Page 34 of Beck & Coll
Church:
*ROTFL*
Me:
Anyway! We were talking about Mama. His name is Bayliss. He’s a good guy, and yes, he’s Beckham’s brother. But still . . .
Perkins:
It’s a vacation. I say let Alisha cook. All she does is go to work.
Bailey:
And come home and watch your kids.
Perkins:
Mind the business that pays you, Bailey.
Church:
I’m with Perk. Let mama cook. She deserves to have some man tell her she’s pretty, and act like he’s in insta-love with her. She’s there for the weekend. Let her spend the weekend getting her ego blown up. What’s it gonna hurt?
Perkins:
Out of the mouths of babes.
Bailey:
Now, when she comes home pregnant, who’s gonna raise that baby?
About three quarters into the ride, Bayliss speaking in his regular tone pulled my attention from my phone.
“Hey, Collins. Beck tells me that you feel like you haven’t gotten to see enough of Jackson Falls to decide if it’s someplace you could consider living.”
My swallow got caught in my throat. “Uh… uh, yeah. I told him that I’ve only really seen the lodge and a little bit of Second Street.” I lowered my voice. “And the creek… when I fell into it.”
“You fell in a creek?” My mother basically shouted, concern coloring her tone.
Bayliss chuckled lightly. “Dayum, lil’ mama. I heard you fell on the trail, but you fell into the creek, too?”
“You fell on the trail? Did you hurt yourself, Coll? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I was okay, and because Beckham was there both times to help me.” I paused. “Although, I’m starting to think that he might be a jinx.”
Bayliss roared with laughter. “I’ve always thought that about him.”
I laughed, too. My mother did not.
“This is not funny. I didn’t plan on you coming out here and getting yourself killed.” She scolded me.
“I didn’t get myself killed, Mama. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“But you did hurt yourself.”
“More so when I fell in the mountains than when I fell in the creek. The creek was just cold and shocking. But Beck jumped in right away and got me out.”
“Jumped in and got you out? Were you drowning?”
