Page 8 of Devil

“Because she knows that no matter what, in return, she will have respect, loyalty, faithfulness, and love.” I nodded my headathis reply.

We were quiet for a fewminutes,and I got up and went in and grabbed a couple more beers, then brought them out, handing one over to my dad before sitting back down. It had been awhile since mydadand I had hung out. We’d done it a lot as I was growing up, but ofcourse,then, it hadn’t meant as much to me.

“You ever regret being strapped with a kid?” I asked, which I was sure had to be like the thousandth time sinceIwas old enough to ask why I didn’t have a mom around, and every time, he never failed to respond immediately.

“No.”

“Oh, come on, old man. Not even one time?”

“No regrets. Now, did I have doubts about my ability to take care of you? Fuck yeah. Especially when you were first born and fighting off the drugs. You were tiny, and it scared the hell out of me. Like when you stayed awake for twenty-four hours and screamed the whole time. Or when you got older, and I put you in your crib for your nap, made sure you were asleep, then went to take a shower only to walk out of the bathroom to find you sitting in the middle of my bed covered in the baby powder you had grabbed from your room. But no matter what you did, you always had a smile on your face. Shakeswasthe one who first started calling you Devil because of it.”

“I never knew that. Earliest I remember anyone calling me that, I was a teenager,” Isaid,and my dad chuckled.

“Yeah, she was afraid the name wouldstick,so she yelled at any of us who called you that out loud.” He chuckled and took a drink of his beer. “Itstuckthe day you werefourteen,and the sheriff brought you home after he caught you running between the houses with just your shirt on, carrying your damn pants.”

“That was because old man Collier was chasing my ass with a kitchen knife!” I smiled, then laughed.

“That right there is why she called you Devil,” he said and pointed at me. “It’s the same smile you always wore, hell, still do when you’ve done something or are getting ready to do something. And Collier was chasing your ass because he walkedinhis house to find his eighteen-year-old daughter getting fucked on his kitchen table.”

“Not my fault he came home for lunch that day.” We both laughed because that was the exact thing I said that day when the sheriff questioned me.

“Damn, Collier moved his family a few months after that. The man had wanted to murder you, but Sheriff Lance reminded him that his daughter was the adult while you were a minor. Then the man ended up finding out she liked teaching the younger boys because they were eager to please and would do whatever she asked.”

“I had no complaint,” Isaid,and my dad stood and shook his head.

“On that note, I think I’m going to head home.” He pointed to the beer bottle he sat on the little table between the chairs. “You got that, or you want me to go toss it?”

“Nah, I got it,” I said, then added, “I saw and spoke to Bailey today,” just as he stepped off the porch.

He turned around and faced me. “You don’t say.”

“You asked what had put the smile on my face when you first got here.”

My dad nodded and then began to walk away before he replied over his shoulder, “Wondered if you were ever going to pull your head out of your ass, son.”

I smiled, shook my head, and grabbed the empty bottles off the table and headed into the house without replying.

What was there to say? He was right.

Chapter Four

Bailey

“Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself? I could reschedule with Mackenzie if you need me to.”

“Bailey, will you stop worrying. I will befine. It’s not like you’ll be gone all day. Plus, it’s not like I haven’t been in the shop by myself before. I’ll hear the bell when it rings.” Mom huffed and turned back to rolling out the pie dough.

“I know, but if it happens to get busy or you start to feelbad, you call me.” It would be the first time my mom would be left alone. Well, since her illness. I knew she would be okay, it was just going to take me a little time to let go. Since her diagnosis, it was as if my mother and I had switched roles.

“Yes, dear.” I saw her lips twitch as she tried not to smile. Grinning, I walked to the back door. “Good luck, Bailey. You deserve something nice to happen for you.”

I moved back toward her and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her. “Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

“I love you too, honey. Now go and tell Mac she’d be a fool not hire you.”

“You got it. I will be back as soon as I’m done.” Mom went back to hercrust,and I headed to the doctor’s office.

When I reached Dr. Minton’s office, I parked and walked in. The waiting area was empty and onlyAmedia, the receptionist, sat behind the counter.

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