Page 29 of Goode to Be Bad
“Right.” I shrugged. “She don’t let anyone get close. When she decides to push, she pushes fuckin’hard. And I mean, I ain’t made of stone, you know? I care about that girl, a lot. But if she won’t let me, how long’m I s’posed to keep hangin’ around her gettin’ pushed off?” I laughed self-consciously. “Man, five minutes around you and I’m twangin’ like I’m a twelve-year-old Texas hick again.”
“What, your label tell you to sound less like a good ol’ boy?”
“Well, no. My best friend Crow and I own our own label—my band mates are minor shareholders, too. It was my manager, Mick. He wanted me to sound southern, but nottoosouthern. And, honestly, the more time I spend away from Texas and around people who aren’t from the South, the more the accent fades anyway. It doesn’t ever go all the way away, but when I’m around someone like you who’s got a thick accent, mine comes out.”
“Crow’s a good fella. I like him. Treats Charlie like a real queen.”
I nodded. “Crow…is one of a kind. A truly rare human. And for as good as he treats Charlie, she brings the best out in him. Gives him some soft edges, and for as long as I’ve known him, he’s been not much but sharp and hard through and through. Didn’t even know he had a soft side, most of the time. Charlie’s amazing. Be good to see her again.”
“Best advice I can give you—and I know you didn’t ask—is to just be there. And if she tries to push you away, don’t let her. Keep on not letting her, and eventually she either will let you get close, or she’ll opt herself out of your life, and either way you’ll have your answer. But if you care about her like you say you do? You’ll find what you need to put up with whatever she dishes out for as long as it takes, as long as you keep seein’ something in her that’s worth putting up with.” He checked his phone, digging it out of his back pocket. “Well, Liv’s gotta hit that meeting, and then we’re meeting my boys and their girls for drinks. I know you and Lexie are welcome to come, if you want.”
I nodded, shrugged. “I dunno. I’ll have to see what Lex wants. I appreciate the invite. We wouldn’t want to horn in on you and Liv having time with your family, though.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, it’s nothin’ like that. Just an informal hangout at the Kitty. Probably will end up being more than just my slice of the clan, because this crew is thick as thieves.”
“Heard there’s a lot of ’em.”
“Oh, man,” Lucas laughed. “There’s a whole damn passel of ’em. I got eight nephews and three sons, and each one has a girl, so that’s twenty-two. Then there’s Liv’s girls, Cassie with Ink, and now Charlie with Crow, making it twenty-six. You guys is twenty-eight. Whenever the other two of her daughters end up here with men, it’ll be thirty-two, just adults. Not to mention the growing pile of kids, and shit if I can keep track ofthem. I know the twins are talking about getting pregnant at the same time, and seein’ as that’s two sets of twins matched up, with history of twins on both sides, chances are they’ll both end up with twins themselves, making four babies at the same time, and Corin and Tate already have one pair of twins.” He laughed ruefully. “Man, now my head hurts.”
“The twins? That’s…?”
“Canaan and Corin, my nephews, are identical twins, and they’re shacked up permanent-like with a pair of twins, Aerie and Tate, and that’s respective—Canaan is with Aerie, and they’re touring musicians under the name Canary, and Corin is with Tate, and they’re here in town running the label Canary operates on, and some other shit I’m not sure about, and I know Crow is with them a lot, bein’ into music himself.” He laughed again. “Son, it’s confusing as hell. You’re just gonna have to jump in and figure it all out yourself. The web of connections and who’s who and who’s where and who’s doing what is so all-fired complicated it’s a damn sight above my pay grade.”
I nodded. “Well, if I’m around to jump in, I’ll probably be asking you for clarification.”
“You’re better off asking Liv. That woman knows every birthday, every anniversary of the couples who actually bothered to get hitched legal, she knows the whole thing. Taken on the role of matriarch like she was born to it. Some of the kids are calling her Mama Liv. And by kids, I mean the grown ones. None of the youngsters are old enough to talk yet, or not well.”
He led the way back to the kitchen, where Lexie was leaning into Liv’s shoulder, her mother’s arms around her, and she was crying. Shoulders shaking, sniffling and snuffling, the whole works.
Liv saw us coming through and shook her head with a meaningful look, and Lucas and I pivoted in unison and went back where we’d been.
“Looks like they’re makin’ progress,” Lucas said. “Liv’s gonna be late, but her client ain’t a stickler for punctuality himself.”
“What does Liv do?” I asked.
“She’s a real estate agent and interior designer.” He flicked a hand at the town of Ketchikan at large. “Me, her, Zane, Bast, and Dru have an LLC, actually. I wouldn’t quite call it flipping, because we don’t do major renovations, but we take homes and condos that are outdated and just need a bit of TLC and spit-and-polish, and we update ’em, put ’em back on the market for a nice little profit. The boys and I do the work, Liv does the design, and she and Dru do the selling. Liv and Dru actually own their own agency, now.”
“So that’s what you do? Renovations?”
He snorted. “Hell, no. I just help out because I’m handy enough to not nail my own thumbs to the wall. Bast and Zane are the really skilled ones. Naw, me and my boy Ramsey are in business together—we’re what we call adventure guides. Anything from local day-hikes to deep bush month-long hunts, backpacking trips, canoeing. If it takes you out in the woods and you need a guide who knows the area and woodcraft, we do it.”
“Wow, that’s pretty cool.”
“Well, I grew up off-grid, some miles north’a here, and spent the first twenty years of my life living in and off of the forest. And Ram—well, all three of the boys were smokejumpers for a number of years. When they retired from that, Ram found himself happiest out in the woods, and turned it into a career.”
“Maybe someday I can get you guys to show me some sights, out in the wild. I’ve done shows in Anchorage and Juneau, but I’ve never had a chance to do much exploring.”
He nodded. “Sure thing, son. Say the word and I’ll clear my schedule.”
At that moment, Lexie wandered out, eyes red but otherwise back to normal. She smiled at Lucas. “Mom wanted me to tell you it’s time to go. And to make sure Myles and I know to meet you guys at the Badd Kitty whenever we’re ready.”
Lucas nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll see you kids later.”
“Good talking to you, Lucas.” I shook his hand. “And thanks.”
He nodded, shook my hand back, and clapped me on the shoulder on the way past.
I waited until he was gone, and then eyed Lexie—she stood beside me at the railing.