Page 17 of Moonshine Lullabies

I heaved a sigh and checked my coat pocket for my wallet and found I’d at least had that on me, but then my eyes wandered to the back of the backyard and stopped on my poor truck.

John-Paul was right… it was lost to me. Even if I did manage to straighten it out, I knew the likelihood of sourcin’ the parts for it was nigh on zero. Dammit to hell.

The back door clapped in its frame and I watched Collier bounce down the back steps and stalk across the grass, head bowed and lookin’ thoughtful as the wind ruffled his hair.

He stopped outside the truck and shrugged off his cut. When he opened the door, he passed the new phone in its plastic wrapped box and my old, shattered phone atop it to me.

“You never know, they might be able to save the pictures and your contacts and shit and transfer ‘em over.” I nodded and took the vest as he passed it to me next, laying it on the seat between us as he hopped up and got settled.

“Phone first and then I can try and figure out the car situation, I guess.”

He nodded and pulled down on the shifter to put my brother’s truck in gear, switching on the heat which was rare for Louisiana but certainly not this time of year.

I was mulling that over some, the thoughts tickling my brain when it struck me.

“They knew J.P. – sorry, I mean Cypress, wasn’t home. They weren’t after him, they were just there to terrorize us and send a message to y’all, weren’t they?” I asked.

He glanced over at me and asked, “How do you figure?”

“Hell, it’s Mardi Gras season. If ever there was a time to do it, it’s now. All the cops from here to kingdom come are tied up with parades and shit.”

Collier sighed, and it didn’t sound happy.

“Y’all figured that out already and I’m late to the party, huh?”

“Yeah,” he said, a muscle in his jaw tightening as he gave a curt nod.

“What’s your beef with them?” I demanded.

He looked over at me and met my eyes as he rolled up to the stop sign at the end of our street. I met them right back even though I wanted to look at where I’d gone off the road.

“We didn’t have one until they started it,” he said. “Started when some of their members poached some of your brother’s gator traps, then they pushed things harder when they started encroaching on our territory.”

“I see,” I muttered and turned to look out the window, down at the tracks from my little truck from where it’d careened off the road. I was so busy focusing on the one, I’d missed the other’d got ahead of me up in the road. He’d been stopped and taking aim, and I’d either go off the road or risk being shot, tryin’ to take him out. I’d gone off the road right on past him. My only saving grace’d been the boys comin’ up the other way, and they’d seen ‘em and fucked off back to the house to get their guy I’d wounded.

“Glad you understand it,” he said and took in a shuddering breath. I huffed a laugh.

“I’ll never understand what men do,” I said. “Y’all tend to make life way more complicated than it needs to be, yeah?”

He was quiet for a small time and then said, “Can’t argue with you there.”

I turned back to him, but his profile was rigid.

“You an’ my brother have some kind of come t’ Jesus or something?” I asked him.

He nodded and said, “Or something.”

“I kinda figured you maybe had a hand in this.” I held up the phone.

He smiled and asked, “Why is that?”

“Hm. J.P. don’t think about the details, Cher. That’s what I’m for.”

He laughed at that and said, “Touché Ms. Gaudet. Touché.”

“Aw, you can fuck off wi’ dat Ms. Gaudet shit. It’s Jessie-Lou or just Jessie.”

“How about Jess?” he asked, and I smiled.

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