have the first idea where to search for him but I couldn’t let any more time to go by.  It was time to seek my brother out whether he felt like seeing me or not. 

Cord called while I was dressing for work.  It still felt strange to have choices when it came to things like clothes.  Deck had advanced me some money to get everything I needed and even bought me a prepaid phone to tide me over until my paychecks started coming in regularly.  That was another thing that felt strange; money of my own. 

“How’s it going, cousin?” he asked cheerfully and I smiled over the fact that at least one of the triplets had called every day since I’d been out.  It was like they’d made a pact or something, a ‘Help Cousin Stone’ project.  They were all in on it except Deck and that was only because he called every day no matter what. 

Not that I was complaining.  I looked forward to hearing from them.  Creed never really had much to say and his calls didn’t last long.  Chase had too much to say and it was tough to break in and tell him I actually had something to do.  Cord was always pleasant and to the point. 

“You got anything going on this Sunday afternoon?” he asked.

“There’s no work on Sunday but hold on while I check my overstuffed social calendar.”  

My words were sarcastic.  My social calendar was nonexistent. We were close to the university so that meant there were pretty girls everywhere.  Mostly I kept my head down but I’d noticed a few who’d tossed some interested glances my way.  I never responded no matter how much my balls ached for the chance to be of some use.  Although I’d enjoyed twice my rightful share of ass before getting locked up, that was a long time ago.  It was an understatement to say I was a little out of practice when it came to the fairer sex.  Somehow I imagined that decent girls could see the scarlet C for Convict emblazoned on my aura.  Of course there were those types who got off on the whole bad boy from prison thing but they were the girls who could get you into trouble.  The last thing I was on the lookout for was trouble. 

“Nope,” I told Cord.  “Nothing going on Sunday but church.” 

“Church?”

“Kidding.” 

“Good because the ladies have been after us to have a complete Gentry get together.”  He paused.  “Deck’s going to try and track Conway down to issue an invite.”

My heart skipped.  “You think he’ll come?”

“He might,” Cord answered, although his tone said he doubted it. 

In the end I agreed to show up at Cord’s house on Sunday afternoon for a family barbecue.  He asked if I wanted him to come pick me up since his address was only a few miles away but I assured him I could get there on my own.  My probation terms allowed for the issuance of a driver’s license and Deck had handed over the keys to an old Ford pickup he had the title to.  He shrugged and said it had come his way via a lucky hand of cards and had been collecting dust for a year.  He made it sound like I was doing him a favor by keeping it out of his garage so his wife Jenny would stop complaining.  I doubted the story because it wouldn’t make sense for him to let a perfectly good truck sit in his garage and depreciate when he could have sold it for some cold cash instead.  Yet I politely accepted the favor because you didn’t say no to Deck Gentry.  You just didn’t. 

Bash teased me for being all dressed and ready for work so early.  He hadn’t even showered yet.  I ignored him and settled down on the sofa with
A Tale of Two Cities
, which I’d been reading in peace before he stormed into the kitchen this morning.  The book was a thick, hardcover edition I’d checked out from the public library down the road.  I hadn’t been a reader in my old life, but there wasn’t much to do in lockup besides work with weights and read.  The prison library was filled with books that had barely been touched. 
A Tale of Two Cities
was an old favorite by now and there was a certain comfort in reading it again.

Best of times.  Worst of times. 

“What’s all that racket,” Bash growled when he walked grumpily into the room while tucking his shirt in. 

“What racket?”

He paused and gaped at me incredulously.  “You don’t hear all that fucking noise?”

I’d been dimly aware of female squealing nearby but it didn’t penetrate enough to get me off the couch.  I stared back at Bash, playing dumb.  “I don’t hear a thing.” 

He shook his head.  “I swear, Gentry, it’s like you’re floating around in your own personal bubble.”  He put his eye to the peephole on the front door.  “Hmm.”

Now it sounded like a gaggle of chickens was chirping and clucking all at once.  I set my book down. “What’s up?”

“Not sure.  Bunch of chippies out there all dolled up like they’re going to the fucking prom.  Oh wait, I think it’s a wedding.  Someone’s wearing seventy five fucking yards of white lace.” 

“Sounds like they’re about to lay eggs.” 

He laughed, grabbed his crotch.  “Maybe I could help them out with that.” 

I nodded.  “You ought to go outside and make the offer.  Be sure to keep squeezing your dick while you talk.”

“Fuck you, Gentry.”

“Seriously, I think you ought to fling that door open, crow like a rooster and see who offers to let you mount up first.” 

“They’re leaving anyway.”  Bash backed away from the door and smiled at me charmingly.  “You know, Stone, you ought to take your own advice while there’s still a little cock-a-doodle-doo left in you.”

I shook my head.  “No little cock in this package, buddy.  You must have gotten confused again while looking in the mirror.” 

Bash snorted and then responded with his middle finger.  He sure talked tough for a guy who didn’t top more than five foot eight.  Bash was fast though, and wiry.  I’d seen enough fights to understand that sometimes those things mattered more.  Besides, I’d already figured out that he was just the type who handed out a hard time when it suited him.  I already thought of him as a friend. 

After disappearing into the bathroom and crashing around in there for a while he emerged in a sinus-busting cloud of aftershave. 

“You driving?” he asked. 

I hesitated.  “I need gas.” 

“Fine, we’ll fly over on my broom.”  He snatched his keys from the counter and waited for me to follow him out the door. 

The gas excuse wasn’t a lie but honestly I avoided getting behind the wheel when I could.  If Bash guessed why, he was kind enough not to harass me about it.  There were times when it just hit me too hard. I half expected to look over and see a ghost sitting beside me. 

In reality there were no ghosts.  The girl in those flashbacks was long gone from this world. She wouldn’t be returning. I would need to get over this haunting feeling.  And I would, in time.  Maybe.