Page 61 of The Wounded Warrior

Soon he was waxing poetic about the cornmeal cake, the different flavors, thearepamaker.

She laughed all through. “Well, y’all need to make me lunch. No taking me out. I want those things.”

“I’ll talk to him, sure.”

Rory seemed like the kind of guy you could introduce your momma to. What a thought. Luke had never once brought anyone home. Neither had Matty.

The world sure had changed.

Most of the times when folks said that, it was bad. This wasn’t. This was fine.

“Thanks for your help, baby boy. Poke your head out and see where they are on the grill?” That meant ‘I need to make this food so get out’.

“I’ll poke my whole self out, if Matty helps me down the ramp.”

“No falling,” she said absently.

Luke laughed, then wheeled to the back door. “Y’all need help?”

“Daddy will. I’m going to get up on the roof.”

“Be careful.” Luke waved at the ramp. “Help me down, and I’ll burn meat.”

Matty headed up, then wheeled his ass right down. So strong, his twin.

He peered at the burgers at eye level. “Nice. Okay,Preacher. What can I do?”

“Just don’t catch them on fire like your damn brother does.”

“I heard you, old man!”

“Where’s your hat, P?” Since the stroke, Preacher forgot shit like that, and the sun was beating down.

“I… I’ll go get it. Your momma must’ve stole it.”

He nodded easily, but the jumbled words made him hurt. “Grab us all a water while you’re in there?”

“Can do!”

He flipped the burgers, listening to Matty sing from up on the roof.

Luke had never thought he was going to be so grateful for time with his family, but now he knew he would never take it for granted again.

God, Rory would laugh his ass off at him. Not much of a sentimentalist, his Rory. His. Listen to him.

He could hear Matty growling, bitching about the gutters.

“Don’t you rain shit down on the burgers, Matty.”

“Fuck you, Lulu.”

“Boys! Language!” Momma could hear anything through her kitchen window.

“Sorry, Momma,” they said in chorus.

Matt appeared over the gutters, grinning like a monkey. “You got me in trouble, man.”

“I did.” Luke cackled like a bird. “That’s my job.”

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