Page 47 of Exile & Lula

“He can only stay for a few days.”

Pax grunted. “That Zodiac has him on a short leash, huh?”

“No, he doesn’t want to leave his sister and nieces unguarded for long. Nova was shot in the back by the Void. She’s afraid to be alone.”

“Oh,” Bebe said, suddenly remembering Exile’s sweet side. “And they live together.”

“Seems lame, you know?” Pax muttered immediately. “Living with a sibling into adulthood, I mean, real loser shit.”

We looked at him and considered whether to mention how he lived with Ford until Shay came along. Realizing he was expecting our razzing, we collectively decided to simply smile at him.

“I really like Exile,” I admitted.

“Are you sure it’s him and not just that you’re feeling vulnerable?” Bebe asked.

“Having Exile here actually makes me feel more vulnerable. If I just wanted to feel safe, I’d have Rowdy move in for a few weeks. Or we’d keep bunking at your place. This thing with Exile is something else.”

We turned our gazes to Exile outside. He leaned down to speak to Xena, who barked up at him. He likely thought the dog wanted something, but she liked to bark. The more he spoke to her, the faster her tail wagged, and the louder she got.

Catching onto her antics, Exile stood up and looked toward the house. I wasn’t sure if he saw us staring at him or if he sensed he was being watched, but he frowned. His annoyance made me smile. Hell, everything he did made me happy.

EXILE

My plan for dinner with Lula and Dillon was to ask the kid questions. I knew how much children liked to talk, so I figured I’d keep her busy and show interest. Instead, Dillon interrogated me for forty minutes, asking everything from my living situation to my allergies.

“Is your sister your emergency contact?” Dillon asked, sounding like her mom rather than a kid.

“Yes.”

“Where’s her husband?”

“He disappeared.”

Dillon nodded and gave me an exaggerated wink. “I get you.”

Chuckling at her taunt, I couldn’t get over how much Dillon looked like Lula. Earlier, I’d been amazed by the similarities between Lula and Bebe. A curious thought lingered all evening.What would my kid with Lula look like?

I was still wondering about a potential child when I sat out back with Lula after Dillon had gone to bed. We drank beers and watched the moonlight shimmer across the lake. Xena sniffed along the black iron fence surrounding the backyard.

Lula asked, “Are you feeling chatty?”

“With you? Sure.”

“Is there a story behind why you wear your hat?”

“Does it bother you?”

“Nothing about you bothers me,” she said in an unguarded voice before frowning. “Well, you living in another state is a bummer, no matter how much I pretend otherwise.”

“We’ll make the long-distance thing work.”

Lula smiled and gestured to my hat. “So, is there a story behind why you wear it?”

“Can’t it just be that I like hats?”

“Sure, but is that the reason?”

I took a drag on my beer and considered my past. Lula knew the ugly details. Before we met, I was a fucked-up guy in a file. I assumed hearing those details from me would be better.