And cute.
Chace grinned.
Robbie heard Faye and agreed with, “Yeah! Gun!”
“No, gun, Robbie. Shut your trap about it, kid, jeez,” Boyd ordered, coming in carrying a bottle of beer and taking a seat in one of the four armchairs scattered around the space. This gave Chace a clue why Faye, who lived alone, had more armchairs than anyone he knew.
Robbie whirled on his father and fired back, “Shut your trap.”
Boyd’s face changed to the Dad look no kid wanted to see and his voice was rumbling when he said one word.
“Robert.”
Robbie scrunched up his face then wisely stopped giving attitude, dropped his head and got lost in his study of Chace’s badge.
At this point, from nowhere, Jarot popped up in front of him.
“You ever shoot anyone?” he asked.
“No,” Chace answered.
Jarot looked crestfallen and Robbie’s head snapped up showing he thought his brother’s line of questioning was more interesting than Chace’s badge.
Jarot perked up again and asked, “You ever shoot at anyone?”
Since he had, albeit only with the intent to warn thus miss, Chace looked at Boyd who now had his wife sitting on the arm of his chair and he got the entire story with one glance.
Liza was sipping her wine and gazing at her son as if he just masterfully played an entire piece by Chopin on the piano and did it using nothing but the power of his mind.
Boyd had his eyes aimed at the ceiling.
No help there.
Faye, luckily, chimed in.
“Jarot, honey, maybe this conversation can happen when you’re twenty-five.”
Chace felt his lips tip up but Jarot just looked to his aunt, back to Chace and didn’t give up.
“You ever get shot?”
“No,” Chace answered.
“Shot at?” Jarot persevered.
Chace was silent because he had. This was the time he shot back as a warning, missed, scared the wired junkie out of his mind, as was his intent, and the junkie dropped his gun. This he was not going to tell Jarot or Faye.
Faye read his silence and her body got tight beside him so he lifted his arm and curled it around her again.
“Jarot,” she said softly when he had her tucked close.
Jarot again changed tactics. “Arrested anyone?”
“Yes,” Chace answered.
“Lots of them?” Jarot kept up his interrogation.
“My fair share,” Chace told him.