Page 49 of Moonshine Lullabies

Sure enough, Jessie’s unmistakable silhouette was staring down from on high.

“La Croix took Alina an’ my Cor out to his place for safekeeping before we even got back,” he said. “I knew she’d put up a fight an’ didn’t much think you’d like the thought of her bein’ out of your sight longer ‘n a few minutes.”

“You’d be right on all of that,” I said and started heading that way.

“I’ll call you when La Croix gets back this way for church,” he called at my back and I threw up a hand to wave my thanks.

Jessie saw me comin’ and disappeared from the window, the door downstairs buzzin’ by the time I got to it to let me in.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Jessie-Lou…

“Hey,” he said, coming through the door and hugging me tight.

“Hey, yourself,” I said.

“You okay, bud?” he asked, looking to Tate on the couch who was still pale, his face pinched, but I knew my kid was alright just as soon as he opened his mouth.

“AmIokay? I wasn’t even home. Y’all are the ones that were shot at. Areyouokay, or have you done lost your mind?”

I couldn’t help but laugh and Collier joined me.

“Well, I reckon you’re right and yeah, yeah, we’re alright. Ain’t we?” He jostled me a bit, and I nodded.

“I keep tellin’ you,” I said to my boy, and he looked at us skeptically.

“So, uh, does this mean y’all are a thing?” he asked, waving a hand to take us in.

“If it’s alright with you,” Collier said gently and Tate looked at me. I smiled and nodded. He studied us for several seconds more.

“I mean, it ain’t up to me,” he said. “But yeah. Yeah, it’s alright with me.”

Collier and I smiled, and I left Collier’s embrace and took his hand to keep from breaking contact completely, leading us further into the room. I sat down on the middle cushion of the couch next to my kid and Collier took a seat on the other side of me, putting a hand atop my thigh and giving it a squeeze.

It was a cozy and well decorated little one-bedroom apartment, but it wasn’t home, and I didn’t think I’d ever feel safe again let alone in the city.

“Hex said we’d be safe up here,” Tate said. “That even if someone was stupid enough to take shots at the club, we’d be up above it all up here.”

I nodded.

“He ain’t wrong,” Collier said.

“I’d still keep away from the windows,” I told him uneasily.

“I’d still rather be here than at Grandma’s,” Tate said, rolling his eyes and I couldn’t help but smirk.

“They love you and they’re just worried about you is all,” I told him.

He sighed. “I wish they cared about you half as much as they cared about me,” he said and I blinked, shocked, while Collier just tilted his head and didn’t say anything.

“I don’t know what to say to that, kiddo,” I told him and he looked sad.

“Me either,” he said with a shrug. “Do you think they know what a disappointment they are?” he asked and I snorted. I couldn’t help it. That was some funny shit.

I think Tate realized what he’d said because he grinned at me. Collier cut in then and said, “Ain’t nobody know how you feel about ‘em ‘til you tell ‘em.”

“I don’t wanna hurt anybody’s feelings,” Tate said. “Not like they hurt my mom’s… but I don’t really think they know they do, you know?”

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