Page 21 of Sex & Cigarettes

Petunia scratches at the back door and Smith cries for his bottle.

I test the temperature of the milk on my wrist as Abel opens the door for the dog and follows her out. I get Smith from his vibrating chair Steph brought over and settle into the new glider that was a gift from Teagan, Murphy, and Goldie.

Thinking about Teagan is hard. She didn’t deserve to die like that. I meant what I said to Abel though. I won’t live in fear. I press the nipple of the bottle to my son’s lips, and he greedily sucks. The front door opens, and Coralie and Goldie enter being escorted by a biker with a BRRMC cut on with the name Chaser. Damn he’s cute. Not that I am staring at the guy or anything. I am a happily married woman. But if I wasn’t....I squash the thought down immediately. Abel would strangle me in my sleep if he thought I was looking at another man.

Abel comes in as the girls plop down on the sofa. Petunia barks for attention and Goldie scoops her up.

“Hey, man. Thanks for doing this.” Abel bumps fists with the guy doing some sort of weird handshake thing that guys are always doing. “Let me show you to the security office and show you around.”

The two of them wander down the hall.

“Shit he’s cute, Goldie.”

“And married with a kid, but word is not so happily,” she tells me, but the blush on her cheeks doesn’t escape my notice.

“Well fuck that noise. You don’t need to be messed up in something like that.”

“Nope.”

“Uh yeah... that’s Jelissa’s old man, and she will cut a bitch.” Coralie laughs.

“You know him?”

“Mhmm. Chaser and Jelissa both. You forget I’m from Drag Creek, and its not that big of a place, so word gets around. Last I heard it is he cheated while she was pregnant. She was having none of it, but they are working on things or at least I hope.”

“What an asshole. Forget I said anything.” I check to see how much milk Smith has drank and prop him up on my shoulder to burp him.

“Everyone was shocked that he did something like that because he’d always been one of the good ones.”

“No one is perfect that’s for sure.” I know I’m far from it. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but they led me to where I am.

“How’d you come up with the name Smith?” Coralie asks me.

“Don’t laugh but I couldn’t decide. Like every time I tried to come up with something, I went blank. Abel said it was up to me. When he was born, I don’t know. I looked at him and that’s the first word that came to my mind.”

“I like it,” Goldie tells me.

“I’m the worst hostess. Are you guys hungry or need drinks?”

“Girl, you just gave birth. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“I’m good. I’m really glad you’re here. Both of you.”

“Don’t mention it. There is something I wanted to ask you though,” Goldie starts.

“Go for it.”

“Would you...do you want to help me do a celebration of life for Teagan? My father hasn’t said anything. It’s just something I think we should do.”

“Of course. I can call Steph. I’m sure she’d be much better at organizing it than I would. Let me put Smith down, and I’ll see if she can pop over while you’re here.”

“I can take him,” Coralie offers with a twinkle in her eyes that looks a lot like baby fever.

I want what Abel and I have for her and Axel but with his legal troubles I’m not sure how that will work out for them. I worry he’ll get picked up and go back for a longer sentence. Then where will that leave Coralie?

Chapter 12

Abel

---