Page 10 of Hot Chicken
“Fine,” Hawk said, “Ifound it. And I had a powerful urgeto bring it home. But then, upon… you know,reflection… I realized it wasn’t meant for me. I was just a conduit.” He looked solemn as a choir boy. “It’s meant for you.”
“Uh-huh. Because you see something whimsical and think ‘Knox Sunday,’” I said blandly, folding my arms over my chest. “Who wouldn’t?”
Hawk blushed. “No, see, it turns out it’s kind of a… a lucky charm. A powerful one. Teagan Curran said so, and he’s kind of a medium.”
“A medium what?” I demanded.
“No, a medium, as in…” Hawk sighed. “Never mind. The point is, something told me I needed to bring it to you and Gage.” He pursed his lips and looked pointedly at my cheek. “And that wasbeforeI realized you were sleeping on the sofa.”
I could feel my own face going red. “I’m not—I didn’t—” I broke off with a growl. I couldn’t very well explain the situation with Goodman when I didn’t understand it myself.
“Hmmm.” Hawk gave Jack a look. “Sounds like we got here just in time.” He tore the bag open and stood back with a flourish, as though presenting me with the holy grail. “I’ve got exactly what you need right here!”
I wrinkled my nose. “What the fuck is that thing?”
The supposed lucky charm was a gaudy-as-fuck ceramic rooster with a ridiculously puffed chest, one chipped wing, and garish red wattles that looked like a set of screaming red and engorged testicles attached to its weird chicken face.
It might have been funny, except that someone had also given the bird creepy golden eyes, and I swear, it seemed to be watching me.
“He,” Hawk corrected, giving the monstrosity a fond pat, “is not a ‘that thing.’ He’s Sir Pecksworth, the Cock of Good Fortune. Pecky, for short.” He leaned toward me and confided, “He’s magic.” Then, straightening again, he added, “And he’s also a cookie jar.”
I blinked slowly, then frowned at Hawk in genuine concern. I knew the man enjoyed reading fiction quite a bit and had for years, but this was the first time I’d worried that it might be having a negative effect on his brain.
“Have you been reading outside again, Hawklet? Because one of the first signs of heatstroke?—”
“Hush. I don’t have heatstroke,” Hawk said. “This rooster’s genuinely lucky. Tell him, Jack.”
Jack’s mouth twisted like he was trying not to laugh. “I was already a lucky man, Knox… but I can definitely say that I got very, very,verylucky after that rooster came into my life.” His eyes met Hawk’s, and Hawk blushed. “But Hawkmightbe a little dehydrated.”
Somehow, this made Hawk blush harder and bite his lip. Jack sucked in a sharp breath, and?—
“Ugh. God.Stop!” I threw out a hand and made a retching noise. “The sex vibes in here are overpowering.”
Hawk gasped. “Oh my God, it’s working already!”
I had no idea what he was talking about, and I didn’t want to know. My head was pounding from lack of caffeine, lack of sleep, and lack ofGage, which meant my patience was at an all-time low.
“Jack, if you’re going to make horny eyes at my tiny baby brother, go do it in your own home, and stop defiling my kitchen with it,” I said. “And take the weird rooster with you.”
“He’s notweird. He’s handsome!” Hawk insisted. “Remember Uncle Drew had one just like this on the kitchen shelf when we were growing up?”
I gave the rooster a closer inspection. Itdidlook sort of familiar. Maybe.
“I remember,” I allowed. “He kept it right next to the Mason jar Porter painted at Scout camp, where Drew kept his marijuana stash.”
“He painted the jar to say, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, Drew!’” Hawk explained to Jack. “In glitter.”
“Aw.” Jack’s face melted in a gooey frown. “That’s really?—”
I tightened my arms over my chest. “Irrelevant to absolutely anything?” I interrupted. “Yes. Yes, it is. I do not want your cock, so please take it and?—”
“Whoa! Hey! Who’s offering you cock?” Gage padded into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of athletic shorts—myathletic shorts—which hung indecently low on his hips. His hair was damp from the shower, his tan chest glistened with water droplets, and the second he stepped into the room, our eyes locked.
Despite everything—the blistering heat, yesterday’s weirdness,today’sweirdness—my mouth went dry at the sight of him. Four years on, he still affected me the way he had at the very beginning.Mine, a primitive part of me roared.Mine, mine, mine.
Gage tore his eyes away to greet Hawk and Jack, and I tried desperately not to stare at his naked abs.
“Morning, Gage!” Hawk smiled. “We brought you a housewarming gift. Surprise!”
