Page 59 of The Wounded Warrior

Matty winked at him, and Preacher gave him back his notebook with some tentative figures. Okay, that was more than he still had in savings, but he knew he could be dogged with the best of them.

He could do this.

He could.

“We got this, brother. You and me.”

“We do.” Fuck, he was lucky. For a second he felt gobsmacked as all hell. How had he gone from feeling put upon by the good Lord Himself to knowing that he was blessed?

Preacher grinned hugely at him before rising to grab the tray of burgers Momma handed him. “There it is. I told you, son, you’d understand someday.”

“You did.” And he’d snarled and hung up on the old man, then texted to apologize. He hadn’t been ready, but he reckoned his daddy knew that, too.

Preacher knew everything, at least about the Man Upstairs.

Preacher clapped him on the shoulder with his free hand. “You boys change into something worky. I’ll need you in the barn after lunch, and Matty, your momma needs a gutter fixed and she won’t let me get on the house.”

“I’m on it, sir.”

“You’re a good boy, Matty.”

“I love you too, Momma. You want a T-shirt, Luke?”

“I do, please.” Every day he was more confident he could actually help instead of just sitting on his pockets and watching. “Need me to chop anything, Momma?”

“Cabbage, please. I’m making coleslaw. Potato salad’s already made up.” Momma handed him a knife and a cutting board.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll shred carrots, too.” He did love to hear her hum and smell the good smells she made in that kitchen.

Matt brought him a T-shirt, grabbed his tea and bebopped out the door after stealing a piece of apple for the pie off the counter.

Momma laughed, the sound empty of the strain he’d gotten used to hearing in her voice when he was around. Yeah, Luke reckoned she was glad he had a plan, that he was interested in something. Being a momma had to be the hardest job ever.

“You heard from Mark, Momma?”

“He’s in Mexico. He’s busy. No, he doesn’t want company. Mark has issues, honey.”

“I’m not wanting to go to Mexico. I might call him, though, if you think he’ll answer.” Mark could have all the issues he wanted, but Luke was sick of respecting them. Aman needed a kick in the ass sometimes. He knew that better than anyone right now.

“It can’t hurt to try. John’s talking about having another baby already. That boy is a nutter. Three is enough.”

“You think so?” He didn’t point out she’d had four since he and Matt were kind of a bonus.

“Well, I mean, I’ll love them all, but Marlena has her hands full with the boys.”

“Yeah. John is kinda gung ho.” He winked at her and she laughed, trading him cabbage for carrots.

“John is my baby, and I adore him, but the boy is a horndog.”

“At least he seems to be a horndog for just one woman now.” He paused, glancing at her sideways. “You might as well know, Momma. I started dating Rory McConnell.”

“Did you? He’s young, but he seems smart enough. He, uh, he had a run-in with Doug Harris and some of his cronies a few years ago. The rumors were nasty. I felt bad for him and his momma.”

He stared, because this was what Rory wouldn’t talk to him about. “I know you’re not one to repeat rumors, Momma, but can you tell me what you know?”

“Oh, son, are you sure you want to hear? It’s nasty.”

“What is it you always say? Forewarned is forearmed?”

---