Come Share My Love - By Carrie Macon Page 0,22

up his pants.”

They all laughed including the father. Then he eased over to Brennan and bopped him in the head. His laughter got louder.

Chapter Six

Zackary knocked on the door and when his mother didn’t respond he just walked in. It wasn’t like his parents were in there together. She was in there sulking and it was all his doing.

“Mom?”

“How may I help you son?”

Zackary sighed. “Mom, please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. Why would I be mad? Not because you yelled at me for getting into your business? Oh no, certainly not for that reason. Not because you just bit my head off for stating fact, regarding your ex-wife and those precious little angels that I call my granddaughters.” Zackary rolled his eyes. She was going for his jugular.

“I don’t know Zackary. You’re their father so you tell me. You seem to have all the answers. I’m just your mother.”

Here it comes he thought. And he was right.

“The woman that sat through twenty five hours of labor nursed you back to health Christmas of 1994 after the worst case of Beijing Flu that’s ever been recorded in America. The woman who spent all of her time going to your plays, your ball games, teaching you how to cook, even seen you through-”

“Okay mom. You made your point. I’m a bad son.”

“No I don’t think I have, Zackary. I’ve given and given and given, the least I can get for that is a little respect and love from my children, but no, all I get in return is my children, my Zack acting as though I’m a busy body, a bad mother.” She looked at Zackary then with puppy dog eyes.

“Mom I am sorry. No one thinks that about you least of all me. You know how much I love you and I would never purposely hurt your feelings.” He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead.

“All better now?”

She nodded. “Yes. And Zackary?”

“Yes mom.”

She sobered. “Son, you got off easy with it this time. I see that you’re in some pain because of your ex and this new woman in your life. But let’s not get carried away. I’d hate to have to hurt you son. I won’t lie like others when they say this will hurt me more than it will hurt you. Trust me son,” she patted his cheek. “It will definitely hurt you more than it hurts me.”

“Yes mom.” Zackary thought back to the last spanking he got. He couldn’t believe he had to go get his own switch. The image still hurt.

“You are in so much trouble Zack. Mom said not to leave the yard for any reason.”

“So, you came out of the yard too. That means you’re in just as much trouble.”

“No it doesn’t,” Brennan said. “Mom also said not to let you out of our sight and to protect you at all cost. Isn’t that right, Braxton?”

“It sure is. We were protecting you just as mom demanded.”

Zackary pushed Brennan aside. Zackary was the youngest but he was the same height as the other two. At nine years old he thought he was the man.

“Whatever. If you don’t tell mom we won’t get into any trouble.”

The voice behind him said otherwise. “You’re wrong Zackary Trellis, Jr. You are so very wrong,” his mother said from the closed screen door.

“Busted,” said the twins in unison.

“Would you like to explain to me why you were out that gate when I specifically told you to stay in the front yard?”

“Not really,” he shrugged.

“What did you say to me?”

“Mom that stray was about to be road kill and from there bird and fly food. He was going to be hit by a car.”

“And so you thought you were being helpful?”

“Yes ma’am,” he smiled.

“Zackary did it ever occur to you that in trying to save that dog that you or your brothers could have been injured?”

“But we didn’t mom. See we’re fine,” he turned making sure she saw all of him. I’m good.”

“Not the point. Did you see that the dog has the mange?”

He shook his head no then said, “But he wouldn’t have bit me because I was helping him.”

“Zackary you sound foolish right now and you know better. If our neighbor hadn’t saw what was going on and made the call you and your brothers could be laid up in a hospital bed fighting for your lives, either from a car accident or from multiple dog bites and needing ten times as many rabies shots, in your