Page 26 of Them Bones

They shook and sipped their beers, Jerry standing beside him in thoughtful silence, Shane trying – and failing – not to look at Laney, who was still steadfastly ignoring him even though he could feel her peripheral vision on him like lightning.

“I know you been staying here,” Jerry said after a while. Shane tensed. “First time I ever been here an’ it don’t stink like cat piss. ‘Bout damn time.”

“It took me two days of scrubbing the hall runner with bleach,” he said with a grimace.

“You got grit, kid,” Jerry laughed, clapping him on the back. “You in school with her?” Shane shook his head, and Jerry’s eyes narrowed. “Yousupposedto be in school?” Shane just shrugged, and Jerry sighed. “I didn’t like school none, neither. You workin’ then…?”

Shane shrugged again. “Sort of, I guess. I’ve been helping Dustin out, while his leg was broken.”

A shadow passed over Jerry’s face, but he shook it off.

“Guess you’ll be needin’ something new, then. The kid looked fine, to me. Prob be wantin’ to go back to work, now that…”

Shane knew what he was going to say.Now that Cary’s home.

Jerry studied him, slowly reaching into his chest pocket and pulling out a blunt, which he perched between his teeth and lit, blowing out a few smoke rings, before handing it to Shane.

Shane took it and inhaled long and hard.

“You know how to drive?” Jerry asked Shane as they passed the joint back and forth.

“Yeah.”

“You got a license?” Jerry asked, with a pointed look. Shane shook his head no. Jerry sighed and clapped him on the back. “Well that don’ really matter none, so long as you don’ fuck up in the yard.”

“The yard?”

“I got a scrap yard. Could use some help with the forklift. Last kid kept showin’ up drunk, ran it into my perennial garden.” Shane couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. About the job, or about the perennials. “I’ll pay ya twelve bucks an hour, cash. You can use one o’ my trucks for scrap runs, or for helping out these here kids. Just don’ drink on the job, and don’ speed. I don’ need my truck being impounded.”

“Wait… are you for real right now?” Shane asked.

Jerry put his hand on Shane’s shoulder. “I love these here kids. But I can’t be helpin’ ‘em more than I already do. I’d fuck ‘em up right good.” He scratched his beard. “I seen you here, a few times, when I been by…”

He trailed off but didn’t say what he came by for.

“I seen you all together. And I never seen Dustin like that with nobody but Laney. That girl keeps good house, but this place has aman’stouch, now. Things that broke and neededfixin’ been being fixed.” He puffed on his joint again. “I respect a man who take care of family, like that. Even if… he mightta needed somethin’ out of it for himself. Even if he mightta needed a place to be.”

Shane didn’t know why, but he felt the prickle of tears behind his eyes.

“Sometimes good folks jus’ deserve a break.”

Shane blinked, willing the tears to evaporate before embarrassing him by squeezing their way out of his tear ducts.

“When can I start?”

“Monday. 7:00am. I’ll drop ya the truck by then.”

Shane was floored. “Thank you…” His voice was thick with emotion.

“No sweat. Just watch yourself,” Jerry said, nodding towards Laney.

“It’s not… like that… not really…” Shane started. “I really just needed a place to stay. I’ve been helping out…”

Jerry shook his head. “Don’ start bein’ a liar to me now, boy. I can see it plain as day. Don’ matter none what you’re doin’ ornotdoin’. What youfeelin’is written all over ya. You might think abou’ rearrangin’ your face, before someone else does it for ya.”

Shane was exhausted, and just wanted to drag himself to bed, but he realized he had no idea where to sleep now that Cary was back. “I guess I’ll go crash on the couch downstairs,” he mumbled.

“Oh, no ya don’t,” Jerry said with a smile. “You don’ needa be down there tonight. You go crash in Dusty’s room. He blowed up the air mattress for ya. Now, I gotta piss.”

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