“Don’t make me relive it,” I said to Morrie.
“That bad?” Morrie asked, I made a face and Morrie whistled low before saying, “Sheds new light on Willie.”
“Why’re we talkin’ about who Feb did?” Darryl asked.
“I think the point is Feb didn’t do anyone,” Colt said. “Am I right, Stew?”
Before Stew could answer, I offered helpfully, “I think the rumors got started because I necked a lot after I broke up you,” I told Colt. “Most of the time I was pretty drunk. Though I never made out with Stew, drunk or not.”
“You didn’t do anyone?” Morrie asked me, looking slightly shocked and I would have kicked him or at least punched his arm if the situation was a little less tense. However, the situation was very tense and I didn’t want to be the one to send it over the edge.
“I did Pete,” I answered.
“You were married to him,” Morrie returned.
“Don’t make me relive that either.”
Aaron moved in closer and tagged Stew’s shirt, giving it a tug before dropping his hand. “Come on, Stew, let’s just go.”
Morrie was focused, however. “You just made out with all these guys?”
“Not all of them, for example, not Stew,” I replied.
Stew’s eyes moved to me and then he made his move to Colt, but verbally. He wanted Colt to start it, likely because if Colt did, he’d get in worse trouble than Stew if it got ugly. There were a lot of eyes, a lot of witnesses. Stew started it, Colt could say he was defending himself. Colt started it, he would be f**ked. Stew wasn’t like Pete; he wouldn’t back down and do the right thing with a little pressure from people. Pete did the right thing not because he was a good guy but because he was an outsider and he’d had a goodly taste of Colt’s fury backed up by a goodly amount of pressure to get the f**k out of Dodge. Stew would push it and make things difficult for Colt at work. It was frowned on, cops getting in bar brawls and beating the shit out of guys who wronged their girlfriends, no matter who the dickheads were that did it and how much they deserved it.
So Stew made his move by repeating to me, “Bullshit, Feb, I nailed you.”
Colt didn’t miss a beat before telling him, “I know you didn’t.”
Stew’s eyes went back to Colt. “And you know that how?”
“Because I have nailed her and trust me, you had her once, you’d go back for more.”
“Aw,” Dee said, “that’s kind of sweet.”
I rolled my eyes.
Colt suddenly sat down.
Then he said, “Finish your beer, Stew, then I wanna see you in here again never. I never wanna see you in here again.”
Stew stared at Colt, denied his altercation and with Colt unwilling to play finding himself in a position that he was unable to escalate it. Though, he tried.
“Backin’ down, Lieutenant Colton?” Stew taunted.
“Yep,” Colt replied casually, turning toward his beer, “I gotta bust your lip, I might split my knuckle and I want free use of my fingers tonight.”
That’s when I rolled my eyes again at Dee who was grinning at me.
“Jesus, Colt, her brother’s standin’ right here,” Morrie muttered, sounding only half-disgusted, the other half was amused and noting the standoff was over he started to walk behind the bar, finishing, “You’re off, Feb. Me and Dee are closin’.”
This shocking announcement took my mind off the tense situation.
“What?”
“Morrie’s gonna show me how to use the cash register,” Dee proclaimed, like Morrie was going to strap her into a spacecraft and take her on a tour of the stars. She was still grinning and following Morrie behind the bar.
“What?” I repeated to her back.
Dee turned and her face was awash in excitement. “And he’s gonna teach me how to mix drinks.”
“What?” I said again.
“You good, boss?” Darryl asked Colt.
“Yeah, Darryl,” Colt said, taking the final pull of his beer. Aaron had moved Stew a couple of feet away. The standoff was over. Colt backed off and sat down but everyone knew, even Stew, that Stew ended up the loser. We were all still the focal point of a lot of eyes but I wasn’t paying attention, something more important was happening.
I followed Dee and Morrie behind the bar.
“Who’s lookin’ after the kids?” I asked.
“Mom and Dad came over, just to wind down a bit. They decided to spend the night. I’m spellin’ you so you and Colt can get some shuteye,” Morrie told me.
I turned to Dee and said, “But –”
“Family bar, family’s workin’ it,” Morrie answered even though I spoke to Dee. It was then it hit me that Morrie looked happy, happier than he’d been in ages and Dee did too.
I felt my mouth drop open. Then I felt a happy tingle hit my chest. Then I thought I was going to start crying.
I had a feeling the trial was definitely gone from the trial reconciliation. And more than that, I had a feeling my brother worked a miracle. Because if Dee was coming in then Dee was going to be part of the bar, part of the family and life was going to go the way it should go. With Colt in his seat and in my life and the family running the bar, all of my family.
“Do we have…” I started, scared to say it out loud, like a pin would prick this fragile bubble of a dream if I spoke the words but I took in a breath and then finished, “somethin’ to celebrate?”
I felt Colt’s arm hook me around the waist and he pulled me from the back of the bar saying, “Yeah, honey, it’s ten o’clock and we can be home by ten fifteen if you get your ass in gear. That’s worth celebrating.”
I pulled against Colt’s hold but he kept tugging me toward the office.
“Morrie?” I called.
Morrie looked at me. Then he smiled. It was big, it was more than happy. He had his family back. Then I knew that a heavenly light, for that moment, was shining down on all of us.
“Go home Baby Sister,” he called back.
I smiled back at my big brother then Colt tugged me into the office then I moved my smile to him. He shared my smile as he lifted his hand to touch my jaw and my smile got even bigger, so big, it hurt my face but I couldn’t stop doing it and I didn’t want to.
Then I grabbed my purse, shrugged on my jacket and went home with Colt.
We were home by ten fifteen.
* * * * *