Page 19 of Cowboy's Last Stand
A bear came hurtling into the kitchen and knocked over her empty coffee cup.She grabbed the container before it fell off the table.Standing, she tossed it in the trash.
“Time to pick up,” she said.“We’re going out.”
Marcus wrestled his biggest bear to the ground.“Out where?”
“To the store.”When he didn’t stop playing, she said, “Jason’s coming with us.”
He jumped to his feet, collected his bears from their various landing places, and dropped them in the toy bin.
“Go get dressed and brush your teeth.”
Making airplane arms, he zoomed away.He didn’t always listen, and he made plenty of mischief, but he was a good boy.Natalie didn’t have the heart or the energy to be a stern disciplinarian.She worked two jobs, and she was so tired.Some days, the best she could do was keep an eye on him.
She retreated to her bedroom to change clothes.Last night’s jeans had a stain on one knee from the tussle.She tugged them on anyway, along with low-top sneakers and a loose sweatshirt.Her hair was a tangle of curls.She tamed it with a comb and applied minimal makeup.For a Sunday look, it would do.
After tidying up around the house a bit, she checked on Jason.He’d asked if she had any more tools earlier, so she’d opened the door to her garage and invited him to help himself.She didn’t think he’d find anything in there besides cobwebs and buckets of rusty nails.She’d been wrong.He had a set of wrenches that gleamed like new.His T-shirt was streaked with engine grease in several spots.There was a tattoo on his right triceps that appeared to be two feathers.She couldn’t read the inscription underneath.
“How’s it going?”she asked.
“Fine.The alternator belt is broken.”He showed her a worn-out strip of black rubber that he’d tossed on the grass.
“Is that the cheaper thing?”
“It is.”
She was cheered by this news.“Are you ready to go?”
“Ready when you are.”
He wiped his hands on the rag again.His skin was a deep golden brown.Veins stood out on the backs of his hands, and his forearms were roped with muscle.When she realized she was staring, heat rose to her cheeks again.
“Do me a favor,” she said.
“Anything.”
She cleared her throat and tried to clear her mind of sensual images.“Don’t mention Mike in front of Marcus.He’ll never let it go.”
“No problem.”
She returned to the house and grabbed her bag, calling for Marcus to join them.They walked down the sun-dappled, tree-lined path together.Fall leaves littered the grass with brilliant reds and yellows.This was a blue-collar, no-frills neighborhood, but it was still pretty in the fall.She smiled as Marcus jumped into a pile of leaves.Then she noticed the dark spots on the sidewalk, and a chill came over her.She didn’t know who the blood belonged to, Billy or Jason.The broken brick was still lying on the grass.
Maybe she should have reported the incident.What if Jason had been seriously injured?Marcus chattered about gargoyles and other mystical creatures, oblivious to her silence.He picked up a stick to ward off an imaginary attack.
“Can I play in the park?”he asked.
“Not today,” she said.
“Why not?”
“We’re busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Buying parts for my car.”
Marcus shifted his focus to Jason.As they walked, her son filled every second with a combination of questions and commentary.Jason didn’t seem bothered by the barrage.He responded with short answers that were either vague or humorous.
“How do you know my mom?”
