Page 36 of Pooh

“Katrena, Craig’s mom, brought that guy here last night. Most likely, because she knew neither Tammy nor I would be here, and that’s seriously breaking the rules. She’s been breaking several for a while now and she’s upstairs packing. We’re worried about Craig and what will happen to him now,” I answer.

“Fuck me. That kid deserves better than he’s been getting or what’s probably in store for him. We should have a chat with her before she leaves, Pooh. Lay out some rules that we won’t tolerate being broken by her or her boyfriends,” Trigger states.

“Yeah, definitely, but I think the drugs she’s using are going to talk louder than we will,” Pooh agrees.

Katrena chooses that moment to come clomping down the stairs with a backpack and her purse. She pushes past our group and walks for the front door when I speak up.

“Katrena? We need to talk about you and Craig’s future.”

“I’m not up for that right now, Pippa. I’ll be back tomorrow around noon and we can decide shit then. Watch Craig for me tonight, yeah?” she answers as she continues out the door and down the walk.

Shortly after Katrena left, so did Trigger and Tammy. They’re cute together and I like the smile on her face that he brings out. She deserves to have reasons to smile. Pooh and Axel hang with Craig for a while, mostly getting beat by him on the Xbox. Craig is crowing loudly each time he laps the guys and at least Pooh is taking it like a man. Axel is not but he’s hilarious all the same.

I stayed until it was time for Craig to get to bed and then Pooh followed me back to my house while Axel headed home. When I tried to thank Axel for coming with Pooh to help, he waved me off, and then made me promise that he’s my first call if an ass-whooping needs to be handed out. A hug turned into him picking me up by wrapping his arms around me and swinging me in a few circles. Before I got to the point of hurling, Pooh made him set me down.

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Arriving at my house, I opened both garage doors so Pooh could park his bike inside if he wanted and he did. I closed the doors, got out, met Pooh at the steps and we entered my house together. Pooh stood by the door for a few moments, taking in my space, and then looked over at me with a smirk on his face.

“What? What’s wrong?” I ask, already knowing what he’s going to say.

“Babe. Really? How long have you lived here?”

“Just a couple of years. I’ve been busy, biker boy. I moved in here the same month we moved New Horizons to the house we’re in now. I’ve been busy. Don’t judge me,” I finish saying, laughing at the look on his face.

“You still have boxes sitting in the corners. Nothing on the walls. Barely any furniture. Are you sure you have even moved in yet?”

“I’m pathetic, I know. Tammy won’t even eat a meal here. She keeps threatening to furnish and decorate it for me. I don’t know what the problem is either. I like the house well enough but it just doesn’t seem like home to me. Tammy says if I’d decorate it, it would seem like my home, but I just don’t feel it.”

“Maybe it’s not the right one for you. Where did you live before here?”

“With Tammy. She was my foster mom when my parents were killed. I was thirteen, hating the world, and I was so lost and she became my anchor. I couldn’t have asked for a better foster mom and I know my parents would have loved her for me. Then I went away to college and when things went to hell there, I came back a mess and she was there for me again. I became too dependent on her and thought I should finally move out and get my own place. So, I did and this is the result. I am in a weird kind of limbo, I think.”

“You put so much of yourself into New Horizons that you haven’t learned to live life. There is a whole world out there, Pippa. What you do for those women and kids is amazing and wonderful but you deserve to live a little too.”

“You’re right, Pooh. I need to focus on more than just New Horizons. But until I start doing that, would you like a beer?”

“Yeah, doll, please.”

“Grab a seat and I’ll be right there.”

I watch as Pooh walks to the only piece of furniture in my living room and drop his ass onto my couch. I cringe while taking a look around my kitchen and living room, through the eyes of someone here for the first time, and know it’s time to make this a home or start looking for something I like better.

I grab a couple of cold beers and take a seat next to Pooh. Handing him his beer, he grins at me.

“What?” I ask, perplexed as to what the grin is all about.

“Your mattress sits on the floor, doesn’t it?” he asks, still grinning at me.

“No!” I protest, knowing that’s only half of the truth.

“Really, Pippa?”

“Okay, fine. It sits on box springs that sit on the floor. And my clothes, before you ask, are either hanging in the closet or are in laundry baskets.”

Pooh barks out a laugh and his eyes are shining with humor. The man is simply hot any way you want to look at him. Eye candy for sure.

“Let’s talk about you for a minute. You said you’re building a house. What is it going to look like?” I ask trying to change the subject of my shortcomings.

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