"He just probably came to visit Carlos... since Carlos's spot is almost finished."
"Makes sense. Can't begrudge a man for checking in on his best hombre."
"I'm sure that's all it was."
Only the sounds of night responded as strained silence fell between them.
"Do you know how hard it was for me to come back here after all these years?" Rider said quietly, closing his eyes as he spoke. "This is where I brought her, hoping for a miracle that never happened. I buried my heart here, D. This is sacred ground for me in more ways than one, and the fact that this bastard has access to it, is like him walking over my grave. I gotta get off this land."
Rider had spoken so softly but with such intensity that she touched his arm. "I'm so sorry," she said in a tight whisper. "Listen, I'll tell Carlos not to - "
"Only under emergency conditions, D," Rider said flatly, no emotion in his tone. "We're in a firefight, then his homeboy crosses the line to save his ass. But just to stop on by and do a pop-call visit, can't tolerate it."
"I'll let Carlos know," she said, watching Rider stand slowly and straighten his back.
Rider thrust his chin up with unwavering dignity, even though he was as drunk as Cooter Brown.
"You need to have that conversation, as well as the one with Jose - soon."
She stared at Rider, and a pair of bloodshot eyes stared back at her without blinking.
"Soon, D," he repeated, holding her gaze until she nodded.
Finally, she looked away. She knew what Rider meant, and that was one of the many things she loved about him, he was always straight, no chaser, about things.
"I miss you, darlin'," he murmured. "The house ain't the same without you... but, can't stay in the nest forever. We got new chickadees to feed and train, and gotta start this bullshit cycle all over again." He sighed and hitched up his jeans, then took out a pack of Marlboro reds and tapped the back of it, extracting a butt.
Damali watched him strike a stick match with his thumbnail and inhale slowly. "You gotta take care of yourself, Rider."
"So everybody tells me." He motioned toward the bottle on the porch with his chin, and lifted an imaginary cowboy hat from his head, saluting her and adding a sad smile. "Ma'am, it's time for this old gunslinger to go on back to the ponderosa."
"Want me to drive you home?" she said, standing, deeply concerned about him getting behind the wheel of a car in his condition. If the alcohol didn't send him into a tree, his state of mind surely would.
"Nah, I've crawled out of bars on my hands and knees. This is nothing but a little nightcap," he said, weaving down her front steps, holding on to the rail. "If you don't smell smoke in the distance, then I made it back just fine."
She was down the steps and leaning on his driver's side door before he even got to the walkway. "Rider, for real, now. Give me your keys. I'll - "
"Baby girl, I've let go," he said, kissing her forehead and gently moving her aside. "Now you let go. Okay? We can't watch you twenty-four - seven anymore, and you can't be all up in our house drama, either. Fair?"
Damali nodded and conceded. The man had a point, but still. "I love you," she said quietly, holding his arm.
"I love you, too," he murmured as she filled his arms. He hugged her tightly and laid his cheek on the crown of her head. "Some crew, huh?"
"Yeah. Some crew."
They stood that way in her front yard for a long time, saying nothing, but allowing the comfort of human touch to transmit all that was necessary. When he let her go, she placed her hand over his heart. He shook his head and covered her hand briefly, but then removed it.
"You can't put the healing balm on this man with a supposedly good heart, baby. Not even Marlene could do that." He tweaked her nose and got into his vehicle. "Only a soul mate can do that for you. But I appreciate the attempt."
She folded her arms and stepped away from his Jeep, fighting tears. Damn, damn, damn, it was not supposed to go down like this.
"You think you oughta slow down on that Remy?" Yonnie said as he watched Carlos pour another drink at the bar. He gave Carlos a glance from the corner of his eye and then sipped his drink to finish it slowly.
Carlos leaned forward on his forearms, propping himself up. "I'm cool, man. We supposed to be out in the world tonight, right?"
"True dat," Yonnie said, pouring himself a splash of Remy Martin from Carlos's bottle, then adding a bit of color from the gold flask he carried in the breast pocket of his suit.
"See, that's what I'm talking 'bout," Carlos said, referring to Yonnie's flask. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." He weaved a bit on his bar stool and leaned closer to Yonnie. "But you didn't have to go civilian just for me. We coulda did a vamp club, whateva, man."