Page 274 of Keeping 13

“That’s ’cause he’s got that funny voice.” Ollie laughed. “He says ‘shite’ instead of ‘shit.’”

“Ollie,” I scolded. “Don’t say that.”

“But hedoes,” Ollie defended. “Say ‘shite,’ Johnny. Show her.”

“Don’t, Johnny,” I warned.

“Shite,” Sean blurted out from the back seat, pronouncing the word crystal clear.

Ollie and Tadhg howled laughing.

“Ah, shite,” Johnny muttered, giving me a sheepish look.

“Shite,” Sean repeated, clapping his hands together. “Shite.”

“Of course,” I groaned, “he would pickthatup.”

“It’s a one-night-only free pass, lads,” Johnny announced. “And you might want to mind yourp’s andq’s around the grown-ups.”

“What about Mam?” Tadhg asked then.

Smooth as honey and not missing a beat, Johnny said, “I talked to your ma before I left. She said you’re all allowed stay at my place tonight.”

Ollie’s eyes widened. “She did?”

Johnny nodded and I didn’t miss the tremor in his hand—the one he discreetly tried to shake out.He was lying.“It’s all good, lads,” he added, driving through the open gates of his property. “Consider it an adventure.”

“I like adventures,” Ollie offered.

As we approached Johnny’s house, every light in the place was on, making the home look even more impressive than during the daytime. Desperate to keep my mind as empty as possible, I counted and then recounted the eighteen windows at the front of his house, and then I wondered how many times a month Mrs. Kavanagh had the window cleaners out to the house. The panes were always streak-free and sparkling clean.

The moment Johnny cut the engine of his car, the front door swung inward and his mother came running outside in her dressing gown, wide-eyed and frantic-looking. “Where did you go?” she demanded, hand pressed to her chest. “I’ve been calling you!”

“Ah, shite,” Johnny muttered, unfastening his seat belt. “Just wait here for a sec. I’ll go calm her down.” Climbing out of the car, he hurried over to his mother, patting her on the back when she threw her arms around him. “I’m alright, Ma. I’m grand. I left my phone in the car.”

“I didn’t know what was happening,” she choked out, clutching her son. “I heard tires screeching and checked your room and you were gone.” Shaking her head, she reached up and cupped his face in her hands. “You can’t do that to me, Johnny.” Turning back to the house, she cried out, “John, he’s okay. Call Sadhbh back, love. Tell her to let Gerard know he can stop looking. He’s home.”

Reaching across the seats, I pressed the button on Johnny’s door to wind up the windows, not wanting my brothers to hear what was being said.

“Why’s Dellie crying?” Ollie whispered, leaning between the seats to watch the commotion.

“Because she was worried about Johnny,” I explained, feeling my throat tighten at the sight. “He’s her son.”

“What was she worried about?” he asked, turning his brown eyes on me. “Is he in trouble or something?”

“No, Ollie, but it’s the middle of the night, and she was probably scared for him.”

“Because it’s so late?”

I gave him a watery smile. “Exactly.”

Ollie glanced back to where Mrs. Kavanagh was still clutching her son in a death grip before blowing out a breath. Mr. Kavanagh had joined them and was cupping the back of Johnny’s head as they spoke over his wife’s head.

“Whoa,” Ollie whispered. “His mammy and daddy really love him, huh?”

“Mam loves us, too,” I croaked out, feeling the need to reassure my baby brother. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

Tadhg made a noise from the back seat and muttered something unintelligible under his breath—something that sounded awfully like ‘Yeah, in your fucking dreams.’

---