Page 17 of Tulips and Lost Time

“Maybe…” She glances across, sly and cunning. “What will you do for me?”

“I’ll tell you before Marc is heading your way, so he won’t catch you doing shit you really shouldn’t be doing. And,” I declare, making up my mind and setting my temper to the side for later use. “I’m gonna take care of Mod Podge for you. That way, your problem is solved, Marc never has to worry, and Mucus will stay away from you.”

Her smile flatlines and her eyes narrow. “What are you gonna do?”

I flash a grin and replace hers with my own. “I’m gonna deal with it. Now let’s get to Popcorn Palace. I’m hungry, and your cheese sandwich is looking kinda tasty right now.”

“That’s my sandwich! Luc!” she smacks me again. “I was saving that.”

Jess rocks in the nursery chair, her eyes wide like saucers as she gently pats Billy’s backside. “What did you do?”

“I ate half the sandwich, we shared the juice, Kari did her homework, and I wrote a song.”

Frustrated, she snags a burp cloth from the arm of the chair and lobs it my way, though it falls to the floor listlessly long before it comes close to me. “I meant what did you do to Maybel? I didn’t even realize until right now that she kinda just… disappeared.” Her eyes grow impossibly wider. “Should I turn you in to the chief, Luc?”

I snort. Finally, a soft, almost real laugh rolls through my chest after the world’s second longest day that ever occurred in history.

The first, of course, was the day Billy was born.

“I kept watch for another week or so.” I reach back and take another potato from the plate Jess prepared for me. If I don’t eat, I’ll feel even shittier tomorrow than I do today. And the bar is already pretty fucking low. “I caught her messing with Kari twice more. I wanted to give Bear a chance to stand up for herself. Ya know, like teaching someone to fish, instead of giving them a fish.”

“She never did?” Jess sighs. “She never stepped up?”

“No. She was more worried about protecting Marc’s mental health than she was her own, so she took that bitch’s shit twice more. The first was another ‘kill yourself’ bullshit. The second, Mucus Plug popped her in the belly.”

“Maybel punched her?” Jess gasps. “With her fists? Kari never told us that!”

“Of course she didn’t. She’s the martyr, remember? Malarkey got one hit in. One time. She thought she was brave, cornering Bear when no one else was around and slamming her into the lockers when the teachers were looking the other way. But I’d been watching closely.”

“Because you were head over heels in love with her already and too scared to admit it?”

I chuckle, shaking my head side to side and chewing my dinner. “Not yet. Not at that point. She was way too young for me back then. And I was way too interested in every other female who walked the planet. I was acting in a big brother capacity only.”

“Mmhm.” She relaxes back into her chair and presses gentle lips to Billy’s head. “I think our hearts know, even before our brains admit it. Back then, it wasn’t allowed, so you didn’t outwardly have those feelings for our sweet Kari. But in the very depths of your soul, I think you knew what was coming. You knew she would eventually hold your heart in her hands. So your instincts were to keep her safe and wait until it was okay.”

“Yeah, well…” I shrug and twist to select a green bean. “Maybe. I dunno. I just know, back then, I wasn’t looking at her like that. She was my best friend’s much younger, and hella protected, little sister. We weren’t flirting or anything. Not till way later.”

“So what happened to Maybel?” She nuzzles Billy’s peach fuzz hair and inhales. “Because now you’re telling me you ‘took care of her’, and I’m remembering I never saw her again. Kinda sounds homicide-y to me.”

I roll my eyes. “You spend way too much time with Kane Bishop and his crew of murderous thugs.”

“Yes, well, considering he’s my husband, I suppose it means I enjoy spending time with him. Did you whack Maybel?”

“No.”

“Punch her in her stupid face?”

“No.”

“Run her down with your car?”

I drop my head and grin. “I actually grabbed Laine that day. Brought her with me.”

“Laine?” Jess’ eyes pop wide. “You took Laine and not me? What the hell?”

“Pretty sure you were in detention because you rode your blades through the school halls earlier that day. Which,” I glance up and meet her eyes, “you knew you weren’t allowed to do, considering the detention you sat for the same crime the week before. Laine typically learns from her mistakes the first time, so she was free and clear that day. I pulled her along with me, we stopped in the same hall, on the same corner, at the same time of the afternoon as every other time Malaprop cornered her, and we found her holding Kari by the throat.”

Jess growls, dangerous and promising.

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