Page 36 of Moonshine Lullabies

“Really?” I asked. “Have to bring me some the next time you’re out that way.”

“Hell, next time I go out that way, maybe you ought to come with me, huh?”

I stared at him for several heartbeats, trying to decide whether he was serious.

“I’ve never been out the state of Louisiana,” I said and he cocked his head.

“Now that’s a right shame,” he said. “Should see at least some of this great country. It is, by far, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

“You’ve been out of the country?” I asked.

“With my unit. Deployed once. Didn’t make it all the way through before my ass was sent home and bounced right out of the military on some bullshit. Found myself expendable to cover some ass higher up in the chain of command.” He sounded bitter and I couldn’t say as I blamed him.

I wanted to ask where he’d been, but at the same time? I didn’t. I didn’t want to poke the bear on something that might’ve been painful. I didn’t much care about what a man done in his past, or what he might have done. I knew a man was capable of change and what I cared about was how he was now an’ how he treated me an’ my son. Still, it wasn’t like I ignored red flags altogether. I listened to what he said, and while I had no reason to disbelieve him, I also took it with a grain of salt.

“You gonna keep going?” he asked when we were both quiet for too long, just looking at one another – me sittin’ with the big skull half in my lap, half propped against the old desk I worked from, and him standing next to me, lookin’ down at me and my work.

“I think it’s late enough that we should start windin’ down,” I said, swallowing hard.

He nodded and said, “I’d like to hear what happens next in your book. It’s your turn tonight.”

I smiled faintly at that. “You aren’t really gonna make me read it out loud, are you?” I asked.

“Turn aboutisfair play,” he answered.

I skeptically asked, “For real? You wanna read this book with me? You know you ain’t have to to impress me or nothin’. You already do plenty of that already.”

His smile split into a wide grin and he said, “Well that’s good to know, but I ain’t doin’ it to impress you. I like a good story, and I think you picked a good one with Hettie and Cain.”

I moved the skull off my lap and onto the desk where it was safe and stable. No way it could fall off and break on me.

He held a hand down to me and helped me up onto my feet. I took off my apron and one of J.P.’s old flannel shirts to keep the bone dust off of me and switched out the lights, trailing him lightly through the house and down to my room.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed by me that he’d made my bed that morning, and it was much appreciated. There was just something nice about getting into a nicely made bed in the evening.

I switched on the bedside lamp and got in, pulling off my socks so my feet wouldn’t get too warm and tossing them on top of my boots to wear tomorrow. They were clean. I’d put ‘em on fresh after my shower.

Collier had gotten into bed first and when I got in and took up my book, he pulled me back against his chest to snuggle in and read with my head propped against his shoulder. He shifted, an arm around me, and I asked him, “You good?”

“Yeah, just let me get another pillow back here to lean on,” he said. He leaned back after stuffing one behind his back.

“Anything else?” I asked.

“Yeah, let me get this shirt off. Can’t stand sleeping with one on.” He hauled his tee off over his head and tossed it down on the foot of the bed.

We settled, and I opened the book to the marked page and began…

I staggered back, blinking, and one of the physicians of the field hospital caught me.

“Easy now,” he said, then called out, “You, boy! Get on over here and help Ms. Rogan to sit down.”

I shook my head as the fire inside subsided and forced myself to my feet, but it was like they just didn’t want to cooperate, my legs refusing to hold me up anymore.

A wooden chair was thrust up under me and I sat, heavily. I swallowed hard and someone brought me a canteen, pressing it into my hands. I brought it to my lips, shaking as I was, and took a drink, then another, before passing it into an unseen pair of hands.

“You’re alright now.” Doc Hutchin’s patted my shoulder.

“Go.” I waved him off. “I’m fine.”

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