Page 75 of Close to Falling

“They had your back in prison. You think you would have survived without them?”

“I didn’t have any help when I was fighting. They might have been behind me, but I fought on my own. And if I recall correctly, it was because of my association with you that I had to fight in the first place.”

He nods and grabs the trashcan beside him before he spits his dip into it.

“Always been a tough guy even when you were a kid.” I don’t respond.“You know, I remember a time you called me for help. Asking me if I could get you a job to make some quick money.”

“That was a long time ago. I was a dumb kid.”

“And you’re all grown up now,” he says, looking around my shop.

“River.” I hear B before I see her walk through the door. I move and walk over to meet her.

“Go home,” I say. “I’ll be there in a little bit.” She looks around me before she swallows with wide eyes.

“Don’t hide her, River. Let me meet the girl who’s stolen my boy’s heart.”

I sigh and grab her hand as I tell him, “Pops, this is Maddie B.” He stands and reaches his hand out to shake hers. She takes it and gives him a firm handshake.

“She’s pretty,” Pops says. “And she has a firm handshake, too.”

“You can speak to me when you say that,” she says, and I shake my head,trying not to smile. I’m going to marry this fucking girl.“Thank you for the compliment,” she finishes. “River, I’ll see you at home.” She kisses me and walks out.

“You let her talk like that?” Pops asks me once B is out of sight.

“You think you could stop her?” I say. He laughs.

“Boy, she wouldn’t talk at all if she was mine.”

“Are you looking for some sort of relationship here?” I ask with narrowed eyes.

“Be nice,” he responds.

“Keep her out of it then.”

He holds up his hands in a backing-off manner. “I’m okay with that.”

“I’ve got to get home,” I say. “Anything else you want to talk about?”

He sighs. “I think we got off on the wrong foot here. Why don’t you two come to dinner sometime at the clubhouse? We can start over.”

“I don’t want her around any of that.”

“Fine. We can do it somewhere else.”

“I’ll get back to you,” I say.

He nods “Fair enough, kid. I'll see you around.” He heads back out the door, and I walk over to lock it. Grabbing my keys, I head to the front and close up before I head home.

***

I’ve got Maddie in my arms as we lie in bed watching TV. Fisher is fast asleep, and this girl smells like heaven.

“My dad wants us to have dinner with him,” I tell her.

“Is that something you want to do?” she asks.

“Maybe one day,” I say quietly as I pull her closer and kiss her neck. “Tell me.”

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