Burying my head in my hands, I breathe as deeply and slowly as I can. I’m acting irrational. I know that.
We watch each other, a crackle in the air between us. Ty draws me in with this sincerity, with the look of love and protection in his eyes. I place my hand on his chest and feel his heart beat strongly, passionately.
“I was going to talk to you about it tonight,” he says, his voice low enough for just me to hear.
“After you beat me in HORSE?” I say, blinking back my tears.
“I was going to beat you, take you inside, take my winnings, and then figure out how to discuss this.”
“So,” I say, wiping my eyes, “you were going to lick me senseless and use that to weaken me?”
“Shut. Up,” Jiggs groans.
“Exactly,” Ty laughs, the warmth in his tone making me smile.
I pull myself as close to him as possible. “Promise me you’ll come home every night.”
“Of course,” he says. “Promise me you’ll be home every night when I get here.”
I grin up at my husband. “I will. Because you have a bet to make good on.”
“Yes, I fucking do.”
“Enough,” Jiggs groans. “I’m going inside. You said something about spaghetti.”
Jiggs and Ty walk away. As I start to follow them, I look around for Cord. He’s standing at his truck, his elbows on the tailgate, scratching Yogi behind her ears.
Heading his direction, I smack him on the back as I near. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Not much.”
“Liar.”
He glances at me over his shoulder, shaking his head. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“I do. Now ‘fess up, McCurry.”
He looks towards the house and gives a little wave to Becca through the window. She smiles back, but doesn’t come out to us.
“Did something happen with her?” I ask, petting the dog.
A small laugh rumbles out of him. “Not really. She’s a good girl.”
“So? I don’t see the problem.”
He gives Yogi one final nuzzle before facing me. Taking a deep breath, he speaks. “My phone rang this morning.”
“My phone rings all the time.”
“Smartass,” he laughs. “So do you pick yours up and it happens to be the woman that gave birth to you that gave you up for adoption that you’ve met once in your life?”
The gasp I emit is quick and shaky. My eyes are bulging, my hand going to my mouth. “You’re kidding me.”
The color of his eyes, usually so playful and clear, are dirtied with unnamed emotion. He doesn’t look like the Cord I’m used to seeing: sharp, fun, smart. He reminds me of one of the kids in my class that is in trouble and afraid.
His head shakes side to side. “She’s incarcerated somewhere in Kansas.”
“What’s she want you to do about it?” I say that, but then realize that’s not even what I’m thinking. “Why would she even call you about that? What the hell, Cord?”
“I don’t know,” he sighs, clearly torn about his predicament.
“So, how does that conversation go?” I ask, starting to see red as I watch Cord fight with the situation this callous and despicable woman put him in. “Hey, I’m the lady that hasn’t cared about you for your entire life. But I need help so come help me?”
“Basically.” He leans against the truck, his head in his hands. Yogi comes up and licks his forehead.
“Fuck her, Cord. You don’t owe her anything.”
“The jail said she was arrested for drug trafficking. If I bail her out, I’d be responsible for her—”
“Oh, no,” I say, pulling his hands down so he’ll look at me. “You aren’t bailing her out. I can see on your face that you feel responsible for this somehow, like because she called you that you should run and help her, but you aren’t.”
Shoving away from the vehicle, he crosses his arms over his chest. “I know that. I do. I’m not stupid, Elin.”
“I know,” I say, my hand resting on his bicep. “But I hate seeing her put you in this spot.”
“I don’t even know how she got my number.”
“She can lose it,” I say, squeezing his arm before letting go. “She’s nothing to you. We are your family.”
The words wash over his face, inch by inch, until they begin to lift the corners of his lips. “Thank you.”
Waving my hand in the air, I snort. “No thanks needed. You know I love telling you what to do.”
“No shit,” he laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and starting towards my house. “I don’t think this thing with Becca is going to work out though.”