So. Long(197)
I pat her leg. “Come on down from there before you hurt yourself. Let’s get someone else to fix it.”
I can almost hear her eyes rolling as she says, “Well, Missy, unless that coochie you’ve got spits out gold, we’re screwed. I can’t afford it, and neither can you.”
With a small giggle and a shake of my head, I say, “No. No gold from this coochie. But you’re going to fall and break your neck, so get down. I’ll fix it.”
Aunt Delores lets out a sigh, exasperation clear in her tone. “You—fix it? Like you fixed the plumbing under the sink last fall? No. Thank you, Dearest. Go find someone with a dick to fix this thing.”
“A dick?”
Her one eyebrow quirks, as though she thinks I’m dense. “You know—a man.”
“I’ll look up a plumber. But, for the moment, get down. I can’t leave you here on this sad ass excuse for a ladder. You’re gonna fall.”
“Girl, I’ve been taking care of myself since long before you were born, I’m fine. Now, be gone—go next door and fetch Buck. He should be able to fix this.”
Buck?
No.
No way. No how.
“Why don’t I call Frank?” I can handle Buck’s granddaddy. But Buck? Not ready to see him again so soon.
She steps down one rung. “Selma told me Frank threw his back out three days ago. He can’t do it. Go get Buck. I’m pretty sure God gave him a dick. You can ask him.”
I don’t have to ask. I know all about it. And that’s one reason I don’t want to go fetch him.
Aunt Delores holds my shoulder, and I grasp her arm, as she steps into the standing water.
She shakes me off and turns me around, pushing me toward the door. “Go on. Find Buck. Tell him to bring tools.”
THREE
A knock pulls everyone’s attention from the pile of sandwich makings in the middle of the table. I add more shrimp to my po' boy as Nan gets up to answer the door.
The show’s field producer, Trudi, grins over the top of her sandwich as she takes a big bite. The little pixie can eat more than most men I know. Not sure where the hell she puts it, but—
“Buck, it’s for you.” Nan takes her seat, a small smile playing at her lips.
“Yeah? Who?” I ask.
She waves to the door. “Just go see. Don’t be rude and make her wait. She declined my invitation to join us.”
Her.
My groin tightens. Please let it be Lou. Maybe she changed her mind.
It’s Lou all right. But from the scowl on her face, I’m fairly certain she hasn’t decided to give me a suck or a fuck. Damn.
Doesn’t matter what expression she wears—with her caramel skin, long, dark curls, and those sage green eyes, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.
I step outside and close the door behind me. No sense in letting the camera crew know there might be something worth filming here. The last thing I want is them figuring out that Lou and I have more than just a passing connection.
“Hello, Loula Mae. Imagine you showing up on my doorstep looking for lil’old me.”
She crosses her arms over those full tits and lifts one eyebrow, giving me the once-over.
She glances at the bodyguard blocking the stairs to the front porch. “What’s with the muscle?”
“Just there to keep the photographers at bay. Paparazzi can be a real pain in the nads.”
“Oh, yeah…I forgot that you’re a rising star these days. Well, they almost didn’t let me near the door.”
I turn to Thug One and Thug Two. “Hey, can you guys take a walk around the perimeter or something? I need a couple of minutes.”
Thug Two nods. “Sure thing, Boss.”
Thug One tips the bill of his ball cap to Lou.
She rolls her eyes. “Boss? That’s just fucking weird.”
“What’s weird is that beautiful mouth dropping cusswords like that. The Loula Mae I remember didn’t curse much.”
“That Loula Mae is buried in the dirt at Paris Island. Sweated and bled out during thirteen weeks of hell, which is exactly what I wanted. I left on a mission to reinvent myself.” She lifts her chin a notch or two. “The new and improved Lou stands before you.”
“Well, I liked the original Lou.” Everything about her.
She narrows her eyes. “Sure you did. That’s why you left her here while you ran off to California to chase your dreams and never looked back, or called—not once.”
I cringe. “Not fair—you and I agreed, and that was the plan—”
She throws up her hand. “Just forget it. I came over because Aunt Delores wants to know if you’ve got a dick. I told her you are one, but I’m not really sure if you still have one.”