Ty
Laurie and Jonas were loading into Tate’s SUV, Tate was moving across the asphalt with Walker.
The truck unload descended into a party. Not surprising. The women cackled on the deck furniture while the men lugged boxes up two flights of steps, Ty and Wood putting together Lexie’s bed in one of the middle floor bedrooms so one of the sisters could have a bed tonight. Their surprise arrival meant Walker and Lexie had company. They were Lexie’s family so this wasn’t surprising either. It was good his couch was big and had two sides. After the men did the work, Lexie expended the energy of dialing the phone to order pizzas. Fortunately, but surprisingly, she didn’t have much stuff to haul up the steps. Also fortunately, since they both drank beer, she had an ample supply.
Now Wood, Maggie, their kids and Deke were gone and Tate and his family were preparing to leave. But he’d said he wanted a word. So Walker was giving him a word.
“What’s up?” he asked when Tate led him to a position not in hearing distance of his truck or Walker’s house, something Walker noted, also something Walker didn’t like.
“You got a night this week you can come by my house for a talk?”
Fuck.
“About what?” Walker asked.
“You got a night, Ty,” Jackson said quietly.
“This about Peña?” Walker asked.
“Ty, you got a night?”
Walker remained silent for a moment.
Then he replied, “Might have several, I know why.”
“You trust me?”
Fuck.
“Yeah.”
“You got a night?”
Fuck!
“Let me talk to Lex. Her family’s here for two weeks and knowin’ Lex, she’ll wanna pack everything in so it’ll be busy. I’ll let you know,” Walker told him.
“Right,” Tate murmured.
Walker changed the subject. “Thanks for droppin’ everything and comin’ over to help out.”
“Payback, you did the same for me this week and I didn’t give you pizza and beer or feed your family.”
This was true.
“Speakin’ about family –” Jackson started.
“Yeah,” Walker interrupted, mistaking Tate’s comment. “They adopted her. They’re Rodriguez’s family.”
Tate shook his head. “No, I meant when are you and Lexie gonna start yours?”
He’d breathed easy for awhile. A week and a half to be exact. But at Tate’s question, that piercing feeling again went through the left side of his chest.
Through the pain, he forced out, “Come again?”
“Know you’re new. Know you’re both gettin’ on your feet after a lotta rough years. Know you probably got a lotta shit in your head, reckon she does too. But ‘spect, what I can tell of Lexie, she’s helpin’ you work through that. What I know of you, you’re doin’ the same for her. What you probably don’t know is, got somethin’ good, makin’ it better’ll give your mind good things to think of rather than shit things to chew on. And I promise you, brother, a kid is a good thing. Your kid with Lexie, even better.” He paused while Walker stared at him through the gathering dusk then continued, “Though, not if you get yourself a daughter who looks like her. Then you’re f**ked.”
A daughter who looks like her.