Page 6 of Ask Your Mom If I'm Real

And why did those two words send a thrill through my body?

“I don’t want no trouble,” the dad repeated.

“Daddy, this is Dixie. Dixie, this is my father, Vick Paxton,” Mary finished introducing us.

“I’m Roger, her brother.” He paused. “Though you already know that, don’t you?”

He was a bumbling idiot.

I liked him.

“Sure, Rog.” We’ll act like we never met before. I lied.

Roger let out a relieved breath before backing up to say, “Dad, Mary was just covering the bar for a moment because I have the bubble guts.”

The bubble guts.

Jesus.

“You’re such a fuckin’ child,” Vick snarled at him. “When you’re done here, get the fuck back home.”

I gritted my teeth, and had intended to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“Please stop cursing in my ol’ lady’s presence,” I said very carefully.

His eyes narrowed, but again his gaze flicked behind me before saying, “Beer’s on the house tonight.”

There were several grunts behind me.

Vick left before he could say anything else to piss me off.

“Get out of here, Mary,” Roger suggested. “Make it look like we didn’t just pull that out of our a…” his gaze caught mine. “Butt.”

I nodded at him.

He winced and started to clean the bar.

I caught Mary’s hand in mine and gently pulled her with me. “Want to talk for a second outside?”

She let me take her hand, and I led her out of the bar, around the corner, and to my bike.

She walked over to it and ran her finger down the handle bars.

“My dad used to be a good guy,” she mused. “But he’s changed a lot since my mom died.”

I couldn’t imagine that.

“Does he treat you okay?” I asked.

When she didn’t say anything, my stomach soured.

“Mary?” I asked.

“He treats me about as good as can be expected, I guess.” She looked up at the darkening sky. “I’m going to leave soon.”

“And go where?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Anywhere that’s not here.”

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